This review contains spoilers
very very charming game that I enjoyed quite a bit
and since I struggle at writing reviews im just gonna list a topic and rant about it for a second
the music? great
the art style? so incredibly charming with everything in this game just being a joy to look at
the dungeons?
well I thought all the dungeons were pretty fun and the same goes with all of the puzzles in the dungeons/in the game overall
my only real issue is that the game just spells everything out for you at every possible moment
everything still feels fun to explore the puzzles are still fun and rewarding to solve especially with how unique their gimmicks are but the game just loves to hold your hand and tell you exactly what must be done and where to go
the same can be said for the combat
it is unbelievably easy 99% of the time
you just target your enemy and spam the attack button
and the times the combat is hard
well
sometimes its cool and fun like the knights where you have to perfectly time a parry to strip off pieces of their armor (these guys are basically the only enemy type that is like this and semi difficult btw)
and other times they spawn in 100+ enemies and your targeting starts to actively work against you
my favorite example of this is the like flying wizard dudes who can spawn in enemies
you almost always want to take them out first so enemies will stop spawning but the targeting system just loves to target everyone but the flying wizard dudes
this isn't to say the combat is bad however
I think its really fun and I love how they mix in other items into the combat
sure it isn't hard to target then press a button to quickly throw a boomerang/shoot a arrow/flap your deku leaf/aim your mirror shield then go right back to spamming the attack button
but its cool
I like the different weaknesses the enemies have
oh and I guess I should mention those giant ass skeleton guys are kinda ass since they just never stop spinning
but overall combat good
exploration?
really good
I love the islands filled with the charming characters
I love seeing the characters evolve even if its only a little bit
and I love the activities and quest lines they send you on
but even the tiny islands with no characters at all were fun to explore and I think a good way to explain all of this would be to share my time doing the tri force quest
for those who are unaware the game makes you go out and find 8 tri force shards
looking at the reviews for the game on this site it seems a lot of people were not a fan of this quest
I however kinda liked it
but it wasn't without issues
basically I decided to do the earth and wind temples before finding any of the shards
which btw side note: the game implies you can do any temple you want first but I actually just couldn't do wind temple before doing earth first
also don't get why its called earth temple when everything in the temple was based off light and darkness and the mirror shield but ok
anyways
after doing the temples I decided to go after the shards and thankfully your buddy ol pal tingle gives you a chart showing you where all of them are via the mailbox
it cost quite a bit but its easily worth it
and this is one of those special charts where its just the whole map and even shows your exact pinpoint location at all times
so I was just sailing away to all these tri force shards and checking out every interesting island along the way
a lot of these islands were these fairy islands with fairies who can give you upgrades like increasing how many bombs you can carry or how many arrows you can carry or how much magic you can have
and a lot of these islands also had these unground caverns with the reward for most of them being money
well you can only carry 500 rupees by default and I think it was the moment where I had 500 rupees and I beat one of these caverns and the reward in the chest was a silver rupee which is worth 200 rupees and it just went into thin air where I was like "damn I wish these fairies could give me a money upgrade"
then I got 2 tri force charts and I went to tingle to decipher them and the dude charges you 398 rupees per chart meaning I could only do 1 and I was like "damn I really really wish I had a money upgrade right now"
and it was while I was looking for my newly deciphered tri force chart that I saw the tingle chart that you get near the beginning of the game that ive never once opened
turns out it was a special chart with 2 fair locations on it
and both of them were money upgrades
yeah I felt pretty stupid and was quite annoyed in that moment
but after getting my money upgrades and grinding the labyrinth for money I continued my quest for tri force shards by using my tri force charts
and here is where we get into a big issue for the game
tressure charts and the sea chart/map suck
I don't mind the idea of having to chart out my map
and I like the idea of cross referencing tressure charts/tri force charts with my map
the issue is that charting the map is just so unbelievably tedious
at least in the beginning of the game
basically you have to talk to this fish guy at every island and feed him bait
the issue is that the bait cost like 30 rupees for a bundle of 3 and when you only have 500 rupees max but most likely actually less than that since you're probably not making that much money plus not to mention I think you can only buy bait at outset island unless im just dead wrong and refused to look anywhere else
its just ass
its also pointless since the king of red lions for like the majority of the game just marks where you have to go even if the area is undiscovered
so there is just no reason to ever chart out the map until this very point in the game where you have to cross reference tri force charts
and my map was looking pretty empty
thankfully however my newly found riches and the ability to fast travel which you unlock later on in the game made charting out the map pretty easy
just fast travel to outset and buy a ton of bait
then start sailing away to every island
and I got to explore even more islands and their fun puzzles and caverns
so it wasn't all bad
however being informed about the swift sail in the auction house by the fish dude as I was finishing up charting everything was slightly annoying
I also realized I think you're intended to speak to the fish dude to figure out the locations of the iron boots and the power bracelets but I talked to the sailor dude at windfall to figure that stuff out (was pretty fun figuring that out btw)
so yeah the exploration is fun
sailing is cool and the islands all have cool things to them
I just hate the damn sea chart
uhhhh
bosses
I like all of them besides the final 2
they are all really fun with unique gimmicks
gimmicks that aren't hard to figure out either since they almost always revolve around the item you obtain in that dungeon
then I got to puppet ganon
and I just didn't know what to do
now don't get me wrong its not that hard to figure out
the item you obtain is the light arrows and the puppet itself is a all black creature with a weird blue ball on its tail
for those who don't understand
you shoot the ball with the light arrows
but my dumbass spent 5 mins just throwing my boomerang at his puppet strings just over and over again until I finally decided to look it up
but even after looking it up and figuring out what to do the boss fight just isn't that good
especially that 3rd phase
bro turns into a fish like creature I think and runs around at the speed of sound sometimes charging at you and does a shit ton of damage
and you just have to get lucky with your bow shots
so ass
and the final fight with ganon is also kinda mid
but all the other fights are fun af and I really enjoyed them
the story? simple but good
nothing too special about it but its interesting enough to keep you invested the whole time and the characters are all pretty charming
I also think the idea that the whole world is just a flooded hyrule and the islands are hyrules hills is so cool
one final thing I can think of that I wanna mention is that the platforming feels like ass
but its really not that much of an issue especially when you get the deku leaf
but the like 3 instances where you are forced to hop between platforms and swing from rope to rope
it feels horrible
overall though game is great and I heavily enjoyed it đź‘Ť
and since I struggle at writing reviews im just gonna list a topic and rant about it for a second
the music? great
the art style? so incredibly charming with everything in this game just being a joy to look at
the dungeons?
