Gamecube - Legend of Zelda: Windwaker

Format
Gamecube
Publisher
Nintendo
Developer
Nintendo
Country of origin
Japan
Genre
Action RPG

Legend of Zelda : Windwaker

By David Rasmussen
2nd Apr 05

This week’s game reviews look as much back at two interesting games, but more importantly gives you the heads up to look ahead to two new games to come.
We’ve already seen such sequels as Devil May Cry 3, Final Fantasy XII (that came out, right?), and this summer will see the release of a new (and seemingly final) Star Wars movie tie-in game (Episode III : Revenge of the Sith) as well as the long awaited Kingdom Hearts 2 coming at the end of the year.

But did you know this year will also see the release of a brand new Legend of Zelda game, as well as a brand new Harvest Moon for both the GameCube AND the GameBoy Advance?
That’s what I’ll be looking at this week, this review focusing on Windwaker and the upcoming Legend of Zelda game (sorry, there’s no information on the title or game as of this moment short of a few good looking screenshots and speculation that comes from those screenshots).

Windwaker, the first Zelda game for the GameCube, continued down the long path of animation degeneration the game has been suffering since Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Time slash Legend of Zelda : Majora’s Mask for the N64. Yes, the gameplay has been more and more complex, but the animation has slid downward from the N64 versions. As of this game the graphics is now reduced to a strange quirky animation-ish quality with rather strange looking characters, but pretty nice looking backgrounds.
Overall graphics wise the game is deeper than previous Zeldas, but the animation looks like this should be Saturday morning cartoon fodder… the characters are just too weird looking in comparison to the previous two Zelda games before this one!

Windwaker takes place hundreds of years after the N64 games (and probably the Zelda series as a whole unless they based the recent Minish Cap in post Windwaker continuity… which I have no idea either way. This, of course, means this game is a sequel of sorts, in which you play a brand new “Link” who has been growing up on a little island with his grandmother and sister for sometime.
Today’s your birthday, and today is the day you receive the special hero garments. You see there’s this bit of a legend about Link of old that’s been handed down for generation after generation about how he fought Gannon (in Ocarina of Time), disappeared (Majora’s Mask) and then never returned… until the end of this year when the next game rolls about but that’s getting ahead of ourselves.

You? You’d just like to get through this day since you are not exactly hot on this whole wearing of the heroic clothes thing… mostly because that costume is just too weird looking and it’s too hot for the sunny tropical climate of your island home! Anyway just when you think you’ll make it through the day what should happen but you ending up getting involved with saving a pirate girl (Tetra), which turns into tragedy when your sister is kidnapped (by the same flying creature that had the girl and now mistook your sister for Tetra). To make a long story short the first part of the game is the long quest to save your sister.
Yes, it does seem rather convenient that those pirates and that girl who happens to look like your sister should be passing your island on that day… well, actually it is, but it seems even coincidence can put you into the right place without you knowing it. Once you are able, check out Tetra’s cabin and eye a few of the wall art… two should look familiar for one reason or another.

Anyway the rescue of your sister isn’t going to be an easy thing. You’ll have one false start (raid on the fortress she’s in) and then go on a long quest to find the necessary tool (the Master Sword of previous Zelda games) to save her. Along the way you’ll meet new friends, a new ally in a talking red dragon boat, and finally unlock the Master Sword and go off to save your sister. Actually it’s not as long a quest as it sounds, except for the part you have to go through two huge dungeon levels and do lots of things to get together the stuff needed to access the Master Sword… the last part is actually a breeze once you know what to do so you’ll be given a break on that… until you reach the place where the Master Sword is then it’s hard again.

Of course even after you save your sister from… yes… group groan now… Gannon (Ganon in this game) you will find out that your journey has only just begun. Oh, yeah, I was wrong. Gannon appears in Link to the Past too, he only doesn’t appear in Four Swords… that’s a new creature (for a change).

Anyway what is with this game’s obsession with Gannon anyway! I can’t even think of a Zelda game that doesn’t feature Gannon in it… except Four Swords and hopefully Minish Cap… can we PLEASE strive to see a new big bad sometime soon, like in the new game at the end of 2005? Please?

The gameplay is unique. It’s a whole new experience and an all new Zelda, something the series has been lacking. Yes, some elements of previous Zeldas are still there but I think I can forgive that.
Yes, you’ll need to find three artifacts to unlock the Master Sword (ala Ocarina of Time and Link to the Past), yes you’ll have to journey to eight locations for something else after that (but this time it’s far more difficult than just finding eight dungeons as was the case in Ocarina of Time and Link to the Past).
Overall you’ll have dungeons to explore, long journeys to find the one or two baubles you needed to complete this or that task which has you running around in circles (which is even more of a headache here since you could be wandering for days just to find one necessary item… and I mean real physical actual game playing days as opposed to the short days in the game), and the usual stockpile of baddies both new and seen before are also there to hinder you but there is more than enough variety and spice to these enemies to make them more than your garden variety Zelda foes.

The one difference (big difference) between this game and previous Zelda games is that this all takes place on the vast ocean so you’ll get to do a lot of sailing, which makes exploring a bit of a challenge which is actually a good thing. Yes. The first GameBoy Color game of Zelda DID take place on an island (a first since most of the Zelda games takes place in Hyrule prior to this), but you didn’t go sailing anywhere so that isn’t a very good comparison to this game.

The one thing I didn’t like about Windwaker is the new “magic” of the game, which is the Windwaker wand. Why? It makes you look like a tiny Harry Potter knockoff, that’s why. I mean look at Link! Wave, wave, wave to the music… wave, wave, wave… (or wave, wave, wave, wave in four time or even in six time which is too much “wave” for one review)… now if somebody would only knock Link upside the head so he gets a Triforce shaped scar on his forehead then we‘ll be all set.

