Zeruda no densetsu: Kaze no takuto

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is the first Zelda title for the Nintendo GameCube. It was developed over two years from 2000 to 2002. The game remains a fan favorite and has been called one of the best games of all time.

Graphics-10/10 This game does cel-shading right. At first glance, this game seems to be just another cel-shaded game. Looking deeper, one notices the lack of a black outline, setting this game apart from other cel-shaded games. Looking still further will yield effects such as specular and bump mapping, depth of field blur, and even an advanced physics engine governing soft-body dynamics and certain gravity-affected objects such as rolling objects and rope bridges. The cel-shading style is supplemented by different shaders for different objects, such as a softer, more realistic shading system for structures. This all culminates in a game that does not look like a cartoon, but rather looks like it takes place in a cartoon world.

Sound-9/10 The game's music is top-notch, especially the theme for one of the islands. While the game does not have as much memorable tunes as Ocarina of Time had, it still has a decent amount of good music. However, the music is entirely MIDI-based, with the exception of cutscene audio, which is recorded MIDI tracker audio, a first for the series. While the quality of the MIDI samples is pretty nice, especially the solo voice samples (which sound like live singers), for the most part, the samples sound dated. However, the quality of the samples may lend a certain charm to some tracks in the game.

Gameplay-9/10 This game utilizes elements first introduced in Ocarina of Time. The Z-targeting feature returns as L-targeting. Combat is tight, fluid, and very well done. The free camera is so good, I will go so far as to say it is the best free camera of all time. It is extremely fluid, and when left to its own devices, the camera will automatically adjust according to where Link is facing. However, the game itself is rather on the short side. While combat is top-notch, the difficulty is too easy. Only later in the game does the difficulty pick up somewhat with combat, but not much with puzzles. The massive ocean overworld lends the game an amazing "lonely" atmosphere matched only by games such as Minecraft. You feel as if you were Link sailing the oceans and landing on the islands. Despite the atmosphere, the sailing can get extremely tedious, and the addition of warping only helps a little. Overall, however, gameplay is what is expected out of a Zelda game-that is to say, nothing short of excellent.

Overall-9/10 The main problem with this game is its length. The previous Zelda game, Majora's Mask, was produced by Eiji Aonuma, who was previously just another developing team member for Zelda games. Majora's Mask's development was heavily aided by the usage of the Ocarina of Time game engine, leaving ample time to develop gameplay elements, sidequests, and story. Development took just 2 years. The Wind Waker was also developed in two years by Aonuma. However, The Wind Waker falls short of Majora's Mask in many areas. Eiji tried to pull a Majora's Mask and failed due to the necessity of creating a completely new engine along with gameplay elements and story. The result was a too-soon deadline and an unfinished game that the developers barely managed to finish with one of the greatest video game endings of all time. Indeed, with all its flaws, The Wind Waker still manages to be one of the greatest video games of all time, though it certainly isn't as good as Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask.

...Very good. Not as good as Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess, but it is unique in its own way. The cel-shade graphics are beautiful, and the characters are very expressive. The boss fights are challenging, and the story very interesting. The only bad thing is that you have to sail for way too long at times. But apart from that and trying to find good islands that you went to before and do not show up on your map afterwards, it is pretty close to flawless. The area is large, and there is a lot of things to do and you will want to go back to the islands again and again. Even though it is not as good as TP and OoT, it is better than I had expected.

There are lots of good things about this game. The music (at least towards the beginning of the game) is catchy, the controls are easy to learn, and gameplay is usually interesting. The graphics are great, and the expressions on faces are well done. The camera control is great. All in all, it's much better than Ocarina of Time.

This game does, however, have some problems. Getting around is really tedious. The world is big, but there isn't much there. So you find yourself changing the direction of the wind (do I have to play that stupid tune again?) and then putting the controller down while you wait out your long ride to the next island.

Some of the most annoying features of Ocarina of Time have been brought back to this one. There are some puzzles that really make you want to stop playing ("How in the world was I supposed to figure that out?"), and using the windwaker to perform tasks is a somewhat tedious process. Why don't they just have a simple command menu instead? There are a lot of things you need to do in the game that don't add to the enjoyment or the interest or the storyline, but just seem to be there in order to lengthen the gameplay.

There are some puzzles that need to be played over and over until you get them right. It's this way in just about every trademark game by Nintendo that I can think of (and, in my opinion, this is bad design). However, there aren't as many of these as there are in Ocarina of Time, and it's much less of an issue than it is in games like Super Mario Sunshine (ack!).

The fun, the challenge, and great graphics make this game a good one. Still, I had to stop every once in a while and play Metroid Prime instead, just to remind myself why I bought the GameCube in the first place.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is the latest entry in the classic saga.

