The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - A Retrospective Discussion (Spoilers)

GameInformer done a retrospective video discussing The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, as part of their own Zelda 25th Anniversary celebrations . You can't embed the 10 minute video, so here's a link:

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/09/26/spoiled-the-legend-of-zelda-wind-waker.aspx

I agree entirely with their sentiments regarding not being able to explore the Hyrule below the sea, I personally found that aspect very disappointing, simply because the game could have done with being a touch longer. Also, if they had done it would have mirrored the whole light and dark world thing, in a particularly unique way.

Did the face stabbing at the end seem shocking to you?. To be perfectly frank, I didn't even bat an eye-lid, fact is I found Zelda's face slap more of a shock. I thought the scene looked great from a cinematic perspective, it's very dramatic and stylishly composed. Nintendo knows how to make stabbing dudes in the face look cute. 

For those that need their memory banks sparked...Final Battle (Spoilers)

http://youtu.be/I48RGtVm5KI

 According to Miyamoto, memory size put an end to quite a few ideas they had at the time, although I do recall the DS games included a few of these ideas, albeit in considerably stripped down form. I hope the rumoured dungeons they removed, due to memory consraints, are reintegrated into WW: Reborn, along with everything else that was cut.

I would like to see the following done:

• Include Tetra's Trackers with 3DS support
  
• Include all the islands that were cut.
  
• Include a floating island which is as big and as populated as Windfall. 
  
• Include a new collecting quest via one of the inhabitants on this island.
  
• A few more NPC's on Windfall.
  
• Make far better use of the Camera (GamePad), assign it to a new adventure-wide photo quest with better rewards.
  
• Fill the seas with more NPC interactions, more ships and random encounters - make sailing more eventful and treacherous for heart depletion.
  
• Retain the Tri-Force quest, but make it a lot more fun and eventful on the way.
  
• New Items/weapons.
  
• Include the missing dungeons and their bosses.
  
• Change the structure of events under the sea radically.
  
• Orchestrated musical tracks

Your own, and where do you rate The Wind Waker in the Zelda franchise?

( Edited 26.01.2013 14:31 by Linkyshinks )

The best Zelda game ever made.

Really, it was. It took the series in a new direction, yet still managed to retain the Zelda feel. It's by far the most charming Zelda ever developed and I adore the visual style, the characters, the music and the story. It feels like a cartoon and the way the characters were animated and expressed their feelings was wonderful.

The sword into the face of Ganondorf didn't really take me by surprise, but as you said, I did think it looked very cool, cinematically.

As for the new version, I don't want them to change too much, otherwise it won't be The Wind Waker anymore. All I ask for is an orchestrated/real instruments soundtrack, along with the new visuals (which I hope will get tweaked). Adding too much new content could actually ruin the game.

I can't wait to see little Makar in HD.

Agree entirely with all your suggestions LS - more NPCs and extra content like those missing dungeons would be awesome, really hoping for a beefed up version the game, but likewise what Marz is saying with too much content may spoil things.

As Marz suggests - orchestrated soundtrack please. Nintendo are pumped full of money, so I'm sure they can produce an orchestrated and real-instrument soundtrack.

It's certainly mine. I consider it a flawed masterpiece, because so much was cut, and it felt so.

I find Wind Waker's art style far more appealing than any other. I think It's more emotionally engaging, the huge eyes in Wind Waker are used excellently to convey a wide range of emotions, they along with all the quirky animations do a fantastic job of telling the story and making you warm to characters.

With nothing in the way this time, I want to see how Nintendo originally imagined the game.

I think it would be hard to ruin by simply adding more content and making the adventure richer. Just being able to walk around a frozen Hyrule before the final battles would be enough for me. I don't want any major story changes, I just want that underwater section filled out properly. It felt intentionally depleted.

( Edited 26.01.2013 14:30 by Linkyshinks )

Definitely amongst the best ever Zeldas, but the shortness and easiness compared to others is a bit of a set back for me. Really hoping they include a hard mode of sorts.

Like you, I thought nothing of the face stab. Suppose I didn't really realise it was a surprise back then. Link face stabbed Ganon at the end of OoT, so why would I think differently all of a sudden? Because of the cartoon look and therefore its appeal to kids that would be playing? Suppose that makes it a talking point, but never thought anything of it at the time. More violent Link, please.

On a personal level, love the look of the remake, but I appreciate that many people are put off by its difference to the original. A suggestion in an article at Kotaku asks for the option of altering the video options in the game so you can customise the look further, which would be welcome. Of course I love the original's style to such a high degree that I wish so bad for a true Celda sequel, but I really am happy with this new look.

