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Only One is a Legend

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 558 / 583
Date: January 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker...It was in development for 3 long years and it basically maxes out Gamecube's hardware capabilities (cel-shading is an extremely difficult effect for processors/graphic engines to handle).

AWARDS + REVIEWS
Zelda: The Wind Waker came out in Japan in December and is considered one of the greatest games of all time there. Famitsu magazine in Japan (the most reliable gaming magazine in the world..and every game is reviewed by 4 different critics) gave Zelda: The Wind Waker a perfect 40/40. Only three other games have ever gotten a score that high (Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Vagrant Story, and Soul Calibur). Famitsu says "Any pangs of anxiety you may have with the cartoon-shading look will instantly vanish once you play the game." Two of the reviewers actually said the game was so good that they cried in delight. In fact, Zelda has recieved only one non-perfect review in Japan and that was by Dengeki magazine (it got a 9.5/10) ..and Dengeki scores games so harshly that Zelda: The Wind Waker became the first game in over 3 months to get above an 8/10. In the US, PlanetGamecube imported the Japanese version and gave it a 10/10. Zelda: The Wind Waker also won Best Console Game of E3 (Gamespot and the Official Awards).

THE "NEW" ZELDA
The main difference between this Zelda and past Zelda's is that Miyamoto is no longer designing/directing it, and thus, the new director is giving it a much more epic feel. Everyone who has played the Japanese version has said that it definatly has the deepest story out of any of the Zelda's ever made - in fact, it is the first Zelda to have a true emphasis on plotline. Not only this, but this is also the first Zelda to have multiple continents and islands that you can sail to with a ship. The world is so huge that on a quick ship it can take as much as 15 minutes to sail from one location to the other (in Final Fantasy for comparison sailing from one end of the world to the other only takes about 2 minutes).

LENGTH
PlanetGamecube themselves gave the game a 10/10 and said the only problem the game had was that the world was TOO huge. This game will take you 40 hours to complete (if you are very fast and direct) but is filled with well over 100 hours of sidequests and other things to do. In fact, this game is probably packed with more sidequests than any game ever made.

CEL SHADING
Anyone who shys away from this game because of the graphics are definatly missing out. Those graphics are actually more difficult for a console to render and more difficult for developers to make than the great polygonal graphics we are all used to. Not only this, but I, having witnessed the game myself at a Nintendo Cube Club, have noticed that up close this game is beautiful. Do not be fooled by screenshots, they do not do the game justice. The animation in this game is amazing and at the Cube Club (a club containing over 20 gamecube games), Zelda definatly stood out as the one with the most impressive and flawless art design and graphics.

GAMEPLAY
The gameplay itself is very similar to Zelda: Ocarina of Time although with many enhancements and improvisations. Plenty of fighting, exploring, and puzzle solving. This time, however, the gimmick is wind rather than time (in Ocarina of times case). Wind is constantly blowing at a specific velocity and direction at any moment in the game. It effects everything - from how your boat sails and in what direction to which way Link's cap swings in the air. Many puzzles will also use the wind and there are items to manipulate it.

MUSIC
And then there is the music..the music of the new Zelda definatly makes one of the greatest gaming soundtracks in history. Classical Zelda tunes remade in orchestral glory and plenty of new songs as well. The music is completly orchestrated and if you have a surround sound setup..drools.

IMMERSIVE WORLD - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Perhaps the number 1 thing that people who have played the new Zelda comment on is that it is perhaps the most immersive game ever made. Link has about 20 facial expressions which all convey what he is feeling at any given time. All characters in towns have artificial intelligence (they dont just stand there or run around in circles like in most Zelda/RPG's)..rather..they have minds of their owns. If you (Link) walk around town with a sword..some little kids will follow you. If you go into a house and break pots the owner will get angry and chase after you. If you do something silly in front of people, they will laugh at you. And if you draw attention, people will look at you. Even the enemies have AI that makes the world immersive. Take out a bomb in front of a Moblin and they will run away - it makes you feel like the world is real. Seagulls follow your boat as it travels betweens islands. Zelda: The Wind Waker is the definative reason to own a Gamecube.

A Change is Sometimes for the Best

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 160 / 179
Date: April 30, 2003
Author: Amazon User

In some ways, a classic video game series is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, developers are carrying on a tradition, a legacy. They've earned thousands (dare I say millions?) of devoted fans, and their names will almost assuredly be carved deep into the halls of video game history. Their work will go out into a remarkable number of homes, almost immediately after release. But, by that same token, each individual follow-up title is met with ridiculous scrutiny and astronomical expectations. No longer are these developers and programmers merely entertaining the public, they're toying with electronic mythology. It's all black and white, they're either delivering "the best title since.." or they're raping their own legacy. Rarely will a highly anticipated sequel be met by a lukewarm response from fans of the series, they'll either love it or they'll hate it. And, for the most part, a major change to the status quo is viewed as a bad thing.

