Would you say that the Windwaker was a step in the right direction for Zelda?

[KentaRawr!]

Personally, I would say it was. I, personally, wouldn't mind if the next Zelda game was very similar to it. The only real problems I had with it was the lack of dungeons (2 to be precise, god dammit) and how the islands were so small. I also thought the graphic style was very fitting to the game, but that is for another topic. Of course, I would get a bit bored of the sailing if it was the same in the next Zelda game. A little less sailing would be great. But I liked the sense of adventure I got from sailing. It's just that I got such little reward from them. They were just little chunks of land, really.

So, would you say that the Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker was a step in the right direction for Zelda?

[Madame Adequate]

Insofar as I found it much more engaging than the other Zelda games, yes.

It's still overrated though.

[Roto13]

I think it get's too much hate to really be considered overrated. I liked it. All of it, really. I even liked the triforce quest, because I wanted to explore the whole world, anyway. I wouldn't want to see another Zelda game rely as much on sailing (at least, not in that particular way) the same way I don't want to see another one that makes you relive the same three days over and over again. There's always something about each Zelda game that makes it unique.

[JaytodaP]

I didnt really like how they went so "kiddie" with it if you know what i mean. I like the more violent bloody etc style like Ocarina. I hope Twilight does this.

I also hated the sailing. Quick travel or something would have stopped my various suicide attempts while waiting to get to certain locations....... okay maybe that didnt happen, but I think it took way too long.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

The Wind Waker is a perfectly enjoyable Zelda installment, living up to series expectations in terms of graphics, music, plot, and overall atmosphere. Its only real stumbling points were the dearth of real dungeons, the sheer volume of sailing required just to get from place to place, and that terrible Triforce hunt near the end, which was so objectively poor that Aonuma actually apologized (http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=5304) for it a while back.

And although it's not a flaw with The Wind Waker as its own game, I don't like that its art style, while fine for one or two games, became the series norm throughout a number of subsequent installments, until it was ubiquitous to the point of losing much of its original charm.

[Shoeberto]

I didnt really like how they went so "kiddie" with it if you know what i mean. I like the more violent bloody etc style like Ocarina. I hope Twilight does this.
It was more realistic, but it wasn't really a bloody style. Some spurts of ooze here or there, but that could hardly be called "bloody."

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

Majora's Mask was the most dark and disturbing game in the series, anyway.

[Roto13]

Oh, I just remembered something I don't like about it. The battles. They were much too easy. I shouldn't have to put effort into dying.

EDIT: Yes, Majoras Mask was definitely the darkest in the series. Apocalyptic.

[Shoeberto]

I really liked the battles. They seemed more fluid than before. Of course that could be chalked up to technological improvements between installments, but still, combat felt tight in Wind Waker.

[KentaRawr!]

I must agree on the battles. They were much too easy. The system of battle certainly had potential, and parrying was a good idea, but the enemies simply never took advantage of their ability to block, and their HP was very, very low. I do agree that it was more fluid, though. Just incredibly easy.

[Markus. D]

I liked the exploration :]

I loved the volcano dungeon, entering it was so epic <3

alot of the game awed me out actually.

[DanteV9]

It didn't really give the Zelda series a right direction nor wrong if you ask me. Well, technically, it did set the Zelda series of in a brand new direction because many people acknowledged the "kiddie"-graphics, so they kept making Zelda games with the cel-shading(Four swords, Minish Cap). But what the real question is, what will Twilight Princess bring to the Zelda series?

[SuperNatural]

I think it get's too much hate to really be considered overrated. I liked it. All of it, really. I even liked the triforce quest, because I wanted to explore the whole world, anyway. I wouldn't want to see another Zelda game rely as much on sailing (at least, not in that particular way) the same way I don't want to see another one that makes you relive the same three days over and over again. There's always something about each Zelda game that makes it unique.
Go to the Zelda Universe forums. The Wind Waker is completely overrated. Everyone there loves it and if you say you don't they flame you and say "thats just becus if the graphix!!111". It's now "cool" to hate Ocarina of Time, so now that game is hated on much more than The Wind Waker.

