2003 Nintendo
Perhaps next to Metroid Prime as one of the most obsessed-about games ever in development, the Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker has some big shoes to fill. The latest iteration of Nintendo's most prized franchise, the Wind Waker comes on the heels of such greats as A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time. In keeping with tradition, much has remained the same over the years. However, several notable things have been changed.
The first thing that will grab the attention of gamers (and, sure enough, the first thing that grabbed them when the game was first unveiled), is the new graphical style. In a radical deviation from the stylings of Ocarina of Time, the Wind Waker is rendered with cel, or "toon", shading. The entire world, Link included, is designed to mirror an animated reality. Smoke billows in hand-drawn curls and whisps, enemies stretch and contort after receiving blows, and water in the sea is illustrated as simple lines over a flowing blue backdrop. This graphical style allows for great freedom of expression, and Link's face clearly reflects the occurrences that surround him. He'll grimace, laugh, squint, yell, and follow anything that moves with his eyes. (This even plays a role in certain puzzles, as Link will look towards something that the gamer should pay attention to.)
Another huge change is the nature of the overworld. While Link has traditionally trekked through the huge land masses of Hyrule, The Wind Waker places him in a vast ocean. And I mean VAST. After acquiring a boat, sailing from one corner of the map to the other can take in excess of fifteen minutes. That's not to say there isn't anything to do during the trip, though. Every quadrant of the sea (mapped out on your sea charts), houses at least one island and other points of interest. Some islands are very small and only offer a single puzzle or reward, but others are enormous towns or communities with side-quests and dungeons to boot. Also, after receiving various treasure maps, Link can sail through the ocean in search for sunken rewards. Every quadrant has something beneath it, be it a huge rupee, a piece of heart, or a Triumph Fork. (Yes, I said Triumph Fork. Play the game, you'll see what I'm talking about.) There are a huge number of things to do in the overworld, and you'll probably spend more time there than you will doing anything else.
But what of that other stuff, eh? The meat of the Zelda games has always been in their labyrinthine dungeons. The dungeons in the Wind Waker are very reminiscent of those found in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, featuring a similar method of progression and puzzle solving. There are many new puzzles that require you to use your items in tandem, however, even if your second item is another entirely independent and controllable character. Combat is also very similar to how it was in the N64 Zelda games. You still lock on with Nintendo's patented Z-Targeting (now L-Targeting), and accost your foes with a variety of sword or projectile attacks. A notable addition, though, is the parry attack. Right before an enemy strikes, your sword may glow brightly and the A button icon may flash. In that instant, pressing A causes Link to deftly avoid the blow, and retaliate with an extremely acrobatic counter. This move becomes very useful, as it can actually disarm or disrobe your enemies. Combat as a whole feels very refined, though the high level of polish may actually make things too easy at times. The same can be said for the game as a whole, as many enemies never do more than a quarter-heart of damage, and the actual number of dungeons is less than in most previous games. It's still deliriously entertaining, but it may come off as too easy for some.
From an aural standpoint, The Wind Waker definitely shines. Many classic songs from Ocarina of Time and Link to the Past return at pivotal moments, rendered in beautiful remixes, and new areas and places feature well-composed original tunes. The dungeon music is more reminiscent of Ocarina of Time than Link to the Past, with very subdued background music, and creates a very ambient atmosphere. Characters don't really speak out loud any more than they did in Ocarina of Time, but that's become somewhat of a tradition in the Zelda franchise. What few voice samples the game does have, however, are very well done. They range from absolutely hilarious, to bone-chillingly evil. It's definitely a very complete package.
Lastly, it's worth mentioning that this is the first Zelda game to feature co-operative play during the main quest. After encountering the freakishly odd Tingle, you are given the ability to connect a Game Boy Advance to your GameCube and have a second player accompany you as Tingle. Through the GBA, Tingle provides hints, maps, and a multitude of helpful items. It definitely makes the game a lot easier, but it is a very cool inclusion for those who are new to the series and don't yet understand the mechanics behind the game.