So it should come as no surprise that many long time fans of the series were immediately turned off when early screens of Link on the GameCube, digitally rendered in all his glory, were replaced by a childlike, cartoony new appearance. When Miyamoto and the rest of the team trashed those old renders and went in an entirely new direction, fans felt alienated. Betrayed. I should know, I counted myself among them.

Within the first three minutes, my worries were washed aside. Graphically, this is as much of a leap forward from "The Ocarina of Time" and "Majora's Mask" as those revolutionary titles were from "A Link to the Past." It's still filled with the same great gameplay experience you grew to love on the NES, SNES and N64, yet it's pleasantly a beast unto itself. Truly, this was the right step for the masters behind the Zelda series to have taken.

The gameplay is a near-flawless translation of the system broken in by the N64 titles, at the same time benefiting from the modifications made to the GameCube's controller. Where the N64 controller offered four directional "C" buttons (which were used to activate items in your inventory), the GameCube offers a second analog stick, labeled the "C stick", which is used to control the camera angle. Items are now activated through the use of the X, Y and Z buttons, a layout which requires some minor adjustment due to the "Z" button's location, away from the other two. Assaults are performed with the "B" button, and various actions are all done with "A". Players may lock onto enemies with "L", and the "R" buttons gets Link down on his belly and enables him to parry attacks with his shield.

Though the system remains magnificent, there remain two fairly glaring problems with this layout. For one, the player still cannot control if and when Link jumps or climbs. This particular flaw becomes critical when navigating small ledges or attempting to scale relatively short walls, as the little man on the screen will occasionally choose to plummet to his doom without a moment's notice. I've nearly lost my mind, standing in front of a three foot wall that my character simply refused to climb. The second problem I had was with the camera control. In "The Wind Waker," pulling back the camera also lifts it skyward. So, if I want a wider view of my surroundings, I also lose a lot of my range of vision and must maneuver Link from above. Needless to say, this is not ideal.

My largest gripe with this new Zelda lies in its sound. As a next-gen system running custom DVDs, the GameCube has more than enough room to allow for high quality, dolby-style audio tracks. This system should be pumping out better sounding tracks than your average CD, as evidenced by the tight ambient soundtrack of Metroid Prime. Instead, Zelda falls back on the same old MIDI-sounding synth score we endured on the N64. Many of the songs are exactly the same as heard on "Ocarina", with only a few slight tweaks and modifications, which is an undeniable no-no for a title of this magnitude. Imagine if the Ocarina of Time had shipped with the same screeches and dings heard on the NES original.

As far as graphics are concerned... I've seen cel shading done well in the past, but absolutely nothing can hold a torch to what's been accomplished with "The Wind Waker." Everything has been accounted for, from the big picture to the tiny details. Afterthoughts such as the water bursting off the front of your boat and tiny clouds of dust kicking up beneath your feet on a beach are attended to with uncanny attention to detail. When your character climbs from the water, he'll drip dry for the next few minutes. A monstrous enemy resembling a warthog marches through several dungeons on his hind legs. His lower lip juts out, flapping in the wind, and individual bits of saliva sail through the air with his every move. It's incredible. There are more frames of animation in that enemy's lip than in all of the original Zelda. Taking this game in is more than just an experience. It's a revelation.

As one package, this is an unbelievable game. If it weren't for the mild, yet necessary tweaks required of the controls and the sore lack of acceptable music and audio, I might be tempted to call this perfect. As is, the remainder of the game is good enough to account for the inexcusable audio and then some. The storyline is utterly enveloping, while the gameplay is everything you'd expect. The Wind Waker is a tremendous step for the GameCube, reaffirming Nintendo's place in the industry and capturing the imaginations of anyone willing to give it a chance. Don't let your preconceived notions about the shift in visual style fool you, this belongs in your collection right alongside the other titles in the legendary series.

The best form of entertainment, hands down

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 100 / 110
Date: January 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

(NOTE: I imported and currently own the Japanese version of the game and have played through it).

Words fail me to describe just how wonderful this game is.

As a continuation of Nintendo's most polished series, you know without even the slightest bit of doubt that they've done the visuals and audio right; the graphics really have to be seen in action to be appreciated. It's like controlling your own little cartoon world. The facial expressions and the way the characters can interact with the environment is superb. The soundtrack is phenomenal as well, with plenty of new music and a return of some classic tunes (including the one we all know from the original Zelda).

Graphics and sound are important, but they alone don't make a game fun; what really sets this game apart from anything else I've ever played is the gameplay. From the intro to the last battle, every moment of Wind Waker shines of quality. The overworld is bigger than you can imagine, and each creatively designed dungeon gets progressively better and more challenging than the last. The camera is very similar to that found in Super Mario Sunshine- you have full control, and it goes where you tell it to go.

