Celda?! I Got your Celda right here!.....
User Rating: 8.3 | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Limited Edition) GC
Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker Released March 23, 2003 Published by: Nintendo Developed by: Nintendo For those of you who have always wanted to become the hero of your favorite Saturday morning cartoon, The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker is for you. With the implementation of the cell shading Nintendo has crafted an incredible adventure for young Link in his first outing on the Gamecube. Being a long time fan of the Zelda series I came into this game quite aprehensive after seing the less than lifelike direction Nintendo had taken with our green tunic wearing hero. Since Link's appearance in Wind Waker could be one of the most controverial events of recent gaming history lets just take a couple of moments to get it out of the way. For those who do not like Nintendo or have some insecurity issues, just turn the game off now and spend some time reading a good book, because you are not going to get over the fact Link looks young. For those that can enjoy good artwork no matter what direction it takes will be amazed at the life Nintendo is able to breath into Link and the world in which he lives. As soon as your journey begins on the aptly named Outset island you will captivated at even the most simplest of things, such as the way the blades of grass and trees sway in the wind. Inhabitants of the island have their particular mannerisms and idiosyncrasies as you talk to and watch each person. Link himself will give away clues just by his facial expressions. Link's eyes show an incredible range of emotions. Such expressions of happiness, sadness, fear, and surprise are all testaments to the amount of love and labor put into this title. Dungeons and enemies are designed with so much detail that it will make you wonder how much time Nintendo spent developing the title. Dragon Roost Cavern is a perfect example as lava splashes and heat eminates and distorts in a way reminiscent of a parking lot on a hot summer day. Fortunately for those, like myself, who enjoys and expect an audio experience to match the visual one, Wind Waker delivers many quality musical pieces that will surely make you smile. (So many in fact that I encourage those who like the game to pick up the soundtrack as it is definately worth it.) While Wind Waker delivers on presentation it is also no slouch when it comes to gameplay. Like previous Zelda titles, Wind Waker relies on exploration, puzzle solving and pinpointing enemy weaknesses as its gameplay core. If you are one that enjoys scouring every possible spot for hidden items, you could not do better than Wind Waker. Sailing to discover islands, temples and various other structures on the way to saving your sister leads to spending much of your time searching for random items. This is nothing new to Zelda titles, but what is new is the tediousness you will feel towards the end of the game as you will undoubtedly get sick of your boat. Even with the ability to warp (acquired later) you will still spend too much time sailing from one destination to another. Great dungeons and puzzles are another staple in the Zelda series and Wind Waker does not disappoint for the most part. While Wind Waker provides some great puzzles and dungeons the fact is that that they are too few and far between. With a mere three dungeons, you will be startled to find that the adventure is almost over as soon as you start getting into your groove. This is just too bad because with the addition of a couple more dungeons one would be hard pressed to not find a space for Wind Waker in their list of favorite action games. Speaking of action, combat is as intuitive as ever, as items are assigned the X,Y and Z buttons, the A button is designated the action button (ie open doors, grab rope, etc) and the B button allows you to swing your sword. Accessing items, menus or actions is never a hassle nor even a second thought as it easily becomes second nature. This coupled with the new addition, that in the heat of battle pressing the action at the signaled time will allow you to perform a special maneuver resultsin a enjoyable free flowing action game experience. The last important issue I want to address is the ease in which the Wind Waker can be completed. Unfortunately the current trend of overly easy games rears its ugly head in the game, as it is by far the easiest Zelda in the series. One has to ask if Nintendo could have added different difficulty levels for its more experienced consumers. With such I would easily score the title a full point higher but as it is the sense of accomplishment one usually gets when completing a Zelda game is without a doubt, muted. Overall the Legend of Zelda the Wind Waker is another solid entry into Nintendo's Zelda franchise. While it is by no means the best in the series, it definately is a must play for any gamer who enjoys a solid action title. While newcomers will undoubtedly enjoy it more, experienced players may only wonder what could have been, if the sailing was minimized, dungeons increased and difficulty adjustable. Some may be disappointed but there is no questioning the effort and quality that this game represents. One would be a fool to not experience it for themselves and make their own decision. 
