The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC)

The Legend of Zelda 0wnz j00. That is the simplest way to put it...which is interesting, considering that I don't even really know what that means!

A long time ago, when the GameCube wasn't even released to the general public, one of the many tech demos Nintendo's people put together was of the 17-year-old Link from Ocarina of Time, battling the OoT Ganondorf. It was 3D, realistic, and very cool...like the N64 Zelda games, but taken one step farther. Then, you go forward in time to much later, when there's a demo shown for a new Zelda game, where a different artistic approach was taken, and suddenly, people started getting all uptight about it, saying they didn't like the "new look" and that the new game was childish and nonsense like that...and trying to stage their little boycotts and letter-writing campaigns and whatnot. I was the one who as optimistic, even back then.

See, screenshots can only carry one so far. Videos are nice, but they don't offer the experience of gameplay. People have a tendency to judge things based on things that are irrelevant...and this game was an perfect example of a book judged by its cover before it even went into print. Well, the fact has always been that The Legend of Zelda has always been a great series, with great games and some highly memorable experiences...so why shouldn't this game live up to the series from which it has come? Why shouldn't this game DEFINE the series?

Well, just as I expected, the artistic move was a great idea! It's quite simple, really. You see, when you make environments and character models look more and more realistic, it then becomes painfully obvious that they don't behave realistically! It becomes easier to notice flaws in the way a character is animated, or in things like that. What Nintendo did with this game was to make a game that looked like a pure whimsical fantasy world, but which felt real, as far as whimsical fantasy worlds go...and this game offers you the most realistic whimsical fantasy world I've ever seen!

To start with, you can cut pretty much anything with your sword now! Do landscaping! Tear down rope suspension bridges! It's all good! Also, there's ocean...waves splashing, wind blowing, and it's easy to get lost at sea, just like in real life. Also, it's possible to get tired when swimming...and drown.

This game is unique. It's also incredibly cute! If you like cute things, then you'll love this game! If you hate cute things, you'll get over it when you get really into the gameplay. See, the characters are very nicely animated...from their movements to their facial expressions. You can almost feel what they feel when you look in their eyes. It's simply beautiful. Plus, then, you have the particle effects, and the swirly smoke and fire they have in the game...it's all beautifully surreal!

Then, there's the music. You have the Zelda theme song...and lots of music from Ocarina of Time, changed slightly. It's all great stuff, even if the OoT music feels kind of...off...since the look and feel of the game really isn't like OoT at all.

Even still, references to the classic from six years ago abound in this game, which takes place a century after the Hero of Time thought he had defeated Ganon. The world has changed, apparently...and possibly even flooded. I don't know for sure. Still, the culture has moved on, but the legend remains...of a boy...who rose up to become a hero.

It starts on a tiny remote island off the coast of Hyrule. (Hyrule has a coast??) A boy has just turned 12...and it is customary for him to now undergo a rite of passage, which is a tradition honoring the Hero of Time and his heroic deeds...and involves dressing boys in green tunics and hats, for some reason. Anyway, so then, you meet Aryll, the boy's sister, who is nice and cute and all that stuff...and they seem to be very close, actually. Then, things happen...and suddenly, he goes to rescue a young pirate captain and ends up seeing his sister kidnapped by a big bird...which of course, serves the evil Ganon! Then, your quest begins...to save Aryll...to save the other kidnapped girls...and to save the world from whatever diabolical nonsense Ganon is cooking up this time!

This is a great game! If you have access to a GameCube in any way, shape or form, you have no reason to not play this game at least once! It's almost certain that you will love it! It is one of the greatest things that exist in the universe!!

Now...maybe I should actually try reviewing a really bad game for once...although I really don't play those...so I don't know what I'd do. Oh, well. Hooray for Link and Zelda and the whole gang!!! Hooray for Nintendo!! Hooray for The Wind Waker!!