The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker

Yet another Zelda entry, and it will not be the last. Wind Waker was something of a controversial entry at the time of release, mainly due to the introduction of cel-shaded graphics and cartoonish atmosphere. Personally it was an aesthetic that I enjoyed – it felt so different and refreshing to the series and it gives the game world so much personality!

Wind Waker is set in a world unlike any we had seen before in the Zelda series – a great sea covers the world, the only land in sight being the isles of varying sizes which are far and few between. Although the bright colours and art styles seem charming, this game isn’t afraid to flaunt a darker side. There are plenty of areas you will come across, some of them dungeons, others areas in the overworld, which will be a stark contrast against the rest of the world.

One of the things that I love is how refined the combat felt in Wind Waker compared to previous 3D titles. Link learns swordplay from Orca in his hometown, and one of the techniques taught is how to parry – this awesome move makes combat feel so fluid and skillful, it was a really nice touch and so easy to use. There’s nothing quite like catching your enemy off guard, shocking them and exposing their weaknesses!

The dungeons and bosses in the Zelda series are known for how good they are, and there’s no exception to the rule here! I don’t think I’ll ever forget the first time I tackled the first dungeon boss of the game … grappling onto a dragon’s tail, swinging high above a pool of lava, with the enormous Gohma watching and preparing to strike … I can’t be the only one who loved this boss battle right?

Of course I have to mention the spectacular soundtrack, as is the case with just about any game from the Zelda franchise – I don’t think there’s a track in the whole game that I don’t love! Peaceful and fun tracks we hear in the towns, the track we hear whilst sailing at sea giving us the feeling of being on a grand adventure, and again let’s not forget about the bosses! For the first time Zelda has given each boss of the game a unique soundtrack, once again adding to the amazing personality and atmosphere of Wind Waker!

The main antagonist is my favourite of all time, Ganon. If you want to know what I think of him, you can head to my Top 10 Antagonists to read everything I have to say.

In 2013 Nintendo gave us a phenomenal remaster on the Wii U which gave us beautifully updated graphics and a few changes and additions to the game, my favourite being the Swift Sail which let’s you sail across the Great Sea faster than you ever could before!

This definitely goes down as one of my favourites, and I always love going back to it for another journey as the Hero Of Winds.

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• Platform: Nintendo Gamecube, Nintendo Wii U
• Release Date: 13/12/2002
• Rerelease Date: 20/09/2013
• Genre: Fantasy Adventure