The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

"Despite the changes, the Wind Waker is good, classic Zelda fun."

Zelda: The Wind Waker is easily of of the best games ever, at least for Gamecube. I seem to say that for just about every game, but I'm serious this time. Probably. Let's see what makes this game worthy of a 750K FAQ.

Graphics: 10/10

Many people have bashed WW's graphics over the years for their "kiddyness;" I used to be one of them, not getting WW for a few years after it was released because I hated the graphic style. The game uses a fairly new style called cel-shading, giving it a cartoon look. Older gamers used to more mature games may consider this new style too unrealistic and inferior, but I've become a fan of it. For one thing, the graphics are much smoother than 3-D polygonal graphics; there are no jagged edges or rough parts like in some of these games. The graphics are also better for showing expressions on the face of Link or other characters, letting him show many more emotions than the relatively stoic Link from OoT. The animations are superior to many realistic games, seeming fluid, cartoonish, and often hilarious for many of the enemies. Also, the game includes many graphical details not seen in any previous game, such as Link dripping while walking around after a swim, or arrows sticking into Moblins like pincushions. They all help to make the cartoon world seem more real than any before.

Sound: 9/10

The sound of WW is also excellent. The game's music is truly incredible; little of it was recycled from other games. The tunes generally fit the environments of the game very well, such as the themes for sailing or the dungeons. The sound effects are quite good; the sounds of Link's footsteps change depending on what he's running on, and all the characters and enemies have a huge slew of distinctive noises. Unfortunately, this game is still missing voices for character's subtitled speech, one of the few features that could improve on the Zelda franchise if done right, dropping the sound score a point.

Controls: 9/10

WW's controls are virtually flawless. The control stick is quite responsive, and controls Link with ease, the only flaw being a strange difficulty in turning quickly while running. The game uses all the buttons to let you choose from the standard 3 items, strafe/lock on, control the camera with ease, and view the dungeon map in seconds. There's really nothing more to say, except that the game's controls should never frustrate you.

Story: 9/10

WW's story is the biggest departure from tradition since Link's Awakening. The game takes place 100 years after OoT, after the gods of Hyrule flooded the land to stop the return of Ganon. As a result, most of Hyrule is underwater, and the game takes place in a network of 49 islands. This allows for an interesting twist as a talking boat calling itself the King of Red Lions becomes Link's means of transport in the game. The game's plot starts out different: Link's sister (he actually has a family in this game) is kidnapped by a huge bird, and Link sets out with a crew of pirates to rescue her. The game doesn't adopt the standard save-Zelda fare until midway through. Though the story consists of the usual gather-items-to-advance system, as usual it's different enough to be new. As another bonus, several parts of the story are extremely funny.

Gameplay: 10/10

As usual, WW's gameplay is the most important part of what makes it one of my personal favorite games. It uses many elements of older Zelda games, such as item collections, sidequests/minigames, and dungeons, but as usual adds new twists, in this case even more than usual. First and foremost are the new items. Several old ones such as the classic Boomerang, Bow, and Mirror Shield reappear, accompanied by some imaginative new items like the Grappling Hook, which lets Link swing around from various Grapple-able objects to cross gaps or climb, and the Deku Leaf, which serves a dual purpose as a weapon to fire bursts of

air and a makeshift parasail that allows him to glide long distances. Some old weapons even have new functions, such as the Boomerang, which can now home in one up to 5 targets at once and the Iron Boots, which now weigh Link down to face powerful winds and make him heavier. The most important addition to Link's arsenal is the title item, which replaces the Ocarina as Link's instrument.

The Wind Waker, a magical baton, allows Link to conduct several various songs and serves can let Link warp, change the time of day, mind-control certain NPCs (the animation for which is hilarious), or most importantly, control the wind. The first song you learn lets Link set the direction of the ever-blowing wind, a significant factor in the game. Since most of Hyrule is flooded, the talking sailboat King of Red Lions is your primary means of transport in the game, and you won't get far if you have to sail against the wind. The ocean is perhaps the biggest difference between WW from other Zelda games; instead of one big land, the game world is composed of 49 islands set in a massive ocean. After an hour or two of gameplay, you're free to sail the Great Sea and explore them at your leisure. You're probably heard criticism of the sheer size of the ocean and the time it takes to get around, but I've never found this a problem. Traveling between islands takes only a few minutes, and you'll probably be too busy enjoying the awesome sailing theme and watching distant islands drift by to get very bored. Later on, you can summon the winds to warp around the Sea, which further speeds things up.

As expected, several different nautical enemies threaten Link's sailing excursions; there are even reefs that serve as mini-dungeons on the ocean; conquering them is a test of your bombing skills. (Did I mention you get a cannon to fire Bombs with?) On land, Link faces a much wider variety of brilliantly animated enemies; even old ones like Moblins or Wizzrobes are given new life by the cel-shaded graphics and rank among the funniest enemies of the game. (Moblins are crazy spear-wielding pigs; Wizzrobes are the meanest toucan-sorcerer things you've ever met) Link's battles are especially fierce in the dungeons, where he faces the bulk of the game's monsters as well as the usual contingent of puzzles, which are made all the more interesting by the new items in the game. The dungeon boss battles are quite memorable, pitting you against some of the best-animated and interesting monsters you'll see.

As usual, WW offers a huge array of sidequests to do, probably even more than usual. Each of the 49 islands has something to do on it, and there are even some sidequests on the open ocean, like submarines and sea platforms controlled by pirate Bokoblin. (Smaller Moblins wielding swords, sticks, or telescopes) Besides the usual Pieces of Heart, WW also adds a new collectible: Treasure Charts. When you open them, a shining spot appears near a certain island; you can then follow the map to find the treasure, which can be Rupees, a Piece of Heart, or even another Treasure Chart. There are especially many sidequests on Windfall Island, the main (and only) town in the game, and the starting island, which contains a challenging, optional dungeon filled with enemies. There are also quite a few minigames to play, a few of which can be quite fun and rewarding. The sidequests greatly add to WW's replay value. (And, unfortunately, comprises most of it)

Difficulty: 7/10

I'm starting to doubt my old saying "there's no such thing as too easy," and Zelda games are largely to blame. Though WW have great gameplay, very few parts will challenge the skilled Zelda player. The hardest part (in my opinion) is a Battleship-like minigame that is more luck than skill anyway. The enemies are especially easy, and except for one of the last few bosses *coughsnakemodecough* you'll never have an especially tough fight. the game's puzzles are tricky, but usually quite manageable. A slightly higher difficulty s one of the few things that could improve on WW's great gameplay.

Replay: 9/10

Though WW isn't like strategy games in that you can keep playing it almost indefinitely without getting bored, it still has at least as much replay value as any Zelda game. As usual, there are items to collect, Pieces of Heart to find, and a multitude of sidequests to embark on. The main quest is decently long, but there are enough things scattered around the islands to add many hours to the play time. There is also a huge new sidequest in which you use the Pictograph Box to create a gallery of every character and enemy in the game. Also, after beating the game once, you can replay it, with several new features added. (And since it's so fun, you'll probably want to play the game a second time sooner or later)

Rent or Buy: BUYBUYBUY!

Though you may want to rent the game to make sure it's for you as I did, I guarantee you
won't be disappointed with buying this awesome game.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/04/05