CGA-2026-01 🕹️⛵🛡️ INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
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
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
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Any links to the game should be legal distributions of the game only. Please do NOT link to any unauthorized copies.
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Put any spoilers in a dropdown block. Copy/paste the block below if needed.
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<summary>Spoilers</summary>
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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.
I know I'm a very slow gamer, so I actually started this a week ago. And much to my surprise, after having struggled to really get drawn into many modern games (even Clair Obscur took awhile for me and still felt like a chore for portions), I'm almost done with it already. It's not a matter of time or the relative shortness of the game, there's just something about the simplicity and the joy and the care that are crammed onto a 1.47GB disc that makes everything so much more fun.
When Wind Waker came out, I laughed at it with everybody else. Ocarina of Time would always be the golden standard, I thought. And it still is - though I think WW is a very close second for me now. There's something about the creative simplicity that's just missing from a lot of modern games - even BotW and TotK are struggle buses for me. I think I've possibly played WW more than even Link to the Past now.
Anyway! I did want to share my setup. I'm using the original NTSC Gamecube version. I have Dolphin emulator (whichever version is available from AUR) on my Arch Linux desktop with an i7-13700k with KDE Plasma6 on Wayland with an RTX3080 (proprietary Nvidia drivers).
Here's everything I did for my setup-
All of this gets me to a very faithful Gamecube HD version but with all the bells and whistles of the Wii U version. Which I could also emulate but meh, challenges make things fun sometimes.
I'm also using the Tingle Tuner for the very first time! I never owned a GBA (or a GameCube for that matter) - only playing WW at friends houses or by borrowing their console. Dolphin can emulate the GBA and give you a real Tingle Tuner experience which is honestly really fun. I know it got lots of hate for Tingle and the annoying sounds (you can mute the GBA controller adapter) but the minimap and wind compass at a glance are quite nice to have. Not to mention more collectables.
Hopefully this helps anybody else who wants to play on Linux. Happy to answer any questions or provide more details if needed!
Ah you beat me to it :) I had also written down some similar instructions ahead of time. I'll dump them here regardless in case someone might want some more details for how to set this up.
Running the game in high quality on Windows
Hello fellow retro fanatics!
I’ve had very little time to play with you all the past couple of months but for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker I just had to join in on the fun. Since my time is limited I started playing the game a couple of months ago so that I could finish before the end of this CGA. Luckily for you this means I have information to share!
Playing on Windows
Allow me to share with you the best way to play this game on a Windows machine. The original version certainly has charm but the textures are pixelated and the resolution is rough. On top of that there are some serious quality-of-life fixes that can make the game much more enjoyable. So strap in... There’s a bit of tinkering ahead.
Assembling our tools
Stringing it all together
The texture pack includes a folder called widescreen patch. Run the script inside and it will ask for your USA Wind Waker ISO (GZLE01). (Don't condone piracy, only do this if you own the actual game, yada yada...) Point the script at your ISO and it will generate a copy that supports widescreen resolutions.
Take this updated ROM and feed it into the BetterWW patcher tool. It offers options such as faster text boxes, faster rolling, better ladder climbing speed, etc... I recommend enabling:
Apply the patch and you’ll end up with the final version of the ROM.
BetterWW also includes a folder named cheats, which contains a file
GZLE01.ini. Place this file at:%AppData%\Roaming\Dolphin Emulator\GameSettings(Dolphin should have created this folder when you ran it earlier.)
The texture pack also has two more folders. If you enabled the Swift Sail option, copy the contents of:
-[Optional Textures]-\[Items] Sail - WWHD - Swift Sailinto your
GZLfolder. Overwrite files if prompted. Then copy the entireGZLfolder to:%AppData%\Roaming\Dolphin Emulator\Load\TexturesAgain, this folder should have been created when you ran Dolphin.
Finally, make some minor tweaks to Dolphin’s settings so you can take full advantage of everything:
And that’s it! Your game should now look significantly better, and you won’t get frustrated watching Link inch up ladders like a rheumatic pirate.
