It had been quite some time since Zelda and I had last met. A decade, actually, when she had come to me in glorious 8-bit form, encapsulated within a tacky golden cartridge. I had dabbled in The Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, of course, but that was little more than an excuse to visit the N64-sporting-girls in Lile 230.
Thus realizing that my knowledge of all things Triforce-related was severely lacking, I turned to my roommate, Soma, who was quick to inform me that the "tacky golden cartridge" I spoke of was in fact "not the original, but a re-release" for Nintendos GameCube. I had found my man.
And so we together embarked upon the latest Zelda incarnation, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, armed with an ample supply of caffeine, no memory card, and a complete lack of motivation to study for our final exams.
The Wind Waker opens with a lengthy, unskippable prologue more than a little reminiscent of The Lord of Rings, briefing us on the evil Ganon - think Sauron meets Lord Voldemort - and his defeat at the hands of the familiar "Hero of Time."Shockingly, Ganon later emerged from hiding to again wreck havoc across the land, but this time, our green-clad time traveler was nowhere to be found.
Fast-forwarding a few hundred years, we are cast in the role of Link, a young lad living on the aptly-named Outset Island, where they still celebrate the legendary Hero of Time by dressing boys in those familiar green tights when they come of age. And wouldn't you know it, today is Link's twelfth birthday.
After some quick tutorials from the exposition-spewing island residents, it's only a matter of time until we're off to the high seas to rescue Link's kid sister Aryll, who's apparently the latest victim in a series of kidnappings by a giant bird with an ear fetish.
The Wind Waker unravels slowly, which is to be expected in any Zelda game, but with a very non-linear format that emphasizes puzzle solving by means of the wide variety of tools you come across. Along the way, you'll explore a vast ocean and a diverse array of islands, interacting with a multitude of colorful characters and enemies as you go. This allows for countless hours of side games as well, particularly on the god-forsaken Windfall Island, where you're sure to spend just as much time cursing the locals (many of whom look suspiciously like Muppets) and their ludicrously vague advice as you will actually uncovering any useful information.
The Wind Waker's biggest strength lies in its production design, which is something of a cross between anime and contemporary Disney animation. The graphics are truly a feast for the eyes, as gorgeous cell-shading and dazzling animation take full advantage of the GameCube's capabilities and allows for an impressive range of emotions and expressions from our young hero. Gasp as Link furrows his brow in concentration! Marvel as his eyes widen in curiosity! Weep as he smiles lovingly at his sister!
That said, you may scream, too, as you're faced with menial task after menial task en route to face the forces of evil. Alas, success in the world of Zelda is never as easy as running and shooting everything in sight. Expect to find yourself hunting down keys and codes galore while you snake through cluttered and convoluted dungeons, riffling through every tool in your arsenal: bombs, grappling hooks, Deku leaves, and of course the Wind Waker itself, which gives Link a variety of magical powers necessary to complete his quest.
Naturally, Zelda enthusiasts will not be disappointed; The Wind Waker borrows liberally from the more successful elements of the past Zelda outings and greatly improves upon others. The familiar fighting system is intact, with an added "parry" feature that allows for some impressive swordplay on Link's part. The irrepressible Tingle, the Jar-Jar Binks of Majora's Mask, makes a return in the form of the "Tingle Tuner," a nifty cooperative play feature available for Game Boy Advance owners.
Soma tells me The Wind Waker most reminded him of Super Nintendo's beloved A Link to the Past, recently proclaimed the greatest video game of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Considered by many to have given birth to the non-linear storyline format, A Link to the Past certainly finds a kindred spirit in The Wind Waker, whose convoluted storyline seems to suffer from severe attention deficit disorder - it's a long, tangential journey, but not an overly difficult one.
Still, a few twists and turns along the way add some interesting new developments in the Legend of Zelda itself, enjoyable for novices and aficionados alike. And if you ever get really stuck, you can always look up an Internet walk-through, right?
Regardless, Soma and I were ultimately defeated not by Ganon, but by an accidentally unplugged power cord. With the GameCube having been turned on for nearly a full week (no memory card, remember?), Link's quest ended as Soma tried to pack up his alarm clock.
Then again, up until that point I hadn't realized how much The Wind Waker's story had truly drawn me in. As our TV went blank, Soma and I could only stare in disbelief, forever ignorant of poor Aryll's fate, pained at how close we were to rescuing her.
And isn't that, dear reader, the hallmark of a good video game? I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
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