well I thought all the dungeons were pretty fun and the same goes with all of the puzzles in the dungeons/in the game overall
my only real issue is that the game just spells everything out for you at every possible moment
everything still feels fun to explore the puzzles are still fun and rewarding to solve especially with how unique their gimmicks are but the game just loves to hold your hand and tell you exactly what must be done and where to go
the same can be said for the combat
it is unbelievably easy 99% of the time
you just target your enemy and spam the attack button
and the times the combat is hard
well
sometimes its cool and fun like the knights where you have to perfectly time a parry to strip off pieces of their armor (these guys are basically the only enemy type that is like this and semi difficult btw)
and other times they spawn in 100+ enemies and your targeting starts to actively work against you
my favorite example of this is the like flying wizard dudes who can spawn in enemies
you almost always want to take them out first so enemies will stop spawning but the targeting system just loves to target everyone but the flying wizard dudes
this isn't to say the combat is bad however
I think its really fun and I love how they mix in other items into the combat
sure it isn't hard to target then press a button to quickly throw a boomerang/shoot a arrow/flap your deku leaf/aim your mirror shield then go right back to spamming the attack button
but its cool
I like the different weaknesses the enemies have
oh and I guess I should mention those giant ass skeleton guys are kinda ass since they just never stop spinning
but overall combat good
exploration?
really good
I love the islands filled with the charming characters
I love seeing the characters evolve even if its only a little bit
and I love the activities and quest lines they send you on
but even the tiny islands with no characters at all were fun to explore and I think a good way to explain all of this would be to share my time doing the tri force quest
for those who are unaware the game makes you go out and find 8 tri force shards
looking at the reviews for the game on this site it seems a lot of people were not a fan of this quest
I however kinda liked it
but it wasn't without issues
basically I decided to do the earth and wind temples before finding any of the shards
which btw side note: the game implies you can do any temple you want first but I actually just couldn't do wind temple before doing earth first
also don't get why its called earth temple when everything in the temple was based off light and darkness and the mirror shield but ok
anyways
after doing the temples I decided to go after the shards and thankfully your buddy ol pal tingle gives you a chart showing you where all of them are via the mailbox
it cost quite a bit but its easily worth it
and this is one of those special charts where its just the whole map and even shows your exact pinpoint location at all times
so I was just sailing away to all these tri force shards and checking out every interesting island along the way
a lot of these islands were these fairy islands with fairies who can give you upgrades like increasing how many bombs you can carry or how many arrows you can carry or how much magic you can have
and a lot of these islands also had these unground caverns with the reward for most of them being money
well you can only carry 500 rupees by default and I think it was the moment where I had 500 rupees and I beat one of these caverns and the reward in the chest was a silver rupee which is worth 200 rupees and it just went into thin air where I was like "damn I wish these fairies could give me a money upgrade"
then I got 2 tri force charts and I went to tingle to decipher them and the dude charges you 398 rupees per chart meaning I could only do 1 and I was like "damn I really really wish I had a money upgrade right now"
and it was while I was looking for my newly deciphered tri force chart that I saw the tingle chart that you get near the beginning of the game that ive never once opened
turns out it was a special chart with 2 fair locations on it
and both of them were money upgrades
yeah I felt pretty stupid and was quite annoyed in that moment
but after getting my money upgrades and grinding the labyrinth for money I continued my quest for tri force shards by using my tri force charts
and here is where we get into a big issue for the game
tressure charts and the sea chart/map suck
I don't mind the idea of having to chart out my map
and I like the idea of cross referencing tressure charts/tri force charts with my map
the issue is that charting the map is just so unbelievably tedious
at least in the beginning of the game
basically you have to talk to this fish guy at every island and feed him bait
the issue is that the bait cost like 30 rupees for a bundle of 3 and when you only have 500 rupees max but most likely actually less than that since you're probably not making that much money plus not to mention I think you can only buy bait at outset island unless im just dead wrong and refused to look anywhere else
its just ass
its also pointless since the king of red lions for like the majority of the game just marks where you have to go even if the area is undiscovered
so there is just no reason to ever chart out the map until this very point in the game where you have to cross reference tri force charts
and my map was looking pretty empty
thankfully however my newly found riches and the ability to fast travel which you unlock later on in the game made charting out the map pretty easy
just fast travel to outset and buy a ton of bait
then start sailing away to every island
and I got to explore even more islands and their fun puzzles and caverns
so it wasn't all bad
however being informed about the swift sail in the auction house by the fish dude as I was finishing up charting everything was slightly annoying
I also realized I think you're intended to speak to the fish dude to figure out the locations of the iron boots and the power bracelets but I talked to the sailor dude at windfall to figure that stuff out (was pretty fun figuring that out btw)
so yeah the exploration is fun
sailing is cool and the islands all have cool things to them
I just hate the damn sea chart
uhhhh
bosses
I like all of them besides the final 2
they are all really fun with unique gimmicks
gimmicks that aren't hard to figure out either since they almost always revolve around the item you obtain in that dungeon
then I got to puppet ganon
and I just didn't know what to do
now don't get me wrong its not that hard to figure out
