Other than that, the game is rather short. There�s a lack of dungeons when compared to OoT, and the game lacks difficulty to a sad degree. Link has too much HP, enemies don�t do enough damage, and Link deals too much damage. To say you�re invincible wouldn�t be an accurate statement, but it�s darn close.
Many old items return, such as the Bow, Bombs and Boomerang, which have always been in Zelda games. There aren�t many new items here, but that doesn�t matter too much, since Wind Waker puts a lot of its items to good use. There are still switches to be shot, enemies to be stunned or blown up, and there�s even segments where you can take control of a seagull.
Another new element to WW is the treasure. Out in the ocean, you�ll see places on the map that are lit up. By sailing over to them and using the Grappling Hook (another new item), you can scrape up these treasures from the sea floor and get rupees and heart pieces. For the bigger treasures (heart pieces or really big rupees) there are Treasure Charts to be found, and once opened up, they fire a beam of light up into the sky that is easily visible from just about anywhere in the same square. Getting treasure is always a lot of fun.
Sound: Sound is a well-done area in Wind Waker. Link is voiced by someone who sounds relatively the same as the Link from Ocarina of Time or Majora�s Mask, but is more girly in comparison. I would�ve preferred the OoT Link�s voice, but hey, you can�t win �em all.
Music, for the most part, is pretty good. I must say that a lot of the themes, such as the sailing theme, just lack soul. They start out sounding adventurous, but they never kick off. Instead, they peter out into something soft and mellow, without that �boom� you�d expect from a Zelda song. It�s disappointing.
To use the sailing song again in reference, imagine the old Zelda theme (the one you heard in the over world of the NES Zelda, or in Termina Field in MM, that song). Now imagine slowing that down by half. Now change it up to make it less epic. That�s the sailing tune. It goes very slow, and it�s got no �boom� to it. The old Zelda theme had the feeling that, at first, you were stepping out the door, and it kicked off as you leapt into the field, ready to start your adventure. Instead of saying, �Let�s go on an adventure!� Wind Waker�s sailing theme says, �Let�s take a nap!� This is not what I want to hear when I�m sailing.
Another complaint I have is with the more minor music part in the game, the Wind Waker. Unlike the Ocarina, the Wind Waker has 3 preset tempos to follow. Letting the analog stick stay neutral gives the sets the Wind Waker�s tempo at � time, holding left sets it at 4/4 time, and holding right sets it at 6/4 time. You control the sounds it makes with the C-stick�s 4 directions.
There are two different songs throughout the game for each tempo, and I can�t say any of these are interesting to listen to. Unlike Ocarina of Time�s Bolero of Fire of Serenade of Water, none of the musical pieces played by the Wind Waker are anything nice to listen to, and have no true musical touches to them. It sounds more like someone just threw together a bunch of random C-Stick patterns instead of thinking what might be something to sound decent. Oh well, small complaint.
In other news, some of the music (like Dragon Roost�s theme) is pretty good. It�s not spectacular, but it�s nothing horrible either. I�ve got to say that Wind Waker�s music is, on the whole, well done. It could just use a little more �boom� and a little less �nap�.
Sound effects are also many and varied. The sound of a sword swing and the �thwapt� of an arrow as it�s released from the Bow get the job done, as do the sounds of all other items. Each item has a different sound that accomplishes exactly what it needs to, in terms of sounding like it should.
Replay Value: Not much to speak of. The game�s good enough that you might want to play it again, but there�s not much else to return for. There are a few extras when you return to the game, but none of these are very exciting. Granted, the game itself will keep you playing for a while, with a good 20 hours in the game, and a lot longer for anyone who wants to go around digging up every treasure, finding every heart piece and such. Aside from that, you probably won�t be playing this one too much after you beat it. It�s a very fun game, so it�s something you�ll want to keep around in case you want to get it out again in a few months or so (which you most likely will).
Rent or Buy:? As usual, I�m not going to recommend a buy. I don�t even know why I include this section anymore. Zelda isn�t a game for everyone, for is definitely a worthy try for anyone with a GameCube. If you said a cartoon Zelda wouldn�t work, you were wrong. If you said a cartoon can�t live, you�re wrong. If you swore to never play Zelda in this cartoon realm, I feel sorry for you. This is an absolute rent for anyone with a GCN, and most likely an excellent buy for any Zelda fan.
Overall, Wind Waker is a great game. Despite some flaws, it�s a fun title to play with a decent story and an ending several times as good as the piss-poor ending of Ocarina of Time. With excellent, living graphics, well-done sound and awesome game play, this is a game that shouldn�t be overlooked.
Graphics: 10
Story: 6
Gameplay: 10
Sound: 8
Replay Value: 4
OVERALL: 9
This review has been added in by permission from McGray, via GameFaqs.com.
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