What I know about this game:
- It’s kind of like Wind Waker. It’s got the same art style, it’s set in the same branch of the timeline (as a sequel), and also at sea.
- There’s a central dungeon that Link has to revisit between each of the main dungeons.
- There’s one more thing that I wasn’t sure applies to this or Spirit Tracks, but having played even just a little bit, is probably Spirit Tracks, so I'll acknowledge it if it comes up but otherwise leave it for the next game.
“Our story begins not long ago…
There was a young girl, savvy to the seas and head of a band of pirates. Her name was Tetra. She was pretty, brash, and brave. Tetra and her handsome pirates set out to explore the vast and unfamiliar seas. One day on a stop at an island, Tetra met a young boy dressed in green. After a series of strange events, the two began traveling together…
They found old ruins, and light enveloped Tetra. At once, she transformed into a beautiful princess. Her lineage traced back to an ancient, ruined kingdom. She was Princess Zelda of the Kingdom of Hyrule. Just then, a huge, ominous king appeared! He carried Princess Zelda away…
The evil king sought the power passed down to Hyrulian [sic] princesses. He schemed to take the power and use it himself. The boy chased after him, determined to save the princess…
The boy crossed seas and climbed mountains. The journey was perilous. He slayed evil monsters and used their power to become a true hero. After long and hard adventuring, he defeated the evil king. And beautiful Princess Zelda was rescued at last. Later, the two set out with the brave pirate crew in search of new lands…
Yes, they set sail together! A happy pirate ending!”
It’s like the movie version of the Wind Waker real events. The story is condensed, omitting several details (the Triforce seems unique to Zelda, not something she, Ganon, and Link each had a piece of; the King of Red Lions doesn’t appear; the final fate of Hyrule isn’t mentioned). The only major twists that gets spoiled are that Hyrule is ruined and Tetra is Zelda, which given that the story starts with that same group of pirates, is going to be important to know, while the rest of it can wait for people to go back and play Wind Waker to find out.
That impression is not at all informed by the fact that it’s a story Niko is narrating, complete with adorable paper cutouts he made that serve as the game’s illustrations. And he’s talking to Link who has fallen asleep on the deck. (Hey, it’s the start of the game.) Tetra comes down to yell at them for playing and sleeping while they’re supposed to be on lookout. Link sits up, but is still groggy, prompting Tetra to mock his legendary hero status. Mako calls down to tell Tetra that they’ve reached their destination, but he calls her “Princess Zelda,” which seems to annoy her – she prefers Tetra.
We get some more exposition: They’re looking for a ghost ship, and several other ships are said to have gone missing in the area. Gonzo adds that the waters in the area are protected by a sea spirit called the Ocean King. Tetra seems dismissive of the idea of a ghost ship – apparently Link didn’t share that particular story with her – and thinks it’s just pirates cultivating a reputation, and feels similarly about the Ocean King. Link spends much of the time with his head lolled back and then finally pulls it upright but is still pretty groggy – until the sky turns stormy.
Zuko calls down “Ship ahoy!” and a ship appears on the horizon. Even if it’s not a ghost ship, it’s still creepy and obviously evil. It pulls up alongside Tetra’s ship, and Tetra jumps over to investigate the mystery and recover any treasure they have. The ghost ship disappears – and a scream is heard – before Link can follow her over, and Link falls overboard. While he’s unconscious, he sees Tetra repeating “Link… save me….”
Next: Another familiar voice.
[1] Or the N64 three-handled monstrosity, for that matter.
[2] Yes, I play Smash Bros. No, I don’t get it.
