Who remembers the Wii U? You know, that console that Nintendo marketed as its return to the mainstream gaming space but that wouldn’t be leaving the more casual fans that they had attracted with the original Wii alone. You may also recall that not long into the lifespan of the console, most of the gaming industries main developers and published had abandoned all hope for the Wii U and essentially stopped producing any content for it. It just so happens that it’s sort of my favourite current gen console (which to me includes the Xbox One and PS4 but not the PC). Why? Because Nintendo understands that what I usually want when I turn on my video game console is to play a video game. Not check social media or watch TV or surf the web or traverse convoluted menus to access main features of the console. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I actually do want to do that, but the fact that Nintendo’s competitors were so terrified of making a gaming system for the purpose of gaming is rather odd to me. Surely you understand why I bought your new system right? I didn’t do it because I wanted to watch Cable TV for 500 fucking dollars. I did it because I wanted to play some video games and maybe also surf the world’s least practical web browser. Nintendo understands what the Wii U is for. It’s a gaming machine. It’s a neat, compact little system that sits elegantly underneath my TV and doesn’t have the delusions of grandeur that flow through the circuits of my Xbox One.
Oh shit, this is meant to be about the Wind Waker. Ok, I can come back from this. Sorry, I had to get across where I was coming from and then just sort of vent about the pseudo skynet machine that is trying to take control of my TV cabinet. Let’s get to the actual topic of this post.
For those of you who don’t know, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was a game originally released by Nintendo on the Gamecube in 2002, but was re-released on the Wii U as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Edition in 2013. The re-release sported better textures, native 1080p resolution and a slew of other changes in both the graphics and gameplay departments. Upon its initial release, the game received almost unanimous praise from both gamers and critics alike. Not everyone was happy however. The Wind Waker‘s cell-shaded art style and more colourful world didn’t sit well with some gamers. There were people out there who had wanted to see another game in the vein of Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, and who were disappointed after the announcement of the new game, especially after some concept footage had been shown previously which retained the more realistic art style.
For those who didn’t mind the change however, The Wind Waker turned out to be a great game with a compelling world filled with colourful characters and stories. I personally love the world of The Wind Waker. It just feels so… nice. The thing that really makes it feel good to me though, is how it knows exactly the scale that it should go for. The overall plot is of a suitable level of grandeur for a Zelda game, but most of the smaller stories in the game are these humble little tales, driven by fun characters. The best example of this might be in story around Prince Komali of the Rito’s of Dragon Roost Island. Komali lost his grandmother to some unknown cause and has since cut himself off from the rest of the people of the Island. He carries Din’s Pearl everywhere he goes, a final gift given to him by his grandmother, which is why Link initially runs into him, needing the pearl to acquire the Master Sword. Link can only get the pearl from him by calming down Valoo, the Sky Spirit, at the top of the Island. Once this is done, the prince can ascend the mountain and retrieve on of Valoo’s scales, which is how the Ruto acquire their wings to begin with. Throughout the rest of the game at certain points in the story, or just by going to find Komali, you can see that his outlook on life has changed. He’s not as depressed and actually leaves his room. This is just one of the many examples of how The Wind Waker‘s charming character driven stories makes the game touching. Another case of this happening is how Link cures his grandmother of some unknown ailment by bringing her a red potion and she thanks him by giving him some of his favourite soup. Awwwww.
The game knew that it didn’t need to take itself so seriously, and as a result remains many Zelda fan’s favourite game in the series, mine included. A belief that being dark and moody was best for Zelda is something that made Twilight Princess feel less special as a gaming experience for many players, but that’s a story for another time and, admittedly, I haven’t actually played Twilight Princess, So it would be wrong for me to make too many bold statements on the topic.
Regardless, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is a game that remembers the importance of likeable characters and charming visuals, and as such is a game that I am OK with letting some the flaws slide. Is it perfect? No. Is it the best Zelda game ever? Debatable. Will it be fondly remembered? Absolutely.
Y, Though? 