I remember being very disappointed on first time playing when I couldn't explore Hyrule below. Really thought that was what was going to happen.

But I can't see them changing this game too much from the original. I would be extremely surprised to start seeing such drastic changes. I would be on the side of asking for the cut dungeons, especially as I consider WW too short, but who's to say they didn't use up almost all of the cut ideas in future Zeldas? I could just end up replaying a dungeon that was in Skyward or Spirit Tracks or something. If that isn't the case, and we'll probably never know, then of course I'd love an extra dungeon or two. Preferably to replace Jabun's handing over of the third pearl.

What I think would be a good idea is, if they can take all of their unused ideas, then create a new dungeon from that. Even if it didn't end up part of the story, have it as an island you can reach for an optional extra mid/post-game. Make it tough and have the cut boss/bosses.

Not totally sure I'd want more enemies, like cannons, on the sea. What I loved about sailing was sitting back and enjoying the ride. It would always piss me the fuck off when all of a sudden some bastard cannons came out of nowhere and knocked me off the boat, surrounding me and had to fight them off. It does get boring the more you do it, but don't think I'd want to fill the void with just more enemies.

But agree with many other points. Orchestrated music. Few more NPCs and new mini-quests involving them. Definitely at least a couple more islands that could relate to new quests. Sea chart on the GamePad so I can draw my own markings.

But the least I would want added is a difficulty changer.

I like your suggestion of a bonus dungeon Az - perhaps they could tie in NPCs with that? Some character goes missing post Ganon and it's your goal to go into this mysterious dungeon to save them.

Perhaps Ganon's minions got pissed and formed their own island of pain.

I really hope that they do something similar to the Wind Waker release at the time and include a bonus disc, like they did with OoT and OoT MQ.

The bonus disc could contain a HD version of the original game, spruce it but of course leaving it cel shaded and the rest of the game as it was meant to be.

The original disc could have the remake on it and maybe include a Master Quest esque option as well. People seem to bitch and moan when devs change original content so why not have the option of having the Master Quest (or a Directors cut if you may) version of the game which included the 2 dungeons they cut out and pretty much all of the stuff listed above...

I would also recommend anyone who hasn't played Spirit Tracks to pick it up if they love the whole "Celda" approach as its an awesome game!

They really should have the capacity on U discs to not have to make a separate disc for something like Master Quest. WW MQ would be very nice. I'd definitely take that for some much needed challenge. Really don't think the original game will be included. I mean this remake is not that much different from the original. Not to the point where it looks like a completely different game. I'm sure the majority of reaction to the remake is very positive.

Spirit Tracks is okay. Not great. Better than the average Phantom Hourglass. But not worthy of staying as the only Celda sequels. Need a proper HD Celda. Not scruffy top-down N64 graphics Celda.

( Edited 29.01.2013 01:13 by Azuardo )

Hope they bring this back...

Zelda Box

Linkyshinks said:
 

Reminds me of Sheik

Azuardo said:

Linkyshinks said:
 

Like these ones.

Heard mention that the HD Scan of Windfall Island has a building that wasn't in the original GC depiction of the game. Could be minor, but chances are Nintendo are already adding in stuff here and there.

I was thinking of ordering the Zelda games.....but I think it's impossible for me to do so. I couldn't really get into Zelda 1 or 2, and I played maybe an hour of Oracle of Ages. Also, I thought Spirit Tracks and Phantom Hourglass were good but not great. Every other game in the series has its own merits and I could easily argue each as being the best.

Like Azuardo, I think that WindWaker was way too easy. That would probably be my biggest complaint. Extra additions like those islands that didn't make it the first time would be really cool too.

Also, has anyone here brought up Tingle and his tuner? I never used it in the gamecube game, but I imagine that it would be impossible to use in the WiiU version. I'm thinking that maybe instead of connecting to a gameboy advance, it'll be the connection to Miiverse.

Full price for the remake?...

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/02/amazon_lists_the_legend_of_zelda_wind_waker_hd_for_usd5999

Linkyshinks said:
Full price for the remake?...

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/02/amazon_lists_the_legend_of_zelda_wind_waker_hd_for_usd5999

I can slightly understand this if they threw in a few other options, i think this goes beyond a simple remake, so i will wait for more information on this before i over-react...i still have my GC version and would be content with that until this drops in price anyway.

You don't see HD remakes on other platforms asking for full whack.

You don't see HD Remakes full stop. They're HD Ports. Believing that Ubisoft went back and remade Beyond Good and Evil from the ground up for HD assets or the same with Capcom and Okami is laughable.

