My Favourite Zelda, But Perhaps Not for the Hardcore Player (The Legend of Zelda - The Wind Waker (GC))

Member Name: Mask_and_Mirror

Product:	The Legend of Zelda - The Wind Waker (GC)
Date:	01/07/09 (6 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Charming, cute, beautiful artwork, good controls, lots to do

Disadvantages: Shorter and easier than others in the series, a few minor control issues

This game caused a lot of controversy between long standing fans of the series because of a huge change in graphical style. Instead of the 'realistic' looking Link featured in titles such as Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, we have a cel-shaded cartoon version of the character. Opinion is still divided on this, and Nintendo have continued to use both versions of Link in different games, usually using cel-shaded Link to represent him at a younger age.

I think it's fair to say that this is not a particularly difficult game, another thing which has angered many fans. Personally though, I found the difficulty level perfect, as I am not a fan of doing things over and over again to get them right. Storyline and charm are far more important factors to me, which is why this is probably my favourite Zelda game of all. It is funny and charming and very often cute. The change in tone between the fearful monster infested dungeons and the idyllic island towns is very well executed. The game has also been accused of shortness, but this is only in comparison to some other Zelda titles. Compared to most other adventure games it has a very long lifetime, and should take a few weeks to finish if you are not rushing, and after that there are plenty of side quests to do and collections to complete.

In terms of controls, Nintendo can usually be relied upon to produce something simple and intuitive, and for the most part this is no exception. My sister has found it annoying switching through items sometimes though, and aiming things can sometimes be difficult due to a cursor moving too quickly.

As the game is set for the most part on a large open sea dotted with islands, many have also complained that they had to spend too much time sailing around. This is particularly true in one particular quest, which can drag on far too long. Overall though, I quite like the sailing element, as it adds an interesting depth to the world, allowing for those with a taste for adventure to go off discovering and mapping new islands at any time. It also becomes possible to warp using tornadoes quite early on, so it never becomes a massive issue.

In particular, The Wind Waker offers far more in the way of side-quests than any of the others in the series. My personal favourite is the figurine carver who will make you a statue of ANY character in the game that you have photographed. There are lots and lots of these to collect, and it kept me playing long after the main quest was over.

The graphics are still beautiful to this day, and I hope another console Zelda adventure is produced in this style instead of limiting it to DS and GBA titles. There are lots of lovely little touches that have been missing from subsequent titles, such as monsters dropping weapons and damaging each other, and the rather cute cartoony reactions link has to his surroundings. i think it's a shame to dismiss such wonderful artwork as 'childish' simply because it is not dark and realistic like The Twilight Princess'.

Summary: A beautiful and engaging adventure game that lives up to Nintendo's high standards.