the item you obtain is the light arrows and the puppet itself is a all black creature with a weird blue ball on its tail
for those who don't understand
you shoot the ball with the light arrows
but my dumbass spent 5 mins just throwing my boomerang at his puppet strings just over and over again until I finally decided to look it up
but even after looking it up and figuring out what to do the boss fight just isn't that good
especially that 3rd phase
bro turns into a fish like creature I think and runs around at the speed of sound sometimes charging at you and does a shit ton of damage
and you just have to get lucky with your bow shots
so ass
and the final fight with ganon is also kinda mid
but all the other fights are fun af and I really enjoyed them
the story? simple but good
nothing too special about it but its interesting enough to keep you invested the whole time and the characters are all pretty charming
I also think the idea that the whole world is just a flooded hyrule and the islands are hyrules hills is so cool
one final thing I can think of that I wanna mention is that the platforming feels like ass
but its really not that much of an issue especially when you get the deku leaf
but the like 3 instances where you are forced to hop between platforms and swing from rope to rope
it feels horrible
overall though game is great and I heavily enjoyed it đź‘Ť
Windwaker my beloved...
This is always gonna be my favorite 3d zelda cause I played the shit out of it as a kid
This is always gonna be my favorite 3d zelda cause I played the shit out of it as a kid
Which Zelda game has the best artstyle and why is it this one?
this is just wind waker but it doesn't look as good and the soundtrack is a bit worse. that said it's still wind waker
Great Zelda game with an amazing, pure feeling of adventure. I adore just finding and exploring new islands, but certain puzzles near the end were a bit too cryptic, and the pacing in general fell a bit flat after a while, as I never actually beat the last dungeon.
Consegue transmitir com maestria a sensação de aventura, por um mundo bem construĂdo onde cada lugar, npc e mecânica colaboram para isso. As mecânicas dos puzzles sĂŁo simples, mas utilizadas de maneira inteligente e criativa.
Fantastic game with an amazing art style
Ocarina of Time’s Hyrule and Majora’s Mask Termina are both technically “open” worlds - the individual areas are segmented and limited to one place but most importantly, you can go anywhere you want, yet they still feel limiting and almost like a “hub-world”. But with Wind Waker, Nintendo took this formula and went absolutely crazy with it: Vast open-seas that you can sail across - littered with secrets like mini-games, fairy islands, indimidating enemies and side quests - the “fake” freedom that was present in OoT and MM has vanished, you can go to any part of the map and more than likely find something to do there - sound like any other game?
What makes Wind Waker so special to me though is its characters. The iteration of Ganon is far and away my favourite, the impact he makes during his short time is incredible, and I love the route they took with him; a full contrast to the man we saw in OoT. The rest of the cast is also strong, I love Tetra and the Red Lion King, and regular npcs are fun to talk with. Even the combat and general movement is improved immensely - the clunkiness that was present in the prior games while in combat is gone, and your traversal is made better because rolling is actually useful and there is now a grappling hook and a more polished hookshot. And god damn the soundtrack, Zelda games never miss the target with it but that triumphant music as you glide across the seas with the wind pushing you forward is unrivalled. The upbeat tunes of Dragon Roost and Outset island are iconic, and the evil, villainous music that plays when you enter a fight is epic. Hell, even the title track is a hit. The art style is especially notable here, at first it was downplayed when the trailer was shown but then the game released and everyone loved it. In comparison to both OoT’s and MM’s murkiness and oppressive style, Wind Waker’s is a lot more childish and artsy, which I think fits perfectly.
My only real gripe with the game is the dungeons. While the actual boss fights are incredible, I can’t help but feel underwhelmed by the actual dungeons themselves, especially when comparing them to OoT’s. Really the only good one is Forsaken Fortress, and even then I’m unsure whether to call that a dungeon, but the rest feel generic and rushed. It feels like all of the time went in to creating the world (which is completely fair). My only other nitpick is from the original game, changing the wind direction is interesting at first, but it quickly gets stale and frustrating. The remaster completely fixes this via the fast sail, a perfect addition that is only able to be obtained at a specific time, which doesn’t fully nullify the wind mechanic, but also arrives just in time for when it may get boring - fantastic game design.
Wind Waker for me is a very important game. It’s the first Zelda I ever played, and introduced me to the wonderful franchise. While I think it is an incredible game that could easily be considered a masterpiece, it feels like a premature vision of Breath of the Wild in all its ways, yet it still stands out among its contemporaries with brilliant character writing, and a world that is a joy to discover.
What makes Wind Waker so special to me though is its characters. The iteration of Ganon is far and away my favourite, the impact he makes during his short time is incredible, and I love the route they took with him; a full contrast to the man we saw in OoT. The rest of the cast is also strong, I love Tetra and the Red Lion King, and regular npcs are fun to talk with. Even the combat and general movement is improved immensely - the clunkiness that was present in the prior games while in combat is gone, and your traversal is made better because rolling is actually useful and there is now a grappling hook and a more polished hookshot. And god damn the soundtrack, Zelda games never miss the target with it but that triumphant music as you glide across the seas with the wind pushing you forward is unrivalled. The upbeat tunes of Dragon Roost and Outset island are iconic, and the evil, villainous music that plays when you enter a fight is epic. Hell, even the title track is a hit. The art style is especially notable here, at first it was downplayed when the trailer was shown but then the game released and everyone loved it. In comparison to both OoT’s and MM’s murkiness and oppressive style, Wind Waker’s is a lot more childish and artsy, which I think fits perfectly.
