The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker From ... - Douglas Wilson

Technological innovations and ballooning development budgets have inevitably led
games towards better graphics, higher quality sound, more ambitious stories, and larger
gameworlds. But apart from these more obvious changes, the Zelda series has gradually
approached Shigeru Miyamoto’s long-held vision of videogames as playgrounds.
Although Miyamoto, the creative mastermind behind the Mario and Zelda franchises,
excels at creating such playground worlds, this trend is not limited to Nintendo.
Storytelling, level goals, and hand-eye coordination challenges aside, the virtual worlds
of videogames are increasingly rewarding to simply explore, interact with, and exist
within, in terms of both entertainment and artistic value.
In order to contextualize Wind Waker and the design of its virtual world, this
thesis follows the evolution of the Zelda series over two decades. I highlight specific
design philosophies and game features – especially in contrast with Miyamoto’s Mario
franchise – that contribute to the series’ focus on virtual environment. In particular, I
discuss the jump to three-dimensional graphics, as well as the decision to use a “third-
person” view. I then concentrate on Wind Waker, examining its virtual world as a space
for exploration, open-ended play, and dramatic action. Finally, I argue that the
playground metaphor of virtual space is ultimately inadequate for facilitating a more
rewarding experience of presence.
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