2025-06-09
Cel-da? Is...is that you?
In honour of the game's arrival on Switch 2 as part of the Nintendo Classics GameCube lineup, here's our new retro review of one of Link's most memorable adventures...
If I were to put together a list of my favourite pre-Switch-era Zelda games, those that came before the franchise-transforming Breath of the Wild, where would 2002's The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker fit in?
It's an interesting one, a divisive game for a couple of reasons, but for me personally it lands in the top three, which — considering there are over 40 games to choose from (if we go all in with spin-offs) — is a pretty good result.
Yes, some may have baulked at the cel-shaded graphics when they were revealed (didn't get the hate then, don't get it now), whilst others saw the whole wind-conducting and sailing about in a boat as a waste of time, but I absolutely adored everything about it. There may also have been the odd fan who'd sort of grown up with the grittier Ocarina Link, who then didn't welcome this return to younger and more innocent/cutesy days, but we're sure they got over it once they played the thing.
Because of course, this is a Zelda game that's come to be almost universally loved over time, with any perceived flaws or design dislikes smoothed over once players got to grips with its succession of delightful dungeons whose deviousness comes as a nice surprise when you consider the cute, colourful nature of director and series producer Eiji Aonuma's bold graphical overhaul.
Like any great game in this series, Wind Waker is a masterclass in how an adventure game should flow, in terms of narrative, in terms of how it doles out its new tools and upgrades, and in how it constantly raises the bar with regards to dungeons that test you at every turn. Once you've gotten into its rhythms and made peace with sailing around, settling into a slower pace at times as you journey around this most beguiling of worlds, it's hard not to be very impressed indeed, even if you're not 100% a fan of the (amazing) art style.
There's an enchanting quality — a Saturday morning TV serial sort of charm — to this pirate adventure that, every single time I sit down to play it, draws me right in. I want to shimmy along its ledges, grapple and swing on its ropes, glide with a big leaf through its...undergrowth? Who on earth wouldn't want to spend a whole bunch of time exploring these delights?
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, in this GameCube form, is missing the nips and tucks and an HD lick of paint from the later Wii U revamp. But really, it makes very little difference - well, as long as the speedier boat wasn't a killer fix for you. Some may even prefer the original's colour tone, so you're not missing any real game-changing benefits in sticking with the classic form.
And what a form! This is a wonderfully streamlined, manageable, and constantly engaging slice of Zelda. It doesn't bog you down in busywork (hello, Tears of the Kingdom's Depths), and seeks to charm, surprise and excite at every turn.
You'll come to love sailing your (talking) raft, I'd wager, even come to love all the little repetitive rituals that are part and parcel of setting off for a new adventure. Yes, it can be a bit tedious, but it's so unlike other games, having all this peaceful space to mill around in whilst you fill in the game's delightful little chart of 49 puzzle-y islands. What an adventure.
It's the sort of game whose sandy beaches and windswept waves linger long in the memory. It's also got one of the best variants of Link, so full of expression and goofiness, if you have any misgivings going in, you'll likely have been put at ease by the time the fantastic tutorial opener is done.
This most lively and acrobatic of heroes is also a dab hand when it comes to combat, giving you a fresh and slick take on the series' decades-old, lock-on style of battle that still feels absolutely great to this day, with its swishy sword tricks and flipping around. If you come to Zelda for the usual flow of smart new tools and upgrades that keep things fresh as an epic narrative unfurls, well, you're in for a good time, too. The dungeons and storyline here are series-best stuff (again, pre-BOTW). I won't spoil it, if you're one of the few who've yet to play it, but let's just say that, besides one or two rushed sequences near the end, this is a cracker, and a game that manages to end in an interestingly downbeat, dark-ish way.
If you come for cute towns packed full of red-nosed NPCs, weird shopkeepers, tons of collectibles, goofy side quests, and enough entertaining side stuff to balloon the running time from 30ish hours for a campaign-focused run, to around the 70-hour mark for full 100% completion, this old chestnut still has it where it counts. Zelda's kooky, eccentric brand of worldbuilding never lets you down, and that's not something that changed with this entry.
So, you're not getting the flashy HD version here, obviously, and the original — as much as I personally have no issues with it — does do things a little...well...it can be clunky at times, for sure. The speedier boat is a nice thing to have, let's say that much, and it stings once you've had it on Wii U and then have to go without.
There's also that one godawful late-game questathon that they shortened for the HD revamp (you know the one), but again that's not so much a deal-breaker as a slightly annoying bit of padding. Still, worth noting as it's one of my precious few actual issues with this delightful, 'toon-styled romp, though.
Apart from these hang-ups, though, Zelda: The Wind Waker, from its gloriously sunny opening to its (kinda dark) ending, is a blast, and one of my favourite Zelda games overall. In fact, only A Link to the Past and Majora's Mask top this one for me, if we're talking pre-BotW. I've replayed it a few times now, and it never loses the power to draw you in, once you're over the hump of the tutorial and into the meat of the deviously delightful dungeons on offer. What a timeless treat.
Conclusion
The HD revamp on Wii U may have added a few nice quality-of-life tweaks, but the original GameCube version of The Wind Waker is still an utterly charming and hugely enjoyable romp. The flashy sword-based combat still sings, banging around in your talking boat still feels epic, and the dungeons and narrative delights along the way ensure that this remains one of Link's finest outings. Indeed, bar the odd clunky mission and a rather slow mode of transport, this is right up there with the very best pre-BOTW Zelda games ever made.
Source: Nintendolife.com
