Sharpen Your Swords And Prepare For The Adventure Of A Life-Time

20th November 2006 - The Zelda franchise has a following of millions across the globe but that does not mean Nintendo rested on its laurels when creating the next instalment in the series. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess promises to be the biggest and most intuitive to date, making use of the new controls of Wii and providing a completely unprecedented experience. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess launches across Europe on Nintendo's new console, Wii, on 8th December 2006.

Once again we find ourselves in the mystical land of Hyrule. This time the land is threatened by the greatest danger it has faced yet and our hero must put his life as a cowboy behind him and set-out on an adventure which will take him to distant lands and parallel realms. Link is sent to bear a gift to the royal family of Hyrule but before he can leave, tragedy strikes the village and he is yanked into a twilight gloom that has covered Hyrule. When he enters that realm, he transforms into a wolf and is captured. A mysterious figure named Midna helps him break free. With the aid of her magic, they set off to free the land from the shadows.

The new and exciting control mechanism makes this Zelda the most intuitive yet. You can now really feel like you are in the land of Hyrule as each controller effectively becomes one of Link's hands for moves such as fishing, sword attacks and projectile weapon aiming. In combat, the game puts you right into the heart of the battle - swinging your sword with the Wii Remote while blocking and parrying shots, or giving shield shoves with the Nunchuk controller. You can also perform a number of moves using the Wii's motion sensitive controller; performing a spin attack by shaking the Nunchuk and a shield bash by locking on and tilting the Nunchuk forward. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess also features a new mounted combat system not seen before in a Zelda game - while riding, players can draw their swords and take out enemies from the saddle.

Link and the characters he meets on his journey appear even more vibrant and exciting than ever with the attention to detail, both in the field and the game's many dungeons, being awe-inspiring. This attention to detail, both in the look and feel of the game but also to the sounds and music creates the unique atmosphere of the Zelda universe and makes you feel you are actually in the game.

To uncover the mysterious force, which is threatening his homeland, Link must travel to a mysterious and menacing Twilight realm and take on the King of Darkness. To survive in this foreboding land Link finds his body transformed from that of a young man to an altogether more Lupine form. Upon entering the twilight realm, Link changes into a wolf, opening up an entirely new set of abilities and new challenges. You must learn to adapt to their new environment as Link has.

Zelda devotees will be delighted by this game as they revisit beautifully re-mastered versions of popular Zelda locations like Kakariko Village, Death Mountain, Lake Hylia and Hyrule Castle. In addition there are many different dungeons and multiple quests. Like all good heroes, Link would not be himself without a host of gadgets and weapons at his disposal. Familiar favourites like the Clawshot and Bow return and are joined by all new items like the Gale Boomerang and Magnetic Boots.

After a hard day's adventuring even the most hardy of heroes needs to take time to relax. After the popularity of the fishing mini game in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Nintendo has expanded and enhanced the fishing mode in this new title to almost become a game in itself and this time it is no longer confined to just one place. Using the Wii Remote, you can actually cast your line and reel in catches by moving the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in a realistic fashion. You will even be able to hear the line reeling out from the Wii Remote as it is cast and feel the vibration as a fish takes the bait.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess launches across Europe on Wii on 8th December 2006 for the estimated retail price of around 60.

Wii launches across Europe on 8th December at the estimated retail price of around 249 (£179 in the UK). Included with every Wii console is one wireless Wii Remote, a Nunchuk, Wii Sports game, Stereo AV Cable and the sensor bar for Wii's unique control system.

Click onto www.nintendo-europe-media.com for all of the most up to date official information on Nintendo.

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About Wii

Nintendo's new system, Wii, will feature a controller designed to be used with either one hand or two -- a first in the video game industry. When picked up and pointed at the screen, the controller gives a lightning-quick element of interaction, sensing motion, depth, positioning and targeting dictated by movement of the controller itself.

About Nintendo

Nintendo Co., Ltd. of Kyoto, Japan, is the acknowledged worldwide leader in the creation of interactive entertainment. To date, Nintendo has sold more than 2.2 billion video games worldwide and more than 387 million hardware units globally, creating such industry icons as Mario® and Donkey Kong and launched franchises like The Legend of Zelda® and Pokémon. Nintendo manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular video game systems, including home console units such as the Nintendo 64, NINTENDO GAMECUBE, and the forthcoming revolutionary new console Wii, as well as portable handheld gaming systems such as, Nintendo DS. Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy - the world's best-selling video game system which has sold over 193 million units. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Grossostheim, Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in Europe.