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is the ninth installment in the Legend of Zelda series of video games. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on 13 December 2002, in Canada and the United States on 24 March 2003, and in Europe on 3 May 2003.
The game is set on a group of islands — a first for the series. The player controls Link, the protagonist of the Zelda series. He struggles against his nemesis, Ganondorf, for control of a sacred relic known as the Triforce. Link spends a significant portion of the game sailing, traveling between islands, and traversing through dungeons and temples to gain the power necessary to defeat Ganondorf.
The Wind Waker follows in the footsteps of Ocarina of Time, retaining the basic gameplay and control system from the Nintendo 64 title. A heavy emphasis is placed on using and controlling wind with a baton called the Wind Waker, which aids sailing and floating. Critics enjoyed the similarity to Ocarina of Time, but often complained that the large amount of sailing became tedious." Despite this, the game has met commercial and critical success and is the fourth of only six games that have received a perfect score from Famitsu magazine.
Story
The Wind Waker finds the hero Link in a sea scattered with several islands, which necessitates frequent sailing and naval combat. Link lives with his grandmother and younger sister The Wind Waker characters#Aryll on Outset Island, one of the few inhabited islands in the Great Sea. The people of the Great Sea pass down a legend of a prosperous kingdom with a hidden golden power. An evil man found and stole this power, using it to spread darkness until a young boy dressed in green sealed the evil with the Sword of Evil's Bane. The boy became known as the Hero of Time and passed into legend. One day the sealed evil began to return, but the Hero of Time did not reappear. The inhabitants of the Great Sea are unsure of the kingdom's fate, but it is clear that this legend is the story of Ocarina of Time.
When children of Outset Island come of age they are customarily dressed in green, like the Hero of Time. The elders hope to instill the courage of the Hero of Time. It is Link's birthday as The Wind Waker opens, and he receives the familiar green clothes and cap. Aryll's present to Link is permission to use her telescope. As he looks through the telescope, he sees a large bird, the Helmaroc King, carrying a girl to a nearby forest. After retrieving a sword, Link sets out to investigate. Link rescues the girl, only to have Aryll kidnapped by the Helmaroc King as he returns.
The girl rescued in the forest is The Wind Waker characters#Tetra, captain of a pirate ship. At Link's request, they sail to the Forsaken Fortress, where a mysterious figure is holding Aryll and several other girls. Following an unsuccessful raid, Link is thrown from the fortress. A talking boat called the King of Red Lions rescues Link and tells him that the master of the Forsaken Fortress is Ganondorf, the evil of legend. After purchasing a sail, Link travels to Dragon Roost Island at the King of Red Lion's suggestion.
Goddesses' Pearls
Once at the island, the King of Red Lions instructs Link to find a dragon named The Wind Waker characters#Valoo and ask him for a jewel called Din's Pearl. Link receives the Wind Waker, a baton able to control the wind, from his boat and sets out towards the dwelling of the Rito tribe, a bird-like race. Link learns that The Wind Waker characters#Prince Komali has Din's Pearl, but is unwilling to relinquish it. Prince Komali is of the age when members of the Rito tribe traditionally climb to the top of Dragon Roost Island to get a scale from Valoo, which allows a Rito to grow wings. However, Valoo has grown violent and unpredictable and Prince Komali is fearful to attempt the journey. He agrees to give Link the pearl if Link can reach Valoo. With the help of Rito tribe member Medli, Link makes his way to Valoo and defeats Gohma, the monster that had been upsetting the dragon. Afterwards, Link receives Din's Pearl from Prince Komali, who is finally ready to ascend the mountain and gain his wings.
The King of Red Lions has Link sail south to the Forest Haven to ask the Deku Tree for Farore's Pearl. Inside the haven, Link saves the Deku Tree from a group of ChuChus and is introduced to the Koroks, spirits of the forest. Aware that Ganondorf has returned, the Deku Tree agrees to give Link the pearl after the annual ceremony to replenish the forests. Linder, one of the Koroks, enters and informs the Deku Tree that fellow Korok Makar has fallen into the Forbidden Woods. The Deku Tree, believing that Link's appearance is not a coincidence, asks Link to help. Link rescues Makar from a large plant monster named Kalle Demos and returns to the Forest Haven. The ceremony is completed and Link receives Farore's Pearl.
Link then travels to Greatfish Island to find Jabun, a great water spirit, but finds that the island has been demolished by Ganondorf. After a side trip to Windfall Island to obtain bombs, Link returns to Outset Island and blows open the entrance to a cave in which Jabun is hiding. During an incomprehensible conversation between Jabun and the King of Red Lions, Jabun gives Link Nayru's Pearl.
