
In honour of the game's arrival on Switch 2 as part of the Nintendo Classics GameCube lineup, here's our new retro review of one of Link's most memorable adventures...
If I were to put together a list of my favourite pre-Switch-era Zelda games, those that came before the franchise-transforming Breath of the Wild, where would 2002's The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker fit in?
It's an interesting one, a divisive game for a couple of reasons, but for me personally it lands in the top three, which — considering there are over 40 games to choose from (if we go all in with spin-offs) — is a pretty good result.
Yes, some may have baulked at the cel-shaded graphics when they were revealed (didn't get the hate then, don't get it now), whilst others saw the whole wind-conducting and sailing about in a boat as a waste of time, but I absolutely adored everything about it. There may also have been the odd fan who'd sort of grown up with the grittier Ocarina Link, who then didn't welcome this return to younger and more innocent/cutesy days, but we're sure they got over it once they played the thing.

Because of course, this is a Zelda game that's come to be almost universally loved over time, with any perceived flaws or design dislikes smoothed over once players got to grips with its succession of delightful dungeons whose deviousness comes as a nice surprise when you consider the cute, colourful nature of director and series producer Eiji Aonuma's bold graphical overhaul.
Like any great game in this series, Wind Waker is a masterclass in how an adventure game should flow, in terms of narrative, in terms of how it doles out its new tools and upgrades, and in how it constantly raises the bar with regards to dungeons that test you at every turn. Once you've gotten into its rhythms and made peace with sailing around, settling into a slower pace at times as you journey around this most beguiling of worlds, it's hard not to be very impressed indeed, even if you're not 100% a fan of the (amazing) art style.
There's an enchanting quality — a Saturday morning TV serial sort of charm — to this pirate adventure that, every single time I sit down to play it, draws me right in. I want to shimmy along its ledges, grapple and swing on its ropes, glide with a big leaf through its...undergrowth? Who on earth wouldn't want to spend a whole bunch of time exploring these delights?
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, in this GameCube form, is missing the nips and tucks and an HD lick of paint from the later Wii U revamp. But really, it makes very little difference - well, as long as the speedier boat wasn't a killer fix for you. Some may even prefer the original's colour tone, so you're not missing any real game-changing benefits in sticking with the classic form.
And what a form! This is a wonderfully streamlined, manageable, and constantly engaging slice of Zelda. It doesn't bog you down in busywork (hello, Tears of the Kingdom's Depths), and seeks to charm, surprise and excite at every turn.
You'll come to love sailing your (talking) raft, I'd wager, even come to love all the little repetitive rituals that are part and parcel of setting off for a new adventure. Yes, it can be a bit tedious, but it's so unlike other games, having all this peaceful space to mill around in whilst you fill in the game's delightful little chart of 49 puzzle-y islands. What an adventure.
It's the sort of game whose sandy beaches and windswept waves linger long in the memory. It's also got one of the best variants of Link, so full of expression and goofiness, if you have any misgivings going in, you'll likely have been put at ease by the time the fantastic tutorial opener is done.
This most lively and acrobatic of heroes is also a dab hand when it comes to combat, giving you a fresh and slick take on the series' decades-old, lock-on style of battle that still feels absolutely great to this day, with its swishy sword tricks and flipping around. If you come to Zelda for the usual flow of smart new tools and upgrades that keep things fresh as an epic narrative unfurls, well, you're in for a good time, too. The dungeons and storyline here are series-best stuff (again, pre-BOTW). I won't spoil it, if you're one of the few who've yet to play it, but let's just say that, besides one or two rushed sequences near the end, this is a cracker, and a game that manages to end in an interestingly downbeat, dark-ish way.

If you come for cute towns packed full of red-nosed NPCs, weird shopkeepers, tons of collectibles, goofy side quests, and enough entertaining side stuff to balloon the running time from 30ish hours for a campaign-focused run, to around the 70-hour mark for full 100% completion, this old chestnut still has it where it counts. Zelda's kooky, eccentric brand of worldbuilding never lets you down, and that's not something that changed with this entry.