My only real gripe with the game is the dungeons. While the actual boss fights are incredible, I can’t help but feel underwhelmed by the actual dungeons themselves, especially when comparing them to OoT’s. Really the only good one is Forsaken Fortress, and even then I’m unsure whether to call that a dungeon, but the rest feel generic and rushed. It feels like all of the time went in to creating the world (which is completely fair). My only other nitpick is from the original game, changing the wind direction is interesting at first, but it quickly gets stale and frustrating. The remaster completely fixes this via the fast sail, a perfect addition that is only able to be obtained at a specific time, which doesn’t fully nullify the wind mechanic, but also arrives just in time for when it may get boring - fantastic game design.
Wind Waker for me is a very important game. It’s the first Zelda I ever played, and introduced me to the wonderful franchise. While I think it is an incredible game that could easily be considered a masterpiece, it feels like a premature vision of Breath of the Wild in all its ways, yet it still stands out among its contemporaries with brilliant character writing, and a world that is a joy to discover.
This review contains spoilers
A really beautiful experience, and while it’s a shame the dungeons were left out in the end, the whole thing is absolutely beautiful.
For one thing, I think the development of Link and Tetra is some of the most beautiful we have seen in the series, despite the trading of words being pretty sparse. Link does change over the course of the game, subtly, you see his expressions go from nervous and angrily frayed to frustrated and jaded, especially clear in his interactions with Tetra. His eyes went from being wide open in the face of danger, to scrunched eyebrows and a deeper frown. A really subtle but interesting detail. Not to mention when he waves to Tetra later, he’s smiling but you can breifly see the anger come back as he turns back around. What he’s angry at is up to interpretation, but it’s absolutely heart wrenching.
Seeing Tetra grow to give the love and care she was denied in her past was amazing, as well. Denied a family and a home, she was mocking Link for having cried when he lost it. Since at least he had it, right? But Tetra watching him realize with his connection to his sister, that having a family and protecting them is what was tearing him apart, seemed to have really changed her. In a lot of ways, her and Link were both angry, hurt, and traumatized. towards the end, they learned to heal and love each other, once again facing another loss. Seriously brings tears to me.
About the gameplay, extremely fun and intuitive sword controls. Requiring you to dodge with care and strike at the right moments was a right step, and I definitely enjoyed it a lot. There was a difference in how I fought Keese versus how I fought Moblins, as opposed to it all blending together. The bosses were a bit boring but were still very fun. The exploration and the sailing was actually a lot of fun, and I felt very happy and immersed.
The overworld is absolutely ridiculously beautiful, the colors are so beautiful and the whole thing feels like a painting. There’s so SO many little details in the ripples of the water to the cracks of the rock. This type of style was mastered in this remake, no doubt. In the worlds presented, I can smell and feel it, it’s mystical and magical. And underwater Hyrule still breaks my heart just with its dreadful appearance and frozen time.
The enemy design is also, easily, the best in the series. Cartoony, bouncy but also terrifying when need be. The sound design around enemies feels organic, and helps them feel like real living creatures. I also love their behavior and how they move around. The ChuChus are my absolutely favorite with jiggly sounds and snappy physics, the way the light bounces off of them is quite beautiful too.
The OST is AMAZING. The use of real instruments sells the aesthetic of the whole game, and brings out strong emotions. Whether Joy, sadness, or dread, it’s very very moving. The use of leitmotifs from previous games with its own use was interesting, especially the use of the main theme specifically in songs discussing the hero, or the sad twist in farewell hyrule king. All extremely moving.
PLAY THIS GAME.
-0.5 star for the missing content and weird tetra scene, though, sorry. Extremely beautiful work of art that almost deserves the 5 stars, but I can’t justify it with these two flaws. Still my fav game of all time though!
For one thing, I think the development of Link and Tetra is some of the most beautiful we have seen in the series, despite the trading of words being pretty sparse. Link does change over the course of the game, subtly, you see his expressions go from nervous and angrily frayed to frustrated and jaded, especially clear in his interactions with Tetra. His eyes went from being wide open in the face of danger, to scrunched eyebrows and a deeper frown. A really subtle but interesting detail. Not to mention when he waves to Tetra later, he’s smiling but you can breifly see the anger come back as he turns back around. What he’s angry at is up to interpretation, but it’s absolutely heart wrenching.
Seeing Tetra grow to give the love and care she was denied in her past was amazing, as well. Denied a family and a home, she was mocking Link for having cried when he lost it. Since at least he had it, right? But Tetra watching him realize with his connection to his sister, that having a family and protecting them is what was tearing him apart, seemed to have really changed her. In a lot of ways, her and Link were both angry, hurt, and traumatized. towards the end, they learned to heal and love each other, once again facing another loss. Seriously brings tears to me.
About the gameplay, extremely fun and intuitive sword controls. Requiring you to dodge with care and strike at the right moments was a right step, and I definitely enjoyed it a lot. There was a difference in how I fought Keese versus how I fought Moblins, as opposed to it all blending together. The bosses were a bit boring but were still very fun. The exploration and the sailing was actually a lot of fun, and I felt very happy and immersed.
