History Trivia / TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess

* CreatorBacklash: Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto has voiced his regrets for ''Twilight Princess'', as he says it was "missing something."

* NoPortForYou: ''Twilight Princess HD'', along with the earlier ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker HD'', are among the few first-party Wii U titles to not be ported to the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. This also means they're the only 3D mainline Zelda games before ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' to be unavailable on the system in any capacity.[[note]]''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' are both playable on the N64 app via the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass, and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'' would receive an HD remaster for the system in 2021.[[/note]]

* CreatorBacklash:
** ''Zelda'' Director Creator/EijiAonuma feels he did not make ''Twilight Princess'' as epic and grand a game as he intended. He said that he regrets making Hyrule a realistic, grand size, saying that with that size, they were unable to fully take advantage of the space that they created. He had said he planned to use that grand scale as a starting point in the development of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]''.[[note]]''Skyward Sword'''s world ultimately ended up being smaller than that of ''Twilight Princess'' due to a combination of technical limitations, TroubledProduction, and the team feeling they couldn't fill up a larger space at the time.[[/note]] He has since warmed up to it over time, with him later stating that ''Twilight Princess'' is one of his [[CreatorsFavoriteEpisode favorite titles in the series]] in [[https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/02/22/eiji-aonuma-s-top-three-zelda-games-and-one-underrated-one.aspx a 2017 interview]].
** Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto has also voiced his regrets for ''Twilight Princess'', as he says it was "missing something."

** ''Zelda'' Director Creator/EijiAonuma feels he did not make ''Twilight Princess'' as epic and grand a game as he intended. He said that he regrets making Hyrule a realistic, grand size, saying that with that size, they were unable to fully take advantage of the space that they created. He had said he planned to use that grand scale as a starting point in the development of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]''.[[note]]''Skyward Sword'''s world ultimately ended up being smaller than that of ''Twilight Princess'' due to a combination of technical limitations, TroubledProduction, and the team feeling they couldn't fill up a larger space at the time.[[/note]] He has since warmed up to it over time, even considering ''Twilight Princess'' to be one of his [[CreatorsFavoriteEpisode favorite titles in the series]] according to [[https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/02/22/eiji-aonuma-s-top-three-zelda-games-and-one-underrated-one.aspx a later interview]].

* CreatorsFavoriteEpisode: Series producer Eiji Aonuma considers ''Twilight Princess'' to be one of his top three favorite games in the series according to an [[https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/02/22/eiji-aonuma-s-top-three-zelda-games-and-one-underrated-one.aspx interview]] with [=GameInformer=], since it was the first time he had attempted to outdo ''Ocarina of Time''.

** ''Zelda'' Director Creator/EijiAonuma feels he did not make ''Twilight Princess'' as epic and grand a game as he intended. He said that he regrets making Hyrule a realistic, grand size, saying that with that size, they were unable to fully take advantage of the space that they created. He had said he planned to use that grand scale as a starting point in the development of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]''.[[note]]''Skyward Sword'''s world ultimately ended up being smaller than that of ''Twilight Princess'' due to a combination of technical limitations, TroubledProduction, and the team feeling they couldn't fill up a larger space at the time.[[/note]]

** ''Zelda'' Director Creator/EijiAonuma feels he did not make ''Twilight Princess'' as epic and grand a game as he intended. He said that he regrets making Hyrule a realistic, grand size, saying that with that size, they were unable to fully take advantage of the space that they created. He had said he planned to use that grand scale as a starting point in the development of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]''.[[note]]''Skyward Sword'''s world ultimately ending up being smaller than that of ''Twilight Princess'', partly due to technical limitations and partly due to the team feeling they couldn't fill up a larger space at the time.[[/note]]

* RoleReprise: Jun Mizusawa returns to voice Zelda eight years after her last appearance in ''Ocarina of Time''.

* RoleReprise: Jun Mizusawa reprises her role of Zelda from ''Ocarina of Time''.

** Creator/HironoriMiyata replacs Creator/TakashiNagasako as the voice of Ganondorf.

** Despite a magic meter not being in the final game, it was still possible to make Green Chu Jelly in the Wii version of ''Twilight Princess'', though the game wouldn't acknowledge it if you did so. In the HD re-release, rather than remove this entirely, it was kept and now has flavor text that will acknowledge its uselessness.
* DuelingWorks: With ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'', as a continuation of the rivalry between [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime their]] [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII predecessors]], with both works taking on a more "realistic" aesthetic and giving their respective protagonists (Link and Cloud) a [[AnimalMotifs wolf]] motif. Both works were successful commercially, but ''Twilight Princess'' was met with universal acclaim and continued to be quite well-regarded over the years (if not to SacredCow levels like ''Ocarina Of Time''), whereas ''Advent Children'' was very divisive (granted, [[VideoGameMoviesSuck its format]] didn't do it very many favors).

** Also, on some copies of the game disc, one can find a few different enemies that were removed -- including a golem made of Gorons.

