The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released in Japan as ''ゼルダの伝説 風のタクト, Zelda no Densetsu Kaze no Takuto. "The Legend of Zelda: Baton of Wind", is the tenth installment in the Legend of Zelda'' series, notable for its use of cel-shaded animation and sailing. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on 13 December 2002, in Canada and the United States on 24 March 2003, in Europe on 3 May 2003 and in Australia on 7 May 2003. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for the Nintendo DS is the direct sequel to The Wind Waker.

The game is set on a group of islands in a vast sea — a first for the series. The player controls Link, the protagonist of the Zelda series. He struggles against his nemesis, Ganondorf, for control of a sacred relic known as the Triforce. Link spends a significant portion of the game sailing, traveling between islands, and traversing through dungeons and temples to gain the power necessary to defeat Ganondorf, and to rescue his kidnapped younger sister.

The Wind Waker follows in the footsteps of Ocarina of Time, retaining the basic gameplay and control system from the Nintendo 64 title. A heavy emphasis is placed on using and controlling wind with a baton called the Wind Waker, which aids sailing and floating through air. Critics enjoyed the similarity to Ocarina of Time, but often complained that the large amount of sailing became tedious. Despite this, the game has met commercial and critical success and is the fourth of only seven games that have received a perfect score from Famitsu magazine.

Plot
Unlike most Zelda games that take place predominately on land, The Wind Waker places the hero Link on an island. Link lives with his grandmother and younger sister Aryll on Outset Island, one of many islands in the Great Sea, although few are inhabited. The people of the Great Sea pass down a legend of a prosperous kingdom with a hidden golden power. An evil man found and stole this power, using it to spread darkness until a young boy dressed in green sealed the evil with the Blade of Evil's Bane. The boy became known as the Hero of Time and passed into legend. One day the evil that had been sealed began to return, but the hero did not appear; the people could only pray to their gods. The inhabitants of the Great Sea do not know what happened to the kingdom, but it is clear that this legend is the story of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

The elders of Outset Island customarily dress their youths in green like the Hero of Time when they come of age, hoping to inspire in them the courage the Hero of Time knew. It is Link's birthday as The Wind Waker opens, and he receives the familiar green clothes and cap. Aryll's present to Link is permission to use her telescope. As he looks through the telescope, he sees a large bird, the Helmaroc King, carrying a girl to a nearby forest. After retrieving a sword, Link sets out to investigate. Link rescues the girl, only to have Aryll taken by the Helmaroc King as he returns.

The girl rescued in the forest is Tetra, captain of a pirate ship and crew. At Link's request, she takes Link on her ship to the Forsaken Fortress, where a mysterious figure is holding Aryll and several other kidnapped girls. Link is thrown from the fortress following an unsuccessful raid and left to die. A talking boat called the King of Red Lions takes Link to safety and tells him that the master of the Forbidden Fortress is Ganondorf, the evil of legend. After purchasing a sail, Link sails to Dragon Roost Island at the King of Red Lion's suggestion.

Goddesses' Pearls
Once at the island, the King of Red Lions instructs Link to find a dragon named Valoo and ask him for a jewel called Din's Pearl. He also gives Link the Wind Waker, a baton able to control the wind, from his boat and sets out towards the dwelling of the Rito tribe, a bird-like race. Link learns that Prince Komali has Din's Pearl, but is unwilling to relinquish it. Prince Komali is of the age that members of the Rito tribe traditionally climb to the top of Dragon Roost to get a scale from Valoo, which allows a Rito to grow wings. However, Valoo has grown violent and unpredictable and Prince Komali is fearful to attempt the journey. He agrees to give Link the pearl if Link can reach Valoo. With the help of Medli, a member of the Rito tribe, Link makes his way to Valoo and defeats the monster that had been upsetting the dragon, earning Din's Pearl and Komali's respect.