The overworld is absolutely ridiculously beautiful, the colors are so beautiful and the whole thing feels like a painting. There’s so SO many little details in the ripples of the water to the cracks of the rock. This type of style was mastered in this remake, no doubt. In the worlds presented, I can smell and feel it, it’s mystical and magical. And underwater Hyrule still breaks my heart just with its dreadful appearance and frozen time.
The enemy design is also, easily, the best in the series. Cartoony, bouncy but also terrifying when need be. The sound design around enemies feels organic, and helps them feel like real living creatures. I also love their behavior and how they move around. The ChuChus are my absolutely favorite with jiggly sounds and snappy physics, the way the light bounces off of them is quite beautiful too.
The OST is AMAZING. The use of real instruments sells the aesthetic of the whole game, and brings out strong emotions. Whether Joy, sadness, or dread, it’s very very moving. The use of leitmotifs from previous games with its own use was interesting, especially the use of the main theme specifically in songs discussing the hero, or the sad twist in farewell hyrule king. All extremely moving.
PLAY THIS GAME.
-0.5 star for the missing content and weird tetra scene, though, sorry. Extremely beautiful work of art that almost deserves the 5 stars, but I can’t justify it with these two flaws. Still my fav game of all time though!
I haven't finished this version, but I can say that they definitely did some necessary QoLs everyone appreciated. Here's the thing, as most people agree on that: I don't like the graphics choice, the game has way too light while the original one managed to do a perfect balance with its gorgeous toon-shading.
Is it the definitive version to play by the gameplay? I wanna say yes, but the Tingle Bottle (that substituted the funny GBA function) doesn't work anymore since the Miiverse is forever shut down.
I will consider it an 8/10 because sure, at basis is Wind Waker: it plays like it and looks like it. Just not as good.
My suggestion would be: check both versions and see which one suits you better.
Is it the definitive version to play by the gameplay? I wanna say yes, but the Tingle Bottle (that substituted the funny GBA function) doesn't work anymore since the Miiverse is forever shut down.
I will consider it an 8/10 because sure, at basis is Wind Waker: it plays like it and looks like it. Just not as good.
My suggestion would be: check both versions and see which one suits you better.
Part 3 of my father and son 3D Zelda saga
To those who know the development of wind waker it’s no surprise that this game has its fair share of issues. From rushed development, to cut content and frivolous padding. I believe that on an objective level that wind waker is likely the worst 3D Zelda.
As I get older I get and the further away I stray from the nostalgia of my childhood the issues with this game become clearer and clearer, and I distinctly have had a diminished reaction to this game over time.
All that being said I do feel I have the most nostalgia for this game, and I think it’s because my mind is going back to how this game made me feel when I was a kid.
Playing through with my son, however, allowed me to relive that childhood through him. While wind waker has its issues and limitations, none of that matters to a kid.
My son adored everything about this game, from the artstyle, to the tone, to the palpable sense of true adventure. To a kid wind waker hit different, because a kid doesn’t know about the limitations of games, or problems with development. All a kid knows is that there’s a vast, open ocean and an entire world to save
As I grew up, without even realizing it, I became jaded towards wind waker. I believe that wind waker only works with a fresh and imaginative mind.
I will always love wind waker for what it gave me at the time of my initial playthrough
To those who know the development of wind waker it’s no surprise that this game has its fair share of issues. From rushed development, to cut content and frivolous padding. I believe that on an objective level that wind waker is likely the worst 3D Zelda.
As I get older I get and the further away I stray from the nostalgia of my childhood the issues with this game become clearer and clearer, and I distinctly have had a diminished reaction to this game over time.
All that being said I do feel I have the most nostalgia for this game, and I think it’s because my mind is going back to how this game made me feel when I was a kid.
Playing through with my son, however, allowed me to relive that childhood through him. While wind waker has its issues and limitations, none of that matters to a kid.
My son adored everything about this game, from the artstyle, to the tone, to the palpable sense of true adventure. To a kid wind waker hit different, because a kid doesn’t know about the limitations of games, or problems with development. All a kid knows is that there’s a vast, open ocean and an entire world to save
As I grew up, without even realizing it, I became jaded towards wind waker. I believe that wind waker only works with a fresh and imaginative mind.
I will always love wind waker for what it gave me at the time of my initial playthrough
I truly adore this game! Played it very minimally back on the GameCube so my experience has been pretty much entirely with the Wii U version and I'm not mad about that at all! The game looks gorgeous on the Wii U and I think the improvements made to it really helped a lot!
Fantastic art and soundtrack. The Rito was a cool addition to Zelda. Ganondorf also rocks in this game
Best Zelda. I love the art style, the world, the goofy characters, exploring the sea, the manageable yet fun dungeons, and the story is great too.
Very good game. Inventive art style that meshes well with the gameplay. A slapstick game designed to be cartoonish in every aspect, which is ahead of its time in delivering an interesting explorable open world. Missing some of the medieval symbolism which I value usually in Zelda, but makes up for it with a charming and engaging entry which ought to be learned from.
yeah idk!! this is just incredible!!
one of if not my favorite 3D zelda as of now. i love the sense of adventure that comes from playing this game, heightened by the gigantic ocean that they let you explore. all the different islands have so much to do on them, with exploring and finding secrets feeling so satisfying. please play this game
one of if not my favorite 3D zelda as of now. i love the sense of adventure that comes from playing this game, heightened by the gigantic ocean that they let you explore. all the different islands have so much to do on them, with exploring and finding secrets feeling so satisfying. please play this game
Wind Waker had been my favorite Zelda title since long before this remake was announced. my teenage heart damn near exploded when this game was announced, and i couldn't wait to get my hand on it. the original's charming art style suffers a bit from the new coat of "HD" shading applied to it, but that's about all i can say to detract from it, the rest of the game is a straight upgrade from its original, and leaves little reason to return to it outside of nostalgia purposes. Wind Waker's sense of adventure, exploration, and wonder remains intact and just as pleasantly enjoyable as it was 10 years prior, and even to 20 years to today.
nintendo make a switch port or you will cough in 7 days.
