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.

Looks like this is the last game I can play before I finally need a kneeling chair for my desktop. Between this and The Minish Cap I guess I just can’t get through a Zelda game without injuring myself.

Out of all the non LTTP Zeldas I like this one the best. The hero in this one is finally a real person! He wants something very specific and he makes choices to get that thing, and he reacts to what other people say and do to him. Check out this little scene, for example. It’s sad cause he misses granma Link! And then it’s funny, because Tetra is a sassy pants to Link! He emotes now! The whole game is like this too, a cute lil Link who does cute fun stuff and then there’s fun sailing to get lost in if you want the heart pieces and sometimes the dungeons and fetch quests are a little bit of pain in the ass. You know, a real Zelda game! Oh, but it’s not a hundred hours long with a huge sandbox open world that’s been repurposed twice and full of swords that break after ten swings, so I guess it’s not the greatest game of all time

Also, thank you everyone on www.backloggd.com for letting me know about the late-game triforce fetch quest. It's exactly the kind of blatant padding I don't want to participate in, and a major reason why I just put in a code that put the triforce already on my hand. In-emulator cheats are a hell of a drug. I suppose I should take off a star because I'm sure I would have disliked it if I DID choose to make it my problem, so, four stars.

Also, why is the wind palace earthy and the earth palace windy?

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.

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is a masterpiece by modern standards. There are barely any flaws in this game, and not an ounce of fat. This is what video games should strive to be.

Let me start with the graphics. The cel shaded world is so colorful and vibrant. The gorgeous colors still hold up, and put modern AAA games to shame. Look at the Great Sea. How is it so good looking? I can feel the sea breeze against my face, the waves crashing into the boat. The water changes color, and we see higher waves deeper in and shallower textures towards the coast, which is genius.

All the character models are so cartoony and I love it. They let the characters show emotions more expressively and the overall design is just so damn charming. I love it. A really simple example early on - when Link is leaving Outset Island, the little facial expressions on his face and the Granny's face convey so much emotion.
On the same line, the themes in this game are fantastic.Link is just a child trying to bring his family together. He is not some pre-destined hero who is going to save the world, he just an older brother trying to save his sister. Residents of Outset island feel like a part of your extended family. Everyone is concerned about you and your sister, and try to support you. And its not just the people on Outset - the pirates, people on Windfall - you develop a connection with everyone in this game. Hell, even Ganondorf, but I won't spoil anything.


We cannot talk about Zelda without talking about the music. And oh my god - they killed it with this one. The Great Sea is such a fantastic track. You get that sense of adventure and grandeur as you sail the seas. For a game where you will be sailing a lot, this song is a blessing. Then we have Dragon Roost Island - we've got something upbeat and fun - really suits the vibe of the island. This game has one of the best Mini-boss themes, especially with the sword sounds mixed in with the music. And how can I forget about Grandma's theme - this almost brings you to tears, especially since the Grandma has been super caring and worried about you and Aryll through the entire game. Also, this game has the best rendition of the Fairy Fountain theme in my opinion.


Another integral part of any game is the gameplay, and this game does not disappoint. We've got the classics - the bomb, boomerang, and the hookshot, along with new tools like the grappling hook and deku leaf which make the dungeons and puzzles super varied and fun. The movement in this game feels snappy and smooth here. And combat is really great - its super simple but very satisfying to pull off.

Then we have the Dungeons. These dungeons are simpler from the older games, but I kinda preferred these, and had more fun with them. I love the atmosphere and theme of how a whole dungeon is an island. These dungeons have a larger sense of scale and size to them, but its not really possible for you to get lost in them, compared to older dungeons. And the checkpoint system in the dungeons is really really nice.

Speaking of dungeons, the dungeon bosses are a treat. You basically have to use all the stuff you learned in the dungeon to figure how to take down the boss, which is pretty standard, but the boss rooms and design are what make the fights even more fun.

This is definitely my favorite Zelda, and I really hope that we get a HD Switch port!

No doubt one of my favorites. It has a gorgeous and timeless artstyle, a great feel of adventure, and the music is fantastic. The story is my favorite in the franchise with the best Ganondorf and a superb ending. It has great feeling swordplay, even more so than some modern Zelda games. It's definitely not perfect. It has very few dungeons and not all of them are great, and I won't excuse the triforce quest, it's not a well executed idea to say the least. Still I adore everything else about this game so much that it's easy for me to look past its flaws. This is a beautiful, emotional and epic game I really love.