Features- Continue the storyline that Ocarina of Time began in an all new quest centuries later
- Gorgeous cell-shaded graphics allow for a more vibrant and expressive world
- Sail through the vast sea, full of random weather effects and day/night cycles
- The Nintendo Gallery - an expandable gallery very similar to the one in Super Smash Brothers Melee, where every character and enemy in the game can be viewed in trophy form
- GBA support for a 2-player cooperative mode
- Supports Progressive Scan and Dolby Pro Logic II
Cory Faller: I haven't had this much fun with a game in a very long time. From when I first started out on Outset Island, to when I struck the final blow in the climactic final battle, I've been giggling like a little schoolgirl.
So let's counter that with complaining. It's best to get this out of the way, since I honestly love the game enough to make everything in this paragraph invalid. But there are a couple notable things. First off, the difficulty. This game was too easy, simple as that. I didn't die a single time on my first playthrough. Hell, I beat one of the later bosses in the game without taking a single HIT. Fun is fun, but I derive some degree of enjoyment after besting a difficult foe or completing a difficult puzzle. I know that lots of gamers are the same way. For the same reasons, I would've liked more, or at least larger, dungeons. There is a ton of stuff to do on the overworld, but it can never completely replace the interconnected puzzles within a fully fleshed-out dungeon. I hear that two dungeons were actually cut from the game due to time constraints, which saddens me to an extent. It would've been annoying to have to wait even longer for the game, but I think I would've preferred getting something a little more complete. And my last complaint - the storyline. I won't ruin anything for anyone, but the ending of the game made the Wind Waker very difficult to connect to the games that supposedly come after it in the Zelda universe. Needless to say, this feature of mine will have to undergo some serious revisions in the coming weeks. You can chalk up that last complaint to me being very into the interconnected storyline of these games, though. Lots of you probably won't really mind.
Alright, enough of that. On to the things that absolutely rule. First off, you're an idiot if you don't like the graphical style. After a few hours with it, I decided quite firmly in my mind that I want the next game in the series to look like this. In fact, I decided that I want EVERY game in EVERY series to look like this. The Wind Waker honestly made me dislike "realistic" graphics immensely. We'll see how long that opinion lasts, but it says quite a bit for the game for it to have had that much of an impact on me. And it's the little things that make me love this game so much. Crabs that run from you on the beach, watching the sun rise after a thunderstorm in the middle of the ocean, that snot-nosed kid on Outset Island chasing after you non-stop - even swimming after you if you run into the sea. They even toned down the "I want to kill myself and break this damn game" beep that comes with having very low health! You can tell that the designers really cared when they put this game together.
While playing the Wind Waker, I saw very distinct ideas taken from Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask. It's like the designers took the best ideas from all of the games, and combined them into one SUPER-game. The uses of the Great Faries, the number of enemies, and a lot of the music reminded me of Link to the Past. The mechanics of the puzzles and combat reminded me of Ocarina of Time, having been originally coined back on the N64. Many of the sidequests and town interactions were very reminiscent of those found in Majora's Mask. And in a similar vein, the treasure questing reminds me of searching for discoveries in Skies of Arcadia Legends. Getting clues as to the locations, narrowing it down and searching in a smaller area, etc. I must say I enjoy it much more without all those damn random battles, though. *shakes fist at SOAL*
So when it comes down to it, The Wind Waker is probably my favorite Zelda game. Sure, it's got some flaws, but they aren't what people will remember. (At least, they aren't what SANE people will remember.) People will remember sailing on the breathtaking ocean, locking onto 5 enemies at once with the boomerang, and doing a jumping summersault over an enemy's head and knocking off their helmet with your sword. That, and the amazingly directed events before, during, and after the final battle in the game. The Wind Waker will go down in history as another one of Nintendo's greats.
Oh, and if I ever see Tingle in a future Zelda game, I will personally set fire to all of Japan.
