People were mad when this came out due to the more cartoony visual style, but then when they quieted down long enough to play it, everyone realized it's an amazing Zelda game and a worthy successor to OoT/MM. Builds on the 3D groundwork set by those games in many good ways. Two gripes are that the ocean feels pretty empty - despite every sector of the map having an island, the vast majority can be explored in minutes, aside from the dozen or so plot relevant islands. The other is that the late-game Triforce hunt is painfully slow.

WInd waker is an interesting title, even by Zelda standards.

It features an incredible artstyle that is unique and charming to this day, but that also is so different from the rest of the Zelda franchises that at the time lead to a lot of backlash from older fans.

It's gameplay sacrificed the large natural landscapes of the past titles in favor of water..... ltons and tons of water, that for many may result harsh to explore and return to, especially in later sections of the game.

It's existence in the Zelda timeline kind of implies that your actions in Ocarina of TIme didn't really lead to the happiest of endings, which is funny but also kinda weird to think about (still, the Zelda timeline is kinda stupid, but I digress...).

Still, the good things that Wind Waker does really makes it stand out, and turn it into one of my favorite adventure games ever.

It features a simple story premise, but leads to a memorable bunch of side characters and stories, and I will argue the best Link, Zelda and Ganondorf in the entire series (NO I WON'T TAKE THAT BACK).

The exploration of the Great Sea may make you feel lost sometimes... but that is also the charm of it. You really feel like you are on an adventure to the unknown, where every smaller discovery feels magical and thrilling.

It has some of the best dungeon in the series, with some incredible puzzles, set pieces and iconic bosses.

And not just the music, but the SOUND DESIGGN are gonna be stuck in your head for decades (seriously, the snappiness of some of these sound effects are some of the best I have ever listened).

GOtta be honest, it's "just" my second favorite elda title (the gold medal for me goes to Twilight Princess), but ther eis no denying that I love Wind Waker. What a masterful title, that Nintendo should just port back over and over again.