Help: Is Wind Waker HD *really* worth it?

So, I'm trying to decide what to buy with my ($25) Best Buy gift card, and I've narrowed it down to four options: 1) Wait until Bravely Default releases and use it toward that; 2) Buy Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon; 3) Buy Tales of Xilia (though I still have Xenoblade to play through, so ...); 4) Buy Wind Waker HD.

It's important to note that I adore Wind Waker -- definitely in my Top 3 Zelda games. At the same time, it's not so old that I think it warranted a remake, and I have played through the game two (maybe three?) times already, even if I haven't recently. For those of you die-hard Wind Waker fans, do you feel satisfied with the purchase? Fifty bucks seems a bit hefty for what's more or less a visual upgrade, so I'm at a loss for what to do.

(Help!)

Buy Luigi's Mansion and start saving again to get Bravely Default when it releases.

Hard to say whether or not it justifies a purchase. I hated Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon so I would not recommend that. Never played Tales of Xilia so I can not comment there. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD was fantastic, but this was also my first time playing it (I never played the original on the Gamecube). Bravely Default looks fantastic (I have already preordered it). If you absolutely can only get one and have already finished The Wind Waker I say wait for Bravely Deafault. It looks awesome.

Depends on how much you like the game. I have the gcn version but limited time on the TV means I never beat it, so the HD remake is more than worth it to me.

I'm a big Zelda fan. And I haven't bought it yet. I'm somewhat in the same boat as you. I love WW (top 3 Zelda's for me too, possibly top 2), but the game looked really good and isn't that old - so I also felt the remake wasn't justified.

But maybe I'm wrong. I plan to get it one day for Wii U, but I don't want to pay full price for it. So I'm waiting for it to go down first.

Personally I say wait for Bravely Default. I haven't played it, but I hear good things. Actually, there is a Demo for the game, if you like how it plays, you should get it.

Yes it was worth it. Windwaker is my 2nd favorite Zelda game, only Ocarina beats it for me. A Link Between Worlds grabs my 3rd place spot.

Eh, I'll pass on Wind Waker HD. I think Ocarina of Time would have been a much better HD remake.

After having played Wind Waker HD, I'd say no. I enjoyed A Link Between Worlds a lot more. Even Ocarina of Time 3D was better IMO.

I did really like Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon though, I'd recommend playing that eventually. But Braverly Default does look damn good.

Hard to say.

Personally, I never buy re-releases unless it is a MAJOR update like the Gamecube remake of Resident Evil which was a complete overhaul. Other than a bump in resolution and a few other minor updates, I don't see why anyone who already played Wind Waker would want to blow another $60 on playing it again. Not only that but it encourages developers to keep re-releasing same old same old rather than coming up with something new. Luigis Mansion or Bravely Default would be much better options in my opinion.

Have you played it before TC? If not, then I'd say it's worth it. Wind Waker is a fantastic game.

I hated Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, and I'm a huge fan of the original Gamecube release. I'd say save your money for Bravely Default. Wind Waker HD is an amazing remake, though, and I feel it was worth the money. If you decide to go with that, you won't regret it. I'm not familiar with the Tales franchise, so I can't comment.

I got the Zelda bundle and i also adore WW , top 3 for me in the Zelda franchise and so far i'm loving it, its my 3rd playtrough, however the last one was a few years ago, before Skyward was released, the UI is miles better in this version and the graphics are great but yeah is basically the same game...i guess is really hard to decide because everyone thinks different, again personally i'm loving it, but i'm not playing it all the time since i have A Link Between Worlds and Super Mario 3D World to share my gaming time.

In the end i think is mostly about how much you would like to play it again, like i said, for me it was quite easy since i really wanted to try this version even if i own the GC version too and i really wanted to play this game all over again.

@am_h8ter_ade: People want what they want. And its $50 not $60. Also that Ganon Statue in the Limited Edition. Plus its more then just upgraded graphics. People want Pokémon R/S/E remakes and Majora's Mask also. I have both Windwaker on my Gamecube and Windwaker HD. Hadn't played it in 10 years but it was a glorious game.

