Link's Crossbow Training

Link's Crossbow Training is set in a world in the style of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and in the game the player assumes the role of the protagonist of The Legend of Zelda series, Link. To perfect Link's crossbow marksmanship, the player must pass a series of tests, starting with stationary bullseye targets, before moving onto moving targets and actual enemies. After every level, the player gets a medal depending upon their score. The types of medals range from bronze to platinum.

Link's Crossbow Training features 9 playable levels, and the goal in each is to achieve the highest score possible within the time limit. These levels are divided into three main gameplay styles.

Link's Crossbow Training was produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma and Takashi Tezuka. The idea of a first-person The Legend of Zelda game started with Ocarina of Time (1998), which Miyamoto wanted to develop in the first person; however, the inclusion of a child Link got in the way of this idea. Miyamoto also created the game to show Japanese gamers how fun the genre can be by bridging the gap between simple scrolling shooters and advanced shooters. It was also made with the intent of being a side-story to Twilight Princess (2006), and make use of its vast overworld.

The development staff began work on the game's story, which Miyamoto intended to be an extra story based around Twilight Princess, but the staff had been coming up with what could be better described as "epic tales" rather than "side stories". When Miyamoto revealed that he would not make the game with an "epic tale", much of the staff was shocked, saying it was like killing all of the ideas they had been working with until then. Some argued that they should not even do it, as it would be simply reusing existing software and selling it to the consumers. Miyamoto proposed that they make a working prototype and have test players give impressions of the game.

Reviews were generally mixed. Nintendo Power praised the game and its potential of the zapper, but they criticized it for being too short. IGN stated that the game was enjoyable, but agreed that it was too short. IGN's review also panned the Wii Zapper as actually "making the game more difficult" to play and generally frustrating to use.

By July 2008, the game had sold 194,849 copies in Japan. By September, the game had sold 2.75 million copies worldwide. It was the 16th best-selling game and seventh best-selling Wii game of December 2008 in the United States. It was in the Top 10 on the best-selling Wii games list for nearly two years until being surpassed by Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit Plus, and later New Super Mario Bros. Wii.