The Wind Waker was the first Zelda game I actually owned. No, I didn’t buy it with my own money, but it was specifically bought for me and only me. The other Zelda games we had were the Legend of Zelda Collector’s Edition disc that came with my GameCube, which was for everyone in my family, and Link’s Awakening DX, which was my brother’s. Of course I played them (and played them a lot), but I didn’t have a sense of ownership over them.
The Wind Waker was different. I got it in May of 2004 from my dad. He wasn’t really in the picture at all as I grew up, so it was a big deal that he would get this game for me. That summer, I spent hours upon hours playing the game on the 24″ CRT TV that was in the dining room, captivated by the story and graphics. It was a seminal moment for me, to play such a banger of a game and be able to call it my own.
As I got older, I didn’t get to play video games as frequently as I used to. I didn’t get a Wii until 2011 (I only got one so I could play Skyward Sword), but that little silver GameCube kept me going. I took it with me to college, where it sat next to the 16″ CRT that I borrowed from my brother. Now, here’s the weird part: I brought the console with me, but forgot most of my games. I had Super Smash Bros. Melee and Custom Robo, but not really anything else. So I decided to head to my local GameStop and buy another copy of The Wind Waker. It was cheap, so I figured, why not?
Every once in a while, I would head home to visit family and do laundry. While I was there, I would hunt for my games. I knew I had all four of the GameCube Zelda games, but I just couldn’t find them anywhere. After months of intermittent searching, I finally managed to track them all down. All four cases were there and, presumably, all four games. I brought them back to school with me and spent all of finals week that year playing Twilight Princess for the first time. The Resident Advisor in charge of my floor in the dorm was a huge Zelda fan, so I gave him my newer copy of The Wind Waker.
Years passed. I got married and moved to a new town, and my trusty GameCube came along with me. I hadn’t played it since college, but it was like a safety blanket. My console. My Zeldas. All safe and packed away in my house. I began running a small town library, and we started up a local gaming club. Out came the console. It was time to show these young library children how to get decimated in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Of course, I brought my other games as well, including those four.
Here’s where things get a little tricky.
When I left that job, I kept the games but left the GameCube behind. I opened each case to make sure that all the discs were there, and they were — with the notable exception of The Wind Waker. I was absolutely positive that all of my games were either in their cases or in a small pouch that held my tiny discs, but I couldn’t find this one anywhere. So I went and asked my Youth Librarian if he knew where it was. We would allow kids to borrow our games, because we were both huge nerds and wanted to pass that love of gaming on to the next generation. To my surprise, he told me that it had never been there. Wait — no. I swear it was there when I brought it. I checked the case, didn’t I?
I’m now positive that I hadn’t checked it. If I had, I would have noticed that the original receipt from when my dad first bought the game was still in the case. That’s a fun piece of Zach history! I never would have just passed by that oddity. So I looked over the entire thing, and yeah, the disc was still gone.
I had apparently been carting around the game case for one of my favorite games (and, inexplicably, the receipt from 18 years ago), but not the actual game. I had even purchased a second copy, as if my subconscious knew that it wasn’t in there and wanted me to have it. But in the end, I had given it away like a fool! Like an absolute fool!
But that brings me to the ultimate question: Where did the disc go? Did I lose it at my childhood home, or was it misplaced sometime during my college years? Did the aliens from Romani Ranch steal it? Or was it actually stolen by some youth at the library? (If it was, that’s totally fine, they obviously needed to play it more than I did.) We may never know.
That’s okay, though. I have so many fond memories of the game that I don’t need the disc to remember them. I can feel the wind blowing my hair, smell the salt in the air, and taste Grandma’s delicious soup. I’ve played through it so many times that it is embedded in my DNA. So my dear lost disc, wherever you may be, I want to say thank you for the memories. I hope that you have found a new home with someone who loves you just as much as I did (and still do).
The Wind Waker is 20 years old on December 13, 2022! We’re celebrating with dedicated articles throughout the first two weeks of December!