So, you're not getting the flashy HD version here, obviously, and the original — as much as I personally have no issues with it — does do things a little...well...it can be clunky at times, for sure. The speedier boat is a nice thing to have, let's say that much, and it stings once you've had it on Wii U and then have to go without.
There's also that one godawful late-game questathon that they shortened for the HD revamp (you know the one), but again that's not so much a deal-breaker as a slightly annoying bit of padding. Still, worth noting as it's one of my precious few actual issues with this delightful, 'toon-styled romp, though.

Apart from these hang-ups, though, Zelda: The Wind Waker, from its gloriously sunny opening to its (kinda dark) ending, is a blast, and one of my favourite Zelda games overall. In fact, only A Link to the Past and Majora's Mask top this one for me, if we're talking pre-BotW. I've replayed it a few times now, and it never loses the power to draw you in, once you're over the hump of the tutorial and into the meat of the deviously delightful dungeons on offer. What a timeless treat.
Conclusion
The HD revamp on Wii U may have added a few nice quality-of-life tweaks, but the original GameCube version of The Wind Waker is still an utterly charming and hugely enjoyable romp. The flashy sword-based combat still sings, banging around in your talking boat still feels epic, and the dungeons and narrative delights along the way ensure that this remains one of Link's finest outings. Indeed, bar the odd clunky mission and a rather slow mode of transport, this is right up there with the very best pre-BOTW Zelda games ever made.
Comments 101
I would give Wind Waker 8.5/10. It's not as good as the 10/10 BotW and N64 outings, but better than Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword.
The Wind Waker has the weakest story out of all 3D Zeldas, though. There's just one epic scene in the whole game and even that's nowhere near the series peaks.
So this is completely original with no enhancements from the HD release on Wii U correct?
Begs the question why not just play it on Wii U? I mean sure everyone hates on it but as for first party games everything was still top notch Nintendo. I still have mine hooked up and never regretted buying it.
Still remember the doo doo storm wind waker caused. Cell shaded stubby legged link? Oh God the franchise is ruined! LOL definitely a case of don't judge a book by it's cover. Turned out awesome!
Probably has the best story of all the Zelda's in my opinion, a classic
Honestly happy to be able to play the original and not be forced with the remaster as I thought they would.
I actually prefer much more the original Triforce Hunt. Is where the game completely open ups and it really feels like you're a treasure hunter finding out clues everywhere as to where the pieces are. Never liked how it was made shorter and simplier on Wii U.
I can see why some people would see the lack of the faster sailing as a negative tough, despite personally loving sailing around the sea at a slower pace. It just has a great mood.
Btw I haven't played this since the Wii U release, so it's gonna be fun. 🙏
In my opinion, this is an excellent game.
Swift sail and overpowering bloom be damned, the OG holds up well even without all the quality of life features.
One of the best games ever. I’m glad more people are able to enjoy it now.
My favourite GameCube game and my favourite Zelda of the traditional style. An utterly wonderful adventure set in a beautiful world full of weird and wacky characters. A shear joy to behold.
@Truegamer79 It’s just too much of a faff to hook up my Wii U to play one game. I’ll wait for the HD port which hopefully comes soon.
This game seems to have weird input lag when playing docked (SoulCalibur 2 and F-Zero don't). Hopefully that gets patched soon.
I can’t decide if I should upgrade to online expansion just for this or not…
Everything in this game is an absolute a masterpiece ❤️ (but the sailing, tedious as hell)
@Cia better then twilight princess how about no i like wind waker especially ganondorf fight but twilight princess had more emotional roller coasters and epic boss fights.
There's a fine line between boring and relaxing. Sailing is 100% relaxing for me. The visuals, the music, the creaking of the boat, the sound of seagulls. It's a vibe. I love it.
Why. Did. They. Not. Give. Us. The. HD. Port?!!!!!
My first Zelda game, so I might be biased, but I've never understood why people disliked the sailing in the original so much, when you get to listen to the Great Sea music, one of the best songs in the entire series in my opinion.
Plus, seeing the islands come into view over the horizon as you approach is really cool. It even takes the height of the island into account, like how the Forsaken Fortress actually appears into view first before the smaller islands around it do.
