 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker |
Developer: Nintendo | Publisher: Nintendo |
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Type: Adventure | |
MSRP: $49.99 |
| Players: 1 | Available: March 24, 2003 |
 You’ll still buy it. Yes, it’s got a cartoon look, and yes, you cried when you saw the first look at E3 2001, and just as sure as you did all those things, you will buy it. You’ll buy it because it has Link in it, and Link has never been in a bad game on a Nintendo system. Zelda II doesn’t count . . . for anything. You’ll buy it because the animations are smooth, the art style is unique, and the game runs like a better version of Ocarina of Time.
You’ll buy it because Nintendo owns your soul. It all started in 1987, when the Legend of Zelda made all the poor kids in school cry by being the greatest thing ever created. You either had Zelda or you wanted it. There was no in-between. The series has since progressed over the course of four consoles beginning with the NES, with each one being more impressive than the last. With the latest installment, Nintendo threw everyone a curve by ditching Ocarina of Time’s more realistic look and instead going with a toon-shaded look, leaving Wind Waker looking more like a cartoon. This Link (every Link in every game has been a different person, according to Nintendo) is on a quest to rescue his sister, Aryll, with the aide of a magical conductor’s baton known as the Wind Waker. The Wind Waker acts much like the ocarina in Ocarina of Time. By playing certain songs, Link uses the Waker to travel from one place to another on the wind, control the elements, move things, or manipulate time. Like the other Zelda games, Waker is also very dungeon-intensive, featuring some of the toughest puzzles and most unique bosses yet seen in a Zelda game. Also, the lock-on from Ocarina and Majora’s Mask has returned, many of the familiar Zelda weapons and items remain intact, and some new ones like the Spy Glass, which lets you see far away objects, are being introduced for the first time. Your Game Boy Advance will also be put to work here, as Waker is the latest in the line of games to use the GC-GBA connectivity. You can use the GBA during the game to receive hints, find secrets, and drop bombs on your enemies. With The Wind Waker now the most pre-ordered game in history, you can bet that TNL will have a review for you soon after release day hits, which - in case you missed it at the top - is March 24th. With only a couple of weeks left, you might as well just sleep while you still can.
           
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