Enter 2003, where the next in the amazing series of games was finally released on Nintendo's latest platform, the GameCube. Could the new style of the series bring back fond memories of Link's N64 outings or were we stuck with a few more CDi blunders?

When The Wind Waker was first shown at Nintendo's semi-annual Spaceworld in 2000, the game was greeted with cheers from the crowd as a nearly photorealistic Link did battle with his arch-nemesis Ganon in a castle hall. But things were about to change for our young hero as Nintendo opted to adopt a more "cartoonish" look to the game which turned the gaming experience into an interactive cartoon complete with distorted characters, zany sound effects and a style all its own. For the last year, people have been commenting about Link's new look and the new direction of the game. Gone are the realistic environments of the Spaceworld demo; now Link travels across the sea on a talking boat from island to island and does battle in a vibrantly colored environment many designers can only hope to create. If there was one company that could pull off changing the look of one of its most cherished characters, Nintendo is it.

The game's new look comes down to personal preference in the end. Many fans had shunned the game after seeing the decisively kiddie look, dooming it before ever setting hands on a controller. Yet the naïve robbed themselves of playing a truly magical experience as The Wind Waker stands as the finest game released on GameCube.

The experience opens with Link enjoying a sunny day on his home island of Outset. Here the water is blue, the bluffs are high and the people are cheerful, but things are about to change for our new hero. As a tradition passed down from generation to generation a young boy is asked to sport the garb of the ancient Hero of Time who saved the land so long ago (just one of the many references to previous Zelda games). Shortly after changing his clothes, Link watches as his sister is abducted by a rather strange looking bird and taken to a closed off fortress far to the North. Determined to get his sister back, Link joins up with some pirates who agree to transport him to the Forbidden Fortress where he learns and awful truth about what is befouling the land.

The first thing players will notice about the story is the many references to Ocarina of Time and the previous character you played. As the game progresses on you learn more and more as the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place. The sense of continuity makes you feel as though you are playing a bigger epic than just one game; at times you feel as though you really have continued on from Link's N64 adventures. Through your exploits you will meet a familiar cast of characters as well as descendants of those in Ocarina of Time. Again, this bridges the two games together and really does make you feel as though you are playing through a much bigger experience.

The familiar Zelda formula is relatively unchanged. The lock on technology pioneered by Ocarina of Time makes a welcome return as well as the button assignments players are so familiar with. The X, Y and Z buttons allow you to assign specific items such as your bombs, boomerang or sail (more on that later) while the B button is used for swinging your sword and A represents your action button.

Combat also hasn't changed much. Using the familiar lock on technology Link can attack with amazing ease. Vertical and Horizontal slashes are accomplished by using the analog stick in conjunction with the B button while strafing, back-flipping, and your powerful forward lunge are executed with the A button. New to the mix is the parry attack that allows you to dodge an enemy's assault while inflicting a moderate amount of damage. As you face off against a foe your sword, along with the A button, will flash allowing you to execute this attack. Some enemies require this defensive maneuver to be defeated. When you are able to subdue an adversary a brilliant flash of purple smoke engulfs him as your treasure appears. It is all quite beautiful when you see it for the first time.

Puzzles are also your standard Zelda fare with a few new ones entered into the mix to change things up a bit. One of the things that make the Zelda series so revered is the ease of gameplay which is never too hard or too easy. There will some puzzles where perseverance and thought will count and others where quick reflexes and spilt-second decisions will decide your fate. Yet, you hardly come up to a puzzle that stumps you for very long. Sometimes just examining your surroundings and using common sense will allow you to figure it out. See a door blocked by wooden planks? Now see the torch on the other side of the room with a wooden weapon next to it? Putting two and two together and knowing what is around you and what items you have in your possession will make things much, much easier.

Even while some shun the new graphical look of the series, others such as myself like the new look and it may not be for the reasons you suspect. Superficial examination of the game shows that the world of Hyrule is a place where textures look bland to the naked eye and, while colorful, is devoid of the detail you would expect to see in a game of this generation. Still, looking deeper into the environment you see the many subtle effects that bring this world to life. Heat waves around fires, Link dripping water as he emerges from the ocean, and the movement of grass as you run by. One effect, used to give a more lifelike appearance to the world, may have been used a bit too much, but it never really detracts from the game. This effect is the field of vision blur that you see every day, but have been accustom to it. For some reason being overexposed to it in a simulated environment may bother some gamers, but a majority of them will hardly notice it once they begin to get deeper into the game.

The Wind Waker utilizes the name from the very beginning. Not long after your adventure begins Link will stumble upon this item which allows him to control the direction of the wind. Further along in the game it will be used to summon whirlwinds and communicate with sages. The wind plays a very important part of the game, as if you couldn't tell, and many puzzles and items are based on this fact. You will find yourself sailing from island to island searching out treasure along the way or seeking items to help you in your quest.

Anyone who has played Ocarina of Time knows that the music was one of the culminating experiences of the game. From the tunes you played on your ocarina to the "what the?" song playing in the Goron's den, you know them all by heart and hum along. Fortunately for us The Wind Waker also possesses a great deal of memorable musical numbers but doesn't quite measure up to the catchiness and originality seen in the aforementioned game. Returning are several tunes from Ocarina (such as the one heard while inside shops) but longtime fans will be disappointed to hear of the absence of the Overworld Theme, which made a return in Majora's Mask but is again missing in full. Parts of it can be heard at certain times, but a dead on relation back to the song is sorely missing.

The Wind Waker is like any Zelda game before it that slowly ramps you up into the game and allows you to get the hang of the controls and your initial weapons to make yourself a better player. Although at times the game may make things a bit too easy. Just like Navie helped the previous Link by giving him clues to beat certain enemies, the new Link is equipped with a charm that allows your boat The King of Red Lions or your pirate friend Tetra to speak to you and give you hints on what to do next. Sometimes these hints are obvious to begin with and other times a puzzle or bit of exploration could be completely ruled null and void by the charm giving you the answer you were searching for. This feature does come in handy at times, especially when you are stuck on a particular puzzle or level, but an option to disable it would been better or at least incorporate it in a subscreen a la Star Fox Adventures.

The only other main drawback to the game is a lack of a major network of dungeons like we saw in previous Zelda games. A Link to the Past had the Dark World, Ocarina of Time had the different sages, but Wind Waker has a surprising low amount of actual dungeon crawling than you would expect from an action RPG. Main items, such as your iron boots, that were acquired in as prizes in dungeons are now stashed away on an island with only one requirement needed to unlock the door. One island is frozen and you must obtain flaming arrows before proceeding, but to get arrows you need another item, etc. The Wind Waker also comes up a bit short through the main quest as far a game length, but this, again, isn't a detracting factor because Nintendo included other things to keep you occupied. Whether it be hunting down treasure at see, participating in auctions, sorting mail, or brushing up on your sword skills the side quests give the game a second life even after the story has been completed.

The story itself, as previously described, is just as involving and special as you would expect from a Zelda game. You will find twists along the way, and while they are nothing like those found on 24, they open up new elements to the story. Visiting familiar places, such as the Great Deku Tree, also bring back distant memories of a land long passed over by water.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is a crowning achievement for the video game industry and Nintendo themselves. In a time where three systems are competing for gamers' eyes and ears it will be the killer games that bring them to a manufacturer's system. While the game comes up a bit short, or at the very least a bit different, than what we are used to from a Zelda game, it is still immensely fun and so entertaining that you forget the minor nuisances and indulge in some hardcore gaming.