** After the game was shown at E3 in 2005, a letter in Magazine/NintendoPower Magazine issue 195, asked if [[spoiler: Midna was the game's titular Twilight Princess]]. Nintendo Power said in response that the developers aren't saying anything so that they wouldn't spoil anything for the audience. Later, after the game was finally released, [[spoiler: Midna turned out to actually be the Twilight Princess]].

* TheOtherDarrin: Creator/HironoriMiyata replaced Creator/TakashiNagasako as the voice of Ganondorf.

* WordOfGod: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au4ZGt1MReA&t=1m50s The reason for Zant's change in personality when he's confronted is that he was given more characterization later in development.]]

* {{Cancellation}}: In Japan, the [=GameCube=] version of the game was canceled...for on-the-shelf retail, at least. It was officially sold via Nintendo's online store, although rumor has it that Nintendo ''almost'' entirely canceled it like other late [=GameCube=] titles that were converted for Wii release such as ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario''. The UsefulNotes/WiiU [[VideoGameRemake remake]] is based more closely on the [=GameCube=] version, technically making it the first time it was ever sold new at Japanese retailers.

* NamesTheSame: Trill is the name of a shopkeeper in this game, and the ExpositionFairy in ''VideoGame/CadenceOfHyrule''.

** It was heavily suspected by most fans that the Hero's Shade is actually the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Hero of Time]], due to strong yet cryptic in-game hints. ''Literature/HyruleHistoria'' eventually confirmed this to be the case.

* TheOtherDarrin:
** Creator/AkiraSasanuma voices Link instead of Creator/NobuyukiHiyama.
** Creator/HironoriMiyata replaced Creator/TakashiNagasako as the voice of Ganondorf.

* TechnologyMarchesOn: Made most evident by the HD release on Wii U. In 2005, on the less-powerful Gamecube and Wii, and on smaller televisions with much lower resolutions, everything looks just fine, as there's just enough blur to hide some of the more rough character model designs, and as the overall tone of the game is much darker and more mature than ''Zelda'' games to that point, the aesthetic works. Fast forward to the HD release in 2016. The blur has practically been removed, textures are given much more definition, and everything has been made to be displayed on larger televisions with much better resolutions. As a result, it's easy to see jagged character models (and other UncannyValley designs), oddly-blocky terrain, and other shortcomings (Dr. Borville's glasses, for instance, do nothing to disguise the fact that the front side of the lenses have a magnified eye texture placed directly on them). The poorly-aged graphics alone vindicate Nintendo's decisions to go with more fantastic, less-realistic art styles for future ''Zelda'' games, because those have aged far better, and will continue to, barring the occasional touch-up.

* TechnologyMarchesOn: Made most evident by the HD release on Wii U. In 2005, on the less-powerful Gamecube and Wii, and on smaller televisions with much lower resolutions, everything looks just fine, as there's just enough blur to hide some of the more JustForFun/{{egregious}} character model designs, and as the overall tone of the game is much darker and more mature than ''Zelda'' games to that point, the aesthetic works. Fast forward to the HD release in 2016. The blur has practically been removed, textures are given much more definition, and everything has been made to be displayed on larger televisions with much better resolutions. As a result, it's easy to see jagged character models (and other UncannyValley designs), oddly-blocky terrain, and other shortcomings (Dr. Borville's glasses, for instance, do nothing to disguise the fact that the front side of the lenses have a magnified eye texture placed directly on them). The poorly-aged graphics alone vindicate Nintendo's decisions to go with more fantastic, less-realistic art styles for future ''Zelda'' games, because those have aged far better, and will continue to, barring the occasional touch-up.

* ReferencedBy: Princess Kenny in ''VideoGame/SouthParkTheStickOfTruth'' wears an outfit that is a WholeCostumeReference to Zelda's outfit in this game.

** It was heavily suspected by most fans that the Hero's Shade is actually the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Hero of Time]], due to strong yet cryptic in-game hints and the [[AllThereInTheManual series manual]]. ''Hyrule Historia'' eventually confirmed this to be the case.

** ''Zelda'' Director Creator/EijiAonuma feels he did not make ''Twilight Princess'' as epic and grand a game as he intended. He said that he regrets making Hyrule a realistic, grand size, saying that with that size, they were unable to fully take advantage of the space that they created. He had said he planned to use that grand scale as a starting point in the development of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]''.

* ImageSource:
** ArtShiftedSequel (bottom half)
** BladeLock
** [[DarkIsNotEvil/VideoGames Dark Is Not Evil (Video Games)]]
** EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference (far right)
** FullBoarAction
** HorsebackHeroism
** InsertPaymentToUse
** [[MrFanservice/VideoGames Mr. Fanservice (Video Games)]]
** RoyalRapier
** StickyShoes

* QuoteSource:
** IFightForTheStrongestSide
** JourneyToTheSky
** RaisedByDudes

** Despite a magic meter not being in the final game, it was still possible to make Green Chu Jelly in the Wii version of ''Twilight Princess'', though the game wouldn't acknowledge it if you did so. In the HD re-release, rather than remove this entirely, it was kept and now has flavor text that will acknowledge it's uselessness.