This was the first time I played wind waker and I fell in love with it. People like to shit on wind waker for the triforce quest but I genuinely think it allows you to fully explore the huge map theyve created.
I’ve had this game for over a decade, getting it back in December 2013 when my family got a Wii U during the holidays. Over the course of that decade, i’ve tried on and off to beat the game, but always got stuck at one part or just got bored of the game. Fast forward to the present, and i’ve finally beaten The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. After playing many action/adventure games that came out after WWHD, this game’s movement and combat took me a while to get fully used to. It feels aged, but at the same time it feels like it fits in with modern Nintendo games just right. The different attacks, traversal items, and puzzle solving items led to a lot of “Ah-ha!” moments throughout the game. Puzzles in the Earth and Wind Temples especially felt satisfying to solve. One of my biggest mixed bags with this game however is the Sea. For a game that takes place entirely at sea, sea traversal felt fine, but super boring after a while. It’s a cycle of find where you want to go, change the wind direction, sail for a few minutes, repeat. There are a lot of things you can obtain to help make this cycle more bearable, such as the song that lets you teleport to select locations, or the Swift Sail which lets you travel faster at sea and automatically changes the wind direction to wherever your boat is pointing towards. These things make exploring the sea significantly easier/simplified, however there’s one big issue with exploring the sea: The goddamn sea charts. At first they’re fun to find in chests and discover a treasure’s location, but very quickly they become tedious and feel like a chore. Some of these charts are special charts, which tell you where certain collectables are located on the map, but some of these charts are also REQUIRED to beat the main story without having a headache searching for underwater chests. It doesn’t help that you have to manually go to every spot on the map and feed a fish in order to fill out your map and find some of these treasures/main story items. I had my fun with treasure charts, but i just wish exploring in this game’s giant sea wasn’t so tedious. Now that the sea rant is out of the way, i’ll talk a little bit about other parts of this game. I liked the art style of this game a lot! It took some time, but it really grew on me, especially once i got to Forest Haven. The sharp lighting, cel shaded look, and vibrant colors were a lot of fun, and made for some very nice cutscenes in the game, especially near the end. As for the game’s story, i thought it was alright. It’s nothing too crazy, but i did like the different side stories that happen on certain islands, and i thought the main story was pretty cool too. Overall, i really did enjoy my time with this game! I may have my gripes with some major parts of it, but overall i loved WWHD, and i’m glad i gave it another chance. If you’re a fan of Zelda games and haven’t played this one yet, i highly recommend checking it out!
f orca and his 500 hits
not to brag but i never hated the art style of these games, haha
this was my childhood zelda game so i am full of bias and nostalgia ♡ the characters are very fun and unique (i especially like the medli, tetra, and mila!), the great sea is lovely to explore, and the story is fun to experience. i used to spend hours of my life picking up pigs and throwing them into the water, a precious memory from my childhood haha. this is just such a cozy game, i love and appreciae it so much ♡
this was my childhood zelda game so i am full of bias and nostalgia ♡ the characters are very fun and unique (i especially like the medli, tetra, and mila!), the great sea is lovely to explore, and the story is fun to experience. i used to spend hours of my life picking up pigs and throwing them into the water, a precious memory from my childhood haha. this is just such a cozy game, i love and appreciae it so much ♡
This was one of the games I was most excited to revisit during this marathon as it’s the one I least remember. I have such fondness attached to The Wind Waker and always considered it to be one of my favorites despite not remembering it that well. Now that I replayed it, I can definitely see why I don't remember much of it.
My memory of The Wind Waker consisted of some story beats, the overall vibe of the game, sailing through the Great Sea, and the Wind Temple. Guess what? These are still the only things I remember even freshly after beating the game. This is not a dig at The Wind Waker in any way. I loved it and had a great time with it. After playing through the series, however, and especially playing the games In release order in my marathon now, some cracks definitely started to show.
I want to start with the most striking thing about The Wind Waker and the topic of most conversations surrounding it; the art style. The Wind Waker is so colorful and whimsical and they really picked the right art style for it. The game is just oozing with life and charm, all the characters are so stylized and expressive. The cel-shaded graphics also make The Wind Waker the most ageless game in the series.
Beyond just the art style, the overall presentation of The Wind Waker makes it stand out in every way beyond the other games. The game is a lot more cinematic than its predecessors, cutscenes are a lot more dynamic now, featuring more interesting camerawork all throughout. The soundtrack is phenomenal, the music can range from wacky to haunting all while sporting wonderful airy instrumentation. Highlights for me include: Title, Outset Island, Grandma, Great Sea, Dragon Roost Island, Forest Haven, Molgera, and the theme for a certain iconic Zelda location I won’t spoil.
There are some fantastic musical moments all throughout the game, little motifs come in and out all throughout the game providing great callbacks to the previous games. My favorite being the title theme from A Link to The Past subtly playing during one of the pivotal moments in the story. Another great use of sound design is the little musical notes that play with every slash you make during combat. Which really add a looney tunes kind of cartoony vibe to the game in a way I love. I’m surprised that concept has never returned in the series since then.
