Review
By
Simeon Paskell - 5th January 2008 16:20
A worthy add-on or just a worthless peripheral? We examine Link's Crossbow Training and the Wii Zapper!
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"Could both the game and peripheral stand on their own?"
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Leaving Zelda at home to await the next calamity to befall Hyrule, Link fills in some time with a spot of crossbow practice – an ideal opportunity to show off a brand new peripheral don’t you think?
Before even loading Link’s Crossbow Training or inserting the Wii remote into the Zapper, this feels like great value for money. It’s not often a new Zelda title is given away as a freebie and for the £20 (€42.50) asking price, it really hard to complain. However, with the budget price comes a suspicion that the contents may prove to be somewhat slight; that the title will be little more than a demonstration title for the Zapper. Is this the case or could both the game and peripheral stand on their own?
Firstly let’s take a look at the Zapper. Initial impressions of this strange formation of white plastic are a little baffling. On one hand it’s very intriguing, mainly by looking unlike any other gun-peripheral before it. On the other, it can (at first) feel clumsy and awkward in comparison to using the Wii remote and Nunchuck au naturel.
Rather strangely, the Zapper is a gun peripheral that doesn’t necessarily help to improve the accuracy of your targeting. It is an undeniable fact that the Wii remote emulates the functions of a traditional light gun almost perfectly - shooting targets in ‘Wii Play’ was never problematic, or left you yearning for a Zapper-like add on. Does this mean then, that the Zapper is redundant and/or a pointless novelty?
Crucially, the Zapper adds to the sense of immersion and, in the case of ‘Link’s Crossbow Training’, you really do feel like you are holding a crossbow. The learning curve that comes with familiarising yourself with the Zapper also adds the sense of challenge. Although Nintendo has made some strange design choices with the Zapper (possibly out of a desire to distance the controller from any violent connotations), it succeeds in spite of this, adding another unique and engaging form of control to the Wii’s already bulging repertoire.
As a demonstration of the possibilities offered by the Zapper, Link’s Crossbow Training performs admirably. In the same vein as classics such as Duck Hunt and Hogan’s Alley, you must shoot as many targets as you can within a time limit, and on face value it is as gloriously shallow (and fun) as its predecessors. However, dig a little deeper and Link’s Crossbow Training proves to be fiendishly addictive and challenging, adding some great additions and variations to its simple formula.
Three main play types are available – ‘target shooting’, ‘fixed combat’ and ‘free movement combat’. ‘Target shooting’ does exactly what it says on the tin. The latter two modes give you more control, with the ‘free move combat’ levels allowing you to manoeuvre Link around small environments using the analogue stick; hunting down your foes before perforating them like a teabag! In all modes of play you are set against a time limit, and bonus points are accrued through successive hits. It is this score system that is the game’s secret weapon.
The title is without doubt a short game. Even the most average of gamers will nail a fatal crossbow-bolt into the final bosses head within an hour. However, upon reaching this finale, were you to put down your Zapper and decry the £20 you have wasted on such a short (but sweet) experience, you would be missing the bulk of what is on offer. Like a cocky boxer taking a few punches unchecked only to hammer home just how tough he is, the game allows you to land a knock-out punch before springing right back up with a fresh challenge. Achieving a ‘Platinum’ grade in each level requires commitment, planning and practice to master both the Zapper, and to perfect the most score-efficient ways of playing. Levels that previously yielded scores in the thousands can (with persistence and skill) repay the effort with tens of thousands of points. This is the carrot keeps you playing, and enables the game’s challenge to out-live its apparent length.
The game’s biggest oversight is in its multiplayer mode. Players must take it in turns racking up high scores, and although this is still a lot of fun, the lack of simultaneous play is a glaring omission. This being said, Crossbow Training will undoubtedly become another party-game favourite, slotting neatly alongside the likes of Wii Sports and Big Brain Academy.
Recycling locations and enemies from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the title retains the handsome, yet last-gen visuals of that most popular of Wii launch titles. To its credit, where Wii Play’s target shooting was visually functional at best, the context and atmosphere of Zelda setting without question adds to the experience.
The Zapper and Link’s Crossbow Training are great value for money. The latter is varied and engaging enough to show the potential of the Zapper, as well as remaining consistently entertaining in its own right. Though obviously not the usual epic Zelda experience to which we are familiar, it is still a strong addition to the series. As for the future of the Zapper, more bite sized gaming at a budget price would be more than welcome. Whether or not it will revolutionise first-person shooters has yet to be seen, but the potential is there for it to become a significant part of anyone’s Wii set up. While it’s certainly not perfect, it is a hell of a lot of fun – and that’s the most important thing, right?
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