The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD

The definitive version of a true Legend that feels brand new again
The Legend of Zelda is my favorite series in all of gaming, a lifelong hobby and a favorite pastime in and of itself for me, and The Wind Waker just happens to be my favorite entry in that series. When I first glimpsed the screenshots Nintendo revealed of this remake, I literally danced for joy all the way to my bedroom to wake my wife with the blessed news. I just couldn't contain my excitement, and now that I finally have Wind Waker HD in my possession, it's nearly everything I could have hoped for from one of my personal favorite and most influential video games of all time. Although I was pretty skeptical it could be *that* much of an upgrade when I first bought it, Nintendo really went all-out here, way beyond my expectations. Before you read this review any further, I need to insert this disclaimer: this review will be quite long (hopefully in an informative-from-a-superfan sort of way) and (mostly) full of gushing praise from a lifelong gamer who is super passionate about The...

This is why I used to love playing video games

I'm not going to give a lengthy review full of minute details, spoilers and pros and cons. This game is fun, pure and simple. It is hard enough to be a challenge, yet simple enough to encourage continued playing. It is appropriate for children; no close-up exploding headshots with exotic weapons or multiplayer battlefield death arenas that seem to be popular nowadays. I've had this game for 4 hours now. It is already much better than twilight princess or skyward sword. Sometimes, simpler is better.

Praises from a Wind Waker Newbee
So many reviews here focussed on comparisons with the original version, I thought someone needed to pipe in who'd never played it before.
At first glance this is a surprisingly charming game (and that's from someone, who tends to ignore the text and story). As you get more involved, you'll discover what an incredibly vast, rich game it is. The sheer amount of content is almost overwhelming. But for me the real enjoyment comes from the endlessly clever puzzles/mysteries and villains built into the game. The dungeons are the a wonderful mixture of brain and braun challenges in a graphically rich environment.

Controls: Part of the joy of play comes from being rewarded with new tools/weapons as you progress. Most are really fun to play with. However, I personally found a few very awkward: arrows especially at least till I switched to using GamePad's gyroscope controls. I still find trying to manipulate the canon very difficult. But I don't feel comfortable deducting a star...

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The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Only One is a Legend
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...

The best form of entertainment, hands down
(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...

A Change is Sometimes for the Best
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...

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