The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Have you ever been so overwhelmed with things to say that your brain thinks much faster than your mouth can speak?  Play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and you too will have more to say than can possibly be fit into one review.

The Wind Waker begins with a brief story about the knight who started the legend.  Ancient-style paintings show what happened, though most gamers already know.  In the background, a quiet variation of the classic Zelda theme plays.  It's one of the most basic introductions ever created, and yet it is also one of the most memorable.  Everything about it screamed Zelda – not the Zelda of the SNES, not the Zelda of Nintendo 64 – the Zelda that I fell in love with several years ago on the Nintendo Entertainment System. 

And that was just the introduction.  I was not aware of the things I was about to experience.  Not many screenshots had graced my eyes, and spoiler-filled previews were not allowed anywhere near me.  I was not about to let the GameCube gaming event of the year be ruined for me.  And I will not ruin it for you either.  My joy will be expressed through this review, but the spoilers will be kept to a minimum.  If you do not want to know anything, then please, buy the game and read this article later.  It'll still be here, but the experience you have with Zelda will be changed if you know too much before playing it.

Above all else, know that this is a must-buy game for everyone.  Not just Nintendo loyalists, diehard Zelda fans or those of you who are desperate for something new to play.  I don't care how many systems you own, how many games are in your collection or what type of games you enjoy.  The Wind Waker packs the same instantly-appealing qualities that made the original a masterpiece.

The Wind Waker's world consists of many islands, all of which are spread far apart from each other.  To get from one island to another, you must acquire a sail and attach it to a dragon-like boat.  The ride from island to island is long, but extremely peaceful.  You can point your boat in the right direction, put the controller down and relax.  Take in all the sights and sounds, and really appreciate the effort that Nintendo has put into this game.  The graphic effects here are simple, but still very impressive.  The clouds are especially worthy of your eyes' attention: they move and change in a realistic cartoon matter, similar to Disney flicks like Aladdin.  As you approach other islands, the sky will change from bright and sunny to dark and gloomy, complete with cool visual and sound effects.

When you don't have control over the camera, it's hard to see just how much it's hurting the game, especially if the game is really good.  The Wind Waker has the most perfect camera that I have ever seen in a video game, even more perfect than the innovative camera from Splinter Cell!  There is no area that is too big, too small or too confining to prevent you from spinning the camera around Link with a slight tilt of the C-stick.  The camera can be zoomed out a bit as well, adding a whole new perspective to the way a Zelda game is played.

The battles are unbelievable!  They're smoother, faster, and occur much more frequently than in the other Zelda games.  It's a lot more precise, too.  There are new combos to perform, and a really cool evasion technique that allows you to quickly dodge an attack and retaliate with a lethal strike.  Smarter and fiercer enemies make every battle a joy.  I fought the same enemies multiple times in a row just for the fun of it.

One surprising addition to the battles is successive music.  Striking an enemy with your sword is like hitting a note on an instrument.  Words cannot describe how cool this is.  You won't believe how much it adds to the experience.

The Ocarina of Time's auto-jumping has also been improved.  Link isn't as jump-happy as he was before; ledges can be easily walked up to without having to worry about flying off of them.  Tap the thumbstick very lightly to walk off ledges; push it all the way to jump.

The camera is fully functional during combat, giving the player an unprecedented amount of control.  The camera won't ever fail you.  A wall might obstruct your view every once in a while, but only until you move the camera.  To re-center the camera, all you have to do is press the L button (which is also used to target your opponents).

I loved The Legend of Zelda's music.  I loved it so much that I was ultra-critical of the super upbeat soundtrack that was used in The Ocarina of Time.  The Wind Waker does away with most of the upbeat sounds and replaces with them with deep, emotional tracks that will tug at your heart and make you wish that all games could look, sound and play this good.  Not even the silly, Samurai Jack-like faces can keep you from feeling the emotion of the story.  It's nowhere near the caliber of Final Fantasy VII, but you will definitely feel for these characters, especially if you love this legend as much as I do.

The Wind Waker's visual style is breathtaking.  Don't be fooled by Link's face, which looks like it belongs on Cartoon Network, not GameCube.  It's childish, his eyes are too big, and, well...he just doesn't look like the cool Link we know and love.  Play The Wind Waker for just 60 seconds and you won't care.  Honestly, the characters' faces do not detract from the experience as much as you'd expect.  In fact, they don't detract from it at all.  Link's facial expressions are terrific, especially his eye movement.  What's really amazing is the backgrounds, which were designed like a 2D animated film set in a three-dimensional world.  That's old news, but what you may not know is just how amazing everything looks in motion.  Seeing a movie isn't enough – you have to pick up the controller and experience this for yourself.  This exquisite art design is a technological achievement that should win award after award.  It was developed with Maya, the same graphic tool used to create the effects for Gran Turismo 3 and Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (the movie), among many others.

How does one end a review of a game that's just about perfect in every conceivable way?  By advising the reader to get that particular game immediately.  The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is the GameCube gaming event of the year, and it could end up being the best overall game of the year.  It should have some fierce competition in the summer and even more in the fall, but for the next few months, The Wind Waker is the only game worthy of this much praise.

Can’t get enough of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker?  Then be sure to check out GameZone Online’s interview with Alias|Wavefront’s (the makers of Maya) Geoff Foulds.

Gameplay: 10
It gives me great pleasure to be able to give The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker a perfect score.  Not because I love handing out 10's, but because it means that there is finally another game to add to my Top 10 Favorite Games of All Time list.

The Wind Waker's gameplay is unbeatable.  No other action/RPG – not The Ocarina of Time, not Soul Reaver, and not even the awesome Dark Cloud can compare with Zelda.  This, to me, is the true sequel to the original Zelda.

Graphics: 10 
If you've read my past reviews, you'll know that I'm not one to praise graphics.  How can a game receive a high score for its visuals when a game with better graphics will be released six months later?  Zelda is the exception.  Its toon-shaded graphics go above and beyond all other toon-shaded games, and even if it didn't, I'm blown away by the 2D animation (which looks three-dimensional!), so I'd still be giving this game a 10.

Sound: 9.8
I'm amazed by games that have spectacular music, but I'm even more impressed by those that make it interactive, with memorable sound effects and jingles that will stick in your head for the rest of your life.  Zelda has all of those things.  Who could possibly forget the noise you hear after collecting a rupee?  Now the Zelda series goes even further with a dynamic soundtrack that changes on-the-fly, and the music interacts with your attacks during combat!

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9 
The Zelda series has been around for nearly two decades.  But with every new console comes a new Zelda game that takes the series even further.  Finally, Shigeru Miyamoto had a game console that allowed him to create the 3D Zelda game that he envisioned several years ago.

Overall: 9.9
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is the most perfect game Nintendo has released since Super Mario 64 came out in 1996.  It ranks among the very few elite, unforgettable titles, including the original Zelda, Grand Theft Auto III and Final Fantasy VII.  Metroid Prime was a top-notch, near-perfect game, and The Wind Waker is even better!  How can words describe a game like that?  They can't – but the score can, and Zelda is the first game I have ever reviewed to be worthy of a 9.9.  Cherish every moment of this masterpiece.  History has proven that it is going to be a long time before we see another game this good.