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review :: links crossbow training
Links Crossbow Training
Reviewed on: WiiAvailable on: Wii
Get that good, old Zelda feeling again ... without giving up the next two weeks of your life.
Players: 1 - 4 Players
Genre:
Release: 2007-12-12
Genre:
Release: 2007-12-12
Developer: Nintendo
Distributor: Nintendo
Distributor: Nintendo
The Wii Zapper. Those of you who attended eGames in November, 2007, got to see it in action on the big screen. It took two guys to show you how good this thing was: one guy to talk about it and another to look like he really should have been selected as ‘Second Soldier on Left of Main Character who provides covering fire’ in the movie Starship Troopers. Now don’t get me wrong, this guy was working it! But that’s what you do when you are working PR for one of the ’Big 3’ …… and getting paid for it. You don’t really need to get into it as much as he did, but why the hell not? No one is filming you right?
It doesn’t take too long to set your Zapper frame up with the WiiMote and Nunchuck, although there were no instructions on how to assemble it included in the box I purchased … Come to think of it, maybe that’s why the young lass at JB Hi-Fi threw in a free South Park T-Shirt. I asked her what the hell South Park had to do with the Wii Zapper, but ‘Nothing’ was her reply, so I just smiled and took it graciously. The Nunchuck is placed in the end of unit, on two pegs, which slip into the two screw holes on the underside of the Nunchuck. This of course means that you must remove any silicon covers you have on. The cord from the Nunchuck hides behind a cover in front of the nunchuck. It feeds out of the top of the handle and click into place in the WiiMote, which sits neatly in the top, so there is barely any cord exposed. This is actually a little different to the picture on the box, as I can’t seem to see any exposed cords at all! Presentation is always a major part of the product.
Kill the Birds! Why? Because you can!
Holding the Zapper in your hands is a little weird at first. Anyone who has handled a rifle will instantly think ‘Why the hell in the trigger at the front of the weapon?’ I initially found think to be very awkward and still do, but I am getting used to it. I am also convinced that the hand model used by the creators of Nintendo’s latest money spinner was either an 8 year old girl, or a man with very small hands. I wouldn’t say I have big hands, but I don’t think there is enough room for the front hand to grip the Zapper comfortably. On the other end of the apparatus, the rear handle that houses the nunchuck, is actually quite comfortable, with plenty of finger space. If only the comfort were balanced…
The game supplied with the Zapper, Link’s Crossbow Training, has all the sights and sounds you would expect out of a Zelda title, just without the longevity, but that’s got zip to do with replay ability - just game length. After all it [i]is[/i] just ‘Training’ as the title suggests. All the surrounding environments are taken from Twilight Princess and the visuals are just as they were with that epic adventure. All sorts of creatures from LoZ:TP make an appearance, either in a friendly state, as with Gorons and Oocco or many of the enemies that you have faced before. I was very keen to do Gannondorf in with a crossbow, but I was disappointed, as he is nowhere to be seen (Well as far as I have progressed anyway).
The game play is simple: shoot targets and score points. You point, you shoot, you move with the thumbstick on the Nunchuck, easy. It’s fun to be trigger happy, but that’s not going to get you your name in the record books, now, is it? In LCT, accuracy is the key. If you hit targets continuously, without fail, you gain a multiplier, which rises with each hit. Miss and you start building again from scratch. Also, if you manage to clear sections completely you will be given bonus points. As with WiiPlay, there are Gold, Silver and Bronze (and possibly Platinum, I’m not quite good enough yet!) to be awarded for reaching certain score levels. This will be the ticket that brings you back to this game, trying to better your last outing. There are three types of play available from the main menu: Score Attack, Multiplayer and Practice. I’ll let you work out what they mean >Insert rolleyes here< ... but I will say that you can’t play anything In Multiplayer or Practice that you haven’t attempted in Score Attack ... which kinda defeats the need for Practice, right?
The game has nine levels that consist of three stages each. The first of each is target practice, either standing still or on horseback, No need to crack out the Ocarina to summon you horse this time, Epona is ready to go! The second is a moving target episode which finds you turning 360 degrees to defend yourself. The third is a boss or walkthrough scenario, were you either defeat the end boss or walk through a recreation of the areas from LoZ:TP and take out a certain number of enemies in an allotted timeframe. Some of these levels are just the same thing with different paint job, so to speak. It’s not only your main creatures/targets that you can set your sights on, but all those breakable goodies that you regularly find in any Zelda Title, such as barrels, skulls and pots are fair game too. Some of these extra targets contain goodies like bonus scores or a weapon upgrade to Automatic. The Auto function is a great option, but just letting fly doesn’t do your multiplier any favours, as you are bound to fire off one or two stray rounds. The other weapon function is just like the Zelda games: Hold the button for explosive arrows. Unlike the Auto shot, this can benefit your multiplier greatly if done correctly.
Shoot the red target, and see just how deep the rabbit hole goes
There isn’t too much else to tell you other than, you don’t really need the Zapper, but at the same time it is a bit of fun and the game is probably worth the purchase price. I suppose, in time, it may just gather dust with my Golf Club, Tennis Racquet and Baseball Bat attachments. We will just have to wait and see what Nintendo produce in the future that will have us utilise this plastic wonder.