Ahh sorry to steal your thunder! Hilarious that we both pretty much came up with the same steps independently and for different systems and are also both slow/busy gamers. Are you me? Am I you?
Your steps are much more reproducible I think - I just hammered mine out while sitting on the couch in a post holidays daze. From what I remember, the steps are nearly identical so your instructions should be applicable to both setups.
Thanks and happy sailing - maybe after this I might even try a randomizer mod?
Thank you so much for the detailed instructions. I had to google a bit because I'm very rusty on PC emulation, but the info was so valuable. Now it's running and looks great, and I'm already loving the music and the nautical theme. I'm very excited for this one because the GameCube is one of the few Nintendo consoles that I skipped over. I'm off and slashing bushes for rupees and couldn't be happier.
I loved the tingle tuner as it allowed for a semblance of co-op and friendly fire :)
Bombing your sibling (and wasting their money) was a delight. Less so when they got to do it to you...
The QoL mod is something I was unaware of. I set this up a while ago in anticipation of this months CGA, and I also found the default controls... clunky. So I reached for my hammer, Steam Input.
I couldn't get steam input overlay (big picture overlay) working with the dolphin launcher, so added Wind Waker as a non steam game using
/usr/bin/dolphin-emu-noguias the target with this command:%command% -e /home/drect/Documents/dumps/gc/GZLE01.iso --config Dolphin.Display.Fullscreen=True --config Dolphin.Interface.CursorVisibility=0-e is the absolute path to the game iso and the config options force fullscreen and hide the mouse
And now I can play with my steam controller and tweak the control scheme to my liking on the fly!
This was very helpful, thank you! I just got it set up on my Steam Deck using the HD texture pack, widescreen patch, and Better Wind Waker mod (no lossless scaling though). It's running through Dolphin via RetroDECK.
I'm very happy to report that it works perfectly and looks great!
Like you said, the inverted horizontal camera controls are invaluable. I recently replayed Jak and Daxter and was just planning on emulating the original until I ran into that issue which made it unplayable. I felt so clumsy whenever I tried to move the camera and it went the opposite of the way I intended. Thankfully OpenGOAL solved that problem for me and made it a joy to revisit. The people that put so much time and effort into continuing to make old games playable are unsung heroes.
Also, just in case anyone else is wanting to run it on their Deck: I originally tried out the full-size HD pack and got some very minor stuttering. I then swapped it out for the half-size pack and it runs swimmingly, so I recommend that one.
I've got the HD version emulated on my Deck, but now I'm kind of wondering if I should try out the GameCube version with these mods?
You should compare how both look and choose what you like best. From YouTube, I personally like the look of the gamecube version (which works out as it's the version I own). I just can't stand the bloom and saturation of WW HD.
Thanks, that is helpful. I actually prefer the look and the fideltiy of the HD version, so I'll stick with that then!
Thanks for sharing this - I decided to check out Lossless Scaling, and it's honestly pretty amazing. Have Cemu running at 144 FPS now, which is a lot better than the 30 it started at.
It does have a bit of a fever dream effect (which could potentially be a downside), since the predicted frames are usually slightly off around moving objects. This seems to result in a moderately psychedelic time-distortion outline effect around anything that moves. I have yet to try all the settings in Lossless Scaling though, so I'll have to play around with it a bit more!
CGA Announcement: We have officially inserted the cartridge for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Use this topic to get set up for the month, help other people get set up for the month, and start playing!
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This game is definitely one of my favorites of all time. I still blame it for my current pursuit to live on a boat. I’ve been thinking of getting a wind walker tattoo probably for over 10 years by now.
I remember when it came out, people kept complaining about the art style being too childish. But looking at it now you can tell how well it aged.
If you’re playing it for the first time: enjoy. Especially the music.