Link takes the three pearls to the three Triangle Islands, inserting one into a statue on each island. An image of the Triforce appears and the Tower of the Gods rises from the sea in the center of the islands. Link enters the tower, where he battles Gohdan to prove his worth. After defeating Gohdan, a ring of light appears on the surface of the water below. Link sails into the ring of light and is taken beneath the waters to Hyrule Castle, overrun with enemies and frozen in time. Link descends a hidden staircase, where he finds the Master Sword, the evil-repelling blade that the Hero of Time used to seal Ganondorf. Link removes the sword, which awakens the castle; he destroys the enemies and returns to the surface.
Restoring the Master Sword
With the Master Sword in hand, Link returns to the Forsaken Fortress and joins Tetra and the pirates. He frees the captives and kills the Helmaroc King, but is easily defeated by Ganondorf. Ganondorf tells Link that taking the Master Sword has fully lifted the seal, unbinding his full power; furthermore, the Master Sword has lost its power and can no longer repel evil. Ganondorf raises his sword to attack Link, but Tetra intervenes. Ganondorf grabs Tetra, causing the Triforce of Power held within him to resonate. He realizes that Tetra is wearing a Triforce fragment on a necklace and calls her Princess Zelda. Prince Komali, having grown wings, flies in and takes Link and Tetra away. Valoo swoops into view, breathing fire and sending Ganondorf's room up into flames.Link and Tetra sail back to the castle at the bottom of the sea and descend the staircase. There they meet Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the king of Hyrule and the voice of the King of Red Lions. He tells Link and Tetra that the prayers of the people in the legend were answered — the gods sealed Ganondorf and all of Hyrule with him by flooding the kingdom with a torrential downpour, ordering those chosen to rebuild to take refuge on the mountaintops. King Hyrule gives a Triforce fragment to Tetra. Combining it with the fragment on her necklace, Tetra now holds the complete Triforce of Wisdom and is revealed to be Princess Zelda. Ganondorf is seeking the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage to complete the entire Triforce, which grants its holder's wish. Leaving Zelda, Link returns to the surface.
At Dragon Roost Island, Link plays the Earth God's Lyric to Medli, which awakens in her the knowledge that she is the sage of Earth, able to help restore the power of the Master Sword. Link and Medli battle through the Earth Temple and defeate a massive Poe named Jalhalla. Medli begins to pray, restoring some power to Link's sword. Link leaves Medli to continue praying and sails to the Forest Haven. He finds Makar and plays the Wind God's Aria, giving Makar the realization that he is the Sage of Wind. They travel to the Wind Temple and defeat the sandworm Molgera. Makar prays and restores the Master Sword's full power.
Link then goes on a variety of quests to find and decode eight nautical charts that mark the locations of the pieces of the Triforce of Courage. Link raises the pieces from the sea and restores the Triforce of Courage, which then dwells inside Link, marking him as the Hero of Wind.
Confrontation with Ganondorf
With the restored Master Sword and the Triforce of Courage, Link returns once more to Hyrule Castle, where Zelda disappears before him. Link breaks through the barrier beyond Hyrule Castle and enters Ganon’s Tower. Link reaches Zelda and fights large puppets created by Ganondorf. When these are defeated, Ganondorf reveals himself to Link, acknowledging that Link must be the Hero of Time reincarnated. Link follows Ganondorf to the rooftop of the tower. Ganondorf remarks that it must be fate that has allowed him to bring all of the pieces of the Triforce together, just as he had with the Hero of Time. The three Triforces are extracted from Ganondorf, Link, and Zelda and combine to form the complete Triforce. Ganondorf demands to the gods to expose Hyrule to the sun once more, under his control. Before he can reach the Triforce, however, King Daphnes suddenly appears, touching the Triforce. He asks the Gods of the Triforce to give Link and Zelda a future and to wash away Hyrule. The Triforce splits apart and water from the ocean above begins to pour down all around the tower.Believing that the King has just ensured Link's and Zelda's destruction, Ganondorf laughs and begins battling Link. Zelda assists by using Link's bow and shooting Ganondorf with Light Arrows. After gaining the upper hand, Link plunges the Master Sword into Ganondorf’s head, petrifying him. Link and Zelda float to the surface in a bubble, leaving Ganondorf and the king to be buried underwater with Hyrule. Link and Zelda sail away in search of a new land — with the wind as their guide.
