After I played a 30-minute demo of The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker HD , a thought popped into the back of my mind: "I really need to go home and compare this experience with the original." Full disclosure: I could have played the GameCube version right there -- Nintendo had one running on an old CRT television in the corner of the room. But when someone hands you a controller to play an HD Zelda, even if it’s a re-release, moment-to-moment comparisons can wait.

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Take a look at the sepia tint of the Mysterious Castle.

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The softer shadows of Wind Waker HD make the 3D models look a lot different in this version.

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Are these sure signs of a man desperate for more Wind Waker? Perhaps. But this HD iteration felt much smoother and more refined than what I remembered of the original, and I just couldn’t tell if it was just always the case. The changes in Wind Waker feel so significant that, in many ways, you could possibly even dub this the definitive version, because some people live in a circle of absolute extremes. I’ve rarely left a preview demo glowing about a game, but Wind Waker HD seemed to buck that trend.Most of my demo took place at the Mysterious Castle, a pivotal moment that wove Wind Waker’s high seas adventure into a much larger mythology. I won’t say too much for the sake of spoilers. Even if this is a ten year old game, fresh-faced newcomers deserve to experience this moment for themselves. But this initially black and white section from the GameCube original took on a new sepia tint in the HD remake. I ran around, solved a puzzle, obtained a sacred weapon, and fought off Moblins and armored Darknuts. Afterwards, I sailed for five minutes across the Great Sea and then my demo ended. The controller was taken away and I left.But what did I experience in that time? Well, it’s slightly overstated at this point, but Nintendo has made smart tweaks to this decade old game. By now you’ve probably heard all about the GamePad functionality – including off-screen play – the drag and drop interface menu interface, and sped up animations – like how the grappling hook quickly wraps around a latch. But there’s more, like the revamped Triforce hunt, a late game quest that caused even hardcore Zelda purists to cry foul over the past decade.Nintendo has streamlined this divisive quest to speed up the later sections of Wind Waker. But how much faster is it really? The original required players to find and translate eight IN-credible charts, and seek the assistance of the whimsical Tingle, who would then charge 201 Rupees for each translation. According to a representative on-site, five Triforce pieces can now be grabbed directly, and only the remaining three will require translated charts.But what else has Nintendo altered in this remake? Well, they introduced Hero Mode. Similar to the mode of the same name in Skyward Sword , it will present Wind Waker experts with a more difficult version of the game. Enemies hit harder and health can only be regained through the use of potions. Also, surprisingly, this Hero Mode is also available for players right from the start of the game and can be switched on or off at file select screen. Sure, it’s no Master Quest, but it’s hard to see Nintendo consider a redesign that expansive for an HD remake.The Picto Box, an in-game camera predominantly used for side-quests in the original version, has also received significant upgrades. Of course, the upgraded camera could still be used to snap photos of unsuspecting villagers or enemies, and those pictures can live on Miiverse. But Link can also take funny self-photographs -- possibly a sign from these social media influenced times. Players can switch between happy, sad, and surprised emotions before they take a snapshot. And it’s easy to see Miiverse contributors create hilarious moments to share online.Lastly there’s the Swift Sail, an upgraded canvas with a red insignia that speeds up all the boat-based travel, allowing players to quickly steer and sail in any direction regardless of the wind. According to a rep at my demo, the Swift Sail can be acquired at the auction house after completion of the first dungeon. However, there won’t be an alert via an in-game prompt to signal the special sails availability.All of these changes amass to a much better Wind Waker experience, and the list keeps going. For example, it’s no longer possible to accidentally skip Tingle’s island, as the developers have inserted an introduction to the quirky character into the main quest. There’s also an enhanced first-person camera which now allows for full movement in that perspective. You can’t go all Skyrim and swing a sword or throw bombs from it, but you can travel through hallways and shoot arrows like you’re in a FPS.Of all the five previous home-console 3D Zeldas, Wind Waker has a reputation for, at least visually, standing up to signs of aging. In the ten years since its original release, it still looks fantastic in most screenshots or video. And that’s the one thing about Wind Waker HD that I still have a little trouble embracing.The new HD art and bloom lighting look impressive, but they subtract some of the cell-shaded magic that made Wind Waker feel like a playable cartoon. Noticeably, the shadows don’t look as dark in this version and gently wrap around Link and the other characters of the game. Most of the environments, the sepia tinted castle, and even the Great Sea don’t suffer any changes from this new lighting model -- in fact they look much better than the originals -- but Link and the other beautiful and expressive characters of Wind Waker definitely took some getting used to.Rushing home to play and compare Wind Wakers later that evening confirmed my strong beliefs: This remade Zelda stands apart from its former iteration. Don’t get me wrong, the original still controls well and looks great, but the HD version is much better, smoother, and feels as capable as a brand new game. And most importantly, the experience is custom tailored for its fans: Purists can use the Wind Waker

Jose Otero is an Associate Editor at IGN and host of Nintendo Voice Chat . You should follow him on twitter if you want more opinions about Nintendo. If you know some crazy Wind Waker HD facts, why not consider contributing to our IGN Wiki