The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
released on Dec 13, 2002
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is the first Zelda game for the Nintendo GameCube and also the first in the series to employ cel-shading, a lighting and texturing technique that results in the game having a cartoon-like appearance. Like its predecessors, The Wind Waker is an action game with puzzle-solving and light role-playing elements. Basic gameplay mechanics are similar to those found in Ocarina of Time, but it differentiates itself with its massive Great Sea which must be explored using a boat named King of Red Lions.
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Wind Waker is genuinely the most charming game I think I've ever played. And looking into the development history, I feel robbed because it was originally twice as long. This game gave me an unquenchable thirst for flooded earth games.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is a visual masterpiece, where its charming cel-shaded graphics and expressive characters exude timeless beauty. You'll embark on a grand, seafaring adventure filled with memorable islands, whimsical puzzles, and satisfying combat. While a tad slow in sections due to the sheer size of its open ocean, Wind Waker delivers a heartwarming story and classic Zelda dungeon-crawling that's perfect for newcomers and seasoned adventurers alike.
75% of the game is amazing and I love sailing.
Then there is the f*cking search of the triforce pieces
Then there is the f*cking search of the triforce pieces
My personal favorite Zelda game. The idea that you start out as just a kid in your PJs who grows into becoming the hero rather than just being predestined is so damn cool. The cartoony aesthetic is fun, the soundtrack is top-tier & all the gameplay that made the N64 games tick is polished till it shines. You know the enthusiasm 99% a lot of folks can drum up for OOT? That's how I feel about Wind Waker.
i want to go back in time to 2002 so i could join in on the relentless bullying this game faced
People were mad when this came out due to the more cartoony visual style, but then when they quieted down long enough to play it, everyone realized it's an amazing Zelda game and a worthy successor to OoT/MM. Builds on the 3D groundwork set by those games in many good ways. Two gripes are that the ocean feels pretty empty - despite every sector of the map having an island, the vast majority can be explored in minutes, aside from the dozen or so plot relevant islands. The other is that the late-game Triforce hunt is painfully slow.