I would definitely pass on Luigi's Mansion. As an adult gamer and a Nintendo fan there is an amount of childish content that I expect and can deal with. But Luigi's Mansion was off the charts kiddish. I couldnt take it after an hour or two playing this game. If you can fit the correct wooden pegs into the board without thinking too hard, I would pass on LM.

@Master_Of_Fools: I'm sorry, how absolutely foolish of me. At $50 a minor update for an old game that someone has played a handful of times is totally a bargain. Hell, if Nintendo is going to sell old games at that rock bottom price, then I hope they never release a new game ever again. Just keep re-releasing all their old games and I will gladly throw all my money at them. New games are completely overrated. Next I want them to re-release Metroid Prime series in HD. I will glady throw away $150 to play those games again in HD. And who needs Mario Kart 8. Just give me Mario Kart: Double Dash in HD.

@am_h8ter_ade: On principle, I totally agree that Nintendo should not be charging this much for an HD remake. But, I think they're counting on a new generation of gamers who've never played it being willing to shell out the cash. Or, as is the case with my brother, gamers who passed on it because of the graphics, and have since come around.

Still undecided. It'll probably be a gut decision, if anything, but it would be wise of me to save the gift card for Bravely Default, I suppose.

Keep in mind that this is truly all you're paying for:

It definitely looks smoother/better. Especially in full 1080p.

Also the increased sailing speed is welcome.

But personally I wasn't too excited actually playing it because I was so familiar with the game that there weren't any surprises.

There's nothing really new to see or do.

@REVOLUTIONfreak: Assuming Best Buy will have Bravely default. I've found that where I live, at least, many non game game stores don't have anything besides the most popular titles.

@REVOLUTIONfreak: I do realize that is exactly why Nintendo re-releases games. To attract new audiences who haven't experienced the game yet and hopefully get them to be future customers of the series. However, I am of the mind that I would never pay that much for a minor update of a game that I have already played. Generally, these re-release drop in price fast. Maybe not this one since it is Zelda. After al, OoT 3ds is still $40 and I don't believe all their other re-releases like A Link to the Past on GBA ever saw price drops, until they hit the virtual console. I just think that it will be pretty easy to find a used copy on the cheap in just a few months. I wouldn't want to encourage Nintendo or anyone else to charge full price for an old game by buying it at full price.

@REVOLUTIONfreak:

How odd...your username is my club Nintendo name...plus or minus a bit.

I think it really depends on how much you liked it and how much you want to play it again. From what I read there are some really great improvements. I'll be picking it up later today myself :)

Ha. Well, my username is showing its age now. I'm sure a lot of people on GameSpot barely remember when Wii was still Revolution.

Oh I remember that well, in addition to the countless fan-made concept arts about the console's design! (See below.) Also, I recently fully completed Wind Waker HD. After all these years, I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite the dungeons etc being the same. The few subtle changes were welcome though.

Since you've played it before, no it is not worth it. If you haven't played it before, then sure it is.

@REVOLUTIONfreak: Yeah, I still remember those days.

If you have already played it, then I say go get the new games you want and forget about Wind Waker HD.

It is probably my second favorite Zelda game, but playing great brand new games is better than playing a great remake.

Wind Waker HD is just a remake. If you've played it before, there's nothing really new to experience unless you want to re-experience it.

I'd recommend just saving the $25 for something you actually really want. There will always be something new to play.

The game improvements in Windwaker HD has made the game fun to play. I just spent the last few days completing the Earth Temple and there are so many sidequests I'll take a break from dungeons for awhile. I haven't even looked for triforce shards yet.

Even if it's a remake it's great fun to revisit the game. I recommend getting it and picking up Bravely Default at a later time. Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon is also a great game, idk why you would find it too childish. I am a 28 year old and i loved it. :)

Its a great game the visuals really carry this game imo though. play it on hero mode

yes it is worth it.

I am loving Windwaker HD, takes me back to being a kid and just loving the world and the sailing (I was one of the weird people who really enjoyed the sailing). For the people saying it shouldn't have gotten an HD remake because it is only ten years old, I say the same thing about God of War HD or DMC HD collection.