It doesn’t take too long to set your Zapper frame up with the WiiMote and Nunchuck, although there were no instructions on how to assemble it included in the box I purchased … Come to think of it, maybe that’s why the young lass at JB Hi-Fi threw in a free South Park T-Shirt. I asked her what the hell South Park had to do with the Wii Zapper, but ‘Nothing’ was her reply, so I just smiled and took it graciously. The Nunchuck is placed in the end of unit, on two pegs, which slip into the two screw holes on the underside of the Nunchuck. This of course means that you must remove any silicon covers you have on. The cord from the Nunchuck hides behind a cover in front of the nunchuck. It feeds out of the top of the handle and click into place in the WiiMote, which sits neatly in the top, so there is barely any cord exposed. This is actually a little different to the picture on the box, as I can’t seem to see any exposed cords at all! Presentation is always a major part of the product.
Kill the Birds! Why? Because you can!
Holding the Zapper in your hands is a little weird at first. Anyone who has handled a rifle will instantly think ‘Why the hell in the trigger at the front of the weapon?’ I initially found think to be very awkward and still do, but I am getting used to it. I am also convinced that the hand model used by the creators of Nintendo’s latest money spinner was either an 8 year old girl, or a man with very small hands. I wouldn’t say I have big hands, but I don’t think there is enough room for the front hand to grip the Zapper comfortably. On the other end of the apparatus, the rear handle that houses the nunchuck, is actually quite comfortable, with plenty of finger space. If only the comfort were balanced…
The game supplied with the Zapper, Link’s Crossbow Training, has all the sights and sounds you would expect out of a Zelda title, just without the longevity, but that’s got zip to do with replay ability - just game length. After all it [i]is[/i] just ‘Training’ as the title suggests. All the surrounding environments are taken from Twilight Princess and the visuals are just as they were with that epic adventure. All sorts of creatures from LoZ:TP make an appearance, either in a friendly state, as with Gorons and Oocco or many of the enemies that you have faced before. I was very keen to do Gannondorf in with a crossbow, but I was disappointed, as he is nowhere to be seen (Well as far as I have progressed anyway).
The game play is simple: shoot targets and score points. You point, you shoot, you move with the thumbstick on the Nunchuck, easy. It’s fun to be trigger happy, but that’s not going to get you your name in the record books, now, is it? In LCT, accuracy is the key. If you hit targets continuously, without fail, you gain a multiplier, which rises with each hit. Miss and you start building again from scratch. Also, if you manage to clear sections completely you will be given bonus points. As with WiiPlay, there are Gold, Silver and Bronze (and possibly Platinum, I’m not quite good enough yet!) to be awarded for reaching certain score levels. This will be the ticket that brings you back to this game, trying to better your last outing. There are three types of play available from the main menu: Score Attack, Multiplayer and Practice. I’ll let you work out what they mean >Insert rolleyes here< ... but I will say that you can’t play anything In Multiplayer or Practice that you haven’t attempted in Score Attack ... which kinda defeats the need for Practice, right?
The game has nine levels that consist of three stages each. The first of each is target practice, either standing still or on horseback, No need to crack out the Ocarina to summon you horse this time, Epona is ready to go! The second is a moving target episode which finds you turning 360 degrees to defend yourself. The third is a boss or walkthrough scenario, were you either defeat the end boss or walk through a recreation of the areas from LoZ:TP and take out a certain number of enemies in an allotted timeframe. Some of these levels are just the same thing with different paint job, so to speak. It’s not only your main creatures/targets that you can set your sights on, but all those breakable goodies that you regularly find in any Zelda Title, such as barrels, skulls and pots are fair game too. Some of these extra targets contain goodies like bonus scores or a weapon upgrade to Automatic. The Auto function is a great option, but just letting fly doesn’t do your multiplier any favours, as you are bound to fire off one or two stray rounds. The other weapon function is just like the Zelda games: Hold the button for explosive arrows. Unlike the Auto shot, this can benefit your multiplier greatly if done correctly.
Shoot the red target, and see just how deep the rabbit hole goes
There isn’t too much else to tell you other than, you don’t really need the Zapper, but at the same time it is a bit of fun and the game is probably worth the purchase price. I suppose, in time, it may just gather dust with my Golf Club, Tennis Racquet and Baseball Bat attachments. We will just have to wait and see what Nintendo produce in the future that will have us utilise this plastic wonder.
Final Verdict
For the $44 dollars I paid, I got a semi-useful peripheral and a nice little game. Not a full length game, by any standard, but something you can throw on for a couple of rounds. It’s hard to get anything decent for that price, but this one will be something you can throw on with mates and claim the title of Champion Marksman …. but I’m pretty sure that is what COD4 on Monday nights with the AG Army is for, right?Pros
Zapper: A fun little thing to have. Excess cords pack away nicely.
Game: Accuracy and response is pretty good, actually. Graphics are of an expected standard. Game can be played without Zapper (possibly a little easier without, too). Skulls used instead of Clay Targets brought a smile to my face.
Cons
Zapper: A little small and the trigger position is all wrong, takes some getting used to.
Game: The game is a little short, but it is its money. If the game was bigger, I’m guessing the price would have been too. Four player/Four controllers would have been nice, maybe a co-op mode as well.