Thanks for the review, Wind Waker is the first Zelda game I've fully played (had seen some Ocarina at a friend's house before and then played also that on GameCube thanks to the bonus disk even though I didn't finish it back then) and overall I still love it to this day for the same reasons mentioned here - as much as I'll miss some quality-of-life features of the Wii U version, I'll eventually replay for sure the original on Switch 2 although not anytime soon since I've never played SoulCalibur II and F-Zero GX so those come first!
wether it's GameCube or Wii U Wind Waker is the closest game to a 10/10 for me and is easily my favourite Zelda game no other Zelda game comes close
Eh this one is okay but definitely not one of my favourites. I'd only want to replay the Wii U version.
It's a great game but I would prefer a standalone version for Switch 2.
How cool would it be if Nintendo released Windwaker and Twilight Princes UHD with proper 16:9 support running at 4K 60fps?
A timeless treat indeed, but please Nintendo, bring on the WiiU remake as well!
A true classic, I still revisit my old gamecube copy from time to time. Always loved Ganondorf's characterization in this.
It took me a while to fully appreciate this, back in the day - and yes, it had to do with the drastic turn taken by the art direction - yet I think that the final confrontation here is still unsurpassed. A shame that a few content got cut and some sections were diluted instead, and a further shame the Wii U remaster wasn't a full fledged remake amending those issues... Yet despite this emulated version coming out today, there's still hope we'll see a better reissue in a few years. That and a new F-Zero, of course.
I love it. Definitely a top 3 Zelda for me too. I don't even mind the padded out quest towards the end. I excitedly bought the Wii U version when that came out too, but found the visual 'upgrades' a bit of a disappointment.
I've been playing through this again since Thursday, which has been amazing, especially after inverting the camera. One issue is that the in-game saves don't always work. I think this might due to closing the app too soon after saving, but I'm not 100% sure yet (save states FTW).
If you've not played Wind Waker before, you really should.
Gotta love the timeless appeal of mashing A through hours of text boxes in that era of Zelda where who knows how long it takes before the game actually lets you do what you want. Even better when it forces you into a stealth segment you can instantly fail. Hard to imagine, back then, that they’d ever make a game that quickly presents its end objective and gives you the freedom to tackle it on your own terms. The dogma of that era was so entrenched that even small things like stopping the game to explain what a rupee is every time you reload a save felt absurdly baked into the formula.
I wonder what this means for the chances of the WiiU version being ported over. I still kinda feel it is going to happen, as Nintendo will most likely want to continue to bolster their release schedule with new content, remaster content and updated content (Switch 2 version and free patches).
Given that the WiiU remaster well is about to bottom out on them, I'd say Wii/GC are next anyways, so redoing WW and also TP would make all the sense in the world.
Frankly though, I am more worried about FE:PoR. I spend the entire Switch gen holding out for a HD Collection, was sure it was going to happen when Baten Kaitos was announced, and then ... nothing. Given there is no Wii Emulator yet (sure to come next) and thus no FE:RD in sight, teasing people with PoR and the ever popular Ike might not actually be a bad idea.
We shall see ...
I'll try this version sometime when I have a Switch 2. I really enjoyed the Wii U remaster, but I'm curious to experience this game in its original form too.
10/10 game. But I have WWHD on Wii U, so I'll replay it there when I get the urge.
Been a Zelda fan my whole life. I’m an early 80’s baby (81) and Wind Waker is my favorite Zelda game of all time. It’s near perfection for me and I for one am glad to see you guys give this a 9 after all these years whilst just recently giving BotW an 8. 😂
The lack of a Swift Sail or modification to the speed automatically makes this version unbearable
I wish this would at least find a way to have faster sailing, and the quicker triforce fetch. Im sure they could program it in
Weak story compared to other chapters but great game, it deserves a 9. I only hope its presence in NSO won't exclude the chances for a remaster, or for a port of the Wii U remaster (lol).
I love Wind Waker. If I want to play it, I can just use my Wii U, which is still hooked up and ready to go. My physical copy is still sealed, which I bought after playing the download version, which I got from Nintendo for free, as a reward for buying Mario Kart 8 physically. Those were the days.
i would have paid whatever price if this was a native port to the switch..
