{"id":2156,"date":"2013-01-22T19:11:11","date_gmt":"2013-01-22T19:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/?p=2156"},"modified":"2013-01-22T20:02:01","modified_gmt":"2013-01-22T20:02:01","slug":"my-top-100-30-the-legend-of-zelda-the-wind-waker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/?p=2156","title":{"rendered":"My Top 100: #30 – The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"2003<\/a>

2003 – Nintendo (GameCube)<\/p><\/div>\n

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There was a lot of\u00a0negative buzz\u00a0at E3 in 2001 when Nintendo revealed how the new Zelda<\/em> game would look.\u00a0 “Why do they have to use cel-shading?\u00a0 Why can’t we have a realistic-looking Zelda<\/em> game?\u00a0 Link looks like a little kid!\u00a0 Why can’t Nintendo just give us what we want???\u00a0 This game is going to be baaaaaad…..”<\/p>\n

I’ll admit – the cartoonish look\u00a0was a bit of\u00a0a shock to me, as well.\u00a0 Really though, I think I’ve had reservations about every new\u00a0Zelda<\/em>\u00a0announcement since Ocarina of Time<\/em>.\u00a0 There’s a different hook with every game in the series, and you either like it or you don’t.\u00a0 Plain and simple.<\/p>\n

I happen to be pretty damn easy to please, and I’ve enjoyed every Zelda<\/em> game I’ve ever played.\u00a0 Even Majora’s Mask<\/em>, to a certain extent!<\/p>\n

In the end, Wind Waker <\/em>was perfectly fine the way it was.\u00a0 The cel-shading actually helped Link show more expression than he ever has (even in games since), and the colourful visuals were so vibrant and fun to look at.\u00a0 Much was made about the Great Sea, where Link travels from island to island on his trusty boat\\sidekick\\King of Hyrule, the King of Red Lions.\u00a0\u00a0People groaned a bit\u00a0about having to travel so far between islands, but I saw it as an opportunity to explore even\u00a0more.<\/p>\n

Besides, once you\u00a0receive the titular\u00a0Wind Waker and gain\u00a0the ability to warp, it’s much easier to get around.<\/p>\n

Another thing I enjoyed was how Irish<\/em> the game felt.\u00a0 The music had a definite celtic influence, what with all the fiddles and harps that are heard throughout the game.\u00a0 The way Link\u00a0is dressed has always reminded me of a leprechaun…\u00a0 the friendly cereal kind, not the\u00a0nasty-looking leprechauns from the horror movie.\u00a0 The vivid green of his tunic in this one just reinforces that, for me.<\/p>\n

Finally, I always associated sea travel with Ireland,\u00a0not only because\u00a0it was where the Titanic<\/em> was built, but because of another ocean liner that sank\u00a0– the Empress of Ireland, <\/em>which was actually built in Scotland.<\/p>\n

Sinking boats and massive loss of life\u00a0= Ireland\u00a0\\ The Wind Waker<\/em>!<\/p>\n

(Not really.)<\/p>\n

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