Watch the very last thing Midna does in Twilight Princess. She cries. One tear falls; it hits the Mirror of Twilight, and the Mirror shatters completely. Not cracks. Not fractures into four pieces you’ll spend the second half of an epilogue collecting. Gone, permanently, on purpose. That single act, the one that closes the door…

Picture the throne room in Hyrule Castle. Zant stands in front of Zelda, posing a single question: Live or die. She surrenders her kingdom on the spot to save her people. Zant never once sits on that throne. He gets Zelda’s total, unconditional surrender, and he still doesn’t sit down. He doesn’t claim the seat.…

Hyrule Field. Full gallop. Midna is dying in your arms, and you are racing against the clock. If you’ve played Twilight Princess, you’ll remember this moment. Link is trying desperately to save his new friend. Here’s what’s strange about that, though. Hours earlier, this same character was mocking you and using you. Barely bothering to…

It was 2006. I bought a Nintendo Wii, and I bought Twilight Princess with it. I remember unwrapping it. I remember the box art, Wolf Link, Hyrule Field… all of it. But I did not finish that game. I barely started it. Around that time, I was deep into Halo. Xbox Live was new, and…