I actually replayed this on my GameCube during covid, but I didn’t finish it
You weren't kidding about the music! I haven't played Wind Waker and not sure if I'll participate but I wanted to check out the soundtrack. Instantly fell in love with the main menu music. It's the traditional Zelda menu music from e.g. Link to the Past, which is already great; but at 0:25 the string synth kicks in to give it the ocean flavor. Definite Super Mario Bros. 3 Water Land vibes but with Zelda's mystical/pensive/subdued feel. Really nice.
Dragon Roost Island and one from later fight
are two of my favorites
This is the one game I've been wondering if I'll actually play since I've already spent so much time on it. I think I've decided I'm going to do a rando of it since I've gotten really into doing Archipelago randomizer runs lately. If anybody else is familiar with Archipelago or think a multi-game randomizer for a game sounds fun let met know. I figured I'll be playing it solo, but could be fun to get together people familiar with the game to do an AP run.
I don't have time to join, but I have ran part of a rando before and found what I was able to play at the time extremely enjoyable. Ran out of obvious checks at one point and realized I had to navigate through Dragon Roost with the Deku Leaf...
I remember when this game was first announced and everybody flipped because they expected a serious and gritty title to follow up Ocarina & Majora, not this "celda crap."
Since then Wind Waker released to critical acclaim and has ironically aged like a fine wine, unlike many of the other titles that came before or after.
This is one of the many Gamecube games that my brother had, so I had limited exposure to it before getting a Wii U and playing that many years later. I do remember some things being an absolute pain like the Triforce hunt.
On my HD playthrough (first time I played it independently) I got as far as the Earth Temple before putting the game down. I hope to be able to finish it this time around.
I'll probably be playing the Switch 2 Gamecube release, even though I absolutely loathe the sheer amount of input lag on Nintendo's official emulator. HD is undoubtedly more polished but the power cable on my Wii U console and gamepad literally burned out so as far as I'm concerned it's electronic waste now.
Oh man, I am so excited for this one! Sorry for the radio silence on the other games, I've been having a tough time getting things working. Buuuuut, I actually own this on gamecube so it'll be easy to participate! I remember thinking how expansive it was the first time I played through it and I'm sure I'll get wrapped up in that again!
Disclaimer, I actually played this recently during the initial Covid shutdown in early 2020 along with Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. It's such a freaking banger! I moved to the coast since then and now anytime I see birds circling above the water I imagine the beasts underneath!
So excited to dive back in and get to discuss with everyone here!
So, what is the best way to try to play this one? I don't own a Game Cube or Wii (anymore). While emulation isn't totally off the table, is there a better way here? I actually never got to finish this one when it was released as I only borrowed a Gabe Cube for a very short period from a coworker.
Unfortunately if you don't have a switch 2, emulation (probably Dolphin + Better Wind Waker) is going to be your best option.
Yeah, I was highly disappointed with the Switch so Nintendo has lost me, no intention of every buying a Switch 2. I guess I'll see what I can find "out there".
I wouldn't call myself a huge Zelda fan. I like them here and there, but I wouldn't describe them as must plays for myself, though I've completed a couple few of them. I first encountered it back on the NES, it being one of the first games my sister and I owned for our NES back in the early days and while I really loved the original Legend of Zelda, I never completed it and have never really gone back to it either.
Otherwise, I played and completed Twilight Princess, which I hated. But it was one of the few games I had for my Wii at the time and felt that I should complete it. Later I played Ocarina of Time on my 3DS and actually enjoyed myself, though I took long breaks during my playtime with it. I think it's generally a fine game, but I have zero desire to ever play it again. I've also played and completed Minish Cap a couple years ago, which I really very much enjoyed and do think about going back to periodically and I've also played probably 30-hours of Breath of the Wild, which I very much enjoyed because it's not a traditional Zelda game and which I also intend to go back to.