The story is one of the best in the series. I just love love love how the Great Sea serves as a giant backdrop to the story of the game. it’s my favorite contextualization of any setting in the series to be honest. There are some really great story and character moments. I do feel like, however, the story halts halfway through when you finally meet Princess Zelda. You get some major revelations and then there’s.. nothing until the end of the game. Which gets me to some of the cracks that started to show in this playthrough for me. It feels like there’s a huge chunk that’s missing from the game, thankfully it doesn’t harm the story in any way, its still a fully realized main plot but it just feels like there are some side plots that were planned that didn’t go anywhere.
Speaking of feeling like there’s a huge chunk missing from the game, I wanna talk about the dungeons of The Wind Waker. Now it’s no secret that there were two dungeons cut from the game because of time constraints and I honestly think it shows. Now Majora’s Mask only had 4 dungeons but the whole story was paced around those 4 dungeons and they made sure they were all great dungeons. I wish I can say the same about this game. The game only has 5 dungeons but it really feels like the story was building up for more, it just gets really shocking when you get to the big halfway point where the game opens up and there’s just.. 2 dungeons to do and the game just ends.
Let’s get to the dungeons, hoo boy. They are not bad but they don’t do anything remarkable and are very simple to get through. They do enough to feel like Zelda dungeons but they’re the bare minimum. Which feels like a letdown coming after Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask and the Oracle games which had fantastic dungeons with really cool and challenging puzzles. All the dungeons here are a breeze to get through which I don’t hate but I never associate Zelda dungeons with being laid-back experiences. The Wind Temple is the only dungeon in the game that exudes the labyrinthian feeling of classic Zelda dungeons which is why it’s the only one I leave the game remembering. I’m writing this review the day after beating it and I can’t tell you anything about any of the other dungeons in the game. Again, nothing inherently bad about them, just very unmemorable.
The Wind Waker has a very strong and distinct identity among its contemporaries in the series and will always be a standout in the vast sea of entries in the franchise. There are just so many things that are unique to The Wind Waker and so much of it comes from the themes of the game that I never truly grasped before this playthrough.
The Wind Waker is all about letting go of the old and forging a new identity which can be seen in most aspects of the game. The presentation completely sets it apart from the rest of the series, Link has a sister now, Hyrule is a thing of the past that everyone has moved on from, Link isn’t some legendary hero chosen by the gods but just a very brave kid who wants to save his sister and ends up proving himself as a hero in his own regard. All of it hits home in the closing moments of the game where the characters realize they need to move on from trying to fulfill old standards and decide to forge their own paths. In some ways, it feels like the Zelda team always wanted to go into this step of breathing a new identity to the series and this seemed like it was the beginning of it. If I was playing this game in 2002 I would’ve definitely left with “is this their way of rebooting the series?” as my main takeaway. Little did I know I’d be leaving another entry of the franchise with that takeaway in 2017.
Despite all of its shortcomings, The Wind Waker has a lot of heart and passion put into it. It sets itself in its own little island away from most of the other games in the series in my eyes. Keep in mind that Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks are the only games I’ve never played in the series as of now. I wonder if those two would be in that same island I put The Wind Waker in. I think The Wind Waker excels in so many things and there’s a reason why it’s one of the most relevant games in the series. In some ways though, it will kind of always feel like it’s not a full experience and is kind of a watered down Zelda game to me, especially in its dungeons, and for that I can’t rank it higher than some of my favorites.
My memory of The Wind Waker consisted of some story beats, the overall vibe of the game, sailing through the Great Sea, and the Wind Temple. Guess what? These are still the only things I remember even freshly after beating the game. This is not a dig at The Wind Waker in any way. I loved it and had a great time with it. After playing through the series, however, and especially playing the games In release order in my marathon now, some cracks definitely started to show.
I want to start with the most striking thing about The Wind Waker and the topic of most conversations surrounding it; the art style. The Wind Waker is so colorful and whimsical and they really picked the right art style for it. The game is just oozing with life and charm, all the characters are so stylized and expressive. The cel-shaded graphics also make The Wind Waker the most ageless game in the series.
Beyond just the art style, the overall presentation of The Wind Waker makes it stand out in every way beyond the other games. The game is a lot more cinematic than its predecessors, cutscenes are a lot more dynamic now, featuring more interesting camerawork all throughout. The soundtrack is phenomenal, the music can range from wacky to haunting all while sporting wonderful airy instrumentation. Highlights for me include: Title, Outset Island, Grandma, Great Sea, Dragon Roost Island, Forest Haven, Molgera, and the theme for a certain iconic Zelda location I won’t spoil.
There are some fantastic musical moments all throughout the game, little motifs come in and out all throughout the game providing great callbacks to the previous games. My favorite being the title theme from A Link to The Past subtly playing during one of the pivotal moments in the story. Another great use of sound design is the little musical notes that play with every slash you make during combat. Which really add a looney tunes kind of cartoony vibe to the game in a way I love. I’m surprised that concept has never returned in the series since then.
The story is one of the best in the series. I just love love love how the Great Sea serves as a giant backdrop to the story of the game. it’s my favorite contextualization of any setting in the series to be honest. There are some really great story and character moments. I do feel like, however, the story halts halfway through when you finally meet Princess Zelda. You get some major revelations and then there’s.. nothing until the end of the game. Which gets me to some of the cracks that started to show in this playthrough for me. It feels like there’s a huge chunk that’s missing from the game, thankfully it doesn’t harm the story in any way, its still a fully realized main plot but it just feels like there are some side plots that were planned that didn’t go anywhere.
