#14: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003)
Last Year: 11
I still remember the disbelief from the gaming community when The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was first revealed. Just a few years before, we were treated to a glorious Ocarina-of-timesque depiction of what the GameCube could do with The Legend of Zelda series. But with this "Celda", one of the most beloved franchises in gaming would be doomed. DOOMED I SAY! Okay, all that sillyness aside, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is a brilliant game. Not only was the game unique (and quite beautiful I may add) because of its artstyle, but the game was also different because of its setting. Everything in this game led to a more emotional, poignant journey to figure out what happened to the Hyrule we all knew and loved. This game also expanded greatly upon the character of Ganondorf, and propelled him to become my favorite video game villain. So besides a few issues (the Triforce hunt and the lack of dungeons), Wind Waker is a beautiful game that is one of gaming's finest adventures. Truly a wonderful experience.