Anyways, The Wind Waker was a big step in the wrong direction for the Zelda series. Zelda is about exploring, challenging dungeons and puzzles, and side-quests/minigames. The Wind Waker was weak in all those areas. It has no overworld to explore what-so-ever, the dungeons were designed for people new to Zelda, leaving no challenge to Zelda vertrans, and the side-quests and mini games were way below the standards that Majora's Mask set before. The Wind Waker had the potential to be the best Zelda game, but it was rushed and it shows. It is an unfinished game and Nintendo learned from that and that is why they are delaying Twilight Princess. Afterall, we don't want another Triforce quest...

[Roto13]

Now, I don't think it's fair to compare it to Majoras Mask in terms of side quests, since Majoras Mask was basically made of them.

[SuperNatural]

Now, I don't think it's fair to compare it to Majoras Mask in terms of side quests, since Majoras Mask was basically made of them.
That's true. Majora's Mask just isn't fair, but what about Ocarina of Time and Link's Awakening's trading side-quest? I perfer them greatly to The Wind Waker's trading quest, plus thew rewards are greater in the other games (OoT= Biggoron Sword). Or even the Happy Mask side-quest in Ocarina of Time? Hunting Gold Skulltilas? The Wind Waker just did not have side-quests that could compete with those. This is probably because of the fact that The Wind Waker was rushed.

I'd like to say that I did like The Wind Waker, but I was greatly dissapointed in it. I had low expectations getting the game, but with my first playthrough, I became a believer. I loved the game, but with my second time through, Wind Waker's flaws jumped out much more. The first one that jumped out at me was the lack of replay value compaired to pretty much all the other Zelda games. Then the Triforce Quest. You should never be FORCED to explore like that plus it felt so imcomplete. Aonuma even apologized for the Triforce hunt in one interview saying that it was rushed and boring. The sailing was not so bad the first time through, but after you beat the game, the sailing just get's irritating; having to change the wind constantly, boring setting (just endless, undetailed blue sea), islands were too far apart, lack of enemies, and the list goes on.

The Wind Waker is one of those games that you feel you have to love, but there are just so many flaws you wonder how this game ever got so popular.

[Breine]

I really like this game. Although I've played all the Zelda games this is the only one I actually own myself, and I must say that I truly enjoyed it. The graphics were amazing and different and the gameplay was great, although there was a pretty large amount of sailing sometimes. To me the size of the dungeons were just fine, though. No problem there.

I think it was nice that the developers got to experiment a bit, especially with the look of the game, but the new one seems to be going back to the older look... and it really looks exciting.

[SuperNatural]

I disagree. Strip away those cell-shdaed graphics, and you have a replica of Ocarina of Time's gameplay. Nothing was really changed in gameplay except battles are now much easier because you have the win button (A button) and the enemies just stand their and let you kill them. The graphics just made it look different, but the gameplay has not changed.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

Zelda gameplay isn't supposed to differ very much from game to game. Refinements like parrying and being able to wield enemies' weapons are satisfactory.

[Skyblade]

It was a decent game, but it had its poor points. The sailing was terrible, it was far too monotonous and tedious. Even once you get the warp song, you can only get to a few of the islands with it. And there wasn't enough dungeon work. The dungeons they had were nice, but I would trade in an hour of sailing for an extra five minutes of dungeon any day. Had there been five main islands, with a dungeon on each, with only a couple side islands to visit, it could have been a much more enjoyable experience. But I don't want to have to spend forever sailing just to get from point A to point B.

Ocarina of Time did overworld travel well. The overworld was still fairly large, but the time it took to get from one point to another was still faster than it took to get from one island to another (and since you may have to go past three islands to get to your destination, you'd be at it for a while). Plus, once you got the warping songs, you could go to every important map area except Lon Lon Ranch and the Gerudo Valley instantly.

Wind Waker wasn't a bad game, but it didn't live up to its potential. The best thing about buying it was that I got a copy of Master Quest.

[MageLuingil]

I agree with SuperNatural on most points here. The battles in this game were far too easy, as were the minigames/puzzles. I was very disappointed in those areas. I also didn't like how "kiddy" the game was, and I'm dearly hoping Twilight Princess is better there.

As far as the sailing goes, I actually didn't mind that at all; it was an interesting twist, anyway. I also rather enjoyed the new battle system with the parrying and everything, but it was essentially useless in the game because the battles were so easy, you couldn't really use it for anything.

If they just make the next game's battles hard, I'll be happy with that much.

[Roto13]

As far as the sailing goes, I actually didn't mind that at all; it was an interesting twist, anyway. I also rather enjoyed the new battle system with the parrying and everything, but it was essentially useless in the game because the battles were so easy, you couldn't really use it for anything.
I thought it was pretty useful, myself. Especially for Darknuts.

