Cel-Shaded Heaven

April 10, 2003

Finally, I got to spend some serious time with The Wind Waker last night. Right off the bat, I was blown away by the graphics. I am so happy that Miyamoto decided not to try and have a perfectly rendered Link on screen. This look is much more interesting and makes it feel like you are playing a cartoon.

More importantly, the gameplay is excellent. It is not terribly challenging, but it still forces you to think and rewards those who spend time in a certain area. I prefer this model because it lets a wide variety of ages enjoy the game at the same time. While I might try and spend time collecting a lot of rupees and buying a variety of things, a younger person could easily follow the instructions and make it through the game. I love being able to play games with my 8 year old cousin and have both of us retain interest.

My favorite part of the game has been the dialogue. It is especially entertaining for those who have been playing games for a long time as the writers are poking fun at conventions in video game writing. Still, the text is informative and rarely does it drag on. I found it especially funny when the grandmother's text was moving more slowly than other text. Also, you couldn't click through in those dialogues.

So far, this is the best videogame I've played since Mario 64, which engulfed my existence when it came out. If you have a Gamecube, you must own this. If you don't, consider buying one.

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