GameCube Version vs. Wii Version

Which version do you think is better?

Even though I've always played the Wii version, I would said the GameCube version is better for multiple reasons:

1) Link is left-handed, like he should be.
2) The game isn't flipped.
3) The treasure sounds come from the TV.
4) Precise button press instead of waggle.
5) Better overall controls.
6) Free camera control with the C-stick.
7) It was originally developed for the GameCube.

In the words of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 1's Shannel, I'm so glad you asked me this question. The GameCube version is vastly superior. The controls are tighter and more natural, there's no annoying waggle (or fairy cursor), the bow is controlled through its proper first-person perspective, and most importantly, the whole damn thing isn't flipped. I played the GCN version first and thought it was a 10/10 and my favorite Zelda (it still is to date), but when I played the Wii version, it felt so immensely inferior that it knocked it down to a 7/10 experience.

Of course, I've not played the Wii U version yet, but I would imagine that's the definitive version now for all intents and purposes (minus the weird lighting messing up Ilia's face).

Between those two version, I absolutely find the Gamecube version superior.
That being said, the Wii U version is definitely the way to play it today by any standards. By default the world is laid out like the Gamecube version, but on hero mode it's flipped just like the Wii version. No motion gimmicks in either is also a plus.
I fully enjoyed Skyward Sword though, despite it's reliance on motion controls but only because they're significantly more fleshed out then they were in TP.

Most everyone prefers the GC version, which is why it's so hard to find and expensive. I think the motion controls weren't all that great? Also why the HD version bases itself off the GC version, not the Wii version.

The Wii U version is the definitive version, but of the two original releases, the GC version is pretty universally accepted as the superior version.

I would like to say, though, that a lot of people remember the Wii version being a lot worse than it actually was. I find that most of the complaints about the motion controls are from people who are predisposed to dislike motion controls no matter what (the same people who say that Skyward Sword's motion controls don't work, which is demonstrably false). For a pre-Wii MotionPlus game, the aiming is precise enough for any situation you're in as long as your sensor bar is set up correctly. I have a passive tremor in my hands and I can still pick off distant enemies with the bow. The sword's "waggle" (I hate that term and whoever coined it) is not optimal, but it's still responsive. The left hand/right hand mirroring thing is such a nonissue, I don't know why people are still upset about it to this day.

Basically, Twilight Princess for Wii is a fine game, Gamecube is better, Wii U is best.

The Wii U version is the definitive version, but of the two original releases, the GC version is pretty universally accepted as the superior version.

I would like to say, though, that a lot of people remember the Wii version being a lot worse than it actually was. I find that most of the complaints about the motion controls are from people who are predisposed to dislike motion controls no matter what (the same people who say that Skyward Sword's motion controls don't work, which is demonstrably false). For a pre-Wii MotionPlus game, the aiming is precise enough for any situation you're in as long as your sensor bar is set up correctly. I have a passive tremor in my hands and I can still pick off distant enemies with the bow. The sword's "waggle" (I hate that term and whoever coined it) is not optimal, but it's still responsive. The left hand/right hand mirroring thing is such a nonissue, I don't know why people are still upset about it to this day.

Basically, Twilight Princess for Wii is a fine game, Gamecube is better, Wii U is best.

I disagree. I played the GCN and Wii versions only about a year apart (both well after their original 2006 release), and still felt the Wii version was markedly inferior. Further, I loved Skyward Sword. The problem is that it's just really noticeable that they changed what was quite literally a perfect GameCube game for the sole purpose of trying to take advantage of the Wii's gimmick. For the record, I mean that in the sense that they had to get people sold on motion controls early on, not that motion controls in and of themselves were nothing more than a gimmick. And as for the mirroring, it bugged the hell out of me largely because of Midna's asymmetrical mask rather than Link being right handed. Plus all the Hylian was reversed.

To piggyback on another comment, Okami's Wii version did motion controls largely right, with the exception being that the sword weapons were completely unusable. (For those who don't know, there are three types of weapons in Okami, five of each type: reflectors, rosaries, and glaives. The first two work fine with motion controls, but glaives are totally broken.)

"You probably just don't like that the term's mostly used to denounce a game's control scheme entirely, correct usage or not."

Honestly, yeah. Regardless of how effective it is at describing the action, the fact remains that the term was coined by early Wii reviewers as a derisive term to paint all games with motion control as nothing but mindless flailing. You could say swing or shake and be just as accurate, but "waggle" sounds like something dogs do. But hey, it was effective, the Wii may have sold like hotcakes but it still earned an undeserved reputation as a casual "waggle" console that tarnished its reputation going forward.

I'm a little touchy about the whole thing because I was the only guy with a Wii going through middle school and high school in my crappy suburb. Got a lot of grief over it from CoD kids who took all their talking points from Game Informer thinkpieces to try and make me feel bad about liking "gay" games.

"You probably just don't like that the term's mostly used to denounce a game's control scheme entirely, correct usage or not."

Honestly, yeah. Regardless of how effective it is at describing the action, the fact remains that the term was coined by early Wii reviewers as a derisive term to paint all games with motion control as nothing but mindless flailing. You could say swing or shake and be just as accurate, but "waggle" sounds like something dogs do. But hey, it was effective, the Wii may have sold like hotcakes but it still earned an undeserved reputation as a casual "waggle" console that tarnished its reputation going forward.

I'm a little touchy about the whole thing because I was the only guy with a Wii going through middle school and high school in my crappy suburb. Got a lot of grief over it from CoD kids who took all their talking points from Game Informer thinkpieces to try and make me feel bad about liking "gay" games.