The King of Red Lions has Link sail south to the Forest Haven to ask The Great Deku Tree for Farore's Pearl. Inside the haven, Link meets the Deku Tree and the Koroks, spirits of the forest. Aware that Ganondorf has returned, the Deku Tree agrees to give Link the pearl after the completion of the annual ceremony to replenish the forests. Linder, one of the Koroks, enters and informs the Deku Tree that Makar has fallen into the Forbidden Woods. The Deku Tree, believing that Link's appearance at this time was not a coincidence, asks Link to rescue Makar. Link does so, allowing the ceremony to be completed, and receives Farore's Pearl.

Link then travels to Greatfish Isle to find Jabun, a great water spirit, but when he arrives he finds that the island has been totally destroyed by Ganondorf. The Rito postman Quill informs Link that Jabun had escaped to an enclosed cave on Outset Island. After a side trip to Windfall Island to obtain bombs, the King of Red Lions takes Link back to his home of Outset Island where Link blows open the entrance to a cave in which Jabun had been hiding. During a conversation between Jabun and the King of Red Lions, Jabun gives Link Nayru's Pearl.

Link takes the three pearls to the three Triangle Islands, inserting one into a statue on each island. The statues then shoot out three beams of light, forming an image of the Triforce on the sea. From the middle of this image the Tower of the Gods rises from the sea. Link sails to and enters the tower, where he battles Gohdan to prove his worth to the gods. After defeating Gohdan, a ring of light appears on the surface of the water below. Link sails into the ring of light and is taken beneath the waters to Hyrule Castle, filled with enemies, frozen in time. Link opens a hidden staircase and descends, where he finds the Master Sword, the evil-repelling blade that the Hero of Time had used to seal Ganondorf. Removing the sword has awakened the castle; Link destroys the enemies inside the castle and returns to the surface.

Restoring the Master Sword
With the Master Sword in hand, Link returns to the Forsaken Fortress. Meeting Tetra and the pirates there, Link rescues the captives and kills the Helmaroc King. He then confronts Ganondorf, but is quickly defeated. Ganondorf tells Link that taking the Master Sword has fully lifted the seal, unbinding his full power; furthermore, the Master Sword has lost its power and can no longer repel evil. Ganondorf raises his sword to attack Link, but Tetra intervenes. Ganondorf grabs Tetra, causing the Triforce of Power held within him to resonate. Ganondorf realizes that Tetra is wearing a Triforce fragment on a necklace and calls her Princess Zelda. Prince Komali, having grown wings, flies in with Quill and takes Link and Tetra away. Valoo swoops into view, breathing fire and sending Ganondorf's chamber up in flames (although this does not kill the villain).

Link and Tetra sail back to the castle at the bottom of the sea and descend the staircase. There they meet Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the king of the ancient kingdom in the legends, Hyrule. He then admits that he was the King of Red Lions. King Hyrule tells Link and Tetra that the prayers of the people in the legend were answered &mdash; the gods sealed Ganondorf and all of Hyrule with him by flooding the kingdom with a torrential downpour, ordering those chosen to rebuild to take refuge on the mountaintops (which would soon form the islands of the Great Sea). King Hyrule gives a Triforce fragment to Tetra. Combining it with the fragment on her necklace, Tetra now holds the completed Triforce of Wisdom and is revealed to be Princess Zelda. Ganondorf is seeking the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage to complete the entire Triforce, which grants its holder's wish. Leaving Zelda, Link returns to the surface.

The King of Red Lions knew that something must have happened to the sages empowering the Master Sword which had caused it to lose its power. Link then finds the sages dead, and the sprits of these sages order Link to find and reawaken their descendents to take their place. At Dragon Roost island, Link plays the Earth God's Lyric to Medli, which awakens in her the knowledge that she is the sage of Earth, able to help restore the power of the Master Sword. Link and Medli go to the Earth Temple. After battling through the temple and defeating a boss, Link and Medli reach a spot where Medli prays, restoring some power to Link's sword. Link leaves Medli to continue praying and sails to the Forest Haven. Link finds Makar and plays for him the Wind God's Aria, giving Makar the realization that he is the Sage of Wind. Together they travel to the Wind Temple, defeating a boss there. Makar prays and restores the Master Sword's full power.

