Windwaker turns over a new Deku Leaf

There are few new games that hold my attention for very long anymore. I’m bored of games like Assassins Creed and Halo with their endless sequels that seem to offer nothing new except better graphics (even though I still buy them). However there is something about Nintendo that makes me forgive them for doing just that. Every new Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong game that comes out always get me excited, and Windwaker HD is no exception. As a massive fan of the original Gamecube version I was pretty sure I would like this one too, but I didn’t expect to like it as much as I do. Windwaker, for those who didn’t play the original, is a game in the Legend of Zelda series. You play as Link, the hero of time, and must complete dungeons and solve problems in order to rescue princess Zelda. Windwaker is the only game (discounting the DS ones) that uses a cartoon art style, which looks beautiful remastered in HD. Although the game looks different it is still the game many of you will remember and will provide many moments of nostalgia. Everything that originally made this game mothertrucking amazing is still here. There is so much that this game does well; the plot is engaging and often full of humour, the world is open and big and apart from a short “tutorial” at the beginning is open for you to explore right from the start. All the items you get in this game are used again and again and don’t feel like gimmicks, with the best obviously being the Deku Leaf! The combat system is arguably the best of any Zelda game and your character always responds how you would like. The Wii U version does add more than HD graphics. Link controls even better than before on the gamepad or pro controller. Pausing the game to look at maps or switch items has been made unnecessary as you can do all that seamlessly on the gamepad screen in the middle of a fight, or sailing on your boat. Sailing around is even more of a joy with the addition of a fast sail that enables you to sail faster, and always have the wind behind you. Fans of the original may be glad to hear that the Triforce collecting at the end has been shortened, causing less frustrating encounters with Tingle (the Jar Jar Binks of Zelda). For the completionests out there, the game offers a gallery where you can turn photos into figurines. When I was young, playing the original, my goal in life was the complete this gallery, but it was frustrating as many of the pictures are missable causing a complete gallery to take many playthroughs (there is a second quest after you finish the game). However, the remake, as well as offering an expanded memory to your camera (12 pictures), has Tingle Bottles: bottles you can throw in the sea with messages and pictures. As well as being a nice and often funny addition to the game, it now means you can get the pictures from other people making the Nintendo Gallery a more achievable and enjoyable experience. I may achieve my lifelong goals at last! Despite being amazing in nearly every way I do have some very minor complaints. You can now move while aiming items, which can be great in certain situations but often it can be awkward. Try aiming and shooting an item while moving and the item is not bound to a trigger for example. Also the game is too easy. I completed my first playthough (around 18 hours) without dying a single time, and I even had my fairy I collected just before the first boss still in its bottle. These problems however are so minor and you could argue aren’t problems. The aiming can be made good by binding aimable items to a trigger, and I actually found it extremely useful to move and aim at times. There is also a Hero Mode which makes the game harder and I will definitely be using this during my second playthough. Overall I believe Windwaker HD is still the amazing game it was and this version just improves it to near perfection. It is definitely my most played Wii U game already in just a week, and I see myself putting many more hours into it before I get tired. There’s just so much to do.