I have to say I liked Wind Waker better. I've never been one to judge a game solely by graphics, as far too many do for WW, to me, they're just icing on the cake if they're great. And you have to understand that they didn't try to make it all cool and realistic looking, just something different, and, as was said, cartoony to reflect Link's age. Also, it's just a different looking style, it's not an altogether different formula of game, and it's not as though the environments weren't detailed either; the wind blows and moves grass and stuff, waves move, it actually can rain on its own, etc.
It also combined many of the past games into it, such as the feeling of exploration that you got with Zelda 2, and the chart getting filled in as you move like in Link's Awakening, it has basically the same kind of system as in the two N64 games, what with the whole passing of time thing, and I guess you could say just the 3-dimensional world. It is a pretty standard thing now and was for the 64, but different games just have different layouts, styles, or methods of navigation within the 3D world. And that is also something great about Wind Waker: the navigation. I was so happy to have the Great Sea and being able to sail around it. The world in Majora's Mask seemed too small to me, but Wind Waker has as big a world as you could hope for, even with the small size of some islands. True, some are passable, but most deserve a stop because they may have an interesting thing or two on their own, if not for actual story or quest purposes. Exploring the world made for hours of enjoyment for me, and a sense of sometimes some mystery, but mostly of freedom, something I love in videogames, and indeed that is probably a lot of the reason the GTA games are so successful and most likely the main selling point for the Elder Scrolls games, and the draw for me.
Each Zelda game has had something unique about it since the start. The original was, what, the first RPG/adventure game ever. The second was a side-scroller (not a selling point for me though) with an entirely new combat system as well as one of upgrades and character development (however basic it is now) and a considerably sized world for the time. A Link To The Past may well have been the most enjoyable one of all with the warm and happy land of Hyrule and then its evil and macabre counterpart, The Dark World, which is made even more sweet because you got to know Hyrule so well, and then to see it so crude and perverse gives a feeling of newness, despite the same map, and a sense of a mission; to restore this land. Link's Awakening opens an entirely new land with a new bunch of characters and the new ability to, one, wield whatever combinations of weapons or items you wanted, two, new weapons and items, a couple found in no other of the games. Ocarina Of Time was quite simply amazing with its fair-sized world and the abilty to travel between two time periods, in some ways repeating that of The Dark World from LttP, not to mention the excellent combat system and 3D world. Majora's Mask introduced a twisted world based off of that of OoT, but altogether different and the form-altering masks were introduced. With Oracle of Ages and Seasons you could travel through time again, but even more and in two different, respected ways. Minish Cap offers you the ability to shrink to a size so that a clover towers above you as would a tree. Wind Waker's uniqueness comes from having such a huge world, eager to be explored, full of characters and wonder and surprises. I can't say as though I'd trade all the other special things for this, but it is certainly one of the more noteworthy catches.
Sorry for such a long post and I can only hope it wasn't a waste of time, I just wanted to share my thoughts, but I guess it did end up long-winded, but I can never edit what I write so there it is.
Oh yes, I forgot to say that the concept of the Twilight Princess, however little we actual know, I think may have the potential to be the greatest Zelda game ever, so let's all cross our fingers and hope this game puts Nintendo back on the map! Didn't they also say that games are being made for all of their major franchise characters for the Revolution? That means another Zelda game is in the works. When it comes out I'll have to check if I haven't died and gone to heaven.
reply
share