Replay Review
Gone with the Wind Waker
Where the ocean meets the sky, I’ll be sailing.
Growing up I was a child of the sea. Most of my summer days were spent in, on, or around the water in some form or another. My favorite of these pastimes, without a doubt, was sailing. Something about the salty air and warm breeze set my mind at ease; it was as though I was in another world when I was above those waves. I would travel in and out of coves, venture to uninhabited islands, and find friends along the way. Historians say the age of exploration has long passed, but I would describe my youth as exactly that. To inspire this feeling of youthful wonder within a video game would be an amazing feat, and for my money, there’s only one that comes close.
Between the ages of eight and thirteen, there was a single monthly certainty in my household: that the new issue of Nintendo Power would be in our mailbox. My brother and I would squeeze everything we could out the reviews, previews, and interviews found within its pages. When we were done, and the poster had been torn out, we would discard the issue until a rainy day when we’d read it all again.
It was in one of these issues where I saw my first glimpses of a new Zelda game. In my young life, I’d already broken free from the dream of Link’s Awakening only to spend countless days and nights struggling with Majora’s Mask. I knew this game was a big deal, and I would have to play it, no matter what chores I’d have to complete to pay the cost.
Like most, what struck me first about this new game was its aesthetic; realism had been cast aside. Unlike most, however, I found this to be a welcome change. To a child, this cartoonish vision was warm, and safe. It reminded me of the cartoons I spent my Saturday mornings watching. When I eventually saw this game in action, I became even more enchanted - puffs of smoke, splashing water, and even moving grass all added to the beautiful world Nintendo had created. It was as though renaissance painters had been exposed to Picasso.
The second thing that struck me wasn’t even about the game itself; it was an ad packaged with the article. The classic Ocarina of Time logo appeared, along with the words “Never Before Released!”. My heart skipped a beat - were they releasing another game? Parsing the ad, I quickly realized this was an ad for a preorder bundle. If I bought Wind Waker, I’d get this as well. Nintendo knew how to speak to me, or rather my parent’s wallets. Summoning my brother and my mom, I quickly hatched a plan on how to get my new game. Within a few weeks, the three of us travelled over hell’s creation looking for the bonus disk - and at the fourth Walmart, we finally found it.
Now, there was nothing left to do but wait. Quickly dispatching of Ocarina and giving up on the master quest, the bonus disk served only as a reminder of what was coming. Time at that age was still a mystery — months could go by in the blink of an eye and feel like an eternity all at once, especially when waiting. On a cold, windy March afternoon we made the trek back to that Walmart to pick up what we’d made a down payment on months before. Leafing through the manual on the ride home, I could hardly hold my excitement. I doubt our trusty Corolla was even in park before I was out the door, racing up the stairs, game in hand.
Finding my 32 inch CRT TV and GameCube exactly where I’d left them, I popped open the indigo cover, inserted the minidisc, and pressed the power button. Greeted by a familiar intro, the patter of falling cubes was quickly replaced by new sounds. As Celtic notes began to circulate around my living room and stir the Irish heritage within me, I was reminded of the many times I’d heard similar music when surrounded by family and friends. Clicking start, the game shifted to the equally familiar and comforting compositions of Koji Kondo.
My memories of this game are filled with highlights. Stowing away with pirates. The stealth required to explore the Forbidden Fortress. Learning I could control the wind — something any sailor would envy. Collecting treasure and dodging storms at sea. Solving the Earth Temple. The beautiful stained glass of Hyrule Castle. Ganon’s death blow.
After playing through the game again as an adult, I can agree with some criticisms the game has faced. The linear and relatively short story; the monotony of sailing; the lack of difficulty. Here, I only see what could have been. With the rise in popularity of open world games and non-linear storytelling around this time, Nintendo could have delivered something truly monumental. And some time later, they eventually did do this with Breath of the Wild.
In the end, Wind Waker is exactly what it is meant to be - gorgeous, fun, and engrossing. For me, it is more than a game; it is a tie to a piece of my life that I remember fondly. As a game, it has replay value, as it is an experience like no other. I believe history will remember it as an essential stepping stone that shaped what came next for Nintendo; it certainly helped shape me.
If you are interesting in picking up a copy of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, check out the available listings on Replay Value.
