The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker cover
FranchiseThe Legend of ZeldaSeriesThe Legend of ZeldaThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Critic score1 critic
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First release
Dec 13, 2002
Publisher
Nintendo
Genres
Adventure, Puzzle · Action, Fantasy
Platforms
Nintendo GameCube

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is the first Zelda game for the Nintendo GameCube and also the first in the series to employ cel-shading, a lighting and texturing technique that results in the game having a cartoon-like appearance. Like its predecessors, The Wind Waker is an action game with puzzle-solving and light role-playing elements. Basic gameplay mechanics are similar to those found in Ocarina of Time, but it differentiates itself with its massive Great Sea which must be explored using a boat named King of Red Lions.

Also known as Zelda no Densetsu: Kaze no Takuto, Wind Waker, 塞尔达传说：风之杖, TWW
… See more, 萨尔达传说：风之律动, TLoZ: TWW

Attributes

No Attributes added.

Details

Storyline, release dates, time to beat, age ratings, modes, links, keywords

Storyline
Set hundreds of years after the events of Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker finds the hero Link living with his grandmother on the Outset Island, one of the many small islands lost amidst the waters of the Great Sea. On his tenth birthday, Link encounters a giant bird carrying a girl. He rescues the girl, but as a result his own sister is taken away by the bird. The girl is a pirate captain named Tetra, who agrees to help Link find and rescue his sister. During the course of their journey, the two of them realize that a powerful, legendary evil is active again, and must find a way to stop him.Read more

Set hundreds of years after the events of Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker finds the hero Link living with his grandmother on the Outset Island, one of the many small islands lost amidst the waters of the Great Sea. On his tenth birthday, Link encounters a giant bird carrying a girl. He rescues the girl, but as a result his own sister is taken away by the bird. The girl is a pirate captain named Tetra, who agrees to help Link find and rescue his sister. During the course of their journey, the two of them realize that a powerful, legendary evil is active again, and must find a way to stop him.

Release dates
Nintendo GameCube
Dec 13, 2002
Nintendo GameCube
Mar 24, 2003
Nintendo GameCube
Apr 16, 2003
All 5 release dates
Nintendo GameCube
May 02, 2003
Nintendo GameCube
May 07, 2003
Time to beatIGDB · recorded
Main Story
15h
Main + Extras
33h
Completionist
42h
Game modes
Single player
Perspective
Third person
Keywords
archery, action-adventure, fairy, sailing, day/night cycle
… All 17, sword & sorcery, motion blur, auto-aim, escaping imprisonment, living inventory, connectivity, retroachievements, fan translation - portuguese, nintendo switch online - expansion pack, nintendo gateway system, dungeon, player's choice

At a Glance

Critic Score
90
Main Story (IGDB)
15h
Main + Extras (IGDB)
33h
Completionist (IGDB)
42h
How it playsMediaCommunityBehind the gameRelated

How it plays

Languages

  • Englishinterface
  • English (UK)interface
IGDB · recorded 26 Oct 2026
Also in 5 other languages

Language data: IGDB · recorded 26 Oct 2026