LO: My Inspiration

Video games have always fascinated me. It is a testament to their function as an art form when people such as myself can derive enjoyment from titles in the medium without having ever played them. One in particular, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, has been a dream of mine to play. I am enamored by its aesthetics and by what I imagine its gameplay to be. The game was developed by Nintendo in the span of about two and a half years using a custom game engine. It was an artistic departure from previous entries in the series, utilizing a technique known as cell shading on its 3D models in order to give the game the appearance of a cartoon. This was initially a very controversial decision, but the game is now a beloved title for how well its graphics have stood the test of time. It goes to show the importance of strong, intentional art direction above pure realism in game design.