Of all the "Zelda" games I had left to play, "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker" was one that I was most curious about jumping into, mostly for the wild mix of reactions it's had across its life. Given that this game came out when I was 4 (and long before I even knew what a "Zelda" was), I had no idea there was ever controversy with the game. As a kid, I saw it on GameStop shelves all the time but didn't know anything about it until my high school years. That was when I started getting really interested in canceled games, beta games, and unused content in games, which led me to the Space World 2000 tech demo sometimes referred to as "The Legend of Zelda 128." Offering a darker "Zelda" experience than before, this stunned everyone that got to see it...except for the people who created it (at the last minute, might I add) who were not moved by the art style. Thus, the team flipped the script entirely with a new cel-shaded "Zelda" game that initially got so much disdain because of its cartoony aesthetic, even getting called "Celda" because of it. Gamers would eventually enjoy it when giving it a chance and it got a lot of retroactive love before, during, and after the release of "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD" on Wii U in 2013. My continued mantra of "gameplay is infinitely more important than graphics" lives to fight another day. But now that I've gotten to play the game, where do I sit between all this? Well...I love the game. Surprise surprise, it's still great.
"The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker," for all its pre-release controversy surrounding the change in visual design, looks beautiful. I love how expressive and fun the characters are, and the color palette just bursts through the game. Playing "The Wind Waker HD" on the Wii U even adds to that, touching up the timeless visuals to make them look even better. I also think the visuals don't distract from the hard-hitting emotional moments that the story has, nor does it detract from the excellent cast of characters. In fact, I'd say the visuals do an excellent service to both, bringing them to life in an amazing way. Per usual, the soundtrack hits hard, and the gameplay shines through. I know a lot of people talk about how this game was far easier than other "Zelda" games, but I didn't mind that. I still found there to be a solid bit of challenge, but enough to not feel as overwhelming as some other entries in the franchise. It's solid enough in that regard that I feel like "The Wind Waker" could be a great first step if you haven't experienced "Zelda" yet. The controls are fluid, the combat is even tighter than before, and the dungeon puzzles still feel extremely rewarding once you figure them out. Props to the Wii U remaster for also adding a map on the second screen that really helps with navigation.
Now while this game is excellent, I don't think "The Wind Waker" is my favorite "Zelda" game, and there are some notable elements that make it drag a bit. Most notably, I find that the sailing sections of the game are less enticing, even after getting the Swift Sail. Too often, I feel like they break the pace for me, and while I see the perspective of it helping other players pass the time, I just found it to be padding. Also, the Wii U's "HD" remaster does have quite a few framerate drops, which is disappointing for a game running at 30 FPS. I know, underpowered system and all, but it's weird to me that even a game that was a decade old at the time of the re-release struggled with the Wii U's hardware.
Overall, "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker" remains another excellent adventure in the "Zelda" franchise. It definitely made a bold change for the series, but it nevertheless retains the spirit of what made the early 3D installments so great while polishing the gameplay in some wonderful ways. Plus, even with some performance warts, "The Wind Waker HD" on Wii U is, in my eyes, the definitive way to experience the game. If you haven't gotten to play "The Wind Waker" yet, do yourself a favor and give it a go...preferably the Wii U version.
Final rating: 9 out of 10 "Awesome"