The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess Has A Sequel Nobody Remembers

Known as 'Cyberpunk 2077's' biggest fan, Angharad is a Welsh games writer who thrives in anything related to digital storytelling. If a video game explores the intricacies and horrors of womanhood, she is there.
Thanks to previous work at GAMINGbible, GameByte, The Loadout, Game Luster, Angharad has built a strong understanding of both the digital world and what fans want from it and is eager to share her thoughts and expertise with readers.
It was back in 2006 that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess arrived on the GameCube and Nintendo Wii, and now, two decades on, it is still regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time. However, what many people do not realize, is that Nintendo also released a sequel for it, and, as a studio not known for its sequels, at least when it comes to Zelda entries, it is a surprise to see this gem remain hidden.
Still hailed as one of the best Zelda entries in the franchise's 40-year run, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess takes place over a century after the events of Majora's Mask, and offers players an alternative timeline from the one seen in Wind Waker. As such, it acts as something of an amalgamation of the best classic Zelda entries, as it follows Link as he attempts to protect Hyrule from being engulfed by a parallel dimension known as the Twilight Realm. Accompanied by an imp known as Midna, the pair work together by taking on different forms as they traverse the expansive map.
Meeting critical acclaim and commercial success, it is perhaps no wonder that Nintendo wanted to continue cashing in on the success of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and this is why Link's Crossbow Training was released just a year later for the Nintendo Wii.
Developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development and bundled with the Wii Zapper peripheral for the Wii Remote, Link's Crossbow Training was a 2007 shooting video game that utilized assets, such as environments and enemies, from none other than The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, making it an unofficial sequel that many of us would have missed out on.
Set in the same world seen in Twilight Princess, Link's Crossbow Training, once again, sees players take on the role of Link as he uses a crossbow in order to pass a series of tests and perfect his skills with the weapon. Featuring nine playable levels, with each level tasking the player with getting the highest score possible within the time limit, the game offers three main gameplay styles: Target Shooting, Defender, and Ranger. Not only that, but the shooting game also had a multiplayer mode, allowing players to go head-to-head to beat each other's high score.
However, with mixed reviews upon launch, with criticism for its use of the Wii Zapper, as well as the game being too short in general, it is perhaps no surprise that Link's Crossbow Training is not remembered by fans, and if it is, it is not remembered fondly.
With 21 mainline titles released over the past four decades, it is unsurprising that many entries, such as this Twilight Princess spin-off, have been lost to time. However, it is still reassuring to see that Nintendo learned from its mistakes, especially this year, as it is finally set to give fans what they have been campaigning for for years, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake, which is set to launch on 5 November for the Nintendo Switch 2.
- Released
- November 19, 2006
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.