NESpresso: Game Reviews \ GCN \ Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker

Game Stats
System: Gamecube
Genre: Adventure
Players: 1
Memory used: 3 Blocks
Playtime: 00:15 / 20:00
ESRB Rating: Everybody (6+)

GCN-GBA Link compatible

Nintendo's latest chapter in the Legend of Zelda (LoZ) unfolds in the future, long after the Ocarina of Time has passed. The past under water... the future above... & one person who dares to jeopardize everything returns once more.

The story begins with the telling of the events that were covered in LoZ: Ocarina of Time & how the story of the Hero of Time was passed down to each generation. Then, when the "evil force" returned to Hyrule, the Hero of Time didn't appear to save them. So the races of Hyrule decided to appeal to the Gods (Falore, Din & Nyaru) to save them... & that's where the story ends as nobody who's alive now knows what happened to the Kingdom of Hyrule.

Out on the small island of Outset, a young man named Link (no known relation to previous Link's in the series) wakes up on his birthday. This birthday, however, was his time to perform the traditional "right of passage" where he wears the traditional green suit that looks similar to what the "Hero of Time". However, once he dons the traditional garb, a series of events are set into motion which is fueled by he need to save someone he loves (it's NOT Zelda this time).

Unlike the graphics in Ocarina of Time & Majora's Mask, they chose to do the entire game with Cel Shading. This may take time to get used to, but the cartoon-like graphics are colorful & pleasing. If you have problems with the graphics, play something else crybaby! The one downside with the graphics is that they have a tendency to be on the dark side. I had to tweak the settings on my TV so I can find my way through some of the dark corridors without constantly bumping into the walls.

The music has a little nautical flair to it, but it totally fits the area where you're at. You'll probably get bright & cheery music in the towns or communities & a darker tone for the dungeons. There's even some of the classic tunes that you'll remember. You'll probably get annoyed with the "enemy confrontation" tune as you'll probably hear it a lot, especially while you're traveling between islands.

The controls are practically a direct conversion of the N64 games, but better spaced out & with individual camera controls. There's some times where you just have to adjust the camera to see where you're going. You'll most likely pick up the feel for the controls in 5 minutes or less. There's a GBA-enhancement in the game, where you (or better yet, your friend) can use the GBA & play as Tingle with the Tingle Tuner, once you've obtained it. The Tingle Tuner offers some enhancement to the gameplay as well as having access to "On Demand" services like ordering "Red Ting" (the on-demand equivlence of the "Red Potion") for a fee. The "On Demand" services should be used sparingly since Tingle's prices are about double the store prices, but you can order this services (through the GBA) at any time there's a map. Please note that the Tingle Tuner is optional to use & is not required to complete the game.

As for gameplay, it's pretty similar to the other games. As I try my best NOT to spoil the storyline, the first half of the game is the old "Damsel in Distress" & you have to do some other stuff before you actually do what you came out to do. Then, the twist pops up & you have to do some more stuff (as well as collect an important item) to defeat the great evil. I will warn you that the most tedious part of the game is sailing the vast oceans between the islands before you pick up the Song of Cyclos, which will partially help you jump across the oceans.

Like all of the Legend of Zelda games, there's plenty of extras included in the game that aren't required to do, but are interesting to perform. There's at least 4 minigames & plenty of side-quests to perform. There's even the Nintendo Gallery where you try to get a pictograph of every creature in the game so you can get the models of them. The Tingle Tuner also includes some special "Tingle Quests" which you can perform as well.

Once you have conquered the game, the replay value seriously drops as the 2nd quest doesn't change anything... except that you get the Tingle Tuner & the PictoBox immediately. Even with this downside, Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker is one of the Must Buy's for your Gamecube.