I remember having the version with Ocarina of time as a second disc. To this day itnis onenof my favorite games. I don't think I have the Gamecube game anymore so glad its officially available again. NOW LET ME BUY IT!
As a big Sea of Thieves fan, the amount of sailing doesn't bother me at all. I'd still say this is my favourite Zelda game. The art style holds up and it's a better looking game than the HD remaster in several respects. Playing it with the GameCube controller takes me back to 2003.
There was some stealth sections that I absolutely hated, otherwise great game.
@Truegamer79 because most gamers no longer have a Wii U. He’ll most gamers NEVER had a Wii U.
I love this game, but I want a shiny Switch 2 version of the remaster!
In the meantime, I play another Zelda game, obviously a worse one, with a score of only 8/10.
@mikegamer That, and the poor end game which make the original look bland.
@BrokenCiv ah a fellow 1981er, also the year Jumpman/Mario and Donkey Kong was born, think that makes us some Kool Kidz.....or not
Having replayed the HD version just a few weeks ago, I found that the swift sail doesn't make that much of a difference. Actually I had forgotten about it and acquired it only near the end. The streamlining of the Triforce fetch quest does make for a huge improvement, however. I agree with this review calling it out as a dud in the original.
If they decide to re-remaster the game - say, for a 25th anniversary edition (you heard it here first!) - they should consider making a mobile app to replicate the secondary screen functionality of the Wii U Gamepad. Dual screen is the best way to play the game.
@DennyCrane makes us the cool kids by default if you ask me! 😉
@WhiteUmbrella Haha I remember those giveaways. Both 3DS & Wii U were amazing for those! I miss them and we'll probably ever see those kind of offers until another console needs to be shifted. Switch was way too popular for that kind of promotion 😂
@Truegamer79 I am happy that you are enjoying this game on Wii-U. But you must realize that many of the Switch 1 or 2 gamers might not own a Wii-U? I never bought it at the time and don't intend to buy it now just to play a better version of this Zelda Wind Waker game. So, I get to play the more inferior version instead.
@BrokenCiv Well I was trying to show a bit of modesty, but yes, you are absolutely right
One of the greatest games ever made. Period. 10/10 all day long.
MASTER SWORD... APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD
It just occurred to me there's probably some people reading too young to get that reference. It was one of my favorite Wind Waker/contemporary advertising mishmash jokes back in the early-mid 00's.
This game is great but I’ve never understood how people believe it’s the best Zelda game ever!
@Lord well ya know what they say about opinions…
What a game. One of the greatest of all time. Got a deserved 96% on metacritic average from loadsa reviews. So hard to follow on from the other all time greats Ocarina and Majora's Mask but did an immense job. Sure, the definitive version is on the WiiUHD but having the GC version on the hybrid handheld is a dream
Cheers for the review.
I was there, hating this game after the Spaceworld demo. A couple of year later, it became my second favourite Zelda game after Ocarina. What a lovely adventure!
It’s a good game but it always felt rushed to me with so few dungeons. If only the remaster had added a couple more in it could have been one of the best ever Zeldas.
My favorite Zelda game although I beat it on the Wii U. Intrigued to give this version a go but going to be a while as I clear the new games I got for the Switch 2. Would not be surprised if the next Zelda game takes after this game with open world sailing.
@Cia Yeah that is a hard disagree for me. Definitely as good a story as any of the other ones outside of OOT.
@angtre I can see why fans back in the day would worry about the art style if they thought all future titles would have this style. Nice to know however that the art style is always changing mostly from game to game
The best Zelda game. And one of the last times I remember really feeling the magic as a kid/teen playing (and reading about) a video game. It’s happened since of course but few and far between.
Considering the low sales of the wiiu (I have 3 so I did my part) this is going to be the way most people have access to this game.
I know WW is much loved, but I just couldn’t gel with it… at least compared to earlier titles. I would say for me, pre switch it’s probably #5.
It’s a great game still, but against some stiff competition. If I had embraced the game cube era and played at release, my nostalgia points might have been higher.
