Link´s Crossbow Training

11.12.2007

When the Wii remote was first released, didn’t all and sundry associate it with light-gun games. You can bet on it. And it’s no wonder, since Capcom with its Resident Evil: the Umbrella Chronicles has released such games in the past. But the Wii remote is definitely no substitute for a genuine plastic revolver, and so it comes as no surprise that the zapper is making a comeback on the white console. Although “comeback” is perhaps the wrong word, since the new zapper is only a plastic attachment for the Wii remote and nunchuk controller. For comparison: the original Nintendo Entertainment System zapper was a full fledged light-gun that came with Duck Hunt. To sweeten the pill, the Japanese have now endowed the Zelda hero Link with a crossbow, tossed him anew into the Twilight Princess universe and christened the game Link´s Crossbow Training. But customers may now wonder what they’re actually buying: the zapper and – as a nice little bonus – target shooting with Link or vice versa?

So we’ll stick with the zapper for the moment. Like all Nintendo products, the zapper is extremely well made. My only quibble is with the flap that is used to attach the nunchuk cable, which could easily be damaged if not handled gently. The zapper design is very user friendly: you attach the nunchuk cable in the back of the zapper, where it disappears into a kind of cable conduit. The Wii remote is attached in the front and is then connected to the protruding nunchuk connector – and that’s all there is to it: you’re ready to play. Theoretically, all Wii games can be played using the zapper attachment; but in reality, you should only use the device for games that have been specifically adapted for it. For example, the buttons on the Wii remote are extremely difficult to access, making Metroid Prime 3: Corruption virtually unplayable.

Link´s Crossbow Training is a kind of mini game collection, and thus isn’t the most complete game in the world. In addition to shooting gallery mode, the main menu also contains a shooting gallery training and multiplayer mode. Unfortunately these modalities cannot be run concurrently, which means that you have to hand the zapper back to your fellow player after each attempt. Hunting mode offers eight missions, each of which has three levels. There are also three different game modalities. In the first, Link shoots at moving targets from his own vantage point. The red discs are the easiest prey, whereas the targets in other colors earn you considerably more points. You’re not allowed to hit any item that’s marked with an X, unless you want to be docked 100 points. And while you’re excitedly focusing on hitting every target you see, you also have to keep an eagle eye on everything else in the environs such as skulls, scarecrows, jugs and the like, whose destruction will earn you a few bonus points. Gold coins also spring out from the various objects now and then, and they’re worth a pile of points. Distant targets can be brought closer using the zoom function. Game modality two is a lot trickier, and thus perhaps a bit more fun than the somewhat monotonous shooting gallery modality. In this modality, the enemies you’re trying to shoot are from the Twilight Princess world. You can immobilize Link in one spot and have him ward off his enemies as they come at him in waves; or you can have him move along a predefined route such as a river. A small radar screen helps you locate your enemies, since the field of view can be rotated 360 degrees in most cases. This function is also mission critical, since direct contact with an enemy will cost you 100 points. The third modality is a kind of third person shooter, where you’re watching the proceedings over Link’s shoulder and can guide him through the familiar Twilight Princess elements such as the ice temple using the nunchuk analog stick. Your goal is to eliminate a specific number of enemies. However, while this may sound mega thrilling on paper, in reality it’s actually kind of limited. For example, all Link can do is run, it’s almost possible to make small adjustments in his movements, and he can only take sideways steps. If you want to rotate Link to the left or right, you have to point the zapper in the relevant direction, which costs you a bit in terms of time and control, since you no longer have all your enemies in your field of view. However, by way of compensation, the small radar screen shows you your enemy’s position at all times.

The target practice at the beginning of the game is extremely simple, but the level of difficulty increases with each section, with the result that already by the time you get to section five, it’s a lot harder to earn the 20,000 points you need for a bronze medal – particularly if you shoot at random without really taking aim. Hence you’re better off exercising more control over your shots, and shooting one shot at a time. You can only use the motivating combo system if you miss your targets. The more targets Link hits without missing, the higher the point multiplier goes. You earn the right to proceed to the next section once you’ve earned the bronze medal, i.e. 20,000 points. Real pros, though, try to earn the platinum medal, whose 80,000 points are only obtainable for expert marksmen. Link´s Crossbow Training is also a real treat for people who earn high scores, but it’s unfortunate that the multiplayer mode can only be used by one player at a time. On the other hand, the Twilight Princess world graphics are tip-top, thanks to the game cube level on offer, which is ideal for this game. The fact that the zapper is only an attachment for the Wii remote makes targets a little harder to hit than if the remote weren’t mounted on the zapper. I personally would be able to take aim up to two seconds more quickly if I didn’t have to use the zapper. Also, my right hand started to ache after a while from grasping the handle too tightly – although a lot of people perhaps wouldn’t experience this problem. But the fact remains that it would be easier to aim without the zapper, although the handle is a lot easier to manipulate with the plastic attachment mounted.

Thus the question I raised at the outset is hard to answer. Very experienced players will probably feel encumbered by the zapper, whereas beginners and occasional players will probably benefit from the really good feeling that the handle gives you. Players will have to decide for themselves whether this attachment is really necessary. The attachment sells for 24 dollars in the US (around 17 euros), but costs nearly double on this side of the pond. Also, the list of zapper compatible games leaves something to be desired. For example, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is unavailable in Germany, nor does it look like Medal of Honor Heroes 2 is likely to find its way onto store shelves here. Only Ghost Squad from Sega is currently being released throughout Europe. Like the Wii wheel, the zapper merely provides a different feel when you play – nothing more.