The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Playthrough

2003, GCN. Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars

Nintendo’s follow-up to their successful N64 entries goes in some very different directions with its style and general approach. Much was made (and still is) about the cel-shading art style and the heavy emphasis on sailing and navigation. Both elements may get a varying degree of ambivalence depending on your preference, but at the heart of it all, Wind Waker doesn’t stray too far from the structure established in A Link to the Past.

The game itself takes place long after Ocarina of Time in a world that is full of water and varying islands. Some are inhabited, most not. Link himself is on Outset Island with his sister, Aryll, and grandmother. He lives a quiet life until a young pirate named Tetra appears and Aryll is kidnapped by a strange bird. Link is determined to save his sister, but things don’t quite go the way he intends and thus begins a strange odyssey. The story itself, after the atypical start, does trend more toward classic Zelda tropes, but there is a strange melancholy and even quiet despair with the characters and their behavior. It isn’t quite as strong as Majora, but there is a definite feeling of people trying to do the best they can in a world that’s pretty far removed from the calamities of the past. The shadows of that past linger and it creates some interesting undertones.

The gameplay itself doesn’t stray too far from what gamers know and love. The Wind Waker replaces the Ocarina of Time and much of the game is spent navigating the high seas. This can be a bit of a slog at times because the map is quite vast, but there’s also a lot of depth and surprises and exploration is encouraged and even required. The cel-shading art style is exceptional and the characters and environments are full of depth that adds an extra dimension to the world. Link's reactions to the world and the situations around him is especially impressive. The music by Koji Kondo is, of course, exceptional and the dungeons are varied and richly designed.

The biggest knock against Wind Waker is, of course, the endgame fetch quest, which seemed to be popular at the time for Nintendo games. Metroid Prime, also, seemed to revel in this. The fetch quest to recovering the Triforce itself isn’t a bad idea, but it takes way too long and some of the sidequests, in particular, are a drag. Another mild knock is the game isn’t especially difficult. There are few moments where the gamer will be in real danger if they’re experienced enough.

Wind Waker isn’t top-tier Zelda, but it is one of the more interesting and emotionally involving games in the franchise. It uses this game’s particular style and direction to carve a unique path that is most rewarding and proof that Nintendo are the masters at this for a reason.

0:00 Outset Island
21:04 Aboard the Pirate Ship
26:32 Infiltrating the Forsaken Fortress
41:30 Windfall Island
52:15 Dragon Roost Island
1:07:28 Dragon Roost Cavern
1:40:39 Controlling the Wind
1:54:47 Forest Haven
2:05:15 Forbidden Woods
2:38:24 Getting Bombs
3:07:49 Retrieving the Third Pearl, Rupee Upgrades
3:36:35 Activating the Tower of the Gods
4:00:12 Tower of the Gods
4:40:27 Return to Hyrule
5:08:17 Return to Forsaken Fortress
5:30:36 Princess of Destiny
5:38:16 Item Gathering and Upgrades
6:15:04 Awakening the Earth Sage
6:26:57 Earth Temple
7:26:26 Awakening the Wind Sage
7:40:23 Wind Temple
8:44:32 Gathering the Triforce Charts
10:21:57 Triforce of Courage
10:52:46 Returning to Hyrule
10:58:19 Ganon's Tower
11:32:35 Ganon Boss Fights
11:46:48 Ganondorf