Links Crossbow Training is a Zelda spin off game which comes packaged with the Wii Zapper. Now for those of you thinking well it’s probably just a tech demo to get you used to the Zapper, your close, however while we admit this game can get a little tedious it is also great fun.

The game itself consists of nine stages, with each of these having three levels for you to progress through before reaching the next stage. The game also has three different modes of play: Target Shooting, in which you are tasked with taking down targets within set time limits, Fixed Combat, where while stationary you must destroy the enemies attacking you (from all angles) before the time runs out, and also Free Movement Combat, which is more in-depth and therefore deserves it’s own paragraph.

The Free Movement mode sees you using the Nunchuck to negotiate your way around the levels (which have been taken from Twilight Princess) while also aiming and taking down the enemies at the same time. To help you along the way you are able to use various power-ups (which are also available in Fixed Combat mode), such as the Automatic Arrows which are gained when defeating an enemy who is flashing green.

At the end of each stage you are awarded with a medal based on your score, bronze being the lowest and platinum the highest, as the aim of the game is to get as many consecutive hits on the enemies as you can without missing any, the better you do this the higher your score will be (obvious I know). Bonus points are awarded for hitting every target or enemy in a stage, and while this may be difficult, it is worth aiming for (pardon the pun) if you wish to get a platinum medal.

Unfortunately each level only lasts for a short time and therefore after a few hours of playing it won’t be long before you have mastered the game , meaning that you will rarely be receiving a medal other than platinum, therefore once you do master the game there wont really be much to keep you going back.

Links Crossbow Training does include a multiplayer mode also but this is passable give that it only allows you to play through the single player modes by taking turns. Quite disappointing really, but then I guess Nintendo wanted to share the Wii Zapper love between everyone.

And so to the Wii Zapper itself which comes neatly pack in the box along with the game. There is not really much you can say about a lump of plastic shaped like a two handed machine gun, however there is some innovation here, so don’t be too disheartened.

First off, the Zapper has a nice weighty feel and to me at least is very comfortable to hold. The Zapper also feels very well designed, there are hidden compartments for you to put you dangling leads into and the Nunchuck and Wii Remote both click firmly in to place, meaning that once they are in the Zapper there is no chance of them falling out.

During games however you may find that the accuracy is slightly off when compared to using the controllers on their own, so you will have to adjust for this. Overall though using the Zapper does feel more fun and realistic, especially during games such as Link’s Crossbow Training and Ghost Squad.

So is Links Crossbow Training and the Zapper package worth investing in? Well that all depends on whether you are a fan of the type of game it will be used for, if you don’t really like shooters then it isn’t for you, however if you can’t get enough of games such as Resident Evil and Ghost Squad then why not, it will certainly help add a bit more realism to your gaming.