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Dont listen to people who bash this because of the graphics

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: February 16, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is really awesome. The graphics may be cel-shaded, but that doesn't mean that they are bad. Go to your local Electronics Boutique or Gamestop and try it out. If you liked Ocarina of Time, you'll like this. Plus, you get Ocarina of Time and Ura Zelda free when you preorder this game. You really can't go wrong, unless of course you only play sports games.

The Legend Returns, and it's better than ever!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: April 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Link is back! At least, I think he's Link. This new game is set more than 100 years after Ocarina of Time, so Hyrule is pretty much gone. Link is the stuff of legends, as is the triforce. You are a young kid who sets off on a quest because your sister was kidnapped (as I'm sure you all know). However, your quest soon takes on a much more important meaning. (I won't spoil it)
Using a talking boat (a replacement for the faries in earlier games) and help from a MASSIVE WORLD you must not only rescue your sis, but cast down evil to the pits from whence it came! Rumour has it that Zelda will even make a cameo appearance in this game (what would a Zelda game be without the princess?). Of course, I cannot forget the graphics. Yes, cell shading is different. When I saw it I thought "What have they done to Zelda?" But after you play the game for 7 hours straight for the first weekend (trust me, you will) you realize that these graphics are one of the best things they have done. It allows for a much deeper and more interactive world to explore. Finally, don't forget the GBA linkup. I bought a GBA to GC cable just for this game, and believe me it was worth it. The "Tingle Tuner" allows you to get maps and a small portable store (available only in areas where it wouldn't be too cheap (like a boss)) right on your GBA!

Ratings:

Story 6/5: Had me (literally) saying "Wow!"
Graphics 4/5: Different but great
Controls 4.9/5: Natural after you discover the tricks

Bosses 3.9/5: The early bosses are extremely easy to Zelda vets
World 6/5: This world has things to discover even after you found them once!
Characters 5/5: Corny at times, but great just the same!

Overall: 10/10: Who would've thought Zelda could get better?

Zelda Cubed = Awesome

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: April 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Some of you out there probably had the same comments when you saw the first demo movies for Windwaker, "Why the heck does Link look like that?!" Especially if you saw the demo movies they showed at Spaceworld 2000, the fully rendered battle scene between Link and Gannondorf, it looked amazing and this Cell shaded atrosity was a let down.

However, I've played all the Legend of Zelda games, and I couldn't stop now. Think back to Link to the Past for the SNES console it was pretty cartoony. The way the characters were draw and the scenery, it was all very "animated" looking. Obviously hindered by the 16 bit graphics, but none the less. So I picked up Windwaker. Wow. This game rocks. The graphics just amaze me, especially being a fan of "cartoons" such as Samurai Jack and Cowboy Bebop, the graphics just enthralled me and I continued to play in amazement at the smoothness and detail that the cell shading brought to Zelda. Granted it would have been sweet to see it in realistic styled graphics, but this just sets it apart from every game out there. It's unique in that "holy [cow] you have to play this or else you'll be missing out on a revolutionary step in awesomeness".

The sword fighting is rad in this new adventure, being able to vary Link's combos is cool (although not a lot, but enough) and a boomerang the homes in on its targets adds a lot to the gameplay. After a while you don't even notice the cartoony aspects of it, it just beings to rock and you want more.

The sound is a little lacking, that's the only thing bad thing I can say. The music could be a heck of a lot more indepth and emotional to the gameplay, and the sound effects could have been better, but its no reason what so ever not to play it.

So at least pick this game up for a rental and try it out, play it for a couple hours and you'll get a feel for how sweet this game really is.

5 outta 5. rock the haus.

Wake

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: April 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is going to be rough...

Because I have mixed feelings concerning the newest Nintendo offering. The line of Zelda games that have been released over the years has built a legion of followers, some so violently dedicated that it would be a fatal mistake to insult Link or make light of the concept of the Triforce.

But amidst the bitter hatred and enmity festering between the conflicting sides concerning this "Cel-da," I stand my ground.

The Wind Waker is not the best Zelda game to date. But... Before all you Ocarina fans start saying "amen," let me tell you that neither is the Ocarina Of Time. While OOT is undisputably the most revolutionary Zelda game, it still falls short of the benchmark that A Link To The Past set (Not the new 'Ocarina-ized' version for the GBA, mind you).

