It's an awesome game and it's a shame that it's looked down upon because of its graphics.
The main thing that critics frown upon is the graphics. I'll admit, when the screenshots were first introduced, I was wondering what the hell Miyamoto was on as well. The graphics do not hinder the gameplay in the least. In fact, I actually grew quite attached to the cartoony drawings after a while. Graphics aside, the gameplay is very similar to that of Ocarina of Time. One crucial new element is the ability to sail all over the Great Sea. Many will find this tedious, and it can be after a while, but I find it fun, sailing around for long periods of time in a gigantic ocean, going from one island to another, each one far away from one another. It gives you a fun feeling of exploration, travelling great distances and being far from home. The storyline is also quite intriguing as it ties in with Ocarina of Time in many ways, and in some ways to Majora's Mask and other Zelda games. The discovery of Tetra's true identity may shock you as well.
In conclusion, I love this game. This is by far my favorite GameCube title and one of my all-time favorite games. I'm giving it a 9.8 simply because it's not as good as Ocarina of Time (which is a 10) but it's damn close.