Just what exactly is it about Nintendo that brings out the kid in all of us? The cutesy characters? The vibrant, cartoon nature of the worlds they build? The hum-along songs that bounce around merrily in the background? The amount of plain, simple fun that they shovel in bucket loads into each console, cartridge and disc? Who knows, perhaps it’s a combination of all the above. What I do know is that the very moment I received the call to tell me that Wind Waker had arrived in the post I stopped shopping in town immediately and ran home, giggling like a schoolboy all the way.

We’ve all waited a long time for this, haven’t we? It seems like an age since the brouhaha that erupted when Nintendo proudly displayed the twee, cel-shaded Link for the first time at Spaceworld way back in August 2001. Displaying a vast change from the original concept look which had previously been on show, the sight of Link staring back at the camera looking as if he’d fallen into a manga blender and been processed out the other side flat as a pancake shocked fans to the point where online petitions were created in order to get the game changed back.

Nintendo didn’t listen of course (do they ever?) and pressed on regardless. What has resulted is a game that looks utterly beautiful and conveys the world of Zelda in a new, fresh way. This will probably get you thinking that it’s a shoe-in for being the best game the series has had to offer to date, right? Well…

The adventure begins on Outset Island, a small homely patch of floating turf on which young Link lives with his grandmother and sister. Taking place hundreds of years after the happenings of Ocarina Of Time (yes, this is a different Link folks), legend has been passed down about the heroic fight with Ganandorf. However, with the evil that was once sealed beginning to return, the world needs a new hero.

Upon receiving a rather familiar green tunic and hat for his birthday, Link then races to the woods in chase of a gigantic bird that has caught a young girl. Rescuing her only worsens Link’s woes though, as shorn of its prize catch, the bird turns its attention to Link’s sister and carries her off over the sea. Luckily for him, the girl he saved is none other than a pirate with a large ship, and it’s on this that Link sets of to save his sister.

Somewhat surprisingly given the complete graphical overhaul the game has been given, Wind Waker’s heart beats very similar blood to that which Ocarina of Time’s did. It’s in this respect that Nintendo have settled for the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality, and they are right to have done so. Controlling Link feels intuitive and the player can get straight into the action of the game without having to learn a completely new way of playing it, giving them more time to absorb the scenery and story.

That’s not to say that the game doesn’t throw new elements your way, of course. Rather than having a large, open field or a small doomed township as the main game hub, Wind Waker doesn’t as such have one and instead sees the player sailing between different islands in an enchanted boat. Should you wish to do a bit of exploring whilst out and about on the ocean waves, the game has thrown in a side-quest that sees Link hunting for treasure charts and hauling them up from the seabed with a winch.

Whereas Ocarina of Time had the magical ocarina and Majora’s Mask had the collection of masks, Wind Waker’s main focal item is a small magic wand that I can assure you he didn’t steal from a Paul Daniels magic kit. This wand – the Wind Waker – can change the direction of the wind along with other such tricks as moving time forward from day to night and vice-versa. Of course, wind direction plays a big part in the sailing and a strong tailwind helps you reach your destinations much quicker.

The locations and dungeons themselves are as imaginative as they ever have been, contributing their usual range of puzzling across dungeons based upon each of the elements (fire, water, earth and wind). What is noticeable this time around is that Nintendo seem to have lessened the number of actual dungeons whilst at the same time ramped up the amount of side-quests, meaning that players can complete the game at a more sedate pace so they wish. Those of you who hated Majora’s Mask for the fact that it seemingly frowned upon exploration will no doubt enjoy this very much.

Whilst sailing around for your own purpose and finding new islands dotted around to search for treasure on is all well and good, the last part of the quest involves a huge treasure hunt that requires the player to spend a good chunk of time sailing between locations. This sadly becomes rather tedious quite quickly, and you may find yourself pointing your boat at an island, setting the wind accordingly and turning over to watch some telly whilst you travel. It’s this part of the game which hampers Wind Waker as an overall package, ruining what up until that point is a beautifully paced game.

Mentioning beautiful links (ho ho) straight into how the game looks. Whilst the cel-shaded look drew gasps of angry derision a few years ago, sitting down and watching it play out in front of you is a joy. The vibrant, animated world is a fascinating setting and you’ll quite often find yourself standing before a large mountain, field or village and just staring at it. It perfectly suits the nature of the game as well; the magical, ethereal feel of Zelda has always been present to certain extents across the numerous games previously released, but this time it all fits together and presents a memorable selection of locations and monsters, each with their own unique feel, style and character.

So, back to my question: is this the finest Zelda game to date? Well… no. Don’t lynch me yet though, or at least don’t until you’ve heard why. Stylistically, the game is wonderful. It’s as pleasing as anything you’ll see on a console these days, buzzing with colour and atmosphere throughout. In terms of play, for the first two-thirds of the game you’ll be hooked into a sweeping, varied experience that offers the player all the time he’d like to explore should that be his wish. Then, all of a sudden, the game’s pace falls through the floor and stays there as you slowly progress from location to location in your boat.

It’s a point you couldn’t really level at Ocarina of Time or Majora’s Mask. Both set their own pacing and stuck to them, keeping the player plugging away through adversity. Wind Waker’s final third, meanwhile, acts in the reverse way and certainly in my case made the final hours of the game feel disappointingly close to being a bit of chore to get through. Often when rating Nintendo games it’s a matter of your heart wrestling with your head, but for once they are in agreement. Wind Waker is a good game, possibly even a great one. But does it stand up against the standard previous Zelda games have set? The answer has to be not quite. Whilst certainly being one of the finest GameCube games available, you can’t help but get the feeling that Link’s boat has sprung a leak and sunk a mere few metres from the gaming hall of fame.