A wondrous success in the form of a different approach to an old classic.
-Story-
The Story of Wind Waker is emmersive and unlike those we've heard before. Sure, the intro may describe the trials and tribulations of past Links and their glorious victories over the armies of darkness, but Wind Waker slides a little something extra at the end. After win after win, Ganon returns again, but Link never does...Hyrule falls to Ganon's power, and in a final attempt to save their world, the Golden Goddesses "bless" the world by flooding it all, leaving only the peaks of mountains for civilization to take refuge on. The world is fragmented and secretive. No one is very supportive of the others, and the true test of society is if they are self sufficient enough to exist. How will this world unify? With the plight caused by a massive, terrible bird and its wicked master of course! You control Link, who must rise up against the man alongside a rag-tag crew of bottom-rung pirates and show the world just what it takes to be a hero.
This story is not pulling any punches. You do NOT play as the hero of time we have all come to know and love, but as a different boy entirely. The various character go out of their way to tell you that you are just a kid. Is Link just a kid, or is he much more? Well that's just for you to find out!
-Characters-
While attempting to fill your sculpture gallery, you will quickly discover that there are a huge number of characters in this game. The best part is, main characters are hidden among supporting roles, making it very interesting when the story suddenly twists, putting the man you've only seen walking down the street in the spotlight.
Bosses and Creatures are also abundant, original, and different. The gameplay and graphics really make the monsters a wonderful experience in Wind Waker.
-Gameplay-
Wind Waker's gameplay is similar to that of Ocarina of Time. The only differences are parrying and stealing weapons. Sometimes, just before an enemy attacks, the "A button" symbol in the top, right corner with become spiky, and when you press it, Link does an impressive acrobatic stunt that gives you the perfect oppurtunity to strike. And if you attack fierce enough, you can disarm enemies, steal their weapons, and use them to defeat the other nearby villains, or in the case of things like Deku Sticks, use them to solve puzzles.
The Sailing in also a prominent gameplay feature. Many find the sailing to be boring and un-fun. I personally found the sailing a nice breath of refreshing air after trecking from one end to Hyrule for years. Also, the ability to use some items as ship accessories is a fun little adition to the game to make treasure hunting and sea-battles some of the most enjoyable parts of the game.
How can you have a Zelda game without puzzles? They are surely abundant in Wind Waker. Every sector of the sea has an island that has either a town, dungeon, or an original and interesting puzzle challenge on it, giving you plenty of chances to look smart the whole world over.
-Graphics-
Possibly the most salient feature of Wind Waker, however, are the graphics. Bold outlining makes the characters very cartoony, which gave the game makers a chance to walk down the seldom trodden path of video-game comedy. Infact, placing the third pearl in the staue was possibly the funniest scene in a videogame I've seen since the crashes of Excite Bike. However, many Zelda conservatives find the graphics to be mocking those of earlier games. This is not the case however. The graphics are different, not bad.
-Music/Sound-
The music and sound quality is beautiful in Wind Waker. The sea song, the sages' themes, and even the intro story theme and beautiful tracks that will get stuck in anyone's head for days. The soundtrack is so advanced even, that if you listen carefully, you can notice that after the Great Helmaroc King's attack, the Outset Island theme becomes an overture of the entire game, with bits of the Forst Haven, Windfall, and Dragonroost Island songs. The sound qualiy is great as well. Every boss roar, monster squeal, and Link shout is clear and enjoyable making this game very pleasing to the ears.
-Overview-
Wind Waker is surely a game to be approached with an open mind. If you are a Zelda conservative, it may help to pretend the game has nothing to do with Zelda (although it is quite difficult), because Wind Waker is quite different from earlier Zelda games. So, with a good story, interesting graphics, solid gameply, and my favorite final dungeon of any videogame to date, Wind Waker is one of the best games for the Gamecube. I only wish it were longer than 20 hours.