There's no question what The Wind Waker's lasting legacy will be. It's not going to be for being yet another fantastic entry in perhaps the most consistently excellent series in gaming (though it is that). It won't be for its attempts at switching up the Zelda formula in significant ways. Heck, it won't even be for its story, which is, if familiar, amongst the best in the Zelda canon.
No, The Wind Waker's lasting legacy will be as the single most gorgeous 3D game ever created.
In our fickle medium, the look of a game is dictated too often by both what is in style and how far the technology of that particular generation can be pushed. This is similar to film in some respects, but gaming has few works that could stand the test of time with its looks. Hitchcock, for instance, was a master stylist, and while his films only sort-of look like the films of today, they still work remarkably well. 90% of games hardly even stand up to five years of scrutiny (especially of the 3D variety), so the fact that Wind Waker's cell-shaded approach is still one of the most outrageously polished and beautiful in this medium is kind of unbelievable.
Why does Wind Waker succeed where so many other games fail? It's simple: because Wind Waker relies far more on artistic style than on technical prowess. Now, don't get me wrong: the technology that allows for Wind Waker's style to shine through is hardly a slouch, but the artists behind The Wind Waker's drastic change-up are the ones who should be credited here. It was an incredibly risky move (and still, for one stupid reason or another, galvanizes the Zelda fanbase, though those on the "I hate Wind Waker's style" side of the fence are simply wrong), and it paid off. The characters are so expressive, the visuals are so whimsical and lovely, and the attention to detail is so extraordinary, it's no wonder that few games even come close to what has been achieved here.
Outside of The Wind Waker's visual overhaul (which, quite frankly, is more than enough to separate this game from its series brethren, and to stave off those ill-founded cries of "oh, but this is just more Zelda), this is essentially the Zelda we've come to know and love, but of course with some fairly major changes. For one, this is the most overtly kid-oriented Zelda game. That's not entirely due to the visuals, which I'd contend that anyone could enjoy, but it's also because of the refinements made in gameplay.
The difficulty and abstract problem solving required in Ocarina of Time and especially the devilishly challenging Majora's Mask have been replaced with a far gentler incline. None of the dungeons are particularly difficult to overcome (though they all end in outlandishly oversized boss battles, a feature that I'd contend that The Wind Waker is particularly apt to handle due to its outlandish visual style) and only very few of the enemies pose any significant threat. This isn't a criticism, mind you. I know fully grown adults whose intellect is otherwise impeccable, but cannot figure out many Zelda games. The Wind Waker is constantly rewarding the player, making its few headscratching moments supremely satisfying to overcome.
Much of the difficulty, then, is not found in the dungeons, but in the overworld – the massive, flooded overworld that is The Wind Waker's other defining feature (well, and Phantom Hourglass's too, I suppose). In the Zelda timeline theory, this is the "end" of the "child" timeline, taking place hundreds of years after Ocarina of Time. I don't necessarily buy into the timeline theory, though, so I simply see this as a retelling of the Zelda legend that emphasizes the society from which it's told – a maritime, wind-swept land – and to whom, it's being told: children.
Now note that when I say that The Wind Waker is for children, I don't mean that it's dumbed down in any way. This is still a complex tale, full of terrific dialog and hours upon hours of fun, satisfying gameplay. And based on the sheer amount of chart reading, sailing and simply figuring out where to go, it's also a game that doesn't talk down to or insult its target audience. Though I wouldn't say that The Wind Waker is my absolute favourite Zelda game ever, for those who grew up with it (rather than first playing it at the age of 20), I can absolutely see why it might be their favourite, because The Wind Waker instills a sense of adventure unlike anything else in the series. This really does feel like a game that gives children their first opportunity to explore a complex, enthralling world in a way that's not facile.
Though some find the sailing in The Wind Waker to be tedious, I don't. I've always had a stomach for relaxing, gentle gameplay systems, and that's exactly what The Wind Waker allows. Manipulating the wind using the titular wind waker and then setting course for your next destination on the gigantic world map is a sometimes-awe-inspiring experience, as seagulls will join your ship, the sun will set, maybe a storm will roll in. I imagine that if the Wind Waker had a less gorgeous aesthetic that this conceit wouldn't work, but, well, it does.
Most of all, The Wind Waker is just straight-up fun. It never takes itself too seriously – lots of the enemies look a little goofy, and the NPCs, be they birdmen or cute little Deku sprouts or pirates, are all hilarious and well-written. The gameplay, too, might only be a refinement of the Ocarina of Time formula, but it's refined in all the right places, making progression a simple joy. And the final battle with Ganondorf is surprisingly visceral, putting all of Link's newfound swordplay tricks to the test. It's perhaps a little bit of a difficulty spike, but it's also one of the best difficulty spikes ever in a game. There's a reason why this boss battle is treated with the hushed tones it so rightly deserves.
When The Wind Waker has its graphical engine firing on all cylinders and you're engaging in one of its many spectacular moments, the temptation is there to consider this the best Zelda game ever made. Unfortunately, that's just not the case for a couple of reasons. Apparently, the game was running behind schedule, and Satoru Iwata needed a major game to sell for the Christmas holidays on the struggling Gamecube. The grand ideas that the development team had for more dungeons and more exploration had to be quickly gutted to get the game out on time, meaning that in its place was a tedious fetch quest.
And when I say tedious, I mean tedious. I alluded to this in a post I made two days ago, but essentially, you have to travel around the world map, finding Triforce charts (8 of them), have them translated by Tingle for 398 rupees each, and then you have to travel around the world then finding all of the pieces of the Triforce. It's kind of nonsensical, but its main offense is that it simply grinds that freewheeling pace to a halt. Now you have to figure out how to get all of that money, you have to constantly warp back and forth between dozens of locations, and it takes at least a couple of hours. This is all right before that aforementioned amazing boss battle, so the way in which the game barricades you from doing that is simply unacceptable. It might have even been better to make the game shorter. I'm not saying that this section is terrible, but it doesn't belong in this game.
The other problem stems from this one, which is that there are too few dungeons. Now, Majora's Mask succeeded with only have four dungeons, but The Wind Waker doesn't have nearly as much overworld action as Majora's Mask, meaning there's a lot of downtime. Those dungeons are fantastic and amazing of course, but that only rubs the salt in the wound. The Wind Waker is too full of inaction, and while it does make those moments where you're solving puzzles and defeating enemies with your sword feel incredible, one can't help but wish for that feeling all of the time.
But somehow, The Wind Waker is much more than these downfalls. To ignore the game based on these small quibbles would be doing a disservice to the adventuring spirit of the game, one of the most joyous and gorgeous ever made. What the Wind Waker proves is that the Legend of Zelda series is ultimately defined by its legendary quality rather than any particular style. This allows the developers to experiment while still retaining a market for their games. If The Wind Waker is any indication, this bodes well for the seemingly-equally divisive Skyward Sword.
Side note: Toon Link is the best Link. Deal with it everyone.