Link then goes on a variety of quests to find and decode eight nautical charts that give the location of the pieces of the Triforce of Courage. Link raises the pieces from the bottom of the sea and restores the Triforce of Courage, which then dwells inside Link, marking him as the true Hero, the Hero of Winds.

Confrontation with Ganon
With the restored Master Sword and the Triforce of Courage, Link returns once more to Hyrule Castle, where Zelda disappears before him, having been captured by Ganon and taken to his castle. Link breaks through the barrier beyond Hyrule Castle and enters Ganon’s Tower. When Link reaches Zelda and Ganondorf, Ganondorf transforms into Puppet Ganon and fights him. When Ganondorf is defeated in this battle, he reveals himself to Link, acknowledging that Link must be the Hero of Time reborn. Ganondorf then retreats to the rooftop of the tower; Link follows. Ganondorf remarks that it must be fate that has allowed him to bring all of the pieces of the Triforce together, just as he had with the Hero of Time. He then stuns Link, causing the three Triforces to be extracted from Ganondorf, Link, and Zelda and to combine together to form the complete Triforce. Ganondorf demands to the gods to expose Hyrule to the sun once more, under his control. Before he can reach the Triforce, however, King Hyrule suddenly appears, touching the Triforce. He wishes for a future for Link and Zelda and asks that Hyrule be washed away forever. The Triforce splits apart and water from the ocean above begins to pour down.

With the ocean falling all around the tower, Ganondorf laughs, believing that the King has simply ensured Link's and Zelda's destruction. Ganondorf and Link begin battle; Zelda assists by shooting Ganondorf with Light Arrows. Link wins the battle, plunging the Master Sword into Ganondorf’s head. Ganondorf is turned to stone. Link and Tetra float to the surface inside bubbles, leaving Ganondorf and the king to be buried under the waves with Hyrule. Link and Zelda sail away together on the King of Red Lions and the pirate ship in search of a new land with the wind as their guide. Thus setting up the events of Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.

Gameplay
The control scheme of The Wind Waker is largely unchanged from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Link's basic actions of walking, running, attacking, defending, and automatic jumping at ledges are retained. Link also uses the control system introduced in Ocarina of Time that allows him to "lock-on" to an enemy or other target. An addition to this basic control scheme is the ability to parry. When Link is locked-on to an opponent and not actively defending, certain attacks by the opponent will trigger a visual cue, a vibration of the controller, and a chime. Attacking at that point causes Link to dodge or parry then counter-attack from the rear or while leaping over the foe's head. This tactic becomes crucial for defeating armored enemies or bosses.

The new art style used in The Wind Waker gives Link eyes that are much larger and more expressive than in previous games. This allows Link to focus his gaze on approaching enemies or important items. For example, if Link needs to solve a puzzle by lighting a torch to set a distant object on fire, his eyes might turn to look at a nearby stick, giving a hint to an observant player on how to proceed.

As with all Zelda games, The Wind Waker features several dungeons — large, enclosed, and often underground areas. Link battles enemies, collects items, and solves puzzles to progress through a dungeon, fighting a Boss at the end. To complete a dungeon, Link primarily uses a sword and shield. Other weapons commonly used by Link include a Bow, a boomerang, bombs, and a grappling hook. Certain enemy weapons can be picked up and used, a feature new to the Zelda series.

The Wind Waker, like most Zelda games, includes many sidequests, such as the Nintendo Gallery. When Link is in the Forest Haven, he can use a Deku Leaf to glide to a cylindrical island with a hatch containing the sculptor Carlov and his gallery. Once Link obtains a color camera called the Deluxe Picto Box, he can take pictures of non-player characters and enemies, which Carlov uses to sculpt figurines. There are a total of 134 figurines to collect, but Link can only hold three pictures at a time.

After completing the game, the player can replay it with minor modifications: Link starts with the Deluxe Picto Box, making the Nintendo Gallery side-quest possible to complete; Aryll wears a skull dress given to her by pirates; Link can understand the Hylian language; and Link wears his blue crayfish pajamas, worn in the beginning of the first version, throughout the game, instead of the traditional green tunic and cap.

