In some ways, a classic video game series is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, developers are carrying on a tradition, a legacy. They've earned thousands (dare I say millions?) of devoted fans, and their names will almost assuredly be carved deep into the halls of video game history. Their work will go out into a remarkable number of homes, almost immediately after release. But, by that same token, each individual follow-up title is met with ridiculous scrutiny and astronomical expectations. No longer are these developers and programmers merely entertaining the public, they're toying with electronic mythology. It's all black and white, they're either delivering "the best title since.." or they're raping their own legacy. Rarely will a highly anticipated sequel be met by a lukewarm response from fans of the series, they'll either love it or they'll hate it. And, for the most part, a major change to the status quo is viewed as a bad thing.
So it should come as no surprise that many long time fans of the series were immediately turned off when early screens of Link on the GameCube, digitally rendered in all his glory, were replaced by a childlike, cartoony new appearance. When Miyamoto and the rest of the team trashed those old renders and went in an entirely new direction, fans felt alienated. Betrayed. I should know, I counted myself among them.
Within the first three minutes, my worries were washed aside. Graphically, this is as much of a leap forward from "The Ocarina of Time" and "Majora's Mask" as those revolutionary titles were from "A Link to the Past." It's still filled with the same great gameplay experience you grew to love on the NES, SNES and N64, yet it's pleasantly a beast unto itself. Truly, this was the right step for the masters behind the Zelda series to have taken.
The gameplay is a near-flawless translation of the system broken in by the N64 titles, at the same time benefiting from the modifications made to the GameCube's controller. Where the N64 controller offered four directional "C" buttons (which were used to activate items in your inventory), the GameCube offers a second analog stick, labeled the "C stick", which is used to control the camera angle. Items are now activated through the use of the X, Y and Z buttons, a layout which requires some minor adjustment due to the "Z" button's location, away from the other two. Assaults are performed with the "B" button, and various actions are all done with "A". Players may lock onto enemies with "L", and the "R" buttons gets Link down on his belly and enables him to parry attacks with his shield.
Though the system remains magnificent, there remain two fairly glaring problems with this layout. For one, the player still cannot control if and when Link jumps or climbs. This particular flaw becomes critical when navigating small ledges or attempting to scale relatively short walls, as the little man on the screen will occasionally choose to plummet to his doom without a moment's notice. I've nearly lost my mind, standing in front of a three foot wall that my character simply refused to climb. The second problem I had was with the camera control. In "The Wind Waker," pulling back the camera also lifts it skyward. So, if I want a wider view of my surroundings, I also lose a lot of my range of vision and must maneuver Link from above. Needless to say, this is not ideal.
My largest gripe with this new Zelda lies in its sound. As a next-gen system running custom DVDs, the GameCube has more than enough room to allow for high quality, dolby-style audio tracks. This system should be pumping out better sounding tracks than your average CD, as evidenced by the tight ambient soundtrack of Metroid Prime. Instead, Zelda falls back on the same old MIDI-sounding synth score we endured on the N64. Many of the songs are exactly the same as heard on "Ocarina", with only a few slight tweaks and modifications, which is an undeniable no-no for a title of this magnitude. Imagine if the Ocarina of Time had shipped with the same screeches and dings heard on the NES original.
As far as graphics are concerned... I've seen cel shading done well in the past, but absolutely nothing can hold a torch to what's been accomplished with "The Wind Waker." Everything has been accounted for, from the big picture to the tiny details. Afterthoughts such as the water bursting off the front of your boat and tiny clouds of dust kicking up beneath your feet on a beach are attended to with uncanny attention to detail. When your character climbs from the water, he'll drip dry for the next few minutes. A monstrous enemy resembling a warthog marches through several dungeons on his hind legs. His lower lip juts out, flapping in the wind, and individual bits of saliva sail through the air with his every move. It's incredible. There are more frames of animation in that enemy's lip than in all of the original Zelda. Taking this game in is more than just an experience. It's a revelation.
As one package, this is an unbelievable game. If it weren't for the mild, yet necessary tweaks required of the controls and the sore lack of acceptable music and audio, I might be tempted to call this perfect. As is, the remainder of the game is good enough to account for the inexcusable audio and then some. The storyline is utterly enveloping, while the gameplay is everything you'd expect. The Wind Waker is a tremendous step for the GameCube, reaffirming Nintendo's place in the industry and capturing the imaginations of anyone willing to give it a chance. Don't let your preconceived notions about the shift in visual style fool you, this belongs in your collection right alongside the other titles in the legendary series.