** The ''Zelda'' team originally planned to create a sequel to the ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', but declining sales in Japan while those in North America remained reasonably strong led to it being scrapped in favor of creating an "American ''Zelda''" that would instead be a sequel to ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]''.

** Eiji Aonuma had admitted to Telma being his favorite character in the game.

* DevelopmentGag: The UsefulNotes/WiiU UpdatedRerelease's [[HarderThanHard Hero Mode]] [[LevelInReverse flips the overworld around horizontally]], a reference to how the {{UsefulNotes/Wii}} port did the same thing to accommodate for a primarily right-handed gaming audience using motion controls.

** It was heavily suspected by most fans that the Hero's Shade is actually the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Hero of Time]], due to strong yet cryptic in-game hints and the [[AllThereInTheManual series manual]] ''Hyrule Historia'' eventually confirmed that.

* ShrugOfGod: Even Eiji Aonuma himself doesn't know the meaning of Zant's scene at the end of the game, as the leader of the team that created the cutscenes was known for being a bit of a lonewolf. Nevertheless, he had immense faith in him and didn't say anything about the scene itself, even though he didn't understand it.

** The story of the game went through a lot of rewrites and changes throughout development. It was originally envisioned to follow directly after ''The Wind Waker'', then was later confirmed to take place between ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''The Wind Waker'', and the final game finally had it taking place concurrently to ''The Wind Waker'' in an AlternateContinuity.

** There was also originally going to be a magic meter, as can be seen on the Wii version's box. Unused Midna dialogue suggests that magic would be required to transform into Wolf Link and back.
** On a possibly related note, Green Chu Jelly can be created in the Wii version if a Blue Chu and a Yellow Chu merge. It is useless in the game, and has no item description nor ItemGet text, suggesting it's a leftover from earlier builds that did feature a magic meter. Green Chu Jelly does return in ''HD'', except this time more as an artifact and DevelopmentGag, as its flavor text directly acknowledges the item's lack of use.

** A minor example since it might not have played any major part in the game, but Link was originally going to be able to ride the goats he herds. WordOfGod is that, while not an implemented feature, Link ''does'' still know how to do this in-canon.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnSeLy1e8VA This video]] features early concept designs for Midna. Early screenshots also show her hair as green and red-orange rather than a lighter orange throughout.

* FanNickname:
** So, this Link is the "Hero of Twilight/the Gods/Light," right? He must be, because three of the numerous other Links throughout the series had similar titles[[note]]He's referred to as the "Blue-Eyed Beast" in-game, but that hasn't really caught on because it's specific to his wolf form[[/note]]. "Hero of Twilight" [[AscendedFanon became official]] when said hero was referenced in bonus costume descriptions in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild''.
** The ''Twilight Princess'' [[{{Speedrun}} speedrunning]] community has come up with nicknames for certain enemies and creatures in the game. While these can vary between runners, the most universal ones seem to be Hugo (a bulblin encountered near Ordon Spring, who is used in some categories to perform a trick called [[https://www.zeldaspeedruns.com/tp/msb/sword-shield-skip Sword and Shield Skip]]) and Howard (any goats that run off in random directions and waste the player's time during the goat herding minigames).

** It was heavily suspected by most fans that the Hero's Shade is actually the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Hero of Time]], due to strong yet cryptic in-game hints and the [[AllThereInTheManual series manual]] ''Hyrule Historia'' eventually confirmed that. The other theory that TP Link is his descendant was also confirmed.

* {{Cancellation}}: In Japan, the [=GameCube=] version of the game was canceled...for on-the-shelf retail, at least. It was officially sold via Nintendo's online store, although rumor has it that Nintendo ''almost'' entirely canceled it like other late [=GameCube=] titles that were converted for Wii release such as ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario''. The UsefulNotes/WiiU [[VideoGameRemake remake]] is based more closely on the [=GameCube=] version, making it the first time it'll be sold new at Japanese retailers.

** ''Zelda'' Director Creator/EijiAonuma [[http://www.next-gen.biz/news/aonumas-regrets-for-twilight-princess feels]] he did not make ''Twilight Princess'' as epic and grand a game as he intended. He said that he regrets making Hyrule a realistic, grand size, saying that with that size, they were unable to fully take advantage of the space that they created. He had said he planned to use that grand scale as a starting point in the development of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]''.

** There was also originally going to be a magic meter, as can be seen on the Wii version's box. Unused text suggests that magic would be required to transform back and forth.
** On a possibly related note, green Chu jelly can accidentally be created in the Wii version. It is useless in the game, and has no item description nor ItemGet text, suggesting it's a leftover from earlier builds that did feature a magic meter. Green Chu jelly does return in ''HD'', except this time more as an artifact and DevelopmentGag, as its flavor text directly acknowledges the item's lack of use.