The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is a remaster of the GameCube entry that divided players with its art style on release and, with the passing of years, has turned out to be one of the best-aged entries in the whole series. Link sets out into a flooded world where only the tips of islands poke above the sea, sailing between them on a talking boat. Alongside the classic dungeons, puzzles, and battles fought with a weapon tailored to each boss, a substantial part of the game is simply exploring the horizon: hunting for treasure using maps, conducting the wind with a baton, and stumbling into random encounters on the open sea, where you never know what might surface.

The HD version is more than just a resolution boost. Nintendo redid the lighting, added a pronounced depth of field and richer colors that suit the cartoon-like style well, and, most notably, reworked the parts of the original most often criticized. Sailing is markedly faster thanks to a new sail, the endgame hunt for Triforce pieces is noticeably shortened, and the inventory and map moved onto the GamePad screen, doing away with constant pausing. A photo mode was also added, along with the option to play the whole game away from the TV, which works surprisingly well during long voyages. The optional Hero Mode doubles damage taken and removes potions.

Atmosphere is why people remember this game. The open sea, wind in the sails, and an orchestral score with touches of Irish and Spanish influence create a sense of adventure unlike any other entry in the series. The characters' strongly stylized, animated faces still convey emotion better than many a realistically rendered game manages. Reviews received the remaster very well, and many consider it the best way to experience Wind Waker. For Wii U it was one of the main reasons to buy the console, and even today it plays surprisingly briskly, with a clear influence on the series' later open-world approaches.