( Edited 08.02.2013 18:48 by Phoenom )

Phoenom said:
You don't see HD Remakes full stop. They're HD Ports. Believing that Ubisoft went back and remade Beyond Good and Evil from the ground up for HD assets or the same with Capcom and Okami is laughable.

Who believed that?

A high definition remake is that by definition. Besides, the likes of Bully: Scholarship Edition, Bionic Commando Rearmed, Cyber Troopers Virtual-On and Goldeneye:Reloaded, all did far more than just upscale graphics to HD, they all saw significant changes and they were all sold at a very reasonable price. 

Edit:

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena remake felt like an entirely new game, and it sold for half the originals price!. Your argument is a lame one.

( Edited 08.02.2013 19:55 by Linkyshinks )

I think we were eluding to the PS3 releases of things like Zone of the Enders, Metal Gear, Prince of Persia etc etc, which was just bundling old games and making them look a little prettier...essentially it was the same game...but at least they are cheaper.

Who knows there might be a load of new content for this or the price might even drop!

Way to early to even tell so there isn't any need to react!

These are some points that I hope they'll improve:

- Better statue collection system. Multiple statues per day please!
- Better pictobox functions. Can we please get rid of the max of 3 saved pictures? How about 25 on the camera and unlimited in your home? Also, please give us the box as soon as possible, before the first dungeon.
- The two removed dungeons should be back in. So that means no more boring Triforce hunt!
- Changing the wind direction when sailing. Did it really cost us 15 seconds to do that in the original version? Woah that's crazily annoying. Or annoyingly crazy.
- Seamless use of the Grappling Hook. Why did we have to watch an animation of the Hook attaching itself?
- Better Treasure Chart system. I hated it. Here I was on an island and I just solved the hardest puzzle ever. Or I defeated quite tough enemies. I was awarded a huge chest... what was in the chest... was it a piece of heart? was it a bottle? was it a new item? NO! It was a Treasure Chart! Aaaargh. And because the locations of the sunken treasures were so spread out, I'd only pick them up when I had several of them close to eachother. By then I of course had no idea which reward was from which puzzle. Maybe I got 20 rupees for the hardest puzzles, and a piece of heart for some boring enemies. Very unsatisfying!

As for the price... I expected Nintendo to sell it for full price from the moment they announced it. Didn't all the remakes/ports sell for full price? Even ALttP on the GBA.
I also hope that this full price means they'll throw in a bunch of new stuff.
Besides, the last Zeldas were selling for 85% of 'full price' or so. I got the collector's edition of SS for €60 and ST for €35.

( Edited 22.02.2013 20:46 by Canyarion )

Further Reading (check end of link for contents)

5}http://www.glitterberri.com/the-wind-waker/zelda-box/character-commentary/the-windfall-islanders/

4)http://www.glitterberri.com/the-wind-waker/zelda-box/character-commentary/the-outset-islanders/

3}http://www.glitterberri.com/the-wind-waker/zelda-box/character-commentary/the-sages/

2)http://www.glitterberri.com/the-wind-waker/zelda-box/character-commentary/the-secondary-characters/

1)http://www.glitterberri.com/the-wind-waker/zelda-box/character-commentary/the-main-characters/

Awesome Pig Glitches

I for one really enjoyed playing Wind Waker, having played Majoras Mask and Ocarina of Time before that, this game was a breath of fresh air. Back then I thought all Zelda games were the same in terms of storyline, characters, enemies but as Wind Waker came out, the whole change made me realise that that all Zelda games were an individual story telling of the Legend. It's like a kid telling you the story how their imagination would play out it would be that of Wind Waker.

The art style did not put me off one bit and I believe if Wind Waker was made using the style of Twilight Princess or Ocarina, it  would not have the same effect that the art style of Wind Waker does. The one thing that always gets me is how big the environment is in the Legend of Zelda game's and Wind Waker just blew me away. There was so much to explore and to uncover, yes you probably got tired of sailing but that was the whole point wasn't it?

After getting rid of my Nintendo Gamecube and selling the Wind Waker at a decent price of £40, I always thought about playing Wind Waker again. Yeah I played through Ocarina of Time bunch of times, MM only 1 playthrough along with TP but Wind Waker was the only Zelda game that made me want to play it again and in doing so, I bought the limited edition Gamecube / Wind Waker bundle off of ebay and it was a real treat.

I remember when the Wii U was announced I came up with a mock up idea for Wind Waker to be released in HD and low and behold Nintendo announced it. The couple screenshots of Windfall Island is absolutely stunning, character models look more lively and don't blend into the walls. I'm glad it's coming out and I would definitely love to see some extra content. Extra dungeons and more of the "Savage Labyrinth".

Sketch of Link I did.