About 45 hours later, I wrapped up what is one of the more enjoyable boss encounters I've played in my gaming career. The storyline did end up surprising me a bit; without spoiling much, I can say that it's definitely respectable, and maybe even a little touching? Your mileage may vary.

The Wii poses obvious questions about control, especially when it's implemented in a pre-existing game engine (Wind Waker's basic battle mechanics are still here for the most part). There is some awkwardness at first, but you'll get used to the pointing and the sword gestures, and before you know it it'll be second nature.

The new gameplay elements are, for lack of a better term, wicked awesome. Take the basic Z-targeting and sword swinging of Ocarina and Wind Waker; then add no less than seven unlockable special moves (which you learn by finding an ancient swordsman) and a slew of brand new items, including a wrecking ball, a magic wand that controls statues, and dual-hookshots! Now do it while riding a horse. True to the precedent set by Ocarina of Time, just tooling around Hyrule Field for no particular reason is way fun. But there is enough to the game - collecting heart pieces, poe souls, and golden bugs to name a few - that you'll usually have a reason anyway.

Twilight Princess is nine dungeons long, and though the last two are rather short (more like brief crescendos leading up to the final battle), they're all designed brilliantly with a bunch of new stuff to puzzle you. For one, in the Goron Mines at Death Mountain, Link needs to use his Iron Boots to walk on magnetic walls and ceilings. Weird, wild stuff.

Graphically I'm very impressed. Of course there are some visible shortcomings (which I find more than understandable considering this was/is supposed to be a Gamecube game), but a lot of it looks superb, especially the water. And I never once noticed the slightest hitch in running speed. Musically, well, TP's score might be the best thing to happen to the Zelda series in ages, with flawless arrangement and new, mood-setting themes. Hyrule Field at night is one of the coolest sounding pieces of music I've laid ears on.

I do not hesitate to state that Twilight Princess is the most engaging and fun entry in the Zelda series. And to top it off, there is a veritable ton of stuff to do; I expect getting all the extras to put me past 50 gameplay hours quite easily. A thrilling triumph and a modern classic, this is why you're getting a Wii this season (or hopefully the Gamecube version of TP doesn't suffer too many casualties).

Progress: Killed boss, still got hearts left

Rating: Awesome