Wind Waker Retrospective
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.พ. 2017
- Time to analyze one of the most beloved games on the Gamecube, by analyzing the Wii U version instead... am I good at this?
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Footage Used:
Zelda 1: • THAT'S NOT THE FIRST D...
The rest of the footage was all gathered by me.
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Zelda. Wind Waker. Wind Waker HD. Review. Critique. Analysis. KingK. Wii U. Nintendo. - เกม
"I don't know. Fuck the timeline"
Wisest insight of the series so far.
Owen LaCava there are multiple time lines in The Zelda universe so that's why this changes the story to Oot #blameTimeTravel
sh-IIIIITAH I'm the time line
The timeline is essentially broken and pointless, especially since there is always a chance that a new entry will completely change up the "timeline" (just look at how no one seems to know what "timeline" Breath of the Wild belongs to).
Nintendo released the Hyrule Historia during a time when fan theories speculating on a timeline were at an all time high to turn a profit. Nintendo doesn't even believe in the timeline. There never was a timeline. They fabricated one based on the games they'd already created to make fans happy.
Honestly, in my opinion, I always thought it was called THE LEGEND of Zelda because each game featured the same main characters and basic plot. Perhaps each game was some other culture's take on an ancient legend, much like Troy or Atlantis.
I don't personally care for the timeline. I think timelines limit creative possibilities for a series.
I disagree that the timeline is pointless and broken. The games do make references to previous games and events in the past, so the idea that each game is just the same legend retold doesn't make sense.
Not sure why the timeline gets so much hate; I personally enjoy the extra context.
Ah, 8 koroks, good times
LMAO
Good ol times
Back in my day...
Upvoting just because your name is dope 👌🏼
I freakin love this comment! Haha
Not as many of em to go around, but still just as cute. In the end I'll certainly take a fiddle playin korok over one that gives me their poop any day! Lol
Lest you forget that this Link fished the Triforce of Courage from the ocean floor and basically forced the gods to choose him.
This link did a lot of shifty shit throughout this game.
Dillon Pattyy worth it
@@tiddyattacker5786 "Do what you want 'cause a pirate is free. You are a pirate."
Windwaker Link is bad ass
The God's chose him because of his courage, and thats why the Master Sword chose him. Anyone could have found the peices of the triforce, that doesnt mean that the God's HAVE to choose you at that point.
It still bugs me that the girl who can LITERALLY FLY is the sage of the EARTH Temple, and the TREE CHILD is the sage of the WIND Temple. Come on!
Also the predecesor of the girl who could fly was a zora. Who guarded the EARTH temple 😂
More caps! MORE!
i recently replayed this game and i thought the same, but, i do think that it excusable. i mean, makar can also fly, no?
holy crap that was so annoying lmao
I never thought of that and now I will never stop thinking about it
Aww I wish you had mentioned the mirroring of OoT they did with th ending of this one. In Ocarina you fought Gannon as a human, then raced down the tower to fight him as a monster while surrounded by fire. In this game you fight him as a monster, then travel to the top of the tower to fignt him as a man while surrounded by water. It was a pretty beautiful way to end the game that really has to carry on the legacy of Ocarina of Time.
And once you beat him in OoT, Zelda sends you to the past to relive the childhood that was robbed from you. In WW, KoRL urges you and Zelda to abandon the past together and step forward into a new future. Wow, that's really clever. How have I never noticed the symmetry before?
0.o
@@SeeMyDolphin I think it plays well into the game's theme of "breaking tradition" also. Given how unique Wind Waker's two sequels feel, I'd say this theme "spiritually" continues in those games too!
It’s like poetry it rhymes.
I love the Legend of Zelda games they’re so nostalgic it’s unreal. But Even if we didn’t have any of the Nostalgia attached to it we would still love it because it’s just such a high-quality a series. There’s a reason why people love the Zelda games. Thank you Nintendo for the memories
9:12 "Apparently while Link was off finding Navi, Ganon Reawakened and flooded all of Hyrule."
No, I'm not going to harp on the timeline thing. I feel the need to correct this point because your videos are otherwise so accurate and it's a major plot point in this very game and none of the other comments seem to have caught this. So: Ganon isn't responsible for the flood. Rather, when the Hero didn't reappear to stop Ganon, the people of Hyrule pled to their gods, who answered by telling everyone to get up to the mountain peaks before flooding Hyrule and sealing it along with Ganon beneath the sea. That's why Ganon's all like "why fight against me when your gods have abandoned you blah!" when you meet him.
Glad someone mentioned this. It was my immediate first thought when he said that.
And when he said this was a sequel to Majora's Mask is not correct since MM was apart of the child timeline and Wind Waker takes place in the adult timeline and it's major plot comes from the fact that adult Link never showed up because he went back to being a kid at the end of OoT
Lord Scribe I hope he sees despite this was like 3 years ago
also link didn't reappear because this game takes place in the universe in which Link went back to live his childhood after defeating Ganon as an adult
@@TheEngrishboy Yeah, this isn't a sequel to MM... MM is a sequel to OoT, a game that kinda has 3 sequels (well, OoT was more a prequel to one of them, as ALTTP came out first, but whatever)...
This guy is so good and not bringing in his biases that he’s convinced me he actually hates this game.
Yeah, I feel like he tried so hard not to let his nostalgia blind him, that he ended up going way too far in the other direction.
Tends to happen when you really like something. Tough love.
I mean, I love Wind Waker, but… He does make some good points.
@@SomeGuyWhoPlaysGames333 indeed
@@jakoblinton2053 that's actually a form of bias as well
Forgot it's your birthday, wake up on a lookout tower.
Believable
"It's my birthday tomorrow!" *gets shitfaced and blacks out celebrating at the top of a tower*
The next day...
"Augh... What... What day is it? Where am I?"
Relateable
Wreck-It Rolfe Yup
Pirate shirt, 30 ruppees.
Orange sweats, 25 ruppees
Seaside shoes, 50 ruppees
Forgetting its your birthday, osing your sister and abandoning your grandmother within 20 minutes?
Priceless.
He’s a sleepy Link
Hyyyyup yip
I freaking love the sounds link makes when he jumps, those little "yip" sounds are so freaking cute they melt my heart haha.
Ok...
^ I know right? What the fuck? Ok dude get your lil heart melted
Right? Personally, his little "hhhng" while stretching is my favorite
Bruh, what the fuck did I just read?
i love the sound he makes when taking lightning damage, fricken adorable
Imagine you die and meet God at the gates of Heaven and he says "SPLOOSH"
Kaboom
I'd leave
@@basically_link I'd stay
I like his funny words magic man
That mini game pissed me off so much I had to mute it to keep trying for the heart piece treasure chart, lol
Interesting fact: in the Italian version, they changed Tetra's name because tetra in Italian means creepy or gloomy, in a negative way. Instead they called her Dazel, which of course foreshadows the revelations that she's actually Princess Zelda.
Maybe that’d have been better to start with-
@@smurfadoodlethewise4584 IDK; I feel like that would've made the twist of her identity too obvious
Yeah... I remember playing this game when i was a child and one day I repeated in my head "Dazel" over and over again, just for fun. "DazelDazelDazelDazeldaZeldaZelda..." and so I realized "WOW! IT'S THE FAIRY OR SOMETHING FROM THE TITLE OF THE GAME! I'M A GENIUS!" that was my first zelda game and so i had no idea who or what zelda was, I just assumed it was something important, and i felt amazing about my discovery, so much so that, to confirm it, I went on TH-cam looking for the ending of the game and proved myself right. By spoiling the game 💀. Luckily I didn't think much of it and kinda forgot it so I still managed to play the game as if I didn't know anything and boy, what a masterpiece of a game.
