Nintendo's flagship franchise storms into the 21st century and it's never looked better.

Let's get one thing out of the way first. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is a cute game. The latest incarnation of Link – the diminutive hero of the long-running Zelda series (launched in 1986 and featuring numerous sequels and spin-offs) – is a wide-eyed cartoon child. The world he inhabits is a primary-coloured, highly stylised collection of cheery island villages, forests and other more sinister locations, all reached by navigating oceans in a talking boat.

All the requisites of the Zelda series are here: smashing pots, hacking foliage, exploring dungeons and acquiring items. There's even a musical touch, like in the N64 Zelda classic Ocarina of Time – as the Wind Waker of the title is actually a magical conductors baton.

As the product of the eccentric, imaginative mind of Shigeru Miyamoto – creator of the Mario and Donkey Kong titles - those not familiar with the game series may be bemused by such descriptions. But while The Wind Waker upholds many family values, it is by no means a child’s game. It’s so extraordinarily well realised in terms of elaborate environments and cleverly-constructed adventuring that its appeal goes way beyond younger gamers (not least because many have grown up with the series).

Gorgeous and steeped in quality, The Wind Waker is another treat for spoilt GameCube owners in a year that has already seen the publication of the similarly masterful (but very different) Metroid Prime. If The Wind Waker merits any gripes at all, it is that occasionally the controls are twitchy, and the camera is awkward - otherwise it's pure joy. Daniel Etherington 02 May 03

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is released on 3 May 03 on the Nintendo GameCube.

useful link: windwaker.nintendo.co.uk