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"Trust me, there's a REALLY good reason this is my second favorite Zelda game"

At the time of writing this review, I have played 6 Legend of Zelda games: Legend of Zelda, Adventures of Link, Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time, and Wind Waker. There is no denying that the franchise, created by Nintendo back in the day of the old NES, has become one of the most popular over the years, and Wind Waker itself has much to live up to with its famous predecessors.

I'm not going to say that I'm completely unbiased towards this game. The fact is, I'm not. As with almost every other person who started playing this game, I had high expectations of what Zelda SHOULD be, how it should feel, how Link should look, how the colors should be, how the music should sound, etc.

However, even though I'm a sucker for many different types of games, I also don't give out blessings to every game I play JUST because it's popular. As with everything, there is a true REASON why I love this game, so much so that I'm willing to say that it's my second favorite Zelda game, and possibly in my top 10 or 20 favorite games of all time.

But enough with introductions, here's the review.

Sound/Music (9/10)
One of the things Zelda is known for is its great soundtracks. We're not talking about Final Fantasy proportions where you have orchestras blaring out entire symphonies, but about music that sticks in your head and just keep you thinking about the game and keep you in the mood. The music itself is also not obtrusive, being more of a softer tone resulting in not being annoying, but its loud enough that you can hear the tunes without any problems.

The new music itself is of very high quality. Most of the main islands in the game have their own themes which fit well with the lands themselves, from the cheerful theme of Windfall island to the most espionage-like theme of the Forsaken Fortress, to the more unresting themes of bosses and the more ''mysterious'' themes of the dungeons. Even the ocean theme, which comes out while you sail throughout the game, has an inspiring tone to it. It has that sense of adventure in the music, of what may come up around the next bend.

However, what may bring back even more nostalgia from previous Zelda games is the use of remixed music of older themes. Right from the start, you hear the main Zelda theme played by a violin with woodwind accompaniment. Themes from Ocarina and even Link to the Past can be heard if you listen carefully enough.

As done in Ocarina, appearances of enemies produce a sudden change of music citing the time of a battle nearing or happening. However, a nice touch put in is the inclusion of ''impact'' sounds after hitting an opponent. After hitting an opponent, sounds are played, often complementing one another especially after a combo (a crescendo of sound as the hits get harder, and reaching its peak at the final blow).

Sounds themselves are also very good, though other than the impact sounds there really is not much to comment on. Link screams as he thrusts his sword, much similar to that in Ocarina. Many of the characters you speak to also give off little grunts and sounds, which I thought was nice touch. What I am especially glad is that the game does not have any real voices for any of the dialogue. There's no bad voice acting, just grunts that give you more of a feel of the character's mood and general tone of voice.

Graphics (10/10)
Many considered Wind Waker's big test, and it ended up being the reason why many people decided to not like the game. The commosion was not of quality, but of type of graphics, put into two words: cel shading. Many of Wind Waker's opponents put this as the top reason for them liking the game or not, whether they want to admit this or not.

Part of the problem was that cel shading makes much of the game look ''kiddy'' to many people. Now, aside from the fact that the Zelda games have ALWAYS been about a child/adolescent against the forces of evil, much of this idea had changed after Ocarina of Time introduced an older, teenager Link. The ''kiddiness'' factor will be discussed fully later in the review.

I'm going to be blunt: the graphics in this game are incredible. I don't care IF you hate cel shading or the younger Link. The beauty of the graphics and what the creators were able to do are just incredible. Ignore the kiddiness for a second, and just look at plain details. The movement of the eyes on Link's face ESPECIALLY sometimes telling you secrets you might have missed looking around a room, but also the expressions of the faces, the smoothness of the body movements, the dark shadows of the extremely high mountains in the back, the rolling waters, the moving of the sails, the stormy days, the beatiful night sky. The details of the game are just nothing short of unbelievable.

It's not just the graphics, but also the use of extremely vibrant colors. This isn't a dark, drab game as Ocarina was, but instead one of bustling color. The sky is blue on a clear day, and stormy on a rainy day. Even one of the minibosses you face, a creature of complete evil and blackness, clashes incredibly with your brightly-colored character. It truly looks like Link to the Past only in 3D.

Gameplay (10/10)
Game mechanics itself, the game is top notch. Imagine Ocarina of Time's system, add in a more Splinter Cell view of the game with a changeable camera angle, as well as MUCH more smooth movements of the character, and the result is Wind Waker. Camera angles can sometimes be in an odd position, but using the C-stick that sight can be changed for a much better view. The combos actually FEEL like combos, going from one hit to the other by just hitting the B button. A nice addition put in is the use of the parry, which, before getting hit, you can press the A button to have Link perform an attack, either over the top of an enemy's head or behind the back. It's a move requiring timing and some practice, but easy to pick up.

However, Wind Waker introduced quite a few new elements that have had mixed reviews, specifically sailing. In fact, instead of travelling over a field, Link is travelling by boat across a vast ocean, hopping from island to island to complete objectives or just for exploration. Using the Wind Waker, a baton used to control various elements including the direction of wind, Link can teleport him and his boat to other locations, or change the wind's path to go a certain way.

Personally, I loved the sailing. It left so much open to the player, leaving it up to the player's discression to explore or just go to the specified destination. It was of Zelda format: you choose where you want to go, restricted mostly by your equipment, but you were given freedom to explore and look around. However, it also allowed you to choose whether to explore or to go to your next objective, stated very obviously by your talking boat, the King of Red Lions. The best way I can describe the sailing is that of the Zelda games of old, specifically Legend of Zelda and Link to the Past.

