Updated Zelda gameplay makes for another classic adventure.
The first, and most obvious of these features are the graphics. Wind Waker has a unique cel-shaded look to it, a move that when announced by Nintendo caused an outrage among gamers who thought they were too kiddie and looked dumb. However, while the cel-shaded cartoon look may not have helped Nintendo's reputation as a developer of "kid's games", it most certainly works spectacularly in this game, and it has allowed the game to age incredibly well. Very few games look like this, and no other cel-shaded game comes close to looking this spectacular, and I can say without hesitation that most people who don't bother with hardcore gamer pretensions will love these graphics.
The gameplay may seem familiar, but it contains some spare innovations and ultimately controls extremely tightly. There's just no denying the appeal of the thrilling action against bosses combined with the complex puzzles and Zelda fans old and new will like it. As a matter of fact, the Wind Waker is probably even more accessible to gamers than Ocarina of Time, for it has the breadth and span to appeal to veteran Zelda gamers, not to mention the puzzles, but they're still fun and accessible to new players. Wind Waker also sports a great story, so it's pretty much terrific overall. A new added feature is sailing, which never lasts overly long and helps to create an extremely immersive and large world.
The sounds are evocative and fit in nicely with the visuals, and there is a typically great Zelda score stuck on it, which has variations on the old themes as well as completely new themes.
Wind Waker is a very large game, especially by today's standards. It will take a long time to beat Wind Waker, and of course there's always more to do. The difference here is that you often feel compelled to do it - this was one of the few games that influenced me to do something as tiresome as mapping out every single island (which I did do).
Every part of this game is simply very fun. There's an excellent reason as to why this was Gamespot's Game of the Year for 2003, and if you haven't played it yet, I strongly suggest you do so now.