Gameplay
The control scheme of The Wind Waker is largely unchanged from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Link's basic actions of walking, running, attacking, defending, and automatic jumping at ledges are retained. Link also uses the control system introduced in Ocarina of Time that allows him to "lock-on" to an enemy or other target. An addition to this basic control scheme is the ability to parry. When Link is locked-on to an opponent and not actively defending, certain attacks by the opponent will trigger a visual cue, a vibration of the controller, and a chime. Attacking at that point causes Link to dodge or parry then counter-attack from the rear. This tactic becomes crucial for defeating armored enemies or bosses.
The new art style used in The Wind Waker gives Link eyes that are much larger and more expressive than in previous games. This allows Link to focus his gaze on approaching enemies or important items. For example, if Link needs to solve a puzzle by lighting a torch to set a distant object on fire, his eyes might turn to look at a nearby stick, giving a hint to an observant player on how to proceed.
As with all Zelda games, The Wind Waker features several dungeons — large, enclosed, and often underground areas. Link battles enemies, collects items, and solves puzzles to progress through a dungeon, fighting a boss at the end. To complete a dungeon, Link primarily uses a sword and shield. Other weapons commonly used by Link include a bow and arrow, a boomerang, bombs, and a grappling hook. Certain enemy weapons can be picked up and used, a feature new to the Zelda series.
The Wind Waker, like most Zelda games, includes many sidequests, such as the Nintendo Gallery. When Link is in the Forest Haven, he can float to a cylindrical island with a hatch containing the sculptor Carlov and his gallery. Once Link obtains a color camera called the Deluxe Picto Box, he can take pictures of non-player characters and enemies, which Carlov uses to sculpt figurines. There are a total of 134 figurines to collect, but Link can only hold three pictures at a time.
After completing the game, the player can replay it with minor modifications: Link starts with the Deluxe Picto Box, making the Nintendo Gallery sidequest easier; Aryll wears a skull dress given to her by pirates; Link can understand the Hylian language; and Link wears blue crayfish pajamas throughout the game instead of the traditional green tunic and cap.
Wind and travel
The Wind Waker is set on a sea consisting of 49 sections arranged on a seven by seven grid. Each section contains an island or small group of islands. Therefore, a significant portion of the game is spent sailing between islands, allowing the game to mask loading times by accessing data while the player is approaching an island.To sail between areas quickly, Link uses the Wind Waker, a baton that manipulates wind direction with a series of songs. Additionally, wind is often needed to solve puzzles. The Deku Leaf allows Link to use wind to spin turbines or to float for short distances. By creating a tailwind, Link can float farther distances to reach remote areas. An on-screen weather vane displays the current wind direction.
Tingle Tuner
A new item to the Zelda series — the Tingle Tuner — allows the player to receive assistance from Tingle. Use of the Tingle Tuner requires a player to attach a Game Boy Advance (GBA) to the GameCube using a Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. The GBA, which controls Tingle on a map more detailed than the one provided by the GameCube, can be operated by a second person, or the player can choose to alternate between the GameCube and the GBA. Among other services, Tingle can uncover hidden treasures, give hints, restore Link's health, or sell a few items. These services are provided for a fee, but Link can earn discounts through the completion of sidequests. Use of the Tingle Tuner is optional, but the ability to examine a more detailed map and place remote bombs is often helpful. Players who want to complete every sidequest will find the Tingle Tuner necessary; Tingle statues hidden throughout dungeons can only be found by using Tingle and the Nintendo Gallery sidequest cannot be completed without first completing a separate sidequest requiring the Tingle Tuner.Development and history
Feeling pressure from Sega's Dreamcast and Sony's PlayStation 2, Nintendo announced on 3 March 1999 that a new video game system was under development. This system, the GameCube, was revealed on 24 August 2000, the day before Nintendo's SpaceWorld 2000 exposition. Along with the specifications and designs for the console, Nintendo had several software demonstrations on-hand to showcase the power of the GameCube, one of which was a realistically-styled real-time duel between Ganon and Link. Despite being a hastily assembled technical demonstration, fans and the media speculated that the battle might be from a game under development or at least an indication of the direction the next Zelda game would take. Staff at IGN referred to the demo as an "unofficial sequel", calling it "absolutely everything we could have hoped for in a Gamecube Zelda title" and stating that "the future looks very bright for Nintendo loyalists".
Nintendo said nothing more about the possibility of a GameCube Zelda game until one year later at SpaceWorld 2001, where a completely new Zelda was shown. Replacing the dark, gritty demo of 2000 was a new cel-shaded look, which resembled an interactive cartoon. Shigeru Miyamoto said the new look was designed to "extend Zelda's reach to all ages". The cel-shaded approach was a radical shift and IGN staff wondered if two separate games might be in concurrent development.