Though the game doesn't come out in the US for another 3 months, I guarantee you that it'll be worth the wait. This game is perfect- I can't think of a single thing that I would change.

And the fact that I can't read a word of Japanese absolutely blows my mind.

My favorite Zelda game of all time.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 55 / 62
Date: February 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

(Import Review-Spoiler Free)

I've been a long time fan of the series; ever since the beginning, when they release the original Zelda on the NES. The Legend of Zelda is one of the most enjoyable game series of all time, and is easily my favorite by Nintendo. A Link to the Past has always been my favorite, with Ocarina of Time coming in second. Wind Waker is better than both of these in my opinion, although not by much because the other two were such amazing games.

Gameplay: 10/10

It takes the exellent gameplay of the N64 games, and makes it almost flawless; the control is tighter and more responsive than ever. Attack is assigned to B, while A does the lock-on jumping sword attack, rolling, and many other uses. Y, X, and Z work exactly the same as the C-Buttons on the N64 controller did, which assigns items to those buttons.

The camera is really good in this game as well; it uses the Manual Camera found in Super Mario Sunshine, which works exellent for those who want full control of the camera(like me), and it has the traditional camera where it follows Link around by itself; it works really well too.

The Dungeons are great! We've seen some awesome work done by Nintendo in the past, but the ones in this game are just flat-out amazing. The puzzles, the level design, it's all just very nicely done. It uses the same formula from past games; find Keys, open Treasure Chests, obtain a new Weapon, and defeat the boss. Speaking of bosses, they are just as creative, and cool as they were in past games. As for the weapons, there's a couple of new ones, and some of the previous are used in new ways. For example the Boomerange has a lock-on device;(lock on upto 5 targets)it locks onto all of them, and hits them in the exact order you locked onto them in. It's much improved. I won't go into this area too much, but the weapons are a lot of fun to use, and never fail to impress. As for the new main item; the Wand. You use this to change the direction of the wind and many other cool things. It works exactly like the Ocarina, it's just that you use a Wand instead. The last thing I will touch on is one of the biggest changes in the game; instead of the normal land, this world is mostly water. You get around by sailing on a boat. The sailing gets a little tedious at some points, but that only lasts for a while because you get a device that makes traveling much quicker pretty early on in the game. The seas are full of nasty enemies, and some awesome weather which changes from thunder-storms, to hot and sunny skies while you sail around. Overall, I prefer land, but the water is definitly a nice change of pace and will not disappoint anyone.

Graphics: 10/10

This game might not impress people who prefer the realistic look, but if you like a good artistic style(like me), then you will be wowed big time through out the game. The weather effects, the boss', the dungeons, the character designs, it's all amazing. It's definitly good to see something different from the normal look.

Sound: 10/10

What do you expect from Nintendo? Every Zelda game they make has top-notch music and it's no different this time around. From happy music, to serious tunes; it's all here, and it never fails to impress.

Overall: 10/10 or 5 stars

This is not only the best game released on the Gamecube, but it is the best Zelda game of all time. It may not have the new feel that Ocarina of Time did, but it improves on the Zelda64 formula big time and will be a non-stop thrill ride for all who buy this game.

Best Zelda Ever...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 33 / 55
Date: December 28, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I took a whirl at this game last weekend. I must definitely say that is is by far the best Zelda game ever made. The visuals, music, and action that I took up were completely mind-blowing. This is probably the best action/adventure game I've ever played, and I definitely recommend it!

To Set the Record Straight.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 21
Date: April 01, 2003
Author: Amazon User

