Link’s Crossbow Training isn’t a game usually discussed by many fans. Why? Because it’s a spinoff game. It’s not really important to the timeline or really even a full story game. It’s just a fun little point-and-shoot game, but as far as spinoffs go, it’s one of my favorites.
As well as it being a great game to just relax and blow off some steam, it’s also great to play with friends. This was my Godmother’s favorite game to play when she and I would get together. She actually thought that all Zelda games are like this, so when I played the actual Twilight Princess game with her she was pretty confused. It was also a fun game for two of my friends and I to play when we got together.
Now, my friends were brothers, which made them very competitive when it came to gaming, and that eventually gave me a competitive edge as well. We would always play Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart together where games would last forever because no one would ever give in, so once I got Link’s Crossbow Training I had to invite them to play so I could, of course, crush them. It was Zelda! Zelda is my game! I had to win!
We slipped in the disc and started the game. I picked my purple Link avatar (because he’s the best, of course) and we got started. This was our first time playing this game, so we started on level one. I was one of those people who quickly skimmed over the rules on my turn. I quickly mashed A passed all the instructions and just started shooting at everything; targets, pumpkins, barrels, pots — not cuccos. If Zelda has taught me anything, it’s don’t shoot the cuccos.
In the end, my score was not very good. I couldn’t even make it past 20,000, which is the goal for a bronze medallion. My friends didn’t do great, but at the same time, they did a heck of a lot better than I did. They got consecutive shots and multiplied their scores, earning a bronze medal on the first try. I had to catch up!
The second and third stages didn’t do me much good either. I still went around, aimlessly shooting everything and anything. That night after they left, I stayed up until midnight, training myself in the way of the Wii zapper. By then I figured out all the tricks and tips and would be ready for when they came over again next week.
As usual, we hung out again on Wednesday, and I immediately invited them to play. I had now unlocked all the stages with my awesome skills and I beat them with significantly higher scores. I finished it off with stage 3-1 and blew their minds. That stage is still my best to this day and I can always reach the top score.
Granted, Link’s Crossbow Training isn’t a canon game, it’s still a fun one for me to play. Whenever I have guests over who want to play a game, this is my go to one, and we always have a blast.
