[It’s time for another Monthly Musing — the monthly community blog theme that provides readers with a chance to get their articles and discussions printed on the frontpage. — CTZ]
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. A fantastic game in every sense of the word (and my favorite game ever). Many would agree that Link and the King of Red Lions stole the show as excellent characters with a close bond and great character development (particularly for the King). However, if you had asked me who the true star of the game was, I would say it was the Great Ocean and all its residents.
Why? Well this wouldn’t be a Musing if I didn’t explain myself a bit, but I’ll sum it a bit here: They made the world live.
MAJOR/MINOR (MAJESTIC MARCH) SPOILERS AHEAD!
The game opens with an explanation as to why we’ll be sailing around for most of the game. It’s also very strange yet inviting to hear that this place is far more familiar than first thought (if you’ve played the original Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time or A Link to the Past at least). This big blue body of water is the former Land of Hyrule where Ganondorf had been trounced many times. Apparently, at one point in time, Ganondorf came back and tormented the land. No hero in green came along (and all others assumedly failed) so the people of Hyrule turned to the Goddesses for help. Naturally, the three holy divas complied, washing away most of the old land of Hyrule.
So this is what we have, a big blue sandbox. A few landmarks from the last of Link’s adventures make some appearances such as Death Mountain and the Deku Tree. Hell, even species like the Goron’s make more appearances. My favorite has to be that the Zora’s have changed a lot into something resembling eagles. All in all, it’s a brand new world but from way up above like never before. Then there’s the interesting twist, but I want to cover the land above, so we’ll move right on ahead to the other reason the game is so memorable.
For me, this is really what made Wind Waker so special. The characters that littered the world were all so fantastic and engaging. On Outset Island, there was a small simple community of folk who never ventured far from their little haven. Understandably, these characters are the least interesting of your supporting cast. Well, apart from the two brothers, master of weapons Orca and his book smart brother Sturgeon. Bickering and blaming each other for any racket made (even though the player was to blame for the most part). These two searched for legendary belts out on the blue sea many years ago. When Link brings them what they’ve searched for, Orca bursts into tears of Joy. It’s characters like these that were affected by your quests that helped make the world live.
Other examples of living NPCs are rampant throughout the world. My personal favourite of these is of a girl and her father. This girl and her father are the richest of the rich on Windfall Island. They live happily until one day the girl is taken hostage. Her father spends all of his finances trying to rescue her. When Link gets back from the fortress and frees all the girls from the Helmaroc King, this man is left broken and poor. His daughter returns and is forced to work so she and her father can once again reclaim the life they once had. In an interesting side effect, she also becomes a thief, an act the player can stop if he feels so inclined to do so.
The other side of this story comes from the poorest of the poor on outset becoming the richest of the rich. Although, even when this young lady is returned, she’s afflicted with love for a Moblin of all things. These kinds of wacky things and odd coincidences caused by Link’s actions are part and parcel of Wind Waker’s wonderful story and NPCs. Then of course you have the NPCs who do nothing but spout the same lines over and over again, but even those guys make you believe the world is real in some way.
I’m well aware that Majora’s Mask has done a similar thing (and I fully expect and excitedly anticipate a Termina Musing), but I feel more of a rapport with the Wind Waker. For me, the only game to ever come close to this in terms of a living breathing world is the land of Hillys in Beyond Good and Evil (again, anticipating a Musing.)
At any rate, I feel that the “a boy and his boat” tale of the main game is touching. But I also think that the whole colorful, beautiful world crafted by Nintendo in this Zelda game far overshadows any other Zelda game’s world. Seriously, if I had the ability to live in any videogame world, it would be that of the Great Sea.
I’d also rather sail than walk/horse ride/train ride/jetpack anywhere.