I still get extremely emotional hearing the main theme. So many hours of my childhood were spent on the seas of this game. I played alot of the others but this one will always hold a special place in my heart.
I just discovered your channel and I'm really impressed with the quality of your videos.
Also, your voice is perfect for this kind of content.
Same here
Amen
no kidding! i usually don't like vids that are more than 30 minuets long but his voice just keeps it going =)
exactly!
Sane here
"If only you could freely mark the map, or upgrade your ship."
Man, if only there were an underrated sequel to this game that had those improvements.
Sterling Today, he uploaded a video about the two sequels.
But... man the touch controls are so rough
Phantom Hourglass is like, the worst Zelda tho
Hylian Alph Gaming It’s actually pretty good. Sure, it has its flaws, but every game has flaws! Beside, I think that honor goes to Triforce Heroes.
@@FancyLines false
This game was my childhood, I completed it 100%, sailed everywhere, landed on every island and explored every square inch of the map. The music just calms me because it has a hint of nostalgia and just amazing music. This is my favorite Zelda game because of its gameplay, story, and music. I love Skyward Sword simply for its music, Ocarina of Time/Twilight Princess for its story, and Breath of the Wild for its gameplay, but Wind Waker is the complete package.
Eh the gameplay of wind waker is meh it has the worst dungeons of any 3d zelda outside BOTW and his open world doesn't compensate lackluster dungeons in terms gameplay i much prefer OOT and TP even skyward sword when it comes to dungeons is much more satisfying mechanically
@@juanmanikings I think he was talking less about the dungeons (which honestly none of 3d zelda dungeons compare to 2d) and more about the music, visuals, and chill gameplay
@@guscanterbury9225Yeah i know he is talking about those thing don't get wrong i love wind waker i'm zelda and nintedo fan after all but compared to OOT TP or MM dungeons i finde the dungeons of this game lackluster i still like the game because of presentation but i'm less inclined to replay than any of those games
@@juanmanikings yeah, all depends on what element of zelda games float your boat (pun very much intended)
@@guscanterbury9225 Yeah i one of the few people that plays zelda games for the dungeons not the exploration because zelda dungeons are only in the zelda series there are many exploration in other games
25:40 One fun thing that I did back on the gamecube version when I was a kid was I printed out my own copy of the great sea I found somewhere on the internet, and then I stuck it in my game case. Whenever I had to write something down, I did it the old fashioned way, pulled out the print out map from my case, and then jotted down symbols and info. Part of the fun for me of windwaker was feeling like a little pirate in real life too. Did we lose the ability to appreciate hand written things since technology has made everything so convenient for us, or are we just too lazy? Who knows...
My dad told me when he would play Zelda or any video game in general I guess, he would keep a journal and write down important information, who he heard it from and where they are. It would help him and if he was stuck he would just go through the journal. It’s kinda like the one in majora’s mask.
This is actually a very cute and compelling idea kinda like how the older GTA games or certain other titles had a map in game case tbh I might actually do this myself in some fashion next time I play so thanks for the idea I suppose truly Wind Walker can be a bit much so this sorta idea is actually quite good for it
What would've been super cool is if they had included a map in the instruction manual and someone in-game (not on the main quest obviously) low-key broke the fourth wall to hint at that. I'm sure many would've complained about it not just being in the game, but I feel like it would add to the experience and make the player be somewhat proactive if they want to save time.
It really wouldn't be too much harder than writing shit down on the Wii U gamepad either.
Whatever u say boomer
Jacob Herl Ok Zoomer
I'm gonna be blunt: wind waker is still my favorite Zelda game even after playing breath of the wild. The soundtrack is just wow. I just love it all
It's a beautiful game, super fun and the characters are likeable. He's being overly critical
@@curlzOdoom Well it really all boils down to enjoyment of the game, right? Personally, as much as I loved the art and stuff, the islands were too boring and the dungeons were too simple and it ended up being my least favorite Zelda even though I expected it to be my favorite.
for as long as this series has existed, nothing tops the characterization of characters like Medli, Komali, Arryl, Tetra, Nico, King of the Red Lions, or Grandma. you see Medli's desire to help Komali become a good Rito Chief. you feel Komali's angst and unease. you know how much Arryl means to Link if he's willing to run off a cliff and save her. it's Tetra's snark that seeps through her, even while she's Zelda.
i could go on. but yeah, no characters have made such an impact on me in the entire series like they have. not even the champions.
Windwaker and Mario Sunshine are the quintessential summer games of the gamecube.
@@ocarinaplaya sunshine...eh
That game is actually really flawed and just really weird as a sequel to 64 in how janky it is
"Good feel atmosphere" *shows clip of Link's little sister getting kidnapped by a bird*
*I believe Tetra's development is intentional. Her sudden change in personality is meant to reflect something more sinister: She is no longer Tetra- The everlasting spirit of the Princess Zelda has possessed her. This is why, in Phantom Hourglass, she snaps at her crew for calling her Zelda, and why Zelda in OoT acts so much differently from Sheik.
I find it strange how many reviewers seem to miss was was outright stated by Tetra: her seeming change in personality upon finding out that she's Zelda is her being remorseful, because it means that, in a way, she unintentionally put Link and Aryll through all this. This is completely consistent with Tetra's character, as earlier in the game, she was convinced to take Link to the Forsaken Fortress only when it was pointed out to her that the Helmaroc King was originally after her and had mistaken Aryll for her.
Yeah the Zelda syndrome when a character completely loses her/his personality becoming just a shallow sert-inself damsel in distress, just like any other zelda games.
@@matthewmuir8884 *I think that's also at play, but it seems ooc that she wouldn't try to help more- also her entire appearance changes too so I think Hylia's influence is at play.
*(And I don't just mean her outfit, her skin got paler than L i n k ' s)
@@lantizeldaappeared5993 Read my reply: she completely stays in-character; her blaming herself and being remorseful is one facet of her character.
@@prinxen1733 I think her skin got paler because she has a tan as Tetra (she lives on a pirate ship in the Great Sea after all); the spell that revealed her identity simply changed her appearance to what she would've looked like if Hyrule had never flooded. Also, I could be wrong, but I remember her wanting to help more and the King of Hyrule saying that she needs to stay safe in the castle (that turned out to be a bad decision).
"The letter reads that he wants to eat her, and she's delighted by this fact"
Aimed at kids, yo.
It's been a thing in children's media forever. See Animaniacs : finger Prince, Looney Tunes, Sesame Street, even (although that was less dirty).
Big oof...
GOD DAMN IT she's into vore!!!
Man, I love Windwaker so much. It isn't even my favorite Zelda game, that honor goes to Twilight Princess, but it was also the first Zelda game I ever played (with OOT Master Quest edition on the GameCube being the second). The title theme of Windwaker actually makes me so damn happy that I often find myself tearing up because of how beautiful and amazing my memories of my time with the game are. Windwaker is far from a perfect game. But is it a masterpiece nonetheless? You bet your ass it is.
Is TP any good I have it in my attic and never played it? I have completed OOT and WW and links awakening.
Devonian play it with a friend who has a walkthrough for collectibles, super fun
@@chatteyj it's the best zelda game in most people's opinion. The other 25% hate it tho
@@ghostchamploo5052 in what universe? tp is fine but the best "to most people"? idk what gave you that idea. i honestly find most people putting it near the bottom of zelda rankings, especially when ranking 3d games.
@@chatteyj have you played it since then???
I absolutely adored this game. I'm old enough to remember that people were not pleased with the graphics when it was unveiled. Then the game came out and that shut them up.
