The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Voices of: Sachi Matsumoto, Takashi Nagasako, Hikari Tachibana
Developer: Nintendo
Directed by: Eiji Aonuma
Rating: E
Genre: Action Adventure
System: Nintendo Gamecube
2002

Times Completed:
Tim: 1

Summary: A young boy is thrust into a globe-spanning adventure after his sister is kidnapped.

Review:
Tim: The Legend of Zelda is easily one of the best, most iconic video game series. Nearly every entry is a landmark event. I love this franchise so much. That being said, I have to admit I did start to feel a bit of franchise fatigue. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is the 10th game in the franchise and the 15th I'd played. As wonderful as the games are, I admit I felt a bit of fatigue at the similar game elements- the dungeons, the weapons, the bosses, I'd played it all before. It's funny that Wind Waker came along when it did, both in terms of me playing it and the franchise as a whole. It upends a lot of the usual feel of the franchise and while it's very much in line with the previous games, it does feel unique. I have to admit, I had so much fun playing this and it felt wonderfully different. It's a testament to Nintendo and this franchise that the 10th game in the series could feel simultaneously familiar and new. I truly believe this is another landmark entry in perhaps the greatest video game franchise of all time.

What I truly loved about this game is the setting felt so different. I've been to Hyrule countless times, and yet, I've never played a Zelda game mostly set on the ocean. Sailing the seas with Link was such a novel, incredible experience. The game is beautifully rendered and it just felt different. The swelling music, the changing night and day, the various storms that would crop up- it really did make you feel like Link was on this epic, spanning adventure. Sure, the sailing did become extremely repetitive at times (I played this on Gamecube, not the later remakes), but that felt like part of the game to me. You do end up going back-and-forth across the ocean many, many times. And yet, it always felt okay. I loved sailing around, visiting various islands, having adventures, while moving towards the end of the game. That unique setting felt wonderfully fresh and invigorating. It breathed new life into this franchise.

I also loved the design of Toon Link. It's wild to me to read how much criticism the design received upon launch. As we all know, "fans" of franchises get set in their ways and tend to reject anything novel or different. I loved the design of Link, I loved the added facial expressions, and Toon Link adds another new chapter to this franchise. The design of the whole game was so beautiful- the vivid colors, the rendering of the ocean, I am such a fan of the artistic decisions made here. It felt so exciting to play a Legend of Zelda game that looked different.

Now, for franchise fans, the game still delivers much of the same playing experience. It feels more different than it actually is. I was okay with that. I still had fun going through the various dungeons and bosses, collecting familiar weapons, going on various side quests. Those never felt unnecessarily redundant. Now, I admit I wasn't interested in 100%ing this game. I got 15 hearts total, collected all 13 Special Charts, but only 36/46 Treasure Maps. The search for maps that would lead to sunken chests with rubies did feel a bit tedious eventually. I did get space for all 99 Arrows and Bombs, got the Large Wallet, and did collect all items and weapons. I got all the songs. I completed all 50 levels of the Savage Labyrinth. I got the Gold Membership at Beedle's shop. One great thing about this game is that it gives players so many options. I did a lot of what this game had to offer, but I chose not to do everything. I didn't really do the decorations or the watering tree side quest. I think I got 3 of the figurine statues, I definitely wasn't interested in collecting all of them. For me, I felt like I did the majority of the important things. I got to a nice level of depth in the game, but I finished it before it became a chore.

The story itself is excellent and adds a great new chapter to the mythology of this franchise. Ganondorf makes for an excellent villain here. The final battle was incredible, throwing some unexpected curves at you. I did think the final moment of that battle was shockingly violent- something I didn't expect and will never forget. The game might look cartoonish, but it's one of the most emotional, hitting games in the franchise.

There are so many iconic, "greatest game ever" contenders in this franchise. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker belongs in that conversation. It might not have introduced as many game-changing elements as a game like Ocarina of Time, but it's a beautiful, expertly crafted game that delivers an unforgettable playing experience. I truly loved this game.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Game, We Recommend: The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass