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27 Year Old Gamer

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I played the first Legend of Zelda back in 1987 when I was 11 and I thought that game was the best in the world at the time, and its still good, yes I played it recently. I also played Zelda II and then A Link to the Past for Super NES which was also an awesome game. Then I played N64 for a little while and Ocarina of Time was really good too.

I have been outta the mix for a while and I just recently got back into video games. I've always been partial to Nintendo games because it brought back good memories from childhood and they always had the best quality games I thought. I was a little put off by all these realistic 3D games and I thought that some of them looked cool but they all looked the same and the action was very stiff which didn't match the realistic graphics.

So the reason I bought the Game Cube was because I saw the Wind Waker screen shots & I thought the cell shaded graphics looked fricken awesome. While I waited for its release I played Metroid Prime (Metroid, another one of my favorites of the Nintendo Series Games.)

Anyway I bought the Wind Waker as soon as I had the chance. I've been playing it for a few days now and I am absolutely blown away by the detail that when into creating this game. The gameplay & graphics match perfectly. Sometimes its like your controlling a movie, not a video game. Each character seems to have its own artificial intelligence and the graphics are gorgeous and they don't get boring to look at after awhile like some of the supposedly realistic looking games out there. I hope all the Zeldas that come out from now on keep this same look but keep adding improvements to it. If this game had graphics that looked like Grand Theft Auto or something, I wouldn't have bought it. Those graphics are so cliche' looking 3D game graphics and this new Zelda is original, creative and innovative.

If you have any reservations about getting it because of graphics, I would suggest lose them & get this game or you will be missing out maybe the best Zelda game so far. They may look like childish graphics on the outside but I'll tell you from what I played so far, it's miles away from some so-called adults games in terms of the storyline & gameplay. Finally if you weren't even the least interested in getting this game you wouldn't be reading this review, so do yourself a favor and get it.

I've been using Amazon.com for years now and this is only the second review I've written because I think that all the flack about the graphics in some of these reviews is a little biased just because the game doesn't look like "Ocarina of Time Part 2" to all the OOT worshippers.

Astounding...completely astounding

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: April 01, 2003
Author: Amazon User

A lot of people were completely shocked when they noticed the change in graphics style for the new Zelda game on Gamecube. These images of a cartoonish, "juvenile" Zelda immediately turned them off and they didn't pay a shred of attention to it any longer. If you are one of those people, I STRONGLY urge you to just give this game a chance!! This happens to be one of the most amazing Zelda games ever created, and I don't care what anyone else says, this game is NOT juvenile, these graphics do NOT ...in fact, they are beautiful and I wouldn't mind a bit if the next Zelda game on Gamecube looked exactly like this. Every Legend of Zelda game I own (which is pretty much all of them except for the Cd-i games) has managed to completely exceed my expectations, which is why it is my favorite video game series of all time. I got my copy of the game last week and when I got home from college on the weekend, I turned on the game. In two minutes, I was in love with it. And it only gets better from there. From Link's home on Outset Island, you sail a gorgeous ocean and discover many other beautiful islands and meet very appealing characters. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker contains all the elements of past Zelda games and a diverse amount of innovative techniques (like sailing across the Overworld instead of walking it by foot). I'm not going to spoil any of this game for you because it would be a crime to do such a thing. I haven't beaten it yet, but I fear that I'm getting near the end...:*( Very highly recommended for everybody.

A close second to the epic Ocarina Of Time

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 16, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The Zelda series has been ongoing for as long as I can remember, even back when I got my first NES, Zelda was the must play game, not much has changed in that time. After much anticipation Nintendo finally released the follow-up to the bland Majora's Mask, and to many fans dismay they went for a popular trend at the time, cell shading animation. Many gamers were too quick to dismiss this game because of it's different animation style, this is not only foolish but just plain stupid. I'll admit I wasn't too hot on the idea at first, it seemed awkward and childish, not too mention Link looked more like a girl than a hero. It only took 10 minutes of gameplay to change my mind and make me a believer. Wind Waker is different, yes, but if you look at Zelda's past no two titles have been the same, accept change as a part of the series if you plan to be a fan of it.

It's hard to live up to the Ocarina Of Time for the Nintendo 64, arguably the best game in the series, but as the title stated it's very close.

For starters the story is gripping, as long as you suspend any disbelief or doubt which is necessary for pretty much any Zelda game. Normally I'd tell you about the storyline but in a game as such it is much too essential, therefore I leave that up to you to discover. What I can tell you is this game is addicting, pure and simple, you'll find yourself driven to complete each quest. The combat system is similar to the others, with some newer features and weapons to help compliment it. Another unique twist is the implement of sailing from island to island, a task that can ocassionally be trying, but always worthwhile. It took me several months to complete this game, keep in mind I played it very casually, sometimes for 10 minutes, other times for hours. While there is no voice acting, the characters clever and entertaining dialogue more than makes up for it.

If you're a fan of the Zelda series this game will please you, I guarantee it. And if you're just a fanboy complaining about the "stupid" grahpics, grow up, it's your loss for missing out on such a great game.

Hours and hours of fun!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: May 12, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Firstly let me state that I have never before played another Zelda game. I just never got into them; I was a Mario girl.

That said, ZELDA AND THE WIND WAKER is phenomenal. My younger sister got it as a present and she let me play when she wasn't playing it. As soon as I got up and left for college I needed my own.

Link is adorable. His facial expressions are entertaining. All the characters are great; there's such a variety that you'll just keep on Ooohing and Aaahing at the screen, impressed at the creativity.

The fighting/action is difficult but not too much so. I've played games before that I would get so mad at that I would have to leave and come back to them... much, much later. Zelda provided no such frustration, but as I said before, it wasn't so easy that I zipped straight through it and was not challenged.

The storyline is interesting. The sailing, contrary to what some other people may have said, is not tedious. In fact, I did quite a bit of exploring just for fun while I was on my way to other places.

My sister and I spent hours and hours playing this game. In fact, I would even pick it up and play it all over again from the beginning if I had the time.

Drop the cel-shading complaint

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: March 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Ok, I know that everyone is having a problem with the cel shading zelda game, I mean I was too, I am a huge zelda fan and was dissapointed in the beginning about that. However watching the gamespot reviews and the movies I grew to love it, I also never intended to buy a gamecube but when I saw Meteroid I thought maybe and when I grew to like Zelda then I had to get one. Also last point for those of you who are complaining about cel shading, A link to the past was a cartoonish game and you cant tell me its one of the greats and this one is too but with much better graphics. If you are a true Zelda fan then you need to give it a chance.

One of the best games ever, and YES I've played it

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: March 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Being the happy owner of the best game on Gamecube and one of the best games of all time, I can only let others know what they're missing out on. In a sentence, it's a return to the escapism and wonder that the best video games have always embodied. This is a fantasy game, so Link's new look suits him perfectly. The cel-shading can't be compared to Disney (it's leagues above anything they've ever done). Rather, it's like playing a Hayao Miyazaki film (My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke), with beautiful detail and ambience complementing the dark undertones of the story as a whole. Finally the technology of gaming has risen to the point where it can do the Zelda series (and fantasy gaming in general) justice.

The gameplay itself is only the further refinement of the styles first explored in Orcarnia of Time and Majoras Mask, which for anybody having played those games is a great thing. Z-targeting has been held over (now called L-targeting), and the fighting itself has gone through a couple of encancements to make it even more thrilling than ever before, with counter and disarming attacks even being thrown into the mix. Trust me, your adrenalin will rush when you first clash swords and the symphonic tones surge with every swipe. The story, so far as I've seen is, is classic Zelda, a simple yet deliciously effective plot reflecting the themes of past Zeldas. In my opinion it's shaping up to be the best plot of the series so far.

The dungeons and fighting aren't too difficult from what I've seen so far either, yet they are by no means too easy, and the things to do are just ovewhelming. Fight, sneak (yes, stealth is a major component in this one), sail, search for chests, hidden items, do subquests. Practically the most free-form of all Zeldas as well.

Overall, I can't see how anybody, Zelda newcomer or hardcore fans who most likely have the Triforce tattoed somewhere on their bodily selves, would be disappointed by such a beautiful game of such dizzying scope. Play it. If you don't have a Gamecube, buy one, then this game, then the 10 or so other classics that are on this great system. You'll savor every minute.

Nintendo's greatness shines again.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: May 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

There are those occasions when a product comes out that is so good that any attempts at a sequel or prequel have such a high level of expectation that it is impossible for any attempt at expanding the story cannot ever live up to the expectations set by the original. In this case, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time is a game that in 1998 won numerous game of the year awards, and redefined the 3D Action RPG. In short, many critics declared the game perfect.
I was grateful for OOT because the N64 was such a huge disappointment over all that it really needed a game like that to make me not regret purchasing it. I agree with the critics, OOT was perfect in every way shape and form, considering the technology of the time. It was also the first game to incorporate facial expressions into real time graphics, a title that was the very definition of revolutionary, a game I still give 5 stars to whole heartedly, and the only game I have ever given a 100% score to. The game was simply that good.
The game was followed by Majora's Mask, a game I enjoyed greatly, especially since it was so difficult compared to other Zelda titles. It wasn't as perfect or polished as OOT was, but it still garnered a 5 star rating and a 97% score from me.
Now the GameCube's most controversial title has arrived. Controversial solely because of the games art direction. While I will agree that I would love to see the return of adult Link in a more realistic looking adventure I must say that for what Nintendo was trying to do they did a brilliant job. The goal of this game's art style was to make it look and feel like a Saturday morning cartoon, a feat that they accomplished brilliantly. Whether or not you approve of the art style, one must confess that for what it is, it looks, and animates brilliantly.
The music is also light years BETTER than the cheesy MIDIs of OOT and Majora's Mask, the environments more clear, and the over world more vast, but unlike OOT, which for its time made full use of the technology available to it to become perfect, The Wind Waker does have a few minor shortcomings, Though I feel that the art style is not one of them.
The shortcoming I found in this game is the lack of danger. While the game is still very fun to play it's not very difficult at all, and even bosses can be plowed through rather quickly once you figure out the key to fighting them. This is off set by some clever puzzles however. I just would like to have more complex battles, this game is about as difficult as Star Fox Adventures... you may die on occasion, but not nearly as often as you should in a truly challenging game.
There are some fetch quests that also seem very tedious, thankfully shortened from the Japanese version, but this is offset by a very clever story that makes the game worth playing. Granted, its nothing on Final Fantasy scale, but its still epic in its own right, and as a fan of Saturday Morning Cartoons, I have a lot of fun even just watching this very well done game. It is truly a title that every GameCube owner should pick up, but sadly it does not live up to the perfection of OOT, I doubt anything will.
I would definitely encourage playing this game, especially if you're a cartoon fan. Its one of the best GameCube games out there, but does not usurp Metroid Prime's title as Best GameCube game ever.
Graphics 10: For what they were trying to do they accomplished it perfectly. The first good-looking cell-shaded video game.
Sound Effects 7: This game needs voice acting! It needs it badly! The voice effects in here are largely grunts and screams and other minor effects like that. I like the music cued combos during fights, and the rest of the sound effects do their job well, but nothing truly spectacular... good voice overs would have raised this score to a ten.
Music 8: Well composed well presented in brilliant Dolby Pro Logic 2. Still MIDI music, not as bad as OOT, but not as good as the music of say... Castlevania, Symphony of the Night, or Final Fantast X, or Metal Gear Solid 2.
Game play 10: Nearly perfect, but not quite. There are not as many dungeons in this game as there were in OOT, which is disappointing, and for a seasoned Zelda fanatic like myself its a bit too easy in parts, but this is coming from a guy who won't play Blood Rayne without cheat codes turned on because I don't like loosing. But the reason I like RPGs is because with a few exceptions the difficulty of the game is totally dependant on how much effort the player puts into developing the character. For an RPG this game was just a wee bit too easy for me. That does not mean that game isn't good though!
Replay value 10: Like with any Zelda game, great replay value. I imagine this game will likely be just as much fun to play to play ten years from now as the original NES Legend of Zelda remains today. There's even a second quest!
Over all 96.2%

Late Review

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: January 20, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I would've given this game 4 stars if I was reviewing it last year when I bought it, but I recently started playing it again and was re-introduced to how fun it can be. The gameplay is great, very responsive control, it looks good, and the world (water included) seems large. I agree with others that the islands are a bit small, but it follows the storyline for the islands to be small and far between. I think the best part of the game is when you actually get the Master Sword. As a matter of fact, it is one of my favorite moments of all time in a video game. This game is better than Ocarina of Time in some ways, and in others it is worse, I think the dominant way in which it is better is the amazingly high amount of enemies you have to confront and the incredibly large dungeons, even though there are only 4 true dungeons. Plus, the story is similar, yet different enough from the other Zeldas that it keeps you interested. Anyone who would refer to this game as being too childish and or too simple obviously didn't grow up playing any other Zelda games and therefore should be credited for their background of being inexperienced and meritless. If you want a different but great Zelda, then get this game, if you want Ocarina of Time 2 then.....tough rocks man. I think anyone that plays long enough to get the master sword will agree with me that this is a genuine Zelda game that provides a genuine Zelda experience. And for all you naysayers that don't like cartoonish graphics (and I bet half of you watch your share of cartoons) there will be more Zeldas with different scenarios and different themes, so just recognise that Nintendo knows what they are doing...most of the time.

New Zelda

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 16
Date: January 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

When i heard that the new zelda game would be cel-shaded, i inmediately turned this one down, i didn't want to hear anything else from it. Last week, i read somewhere something about "the best zelda ever", so i just had to check that out. I did, and started reading, and watching, and looking... and now, less than a week later, i have already decided to buy a gamecube, and i've preordered the game. Just having Ocarina of Time with it is definitely worth it, and i just can't wait to play it!!! Sorry if i sound kinda stupid, but i just can't help it, this game will rule.

A 4.75, but the Waker maynot leave adults awake.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 12
Date: June 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Miyamoto, although your games are great, don't baby us Americans. This game was a very easy and, sadly a very short play. I was half tempted to pay the extra money to make my GameCube Japan compatable just to play a harder game. I was appauled to find that he had reduced the difficulty of the game to suit American needs. He must have thought that Americans would have thought the games new graphic style to be, well, kiddy. Our economy would say no to that. If anything, you should keep it the same. America has the has the largest economy for games, man! Bigger than Japan! Give us some bang for our bucks. Come on Miyamoto. Zelda has left us enthralled for years, and we can take a change. I loved it! I would have preferred to see the Zelda promised by E3, but I have to say the satisfying puff of a Moblin being whooped is a great sight.

Sound: 4.5/5. Great music, but it would have been better if the Sun Song was unadulterated from Ocarina of Time. Other than that, the music was flawless.

Controls: 4/5. This game's set-up was the same as Ocarina's, but it was hard getting used to the C-stick not being used as an item quick-play button, if you played Ocarina on the GC

Gameplay: 4/5. Good on land, but when you first get out at sea for the beginning of the game, it feels like slave labor moving the boat for 10-25 minute intervals. This added much of the time I spent on the game.

Graphics: 5/5. Freaking gorgeous. Eye-candy for the tasteful gamer.

Difficulty: 2/5. This game was easy up until Ganon's Tower, where it got too hard, too quickly, starting with fighting all of the games bosses AND fighting Puppet Ganon, Phantom Ganon, Ganon and Ganon a second time.

Overall: 4.75. Great game, it is essential for a GameCube owner, and no one should be left without it.

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