Speaking of feeling like there’s a huge chunk missing from the game, I wanna talk about the dungeons of The Wind Waker. Now it’s no secret that there were two dungeons cut from the game because of time constraints and I honestly think it shows. Now Majora’s Mask only had 4 dungeons but the whole story was paced around those 4 dungeons and they made sure they were all great dungeons. I wish I can say the same about this game. The game only has 5 dungeons but it really feels like the story was building up for more, it just gets really shocking when you get to the big halfway point where the game opens up and there’s just.. 2 dungeons to do and the game just ends.
Let’s get to the dungeons, hoo boy. They are not bad but they don’t do anything remarkable and are very simple to get through. They do enough to feel like Zelda dungeons but they’re the bare minimum. Which feels like a letdown coming after Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask and the Oracle games which had fantastic dungeons with really cool and challenging puzzles. All the dungeons here are a breeze to get through which I don’t hate but I never associate Zelda dungeons with being laid-back experiences. The Wind Temple is the only dungeon in the game that exudes the labyrinthian feeling of classic Zelda dungeons which is why it’s the only one I leave the game remembering. I’m writing this review the day after beating it and I can’t tell you anything about any of the other dungeons in the game. Again, nothing inherently bad about them, just very unmemorable.
The Wind Waker has a very strong and distinct identity among its contemporaries in the series and will always be a standout in the vast sea of entries in the franchise. There are just so many things that are unique to The Wind Waker and so much of it comes from the themes of the game that I never truly grasped before this playthrough.
The Wind Waker is all about letting go of the old and forging a new identity which can be seen in most aspects of the game. The presentation completely sets it apart from the rest of the series, Link has a sister now, Hyrule is a thing of the past that everyone has moved on from, Link isn’t some legendary hero chosen by the gods but just a very brave kid who wants to save his sister and ends up proving himself as a hero in his own regard. All of it hits home in the closing moments of the game where the characters realize they need to move on from trying to fulfill old standards and decide to forge their own paths. In some ways, it feels like the Zelda team always wanted to go into this step of breathing a new identity to the series and this seemed like it was the beginning of it. If I was playing this game in 2002 I would’ve definitely left with “is this their way of rebooting the series?” as my main takeaway. Little did I know I’d be leaving another entry of the franchise with that takeaway in 2017.
Despite all of its shortcomings, The Wind Waker has a lot of heart and passion put into it. It sets itself in its own little island away from most of the other games in the series in my eyes. Keep in mind that Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks are the only games I’ve never played in the series as of now. I wonder if those two would be in that same island I put The Wind Waker in. I think The Wind Waker excels in so many things and there’s a reason why it’s one of the most relevant games in the series. In some ways though, it will kind of always feel like it’s not a full experience and is kind of a watered down Zelda game to me, especially in its dungeons, and for that I can’t rank it higher than some of my favorites.
Stuck on the wii u but i have no issue getting it out just to play this game. Such a good game
seria muito bom se não fosse a merda da quest da triforce e essa navegaçao de bosta
me falavam que esse era um dos melhores zelda entĂŁo a experiencia foi bem decepcionante pra mim
me falavam que esse era um dos melhores zelda entĂŁo a experiencia foi bem decepcionante pra mim
great port that reduces the tedium of some parts of the original game. easily one of my favorite zelda games, with really fun combat and great visual style
once this game begins to open up and let you explore that is when it is at its best. playing this game with a notebook taking notes about the different things on each island is such a fun experience and the story beats that focus on that adventure aspect such as the ghost ship are my favorite parts of the game. the dungeons are all solid but never reach the heights of some of my favorite zelda dungeons. its a great game especially on that first playthrough. kinda sad that this game as well as twilight princess hd never got switch ports.
boating fun
This game is incredibly charming and cute. The characters are memorable and the OST is one of the best in the series.
The combat is just OoT but even more of a hack n slash and there's barely any enemy variety and the dungeons were (in my opinion) uninteresting in terms of gameplay. The story was something that I did enjoy but got a bit ruined by the expectations of it being set in the adult timeline of OoT.
I, for some reason, thought there was gonna be some kind of continuity but it was just a small "hey so uh yeah this was a thing" and while I'm not mad, I am in fact a bit dissapointed.
The minigames were good but just.. minigames
The treasure mechanic was cool at first and it felt like a big part of the game but it only gives you rupees so it quickly became boring.
Overall a game that I did enjoy! Just.. not too much. If I had to give a score from 1 to 100 I would give it a 76. It's good! Just not so much.
The combat is just OoT but even more of a hack n slash and there's barely any enemy variety and the dungeons were (in my opinion) uninteresting in terms of gameplay. The story was something that I did enjoy but got a bit ruined by the expectations of it being set in the adult timeline of OoT.
I, for some reason, thought there was gonna be some kind of continuity but it was just a small "hey so uh yeah this was a thing" and while I'm not mad, I am in fact a bit dissapointed.
The minigames were good but just.. minigames
The treasure mechanic was cool at first and it felt like a big part of the game but it only gives you rupees so it quickly became boring.
Overall a game that I did enjoy! Just.. not too much. If I had to give a score from 1 to 100 I would give it a 76. It's good! Just not so much.
The Windwaker has some of the highest highs of the series (the music and visuals are outstanding) and is probably the best portrayal of ganon that we've had. Weak dungeon design, an overworld with a lack of things to do and the endgame triforce quest prevent it from being a true masterpiece, but the game is so damn fun to play that it remains as one of my favourites in the series.