While some at the event enjoyed the new look, there was a backlash from disappointed fans who had been expecting a realistic Zelda game. Miyamoto was surprised at the reaction to the footage and the media's claim that Nintendo was shifting its focus to a younger audience and he refused to reveal anything further until a playable demonstration became available. It was hoped that once critics played the game, they would focus on the all important gameplay, rather than simply reacting to the new style of graphics.
Miyamoto promised a playable version for E3 2002 and a release later that year. When Nintendo did exhibit a playable demo at E3 2002 it was well-received. An editor at IGN said the cartoon look "works very nicely" and that "it feels very much like Zelda". The whimsical style was compared to A Link to the Past and promotional artwork from previous Zelda games. E3 also introduced new features, such as the ability to connect to the Game Boy Advance and receive help from Tingle.
On 15 October 2002, the Japanese subtitle Kaze no Takuto (Takt of Wind) was revealed, to emphasize the role of wind in the game. Nintendo announced the official translation, The Wind Waker, on 2 December 2002, and a North American release date of 24 March 2003 was set two days later.
A new Zelda game using a heavily modified version of the Wind Waker engine is currently in development for the GameCube and Wii. This game, Twilight Princess, features darker, more realistic graphics while retaining some cel-shaded elements.
Bundling
On 22 November 2002, an update to Nintendo's Japanese Kaze no Takuto website revealed that a special bonus disc was being offered to pre-ordering customers. This bonus GameCube disc, given at the time of the pre-order, contained an emulated version of Ocarina of Time and Ura Zelda, an expansion for Ocarina of Time with modified dungeons and other small changes that never saw a North American release due to the failure of the Nintendo 64DD. On 4 December 2002 this offer was extended to North American consumers, with Ura Zelda translated to Ocarina of Time Master Quest. Some retailers made the mistake of giving the bonus discs away then allowing consumers to cancel their pre-orders without returning the disc. As a result, the European bonus disc was included with The Wind Waker in a two-disc case.On 17 November 2003, Nintendo released a new GameCube bundle that included Collector's Edition, a compilation disc containing versions of The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, a twenty-minute playable demo of The Wind Waker, and two short featurettes. The disc was also given to consumers who registered a GameCube and two games at Nintendo's website or subscribed or renewed a subscription to Nintendo Power.
Critical response
| Publication | Score | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Compilations of multiple reviews | ||
| Awards | ||
Choice Awards | ||
Achievement Awards | in Art Direction | |
The game's most common criticism is the heavy emphasis on sailing. GameSpot noted that the game "starts out in a very brisk manner", but that in the last third of the game, the "focus on sailing ... is pretty tedious". IGN complained that viewing the animation of using the Wind Waker "hundreds of times" became "a tedious nuisance", and that the lack of an option to skip the animation "is more bothersome still". Some critics also felt that the game was easier than previous Zelda games. GameSpot thought that some players would be "a little put off" by the "easy puzzles and boss battles"; IGN called the boss battles "slightly simplistic" and noted that enemies "inflict little damage onto Link". GamePro, on the other hand, felt that the dungeons tended to be "huger and more challenging with new twists", with treasure hunts that would "tax even the most accomplished Zelda gamer".
Despite these negative comments, critics consistently gave The Wind Waker high reviews, with Nintendo Power calling the game the fourth best game to ever appear on a Nintendo console.(February 2006). "NP Top 200". Nintendo Power, vol 200, pp. 58-66. The game also met commercial success, propelling sales of the GameCube console and becoming the most successful pre-order campaign in Nintendo history.
Cast
- Sachi Matsumoto: Link
- Hikari Tachibana: Princess Zelda/Tetra
- Takashi Nagasako: Ganondorf
- Osamu Hosoi: Various
- Asami Imai: Various
- Eiji Maruyama: Various
- Hironori Miyata: Various
- Takeharu Ohnishi: Various
- Chiaki Takahashi: Various
See also
- The Wind Waker characters
- The Legend of Zelda series weapons and items
- Phantom Hourglass, an official sequel.
Notes and references
External links
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker official site
- Collection of reviews of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- Speed Demos Archive - Speedruns
- April Fools? Zelda Universe's writeup about EGM's joke, including a scan of the bogus article.
The Legend of Zelda games | GameCube-only games | Cel-shaded computer and video games | 2003 computer and video games
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | ゼルダの伝説 風のタクト | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
"The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker"