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Oh, how long has it been since we experienced the last Zelda adventure? Quite a while, huh? A long, long time ago–about a year actually–Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto showed the world the screen shots of the next GameCube Zelda. Instead of saying “Wow,” the world said “Why?” As soon as the cel-shaded Zelda was exposed to the public, many gamers were already declaring that they would not even give this new “kiddy” Zelda a try. It was ruined. Well, now that The Wind Waker is out, what has it proven? That sometimes we really need to shut the hell up.
The Wind Waker takes place a hundred years after Ocarina of Time. No one knows what the hell happened to the beautiful land of Hyrule, the world is divided into a 7x7 grid made up by islands, and the people are happy. One day, in a calm place called Outset Island, a young man known as Link (gasp) is celebrating his birthday when all of a sudden, his sister, Aryll, gets kidnapped by a giant bird. Now that sucks for him. As the good brother he is, Link decides to go rescue Aryll but fails to do so. He’s caught by the same giant bird and thrown into the sea. That’s when a talking boat (remember that anything can happen in Zelda) saves our young hero. As soon as he meets that…talking boat (called King of the Red Lions by the way), Link is involved into a series of events that will eventually determine the fate of his world. Well, that’s how it begins…
I’m starting to think that adding the cel-shaded graphics to the game was a good idea. The Wind Waker is the most beautiful game for the GameCube I’ve seen so far. First of all, Link: The li’l guy looks incredible. From the way he looks at fallen stuff on the floor to how he dances when he kills a boss–I love this one. Enemies are incredibly detailed and the fact that you can pick up objects dropped by them makes it even better. The world of Hyrule, er, not Hyrule…whatever it’s called is amazing. From townspeople to the environment, everything is, in one word, beautiful. Especially the ocean, which is a big part of the game–considering how much you travel. Don’t be surprised if those who bashed Zelda’s new look take back what they said.
Zelda remains voiceless (if you exclude the “hellos,” “heys,” and such), but then again, Zelda doesn’t really need that. The music that makes Zelda Zelda is still alive. To be quite honest, there aren’t any flaws with the sound department at all. The background music continues to be one of Zelda’s best. Doesn’t matter if it’s a peaceful ballad or a creepy orchestra-like tune, Zelda defines what video game music should be like.
However, The Wind Waker is not perfect. You see, nowadays, games–good or bad–are likely to be cursed by an awful camera and this game is no exception. While it’s not as bad as other games that unfortunately suffer of crappy camera syndrome, The Wind Waker’s camera is a pain, especially during battles with bosses or multiple enemies. Besides that, controlling Link is bliss. It’s pretty much like Ocarina of Time: You use the B button for your sword, A for actions, Y, Z, and X for items and other weapons (much like the C buttons in the N64), and L for targeting. And the GameCube controller works just fine with The Wind Waker.
Also, you can’t forget the dungeons and puzzles. They’re still very challenging to the point where it makes you use your brain at full capacity. I warn you, if you’re not into solving hard puzzles, you’re likely to quickly give up in this game. Bosses remain as bizarre as ever, which include a giant scorpion-beetle hybrid and a huge flower-like monster. The first bosses may be pushovers, but it’ll get harder eventually. If you time to spare, you’ll enjoy it for sure.
Well, Miyamoto has done it again. The Wind Waker is a definite masterpiece. Link’s brand new adventure is as beautiful as it could be and everything’s just too good to say it’s kiddy. If you insulted Link’s new look, please think about what you just said.
Zelda can be daunting, so you should check out BradyGames' guide, we have the details.
-- Anonym. Contributor, PGNx Media
---- Mar 31, 2003
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