Wind and water
The Land of Hyrule has been flooded in a catastrophe a few centuries ago and now the world is covered by an expansive ocean dotted by groups of islands. You are a young boy coming of age and must wear the traditional green garb of Link, the hero of legend from previous Zelda episodes[[This story is set centuries after Link’s era and is in fact a branching out of the Zelda narrative. See the Legend of Zelda chronology on Wikipedia for more on this subject]. But this festive occasion is troubled by the arrival of a diminutive – but feisty – pirate queen and the kidnapping of your sister by a huge bird. This launches you on the exciting and convoluted quest to rescue your sister and confront the evil of Ganondorf, Link’s old nemesis, for control of a sacred relic known as the Triforce.
In a departure of previous Zelda games, you must roam the world by boat, visiting the many islands dotting the expansive sea, looking for sunken treasures along the way. You will also learn to control the wind along the way (hence the title “Wind Waker”) using a magic conducting baton. Many reviewers bemoan the amount of time spend going back and froth across the map in you boat. This has the ring of truth, but rest assured that your mastery of the wind will eventually allow you to leap across the seas, making this point moot.
In pure Zelda style, you will explore many dungeons, find many magic weapons and meet an expansive cast of secondary characters, all eager to tell you their tale of hope and woe and send you on one of a seemingly endless number of quirky side quests.
Actual fights are somewhat few and far between - this is much more of an exploration and puzzle game. However, once you do get to face monsters, the fight scenes are awesome as you leap and lunge with your trusted sword, with great sound and light effects for emphasis.
An interactive cartoon
This episode of the Zelda series ha the distinction of featuring “cell shading” effects. This gives the game the appearance of a 3D cartoon of TV-grade quality. Some fans considered this too childish as they were expecting a more “mature” look following the tremendously successful The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Personally, I find these colorful visuals to be absolutely darling and great fun. They really feel like an interactive 3D cartoon of a high level of quality, reminiscent of the level of technology used in the early animated 3D TV shows, but better.
The delightful musical score bears mentioning as it brigs this game to life, making this an alternatively soothing an thrilling experience.
A great game at a great price
The game still seem fresh after these years. In fact, its age is an asset as it means you can now purchase it new for about half of the original price. This is great family fun and I heartily recommend it for Game Cube and Wii users alike.
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