Dean Bergmann: I remember it clearly, sitting in the N-Sider chatroom during Space World 2001, and it hit; The new Zelda style. Originally I was one of the sceptics, what were they doing to our beloved Zelda series? As time went by it grew on me, and rightfully so. Miyamoto pulled of a wondrous game with Wind Waker, and the cartoon style made this game what it is.
If any of you read my Zelda Summit journal, you'd know that I had a chance to sit down with the Japanese version of Wind Waker back in December of 2002. In what took me 6 and a half hours to beat "the first time" only took me 45 minutes to beat with the North American copy. Now, obviously this could be chalked up to me already knowing how do to it, but as Cory said, this game is very easy, especially for a Zelda title.
Where this game shines however, is the music. Having been with N-Sider since its conception, I've become a very artistic person. Be it visual or musical, art is my passion. I never got the satisfaction with Mario Sunshine to be humming or singing tunes from the game, but with Wind Waker I find myself most enjoying the Outset Island and Windfall Island themes. In Japan there was a two-disc set soundtrack released, and I sure hope it's released state-side, or at least available at E3. There are times in Wind Waker where music seems orchestrated, and the built-in musical cues when Link hits an enemy just immerses the player so much more into the experience that you totally forget about the cel-shaded style and you just... Are Link.
Having said all that, it would interest me to see how this game would have turned out with the realistic engine shown back at SpaceWorld 2000. I've seen the Link introduction for Soul Calibur II, and now my appetite is set on a realistic adventure for the next Legend of Zelda game. Kudos to Miyamoto and Co. for creating an amazing game, let's see what the winds blow our way next time.
Jeff Van Camp: Where to begin, where to begin. Very rarely does a game ever captivate my interest to the degree that The Wind Waker has. As Cory so elequently put it, "from when I first started out on Outset Island, to when I struck the final blow in the climactic final battle, I've been giggling like a little schoolgirl."
Many have ranted about the cel-shaded look of WW. After playing the game through I can assure everyone that any complaints made about the style are from those in the dark. The cartoon-like atmosphere has brought out the best in the Zelda series and it would be a shame if it isnt used in future games. The new look allows for a world that is not only vibrant and colorful, but more alive as well. Every character has several different facial expressions including Link himself who will actually look around at things on his own, once in a while providing a subtle hint on what to do next. Even enemy animation benefits from the graphical overhaul. Monsters will react to the players actions as well in a number of very fun ways. It's even possible to catch one of them asleep on the job. It's hard to describe the level of polish that Nintendo has put into the title. Just trust me that you too will, quite possibly, become a believer in the art of cel-shading.
Many have criticized The Wind Waker for being too easy. Now I dont claim to be the ultimate Zelda player, as I am far from it. However, I found the game to be quite difficult at times. Sure I never really died in the game, but that isn't saying much. There were many times when I got stumped on what to do next, how to solve a puzzle, or how to defeat a particular foe. There were also many areas where I might have died in battle if not for an abundance of a certain heart like commodity. One of the main reasons that I never really lost a true life is because nearly all difficult enemies drop health and supplies encased in breakable orbs after defeat. These orbs dont fade away either, staying right where the enemy died until Link hits them with his sword, releasing hearts, arrows, bombs, rupees, and other needed supplies. So after a large battle it is common to leave with nearly full health. However, I don't believe that this decreases the difficulty of the game by any means. In actuality it simply allows players to forego the inconvenience of having to retrace their steps in a dungeon for no reason. There are still battles that can be very frantic and difficult, just in a different way. To judge a games difficulty solely on the number of times one dies is highly inaccurate.
The Wind Waker also introduces the fine art of sailing to the Zelda universe. Sailing across the gigantic ocean overworld creates a sense of exploration unmatched by virtually any other game. There are no restrictions on where the player can and cant go, and believe me there are a lot of places to go. The feeling of being dropped off in an endless world with no absolute direction that must be taken is very reminiscent to the very first Legend of Zelda for the NES.
If you are looking for the complete package look no further. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker features an astonishing variety of gameplay, music that is matched only by its predecessors, a refined combat system, and a AAA story. It is my favorite Legend of Zelda title yet and just about the most compelling game I have ever played.