Zelda: The Windwaker

The Basics:
Platform: Nintendo GameCube
Developer: Nintendo
Price: $49.99
ESRB rating: E-Everyone

Summary: The latest of Nintendo's Zelda adventure games. The player solves puzzles and fights enemies to rescue his/her sister and princess Zelda from the evil sorcerer Ganon.

Note: As with many games violence is a common theme; however, it is portrayed bloodlessly and in a cartoon style. Younger children may be scared by some of the storyline and characters. The game is also very large and very time consuming-expect at least 40-50 hours of play.

Further Breakdown:

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Best for Ages 10+
Playability: Moderate
Graphics: Excellent. 3D cartoonish graphics add appeal for younger players while emphasizing the fairy-tale quality of the game.
Entertainment value: Excellent. A solid storyline, quality challenges and a lot to explore make for a fun game.
Educational value Some. Social/moral values are taught. Players may learn of the connection between actions and consequences.
Reading Level: 8+ Note: there are no voice-overs-all of the speech is text.
KidScore Rating

Violence: Yellow
Sexual content: Green
Language: Green
Drugs: Green
Scariness: Yellow
Social behavior: Green
Commercialism: Green
Humor: Green

Review:
Zelda has been a long-running series of successful adventure/role playing games for Nintendo. With Zelda: The Windwaker the tradition continues. The games are successful for two main reasons: great storylines and attention to detail. From the opening prelude the story, imagery and musical score have a cinematic quality that engage the player.

The player assumes the character of Link, a young boy who is celebrating his birthday-his "coming of age" birthday. The day takes a disastrous turn when a giant, multi-colored bird swoops down and kidnaps Link's sister. At this point the adventure begins as the player explores a massive oceanic world. As the player charts new islands and meets new characters, a variety of smaller quests are accomplished. Eventually, the player discovers that the main source of evil is none other than the long-time enemy of Link-Ganon, an evil sorcerer bent on destruction.

The game consumes vast amounts of time and attention; nonetheless, it is worth the investment, since the game is so well designed and fun to play. There is much to explore, and many challenges to meet. Puzzles are varied. For example, in one case the player may move blocks of stone in the correct order to clear the path, while in another the player may have to take "pictures" to solve a puzzle. The game is very creative and uses a variety of elements to support the mega-theme of wind throughout the game. Music, a common element from previous Zelda games, is also important as the player orchestrates musical tunes to solve some puzzles.

Despite the many non-violent challenges, some occasions require the player to fight in order to get to the next goal. Although exciting and fast-paced, the fighting is neither bloody nor realistic. For example, defeated enemy monsters disappear in a puff of purple smoke, reemphasizing the fantasy nature of the game. It should be noted, however, that the enemy characters could possibly be frightening for younger players.

Overall, Zelda: The Windwaker is an excellent game. An interesting story, vibrant imagery and challenging quests that don't always focus on violence, provides hours of entertainment and value.