Written By: Michael K.
Do you ever have that game you remember vividly getting excited for that you dedicated everything to having it to play? I have a few games like that, and for me, a game I vividly remember me and my brothers being excited for was The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD on the Wii U.
Now, for those of you who don’t own a Wii U (Which is probably most of you), why is this game so special? Well, allow me to explain why it’s so special to me, and why it’s the game I recommend for anyone seeking to get into the Legend of Zelda series.
For those of you who don’t know, The Wind Waker is set in an alternate timeline where after a horrific calamity, the world is flooded in a massive ocean, leaving only scattered islands. This game’s take on Link is just an ordinary guy living with his sister and his grandma on a peaceful island, before a large bird kidnaps Link’s sister, and he has to travel with a group of pirates to rescue her. The setup for the story is basic enough, but the larger worldbuilding and greater threats that emerge as a result of this simple act are more than enough to invest me in the story.
As for the gameplay, Wind Waker’s world is set on the Great Sea, a beautiful and exciting world that is filled with all sorts of different islands, be they bustling towns, forests full of man-eating plants, a volcano inhabited by bird people, and much, much more.
And this isn’t even the end, as the ocean is filled with treasure to fish out, submarines to discover, pirate ships to fight, and more! The Wii U gamepad also makes it easier to arrange your items for use in the boat, so you can have your grappling hook become a crane, your bombs become a ship cannon, and become a true terror of the seas! Just be careful of other terrors, be they giant squids, scary flying helicopter fish, cyclones, sharks, and whatever other creatures come across you!
The combat in the game is simple, but really effective, and allows you to pull off all sorts of crazy stunts. You can steal items from enemies to sell as treasure, quickly switch items to fight multiple enemies at one, or pick up your enemies’ weapons to use in combat! The Wii U gamepad allows you to do this seamlessly, making it easily the best use of it on the console.
As for stuff outside the main story, Wind Waker HD also has improvements that make the experience smoother than on the gamecube. Bid enough rupees at the Windfall Island auction house and you can have the swift sail, which increases your speed and makes the wind follow you in any direction. Add markers to your map to remember secrets or treasure you missed, or go to Link’s Grandma for soup that replenishes your health, makes you stronger, and replenishes your magic meter!
Add all of this together with a beautiful cel-shaded look, and you have what I believe is a perfect starting off point for anyone interested in the Zelda series, and a perfect game to play in the summer with the focus on the water. So if you have a Wii U, I recommend Wind Waker HD for anyone! May the wind guide you!
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