Wind Waker’s refreshing aesthetic and setting promise a Zelda that fully adapts the series into a high seas odyssey. Regrettably, the game doesn’t commit to charting that path but instead merely covers all the old tropes in a fresh coat of paint.

Wind Waker soars when you’re actually partaking in a seafaring adventure - sailing towards some curious silhouette on the horizon, uncovering treasure maps, solving riddles, and tackling puzzles and combat gauntlets that dot many of the game’s islands.

However, much of your time is spent retreading all the familiar Zelda staples - solving chores, playing games of NPC telephone, fetching doodads and whatchamacallits to progress past arbitrary blockers, and wandering through elementally themed dungeons with the usual stable of items. All these tropes have proven themselves by providing the foundation for multiple candidates for “best game of all time”, but here they fail to play to the game’s strengths or unique identity.

Despite this, Wind Waker is still a very good game as well as a sumptuous feast for the eyes and ears. It’s also patient zero for the series’ then blind devotion to the Link to the Past formula in place of innovation, as if the formula alone defines a Zelda game.

If this game didn't have such a godlike artstyle and soundtrack this would be 2.0 stars. I do not like the sea exploration at all, it's so huge yet empty...even with the fast sail it still fucking feels like a waste of time. The dungeons were fine but absolutely not enough to save this game...Toon Link's moveset had so much potential yet I feel like you're never really encouraged to do anything beyond spam the A button or whatever stupid ass gimmick the boss has if that doesn't work. I felt as if I would've loved the games story more since you have to save toon link's sister, a game that could have a story about family? That sounds fucking great to me but no...I felt nothing saving after saving aryll because after playing the game for a while I just stopped caring a out her. I had a feeling something important would happen with link's grandma too but no, I genuinely don't remember her doing anything important after the prologue.


I wish I liked this game because the artstyle and music is incredible but I just feel like I didn't have fun with 80% of the game...

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

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.

3rd favourite game of all time. While I can acknowledge its flaws as a game, in my mind, this is its own breathing world. The most comforting version of Hyrule. Each time I play this game, I get the exact same feeling in me as I did when I was 8 yrs old and playing it for the first time. While frequently complained about by others, in my experience, the triforce shards quest is absolutely perfect. It forces exploration and enables an easy and relaxing sail across the ocean. The art style is probably top 3 Zelda art styles as well