Celebrating 10 Years of The Wind Waker: Share Your Memories

While we’ve all been eagerly anticipating the upcoming release of The Wind Waker HD on the Wii U; today marked the milestone of 10 years since The Wind Waker was released on the GameCube in North America. Today, March 24 2013, marks a decade since the cel-shaded Link and the King of Red Lions sailed into our living rooms.

10 years on and The Wind Waker remains one of the most well-aged games. The toon graphical style has managed to remain fresh and crisp, where other titles like Twilight Princess felt graphically outdated in a matter of years. Booting up The Wind Waker on the GameCube remains as good today as it was 10 years ago.

The feeling of exploration in The Wind Waker, for me at least, was unmatched by every other title in the franchise. The thrill of trusting to your Sea Chart and Compass, and then seeing the silhouette on the horizon manifest into your destination. That feeling of finding a new island and searching for treasure with the maps was an unparalleled exploring experience.

The game kicked off with the opening cutscene of The Legendary Hero, which is without question one of gaming’s best opening sequences. The quality of the cinematic scenes continued, and I especially remember how fond I was as a kid of the cutscene where Valoo engulfs the peak of The Forsaken Fortress in flames.

To sail in some of the best animated water in gaming listening to the excellent soundtrack: the title theme and Dragon Roost Island, remains some of the best times of my childhood. The standout piano piece of the game, and perhaps even the series, is Farewell Hyrule King as the game comes to its conclusion and climaxes its message: one of hope.

I want you to live for the future.

There may be nothing left for you…

But despite that, you must look forward

and walk a path of hope, trusting that it

will sustain you when darkness comes. – King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule

The above quote had a profound impact on my life. What I think truly sums up the essence of The Wind Waker is what remains by far my favorite article(s) on The Legend of Zelda. That is “The Philosophy of The Wind Waker” by Hylian Dan.

Be sure to share some of your memories of The Wind Waker in the comments below in celebration of 10 years of a classic and in anticipation of reliving it all again in HD on the Wii U.