The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Review

Some fondly remembered game designs have aged poorly, but if I didn’t know that The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker came out 10 years ago on GameCube, it would be easy to believe that this HD re-release was a brand-new Wii U game. That’s how well this classic action adventure game holds up. (Here’s our original Wind Waker review from way back in 2003.) Its admirable longevity stems from excellent combat, charming characters, fun side-quests, inventive dungeons, one of the series’ best stories, and a cel-shaded art style that, while divisive, still looks great. For the re-release, Nintendo made very smart decisions about what to update and what to leave alone.

Back in the day, Wind Waker’s cartoony style came under fire for being “too kiddie.” But the joke’s on its critics, because while its contemporaries haven’t stood the test of time well, Wind Waker has refused to grow old. This timeless tale of a young boy searching for his kidnapped sister re-works classic lore from The Legend of Zelda into a thoughtful and heartwarming adventure that loops itself around familiar tropes. Visually, this new HD treatment isn’t much more than a texture update and a new lighting system, but it’s impressive and immersive. It’s noticeable from Link’s first steps on Outset Island all the way to the climatic final battle. The open seas look amazing in HD, and the increased draw distance really makes trips between islands feel isolated, but also intriguing. The many mysterious islands entice us to explore them off in the distance.

The new lighting is sometimes a double-edged sword, though, creating the one giveaway that Wind Waker HD is older than it seems. In situations where Link is close to light sources or in dark areas, the soft shadows that wrap around him add a slightly weird volume to his character that looks strange and clay-like. It isn’t revolting, just distracting, as it stands out like a sore thumb in a heavily stylized world full of marvelous character designs.

Nintendo came up with a clever and inspired interpretation when they adapted the well-known characters of the Zelda series into this anime-inspired art style. Take Ganon, for example. As a returning villain, the artists settled on a striking, samurai-esque look for his character; A visual foil to all of the pirates and sea-driven art direction used for this water-filled world. His flowing robe and samurai mask-like grin add an Eastern slant on a character I’ve seen plenty of times before. These small touches benefit other characters. Each one has a unique visual touch that adds personality and makes them memorable at the same time. Overall, Wind Waker HD has lost very little of its visual brilliance, and looks great whether you’re playing on the TV or the GamePad screen.

Nintendo made some notable tweaks to adapt Wind Waker HD to Wii U, but most of its charming elements were there from the start. The wide-open overworld and great characters, for example, possess a level of charm and personality that holds up well against any similar modern games. The signature dungeons showcase intricate and inventive puzzle design that will be just as great in another 10 years.

Wind Waker’s signature dungeons start out simple, and build in complexity at a great pace. For example, the dungeon on Dragon Roost Isle mostly relies on the use of the grappling hook to travel across large platform gaps. But by the time I reached a late-game dungeon called the Earth Shrine, I had to use nearly every item in my satchel – including boomerangs, bombs, and hammers – together to move forward. Each room presents another crafty puzzle that requires careful observation.

But Wind Waker’s best feature is its combat, and it's still the finest of any action adventure I’ve ever played. With a reliable lock-on system and lots of offensive combat options to counter, disorient, and disarm enemies easily, plenty of great weapons, and memorable foes, fights never get repetitive over its 30-hour length. An enemy encounter can unfold in a number of ways. Link can steal treasures using a grappling hook, or stun foes with a toss of his boomerang. He can gracefully counter incoming attacks, or freeze a baddie with an ice arrow and then finish them off with a thundering smash of an oversized hammer. Of all the incarnations of Link in the 3D era of this series, the young, cartoon iteration is the most capable fighter.

The enemies of Wind Waker might be considered easy when compared to beefier creatures found in other action adventures and RPGs, but few games present foes that blend animation and personality so well. That makes them a joy to fight. We’ve seen enemies like Moblins in other Zeldas, but they’ve never swaggered down a hallway with such expressive confidence, or had such a clearly dumbfounded look cross their pig-like faces when a grappling hook steals their precious skull necklaces. The way a disarmed enemy makes a mad dash for a weapon by one a powerful sword swing makes them feel like they have a real will to survive. Wind Waker applies similar behaviors and reactions to most of its enemies, making just about every encounter interesting.

All that’s before we even start to talk about what’s new in this version. On Wii U, Wind Waker benefits from clever use of the second screen. The biggest boon is using it to swap out inventory items without having to pause, making the world feel more seamless and uninterrupted. I got an added sense of accomplishment from having an easy view of my completed sea charts and treasure maps available at all times, too. And for anyone who felt the original version was too easy, now there’s Hero Mode that doubles enemy damage, and makes it so that health can only be regained by drinking potions. It’s a challenging alternative for anyone worried they’ve outgrown this adventure.

Of course there are also smaller tweaks worth pointing out. The camera controls are much smoother on the Wii U’s controllers and feel like a vast improvement over the GameCube’s tiny c-stick. Other notable changes include sped-up animations and a retooled first-person camera. These improvements could be considered minor, but combined, they’re a noticeable improvement. That’s the beauty of this HD version: the developers have a light, but effective touch.