Essentially the seafaring needed to be streamlined and if they had expanded the undersea world I would have given this a 10/10.
But when you head into that last dungeon I remember thinking just how freaking amazing that point in the game was. One of the most epic bits in the series.
It only got the hate back then because Nintendo revealed a realistic looking Zelda tech demo at Spaceworld 2000 only just to reveal a cartoony version a couple years later-- It was like betrayal, what with GCN battling its kiddy image and all on top of this. Kids back then were none the wiser, which is why they cherish it so today without batting an eye, while a lot of us older folk were cranky about it. None of this had anything to do with the quality game on hand, and didn't keep me from missing it... I loved it all the same. Zelda fan for life.
Go back to this Zelda formula. BotW and TotK overstayed their welcome.
Now we just need Twilight Princess, Four Swords Adventures, and, somewhere way, way down the line, the DS and 3DS games, and then we'll have every game
@RiasGremory I very much agree with you. TP is my favorite pre-BotW Zelda.
I've only played WW HD, but I couldn't wait to be done with it. I think it's a 5/10 at best. I plan on one day giving it a second playthrough, though, to see if it has grown on me any more, but a friend is borrowing my Wii U right now to play through both HD Zeldas, so it might be a while before I get it back.
This is still one in of my top 5 Zelda games. It's a classic game that deserves people's attention.
I feel like I'm the only person on the planet that actually likes the Triforce hunt near the end of the game. Idk why, I've always liked the sequences between dungeons the most in Zelda games.
Still my favorite Zelda game of all time. It just oozes charm from start to finish.
But does the Switch 2 version have Tingle Tuner support?
One of my favorites of all time; it’s been too long since I’ve been able to play this one!
I’ve been holding out for a remake/port but I guess I’ll have to spring for the GCN switch emulator at this rate.
"well, as long as the speedier boat wasn't a killer fix for you.". For me it's exactly what make the Wii U version playable. I finished it on the Wii U, the GC version I left behind a few hours later
This is still a 10 for me. While OoT is the GOAT, with BotW second, WW is easily third tied with Link's SNES outing (Link's Awakening is fourth). I have the HD version for WiiU, but I still prefer the non-glossy/rounded shading of the GCN version. My NSO GCN controller came the same day I picked up my S2, so I can't wait to share this treat with my kids on the controller it was meant to be played with!
Looks amazing on my Retroid 5.
It and Majora's Mask are my favorite games in the series, love it to death. I'd rather have the HD version but even the Gamecube one with its issues is wonderful.
Honestly it's not even the Swift Sail that I think makes Wind Waker HD such a huge upgrade (though it does help), it's having the good sense to equip the tools you can use in the boat to the D-pad instead of making you constantly shuffle your inventory back and forth every time you get in and out of it. It's a whole game of the Iron Boots.
@Max_the_German And 4:3, which wouldn't be so bad were it not for the awful NSO UI
They still should have ported the HD version(along with twilight princess hd) instead of this. It is absurd that those remasters are still trapped on the Wii U!
Honestly, I hate that this was released with the launch of the switch 2. This only feels like an even bigger reason to delay porting over the wind. Waker HD remake and the Twilight princess HD remake to the system.
No way or any of those coming out this year with the release of the GameCube ROM. There are so many other awesome GameCube titles they could have released instead.
Though I should say I'm hoping to see Metroid Prime 2/3 games before the year ends (Or at least before Prime 4 release)
The original backlash was due to the Spaceworld demo. Cartoon Zelda wasn’t unwanted per se, just unexpected. Turns out we were all wrong and Wind Waker is ace!
For my money it has the best soundtrack in the series as well. As Nintendo won’t ever remake it I suggest tracking down the Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra on your streaming platform of choice, find the Wind Waker Orchestrated album and listen to The Great Sea on repeat. You’re welcome.
One of the best zelda game, the only bad part is I think the game is too easy. But I played the wii u version with 16:9 ratio and some adjustments to gameplay, so I think I'll pass this game.
Hope there's still gonna be zelda ww and zelda tp remaster for switch 2, I just need at least 1080p, 60 fps, and widescreen for the games 😃
Such a shame they never finished making this game.