I remember that quite differently. From what I recall, the release did NOT shut most people up and that ill will and disappointment concerning Wind Waker continued on in the fanbase for quite some time. That's why everybody went absolutely apeshit at the Twilight Princess reveal, because we were FINALLY getting that realistic Zelda game that that Tech demo hinted at years ago. It's only been in more recent years when people started developing nostalgia for Wind Waker and the remasters came out and everybody could see how much better Wind Waker had aged in comparison to the "realistic" Zelda titles that the art style was universally accepted as gorgeous and timeless.
@@Christopher-md7tf you might be right. Memory is a fical thing.
@@SomeNewGuyI am in the same boat. I did not like wind waker back then for some reason, as stated by my siblings, but i do not remember hating it at all. I think people like me just do not handle change well. Supposedly i wanted smash bros. melee instead. Since then, i have been super open about zelda games, and i have almost like this OCD thing about the series. I have to track down every single one, except the cdi zelda games of course, and play them. I have played some of the more underated titles, such as four swords adventures, minish cap, oracle of seasons and oracle of ages, and even other hated zelda games, such as phantom hourglass. As much as i disliked temple of the ocean kind as everyone else did, it truly felt like i was playing link's awakening reimagined. It is just awesome how nintendo continued the idea of the 2d top down zelda look and feel in a new era. Same thing with link between worlds.
Then in breath of the wild, they tried to reimagine the first zelda again in a 3d, non linear, non companion space, with a huge open world skyrim zelda experience. I also very much enjoyed zelda 2. Man, down thrusting everything was satisfying as all hell, as was levling all the skills.
@@happyhammer1 wait is it spelt fickle or am I remembering wrong. But shit I agree on everything else
@@happyhammer1 wait is it spelt fickle or am I remembering wrong. But shit I agree on everything else
" ...is a sequel to Majora's Mask..."
Oh no, your poor comment section.
DunantheDefender reeeeeeee, you did not read Nintendo’s over priced book of concept art!!! Miyamoto planned this whole split timeline from the first Zelda on NES.
A Person google's free bro
Drennan Wrye are you r/whoooooshing me bro?
I mean, you don't need to make any kind of reference to the official timeline to understand that WW is not a sequel to MM. Like, man, are you even paying attention to what's happening in each game?
@@javiercortes814 It's a sequel in that it's a 3D mainline Zelda game that came out after two other 3D mainline Zelda games. I think that's what he means
i love how expressive
toon link is.
*Sliding on ice voice clips*
You don't need to
structure comments
like this.
@@tsrenis sorry at the time my phone was being buggy when I made this comment
@@jayceallen6530 ok that's
cool.
@@tsrenis who
Cares
This feels less a retrospective and more like a straight review.
It's a retrospective review.
I think I’m the only one who always enjoys the peaceful sailing of the Wind Waker. Never got bored of sailing in my playthrough or successive playthroughs.
24:07 wait, King of red lions can give you the wind requiem, I always talked to the fish cloud guy at the back of dragon roost island before doing the dungeon
yeah, I can't remember exactly how it happens but if you wait until after the dungeon to get the song and talk to the boat before grabbing it, he either tells you to get it before you leave or sails you over there. i can't remember which, but i believe it's one of the two.
It's not "fish guy" more like "frog guy"
Is it just me that writes/draws hard stuff/stuff I wanna remember down on actual paper when I'm playing games? I've been doing it forever now.
I had to it for certain ST puzzles...
I made a map for this game too, super helpful and also added to my immersion with the game.
@@rsarin18 hell ya man. I feel u on that.
I had 3 pages of notes including the map grid copied down with notes on it.
Yeah when he was ranting about them not having map tools, and says “since you can’t write down what islands have what or need which items, you’re kind of shit out of luck.” It’s like dude you just said how to solve this yourself! You write. Lol. I love having a few pages in a notebook for each game and writing little notes about what to come back for, and making maps.
TLDR; Twilight Princess is a sequel to Majora's Mask and Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker is only a sequel to Ocarina of Time, there is a third timeline no one cares about, the timeline is nonsense but I like reading pointless lore so I enjoy it.
Here's how the timeline works, at the end of OOT Zelda sends Link back to the past from the future creating a split in time.
Twilight Princess is a continuation of what happens after Link was sent back to the past (and as such is also a sequel to Majora's Mask). It is said that Link warned Zelda of Ganondorf's attempt to take over Hyrule ahead of time and thus Ganondorf was sentenced to be executed by the sages but when the execution failed he was instead banished to the Twilight Realm kicking off that game's plot.
Wind Waker takes place in the future Zelda sent Link back from (so the ending of OOT). In this timeline Ganondorf was sealed in the sacred realm by the sages from OOT and years later escaped his seal and returned to terrorize Hyrule. The reason the hero of time did not show up to stop him is because he was living in an alternate timeline (and also he died at some point and was transformed into a Stalfos after never finding Navi).
There is also a third timeline but that's just where Nintendo puts all the old NES, SNES and Gameboy games that don't really fit in with any of the post OOT games.
The timeline is a big mess but I enjoy it regardless. I don't care to much about it but I do find it an entertaining read in the Hyrule Historia where they added lots of lore between games to make the timeline sort of work and if there's one thing I like way more than most people it's pointless lore.
and people say kingdom hearts is complicated LOL.
I do find it interesting as well, I just don't take it too seriously.
You really shouldn't take it seriously. The timeline is never mentioned in any of the games (unless Breath of the Wild proves me wrong) and as such effects nothing.
+Dr. Madd Breath of the Wild mentions the timeline a ton.
+Dr. Madd The third timeline is the Downfall Timeline and is the outcome if Link were to die in the Unified Timeline and Hyrule never recovered. That why Ganon has always taken over in those games.
Firstly please no spoilers for BOTW I still need to play it.
Secondly I know what causes the Downfall timeline but just looking at what games are in it makes me realize that it seems to be Nintendo's way of explaining how the early 2D games work in the timeline since they're stories don't really match up with OOT. I applaud them for the fancy footwork of fitting those games in but it definitely feels the most contrived.
its so out of place when u say ''fucking'' xD
cause the rest is so professional haha
link is so fuCKING EXPRESSIVE
I dunno, i think it helps to put emphasis on things
He thinks it makes him sound cool and edgy
I just want to say that watching your videos has helped me realize the impact of the Zelda series on my life. When I look back at the Zelda series, especially wind waker and twilight princess, I feel like I'm in the company of good, old, friends. It honestly makes me want to cry when I play these games. They remind me of how they got me through the darkest times of my childhood. When I had no friends, they were my friends. I know that sounds pathetic. But it's how I feel regardless. your videos helped me revisit these games and realize the very deep and impactful things these games did in my life. Thanks KingK. I really appreciate it.
The timeless art style is amazing. Combined with tight controls it made it endlessly repayable
You know, while I really liked the characterization of Ganondorf in Wind Waker it did have an effect that I don't think the writers counted on. I didn't understand why we needed to stop him this time. Why is draining the ocean and reforming the kingdom of Hyrule a bad thing? He appeared, to me at least, to show genuine remorse towards the end of the game for his actions in Ocarina. Given the choice, I would have sided with him. He just didn't seem evil anymore. Hell, he doesn't even try to kill you until King Daphnes waltzes up and completely screws over his not-actually-evil-masterplan.
theunsungbard He tried to destroy an entire, new world for an ancient remorse.
#0000ff - Alpha The new world is already kind of destroyed. There's only like 3 bastions of civilization in the entire sea and they're pitiful to look at. He wasn't even trying to destroy it. He was just raising an army so he could take the triforce. That's all. The end justifies the means.
