It's certainly a fantastic game and enjoyable Zelda experience, but does not quite live up to previous Zelda games.
The gameplay is the tried and true Zelda gameplay we've come to love. There is certainly nothing inheritantly wrong with that, as Zelda games are among the best out there. If you're a Zelda fan, this game is your wet dream. Or your worst nightmare. It can be very, very easy, and is arguebly the least-challenging game in the series. This is compensated by the creativity of it's bosses and dungeons, enemies, artistic style and plot. The Wii's controll's are better than the GC version's, hands down. That does not mean that the GC's controlls are broken or flawed in any way, quite the opposite is true. Everything about this game is insanely refined and mastered. It plays like a dream. However, the classic Zelda gameplay is starting to show some age, and change will be necessary to avoid a decline in quality for the series. I will say nothing more, as Miyamoto promised TP to be the last Zelda game in "it's current form".
The graphics are very, very, good for a GC game. The water is amazing. There is some very good lighting and pretty good textures, albeit some awful ones. The gamecube is being pushed to it's limits here, and although this is a great looking game, it has it's flaws.
The soundtrack and sound effects are very good. The soundtrack is among the better ones in the series, although it is no Ocarina of Time.
This game can easily last you 100 hours if you do all the sidequests, and for $50 bucks, you sure get your money's worth.
Overall, I loved this game. It's a great Zelda game, but doesn't quite have the staying power of other games in the series. I know in my Wii review written a while back I called this the best Zelda since OoT, I would like to retract that statement. In direct comparison, Wind Waker and Majora's Mask (and maybe even a Link to the Past) are more atomospheric, have more interesting over-worlds (not just a re-hash of Ocarina of Time's), and overall feel more fresh and replayable, due to their differences (cell-shading in Wind Waker along with the massive ocean and in Majora's Mask Termina, masks, ect). TP is by absolutely no means a bad game, but if you're looking for the next OoT, this isn't it, and you will be dissapointed. I love this game wholeheartedly, and you should defintly play it, though preferably the Wii version. TP is a great game, but sadly, fails to live up to the high expectations of it's predecessors.
May the way of the hero lead to the triforce.
P.S.-I hate Jeff.