Introduction:

Another amazing in the famous Zelda series. The Zelda games have always been legendary. There are a lot of devoted Zelda fans. When Zelda went 3-D, people were of course very hopeful, and they were very happy when Ocarina of  Time came out and was amazing. I have heard people say that it's one of the best games ever made. A 3-D Zelda has so many more possibilities than a 2-D one. Well, after the huge success of Ocarina Nintendo did make Majora's Mask. This game was a quick follow up, that was fun, but I do think it was just a quick Zelda game to cash in on the great success of Ocarina of Time. Well, When Wind Waker came out there was a lot of talk, mainly about the graphics. I finally got to play this game, and this is what I think of the newest Zelda Game.

Story:

I don't really want to reveal any of the story, so I won't.

Gameplay:

The gameplay takes the great Ocarina of Time Style. This game you will use your sword, and have many different moves with it. You will also have many different items in this game, which you will equip to the X, Y, and Z buttons, this is exactly like in Ocarina of Time, except Ocarina of Time used the C-Buttons. You will use a Wind Waker, which is basically a Baton. (The stick a Musically Conductor uses.) This is very much in the same way you used the ocarina, you will learn different spells, and then have to play them on the Wind Waker. You will have to travel to different islands and towns. You will have those great side missions in this game. For example, in a town, someone might ask you to collect some pigs for them. This reminds me of in Ocarina of Time when you could collect Chickens. You will travel to many different places in this game, and on a BOAT! This is really cool. In Ocarina of Time, you would just run across a field to get to places, but in this game you will travel around a BIG ocean on a boat. You will have to steer your boat to the right place. This game also has Gameboy Advance Link Capability, so a friend can join in and help you once in awhile. It reminds me of a pure sequel to Ocarina of Time. Well, not the story, but the gameplay reminds me very much of ocarina. This game was one of those game where I would tell myself  "I'll just play a little longer." Then in a little bit, I would say the same thing, and I would end up playing it for hours. The gameplay keeps the great Zelda style, that has kept the great Zelda Games coming.

I give the gameplay: 9/10

Graphics:

I knew the second I put this game in I would be talking a bit more about the graphics. When Nintendo started to show us the cell shaded graphics in this game, a lot of people were upset. They wanted the great look in Ocarina of Time, just updated for the Gamecube. Well, I kind of wanted the Ocarina style too. But once I started to play this game, I started to like the graphics, almost as much as Ocarina, maybe more. When you get into the story of the game, the cute cell shaded graphics go perfect with it. Your just a kid who wants to have fun in your tree house, you want to have fun with your sister and grandma, you don't want to save the world. The Ocarina Style Graphics just wouldn't have fit in with this game. I still want to see the Ocarina style graphics in future Zelda games, but this is still good. The great Zelda Game style stays with it. Once you start to play, you will just forget about the graphics and just have fun. The enemies and other characters look great in cell shading. The environment looks really cool. I like the graphics, once you play it for awhile you will see it's a great Zelda game, with just different graphics.

I give the graphics: 9/10

Sound:

The sound is awesome. You will hear the Classic Zelda theme as well as new ones. You will also hear tunes from Ocarina of Time. I love the sound on this. Zelda games have always had great sound. The Sound FX are great, they sound perfect for the game.

I give the sound: 9/10

Replayability:

The replayability is not the best. It is good, but once you beat the game you won't really want to play it again, at least for a long time. You have so much fun playing this game, is doesn't matter. It's a nice length.

I give the replayability: 5/10

Challenge:

The challenge is great in this game. It will make you think and move quick. This game will give a great challenge.

I give the challenge: 8/10

Value:

The value of this game is great. If you love Zelda Games, then this will be a great buy. But, this game can usually be rented for 7 days. I beat the game in less then 7 Days, but I did play it a lot. So, you could always rent this game and beat it, even if you have to rent it for 2 weeks, this should be a lot less than buying it. But, if your a big Zelda Fan, then this is a great game, so it's not a bad buy at all.

Overall:

Overall this game has it all. The gameplay is phenomenal, it keeps the Great Ocarina of Time Game Style. It is a really fun game. The Graphics are very original, they are cell shaded, you might think they look "kiddy", but they do fit the games mood, and you get too much into the game to notice. The Sound is great, has the great Zelda Tunes, as well as new ones. The Replayability isn't that great, but there is no way to really make this type of game have good replayability. The Challenge is very good. The Value is great. I would definitely suggest playing this game if you like Ocarina of Time.

I give The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker : 9.5/10

Conclusion:

This game might have the Cell Shading graphics, which seemed to stir up some commotion, but the graphics do go with the mood of the game. The gameplay is the most important thing in a game, and the gameplay is excellent, it is very much like Ocarina of Time, but with some cool new things. This game is a great game, I hope people give it a chance, and don't just pass it aside because they think it looks dumb, because this game is great.

Written by: Joey Anderson

Date Written: April 12th, 2004