The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker...It was in development for 3 long years and it basically maxes out Gamecube's hardware capabilities (cel-shading is an extremely difficult effect for processors/graphic engines to handle).
AWARDS + REVIEWS
Zelda: The Wind Waker came out in Japan in December and is considered one of the greatest games of all time there. Famitsu magazine in Japan (the most reliable gaming magazine in the world..and every game is reviewed by 4 different critics) gave Zelda: The Wind Waker a perfect 40/40. Only three other games have ever gotten a score that high (Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Vagrant Story, and Soul Calibur). Famitsu says "Any pangs of anxiety you may have with the cartoon-shading look will instantly vanish once you play the game." Two of the reviewers actually said the game was so good that they cried in delight. In fact, Zelda has recieved only one non-perfect review in Japan and that was by Dengeki magazine (it got a 9.5/10) ..and Dengeki scores games so harshly that Zelda: The Wind Waker became the first game in over 3 months to get above an 8/10. In the US, PlanetGamecube imported the Japanese version and gave it a 10/10. Zelda: The Wind Waker also won Best Console Game of E3 (Gamespot and the Official Awards).
THE "NEW" ZELDA
The main difference between this Zelda and past Zelda's is that Miyamoto is no longer designing/directing it, and thus, the new director is giving it a much more epic feel. Everyone who has played the Japanese version has said that it definatly has the deepest story out of any of the Zelda's ever made - in fact, it is the first Zelda to have a true emphasis on plotline. Not only this, but this is also the first Zelda to have multiple continents and islands that you can sail to with a ship. The world is so huge that on a quick ship it can take as much as 15 minutes to sail from one location to the other (in Final Fantasy for comparison sailing from one end of the world to the other only takes about 2 minutes).
LENGTH
PlanetGamecube themselves gave the game a 10/10 and said the only problem the game had was that the world was TOO huge. This game will take you 40 hours to complete (if you are very fast and direct) but is filled with well over 100 hours of sidequests and other things to do. In fact, this game is probably packed with more sidequests than any game ever made.
CEL SHADING
Anyone who shys away from this game because of the graphics are definatly missing out. Those graphics are actually more difficult for a console to render and more difficult for developers to make than the great polygonal graphics we are all used to. Not only this, but I, having witnessed the game myself at a Nintendo Cube Club, have noticed that up close this game is beautiful. Do not be fooled by screenshots, they do not do the game justice. The animation in this game is amazing and at the Cube Club (a club containing over 20 gamecube games), Zelda definatly stood out as the one with the most impressive and flawless art design and graphics.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay itself is very similar to Zelda: Ocarina of Time although with many enhancements and improvisations. Plenty of fighting, exploring, and puzzle solving. This time, however, the gimmick is wind rather than time (in Ocarina of times case). Wind is constantly blowing at a specific velocity and direction at any moment in the game. It effects everything - from how your boat sails and in what direction to which way Link's cap swings in the air. Many puzzles will also use the wind and there are items to manipulate it.
MUSIC
And then there is the music..the music of the new Zelda definatly makes one of the greatest gaming soundtracks in history. Classical Zelda tunes remade in orchestral glory and plenty of new songs as well. The music is completly orchestrated and if you have a surround sound setup..drools.
IMMERSIVE WORLD - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Perhaps the number 1 thing that people who have played the new Zelda comment on is that it is perhaps the most immersive game ever made. Link has about 20 facial expressions which all convey what he is feeling at any given time. All characters in towns have artificial intelligence (they dont just stand there or run around in circles like in most Zelda/RPG's)..rather..they have minds of their owns. If you (Link) walk around town with a sword..some little kids will follow you. If you go into a house and break pots the owner will get angry and chase after you. If you do something silly in front of people, they will laugh at you. And if you draw attention, people will look at you. Even the enemies have AI that makes the world immersive. Take out a bomb in front of a Moblin and they will run away - it makes you feel like the world is real. Seagulls follow your boat as it travels betweens islands. Zelda: The Wind Waker is the definative reason to own a Gamecube.

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Product Description:
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker returns you to the world of Hyrule as you travel the waves to tame the winds!Brilliant combat, fantastic facial expressions and beautiful oceans will immerse you in the land of Hyrule as you face Gannon!

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