Editing The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

{{Game
| name=The Wind Waker
| image=[[Image:WindWakerBox.jpg|200px]]
| bgcolor=silver
| fgcolor=black
| full title=Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
| developer=[[Nintendo EAD]]
| publisher=[[Nintendo]]
| system=[[Nintendo Gamecube]]
|release=JP December 13, 2002<br />US March 24, 2003<br/>EU May 3, 2003<br />AU May 7, 2003
| gallery=[http://www.gamehiker.com/gallery/index.php?cat=10 GH Gallery]
| rating= ESRB: E
|}}

'''The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker''' is the tenth game in the [[Portal: The Legend of Zelda|''The Legend of Zelda'' series]]. The game is known for its cel-shaded art style, which is a departure from the relatively realistic approach of the earlier 3-D games.

=Story=

Several hundred years after the events of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time|Ocarina of Time]]'', [[Link#Hero_of_Winds|Link]] is a young boy living on Outset Island with [[Link's Grandmother|his grandmother]] and sister, [[Aryll]]. The legends of the people tell of [[Hyrule|a prosperous kingdom]] that housed a [[Triforce|golden power]]. An [[Ganon|evil man]] stole the power and used it to conquer the kingdom until a young hero wearing green sealed him away. He became known as the Hero of Time. The evil returned, but the Hero of Time did not reappear. No one knows what became of the kingdom.

When boys on Outset Island, they are given clothes like the one the hero wore. As the game starts, Link has come of age. Shortly, Link spots [[Helmaroc King|a giant bird]] taking a girl to the forest at the top of the island. Link goes to rescue her, but Aryll winds up being captured by the bird in her place. Link is forced to team up with the coarse pirate [[Tetra]] to find his sister and winds up being caught in a larger plot involving the golden power and the lost land of legend.

=Gameplay=

The game follows the basic gameplay of the previous 3-D games  such as ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask|Majora's Mask]]''. The control scheme remains largely the same, including the ability to lock-on to enemies. There are a variety of dungeons (but less than usual) as well as a variety of sidequests that could be taken on. The combat system is also modified with the ability to counterattack by following visual cues during battles. This usually allows the player to avoid an attack and attack an enemy at the same time.

One of the biggest differences from the traditional ''Zelda'' games is the fact the game takes place in a sea. Because of this, Link has a boat to travel in and gains the ability to control the direction the wind is blowing through the titular [[Wind Waker]]. The Wind Waker replaces the [[ocarina]] from previous games as a musical instrument that can be used in a variety of contexts, and the ability to control wind also has several other applications.

This game also has an optional feature called the [[Tingle]] Tuner. By connecting a [[Game Boy Advance]] to the Gamecube, the player can control Tingle. Tingle has a more detailed map, and he can sell the player goods and services quickly. There are also some small sidequests which can be pulled off using it.

=Continuity Notes=

*The game is explicitly set several hundred years after ''Ocarina of Time'', and the backstory seems to be constructed in a way that no other games could take place between ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''The Wind Waker''. [[Eiji Aonuma]] has elaborated that the ending of ''Ocarina of Time'', in which Princess Zelda sends Link back in time, caused two parallel timelines to form, with ''The Wind Waker'' being set in the timeline which Link disappeared from (the "adult timline") when he was sent back to the other timeline (the "child timeline"), implying that most other ''Zelda'' games occur within the child timeline.
*The Hero of Time is mentioned at various points in the game, and is immortalized with a statue in Hyrule Castle. Stained glass windows in Hyrule Castle depict the seven sages from ''Ocarina of Time'' as well as Link's battle with Ganon from the game's climax. Some characters from ''Ocarina'''s timeframe, particularly [[Ganondorf]] and the [[Deku Tree]], appear within this time. The deceased sages ([[Fado]] and [[Laruto]]) also both belong to species from ''Ocarina'' that do not appear within this game.
*One of the Tingle Tuner sidequests contains "The Legend of the Fairy", which describes Tingle's meeting with the Hero of Time. This seems to accurately describes Tingle's role in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask]]'' and sets the foundation for the existence of multiple Tingles, despite the fact that ''Majora's Mask'' apparently took place in the other timeline as well as in [[Termina|a parallel world]]. There is another ''Majora's Mask'' reference in that [[Phantom Ganon]]'s sword is inscribed with the names of the swordsmiths from ''Majora's Mask'' in Ancient Hylian.
*The three pearls of the goddesses bear the same symbols that were used to represent the three songs of the [[Harp of Ages]] during ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages|Oracle of Ages]]''.

=Legacy=

Although its quality was debated, the cel-shaded style for ''The Wind Waker'' was popular enough to be utilized for most of the handheld games and ''Four Swords'' games which followed. ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword]]'' would later use a cel-shaded style (but mixed with the realism of ''Twilight Princess'') as well as a flying system that is inspired by the sailing in ''The Wind Waker''.

==Sequels==

The next ''Legend of Zelda'' game was ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures|Four Swords Adventures]]'', while the next major console game was ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess]]'', which returned to a realistic style due to criticism of the cel-shaded graphics. ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass|Phantom Hourglass]]'' was later made as a direct sequel to ''The Wind Waker'' both in story and gameplay (complete with a modified version of the sailing system).

==Ports/Remakes==

*It received an HD remake for the [[Wii U]] in 2013, known as ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD]]''. This game features various tweaks to the graphics and gameplay in order to adapt to the Wii U and also to smooth over some of more tedious parts of the game (such as shortening the Triforce Shard quest).

=See Also=

*[[Characters in The Wind Waker]]
*[[Enemies in The Wind Waker]]

{{Zelda Series}}

[[Category: GameCube Games]][[Category: Zelda Games]] [[Category: Player's Choice]]