First off, I just want to say...Wow. This game is an experience. Taking place on the ocean instead of the familiar realm of Hyrule, you sail around to several different islands in the course of play.

The sea is huge, a 7 by 7 square grid dotted all over with islands. The story is new, and plays as a loose sequel to Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Now I know that would sound kind of stupid, considering that they are all part of a series, and would of course be connected. But its different here. Just watch the opening cinematic.

The game play is wonderful, from sailing and retrieving treasure chests to the familiar Zelda formula, it works on every level.

The graphics are amazing. Never before has Cel-Shaded graphics been done to such an extent. It's really quite wonderful. When you roll, dust flies. Your ship cuts through the water as it sails, and lets not forget the waves and the wind blowing in certain directions.

To go deeper into the story, let me just say that it is a bit of a departure from the earlier editions. This time it is about Link (of course) who sets out with pirates to retake his kidnapped sister, and he is thrown into dark and sinister implications, and has to rise to his destiny. All while trying to get her back. There still isn't voice acting, just words on the screen. Which is good, because no voice acting can't seriously be a con, but terrible voice acting can.

Several new characters and a whole new world to explore recreate the Zelda scene with riveting force. Some may complain that there's too much sailing. They can stick with Serious Sam if they can't sit down that long.

Some may gripe about the cel-shaded graphics. But their best argument tends to be "its stupid." My only problem isn't really a problem. I just with they would have kept something in the game in alignment with the Ocarina of Time. No real bother.

Anyway, I give it a 9.8 out of 10. My second favorite GameCube game. (Just behind Metroid Prime.

I was a big Zelda fan growing up, and I knew I had to play this game when I first saw the commercial for it years ago as a kid. It was a fantastic gaming experience, and I still remember it fondly today.

Hundreds of years after Ocarina of Time, the land of Hyrule has been completely flooded, leaving only the mountain tops for its surviving inhabitants to live on. An Outset Island boy, Toon Link (as he's called here), sets out to rescue his kidnapped sister Aryll, with the help of the mysterious pirate captain Tetra. In the process, Link gets caught up in an adventure to become the hero of the wind and save the world from Ganondorf, the great king of evil, who has broken free from the sacred realm.

While the controls handle much the same as previous installments, the game has a distinctively cartoonish aesthetic which was the result of cell shading because of the GameCube's limitations at the time. While many gamers felt this new art style was a drawback, I found it endearing. While the last console installment, Majora's Mask, was dark, surreal, and frightening, Wind Waker is bright, cheery, and festive. Even ReDeads don't look that creepy. I feel this made the game more appealing to young gamers whose first console was the Nintendo GameCube.

The graphics were gorgeous, bright, and colorful. The characters have excellent designs and more extensive expressions and fluid movements. Not to mention there's more voice clips during dialogue. You could see rippling swells and foam in the water while sailing, floating pollen particles inside the Forbidden Woods, and lava embers inside Dragon Roost volcano.

The story is brilliant and has engaging dialogue with rich new characters and plenty of touching moments, like Link reuniting with Ayrll, healing his sickly grandmother, and Tetra apologizing to Link and bidding him good luck inside the Master Sword chamber.

The composers, including Nintendo legend Koji Kondo, once more knock it out of the park with the game's marvelous music. The soundtrack includes the nautical and adventurous song you hear while crossing the Great Sea, while the islands of Outset, Windfall, and Dragon Roost all have fittingly bright, catchy, and tropical themes. Of course, there's some darker tunes, like the boss themes and especially Ganondorf's theme played during the final battle. The sound effects tend to be as bright and quirky as the character designs. Everything here sounded great.

The world of Zelda has been completely rebuilt here. The theme is a little more modern with pirate-era themes like sailing ships and cannons involved. Instead of Hyrule Field, the main hub is the Great Sea which you traverse via the King of Red Lions instead of Epona. The games titular instrument, the Wind Waker, replaces the Ocarina and gives you control over the wind. New races, like the birdlike Ritos and Koroks are introduced as descendants of the Zoras and Kokori respectively. Items exclusive to Wind Waker are introduced, and items like the Telescope, Grappling Hook, and Deku Leaf are available. All of this gives the game a fresh new feeling and style.

Sure, the games difficulty is a step back from the N64 entries and it's a little short with only seven dungeons, but the story is still well-written, the characters are rich and well developed, and the dialogue is riveting. They even provide Ganondorf with a more sympathetic reason for coveting the Tri-Force besides a mere lust for power.

In the second half of the game, there's lots of sailing and searching for Triforce pieces involved that can be frustrating and it doesn't come cheap, thanks to Tingle. Luckily, there are plenty of treasures to find and sell to get the rupees you need to beat the game.

Overall, this was an excellent start for the Zelda franchise on the GameCube and is now available to play on the Switch 2.