Link’s Crossbow Training / Wii Zapper – WII – Preview

E for All 2007 Preview

Console bundles have received mixed
results from the gaming public. Some are willing to pay extra for games and
peripherals they may not want to ensure they get a system as soon as possible.
Others would rather forego pre-orders and wait in line at a store that doesn’t
have bundles or pass until shipments are more plentiful.

Gamers do, however, love it when
publishers give them free games to go with their new consoles. Nintendo is
taking it one step further with the Wii Zapper, a $20 peripheral that can be
used with upcoming games like Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Ghost Squad,
and Medal of Honor Heroes 2. Like the Wii console itself, the Wii Zapper will
include an exclusive new game: Link’s Crossbow Training.

The screenshots don’t look like much
of anything. You see targets and a third-person view of Link, with graphics that
resemble the engine used in Twilight Princess.

Despite its lack of all things
eye-catching, the game is actually a lot of fun. The E for All build was
separated by three stages: on-rails target shooting, on-rails enemy shooting,
and free-roaming third-person combat.


Link's Crossbow Training Wii screenshots

The first two are slightly different
from what you’ve experienced with lightgun shooters like Time Crisis and The
House of the Dead. This stage has several different areas (based in one of the
towns from Twilight Princess, it seems). Rather than roll through them as a
typical lightgun shooter would, Link’s Crossbow Training holds steady for a
brief time. Your goal is to knock out as many targets as possible. Hit several
of them in a row to start a combo and multiply your point totals.

Of course, the targets don’t stay up
forever. Take too long to knock them out and the opportunity to score those
points will be lost forever.

It’s interesting to note that, while
the general feel of this portion of the game is not at all unfamiliar, players
can zoom in on their targets by holding one of the Wii Zapper buttons.


Link's Crossbow Training Wii screenshots

The next stage takes you to a Stalfo
(skeleton) covered land where enemies swarm from all sides. Move the Zapper
toward the left or right edge of the screen to spin in either direction. Shoot
the larger, green smoke Stalfos to snatch an automatic crossbow. Now you’ll be
able to hold the trigger to attack with steady streams of arrows.

Link’s Crossbow Training’s final
stage is a third-person mission where you must manually guide Link into enemy
battlegrounds and eliminate the threat. This is cool but a tad cumbersome – the
game is trying to reinvent the wheel as far as third-person shooters are
concerned. Using a combination of motion (move the Zapper to adjust Link’s
crosshairs) and traditional thumbstick character movement, the game is not easy
to control. You’ll have a hard time getting the camera exactly where you want
it.

Though the game may not be easy – or
even perfect, considering that this build is probably close to final – Link’s
Crossbow Training is still a fun and worthwhile freebie. Chances are most gamers
were planning on getting the Wii Zapper anyway. This addition is a nice
thank-you to those willing to jump on board.