Thomas Halderman Daphnes: "My children... Listen to me. I have lived regretting the past. And I have faced those regrets. If only I could do things over again... Not a day of my life has gone by without my thoughts turning to my kingdom of old. I have lived bound to Hyrule. In that sense, I was the same as Ganondorf. But you... I want you to live for the future. There may be nothing left for you... But despite that, you must look forward and walk a path of hope, trusting that it will sustain you when darkness comes. Farewell... This is the only world that your ancestors were able to leave you. Please... forgive us."
Zelda: "W-Wait! You could... You could come with us!"
Daphnes: "Yes, of course... We have a ship! We can find it. We WILL find it! The land that will be the next Hyrule!"
Also, the logic of the end that justifies the means it's the seed of hatred and war.
The whole message of the story is live for the future. Ganondorf is stuck in the past, and his plan doesn't even make sense. Hyrule is gone, destroyed. He sees the sea as worthless, but it's not. Besides you've seen what happens when Ganondorf is in charge.
#0000ff - Alpha The King didn't say that last part. That was still Tetra speaking.
The king replies with
"But that land won't be Hyrule, it will be your land!"
who really needs 8 hours of sleep?
I didnt as a kid, but as an adult i love sleeping now. As a kid I could stay awake all night and still feel amazing the next day
@@joerogaine7984 I'm just starting to have less energy after a sleepless night. I used to be able to go 3 days in a row without sleep but after one night, I need an XL coffee and I'm still groggy. And coffee gives me the morning shits. Fantastic.
Same, I've been up almost all night bindging these. Also, I think I do better on 7 hours actually, If I sleep for 8 hours for several nights in a row I actually won't feel as good than if I get slightly less.
@@mattwolf7698 Same I think 7 hours is best.
I liked how Tetra accepted her 'destiny' so well compared to the other characters. You have to remember why a pirate is a pirate. Traditionally pirates are people that thru necessity became thieves and plunderers. Most people don't want to be bad, they just want to live a happy life...
In Tetra's mind, learning that she's an important and meaningful person, particularly one that's a wealthy heir and has nice things, might have been more than a tempting comfort. It might have presented the long term hope of forever escaping hardship, options to do something else besides just surviving, even if it was false.
I always felt Zelda version of Tetra was like the modern day equivalent of being able to auto debit all you bills and forget about them forever.
honestly, it might just be something with how my brain works, but I never got tired of sailing. I would spend hours just going around to each island, messing with the little challenges the game pops up in front of you, listening to the music and looking at how beautiful it all is, I was having as much fun with the game sailing out of the wind temple as I was when I first got in the boat.
"I've never found anyone who enjoys the trading sequence" *Ding-dong, you're wrong I love that shit.*
I like trading sequences in Zelda games in general but I think the one in WW is pretty weak. It's just not very creative, you're just going back and forth between the same three Gorons a dozen times. Like so much about this game, it feels rushed.
@@Christopher-md7tf i mean i'd argue that every trade sequence is lile that, lile idk link's awakening
@@Mqstodon The trade sequence in LA is in fact the complete opposite, since you have to interact with a different character each time and use your brain to figure out who might need which item. In WW, there's really no way of knowing which Goron will trade you which item for what, unless you're using a guide. In fact, I'd argue that LA has the best trading sequence out of them all, since you also get a really useful reward.
But he hasn't met you.
I brought my girlfriend to play the Wind Waker and was regularly frustrated by how lost she was in every dungeon. She never remembered anything, she never just tried something out, she never really learned how to control the camera and I always had to remind her that locking on was a thing.
So, yeah, its hard enough for newcomers.
Go play a match of Tennis against any of the Williams sisters, then try and say this again.
@Relevant Relevancy pretty sure there a tons of girls who can kick your ass in literally everything.
0BlaiddDrwg0 I can't even imagine how there could be a difference in the genders for video games.
Be nice to your girl. Don't think your memorization of a game isn't the result of playing for hours.
as a relative newcomer to video games in general, I relate to her
I have to disagree with you.
1. To me at least, The Great Sea is fascinating just thanks to its aesthetics. They chose just the right shades of blue to make the sea look satisfying to sail, and the islands always look distinct. In my opinion, that and the simple appeal of raiding the sea for treasures can make up for the lack of content.
2. The dungeons in my eyes are perfect for what the game is. They are simple in structure, but they include complicated puzzles inside of them. Seriously, I actually checked a guide for some of these. And again, they are all distinct from one another in looks.
These two points, combined with everything else, make The Wind Waker my favorite game of all time.
Gotta agree with you on that, no other game I have ever played or ever will play will have the same meaning to me as The Wind Waker does.
This dude makes some valid points, but saying the dungeons fall short because of linearity, while comparing them to the water temple in OOT as some sort of standard seems pretty stupid. And I think the islands themselves pack a good amount of content to encourage exploration, and I also loved the triforce quest near the end. I guess it can be considered an easy game, but I don't think it hurts the experience.
I also feel like this game had the most unique dungeons aestetically. They all looked different without just being reskinned, and the earth temple was super creepy.
I agree the puzzles were hard enough, but TP honestly had annoying puzzles that made me search them up online ahaha
Felipe Renck Thanks! Let’s say that since I wrote that comment, I grew up. I’m not sure if WW is still my favorite of all time, but it’s definitely up there! Another point of disagreement is the remake’s graphics. I haven’t played the remake yet, but it looks amazing, and a lot better than the original.
@@TheDrunkSpartan1337 I think a lot people find "easy/ not confusing to navigate" dungeons bad or boring or something in those lines.
I quite literally hate being confused in a dungeon. *Confused* not lost.
I recently tried ALTtP and gave up on that blasted second dungeon on puzzle that doesn't even hint you if what you're doing is wrong or even what you're supposed to be doing.
On the other hand I recently played the DS tittles and I freaking love the dungeons. A part of me leans towards PH's dungeons but the execution of the dungeons in PH is... lacking for a better word, but in paper they are awsome. I will always remember the dungeon in Isle of Gusts, where just entering the dungeon was a puzzle, an albeit easy puzzle but a puzzle (funny enough I got stumped for quite a while in the dumbest part, at least the game didn't insult me for that).
Then you're inside an you're quickly met in large room filled with locked and puzzle doors. I freaking loved as you unlocked every door and the floor became accesible from more areas as the ammount of locked doors went down, almost like if you were taming the dungeon. I was even lost for a good half an hour and came real close to dying.
Returning to ST hit with the more linear dungeons again that require very little backtracking. I still love them, but a part of me misses the feel of PH's dungeons.
But PH in general reeks of missed potential and less polishment. Seriously I love WW voice clips but not when they are compressed to fit in the DS's speakers, and Link doesn't even have voice clips for rolling and jumping in PH. To my poorly informed knowledge ST has it's own voice clips.
Also, unlike most people, I like Temple of the Ocean King, even though I prefer Tower of Spirits.
As someone who grew up with OoT, I loathed sailing in this game. Constantly having to move the wind, the slow speed, the emptyness of most of the sea, and the tediousness of finding the triforce. It's the main reason why it's the only Zelda game I never replayed.
Wind Walker undoubtedly is my favorite Zelda game. As I've gotten older and noticed a lot of things you've said about it (sailing and the ease of the dungeons), I still cannot put any other game above this one. Personally. Well, Breath is probably edging out for me as the "best Zelda" but this game really has a special place in my heart. Even as I've recently completed Twilight for the first time and finished ALTTP last summer and I've played a few others, I still stand by this game being my absolute favorite. I love how all Zelda fans have their favorites, though. I love seeing and hearing why they enjoy one over another. Just as long as you ain't bashing any of the others.
When I am upset that a game is not long enough, then I really am miffed that I wasn't allowed to enjoy it longer.
I find that most people love whatever their first Zelda game was the most. For me it was Ocarina. I love all of the Zelda games, but nothing could ever beat my experience playing through that one when I was a kid.