Another side-quest present in all Zelda games, collecting Pieces of Heart, returns. The Wind Waker also includes the addition of hunting for Treasure Charts, which are scattered throughout the Great Sea. The player must find, recover, and hunt for whatever is on the map. Treasures include Rupees, Pieces of Heart, and other various charts such as the "Big Octo Chart" and the "Island Hearts Chart".

Wind and travel
The Wind Waker is set on a sea consisting of 49 sections arranged on a seven by seven grid. Each section contains an island or small group of islands. Therefore, a significant portion of the game is spent sailing between islands, allowing the game to mask loading times by accessing data while the player is approaching an island.

To sail between areas quickly, Link uses the Wind Waker, a baton that manipulates wind direction with a series of songs. Additionally, wind is often needed to solve puzzles. The Deku Leaf allows Link to use wind to spin turbines or to glide for short distances. By creating a tailwind, Link can glide farther distances to reach remote areas. An on-screen weather vane displays the current wind direction.

Tingle Tuner
An item new to the Zelda series — the Tingle Tuner — allows the player to receive assistance from Tingle. Use of the Tingle Tuner requires a player to attach a Game Boy Advance (GBA) to the GameCube using a Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance cable. The GBA, which controls Tingle on a map more detailed than the one provided by the GameCube, can be operated by a second person, or the player can choose to alternate between the GameCube and the GBA. Among other services, Tingle can uncover hidden treasures, give hints, restore Link's health, or sell a few items. These services are provided for a fee, but Link can earn discounts through the completion of side-quests. Use of the Tingle Tuner is optional, but provides the ability to examine a more detailed map and place remote bombs. Players who want to complete every side-quest will find the Tingle Tuner necessary; Tingle Statues hidden throughout dungeons can only be found by using Tingle, and the Nintendo Gallery side-quest cannot be completed without first completing a separate side-quest requiring the Tingle Tuner.

Development and history
Feeling pressure from Sega's Dreamcast and Sony's impending PlayStation 2, Nintendo announced on 3 March 1999 that a new video game system was under development. This system, the GameCube, was revealed on 24 August 2000, the day before Nintendo's SpaceWorld 2000 exposition. Along with the specifications and designs for the console, Nintendo had several software demonstrations on hand to showcase the power of the GameCube, one of which was Legend of Zelda: Space World 2000 Demo which showed a real-time duel between a realistic looking Ganondorf and adult Link. Despite being a hastily assembled technical demonstration, fans and the media speculated that the battle might be from a game under development or at least an indication of the direction the next Zelda game would take. Staff at IGN referred to the demo as an "unofficial sequel", calling it "absolutely everything we could have hoped for in a Gamecube Zelda title" and stating that "the future looks very bright for Nintendo loyalists".

Nintendo said nothing more about the possibility of a GameCube Zelda game until one year later at SpaceWorld 2001, where a completely new Zelda was shown. Replacing the dark, gritty demo of 2000 was a new cel-shaded look, which resembled an interactive cartoon. Shigeru Miyamoto said the new look was designed to "extend Zelda ' s reach to all ages". The cel-shaded approach was a radical shift and IGN staff wondered if two separate games might be in concurrent development.

While some at the event enjoyed the new look, there was a backlash from disappointed fans who had been expecting a realistic Zelda game. Many critics referred to the game as "Celda", a portmanteau of "Zelda" and "Cel-shading". Miyamoto was surprised at the reaction to the footage and the media's claim that Nintendo was shifting its focus to a younger audience and he refused to reveal anything further until a playable demonstration became available. It was hoped that once critics played the game, they would focus on the all-important gameplay, rather than simply reacting to the new graphic style.

Miyamoto promised a playable version for E3 2002 and a release later that year. When Nintendo did exhibit a playable demo at E3 2002 it was well-received, and picked up the 2002 Game Critics Awards for Best Console Game at E3. An editor at IGN said the cartoon look "works very nicely" and that "it feels very much like Zelda". The whimsical style was compared to A Link to the Past and promotional artwork from previous Zelda games. E3 also introduced new features, such as the ability to connect to the Game Boy Advance and receive help from Tingle.