But I digress. Yes, the new Link is a fearsome sight, especially when we were all expecting the strapping, fearless 18-year old Link that we saw at SpaceWorld 2000. The Ocarina Of Time pulled the Zelda franchise towards a more serious and dark tone... It had been a while since the bleeps and bloops of the original, and the world of Zelda was becoming a very realistic and beautiful one. And Nintendo "blew it." The darkness, the adult themes and even Link's handsome face disappeared, leaving many of us with clenched fists and tears.

But that doesn't change the fact that this game is amazing. One of the few complaints I had when playing Ocarina was the fact that you always knew where you had to go. You always had at least a vague goal on the horizon the achieve, and there wasn't terribly too much to do along the way. This changes with The Wind Waker. When I first had access to the Great Sea, I couldn't believe it. I really could go anywhere. Granted, there were areas I could not tread because I lacked the items needed, but there was so much to do. There were hundreds of little things to which I replied, "I'll have to get back to that." Some of them I did; Some of them had to wait until the second game. The countless side quests and secrets will have you playing for a good chunk of your month.

Aesthetics are extremely good. I won't beat a dead horse; if you've decided that you hate the new look of Zelda, nothing anyone says will ever convince you otherwise. But nobody can deny that the quality of the style Nintendo selected is top-notch. There are particles and atmospheric doodads everywhere, and the water, though nowhere near as impressive as Mario Sunshine's, is beautiful. Music is also done very well. I was glad to see Koji Kondo back on the score, even though he had some assistance. People who have played all the games and even those who picked up with Ocarina will recognize with delight many familiar pieces of traditional Zelda music. But, as always, new themes have been added which are just as easy on the ears as any previous ones. It's obvious that Nintendo put a lot of effort into the presentation.

Unfortunately, it is also obvious that about half-way through production of the game, the director, the script writer, the exectutive producer or SOMEONE was murdered. There are distinct "halves" in this game, and there are countless holes in the second part. There weren't enough flaws to really ruin the game for me, but the fact that Nintendo would neglect its flagship GameCube game to this point does not sit well with me at all. To say that the second half of Waker is too short is to make a severe understatement.

That aside, The Wind Waker barely edges out Ocarina with it's broad open world, a very well-done story that links (get it?) logically to past Zelda games, and the giddieness that overtakes you when you discover an island that you've never been to before. No game is perfect, except maybe Metroid Prime. But Nintendo once again proves exactly why it's been around for so long.

I CAN"T WAIT!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: February 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Ok, u r probably thinking that because of the cel shaded graphics, that this is a bad game. Well, i must admit that after playing Super Smash Brothers and seeing how good Link looked on GC, i was hoping for realistic graphics too. So, when i first saw the cel shaded graphics, i thought, " WHAT IS WRONG WITH THOSE GUYS AT NITENDO! THEY'VE RUINED A CLASSIC!!But after reading stuff on different websites and seeing it in motion,I completely changed my mind about the graphics. Now i think that they're awsome! i also found out that its alot harder to render cel shaded graphics than it is to make realistic ones. So nintendo must have had a good reason for making them that way.
Ok, now i've told you my thoughts on the graphics. But we must remember that graphics aren't everything. Even if the graphics were the worst a system could make, i'd still want to play it for the gameplay and the plotline. Like with a movie. Would you rather see a movie that's all special effects and no plot whatsoever (or just a really bad one) or a movie with terrible special effects but a great plotline? Well, i haven't played the game, but i know a bit about what happens...
It takes place 100 years after Ocarina of Time. On Link's 12th birthday, he recieves his famous green tunic from his grandmother and a telescope/spyglass from his little sister. While using his new spyglass, he happens to spot a giant bird carrying a girl in its talons. Link saves her, then the bird kidnaps his sister.Link decides to go save her, and that's how the adventure begins...
This game got a perfect 40/40 from one of Japan's best gaming magazine. I don't know about you, but I'm definitely going to rent this game. (i always rent games b4 i buy them. just to be extra sure.)

Even better than I though it could be.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: February 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The other day i played the demo for wind walker at a store the other day. I thought it was going to be lame bacause of the cell shading....I was wrong. The Graphics are sharp and detailed and the gameplay is smooth and challenging. Nintendo really went out this time to make a Zelda game with alot of feeling and true gameplay. I give this game over five stars and await its arival.

So Far, So Good

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: March 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I got this game a couple of days ago, and started playing it right away. So far, the game is wonderful! I originally bought this game because it came with the extra bonus disc, with "Ocarina of Time" on it (another amazing game). But after playing this, I am starting to think it's even better than the others. I have only played three Zelda games, this one, and the two on Nintendo 64, so I was not sure what to expect. However it was easy for me to enjoy the game, because it is a lot like "Ocarina", but at the same time, very different. Here are my other all scores for the game.

