The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD |
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| Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Director(s) | Daiki Iwamoto |
| Producer(s) | Eiji Aonuma |
| Programmer(s) | Kenji Higashiyama |
| Artist(s) | Satoru Takizawa |
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| Series | The Legend of Zelda |
| Platform(s) | Wii U |
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| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is a 2013 action-adventure game for the Wii U, developed and published by Nintendo. It is a remastered version of the 2002 GameCube game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The Wind Waker HD adds native 1080p resolution, an alternative lighting engine, and gameplay changes. It was the first Legend of Zelda game to be released on the Wii U.
Gameplay
The gameplay is largely the same as the original version of The Wind Waker on the GameCube; however, the game offers graphical modifications and various new features not included in the original. The Wii U GamePad's touchscreen serves as a map and inventory, eliminating the need to toggle between gameplay and the menu interface. Players can use motion controls to control the Wind Waker. Some weapons, like the bow, can be aimed using the GamePad's gyroscope, as in Ocarina of Time 3D. The game offers Off-TV Play which enables the player to play the game solely on the Wii U GamePad. The game can also be played on the Wii U Pro Controller, a controller similar to the one used in the original game.
The Tingle Tuner item, which The Wind Waker utilizes via the Game Boy Advance as a peripheral to the GameCube, has been replaced with an item called the Tingle Bottle. The Tingle Bottle is used to send messages to the game's Miiverse community if players are in need of help; players then receive replies containing hints as to current objectives. Using the Picto Box item in the game, players are able to take screenshots, including self-portraits, switching between happy, sad, and surprised facial expressions for Link. They can then post these screenshots to Miiverse for other players to see.
The developers tuned the gameplay to make it less tedious. After completing the Dragon Roost Cavern dungeon, players are able to purchase the Swift Sail at the Auction House on Windfall Island. This item is exclusive to The Wind Waker HD and operates 50% more quickly than the regular sail. The Swift Sail also automatically changes the direction of the wind, which allows the player to sail at full speed all the time without having to do so manually. This is intended to make sailing to small islands and salvage points more enjoyable. The Grappling Hook's crane is also shorter, which speeds up the time needed to haul up treasure. Animations such as those for the grappling hook are quicker.
The Wind Waker HD features a streamlined version of the Triforce Quest, a controversial aspect of the original game. Whereas in the original game players needed to collect a Triforce Chart for each shard of the Triforce of Courage, the remake allows the player to collect five Triforce of Courage shards directly from treasure chests, and only requires three Triforce Charts to find shards hidden beneath the Great Sea. The game begins with the ability to carry 500 rupees instead of 200.
Hero Mode, a modified difficulty setting first featured in 2011's The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, is immediately available for The Wind Waker HD. Like in Skyward Sword, Hero Mode results in Link receiving twice as much damage from enemies, while hearts will not appear anywhere in the game world. It can also be toggled on or off at any point before entering the game.
Development
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In a Nintendo Direct presentation on January 23, 2013, a high-definition remaster of The Wind Waker was announced for the Wii U, then slated for release in the north hemisphere fall of 2013. The remaster came about as the development team experimented with art styles for the next main Zelda game, also in development for Wii U. HD remasters of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword were also tested during the planning stages, but the development team considered The Wind Waker's visuals to be the most improved. The Wind Waker HD took six months to develop. The soundtrack was updated by Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai, Asuka Hayazaki, and Atsuko Asahi. While the game was developed in-house at Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD), high-resolution textures were produced with the help of a few external companies.
Release
A limited-edition console bundle that combines both a digital version of game and the Deluxe Wii U console was released on September 20, 2013, in North America. The black console features a GamePad with a golden Hylian Crest and golden The Wind Waker-styled Hylian letters and symbols. A redemption code for a digital copy of The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia was also included. A Ganondorf figurine was released with a special edition copy of the game, available exclusively through GameStop.
The Wind Waker HD was first released on the North American Nintendo eShop on September 20, 2013. It was later released at retail in Japan on September 26, 2013; in Europe and North America on October 4, 2013; and in Australia on October 5, 2013.