On 15 October 2002, the Japanese subtitle Kaze no Takuto (Baton of Wind) was revealed, to emphasize the role of wind in the game. Nintendo announced the official translation, The Wind Waker, on 2 December 2002, and a North American release date of 24 March 2003 was set two days later.

Bundling
On 22 November 2002, an update to Nintendo's Japanese Kaze no Takuto website revealed that a special bonus disc was being offered to pre-ordering customers. This bonus GameCube disc, given at the time of the pre-order, contained an emulated version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Ura Zelda, an expansion for Ocarina of Time with modified dungeons and other small changes that never saw a North American release due to the failure of the Nintendo 64DD. On 4 December 2002 this offer was extended to North American consumers, with Ura Zelda translated to Ocarina of Time: Master Quest. Some retailers made the mistake of giving the bonus discs away then allowing consumers to cancel their pre-orders without returning the disc. As a result, the European bonus disc was included with The Wind Waker in a two-disc case.

On 17 November 2003, Nintendo released a new GameCube bundle that included The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition, a compilation disc containing versions of The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, a twenty-minute playable demo of The Wind Waker, and two short featurettes. The disc was also given to consumers who registered a GameCube and two games at Nintendo's website or subscribed or renewed a subscription to Nintendo Power.

Wal-Mart customers could buy a special Nintendo GameCube bundle, including The Wind Waker, the Ocarina of Time bonus disc (each in the same case), and a Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable for a limited time. In Australia, Collector's Edition was available with the purchase of two GameCube games or a GameCube console; Australians could also purchase a bundle with the console, The Wind Waker and Collector's Edition for a limited time.

Reviews
The Wind Waker is the fourth of six games to receive a perfect score from Famitsu magazine, despite claims that it lacks the sense of newness that accompanied Ocarina of Time, the first 3D Zelda game. Reviewers favorably noted the gameplay similarities to Ocarina of Time and praised the cel-shaded art style that had initially met a cold reception. GamePro called the game "a combination of vivid artistry and timeless gameplay"; IGN advised gamers to "forget that Wind Waker looks totally different from Ocarina of Time" since "these two games are very much alike". The 2004 Game Developers Choice Awards and the Seventh Annual Interactive Achievement Awards gave The Wind Waker awards for Excellence in Visual Arts and Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, respectively. In 2007, it was named 4th best GameCube game of all time in IGN's feature reflecting on the GameCube's lifespan. The game's most common criticism is the heavy emphasis on sailing. GameSpot noted that the game "starts out in a very brisk manner", but that in the last third of the game, the "focus on sailing ... is pretty tedious". IGN complained that viewing the animation of using the Wind Waker "hundreds of times" became "a tedious nuisance", and that the lack of an option to skip the animation "is more bothersome still". Some critics also felt that the game was easier than previous Zelda games. GameSpot thought that some players would be "a little put off" by the "easy puzzles and boss battles"; IGN called the boss battles "slightly simplistic" and noted that enemies "inflict little damage onto Link". GamePro, on the other hand, felt that the dungeons tended to be "huger and more challenging with new twists", with treasure hunts that would "tax even the most accomplished Zelda gamer".

Despite these negative comments, critics consistently gave The Wind Waker high reviews, with Nintendo Power calling the game the fourth best game to ever appear on a Nintendo console. The game also met commercial success, propelling sales of the GameCube console and becoming the most successful pre-order campaign in Nintendo history. As of July 2006 The Wind Waker was the 13th highest selling game of the 21st century, with 2.2 million copies sold in North America alone.

Cast

 * Sachi Matsumoto: Link
 * Hikari Tachibana: Tetra
 * Takashi Nagasako: Ganondorf
 * Osamu Hosoi: Tito
 * Asami Imai: Various
 * Eiji Maruyama: Various
 * Hironori Miyata: Various
 * Takeharu Ohnishi: Various
 * Chiaki Takahashi: Various