The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Review

Hello, everyone! I'm in the mood for some writing today, so here's a review for "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker" by me. I hope you like it...enjoy!

Graphics:

The graphics for this game are amazing for the generation that it was made in. They're neat, and the shades of colors are shown very well in it. The 3D-ish look persuades many into buying this game. While they are good, they still look a bit cartooney for those that have high expectations for video game graphics.



A screenshot of Japanese gameplay at the Foresaken Fortress.

Graphics - 8.5

Gameplay:

Alright, you are Link in this game, as usual. What you basically do is island hop in search of whatever it is Link needs to continue on in his quest to rescue his sister and save Princess Zelda from Ganondorf, the Evil King. While you island hop, you may find some fish splashing about - if you throw some fish bait you may find from Beedle ship shops that go around some of the important islands in the game, they will update your map and add a piece of whichever part of the map's grid you're on. On the islands, of course, again, this is mostly the usual Zelda game - hack and slash whatever gets in your way. There are other things to do on the islands, though, such as talk to friends, family, allies, look in the mailbox, buy stuff in shops, get an upgrade from a fairy, etc. Some of it gets repetitive sometimes, but don't get me wrong - something gets changed up after every mission you clear. There are some cute sidequests along the way that may get you an upgraded bag, another item, or maybe even more MP! Also, there is an item called the "PictoBox" which is pretty much a black and white camera, but if you catch a firefly from Forest Haven in a bottle, then take it to one particular "Pictographer" on Windfall Island, he'll upgrade it to a "Deluxe PictoBox" which is a color camera, which you will need to get into a secret "Pictography" club in Forest Haven. In this Pictography club, there is a man at the front desk who will make a figurine out of a person, animal, or enemy shown in a color "Pictograph".



A screenshot of Link on his talking sail boat.

Gameplay - 9.0

Controls:

GAMEPLAY CONTROLS
Control Stick Move/Jump
Control Pad View maps
Right Thumbstick Move camera/Zoom in and out
A Button Action button
B Button Swing sword/Spin attack (hold and release)
X Button Use Set item
Y Button Use Set item
Z Button Use Set item
L Button Target/Recenter camera
R Button Action button/Crouch and defend (with sword)
Start/Pause View subscreens
Combo #1 L Button + A = Jump attack
Combo #2 Rotate Left Thumbstick counter-clockwise + B = Spin attack
Combo #3 B or L Button Left or Right + B = Horizontal swing
Combo #4 B + L Button = Vertical slash
Combo #5 L Button + Up + B = Thrust
Combo #6 L Button + Left or Right + A = Side step
Combo #7 L Button + Down + A = Back flip

Some of the Combo controls are a bit hard for the new player to master, but the basic and necessary controls are simple - B Button = Slash; A Button = Action; X, Y, Z = Use Set Item; Analog Stick = Move. Really, these controls usually don't take less than 30 seconds to master.

NOTE:

The controls noted here were originally put together by GameFly.

Controls - 9.5

Sounds/Music:

The sound effects in this game were pretty good, you could hear the waves of the ocean and the winds blowing... The music in this game gave off a vague feeling of the area that you were at, it was all pretty good. The only thing I'd probably comment on would be the music when you're out at sea. It got very repetitive and somewhat annoying after a decent amount of time.

Open the Spoiler below only if you would like to hear "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker"'s theme!

A video including the Ocean Theme.

Sounds/Music - 8.0

Replay Value:

Pretty much the only thing that's good about going over the game is getting through all the sidequests, starting out with a Deluxe PictoBox, and Link and Aryll wearing different clothes. Really, it's not too great playing over again when you know exactly what's gonna happen next. Although, starting the game with a Deluxe PictoBox will probably increase you chances of finishing the Nintendo Gallery (the Pictography Club I mentioned earlier).

Replay Value - 6.5

Overall Score:

Graphics: 8.5/10

Gameplay: 9.0/10

Controls: 9.5/10

Sounds/Music: 8.0/10

Replay Value: 6.5/10

Overall Score: 8.5/10