[Tidus Andronicus]

All official Zelda games, were a step in the right direction... with exception to that old side scrolling one.

[XxSephirothxX]

I think Wind Waker was a step in the wrong direction in that it alienated a portion of the Zelda fan community. Now, eventually most people came around and realized it was just as good as the previous entries in the series; the gameplay was true to the roots, the combat was more fun than ever, and there was still a large world to explore with enough sidequests to satisfy just about everybody. But, from a business standpoint, switching to a graphical style that made everybody stand up and say "wtf?" was definitely not a good idea.

[Hawkeye]

I don't understand why you guys hated the triforce search at the end of Windwaker. To me, it was the first time in a Zelda game that actually had use of rupees. Before than, if you collected a rupee, well, who really cared? Wow, look at that, nowhere to spend it. This time, there was actually a story objective to collect that much money to beat the game. I enjoyed it, honestly.

[Yuffie514]

i like it so far, despite the Harvest Moon like graphics. i don't think i ever played a game that involved much free movement (besides Tenchu), and i really enjoy it. one thing i don't like how i begin like a mile away from the point i last saved, though it's quite minor...

[stuffing]

It had its ups and downs.

To sum it up for me : The graphic landscapes looked awesome but the characters destroyed my virgin eyes

[Giga Guess]

It was decent. The bosses were cool, albeit pretty straightforward, the music was excellent, the sper deformed chibis were...not something I'd like to see revisited, but the sailing...it was interesting at first, but it lost it's appeal. Fast. The battle when in the boat was lacking at best, and extremely confining. The triforce gathering quest...it was okay, but I didn't like being forced to shell out massive amounts of cash to complete a quest.

[Alixsar]

There is no such thing as a step in the right direction for Zelda. Nor is there a step in the wrong direction. Zelda has always been at the forefront of innovation in video games, and has always been an amazing experience. Hopefully it will continue to do so in the future.

By the way, how come no one ever mentions The Minish Cap? Everyone is quick to pick on Wind Waker, but Minish Cap was an even greater departure from the series norm and no one seems to care. Doesn't make any sense.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

What was particularly divergent about The Minish Cap? Switching between two perspectives of the same world is old hat in this series.

[KentaRawr!]

I ask the same question as Kishi. There was not much that really made the Minish Cap different than other Zelda games, or at least not much that I can see.

[Giga Guess]

Just the kinstone fusion, but that's hardly a huge thing for Zelda...

[Roto13]

Time travel, shrinking, and paralell universes are all pretty different from each other.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

Only when you get down to the details. For the most part, they're remarkably similar.

[edczxcvbnm]

The sailing was so bad that I traded the game in less than a week after I bought it. Just pissed me off too much. I would say it was a monumental step in the wrong direction.

[Markus. D]

I found it nothing bad.

it was easy if you changed the wind direction ;)

[edczxcvbnm]

Sailing wasn't hard...just boring as hell. It isn't like GTA where I run over people and create total chaos. You just sit there...kind of sailing along....BORING!

[Giga Guess]

And as I said...fighting in the boat is frustratingly limiting. It could've been *SO* much more, but instead it's just something one avoids like the plague.

[KentaRawr!]

I just jumped over enemies, personally. Sailing is much more fun when you go to some random platform, see the helpless bokoblin, steal the necklace he had in his pocket, then slap him hard with the boomerang. Then kill him. :)

[Roto13]

There's plenty to do while sailing. There are submarines, platforms, rafts, rupee-collecting mini games, treasure, and optional islands everywhere.

[Skyblade]

There's plenty to do while sailing. There are submarines, platforms, rafts, rupee-collecting mini games, treasure, and optional islands everywhere.

Except for the rupee-collecting, you have to stop sailing to do any of those. Which means that you'll just have to spend more time on that boat later.

[Eureka]

the whole island thing was a pain in the ass :P but everything else was excellent

[MageLuingil]

There's plenty to do while sailing. There are submarines, platforms, rafts, rupee-collecting mini games, treasure, and optional islands everywhere.

Except for the rupee-collecting, you have to stop sailing to do any of those. Which means that you'll just have to spend more time on that boat later.

Well, you actually can get rupees while sailing, they start popping up if you sail in a straight line long enough (wich isn't very long at all). Not the largest amount of money ever, but hey, it's money :)