After reading several of the reviews of this game, I couldn't help but add my two cents. Aren't we all tired of grammatically incorrect reviews that sound like they came from the second grade classroom?
This game, simply put, is amazing. I was skeptical at first when I saw the cel-shaded graphics. Believe me when I say the screenshots do not do this game justice. The lighting, the framrate, the textures and the animation all combine to make the BEST looking game this side of Metroid Prime or Halo. The art style fits this type of game perfectly. If you were to look back at the art of the original Zelda game on NES, you would be astounded by the similarities. The graphics add to the game in such a way you would never expect. Stuck in a dungeon? Swing the Camera around and take a look at where Link's beautifully animated eyes are pointed. Want to know which direction the wind is blowing? Look at Link's hat blowing in the proper direction. That brings me to another topic. The facial animations are second to none. Okay, now don't laugh, but there will be times when you literally laugh out loud, or feel like crying. The game is that good at connecting with you. But enough about the graphics.
The sound effects and musical tracks in this game quite simply blew me away. After my first day of playing this game I found myself humming to several of the overworld themes. With a few exceptions (Link makes an annoying sound when he crawls) the sound effects are great. The grunts, bonks, sword clashes and water splashes all sound like they should.
The staple of the Zelda series has always been gameplay, and the Wind Waker has it in spades. The gameplay is quite similar to Ocarina of Time as far as control. The dungeons are fun and some of the puzzles are very clever. The game doesn't seem to be quite as difficult as Ocarina, but as a whole it is longer. I would like to personally congratulate the person who decided you would be sailing in a boat. From the first moment I was sailing the high seas there was a huge grin on my face. It still may be there, as a matter of fact. The game world consists of a 7x7 matrix of squares. Each square has at least one island, and it takes a minute or two to sail the distance of just ONE square. You can start to get an idea of just how expansive this game is. Not unlike every other Zelda game, there are side and optional quests to keep you playing long after you have conquered your last dungeon. If you own a Gamecube, it would be a shame if you didn't own a copy of this game. And if you don't have a Gamecube, this game alone would be worth the price. (Plus you can get Metroid for free, so that would be twice the fun.)
If you look at this game and its cel-shaded graphics and dismiss it as "kiddie" or "dumb" maybe you should grow up yourself.

Hard, chalenging, but perfect

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 63
Date: November 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

It was so neat. U think your done at about the midlle of the game but u arnt. Who ever WOULD HAVE thought Tetre was a... sorry u have tO buy the game it is worth every penny.
sound-7.9
grapicps-+10
color-9.5
iteams-8.9
chalenge-10
RPG GAME-10
ENTERTAINING FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME-9.9*
* It will get boring if u play it 7 straight hours
nintendos best-9.6
beats orican of time- yes
Beats marjurtes mask- yes
always fun-10
Over all out of 100-97.89

many activites that are extra but can help you defeat gannon-10
49 ISLANDS YOU CAN VISIT COOOOOLLLLL
U MUST TAKE MY WORD FOR THIS GAME IT IS THE BOOM i HATED ZELDA UNTIL THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sO much beter that Mario
Weven though I love Mario but you got to admit he getting old time for zelda to take a play at it
BELIVE ME WHY WOULD I WAST MY TIME TYPING THIS IF I DID NOT WANT YOU TO HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\

ps im actulley 14 but i had to usde this kid versison but i had to tell u how cool this is

GRAPHICS DONT MAKE THE GAME

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 17 / 28
Date: January 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is the best game i have i played out of all the other new generation games i have played. The graphics are good anyway. It shows so much facial expresion it is unbelievable. Ya i imported the game, and my friend translated everything for me. This game is a direct sequal of ocarina of time (Not like the horrible game Majora's Mask). People today are extremly closedminded. Be a little more accepting. The graphics are really cool. The graphics is what sets it apart from many other games. This game should be owned by every Gamecube owner (Only reason i got gamecube was for this game zelda and super smash brothers). The gameplay mechanics are the best i have seen today. This game is compleat action and its not just keep hiting the b button till you kill the guy. You can use other enemies weapons, you can nock the oponints swords out of his hand, and you gota use you're head (if their anything in their) to know where to hit the guy. Great music, great world, great effects, and just a great game. If If you liked ocarina of time (If you dont you have no brain what so ever) you'll definitly love Zelda: The Wind Waker. One last thing, if you have gamecube and dont get this game you just waisted a great system! Be smart, and by this game, and trust me it's worth every penny!!

The Hero Of Time is back...!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 17 / 25
Date: March 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I love the zelda-series and have played all of them(my favorite being "Ocarina Of Time".), which include the Nintendo, Super NES, Game-Boy/Game-Boy color, & N64 games! All of them are quite good(although "Majora's Mask" will kind of be a disapointment to those who played OOT first.) Skip ahead to the upcoming WINDWAKER, yet another adventure for the young hero, Link who must save his sister who's been kidnapped by a giant bird. Now he'll have to follow the path of the wind and solve it's puzzles, or meet thy doom!

According to NINTENDO, the gameplay will be much different from all the previous titles.(this also includes the character design as a treat to all you anime' fans out there!)However, there are still plenty of enemies to hack n slash with your good ol' trusty blade and of course, the puzzles! And let's not forget the sountrack! No Zelda is complete without some good music, right? (OOT had the best!) To make things even better, you get a FREE Bonus disk whenever you pre-order the game. The disk includes the remake to the 1998 classic N64 title, "Ocarina Of Time" and the unreleased, "Master Quest" for the more advanced players who already beat the original version. Is that a nice addition or what? If you are a hardcore gamer of action-RPGs or never even played the zelda games, then I highly reccomend! BUY TODAY!!! I hope this helped.^_^

In the mail

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 3
Date: March 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

My copy of Zelda just got shipped, but I'm pretty sure it will be a cool game, because of the ones in the past.

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