The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: HexaDrive

Release Date: 09/20/2013

Available Exclusively On

This is a game I have been trying to finish for years. I started the game three times on a Dolphin emulator and lost my save (I never owned a Gamecube growing up), and I finally gave up. I wound up selling my original Wii U before this game was released and missed out, but now that I have a Wii U again, I can finally complete the game, and I certainly did, but with a walkthrough because boy, oh boy, is this game more massive than I ever imagined. While Nintendo games tend not to be very story heavy or deep, Wind Waker HD does have a small story that seems to only have a cut scene every 10 hours of gameplay when you hit a new section of the story. Honestly, it doesn’t feel like much is going on until the final chapters of the game, but that’s okay. We all play Zelda for the gameplay and atmosphere.

There is a lot to dissect with this game. The premise of the game makes you think this is a simple “kids” adventure due to the bright and colorful graphics and Toon Link design. You start out on an island and get to know the gameplay loop just like in any Zelda game. You fight an old man to learn combat, pick up pigs to understand the need for solving puzzles, and eventually swipe grass to collect rupees, which serve as the in-game currency, just like in every other Zelda game. Upon boarding the Red Lions, you will embark on a vast ocean that features a grid system. You need to use the Wind Waker to change the direction of the wind; otherwise, going into a headwind will cause you to barely move at all. This is the first insanely annoying thing about this game. If I had the Gamecube version this feature alone would make me quit playing. Why is this a thing? In the HD version, you can obtain the Swift Sail at an auction much earlier than in the Gamecube version, which not only allows you to move faster but also enables you to ignore the wind direction.

With that first annoyance aside, Wind Waker is a true adventure. You can sail anywhere and see an island, jump on it and see what it holds. You usually need an item to solve a puzzle, but some don’t require one. In the game, you can explore 28 squares immediately, but it’s advisable to save the sailing discoveries for when you have access to the Swift Sail. One baffling design decision was the requirement to feed a fish in each square, which will then mark the corresponding island on your map. I felt these choices took away the adventure and discovering-for-yourself part of the game, as once you enter the square on the map, it should unveil what island is there. This is one of many tedious side quests that just aren’t needed. The upside to this level is that every fish will give you a hint about the island on the square, but I felt this wasn’t really needed as they are pretty vague anyway.

Like many other Zelda games, there are dungeons to explore that advance the quest further. On your map, you will occasionally see a red circle indicating your location, but at times, the path becomes ambiguous and challenging to navigate. You will get lost effortlessly during certain portions of the game. I feel the dungeon design for Wind Waker isn’t as appealing as previous or later games. The early ones are very short, and they all feel rather labyrinthine and difficult to navigate later on. Some of their difficulty is remedied with pots you can jump into to warp to other parts of the dungeon, but they need to be discovered and uncovered, so even these are hidden around, which is annoying. Most of the puzzles in the dungeons vary, using the same ideas throughout the game, such as lighting sticks on fire, platforming, combat, block pushing, etc. The puzzles vary greatly, and no two are usually alike, but I did find some elements within that bring the experience down a tad. Platforming isn’t outstanding in this game. There’s no jump button, but Link will just hop right off the ledge with nary a breath on the analog stick. This resulted in many character deaths and the need to restart combat sequences. If you die, you restart the room, but if you lose all your hearts, you go back to the start of the dungeon, and all enemies respawn.

Combat is actually pretty good this time around with a lock-on system and some fast-paced animations and action. Swiping three-button to five-button combos is swift and fast, and you can even do a 360 swipe. When you lock on, you can use items without having to manually aim, such as the grappling hook to get them from enemies or bombs. Many enemies can be dodged or avoided, but boss fights are pretty unique despite being fairly easy. The typical boss fight consists of three rounds, which occur after discovering the attack pattern and learning how to inflict damage on the boss. Dungeons play out just like other Zelda games, with small keys to open doors to advance through the dungeon, and these are acquired through puzzles or combat. You will also get items to explore the overworld and advance through the dungeons while seeking the Boss Key.

Most of the side quests in Wind Waker are pretty tedious and are needed to be completed because the infamous final section of the game requires you to pay Tingle a large amount of rupees to decipher the Triforce maps. This has been reduced a lot in the HD version by about a third, as well as the horrendously tedious quest itself of getting 8 Triforce shards and only three Triforce maps. I find it difficult to understand certain aspects of Japanese games. There’s also another tedious section in the form of a boss rush in which you need to defeat all four bosses a second time, but at least they’re easier and don’t require as many hits. With that said, there are also treasure maps, nearly 50 in the HD version, that lead to heart containers and rupees. The rupees are much needed for the end of the game as well as for buying some heart containers by either paying to do mini-games or using the auction house. Everything is connected, and while much of the content is optional, completing most or all of it makes the endgame easier.

The player can extend the game time by nearly 20 hours when doing so. I spent more time exploring, finding treasure maps, completing side quests, getting heart containers, etc., than on the main quest itself. I had a lot of fun doing all of this. Not much feels like a chore, outside of some quests being nearly impossible to figure out without a guide. Digging up treasure chests gets old after a while, but it’s doable. I didn’t care for the submarines or the infamous combat gauntlet of 50 rooms of enemies towards the end of the game. The reward is well worth it, but it did feel tedious. Despite the minor issues, the dungeons and islands all feel different. There are so many different puzzle types and platforming sections that you can shake a rupee at it; it’s absurd. Let’s also talk about the titular Wind Waker itself. This wand is used to make songs that are needed to advance in dungeons, change the wind’s direction, and cycle night and day, which are also used for puzzles. It’s fine, but not nearly as memorable or as special as the Ocarina. You use the gamepad’s touch screen to swipe in the direction of the arrows, and the songs appear on the touch screen for easy reading; however, I found Wind Waker to be less memorable or interesting than the Ocarina. The game would have been fine without it.

The visuals of the game really come to life, making this one of the most iconic and artistically unique games ever made. Back in the day, there was significant backlash against the cell-shaded art direction, which many gamers felt appeared too “kid-like” compared to their desire for a darker, more mature Zelda adventure. The HD version enhances the colors and brings them to life, in addition to introducing many quality-of-life changes to the game itself. Many critiqued the game for having too much bloom effect, but I didn’t mind it so much. Increased wallet size and the ability to use the gamepad as a navigation tool for the map and item management are significant improvements in a game where these features are frequently utilized.

Overall, Wind Waker HD adds many changes to make the game more enjoyable and really enhances the visuals to an eye-wateringly beautiful level. The core game itself has some issues, such as the early dungeons being short and easy, the weird late quests tedium, such as the Triforce shard and map quest, and the repeating boss fights, but this was significantly made more tolerable with these being cut down. Gaining access to the Swift Sail much earlier in the game significantly improves the experience. I found the Wind Waker itself wasn’t a very exciting object and doesn’t match the greatness of the Ocarina. It honestly could have been scrapped, and the game would have been just as enjoyable.

Many of the side quests can be tedious but are manageable; however, many important items and secrets are easy to miss without a guide. Without a guide, you will completely miss the numerous treasure maps, chests, heart containers, and secret items on your first playthrough. I highly recommend a guide for the first playthrough to see most of the game. I found the story forgettable, and while the combat is better than previous games, it’s still nothing special. Ultimately, Wind Waker is a game that evokes strong emotions due to its expansive ocean exploration, which physically separates you from the main quest and extends it into a 40-50 hour adventure.