Story - 4/5 it has a very solid story. I would give it 5/5, but I want to finish the game before I say the story is perfect.

Characters - 5/5 Like all Zelda games, Wind Waker bring's us interesting, powerful, and fun characters. There are hundreds of different characters, including silly towns people, dark, evil, enemies, tough talking pirates, and a loving grandmother.

Controls - 5/5 the controls and motion's are easy to learn. You also have full control over the camera angles.

Fun factor - 4/5 Not only is the game fun to play, but almost everything about this game brings an element of fun into it. I gave it 4/5 because some areas, may be least exciting for some.

Game play- 4/5 The game will have you coming back for more.

Graphic's - 5/5 Originally I didn't want cartoon-like graphic's, but after playing the game, I see they work perfectly.

Music - 4/5 The music adds a lot to the game, and change's
when the scene or mood of the game changes. It was great for me, because a lot of the music is very much like "Ocarina of Time's" score.

overall rating - 4/5, since I haven't beaten this yet, I can't give it a perfect score. But all I can say this.... Wow, this game is amazing!

polished but weak

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 12 / 19
Date: April 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

i have loved the zelda series since i was about 11. that's when i got to play a link to the past for the first time, and i've held every zelda game since to the standard set by that amazing game. ocarina came close, majora was interesting but much more of side story, and wind waker tries too hard to be different and stay true to the zelda name at the same time.

first of all, though, you will be amazed by the graphics and animation. in this reagrd, waker is truly a work of art. and there certainly is plenty to do, though a lot of the new features are essentially scavanger hunts. this is a huge dissapointment, because the series has kept this aspect to a minimum in the past. sure, you always had to stock up on arrows, bombs, and rupees. but that's the easy part in this game. it's some of the other things you have to steal from enemies and bring up from the ocean floor that get repetitive.

the largest problem with this game however is it's difficulty. besides a handful of clever new puzzles, the game is a total breeze. way too easy. and, like ocarina, the last dungeon is a joke, as is the final boss battle and ending.

i am still pleased with the game as a whole i suppose, mainly because controlling link in this new vibrant world is a joy unto itself. and gaining new items is usually as exciting as ever. but it just seems like everything is handed to you. the sense of progress and truly earning your new abilities and access to new areas is all but lost. and although the story does continue where ocarina left off, i'm ready to go back to hyrule. i've had enough of the sparsely populated open seas.

Skepticism

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 13
Date: March 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

You might think the makers of Zelda have had to smoking something to make the graphics in zelda cel shaded. But if you look closely and just play the game for 15 minutes. You'll love it, just like orcarina. While your playing you'll notice Link's different facial expressions etc. Little details like this make the game enjoyable. You'll be wanting to tell your friend "Hey look, watch his face as i get hit by this rock" or something like that. Its quite impressive. AI in the game is quite good too, you break a pot in someones house or store the store owner gets mad, I haven't seen this in a game before. The only problem i have with this game is probably the water effects, and since you will be in your boat a lot, i am a little dissapointed. The water looks plain and just looks like windex spilled on tile. Actually windex looks better. But the game itself is quite good, its the gameplay every zelda has, its the gameplay that makes us love the zeldas not its graphics.

Amazing!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

As several others have mentioned, I was extremely disappointed when I found out that the GC Zelda was going to be cel-shaded. In fact, I remember when it was first shown back at Spaceworld 2k1, I was a huge GCN fan (though it wasn't out) but I was considering not even getting a GameCube (I'm glad I still bought one though, it's an excellent system) after watching the videos. The Legend of Zelda is my favorite series, and I thought they had completely ruined it.

Then, over time, I cooled off and the new look began to grow on me. Then, at E3 2k2, I read impressions from about every gaming site calling the game amazing and extremely fun.

So, I've only played the demo so far, but what I have played, and from all the reviews I've read, this game is amazing.

First, the gameplay is excellent, and it maintains most of the core gameplay of the N64 with a few changes. Which I don't feel the need to go over, since several others already have.

Second, the plot is great. By far the deepest plot of any Zelda game. I actually read a spoiler summary of the plot, so yeah.

Those who are still skeptical about the graphics, for whatever reason, don't be so angry. After you start playing the game, you'll realize that this is the only way the game could be. I agree with that, Electronic Gaming Monthly agrees with that, IGN, Planetgamecube, Famitsu and many others have all said that. The way the graphics are used to convey so many emotions and facial expressions is amazing.

If you already love the graphics, buy this game. If you don't, buy this game anyway. You will quickly be converted to the graphical style.

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