The best part about pre-ordering a game (aside from that warm inner glow borne of the knowledge that you have reserved a copy of a particularly hot title) is the chance to get free extras from the developers. Usually nothing more than a T-shirt or (ugh) a mouse pad related to the game, these incentives to pre-order aren't usually much to write home about. But when it comes to The Legend of Zelda (particularly the Wind Waker), Nintendo went all out. As a reward for those who bought the game before its release, the developers included a free copy of Ocarina of Time, along with a never-before-released version called Master Quest.

    The story is exactly the same as OoT: in the land of Hyrule, young adventurer Link must stop a mysterious villain from the desert who seeks to conquer the world with the help of a shiny, pointy thing called the TriForce. Learning of this man's plans, the princess of Hyrule, Zelda, enlists the aid of Link; essentially placing the fate of the world on his shoulders. It seems odd that instead of sending out the armies of Hyrule to slaughter the man, she relies on a pre-pubescent boy with a questionable background (let's just say that some of the characters refer to him as "fairy boy"). Then again, the ineptitude of the Hyrulian Army is made plain in the previous level where Link sneaks into the castle under the noses of the soldiers who appear to be without the sense of hearing, have horrible tunnel vision, and can't see more than four feet in front of them. Maybe Zelda made the right choice.

    There are still mini-games and side quests to waste time with, and Link will meet all of the same characters as in OoT, but the real meat of this remake is the dungeon crawling. While outwardly similar to the original, the dungeons' puzzles are all altered to make things difficult and confusing for long-time fans and those who have never played Ocarina of Time before. In many ways, this helps to make it a whole new game, though it's probably a good idea to begin with OoT (also included on the disc) and then beginning Master Quest, as the puzzles are relatively difficult and requires the player to think more abstractly to progress to the next section.

    To help Link in his adventure, there are various items that can be found in dungeons and in some of the towns he will visit. These include the Bow, the Boomerang, the Hookshot, and even a huge hammer. Fortunately, all of these items adapt perfectly to the three-dimensional environment and take only a little time to get the hang of. This is helped in no small part by the controls, which are mapped well to the GameCube's somewhat odd controller. Three items at a time can be set to three buttons on the controller to make things more convenient.

    The controls also work well, making the jump from the N64 to the GameCube a rather painless one. Everything seems to fit well and the learning curve is extremely small. Most players should have no problem controlling the action on the screen. There are a few things that, while not exactly problems, seem out of place. For example, Link has a Rolling "attack" that doesn't seem to do anything or ever serve any purpose whatsoever. It also seems odd that the intuitive, controllable camera system found in Wind Waker wasn't implemented for Master Quest.

    This results in an irritating camera that can sometimes offer horrible views and make playing difficult. Luckily, there's also a first person view that helps for when looking around more thoroughly is necessary. Still, it would have been nice if the camera were more controllable.    The Zelda series has always done well with creatures and bosses for its hero to vanquish, and this installment is no different. Each monster is unique and fun to battle, often requiring some trick or secret to defeat it. If there's one complaint to be made, though, it's that many of the boss encounters are too easy and end far too soon. This isn't a horrible thing by any means, and there are a few difficult battles, but these are few and far between. To the game's favor, the creatures are so entertaining and original that many fans will want to continue playing just to see what new beast will be thrown at them next.

    As with any game, there are some shortcomings. For Master Quest, this comes in the form of minimal replay value and repetitive gameplay. The latter is helped by the puzzles and clever boss fights. The former, however, is slightly more difficult. Hardcore fans will most likely be the only ones to give this game a second spin, and that's unfortunate. The camera, as previously stated, is also something of a gripe, but it's not as horrible as in most games of that time. Also, the graphics are looking a bit dated. Granted, this is an old game. Still, if it's to be released alongside things like Metroid Prime and Resident Evil 0, the visuals must be taken into account. Sadly, they're found wanting. With any luck, though, most gamers won't have time to notice the graphics, as the game is extremely immersive and manages to draw the player into the world of Hyrule in a very effective way.

    Is Master Quest worth preordering Wind Waker for? Fans of the series already know the answer. And with two free games included for the price of one, it's practically a steal.The new dungeon designs are worth a look, and while not as difficult as it claims to be, Master Quest is tremendous fun, and a great excuse to pick up Ocarina of Time once more.