The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Member Review for the GameCube

A Legend In The Wake

Damn! I mean..DAMN! This game is fine! It's got the classic zelda format if that's what you're looking for! An intruiging story, awesome dungeons, and loads of sub-quests to do during! Sure the graphics are different, with the cartoony style and all. But they do look tremendous! You'll be playing this for hours...hell days, weeks, possibly months!?

^^^That's what you'll look like when the game comes through your mailbox from ebay, amazon...or out of the bag when you've just bought it! So where shall i begin?! The plot starts with linky boy strutting around his home town, Outset Island. However, one thing comes to another, and in a short story...link's sister gets kidnapped by a giant bird. However, when he goes to save her, Link soon finds out that the plot thickens! An evil dark lord named Ganondorf (HE'S BACK!!!) is plotting to take over the world (again). So off Linky goes to destroy the the evil king once again.

So how do we get to him through all this damn water!? We cant walk like usual! We SAIL! Sailing is awesome. The makers decided to make the main terrain of the game sea, instead of land. And it's definately a nice surprise! It's different, and fun! Sailing is fabulous, and eventually you get the wind waker (which gives you the oppurtunity to choose the direction of the wind), and you can become master of the seas. You can almost feel the sea breeze in your hair just sitting there! Also, you eventually obtain a Grappling Hook, which you can use to grapple on land, but on sea you can seek treasure charts and use it to dig up treasure all over the great sea. It's a lot of fun, and takes forever to obtain EVERYTHING. I've had the game since it came out (2003?) and I still havent got everyhthing yet!

SO the graphics...yeah they're diffrent. But you wont be pissed off! They are really good to look at. The most impressive factor is the light and shade. The environment reacts to the live objects so well, also the texture is fabulous. everything looks so smooth, the sea, the grass, the bricks...everything, it really brings everything in the game to life! So if you think the graphics have let the game down, you are WRONG!

The gameplay is the usual really, apart from you're on sea and not land. You can either go by the story, go to temple, to town, to dungeon, to town etc. Or you can just explore the seas, no real clues are given to what's on of each of the islands on the game. So you can explore at your own will and find out new discoveries. I believe there are 49 islands...and in the storyling you use about 25/26 of the islands...so all the others are at your will. It's an incredible gaming freedom to have.

The control of the game is the same as it's always been. when you're on land you can obviously kick ass with your sword, bow and arrow...a huge array of weapons and utilities! Dont worry, not everything of zelda has changed! There's still the three button sub-weapons you can use with X,Y and Z. And the main sword button using B, L-targeting is still featured, and you aim with the analog. Pretty standard and easy controls. And they're not too sensitivve either: for instance if you're aiming with bow and arrow, and you move the analog stick a nanometer to the left, it doesnt make you aim a matre left on the game! Get what im saying???!? ...I'm sure you do!

The music and sound, you can sense a SLIGHT Midi texture in the music, but not too much to drive you crazy! The effects are good anyhow, you can hear the wind howling clearly, along with the pitter-patter of Linky's footsteps (I call him Linky in reference to this game because he looks like a child, otherwise I'd call him a manly LINK). It's standard effects, nothing that bugs you and nothings that stuns you. The sailing music is awesome though! It's pure heroic music, i love it! Make's you want to sail more! By the way if you're wandering you'll be sailing for ages, dont worry you wont be. You soon learn a song that lets you teleport quickly to islands. There's vicious rumours that there's too much sailing in this game! It's all wrong! Only about 15% of the game is sailing.

There's also a special link up capacbility with the game boy advance. If you obtain the tingle tuner from the game, you can "link" up (heh heh good pun) and tingle gives you clues as to solve sub-plots etc. also there are a few sub-plots of their own solely for the link up play. So if you have a GBA...there you go, another reason to buy this game!

So, to sum this treat up, well let me put it this way. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time WAS my favourite game, but the Wind Waker has just nicked my number one spot! Great graphics, peachy plot, fantastic fx! It's all perfect if you ask me, I cant think of any negative points. Linky boy, I think the world has finally woken up to your greatness.