Dunno about everybody else, but my first Zelda was 2 : Adventure of Link. And I'll just politely say it's far from being my favorite
@@espo221b Actually, Ocarina was my first played and finished. And after finishing it again last year, it probably is my second favorite. I just think I sort of grew up with Wind Waker. I just love booting the game up, making my way off Outset, getting The Master Sword and feel myself getting stronger. It gets me every time.
My first Zelda was Twilight Princess and god do I love it! With that said Ocarina of Time is definitely my favorite Zelda and my favorite game of all time. Playing that game for the first time will forever be in my good memories, and I also played it at a time where I really needed it. I can play it over and over and never get tired.
My favorite Zelda games are Twilight Princess and Phantom Hourglass, i cannot choose one because they are so different yet invoke the same sense of wonder, i really like Ocarina but since i played after Phantom Hourglass and before Twilight Princess, it became more of a stepping stone, i loved thr hell out of PH, then played an amazing yet kinda outdated game, which i really liked but not as much as PH, then i got my hands on TP, the evolution compared to Ocarina made it an epic game for me.
I personally really enjoy the trading sequences. It seems like a fun way to progress through the game and interact with the various NPCs. I'm not into Zelda for the action, so trading sequences, minigames, sidequests are my favourite activities. Trading sequences are a way for me to feel progress in a non-dungeon based way, and interact with characters.
And this is the thing. People come to Zelda games for different reasons. Like with his problems with the dungeon designs in WW being too linear. But some people enjoy the more linear designs to the less linear ones. It's all subjective preference.
PastelShoal I don't mind the trading sequences but the only game that made it feel rewarding was Link's Awakening. The trading sequence in that game sort of progressed with you so you never had to do obnoxious backtracking to find the next person to talk to. They were rewards for fully exploring each area you traveled to.
Trading sequences kindof suck mostly because they are so damn easy to miss. If you dont talk to a specific NPC within a specific frame of time in the game, you never initiate the quest and go the entire game not knowing it existed. Happened to me in both OoT and Wind Waker, and I'm the kind of person that tries to do everything and talk to everyone.
Plus OoT's gave us the best weapon in the game
I really dig the personal touch you add to your videos. I really don't feel obligated to tell you, and have an inkling that you already know you've got some groovy introspectives and perspectives.
Thanks for adding some well deserved fun to my day.
This game still holds a special place in my heart! It was the first Zelda game I ever played also. When I initially played it very young back in 2003, I could never figure my way past the first visit to Forsaken Fortress. This was on a rental my mom got for me from Blockbuster. (It was just a random game she thought I'd like due to the cartoony style). About a year later, I actually bought it with the intention of seeing what adventure was past the Forsaken Fortress, and boy was that one of the best decisions of my life!!!!! I played this game ENDLESSLY between 2004-2009! I pretty much milked it for every drop of what it's worth and I only played it once every few years from that point forward. I didn't even play it again at all until 2013. I'll say that I never quite hated the sailing, but it can seem aimless after a while after you complete all of the objectives, but I can always do it in shorter increments every so often for the relaxing vibe it brings along with the beautiful ocean scenery. I try to find something to do on the Great Sea that's somewhat entertaining, such as the Boating Coarse minigame south of the Forest Haven. I agree that Molgera has the best boss theme in this game!! I also think he's one of the more interesting boss fights along with Ganon and the Helmaroc King.
Analytically, I think you're right in that Wind Waker is worse than the others, but in terms of spirit, and fulfillment of aesthetic, I would say that Wind Waker is the most appropriate Zelda to how it presents itself. It certainly is a simpler, easier, and overall less complex game than the previous, but it designs itself in such a way that you come in prepared for such a game. You said it yourself, it's lighthearted, and it's kid-friendly. But beyond that, it does a supreme job of bringing joy to the heart of the player. It cannot compete on the technical level with the other zeldas that cater to different audiences, but I don't believe it needs to. The sense of adventure you receive from it eclipse the other zeldas in such a manner that I make this my favorite zelda. The other 3D zeldas all hold a special place in my heart as well, but the tones and worlds they present just can't compete with the salty, foaming freshness that is the Wind Waker.
Moving away from my nostalgia goggled silly self, I don't know if objective analysis really works for the Zeldas. You can probably establish an objective best Zelda in whatever fashion you choose, and give them each a score in terms of being either the "zelda-iest" Zelda, or the technically best and most well designed game, but that will never change peoples actual opinions on the games. I think the way the games are presented, and the way they make you feel are so similar, yet are all accomplished in different ways, and so despite the way the puzzles are layed out, regardless of how complete the world is or how good the graphics are, the emotions generated for each person will appeal to each persons sensibilities in different ways. Where the more kid-friendly wind waker appeals to someone like me who values the joy from video games (while also playing melee and dark souls to appeal to... whatever I yield from those games) another might enjoy the darker tones of Majoras Mask, or the literal darker theme of twilight princess. I remember as a kid I was very much rejected by the puppet ganon at the end, and while I got through it and felt triumphant, it wasn't nearly my favorite boss fight, where-as the adult me might see it and think that because its harder and more technically demanding that it's a better designed fight. I disagree, its just a differently designed fight, no better or worse than the fire scorpion or the sand cloyster snake thing. For me, who takes from the music as much as the visuals or the gameplay, the soundtrack takes me away from the harshness of our world every time and gives me the feel that I'm a kid floating on the sea, trying to save my sister from big bird. And I don't think that's necessarily nostalgia either, I think I'm just more able to be taken in by this game than by the others, making it my favorite. Don't get me wrong, the title screen of Ocarina and all the dungeons get me every time, and Twilight Princess makes me feel like actually going and learning how to ride a horse, and it makes me feel like I'm constantly in a forest, which is nice, and it gives me joy, but not in the same way Wind Waker does.
Being a reasonably sane person that's usually able to look past nostalgia, having abandoned most of my childhood favorites as just not being very good, why does Wind Waker still hold me hostage?
I think that the Zelda games can only be judged subjectively. Priceless paintings and other pieces of art can be compared on a technical level as well, and be judged, but in the end no one can really say whether they think Mona Lisa or the roof of the Sistine Chapel is a better piece without invalidating their own objective view. The same applies to the Zelda franchise, each one is such a masterpiece, that no one person can say which one is the best without submitting their own heartfelt, emotional bias into the rink. You prefer the Twilight Princess over the Wind Waker, because that game speaks more to you as the person you are right now, perhaps to the person you've always been. Same goes with me and the Wind Waker. And the same goes for the person that loves Zelda 2 more than they love life itself.
Edit: Upon viewing your Twilight Princess video, I hold true to my newly developed opinion that the Zelda franchise can only be experienced and judged in singular opinion. The points you make and emphasis you place on certain moments in the game never hit the same notes for me as they did you. I always felt that while many of the story points in Twilight Princess were cool and nice for establishing a baseline Link for future zelda art to draw upon (smash bros esp) they were never shiver inducing. The fights with King Boblin were fun, and the dungeons you loved were also pretty neat, but nearly everything in that game never rose above that level for me. It never accomplished anything more than a standard Zelda game should, and that's what it is to me, a standard zelda game. Being that it holds the standard for Zelda, not that it's derivative. It's friggin fantastic, the beginning and the soundtrack are exceptions that are incredible.