But I've never played Wind Waker. I've been a PC gamer for over 30 years now and at the time, I was busy playing stuff like Deus Ex, Everquest, but also I was 18, going on 19 and deep into hanging out with my girlfriend and friends and not gaming much, so when it released, I was ignorant of the controversy surrounding the art style. To me now, 23 years after it released, I think it looks pretty charming and I'm excited to start it and give it a go; I don't think it's going to be my favorite game of all time and I'm not even sure that I'll complete it, but I feel excited to explore the world and see what the game consists of; I mean, I know it'll generally be the traditional Zelda gameplay, but it still looks generally fun to explore in.
For this one, I'll be emulating the Wii U HD version on my Steam Deck; no particular reason for choosing the HD version other than the fact that it's the newest, but based on what I'm seeing in this thread, I also see it probably has several upgrades over the original Gamecube version. I've got it all setup via CEMU and it's running at a rock solid 30FPS (guess it doesn't go any higher, which is disappointing), though I still have a couple of kinks to work out, which is figuring out my bind for switching between the TV and the Gamepad screen, since that appears to be the way to manage inventory and save. I'm hoping to get that sorted today if I have time and begin my playthrough, though I'm going to have to tear myself away from another nostalgic game I'm currently playing through from my childhood.
I'm hoping to make some real progress through this one. The past couple of months of the CGA I haven't made it very far in anything except Chrono Trigger. My brain hasn't been in a space lately to listen to a lot of dialogue and do the kind of puzzle solving required of me in Adventure games, so I ended-up not making it very far in The Last Express and (basically) never started Monkey Island and in between, Parappa the Rappa frustrated me greatly, so I just stopped there. But I'm hoping to rally here, because Zelda seems to match the headspace I'm in right now, whatever that is. Actiony, Explory and less Thinky are the kind of games I've been playing a lot of in the latter half of 2025.
Very excited for this one! Debating if I should play this on my Wii U (moving it across country), the Switch 2 Gamecube version, or via a Wii U emulator. Leaning towards the actual Wii U hardware even though that's quite a bit of effort to travel with. I could also play twilight princess HD on the Wii U, which I've never played before. Does anyone have thoughts on which version to choose?
Personally I'd probably go the Wii U route if I still had mine. In my mind that is still the best emulation system besides maybe the steam deck, and I probably should have kept mine around!
Maybe I will bring that back home with me in a carry on to have around. No use keeping it in storage when I purchased the Zelda Wind Waker edition of the Wii U! It's a perfect match for this month's game, and I can make use of it in the future as well.
It's the one console I've held onto besides my 3DS! I have so many games I've purchased on it over the years, and its secondary screen with the tablet is difficult to emulate correctly. I have a side tangent about why the Wii U was misunderstood and arguably the greatest home console of all time, but I'll save that for another day.
Hmm, I’m not sure if I have the means to play this month. I’ll need to poke around and see what I can do. I played decently far into the original GameCube version (on a Wii) years ago but never completed it. Really enjoyed the parts I did play, though. I’d like to give it another shot.
I’ve never been a core Zelda fan. I’ve played a bunch of them over the years, almost all of them I think, but only managed to complete two, and those were kinda oddball ones: Phantom Hourglass and Skyward Sword.
The former is a handheld title for the original DS, notable because it’s the direct sequel to this month’s game. I played it before Wind Waker and found it really charming. The cartoony graphics translated well to the small screen. The puzzles are brilliantly constructed and surprisingly complex. Controls are weird — all based around touchscreen stylus gestures, but once you get the hang of them they’re pretty intuitive. My only real complaint about Phantom Hourglass is all the tedious backtracking you have to do. This one was overlooked by most, I guess it’s considered a spinoff more than a mainline series entry. I liked it.
I don’t have a ton to say about Skyward Sword but I liked the WiiMotion+ controller and thought the motion controls were generally great. It’s been years since I played and I don’t remember much of it. I remember that as the second Zelda title for the Wii, it was a lot more approachable and fun than Twilight Princess.
Anyway, yeah, with just those two Zelda games finished I’m kind of an outsider I guess. I’m not particularly interested in the lore of Hyrule or the well-trod tropes that link these games together. I like them, but just casually.