CGA-2026-01 🕹️⛵🛡️ INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

datavoid
2026-01-02T16:16:13Z

Happy 2026 everyone, and welcome back to the Colossal Game Adventure!

Introduction

The Zelda games released for the Nintendo 64 are widely regarded as the best adventure games of the era, if not of all time. Ocarina of Time in particular is often heralded as one of the greats, for many factors including its graphics, story, combat, music, and general atmosphere. So Nintendo clearly had a lot to prove with their next Zelda title, which would be releasing on the N64's successor. Naturally, Nintendo decided to alter course and provide fans with a something no one was expecting: a cel-shaded, pirate-themed, sea-faring adventure! As the 3D title that came directly after Majora's Mask (which remains one of the darkest and most off-putting games I have played), this was a massive shift in tone for the Zelda series. For me (and from what I've read, many others as well), this shift has put me off playing the game for many, many years.

The Wind Waker is the only 3D Zelda game that I haven't played, even though it came out at a time when I was heavily into Zelda. My first memory of gaming was watching my Dad beat A Link to the Past, which I am still a huge fan of to this day. When Ocarina of Time came out it felt huge and mysterious, and quickly became my favourite game for many years. I can't remember when (maybe '98?), but one Christmas I got a purple Game Boy Colour and a copy of Link's Awakening. I later played Seasons and Ages, which I would highly recommend if you haven't played them. In 2003 or 2004 I got a Game Boy Advance SP, and I played the Zelda games that were on that system a lot as well (Four Swords and The Minish Cap). However, the one thing I never had was a GameCube, and due to the cel-shaded graphics of The Wind Waker I never really felt like I was missing anything.

Looking back now, I feel like I probably missed out on something special with this game, as a lot of people cite The Wind Waker as the defining gaming experience of their childhood. Many people also claim that it is the best Zelda game, which has obviously set an extremely high bar over the years. Back in 2017 or 2018, I purchased The Wind Waker HD, but unfortunately ended up parting ways with my Wii U before I got past the first dungeon. So now, FINALLY, I am ready to experience this game for the first time as part of our shared Colossal Game Adventure!

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Versions:

Original: The GameCube version of The Wind Waker released back in 2002. It is probably the easier of the two versions to emulate.

HD: In 2013 Nintendo released an HD remaster of The Wind Waker for the Wii U. This the version I would personally recommend playing if you can figure out a way to do so.

Platforms: GameCube, Wii U

Genre(s): Action-adventure, RPG, Puzzle

Links: Mobygames, Wikipedia

Stores: Currently the only way to play this game officially is via GameCube emulation on a Switch 2, which requires Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack (and a Switch 2).

Game Setup

The main purpose of this topic is to get people up and running with the game. As such, it's recommended that you:

Share which version of the game you're playing

Share what hardware you're playing it on

Share if there are any tools/mods that you recommend

Share anything you think is important for people to know before they start the game

Ask questions if you need help

Another purpose of this topic is to revisit the game and its time period:

Do you have any memories or associations with this game itself?

What about its system or era?

What aspects of retro gaming were common at the time?

What other games from the same time period are you familiar with?

What are you expecting from this game in particular?

Finally, this topic is the beginning discussion for people starting to play it:

Post updates sharing your thoughts as you play.

Ask for help if you get stuck.

Offer help to others.

It is recommended that you reply to your own posts if you are making consecutive updates so that they are in the same thread.

Important

Any links to the game should be legal distributions of the game only. Please do NOT link to any unauthorized copies.

Put any spoilers in a dropdown block. Copy/paste the block below if needed.


Spoilers

Spoiler text goes here.


FAQ

What is CGA?

Colossal Game Adventure (CGA) is Tildes' retro video game club.

Each month we will play a different retro game/games, discuss our thoughts, and bask in the glorious digital experiences of yesteryear!

Colossal Game Adventure is a reference to Colossal Cave Adventure. It's one of the most influential games of all time, one of the first text-based interactive games, and one of the first games to be shared online.

What do we want to do with this group? Play influential games; interact with each other through text; and share the love for retro games online!

It also abbreviates to CGA (because we love chunky pixel art), and its name communicates the Colossal amount of fun and excitement that we have with retro video Games in our shared Adventure of playing them together.

Do I have to sign up?

No. Participation is open to all.

There is a Notification List that will get pinged each time a new topic goes up. If you would like to join that list, please PM u/kfwyre.

Are there restrictions on what/how to play?

Each month will have a focus game or games that will guide our discussions. Beyond that, there are no restrictions. The philosophy of CGA is to play in a way that works for you!

This means:

Choose whichever version of the game you want.

You can use cheats, save states, mods, etc.

You can watch a streamer or longplay instead of playing it.

If you have already played a game and want a different experience:

Try a randomizer or challenge run.

Play a different version of it.

Play a related game (sequel, spiritual successor, something inspired by it, etc.)

There is no wrong way to participate in CGA, and every different way someone participates will make for more interesting discussions.

What is the schedule?

Each month the Insert Cartidge topic will be posted on the 1st, while the Remove Cartridge topic will be posted on the 20th.

Nomination and voting topics will happen in March and September (every 6 months).

Schedules are also posted then.

All CGA topics are available using the colossal game adventure tag.

What do Insert and Remove Cartridge mean?

Inserting and removing cartridges are our retro metaphor for starting and stopping a given game or games.

The Insert Cartridge topic happens at the beginning of the month and is primarily about getting the game up and running.

The Remove Cartridge topic happens toward the end of the month and is primarily about people reflecting on the game now that they've played it.

There are no hard restrictions on what has to go in either topic, and each can be used to discuss the game, post updates, ask questions, etc.

Comments URL: https://tildes.net/~games/1rzp/cga_2026_01_insert_cartridge_the_legend_of_zelda_the_wind_waker

Votes: 26

Comments: 35