The warning is this: different people find the sailing either fun or annoying. My personal views are that its fun and an excellent change of pace. It was easy for me to pick up, and it was fun planning out your route, thinking of what you had to do and the quickest way of performing that task, and you are not just set in going from place to place, but you have a choice of doing other tasks on the way. Others find it a nuisance and found themselves stuck because of the sailing. Some people have said that about 50% of the game is on the sailing, which, for me, was definitely not true. I do admit, however, that a lot of the game involved sailing, and considering it replaces the travelling by foot done in other Zeldas, it makes sense.

However, ''sailing'' doesn't just mean ''control wind and move.'' Make some rupees uncovering ''glowing'' treasures under the sea. Go to the odd-looking outpost to maybe get a treasure map. Or just stop by a location where you can pick up a major treasure. If one is truly looking for an adventure, then you can definitely do it in Wind Waker. The islands are also extremely different, and each of the 49 points on your map has some importance to them. The only complaint I have about them is that some may have been a little larger for exploration, but considering how much you already ARE exploring between the lands, its defintely not a necessity.

The dungeons are as intricate as ever, and extremely clever. Though not as many dungeons as in other Zelda games (7 dungeons I have counted, not including one you go through twice), and though definitely not as giant as the Water Temple of Ocarina, the temples are nonetheless large, and more importantly, fun. Very important as well is the fact that they are not tedious. In Ocarina, I found myself going around in circles because the dungeons were designed that way. The dungeons themselves weren't difficult, it's that they were so tedious much of the fun was taken away after trying to find that last annoying key after the third hour. In Wind Waker, you don't find yourself doing that very much at all, but solving puzzles for just about every room or couple rooms. And if backtracking IS involved, you can hop into some of the warp pods that take you to the beginning, middle, or end of the dungeon. Even the bosses are very clever and, oftentimes, extremely monstrous. Though once you realize how to BEAT the boss, the process may become easy, trying to figure that out may sometimes be difficult.

However, best of all, you actually FIGHT in the game. None of that ''kill annoying spider once every blue moon'' crap like you had to deal with in Ocarina. In the sea you may be up with a bunch of sharks you either annoy or take out with a bow or boomerang. In some of the Triforce map areas you are pinned in a gauntlet-like situation taking down SEVERAL enemies at once. It's just like the days you were taking out 20 guys at once in Link to the Past or the original Legend of Zelda.

Story (10/10)
Wait, Zelda has a story?! Often, the Zelda games have been about basically destroy evil, save Princess Zelda, and save Hyrule. Wind Waker adds much more to this, and somehow it makes the game REALLY feel like a legend of Zelda. At the start you're on your quest not to save a kingdom or princess, but to save your sister. However, as the game progresses, Link's involvement becomes even more engrossed, and he soon realizes that, even though his sister much be saved, there's more at stake than just the life of his family.

It's not the most riveting story, but it's a very practical and clever way of introducing a new adventure with everyone's favorite adventuring elf. The best part is YOU make the story. You're in the thick of the story, and as things change and you learn of new evils, you are in the thick of it all.

Fun Factor (10/10), Problems, and Conclusion
Ok, so I love the game, of course I'm going to say the game is fun. And it is, incredibly. Wind Waker's an incredibly strong game in several various aspects, but most of all its elements come together to just be fun. The large amount of fighting, the huge areas to explore, the easy-to-learn fighting system, the efficient camera angles, the great music and funny expressions. Wind Waker just has it all.

As for problems, the game has very few which are not that big of a deal to me. First is the easiness of the game. Zelda games have never been difficult, but this one seems just a little easier than some of the others. Part of this is due to the game being... well... easier, taking less damage and having more hearts available. However, the other part has to do with the easiness of the fighting and the fluidity of the game. The only reason I had much difficulty in Ocarina was because of the keese. You know, the annoying bats. Yes, the bats. The camera angle, compounded by really slow weapons and slow reaction of the character, was a big problem in the playing of the game. That problem has been, for the most part, been eleviated in Wind Waker. Also, the combos in this game actually combo, not just hit once and then not have effect on any other hit.

The second problem, and probably my biggest one (which really isn't that big at all to me, but again others find it a pain), is one of the objectives which involves finding maps and digging up treasures. Now, many people have expressed a lot of grief over this, saying it ''takes too long,'' or it ''shouldn't have been used to lengthen the game.'' Now, realistically Nintendo could have added inane dungeons to ''lengthen the game.'' My issue is that it's just really long. But again, it really wasn't a big deal to me. I enjoyed for the most part finding these maps and digging up the treasures.

The first two problems I have a small amount of agreement with (Link to the Past, my favorite of the Zelda games, is also very easy, but to me it's not a big deal at all) , but the final one I have no agreement with at all, but it's worth mentioning. It involves with the kiddiness of the game. Now, on the outside, the game is ''kiddy.'' It's a lighthearted adventure, there's cute graphics, and it's just plain fun. There are darker moments, such as in the dungeons, but nothing to the comparison of even Metroid Prime. However, the game has a deepness on its inside. It's about a boy maturing, about justice being served, about what some people would go to for power and success, even about the future. It has all of these things, but most of the people who want Wind Waker to be ''more mature'' either haven't played the game past the first ten minutes or just haven't followed to story at all. My point is this: even though it may SEEM kiddy at the start, the actual game has substance to it that makes it very good.

In the end, I have to say that the enjoyment of this game completely depends on the one who is playing the game. I love this game very much, and many of the parts people would call ''flaws'' I would call advantages that make the game even better. To those thinking that this was just a mindless 10/10 review, then read this over again, because the game deserves a 10. If you want to play an extremely involving game that is easy to pick up, enjoyable, incredible, and just plain and downright fun, then pick up Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. You will not regret it.

Sound/Music: 9/10
Graphics: 10/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Story: 10/10
Fun Factor: 10/10
Final Verdict: 10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/11/04