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The Wind Waker
Zelda: The Wind Waker is different from the
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Game Info |
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Link will face giant bosses like this one, a
lanmola-like creature who lives in a pool of lava.
System:
Gamecube
Release:
March 24,
2003
Copies Sold:
N/A
For the first time ever in a Zelda game, Link
will have a vehicle of his own.
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last few Zelda games because
instead of featuring realistic graphics like Ocarina of Time and Majora's
Mask had, it uses a cel-shaded look that makes the game look like a
cartoon.
The
look is done really well. The game runs in 30 frames per second and
has little or no slowdown. During certain scenes, Link and other
characters will change their facial expressions, something that could not
be pulled off as well using the realistic look.
The
world is also different from past Zelda games. Most of the world in
the other games has been composed of land. In Wind Waker, Hyrule has
been completely flooded, leaving only small islands above water. The
world is huge, consisting of a 7 x 7 grid of squares each approximately
the size of Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time. Each square of the grid
contains an island of some sort. Some are large with areas to
explore, some are small and contain only a fairy fountain or hidden cave.
In addition to this, there are submarines and shops in some of the squares
as well. The world is absolutely huge, although it could have had
more areas above ground to explore, none of the islands were big compared
to areas in previous games.
The
enemies in the game are fun as well. Most are relatively easy
however. The only normal enemies that provide even a moderate
challenge are the Darknuts and Wizzrobes. Unlike the Zelda games on
Nintendo 64, in Wind Waker there are enemies all over the place. You
run into them while sailing your ship, on islands, and especially in
dungeons. There is no shortage of action in Wind Waker.
The
dungeons are huge in Wind Waker. Each one is very detailed with a
lot of enemies in nearly every room, and the typical Zelda puzzles to
solve. In a change from previous Zelda games, instead of finding
your items mostly in the dungeons, you will have to seek out a certain
item before you can enter each dungeon, so you get one item before the
dungeon, then one inside the dungeon. The item you find inside the
dungeon always has some function in defeating the boss. The dungeons
are as fun as they were in any previous Zelda game, but there were only 5
in the game, 6 if you include Ganon's Tower, so there could have been
more.
The
bosses are done very well in Wind Waker. Each one is large and
requires a special strategy to be defeated. Generally speaking you
use the item you find in the dungeon combined with the sword to defeat
each one. None of them are overly challenging and only the bosses in
the final area of the game really provided even an intermediate challenge.
Overall, Wind Waker is one of the best Zelda games in the series.
The only major improvements that could have been done would have been to
make some of the islands larger so there was more land to explore, and to
add more dungeons to lengthen the game. Despite what people have
been complaining about since Spaceworld 2001, Wind Waker is an excellent
game and the new look provides a fresh take on the series. Although
the next Zelda will not be cel-shaded, I think this game shows just what
can be done with the technique and does a great job of it.
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