I think Windwaker HD is WAY OVERPRICED...it's a good game, but I'm not paying more than $20 for it, and even then I may never buy it as I still own and love my GC copy. I can't justify or condone Nintendo charging so much for a single HD remake, and I wouldn't recommend others pay those exorbitant prices either.

They should have packed in Twilight Princess with it, or at least dropped the price to $20. It's funny though, $20 is what I pay or less for the HD packs and I get multiple games in those packs. They release those for $40, and I wait until they are $20 or less. So, even $20 for Wind Waker HD seems too pricey to me for a game I already own. I would rather spend that money on new Wii U experiences, personally.

I would rather have a brand new game like Luigi's Dark Moon, Tales of Xillia, Xenoblade, or any other games in your list. I own all three of those. Just wait for Wind Waker HD's prices to drop and play new games, like Wonderful 101, Pikin 3, or Super Mario 3D World....or games from your list. You've already played WW, and yes it was fun, but it would be a better deal if it was new to you, which it's not.

Happy gaming.

I think HD remakes are fine...I don't have a problem with them. However it's all about pricing to me.

In those examples, God of War HD came in a five and two pack, and Devil May Cry HD came in a Three pack. Even Halo HD was cheaper than WW HD, and I thought Halo HD was overpriced.

I just hate that companies can pilfer through their library and charge exorbitant prices simply because they know fans will pay it for ICONIC games.

Nice Wind Waker Avy btw. I will pick up the HD version for $20 or less as I love my GC launch copy that I paid $50 for back in the day for the GC.

yea... look at square enix trying to rip off ps4 owners....

making them pay 60 for tomb raider definitive edition. haha

all these publishers doing it now it seems.

That's exactly another example of something that is a rip off, that recently announced TR game.
I spoke in great detail about that Tomb Raider Def. Ed. rip off deal in some other TR thread.

Since this is a WW HD thread, I didn't bring TR up, but it's another example of something I dislike and I would never, ever support at full price. Maybe $10 for TR, but unlikely since I got TR already for $10 recently.

God, I hate glitchspot sometimes. My post was deleted!

Here I come to save the day...

That's exactly another example of something that is a rip off, that recently announced TR Definitive Edition game. Horrible deal imo and I would never justify or recommend anyone support that $60 pricing of that game. Even if it's new to them, I would recommend either waiting or buying TR cheap on another platform.

I spoke in great detail about that Tomb Raider Def. Ed. rip off deal in a few TR threads.

Since this is a WW HD thread, I didn't bring TR up, but the recent TR announcement is another example of something I dislike and I would never, ever support at full price. Maybe $10 for TR, but unlikely since I got TR already for $10 recently.

After TR Def Ed. releases, if someone made a thread if they should buy it, I would recommend the same thing. Wait for it to go, down, down, down in price. Don't buy it at $60, or even half that.

You bring up valid points, and I do agree that the price tag is steep. It is unfortunate it is not more affordable.

Nobody is forcing you to buy the shiny updated version of Tomb Raider, and there are more than enough people who never bought the original, who may find themselves interested in the updated version, and buy it.

There is a difference between a person being cheap, and a product being a rip off.

Many gamers seem to have this crazy idea that these "Tomb Raider: Definitive editions" and assorted HD remasters are effortless copy/paste jobs performed by monkeys dressed in gimp suits that take all of 5 minutes to complete and are then held at 'ransom' for several months before launching to a mouth-wide-open audience looking like that carnival game with the clowns and the balls. Meanwhile actual developers are supposedly in hot tubs on private jets to Tahiti popping expensive champagne bottles with supermodels wiping their cocaine-riddled noses with hundred dollar bills.

If you don't want to pay the asking price because you don't see $60 value in an updated/improved version of an amazing game, with an artbook and a digital comic; fine, don't buy it. There are plenty of other games on the market you can buy and then harass and abuse the creators on the internet all day long about why you think you deserve X and Y from them because you're a "fan".

It will be eventually affordable (I assume a few years), but I'm no rush...I still have to finish Mario 3D world and Pikmin 3! :)