It had the potential to be the best Zelda in the series.
The game: Fantastic, one of the best.
But some thoughts on the Switch 2 release:
@PJOReilly
What about the Tingle Tuner?
OG Wind Waker is gorgeous and full of charm but it also comes with a boatload of tedium that keeps it out of the upper echelons of Zelda entries if you ask me. In a world where the superior HD remaster exist it can really only be an 8/10 these days.
@NeonPizza For real.. For as much as I love Nintendo, they frustrate me so much. Wind Waker and Twilight Princess HD should have ported to the OG Switch years ago! Why did they port over nearly every Wii U game EXCEPT the Zelda remasters? Makes no sense.
The long Triforce quest is one of the best bits of the OG Wind Waker, I really didn't want it shortened! I think it works well because by this point in the game you/your boat will be at full power, and the amount of money required to translate all of the charts forces you to complete a load of side quests that you might otherwise have missed.
I also refuse to use the Fast Sail in the remake - sailing slowly to your next destination is one of the best bits of the game!
Why they never rereleased Wind Waker HD is beyond me
I had it on GameCube but didn't get very far before I quit. It's the only Zelda I've never played to completion.
Spent a few hours with it on the Switch 2, and was pretty happy to get another shot to try it, but I quickly remembered why I didn't make it far.. while also not remembering half of what I was doing in those first hours (the fortress, mainly).
It's mostly the camera. There's also a fair amount of the way the collision detection, for lack of a better term, deals with jumping off edges or finding ladders you're trying to climb. One happens way too easy, the other doesn't. The fortress was a real pain and took way longer than necessary because I kept launching off ledges I had no intention of (and sneaking is.. ugh.. Metal Gear this isn't).
Plan on playing it more, really seeing past this, but what I do remember most from OG GameCube Wind Waker was getting hopelessly lost after getting Red Lion. And that's kinda where I'm at now, so.. we'll see what happens now.
The WII U version is the best way to play this game as the original version is an absolute grind. The endless sailing was completely boring for me in 2003 and vowed to never play it again but bought the HD remaster 10 years later and absolutely loved it. Steer clear
@SillyG cos it's the gamecube app not the wii u
The peak of Zelda. 10/10.
@Qwiff you can’t actually look at two screens at the same time. And spoiler alert it takes more time to move your head to the second screen then it does to press X and bring up the map.
Clearly this game could've never ran on Switch 1
Just like the new CRT filter....
It's a 10/10 game.
They absolutely should have given us Wind Waker HD by now but I'm still pretty happy with the original GameCube version. It has my favorite visual design, favorite story (at least for the first two thirds), favorite vibes, favorite dungeons, and I actually really enjoy sailing and treasure hunting.
It's an amazing game, I just wish it wasn't rushed out back in the day. We probably would have has a bit more story and character interactions during the last third of the story, an extra dungeon or two, and more thought out triforce shard hunt with the game telling you to do it earlier on. You CAN collect shards between dungeons and it makes the hunt insanely fun as it breaks up the gameplay more.
HD for Wii U is still the superior version
Not exactly my favourite Zelda game (which is Twilight Princess ) or on my toplist but Zelda games are always good. I still dislike how it looks though.
I know people think Ocarina of Time is one of the all time best Zelda games, but to me, this remains one of the top Zelda games ever. Only beaten by A Link to the Past and maybe Twilight Princess.
While changing the wind constantly becomes tedious, traveling the waters on your boat is one of the most fun experiences in all of gaming history.
@Truegamer79 cool question. I d like to play it on Wii U but mine died due to no reasons like many others.
Still hope they will rerelease remaster someday
I will admit when it was released in 2003, I was part of the anti cel-shading team. But over the years, I’ve come to appreciate its charm.
To this day, it’s one of the most replayable of the Zelda games in my opinion. The story is great, the sailing mechanic is unique, the dungeons are awesome, the NPCs are fun to interact with.
I’m excited to dive back in (no pun intended) and re-experience this incredible game.
I get weird stuttering when moving the camera around in Outset Isle. It seems the framerate is inconsistent
@RadioHedgeFund Thanks for that artist callout. Didn’t know about these arrangements
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