User:TheJoebro64/drafts/Twilight

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a 2006 action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development for the GameCube and Wii. It is the fourth Legend of Zelda game to feature 3D gameplay and the successor to The Wind Waker (2002). The story, set between Majora's Mask (2000) and Four Swords Adventures (2004) in the series' timeline, follows Link as he tries to prevent Hyrule from being engulfed by the Twilight Realm, a corrupted parallel dimension. He is assisted by Midna, the realm's banished princess. Like previous Legend of Zelda games, the player explores the world, fights enemies, and solves puzzles to progress.

Development began in 2002, following the completion of The Wind Waker. The Wind Waker lackluster sales, attributed to its cartoonish cel-shaded art style, convinced Zelda director Eiji Aonuma to abandon plans for a sequel and pursue a realistic aesthetic inspired by the Lord of the Rings films.

Twilight Princess was released in North America in November 2006 and worldwide in December as the final Nintendo-produced GameCube game and a Wii launch game. It received acclaim, becoming the highest-rated game of 2006 on Metacritic, and received numerous Game of the Year accolades.

Development

 * http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/13085/eiji-aonumas-gdc-2007-presentation
 * https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/twilight_princess/0/0/
 * Zelda Universe NP articles: https://web.archive.org/web/20080610201445/http://www.zelda.com/universe/game/twilightprincess/inside.jsp
 * https://web.archive.org/web/20080614145139/http://www.zelda.com/universe/game/twilightprincess/inside13.jsp

Conception
Development on Twilight Princess began in 2002, shortly after the completion of The Wind Waker. It was directed by Eiji Aonuma, the director of Majora's Mask and The Wind Waker and a manager and producer at Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD). Twilight Princess began as a sequel to Wind Waker under the working title Wind Waker 2, and Nintendo EAD initially used the same assets. However, The Wind Waker did not sell as well as Nintendo had anticipated, especially in Japan, where audiences were becoming increasingly disinterested in video games. Aonuma blamed the lackluster sales on the cartoonish cel-shaded art style, which polarized players, though Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto blamed them on a lack of innovation.

In late 2003, Nintendo of America informed Aonuma The Wind Waker art style had harmed sales by creating the impression that it was meant for children, alienating Zelda teenage audience. Aonuma, concerned that a Wind Waker sequel would not sell, told Miyamoto he wanted to create a realistic Zelda that would appeal to the North American market. Miyamoto was hesitant; he believed Aonuma was too focused on making the game look realistic rather than innovating. He suggested that Aonuma start by pursuing concepts that could not be realized in Ocarina of Time, such as horseback combat. Within four months, Aonuma and his team were able to present horseback combat in a realistic environment.

Marketing
E3 2004