Released shortly after The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Link's Crossbow Training (リンクのボウガントレイニング/Link's Bowgun Training) is a Gaiden Game that takes place in the aforementioned entry of the The Legend of Zelda game series. It features Link as he obtains a crossbow and seeks to perfect his skill with it; he shoots targets, mows down wave after wave of monsters, defeats the enormous undead monster Stallord, and shoots fruits for extra points.
The game can be played by inserting a Wii remote and nunchuck into the Wii Zapper, the latter of which was specifically created for shooter games. Link's Crossbow Training gameplay is based on missions, of which there are three categories:
- Target shooting, where Link shoots at stationary and moving targets.
- Defender, where Link is in a fixed position and must shoot approaching enemies.
- Ranger, where Link can freely move in an area and defeat 25 enemies with his crossbow.
There are twenty-seven missions in total, grouped in threes as a "stage." The final mission has Link battle Stallord to win the game.
This Game Provides Examples Of:
- Adaptational Badass: The Darknut was already a powerful enemy knight in Twilight Princess. Here, he can split himself into thousands of flies to avoid Link's shots and teleport round the room.
- Automatic Crossbow: Link's only weapon is a crossbow, and it doesn't require reloading. It might be the only example of the trope that showcases both the usual semi-auto and the less-common full-auto; the former is his usual firing rate, while the latter is a Power-Up available in some stages.
- Black Knight: The Darknut is an imposing enemy dressed in black armor.
- Bows Versus Crossbows: Several stages pit Bulbin archers against the crossbow-wielding Link. Given that Link is Made of Iron and has a Bottomless Quiver, it's no contest.
- Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: Targets with red highlights can be shot for points, while shooting targets with blue "x" marks will decrease earned points. Yellow-and-green targets are worth at least 100 points each.
- Final Boss: Stallord
- Gaiden Game: Link's Crossbow Training is set in the same world as Twilight Princess, but it has a different style of gameplay and does not affect the latter game's plot.
- Horse Archer: Link can ride his trusty horse Epona in certain missions.
- Mooks, but no Bosses: Aside from the Darknut and Stallord, the only things Link has to shoot at are targets and Mooks.
- More Dakka: By shooting glowing green enemies or monsters, Link can fire dozens of shots in rapid succession.
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Spiritual Successor: To the shooting game in Wii Play - Tech-Demo Game: The game was packed in with the Wii Zapper accessory and designed to show it off.
- Trick Arrow: Link can fire a bomb arrow by charging his bow, unless he has the full-auto powerup.
- When All You Have Is a Hammer…: Link's solution to any given problem is to shoot it with his crossbow.
- The Worm That Walks: The Darknut is composed of thousands of flies that can assemble and dissemble at will.
- Zombie Apocalypse: The game invokes this with the use of undead enemies and the reanimated skeleton Stallord.
