Nintendo love their peripherals. They've always had something extra for you to buy that was necessary for certain titles - from Rob the Robot to the Wii Balance Board, there's always some new 'innovation' to get hold of. But nowadays they pack in a game made specifically for their peripheral, and that's exactly what Link's Crossbow Training is. To coincide with the release of the Wii Zapper, a shell that combines the Wii Remote and Nunchuck into a lightgun configuration, you can journey back to Hyrule to test your sharp-shooting skills. But is this bundled game worth buying the Zapper for alone?

Link's Crossbow Training is an arcade style lightgun game that's not the usual style for Zelda - but that's the first thing you notice - rather it's the fact that there's no story, no characters and no adventure, just Link and his trusty crossbow. This is a smart move however, as the game doesn't need to have a story to keep up its momentum and the lack of a set purpose allows for the game to focus on competition and high scoring, which is pulled off really well.

The game is split into three sections - Practice, Multiplayer and Score Attack. Practice and Multiplayer let you play through individual stages with one to four players, while Score Attack is the main part of the game, where you're shooting to earn medals. There are twenty-seven stages, grouped into nine levels, and they vary greatly, each taking place in specific locations from the Hyrule you visited during Twilight Princess. You play in three different ways throughout the game, each requiring you to perform different actions. Target shooting is played from a first person perspective and sees you shooting targets and/or enemies while moving on a set path. These stages are the most similar to a standard lightgun game, with your movement automatic and on-rails at all times. The targets begin to move once you reach a certain point and it can be tricky to hit them at the right time. In this mode you'll also find targets that shouldn't be hit, and if you do shoot these you'll lose points as well as ending any combo chain that you've built up. This mode can be very fun at times and frustratingly difficult at others, making scoring highly a hugely rewarding accomplishment.

The other two ways of playing, Fixed combat and Free movement combat, are viewed from a third person perspective, showing Link in all his green-garbed glory. In the first of these you're stationary while you shoot, giving you 360o of movement. You turn by pointing at the edge of the screen with the reticule, which works surprisingly well considering the length of the Zapper. These stages always pit you against a group of enemies who can hurt you if they get too close, taking points and your combo away rather than health. Free movement combat is similar but, as you might have guessed, Link has regained the feeling in his legs and you can walk around the stage using the analogue stick. This is probably the best game type on offer, with you exploring the small area for enemies. These sections are also host to some of the more interesting areas from Twilight Princess, namely the Temple of Time and the Snowpeak Mansion. As well as interesting levels, you will also find yourself up against bosses in these modes. This comes as a surprise when playing the game and ramps up the intensity considerably. The final boss encounter is as epic as any boss in a Zelda game, yet still deserves repeated play. Both of these modes are enjoyable in their own ways, while offering a challenge that you can't get from a first person view. Scoring highly in either of these practices is difficult but after a few runs through you will undoubtedly be netting major points.

The Zapper itself, the peripheral with which Link's Crossbow Training is bundled, is at first glance nothing more than a piece of white plastic. Shaped remarkably like the crossbow that Link uses, it isn't your standard lightgun. The Wiimote and Nunchuck are held in place by a set of prongs and a latch, respectively. They are completely sturdy when they are in the mould, which makes handling the gun a lot more precise than it would have been otherwise. You can slide the Wiimote out at the press of a button, but taking out the Nunchuck requires a bit more effort. The rest of the Zapper is designed well, featuring a storage space on the underside for the Nunchuck wire and the weapon itself doesn't look out of place next to your other Wii accessories. It's just hard to think that many people will choose to play with the Zapper on a regular basis, as the chore of taking the nunchuck out will make them change their minds about playing. This is a shame, as the Zapper gives Crossbow Training and many games to come a new lease of life and makes them so much more enjoyable to play than with the standard configuration. Play with the Zapper from the start and there's no turning back - which is a good thing, by the way.

If you're wondering whether or not the Zapper is actually needed to play Link's Crossbow Training then the answer is that it's not; you can easily play through the whole game without it. However, the fun that comes from using this piece of moulded plastic is what makes it the best choice for the game. The controls are simple - aim at the screen and pull the trigger to shoot, and which is all you need at the beginning, then as you progress the Z button on the nunchuck becomes your best friend, allowing you to zoom into the action. You can also charge your arrows up for an explosive effect, or even gain an automatic crossbow. This can help or hinder your point tally, as it can occasionally stop a combo in progress.

The combo system is integral to the game and without it you simply wouldn't be able to proceed through the levels. If you keep hitting targets without missing then your combo increases and your score is multiplied by your combo count (i.e. the number of targets you're hit in a row), which allows for massive amounts of points to rack up, considering how little you get from each target (around 100). You will regularly achieve scores of 50,000+ once you get good enough with your trusty crossbow.

The progression of difficulty is something that the game pulls off flawlessly, with you becoming accustomed to the Zapper within a few minutes of play. You'll be surprised at how pathetic your scores were back when you first began playing as you reach the climax of the Score Attack mode. The only problem with this is that you'll get there after about an hour of solid play, way too short for an average adventure. But this isn't an adventure game - it's more like an arcade game, and one that's bundled in with a piece of hardware at that. This is why the focus on scores is so ingenious, because the incentive to strive to beat that top score gives the experience immense replay value. Even if you can gain platinum medals within a night or two, the practice mode allows you to perfect stages while proving to yourself that you are great at the game! The fact that only you (and the people who share the experience with you) will know of these achievements is sad however - an online leaderboard would have helped the longevity of the title even more. Once you've beaten your own records by tiny amounts, there isn't much left, save for the multiplayer, which is just a competitive version of practice mode.

Exactly a year after the breathtaking Twilight Princess, it would be silly to come up with an entirely new look for Link's Crossbow Training. The game looks and sounds the same as Link's last adventure, retaining everything that made that game so great. The music and sound effects are familiar and the areas are instantly recognisable, bringing back fond memories and giving you the urge to play through Twilight Princess again. By not including the elements that make the Zelda games so similar and featuring an arcade style of play instead, this is a wholly original little spin-off that gives a new lease of life to Zelda. Will we see Link's Boar Riding come packaged with the Wii Wheel…who knows? When it comes to aesthetics, there's not much to fault, other than it shows that Link's Wii journey has been topped by other titles in the graphics department in the year since its release.

The most exciting aspect of Link's Crossbow Training is the price. For £20 you get the game and the Wii Zapper in a sleek white box. It's excellent value and helps you to overlook any shortcomings that the game might have. The lifespan would be an issue if this was a full price standalone release, but as a freebie and a showcase for the Zapper it's the perfect title, condensing the epic scope of Twilight Princess into an arcade style authentic Zelda experience. It's the main reason for buying the Zapper and is well worth the £20 asking price - if you're hungering for another Zelda adventure then this will satisfy your appetite, even if does only last for a long weekend.

Reviewed by Sam Atkins for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).