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The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker Review - Gamecube

The wait is finally over! We have been constantly hearing how fantastic and wonderful this game is for a few months now. It has really been hard to stay away from all the hype- but I think I've managed to do it the best I could. I haven't read a thing about Wind Waker, yes; including the GameBiz preview- I know absolutely nothing about the game except it's cel-shaded. Sure, I've noticed that the game has been getting fantastic reviews and that the GameBiz Game Cube community has been beside themselves over it. I loved Ocarina of Time-, which has been my only Zelda experience to date. I bought Majora's Mask but never got around to playing it! So I'm not entirely sure what to expect when I pop the little disc into my Game Cube. But as soon as I see the first screen- I just know it's going to be good.

Gameplay

A legend is told about an evil man who found a golden power that lay hidden in a kingdom. He used this power to cover the kingdom in darkness. Just as all hope had died a young boy clothed in green appeared, wielding a blade that repelled evil and sent the dark one to his maker. This boy became a legend and was known as the Hero of Time.
On Outset Island, when a boy becomes of age he is clothed in green and they aspire to find heroic blades and cast down evil. Wind Waker begins with young Link celebrating his birthday that signifies his coming of age. Donning his green suit he heads out in the world. But not long after a gigantic bird mistakenly kidnaps Links sister, Aryll and he must head out to sea in search for her. So begins our great adventure….

And adventure is what it's all about. Initially you are armed with very little but as you make your way around various locations you'll come across numerous weapons (sword, shield, boomerang, bow, hammer, bombs) and items that help you in your journey. While the majority of the weapons have made an appearance in previous Zelda games, some have been modified slightly. The boomerang for instance, can now hit 5 different targets in one throw. Your weapons aren't just used for fending off would-be attackers and more often than not must be utilized in order to open pathways. Fire burns down vines, eyes can be shot with arrows, bombs can blow up large boulders and your grappling hook can swing you across large ravines. There are also a lot of things that can be interacted with in the environment. Barrels can be picked up and hidden in while enemies also drop their weapons, which can then be used. You also come across the Wind Waker. This is a wand that can be used to conduct various spells that are learnt along the way. For instance, early on you'll have to use the wind spell to change the ... (continued next page)