And people like Arin Hansen can't have the chord struck by any of the 3D Zelda, maybe with the exception of the newest one and possibly Wind Waker? I'm not sure, I can't remember what he eventually thought of the game by the end of his GG playthrough. Regardless, he believes that their errors hold them back to what they could've been. The simplicity and well designed link to the past gives him the most joy, and makes that his favorite zelda. And any "improvements" or changes that may be made to future zeldas will likely not play his favorite tune in the same way or in a better way than that zelda. And so it remains that despite them all being loved by so many and "objectively" analyzed to be good, he maintains his favorite to be whatever his favorite is, not because of his nostalgia, but rather because of who he is, and how the game appeals to him. This is the same for all of us, and every Zelda, regardless of being 3D or not.
tl;dr: Good video, but the aesthetics and emotions yearned from Wind Waker outvalue the technical aspects of the game. And because Zelda games are such masterpieces of gamecraft, I would argue that this applies to every single Zelda game created, and that each person's sensibilities determine which games are better or worse. These things are way too subjective to have any way to give any zelda priority over one another.
man, I had to scroll a bit to find this, but I'm so happy to find someone who can voice my feelings about this game, about the series, and everything I find wrong with these "Retrospective" videos. Taking these to-the-core fun and adventurous-in-their-own-right games and pitting them against each other has never been what the series has been about. Videos like this do just that and creating walls in the 3D Zelda community by making fans second-guess their love for these games. I love every Zelda game for different reasons like everyone else. The moment we begin to attack certain games for certain decisions/approaches, we compromise what it truly great about the Zelda series: an ever evolving experience. I'm glad you're standing true to what you believe. Hope everyone continues to love Zelda games for their individual achievements and plays on!
god damn what a novel.
Buddy it’s not that deep
Seedy Apple ahh it feels good to see someone who feels so much for Wind Waker as I do. It really is one of my favorite games of all time, the soundtrack alone can bring tears of joy to my eyes
I only read the first paragraph but I agree I think WW is good it just makes you feel good, over all else. Mind you I have only played through OOT and WW. I have Twlight princess in my attic that I've never played, is it worth me playing it? Is TP rewarding/ worth it?
In defense of the spring water method for the 2nd boss:
It was discovered, how long? 10 years after the release of the original? So that thing is hilariously clever tbh and while it makes the boss easier, it's such a creative idea.
Yeah, the only way to even have the spring water on you is to know about the solution beforehand and rush through the dungeon. No first-time player is just gonna randomly have it in their inventory.
I’ve been watching a lot of videos on Zelda wind Waker lately and it’s pure nostalgia. Every single sound effect just makes my childhood ring out like a bell it’s crazy I really want to play this game again ❤️
I just found this channel. absolutely loving your insight on the series of games. Quality content.
I have to say I've enjoyed your videos so far. Your opinions, whether they differ from my own or not, feel well thought out and properly scripted, and your narration is clear, easy to understand, and free of needlessly over-theatrical flourish. Keep up the good work.
I just want you to know, I watch effectively every game design analysis/retrospective channel there is, and your videos STILL provide a fresh, insightful, enjoyable viewpoint with a load of charm and quality. Great moves, keep it up, proud of you!
did you just h3h3 me?
KingK Haha, I was going to include the "Ethan", but I worried you'd never seen h3h3 and would assume schizophrenia
I have such fond memories and nostalgia of progressing through this game with my cousins every time we went to their house, completing a new dungeon and learning the story little by little with each visit. I wish I could go back to those times. This was my first Zelda game and I experienced it in the best way possible.
I just found your channel 2 days ago. I’m going to binge all your content, mate. I love long-form videos like this.
the game takes place when zelda sends you back to the past. The time line has no hero because she sent him back in time.
But the third split said "the hero failed"...
I think of it that Ganon(dorf) broke the seal of the sages in Ocarina maybe because of Link being sent back to the past.
Dude, just forget the timeline. Nintendo didn't planned this since the beginning. Some games are connected, others are not. Simple as it is.
The way I understood it when playing: This is what happens after your fight with Ganondorf in Ocarina. Apparently you didn't kill him, so he comes back who-knows how many years later and since Zelda created another timeline by sending you back permanently, you can't come back here, even if you wanted to.
Guys, the Adult timeline is when Link gets sent back to the past and then wind waker happens.
Child Timeline follows young link after he is sent to the past, warns zelda about Ganon and they imprison him and then Majora's Mask takes place
Downfall Timeline happens if Link dies at ANY point in Ocarina of Time.
Dude, Nintendo officially recognized a timeline. That makes it canon, so no, they are connected. It doesn't matter if they didn't plan for it or it the timeline exists.
20:30 "One of the enemy ships actually drops a fucking heart piece, and there's no indication this would ever be the case"
Not true, there is a man with a telescope (one of many) on the nearby island who looks in it's direction and comments on it. I actually think it's great. Hide a useful thing where you wouldn't expect or be able to find, but put a clue like the telescope guys or the fish's hints or a signpost. Feels a lot more rewarding to have to extrapolate. I'm assuming you were using a guide for that one, and the guide failed to mention that the telescope guy was the clue.
I just stumbled on this video. And you said exactly what I've always thought of Wind Waker. You're really fun to listen to!
Love the video, well thought out, however most of the points you made where you thought the video was lame were my favorite parts of the game. The pirate ship layouts being the same mad it feel uniform, like a mass produced fleet. I of course forget my other points, but I see where you are coming from
Summary of this video in one sentence:
"I love this game but it sucks."
that's how all of this guy's videos are
@@jacksonrector7513 I swear if this isn't facts
@@jacksonrector7513 I guess I haven't watched enough of his vids, I always felt his takes were more nuanced than that
yeah thats basically me. i lovvve it but it just isnt the best zelda, but to my mind, when im sat down at my wii U or gamecube, its the best simply because its the one ive loved my entire life
@@jacksonrector7513 It's so weird, I just watched the Mario Odyssey video and he starts how he was obsessed with the game and couldn't stop playing and then proceeds to basically shit on it for 40 minutes lol. Kinda infuriating to watch ngl.
WindWaker is my favourite Zelda game. It may be nostalgia for alot of that but I love the world more than anything. Although I mostly prefer harder games and the Wind Waker isn't that , I just love it in how relaxing it is. How just fun it is to play.
Dude, I watch your videos all the time. Don’t stop doing what you’re doing! I love WW, too. I have a very core memory play this with my friend, Matt. Keep it up!
Wind Waker keeps being my favorite Zelda game even with its flaws, I love the dungeons by its simple puzzle and awesome atmosphere, it just captures a magic that other Zeldas don’t
I like the videos and criticism, but also think you do not stress the positives as much as you do the negatives. Most of these analyses focus multiple straining minutes of you putting the game on blast (as you pointed out) and maybe a few positive comments sprinkled in. Highlighting a game's strong points as much as it's weak points is something I think is necessary for a more fair and equal analysis.
I vastly prefer the remake's graphical style, personally.
Min Lungelow Yeah, me too
I really hate the claymation look Link has sometimes.
me three
I agree. I get the problem with how it occasionally looks like clay. But overall I think it's the most gorgeous looking thing I've ever layed my eyes on. The old art style was fine. But nowadays feels too blocky.
Min Lungelow me 4!!!! I'm happy I'm not alone
I loved sailing through the whole map. The weather and day/night cycles kept things fresh and I really felt bonded to King of Red Lions.
Wind Waker is my second favorite Zelda.
Great videos -- your Pokémon one was especially insightful -- and great narrator voice.
"it makes me feel like a pirate" i know what part of playing the game made me feel like a pirate, and its a very different kind of pirate.
Guy3nder ur gay
Did you see any... dolphins in your pirating?
@@dawgface898 Pretty sure he meant piracy
@@NealBones i think he knows and just enjoys being an asshole to strangers on the internet for no particular reason :/
I'm really excited for Twilight Princess. In complete honesty it may not be the best but it certainly is my favorite by a long shot. Don't let my tweets mislead you.
its my favorite as well :3
One of my favorites as well =) A bunch of dispensable/offensive items and the monetary system is useless (like in 90% of Zelda games, really. Shout for Skyward that fixed this bullshit). But the best bosses in the series, the coolest and strongest Link (discounting the fierce deity because that was a power up), great "redesign" of Ocarina areas, etc.. Twilight for me is the improved version of Ocarina. And yes, Ocarina zealot who is reading this, pioneering ≠ quality. The original Ocarina is very flawed.
Sonata My favorite as well.
I just like the way that TP feels. Instead of trying to make something completely new, it takes source material that works and makes it better. Compelling story, great dungeons, an overworld that is NOT empty (despite what people say. OoT Hyrule Field was COMPLETELY barren.) Also, I crave the mature, realistic style. It may not be the perfect game, but the interpretation of LoZ that is presented cannot be ignored. We grew up with OoT and WW, but now we're older, and the series needs to grow up as well. Partly my style: I prefer the more cinematic experience, and enjoy the story, and like a smooth playthrough with the top quality LoZ experience. I feel like people hate on TP too much, and ignore the things it did well. MM and WW, on the other hand, get a free pass, and if you speak negative about them, the fanbase comes after you, and youre fucked. People need to give the realistic LoZ experience a chance, at least. Take what worked well with OoT and TP, as well as newer games, add in newer controls, physics, etc., and make a realistic game with a compelling story, amazing dungeons, quality gameplay, and that lives up to the LoZ name.
The ironic thing is that despite its "realistic" (or in other words ugly as shit) art style, TP is probably the most immature and juvenile game in the series. In fact, the game has no real "themes" to speak of.
It just covers that lack of substance by shoving a dark color palette down your throat and pretending its mature, which just comes off as desperate.
By comparison, OoT, MM and hell even WW had way darker thematic's. The moment you walk out of the temple of time as an adult in OoT and see the Hyrule Castle towns in ruins is way more of an effective tone shift than anything in TP. The looming threat of death is constant in MM and leads to one of the most tense and foreboding atmospheres I've seen in a video game. WW's whole premise is incredibly dark. It literally takes place in the flooded ruins of Hyrule, caused by the gods to seal away Ganon's evil, all because the Hero of Time had vanished, and so people are forced to live on tiny little islands. All Ganon wants to do is get rid of that shit and return the land to what it once was. WW has a lot to it, it just hides those theme's with a colorful color palette. Even Skyward Sword was darker, at least if we're talking the sacred realms which were more tense than anything TP has to offer.
By comparison to all of that, TP has Hyrule Castle encased in Twilight, yet it absolutely does not effect any of the residence of Hyrule Castle Town. It makes the world feel super disconnected.
Sure it gets a lot of hate but most of it is warranted. Its plot is contrived trite. Its dungeons lack any real substance and are just a collection of very shallow puzzles that make you feel smart without having to actually be smart. Its items are extremely situational and useless outside of its very specific lock. Majority of its characters are boring nothing's. Its combat is underdeveloped and because new moves are optional it has to be designed to assume you haven't gotten them, meaning the enemy design fail to utilize these mechanics. Its art style has aged like cheese and shoves in an unnecessary amount of bloom into the picture that makes the world feel drab and lifeless. It has an incredibly slow pacing for most of the game, or at least the first half where the game is ultra linear and restricts your movement to a few area's at a time.
I love that you don't skip a single thing. You go through everything the game has to offer
This isnt my first Zelda game, but it is the one that made me fall in love with the franchise. Born in 2003, I didn't get to play til the game was already nearing a decade old. There was probably a newer Zelda game at the time, but this was perfect to me. The graphics were sub par, especially today, but something about it just works. I even enjoy the original non HD game and value it because of how polished it was compared to the N64 games. As much as I play other Zelda games I can't say that I prefer them. I'm obviously biased considering the age I was when I played this game but even if I had never played it before I would still say I loved it and felt like the time I spent playing it was time spent well. I find the vanilla game a bit tedious after a 20th play, but randomizers make this game fresh every single time.
Fanboy rant over lol
Have you tried to beat Ganondorf with a bottle and no sword. I know it's posible
*Try it*
I feel so bad for people who feel that they have to 100% every game they play. The minigames and challenges are suppose to be options that supplement the game. Also, the linearity and difficulty were a good place to take the game series back then with wind waker. The more nonlinear dungeons were a lot less appreciated back then because they were too difficult for the average player. The water dungeon from OoT was hated for being too complex. But linearity has and still does work really well for Zelda dungeons. You like comparing to the first LoZ; the dungeons were the most linear part of that game. Zelda has always had a great mix of linearity and nonlinearity that makes it special, providing a unique mix between discovery and adventure. I can't imagine any game satisfying you if you frown at any linearity while always needing to 100% the games you play.
I have no problem with linear progression, it just needs to mask that well. When you make a dungeon like the Great Bay Temple, TECHNICALLY there's one route. But the dungeon does a good job disguising this by allowing you to access a plethora of rooms at the beginning of the dungeon, which clouds your mind a bit when you have to start keeping track of so many things all at once. That's the stuff I really like, especially when the puzzles are woven into navigation instead of feeling separated. That's the issue I have with Wind Waker's dungeon design. There is rarely a point where the dungeon doesn't feel like a trek from an obvious point a to an obvious point b. Outside of the Wind Temple and the beginning of the Tower of the Gods, you'll never feel challenged by the navigation. If the puzzles were all amazing, maybe I'd be more inclined to forgive the linear design of the dungeons, but most of them aren't impressive.
As for "feel that they have to 100% every game they play", the reason I do it is for academic purposes. My analysis requires I look at every single aspect of the game, and that's why I feel the need to fully complete most games I play to a certain extent. I need to get a feel for how strong the optional objectives are, especially in a Zelda game. If they're hit or miss, there's a huge possibility that when you attempt to explore, your experience will be hit or miss as well. It is completely valid to judge the game on the merits of things that may be optional to complete, not on the basis that everyone always does a complete run of every game they play, but under the basis that if the optional objectives aren't strong enough, neither will the experience for several people who play the game and only go after a few optional objectives. Even with that in mind, I'd have much less issue with the Wind Waker if it had a stronger linear progression, but I don't think it does. This isn't a review in the consumer sense, this is an analysis of how each game's components work with one another and how that might effect the experience of anyone that plays it. Keep in mind, this is also based heavily on my very subjective experience and perspective.
A game doesn't have to be difficult to give you an feeling of adventure. I suspect that's a large part of why you love the game so much despite the fact that it fails your checklist of what makes a game good. At the end of the day, if the game is fun, the checklists don't matter. I mean that in an academic way. The positives of a game are more important than the negatives, because if they are good enough to keep people invested for the entire game, that's what the game will probably be remembered for. I've seen the direct feedback of this when developing portal 2 maps for the workshop. If you put a checklist to my well-rated maps, they'd fail for one reason or another. There are plenty of places where the game design is awful. But they were loved because what was done right blew the player's minds in ways they couldn't ignore. I feel every zelda game does this, while making very few violations to the game-design failure checklists. What the linear dungeons in 3d zelda games do so well is give you abilities and challenges that change the way you look at the world and play. It's harder to see this on your second time through, but getting and discovering new items in 3d zeldas is on of the coolest and most game-changing things a game can do, and the linear dungeon style helps to focus on that feeling. That's my perspective, but if you love the game, there is something the game is doing very right. If you want to take apart a game and study it's design, don't start with these prebuilt checklists, asking if it's difficult enough, or open enough. Start with trying to pinpoint why it's one of your favorite games and look at how it compliments and detracts from that.
Linking-Yellow I can never try to 100% Wind Waker, as much as I love the game, I'd kill myself before I have to sail the sea that long.
Linking-Yellow Poor Jirard...
@@KingKlonoaYou say you like "keeping track of so many things at once" in a dungeon, yet you spend quite a bit of time in this video lamenting that you have to keep track of stuff throughout the Great Sea. Legitimate question: why is it different for the overworld?
39:22
So fun fact
Until watching this video, I NEVER KNEW that there was a grapple spot right there.
I *ALWAYS* used the Deku Leaf at just the right point in my jump arc to float across, and always thought it was really poorly designed because you could get stuck without enough magic to cross.
Good to know I just wasn't looking hard enough!
I fall asleep to these every night. It's a fun way to relax and I have cool dreams
Great video. This is my favorite LoZ game and you did it great justice, while still leveling a critical eye towards it's potential flaws.
Holy crap, I just went through and watched all your Zelda retrospective videos, besides the breath of the wild (still waiting to play that on the switch). These are some of the best in depth looks I've seen! Very well put together!
how long are the scripts you make??
pk mach it varies. But they're usually in the ballpark of 7000 to 10000 words
KingK Wow, that's impressive. Good review, I'm new to this channel and I really appreciate the effort that goes into making these retrospectives.
Very long
pk mach long enough to show effort into his video
@@kyleshastyle3100 It's because he wrote it with passion, he clearly loves the game
18:16 When you were talking about the Charts and how if someone didn't know, they had look it up, was perfectly timed with Toon Link looking down as if you just shamed the Hero of Winds. The timing was so perfect, I want to say it was intentional, but, it was probably just a coincidence, so I'll go with that.
I gotta actually completely agree with you on this one. I’d heard so much good about the game, and, although while playing it it was an amazing experience, it wasn’t at all what was promised to me. The sea was boring and empty, and the islands were tiny with most of the gameplay being done on about 4 or 5 islands. Great game, but big let down where it shouldn’t have been. I didn’t even think about the dungeons, but looking back, you’re right there too.
You got to understand this came on game cube and was the game after oot and mm, yea sea was a bit boring but its just hyrule field the islands could have been meatier but really it was amazing for its day
I love Wind Waker HD to DEATH and I’ve played through it so many times and every time I see videos about it I usually start a new playthrough. I freaking LOVE just about everything about this game and it makes me so happy 😁
27:37 "The Great C-Sections"
I love watching game retrospectives places me back to easiest time in life and you learn tons of new things
I just finished this game. Exploration has always been the highlight of games for me and it was interesting playing it after breath of the wild, seeing how each one handles exploration. Both games are masterpieces and have different strengths (and weaknesses). I really enjoyed sailing across the ocean, and I look forward to going back and discovering more things I missed.
I thought nobody could top Matthewmatosis' reviews. I wouldn't say you topped them, I'd call you even. Both incredibly gifted reviewers!
Windwaker gave me nothing but 100% good feelings. Love the atmosphere ❤️🙏
I remember sitting in my parents basement playing this game everyday for hours back in 2005 - 2008
I loved this back when it was new on GameCube. So much time spent sailing and exploring what seemed like an enormous map at the time
The cartoony theme fit with everything else game cube related at the time. And the cheery atmosphere is broken well at the moment you discover the history of the land and how everything was flooded
I honestly love your videos because because the gameplay shown isint required to look at for the script to make sense, so I can put on your videos while playing some Celeste or doing homework. Just overall, good quality too, you don’t just ramble, you talk about proper things I’m interested in
This is always the game I recommend starting for new people getting into Zelda, because of the easy dungeons and loveable characters and artstyle. Since I jumped from Twilight Princess to this game, I was shocked by how much easier the dungeons were (except Wind Temple), and how the game used the Great Sea.
Its better to start with WW, unlike Majora's Mask (very different from the rest of the series) or Twilight Princess (much harder puzzles and much darker overall theme)
“this is a game from my childhood“
Thanks now I'm feeling super old.
Great video and analysis as usual. Just now discovering your videos and they are excellent. Definitely made me feel old though. My first Zelda game was the first Zelda game on Nintendo... lol.
Dam the nostalgia from this! I remember at 7, my mom bought me a Gamecube with this and the Prima Official Guide Book. We sat there and played and tackled every boss. Good times.
There aren't enough dungeons in this game. 2 once you get the Master Sword. I would've atleast preferred 4. The other 2 could hold pieces of the triforce maybe.
Tetra/Zelda has always bothered me greatly about Wind Waker for sure.
"Oh, I'm a princess? Really? Better act super girly and do my nails from now on".
Otherwise great game, though. The funny moments are the best, for sure.
That and *Sploosh*
I really do subscribe to the theory that it's "Zelda's Spirit" that changes her so heavily. Think to past games where there was Shiek, and then there was Princess Zelda. I think it falls the same way for Tetra. When she gets told about her ancestors, she gets "possessed" by the spirit of Zelda.
That's not how she behaved though; her reaction to learning that she's Princess Zelda was one of remorse, as it meant that, the whole time, Ganondorf was after _her,_ and, in her mind, she inadvertently dragged Link and his sister into this. It was natural and it made sense; I guess 90% of players (including a surprising number of reviewers such as KingK) didn't bother to read what Tetra actually said.
Have to say I have watched all your retrospective videos and there great your voice is perfect for it !!
i’ve watched this a dozen times, I don’t understand why I enjoy it so much
Well done. You criticized the game for its shortcomings without being blinded by nostalgia. Likewise, Link's Awakening was my first game in the series, and I ADORE it. But I won't hesitate to tear it a new one if someone asked me to deconstruct it, and point out all the parts of its design and story where it missteps.
I absolutely love Wind Waker, I don’t know why I love it so much but I expect it might well be bias since this was the first Zelda game I ever saw other than A Link to the Past which really didn’t light my world on fire. I just really love the art style, it’s really cute and expressive and I think the HD version really improves it, I remember buying it when it was new after I saw it in a shop because I’d known about Wind Waker for years but I didn’t have a GameCube, and therefore HD was the first Zelda I ever played, and I really enjoy the sailing, the music, most of the gameplay, and the beautiful graphics just make me happy. It’s clear the HD version overuses bloom a bit, but I can’t help but love it still, the colours and lighting and shadows look SO MUCH BETTER than the original. I remember seeing the GameCube version after playing HD and thinking, wow, this looks so dim and unvibrant, these colours are so desaturated.
I think it definitely appealed to me as I was a kid at the time, but after growing up a bit I still love it, and it makes me really happy to play. I really should get around to beating it but I’m gonna need to set my Wii U for it, but at least it’s gonna look great on my TV, unlike most 720p or worse Wii U games this one actually managed 1080p which is amazing.
Great video. Even though I played Ocarina and Majora’s Mask first, Windwaker was still my favorite 3D Zelda, and part of what I loved about it was the emphasis on exploration and less dungeon headaches.
I think the relaxed nature of this game, music and visuals really made it for me.
I love Breath of the Wild just as much, but appreciate the more compact nature of Windwaker to this day. If they remake it for the Switch will be an instant buy for me.
i find it interesting how the title theme, upon first listen, is a pretty good song on it’s own but after you’ve played the game you recognize the korok choir, makar’s violin and medli’s harp all playing (or, at least their soundfonts are all reused). neat details like that are what makes this game my favorite
You wouldn't believe how many times I got told to turn off my GameCube from how pissed I got trying to beat puppet Ganon 😂
Caterpillar puppet Ganon probably my least favorite
You can hit darknuts enough until their armor just breaks completely. Also to get their item without killing them, you have to remove their helmet first and then user the grappling hook.
Also did you talk about the big octos?
Watching the great sea portion after seeing the Phantom Hourglass great sea portion really makes this video better.
Thanks for the retrospective. Other than BOTW, WW is my favorite Zelda. The charm and atmosphere is unlike any other in the series and I can still replay it to this day with a smile on my face.