You know, even though I've hung out with friends your age as recently as last night, I still sometimes forget that people who had a Wii in middle school are actually adults now.

On topic though, I sort of don't get the hate some people have for the Wii version. Did the motion controls make it slightly worse? Sure. If I replayed the game would I play one of the other versions instead if I had the choice? Yeah, probably. Does that make the Wii version any less of a fantastic game? No, not really.

I played it at launch on the Wii and thought it was excellent despite its quirks, even if I did kind of like Wind Waker slightly more. And on that note, I also thought Wind Waker was amazing at launch, which was mildly controversial at the time until people had a few years to get over it not being more realistic like the tech demo. Although I'm also a weirdo who would probably take either one of those over Ocarina of Time at this point, so feel free to disregard my opinion on anything ever. Heh.

"You probably just don't like that the term's mostly used to denounce a game's control scheme entirely, correct usage or not."

Honestly, yeah. Regardless of how effective it is at describing the action, the fact remains that the term was coined by early Wii reviewers as a derisive term to paint all games with motion control as nothing but mindless flailing. You could say swing or shake and be just as accurate, but "waggle" sounds like something dogs do. But hey, it was effective, the Wii may have sold like hotcakes but it still earned an undeserved reputation as a casual "waggle" console that tarnished its reputation going forward.

I'm a little touchy about the whole thing because I was the only guy with a Wii going through middle school and high school in my crappy suburb. Got a lot of grief over it from CoD kids who took all their talking points from Game Informer thinkpieces to try and make me feel bad about liking "gay" games.

And yet military fantasy is much bigger in gay porn than swords and sorcery fantasy. So who's really gay here? (Spoiler: it's me.)

I'm actually playing this game or the first time right now (Wii version) and I'm regretting not starting it on the Gamecube. I don't mind the wiimote for aiming the slingshot/bow&arrow, but I'm already getting tired of having to shake the thing for something as simple as slashing my sword. You really use your sword a lot in these games...

I'm actually playing this game or the first time right now (Wii version) and I'm regretting not starting it on the Gamecube. I don't mind the wiimote for aiming the slingshot/bow&arrow, but I'm already getting tired of having to shake the thing for something as simple as slashing my sword. You really use your sword a lot in these games...

I didn't mind it too much in this game, but the wiimote controls are definitely what got me to stop playing Metroid Prime 3. I still have the disc around here somewhere though, so now that I have a Steam Controller I want to try figuring out a way to map stuff that's more comfortable one of these days.

"You probably just don't like that the term's mostly used to denounce a game's control scheme entirely, correct usage or not."

Honestly, yeah. Regardless of how effective it is at describing the action, the fact remains that the term was coined by early Wii reviewers as a derisive term to paint all games with motion control as nothing but mindless flailing. You could say swing or shake and be just as accurate, but "waggle" sounds like something dogs do. But hey, it was effective, the Wii may have sold like hotcakes but it still earned an undeserved reputation as a casual "waggle" console that tarnished its reputation going forward.

I'm a little touchy about the whole thing because I was the only guy with a Wii going through middle school and high school in my crappy suburb. Got a lot of grief over it from CoD kids who took all their talking points from Game Informer thinkpieces to try and make me feel bad about liking "gay" games.

This was pretty much me. I was lucky that I got to experience the CoD/FIFA hype vicariously through some of my friends, but I definitely felt like I missed out a little by having a Wii. It's kind of resulted in me operating a generation behind the times. E.g. I got my PSP in 2011, my PS3 and Vita both in 2016, and the PC games I'm playing through (excluding Rocket League) are ~5 years behind the current crop most of the time. Works out cheaper though; every cloud, I guess.

And @Nalgas, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was the best justification for the Wiimote in my - and most people's - estimations. The lightgun-esque controls are so much more intuitive and smooth than analogue or mouse controls, and it gives an extra sense of immersion. Maybe the only downside is that your arm might fatigue in an extended play session.

On topic: I only own Twilight Princess for the Wii. I played it when it came out and lost interest during the second wolf section. Collecting all those light orbs just wasn't my idea of fun. I totally get why playing on a normal controller might be preferred, but the Wii control scheme honestly didn't bother me either way. I own, but haven't yet played, Skyward Sword, so I can't really compare that either.

Yeah, it bothered my wrist and just felt worse to me in general compared to the previous two games, which is really weird and surprised me because I normally hate playing FPSes with a controller.

This was pretty much me. I was lucky that I got to experience the CoD/FIFA hype vicariously through some of my friends, but I definitely felt like I missed out a little by having a Wii. It's kind of resulted in me operating a generation behind the times. E.g. I got my PSP in 2011, my PS3 and Vita both in 2016, and the PC games I'm playing through (excluding Rocket League) are ~5 years behind the current crop most of the time. Works out cheaper though; every cloud, I guess.

And @Nalgas, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was the best justification for the Wiimote in my - and most people's - estimations. The lightgun-esque controls are so much more intuitive and smooth than analogue or mouse controls, and it gives an extra sense of immersion. Maybe the only downside is that your arm might fatigue in an extended play session.

On topic: I only own Twilight Princess for the Wii. I played it when it came out and lost interest during the second wolf section. Collecting all those light orbs just wasn't my idea of fun. I totally get why playing on a normal controller might be preferred, but the Wii control scheme honestly didn't bother me either way. I own, but haven't yet played, Skyward Sword, so I can't really compare that either.

Almost finished with the game and I have to say it gets much better after you get through the wolf sections (there's 3 of them). Now my only complaint about playing the Wii version is that the batteries keep running out during my marathon play sessions.