![]() Wind Waker isn't a hard game, but because I had never played a 3D Zelda game before there was a learning curve for me. I struggled with it even though it's only the second. The one that stands out the most to me is Dragon Roost. I haven't replayed the game since the Wii U–since I'm still waiting for the Switch re-release, Nintendo!-so I can't recall every dungeon. The centerpieces of the game are seven dungeons. You move Link through fully-realized 3D environments, solving puzzles and discovering secrets. In terms of gameplay, Wind Waker builds upon The Ocarina of Time. ![]() I also like how, in the Forbidden Fortress, Link can sneak around the Bokoblins without alerting them to his presence. Just picturing the cartoony ChuChus, Moblins, and Bokoblins makes me smile. Probably the best part about it is the colorful enemies. The combat in Wind Waker is intuitive, fluid, easy, and fun, but by itself doesn't amount to much. This is one reason why Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is worse than the rest of the series: it emphasizes sword combat and has few puzzles. While combat is integral-a Zelda game without weapons and fighting would be terrible-it's secondary to puzzles and secrets. ![]() Exploration is what Zelda games are all about. Like most players, I enjoyed finding the different islands and searching for secrets and pieces of heart. ![]() Obviously Nintendo didn't want to mess too much with success. This gimmick is very similar to the titular ocarina from the Ocarina of Time. You have to input the correct notes on the control stick, with the correct timing, in order to perform a song. Link can learn six different magical songs throughout the game. He is able to alter the direction of the wind at will by using a magical baton called the Wind Waker. Link sails a boat animated by the ghost of the king of Hyrule. Each square contains something of interest, usually one or more islands. The game's chief innovation and gimmick is that the world is an ocean, divided into a 7x7 grid. In a game about sailing and islands, it was a shock to learn that we'd been sailing above Hyrule all along. The mid-game twist delighted me: Link learns he's the reincarnation of a hero from an ancient kingdom that was demolished by a flood, and that the irreverent pirate Tetra is the reincarnation of its Princess Zelda. There are all sorts of quirky citizens to meet and interact with, including an auction house, bird people (the Rito), pirates, a traveling merchant (Beedle), temples, and the long-lost, sunken kingdom of Hyrule. Sailing the seas and exploring the game's many islands is a joyous process of discovery. The cartoony style and feel of the game is probably its strongest feature, at least for me. In retrospect that's hard to fathom, because the game is such a visual delight. ![]() I've read that, when it debuted, some people hated the cel-shaded art style of The Wind Waker. It was as good as I remembered A Link to the Past being. Since I missed the Game Cube and Wii eras, playing The Wind Waker was a revelation to me. I hadn't owned a video-game console since the Super Nintendo until my wife bought me a Wii U for my 30th birthday. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is special to me because it was one of the first games I played on the Wii U. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |