Nintendo have certainly kept their expectations high while creating this game, an amazing story line (as always) and a very well though out layout (dungeons and the Great Sea). The "Wind Waker" for me, ranks higher than the "Twilight Princess" and "Majora's Mask", and can't wait for the next game to be released ..

10/10

To everybody complaining about the graphics, would you rather Nintendo do the same boring thing that almost every other comany does of just making their games more life-like? Or would you rather they create them like art, which is what a truly good game is. Zelda has always been cartoony, and that's not just due to graphics restrictions. I'd say that OoT was the exception, not the rule.

This is truly a great game. The cell-shading animation takes nothing away from the game, and only adds to its creativity. Gameplay is easy to understand, and this Zelda has the best fighting in any of the games. Definitely one of the two best Zeldas.

The only Zelda game I haven't finished. The graphics were to cutesy for my taste, but if the gameplay and world detail were even half what they were in OOT it would have made up for it. A boring point A to point B railroading fest.

I cant believe you people who rated this game badly because it didnt have real life graphics! Have you ever play The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past? That Is the best game ever made for any system anywhere, anytime. This game will be awesome! It's not about whether the graphics are good or not its about how fun the game is! I think this game will kick some major ass. I thought Ocarina Of Time was good but then I realized how good A Link To The Past was for SNES. I realized that games with cartoon graphics are way the hell better because they concentrate on the story more. You want to get sucked in to the game. Thats what Zelda is all about. I know that SNES is old but still A Link To The Past is the best game ever made and I'm positive this game will kick as much ass as the SNES version did. NUFF SAID!… Expand

I'm sick of everyone say that this game looks stupid because of the cartoonish graphics. I bet not one of the people that have gave it a bad score because of that have not played the demo. I played the demo at the store and the game is awesome. The level you get to play has lava all over the place and the screen actually kinda waves from the heat, like when you look over the fire. It's an awesome game and I can't wait to play the whole thing.… Expand

game is pretty good overall, but falls short in nearly every area (story, gameplay, etc.)

As I peruse the "reviews" penned by the "critics" listed here on Metacritic, I get the impression more of a Miyamoto-san back-patting contest than of anything resembling objectivity. Indeed more shocking, however, are the reviews that touch on Wind Wakers significant flaws, and then proceed to give it a perfect score anyway. Yes, the game is gorgeous. The music and sound are passable, though nothing extraordinary, usually just treading old ground again. The gameplay is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it's brilliant nearly all the time. On the other hand, the lock-on system varies from awkward to useless, and the camera is maddening, often positioning itself in the place most opposed to usefulness. In all, it's a great game with serious problems, like a supermodel with a club foot. It's certainly not a 10, or a 9. In fact, I give it a 6.… Expand

The sailing is awful in this game. There's barely anything in the ocean to interact with, so you're mostly sailing across a big, blue oblivion trying to get to an island so hopefully you can do something interesting. The whole wind baton thing is tedious and not at all interesting or intuitive. Design-wise, it's extremely inconsistant and gameplay-wise is not very much improved over Ocarina of Time. I was just massively disappointed by this game, it's generally amazinly lackluster and doesn't deserve the praise it recieves. If you haven't checked it out yet, just give it a pass. Try Okami on the PS2 instead, it's very similar but doesn't share the majority of Wind Waker's flaws.… Expand

Truly a gaming masterpiece, from art direction to simple yet very engrossing game play and design, this is one of Nintendo's masterpieces, and arguably the best Zelda game ever created.

This game is pure genius. Its fun for everyone and it just never gets old. nothing more to say really besides buy it if you get the chance as you wont regret it. :)

IMO its probably the most improved/best looking Zelda game I have played. A lot more original as well. The bad part about it is that its a little bit confusing and at times rather tough to progress through the game. Other than that, Its still a good game.

A amazing piece of work! I absolutely love this game. It is positively entertaining. On the downside it takes FOREVER to get to one island to the other. Overall a amazing game.

I think it's the best in the series; Best soundtrack, unique story(until TP), realistic characters, beautifully unique graphics, free camera range, greatest overworld, and a crap ton of extra content. I'm actually a bit disappointed in Nintendo for thinking they had to apologize by making Twilight Princess.

This is my favorite Zelda. Zelda is freakin' hott in this one, even if she looks like she's 12. Overall i'd say this game is super **** plus Zelda has nice ****

If only link looked like he does in Soul Calibur II...

When the Wind Waker first was introduced I honestly wasn

It's an absolute masterpiece, in graphics, sound, control, and gameplay. Elevates the gameplay of Orcarnia and Majora's Mask to unheralded new levels. Intense and emotional, with dark undertones that prove it's no kid's game. Like playing a Hayao Miyazaki film... already can see it being the best game of the year. Personally one of the best games I've ever had the joy of experiencing.… Expand

The only complaint that I have is the game is a little too short. However, I simply can't give it less than a 10 as much as I enjoyed it. Can't wait for the next zelda on the gamecube.

I haven't played this game yet but I a Zelda Fan!!! So I don't care what it looks like because its not about the graphics. Its about what type of game you like.

This is much better than ocarina of time, and as that was the best game ever, the wind waker should now be classed as the best game ever.

Best game ever!

Incredible. All you people talk about are the cartoon like graphics, but once I played through the game, I couldn't imagine anything else. Tell me what game can you sail stormy seas, fight gigantic creatures from the depths of the ocean, and watch clouds form and move in the sky. This game is truely a dream. No this game doesn't have the dungeon depth in the Ocarina of Time, but I love its courage to explore the Zelda universe and actually include more defined NPC's. I rank it up there with A Link to the Past.… Expand

The gameplay is simplistic and easy. The story is poor and contradicts itself and the other Zelda games, it seems to be written by someone who read up on Zelda for 2 minutes before making the story, the graphics are horrible. It's not just the graphics, this game SUCKS. maybe a 5 year old would like it.

My first Zelda experience. But allthough it has suberbly origonal graphics, immaculate combat and some genius puzzles- it wasnt perfect. The exploring over the oceans was flawed to say the least, became a little repetitive just when you thought the action was hotting up and also wasnt that difficult - expecially when you are flipping between Metroid Prime and Pro evolution soccer 3 which really are hard! But you have to give it at least a 9 because it is part of a select few games who are on a different planet to 90% of other games.… Expand

I think this game is one of the best games ever made. Graphics are fantastic and gameplay is excellent. There is only one bad thing... it was too easy.

I loved this game, I finished it twice and I don't get bored by it, although OoT is better in my opinion I still give this game a 9 ^_^.

Disapointing.

Here's the deal........... nintendo tryed to put the graphics based on a child look cause he is a child thru this adventure.. ii for one dont like the look ..... the game is ok ...... one down fall i found was this game has some ruff camra angles ......there is times ur really fightin the camera to stay in the riht postion .........i can name countless times were the camra woudl be like way opssite of were i need it n the l targting not even no were near helpin....... for that fact not even goin in to postin were u need it ..it coudl use a lil more fine tunning....... one thing for sure about this game its not oot.....its a ok adventure its got good iideas ...... like havin to use a big sword to break the wood or thrown the fire thru the wood or jumpin down pots........its got its bad pints n has its good .....i ve played worse games .....if u can look past the look u may ienjoy parts of it........ this is one them games were its not for evreryone .... i suggest rentin it or playin at a frinends or borrowin it ...its not the worst game ever made.... in all honstey u have to give nintendo credit for tryin somethin new ..i think i would have gave this game a 8 if i weent for the camra angles at tiimes… Expand

This i sthe second best zelda game to ocarina of time I hate those who say the graphics are whack i say "who cares it ain'tbout graphics it the gameply" and this game blew me away.

The best game of 2003! The story line is excellent and exiting. The cell shaded graphics are unique but top notch and the gameplay is great. The controls are basically the same as OoT's, and the puzzles are the same wonderful zelda goodness. Best zelda game next to Ocarina of Time of course. A must have for any GCN owner!

Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was great game.there was nothing wrong about it.but i still thinkMajoras Mask and Ocarina of time were better games including the better graphics Lisa xxx

I wanted desperatly to reall like this game, but it just doesnt feel right. But nintendo did pull of the cell shading perfectly.

this game was quite a disappointment. after i went to the two temples, i was like ok now when do i start getting te triforce whatever in the dungeons (assuming it was liek oot) and then all i had to do was sail around? what the hell! seriously, the graphics are cute, the enemies and sounds are even cute, but the dungeons? why werent there more than two dungeons? who decided to make it this small? i do like how you can start aq second quest but that isnt the point. if you are looking for a zelda classic that you can beat in a week or so, then look here.… Expand

Zelda WW was a great game. I bought into the animation style and I enjoyed the story. My only complaint about this game was in the pacing. I felt that too many time, especially near the beginning of the game, I was sailing for what felt like hours on end. This problem is the one reason that I have not played this game through multiple times, like I have done for other Zelda games. It is the one thing that keeps this very good game from becoming truly great.… Expand

Almost the whole game is perfect. It has amazing graphics which you cannot do better when you use cel-shading. the sound always perfectly fits in. The only problem is that it is for Zelda fans, who played most games of this series, a bit too easy - especially the last boss fight. Another problem is that almost right before the end the search for the parts of the triforce is a bit annoying but finally I have to say when do not have this game you miss a masterpiece in gaming history.… Expand

The music, the bosses, the enviroment, the animations, have left a permanent imprint on me of what an amazing game should be.

This is the best game in the world!The gameplay works perfectly,and the graphics has its own original style,making the game brilliant,and the storyline is perfect,you must play it!

OK, we all know that the game play is great. There has been a big debate on wether the graphics are amazing or just crap. I think that the graphics are ok however they don't use the potenital of the gamecube. What people don't realise is that its not just the graphics, its the fact that link is small, skinny and gay looking. Can the hero of time really look as stupid????? on the other hand if the graphics were the same but he was big, musclular and a hard ass then i dont think anyone would complain! in conclusion i feel that you should go out and buy this game because the storyline, gameplay and whole atmosphere of the game is amazing. you can't rate this game after 30 mins of playing it!… Expand

One of the best Zelda game I ever played, I loved Link's new style of fighting, the cell-shaded graphics, the soundtrack, and the overall greatness of this game.

I'm so sick and tired of people who judges the book by its cover. Like Tom said its judged on how it is played not by how childish it looks. If you even played the game you will love it just as much as the previous Zelda games.

I LOVE Zelda games, but this one had me ticked. Seeing a cartoonish version of Link was abosolute AGONY for me. This isn't Zelda! Oh, and look, the game got a *cough* *cough* 97. WHY???

Fun game and a worthy edition to the Zelda series, but because of the graphical style that I really don't care for (I don't mind kiddie Link, I just don't like toddler meth-addict Link), and the occasional bit of boring repetitiveness in the gameplay department, its still not as good as Ocarina of Time, and Metroid Prime still rules the Gamecube roost.

I was blown away playing the demo at best buy, went there with some friends, and got lost and practically forgot I was at best buy with friends, just absorbed into the game. You can tell its something special when that happens. The graffics are sweet, and I agree they fit Zelda perfectly. I happen to like toddler meth-addict link, he's cool. Now when its released on the 24th this month, get your fix of pure gaming meth and join the addiction. Absolutely.… Expand

"Actually, when I first saw the toon shaded Zelda I was very surprised and excited by it. However, I was startled by the response we got from the press when we showed it off the first time. They all said, "Oh, so is Nintendo now taking Zelda and trying to aim it only at kids?" Really, the whole concept we had behind it was that we thought it was a very creative and new way to show off Link. All the sudden it had been interpreted as Nintendo's new strategy, and that was a shock for us. When it comes to Nintendo strategy, it's not that we want to make games for kids. It's that we want to make them creative while appealing to a wider audience. Obviously we see games as entertainment, and we want to find the best way to make the gameplay experience entertaining for everyone." -Shigeru Miyamoto… Expand

Da Best! NUFF SAID.

This game has so much style that I have to agree with the comments from the majority of the magazines. There will be no finer gaming experience this year. Miyamoto strikes again!

How someone can give this a 3 is beyond me. The graphics are great, especially the animation, and the gameplay is classic.

I played this on demo at a local game store. The sounds were annoying, as every time Link moved he made a stupid grunting sound. The graphics were too cartoony and a big turn-off. The gameplay was counter-intuitive. I will not purchase this game. The original Zelda games were not children's games. Sure, they were appropriate for Everyone, but they were not designed specifically to appeal to 8 year olds and exclude adults. This is the worst Zelda game ever, and I think its sales will reflect that. Nintendo has really lost touch.… Expand

its super colorfull and the controls are very easy.

I think this game is pretty good, but I don't think it should have been a Zelda game. The story's plot is a little disconnected with Zelda herself. The feel of the controls, especially the L targeting and the shielding is awkward (I keep on crawling whenever I try to shield against a guy!) Overall, this game didn't really have the "Zelda" feel to it that I had been hoping for. Though it was not a Zelda material, it would have been a superior game if it was its own series.… Expand

BEST GAME I EVER PLAYED!!!! It's even better than metriod prime!!

Everyone who hates this game because of the cel shading: You are STINKING IDIOTS!! This game is definitely one of the best games EVER in history!!! It's much better than OoT! I mean it, cel shading rocks!!

Great Game!!!

this game is wicked!!!!!!! the bosses r kinda easy though, but thats ok becuz the battle with ganon at the end was the best. finally zelda showed that she was useful 4 something other than screaming. even though the graphics r kinda screwed and the game is short, i think it was an amazing segment 2 the L.o.Z series! wicked game!!!!!!!!

This game is freakin' amazing. I've been playing it now for about 4 nights and I still keep seeing things that make me say "Wow!". The graphics are gorgeous, the sound is well done, the music is great, the control is tight, the story is amazing, and the game overall is just very well polished. However, there are a few flaws. The camera can be annoying at times, although this problem plagues almost all 3d games. Traveling the map sometimes feels tedious. Certain repetitive sounds like Link yapping when he jumps can be annoying. These few problems are minor however, and don't detract overall from my enjoyment of the game. This game is so polished and does so well in keeping me interested and amazed that I gave it a 10. … Expand

This is my favorite game ever!!!!!!!!

Ups: Awesome graphics and visuals, incredible environments, great overall theme, fun combat and cool new items Downs: The Ocarina was better than the Windwaker, but if you're patient and don't mind sailing A LOT then there isn't much to complain about.

I thought that the game would be f*cked up cuz of the new graphicks, i was WRONG!!!!

Yeah, it's a bit easy in places... But it is, without doubt, the most enjoyable game I've ever played, OoT included. Explore the whole(enormous) world and it'll last for ages..

Well... when I first saw how the game looked, m I was scpetical, to say the least. Link just doesn't look good as a cartoon. That aside, it is easily thebest games I've ever played... except maybe ocarina of Time. And once you get used to the cartoon-style graphics, you'll see how much better they can animate the game.

Just got it and it is the best game ever! When you see the screenshots of it it looks rubbish but in action its as smooth as a babies bum. 10/10? Definitely

This game is the best game on the GameCube, and is only rivalled by such titles as Final Fantasy on the PS2 and Halo on the Xbox. Every GameCube owner should buy this game because it boasts perfect gameplay, a huge storyline and graphics that (although many would consider them cartoony and a downside) grow on you until you wish all your other games looked like this. It looks like Zelda has done it again.… Expand

I really enjoyed this game, some of the best gameplay I ever had. The graphics are my only qualm, I liked when link looked more realistic.

Absolutely brilliant!!!!

This game is my #2 favorite Zelda only topped by Ocarina of Time this a Must-Buy for everyone even those who don't like Zelda if u can overlook the flaws of it's easiness and it's short story.

This game surpasses all others, an outstading play for all ages!

My only problem with the game is that it doesn't have very many dungeons when compared to other zeldas. the worst part is that 2 dungeons were pulled at the last minute only because the game was getting too long. but even so, there's lots of puzzles to solve and other things that'll keep even seasononed gamers busy for many many pleasant hours.

The graphics are cool, the plot is thorough (many twists), and it's overall VERY fun. But here are the reasons I gave it a 9 rather than a 10: 1)That annoying TETRA! I mean, I know she's important (especially when you find out who she really is) but I found her to be extremely unlikable and I couldn't care less about anything bad happening to her. In fact, I really just wanted her to get killed by that bird. I mean, everytime I play this game with someone they constantly say (and i constantly say) "I hate that girl" or "When's that stupid girl gonna die?" I swear, I haven't met a single person who thought she was "cool". I mean she comes in handy, but I just didn't like her character. 2) Some of the adult characters such as the king of Hyrule, Ganon, and Zelda looked horrible as a cartoon. I mean, when they turned around so you could see their face, I burst out laughing and it was such a serious moment. I couldn't look at either one of them with out busting up. Zelda had makeup smeared on her (strangely enough, she had that problem in OoT) and a head that you could tell was bigger than her body. Ganon was fat and had sideburns bigger than the ones he had in OoT. And the king of hyrule was just plain creeeepy. Sorry, but I couldn't stand seeing them as cartoons. So I'd rather have them look more real. Plus, the plot seems less dark with cartoons. Overall, Windwaker is fantastic, but there were a couple of negatives I couldn't stand. But whatever, what do I know?!… Expand

Well its graphically good,you cant really expect more from cell shading.But the water looks amazing,also the light effects and the music is good as well as the sound effects. Its an amazing game, it trully is. Great job again Nintendo!!

Oke game.

The legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is awesome! im always excited to see new boses and i love the animation. its a hard game with all the puzzles, but thats what makes so cool. this is why i rate this a 10.

Poor.

Find yourself some images of the Spaceworld 2000 preview graphics. Only THEN will you be able to see what a horror this game is.

This game is the best GC game ive ever played (except for super smash bros melee.) i havnt even finished it and i still think its the best!!!!!! all my friends that have a GC have it. theres monsters to fight chalenges to take on etc.this is y i gave it a 10.

LINK IS DA@BEST!

I do not know how anyone can live without this game.

After the exciting epic that was Ocarina of Time (OOT) and the fun filled Majora's Mask this game was a big dissapointment. It just failed to capture my attention like OOT did.

I love this game, Its non-stop action!!!!!!

Perfection.

I really hated this game!! I gave it a 3 because of the pretty good graphics but thats it. Too Kiddy like!!

It's great... everybody that says it's to similar to oot are right but oot is the best game of all time so thats not a bad score. if you don´t have it buy it.

This game is amazing. It is utterly perfect in every aspect. The graphics are beautiful. They look as good as any Xbox or PC game. The sound is great, including the music. The gameplay is perfect. This game has some of the best gameplay ever. It really feels like Zelda, even with the cel-shaded graphics. Of course it caused controversy, but now that I've played it I couldn't imagine this game without cel-shading. Anyway, this game is perfect.… Expand

It´s the game of the year, that´s for sure, some people can talk bad about the game, but who told that never played thegame well, I have this game, I finished, and I can say one thing: This is one of the best games ever created. Perfect cel-shading graphics, incredible battle style, the sea, everything is perfect, the only thing that don´t get to be a problem is because the game is a bit short compared to the other Zeldas. But this game is perfect. even with that little defect.… Expand

This is one of the best games on Gamecube so far. I don't know how you people could say this game was short....could be since this is the first zelda game I ever played (still took me weeks to beat). The only other adventure game that gave me this much fun is Metal gear solid: twin snakes.

Wonderful graphics and awesome gameplay! One of my favorites.

OOT wasnt that great, I think Majora's Mask was the best but this was a great game also... NEVER judge a game by its graphics!

Gorgeous graphics, big cohesive world. But where's the beef? Too much time wasted on the empty ocean and changing wind direciton, not enough game inbetween. There are lots of sidequests to do (a'la Majora's Mask, which is a good thing), but getting anywhere in this game is such a chore, and you frankly don't need the heart pieces anyway. OOT and Majora's Mask were really far bigger games, despite the N64's limitations. They really needed to spend another year adding more dungeons and making some of the islands bigger. The game has hints of brilliance but fell quite a bit short of what it should have, given the capacity of the GameCube.… Expand

This game failed on every level. It was tedious and not fun. It made and my friends want to fast forward our lives inorder to get to the next fun part. the bottom line is the game is not worthy of the Zelda title. Zelda has never been such a dorky child. a child wouldn't be fighting anything except his little puppy. this little fella would be sitting sucking on his thumb if his baby sis was captured not learning to fight, not that young at least. I have supported Nintendo for a long time, I even continued to like them after the gorrible crystal chronicles. This game was not convincing enough for me to readily suspend my disbelief. for this aggregious insult it deserves no higher than a 0.… Expand

Wins worst game ever easily!

While the story of this game shows promise, there are simply too many problems to be captivated. Control issues due to overly-context-sensitive buttons inhibit play and in some cases completely frustrate any logical problem-solving nature of the game. The cel-shading engine is mediocre at best, and is a large departure from Nintendo's "not-pushing-the-envelope-but-perfect-for-the-game" reputation. The lack of a dedicated jump button and difficulties in both camera and targeting seriously diminish the fun of this game. If you can look past the camera, graphics, and controls, this is a fun platformer-rpg. But that's a mighty big if.… Expand

It was a great game, the graphics weren't that bad and it had a lot of side quests so you could play it for a year and you still didn't do all quests. There where just two things that bugged me. The triforce in chests in the sea. They may have been in a dungeon in Hyrule, but it would have been better if you had to go into those dungeons. And that brings me to my second point: Hyrule. I don't like it being underwater, but it would have been sooooooooooo much better if you could explore the dungeons. But hey, if that would happen i couldn't vote because it would have been a 100 out of 10. But it does have a great storyline and, like all Zelda's, it brings something new in the world of gaming.… Expand

Super! Graphics are incredible and longer than people think. Get past the Forsaken Forteress and then the fun with the sword will begin! The BOOMERANG is mega fun!

Ok, this was just wonderful. The graphics, the sound and the gameplay are all just top notch. the game was perfect!! If I has to find something to complain about maybe the sailing around the ocean got a tad redundant. this is just one of those games on the Gamecube like Metroid Prime the PS2 and Xbox can never touch.

it is an ok game but for the third pearl you get you don't have to do anything! when me and my BFF Rebecca were playing (we are HUGE zelda fans) we beat the deku tree and went to the place to blow up the rock slab and we were kinda hoping that we would have to do somthing to get the pearl! i mean come on! they just got lazy at that part! i mean it just comes out of the whales bell! and why dont you grow up in this game! if i was rating ocarina of time i would give it a ten! that is the best zelda game ever, OoT i beat that game atleast 5 times that is how much i love it!… Expand

Its well put together, and the graphics are fantastic, but the game is just too easy and the whole thing feels rushed. There arn't enough dungeons, theres not enough land, and the music is terrible. It lacks the 'magic' of previous Zeldas and comes across as kind of shallow and forgetable. It's more of a throwaway game, something Zelda has never been before.

This game is simply perfect. The art is unique and stylish, the overworld is huge, the sailing mechanic is original and fun, the dungeons are brilliant (as always) and for the first time in Zelda, the characters feel like actual people instead of figures to sell stuff or move the story along. Anyone saying this is not "true" Zelda is just plain wrong.

A legendary tragedy.It seems that everybody relates this game to it's biggger, bolder and more universally acclaimed brother OOT. At the end of the day this is a sparkling jewel that few will have the time to appreciate.