You have a some new gadgets to play with, including a vastly different “hookshot” which turns into a complex crane system while onboard your boat, a camera to take photos with (play tourist), bombs which turns into a shipboard cannon when used while on your boat, and the ability to pick up your enemies weapons and use them against your enemies. Can’t keep them but some puzzles do involve using your enemies weapons to your advantage, which is nice.
The stuff may look like standard Zelda game fare, but the way they‘re used in this game at times is fresh and original which I think is a plus.

The story? Hmm… it’s different, and it departs from the standard Zelda storyline abit to have more depth and more things to do than the previous two N64 games, but there’s one aspect I didn’t like. Uh… but if I tell you that that’ll spoil the story for some of you who haven’t played the game yet, so I’ll just have to keep that complaint to myself. Sorry.

The animation is nice, and looks great in some ways… but mostly the vast backdrops and islands, I didn’t like the character designs though, no way. Oh, and I’ve become drowsy while doing the long sailing trips looking for things from time to time… oh, that is ONCE you made it far enough into the game to be set free from the tyrannical boat’s endless nagging about not going here, and not going there… etc. etc. etc. Bleah.
Why the drowsy spell? Well, since a lot of the game is vast endless blue oceans that stretch as far as the eye can see with only so-so stimuli to keep you up while you search for a certain island containing a specific something or other? You tell me if you can stay up for long watching the same boring skies and sea roll by endlessly as you search… which makes me think Windwaker can not only be a unique new Zelda experience, but also a possible cure for insomnia.

Okay. That’s about all I can come up with for now. Let’s break it down then I’ll talk turkey about the new game which is coming at the end of this year.

Legend of Zelda : Windwaker Breakdown
What’s Hot? - It was the first, and oddly enough last playable Zelda game for the GameCube until the end of this year. What? What about Four Swords? What about it? The game is odd since it looks like it’s graphics devolved right back to old school classic NES gameplay with only better graphics… what’s with that anyway! And having it being multiplayer is no good since it means you can’t play the game single player style (from what I’ve seen of the GameBoy Advance version which demanded four players).
If Four Swords (GameCube) is anything like Four Swords (GameBoy Advance) then I don‘t see myself touching that game anytime soon. As for Windwaker? It’s pretty good, and I liked playing it. As far as Zelda games go you’ll do fine to get this, at least so it’ll fill your Zelda fixation until the end of this year.

What’s Not? - Hmmm… I know, I know, I wasn’t exactly a sterling bundle of praise towards this game and yet I can’t really think of much that is negative about this game. I know I said a few things, but when it comes right down to it you’ll forgive those few things I said since it’s still a solid game despite my few misgivings. Yes, the pros most definitely outweight the cons here, making Windwaker something to take home right away while you hold on for the new game.

Moments to Remember? - Yeah. It’s actually memorable. There’s lots of memorable actually, and the game just plays good. I may grumble about this, or that, but I am still playing it so that makes it good in my book.

What to Ignore? - Hmmm… can’t tell you. Spoiler and all, sorry. Hint - Once you are just about to lay claim to the Master Sword you’ll be livin’ the part of the story that I disliked the most.

Overall? - With more depth than any previous Zelda game before, and after probably since I don’t know how “deep” Four Swords is, this is something for you to pick up and play while you wait for your next Zelda fix… which isn’t far off. But, for now, pick this game up since it’ll make for a great “hold over” to keep you occupied until the new game… since this game is not exactly a cakewalk, and will give your brain abit of a strain to solve it in time for the new game to come out.

Legend of Zelda (End of 2005)
Seemingly destined to come out at the same time as Kingdom Hearts 2 for the PS2 and… ?… anyone know what the big game for the Xbox will be at the end of the year? Anyway this game (the new Zelda) is going to go head to head against the SquareEnix/Disney juggernaut for supremacy as best game of the Christmas season of 2005... That is, of course, if Kingdom Hearts 2 doesn’t chicken out and is delayed once again.

There is no information on the game, nor is there a title, but I do know this…
1 - If you go to Nintendo’s official website you can find a teaser trailer for the game, as well as a dozen screenshots of the game for you to check out.
2 - Link? This is the adult Link seen in part of Ocarina of Time from what images I‘ve seen of the game.
So, from the few screenshots I’ve seen, I’m assuming that this game is going to be the sequel to Majora’s Mask as Link is traveling… but to where? Maybe he returns to Hyrule in this game, maybe it’s another alternate dimension where everyone is there but different, like Majora’s Mask.
3 - Everything in this game looks fantastic. The levels are beautiful, as are the monsters and Link himself. The graphics is far superior to the animation style of Windwaker… which, sadly, probably means the game won’t be as long as Windwaker. Guess that’s the tradeoff for better graphics. But, then again, no word on the length of gameplay was given so I might be wrong about that.
4 - I’m going to take it that in this game, like in Majora‘s Mask, Gannon is not the enemy. And if the game is the sequel to Majora’s Mask as well as a prequel to Windwaker then we know that Gannon won’t appear again until Windwaker (from the story told at the start of Windwaker), ergo this must mean there’s a new big bad in this game.

This year saw the evolution of the Resident Evil franchise with the release of Resident Evil 4, now it looks like we’re about to see the evolution of the Zelda franchise with this new game.
But in what way the game might evolve, if it evolves at all, is something only time (and the release of the latest Zelda game) can answer. So stay tuned, it’s only about 9 or so months to it’s US release (unknown when it’ll have it’s UK release). Stay tuned.

-- David Rasmussen 2nd Apr 05

Gamecube Legend of Zelda: Windwaker Images