Ahh, isn’t there something magical about waking up to sunlight streaming through the bedroom curtains? It’s an instant dose of dopamine when you step outside and the sunshine lights up everything around you, and a gentle breeze carries that nostalgic aroma of warmth in the air. It’s the very essence of summer.
Do you know what else embodies the essence of summer? The Wind Waker. From the very minute the game starts up, that same wave of summery sensations washes over you. The blue, cloudless sky, the cheery flute and drums, the sound and sight of the ocean waves, and the sandy land of Link’s hometown all come together to create this wonderful vibe. Summer permeates throughout the game.
This is why a friend and I have a running joke about The Wind Waker, which we will without fail bring up every time there is a hint of summer in the air.
My friend Adam and I have been friends for well over a decade now. Throughout our teen years, we used to spend so many after-school evenings at each others’ houses, chatting about all sorts of things and playing all the best games. At times we played games together, other times we played separately in the same room, simply enjoying each others’ company and commentary on whatever we were playing. From Pokémon to Kingdom Hearts, we shared countless gaming experiences. Zelda games were also among that list, particularly The Wind Waker.
This is when one of our best and longest running inside jokes originated. A joke that you must play The Wind Waker before it’s too late.
Here’s the thing, The Wind Waker so perfectly encapsulates summer that it simply cannot be played on a day that is not sunny. But it has to be a specific type of sunny. It has to be enjoyed on a day where there is that unmistakable beaming sunlight and summery air outside. It has to be the type of sunny day that you always see in The Wind Waker – whether you’re running around the beach of Outset or Windfall Island, or sailing across the Great Sea with clear skies and seagulls in your tailwind.
As soon as that seasonal time has passed, well, unfortunately it is too late to play The Wind Waker. Sorry. You’ll have to wait until next year (or maybe a crazy heatwave in the middle of October, we’ll see).
So, whenever the sun starts to shine and the air gets warm, my friend and I will message each other with a GIF from The Wind Waker and something along the lines of, “It’s time to play it, before it’s too late.”
