The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker: Review
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In the past week, I have had the vast pleasure of playing a gem from my partner’s childhood.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
Released in 2003 for the Nintendo GameCube, then re-released in 2013 as a HD remake for the Wii-U, it was the Skyrim of that era. With a map larger than any other Zelda game, and an art style, while 13 years old, which is still as captivating now as it was then. From the puff of purple smoke when you slay a monster, to the almost cutesy way your character looks, it’s a timeless art style.
You play not as Link in this game, but a small rather androgynous child, with blond hair and huge eyes, who wakes up on the day of the Hero (Link). So you don your costume in celebration, and your adventure begins, right after you name your character. I dubbed my hero BOOB. Saviour of the land. You then meet a talking boat known as the Red Lion, and are suddenly plunged into an adventure, as the evil Ganon is starting to spread his darkness over the world once again.
So, BOOB and his trusted new boat and I set out to save the world once again from the darkness.
The gameplay is actually rather sound 13 years on, which surprised me.
The combat isn’t very challenging, just keep bashing the B button until whatever is in front of you is smashed or puffs out in a cloud of purple smoke. You gain a variety of different tools too, in true Zelda fashion. You have the boomerang, bombs, and a grappling hook. Plus the Deku leaf, used to waft huge swathes of air at your enemies, and float in the air.
The bosses are varied, and colourful too. You can see how the Zelda series has influenced a number of games, like Darksiders with the hack and slash combat with puzzle elements, as well as the rogue-like genre, where you explore a dungeon to get to the boss.
The only gripe I have is the camera. As with all early Nintendo games, the camera is like trying to control a cat on catnip. Sometimes it sits in its basket for a bit, then it bolts in the completely opposite direction.
But for a game that is literally older than a decade, it stands pretty firm in my book.
Apparently my book is a popup book.