Smooth Sailing From Here

I just finished the hardest part of The Wind Waker. I just made the flight into the Forbidden Woods.

This act is a pretty minor one in the scope of the game, but it's got to be the single act in the whole game that requires the most timing, judgement, and skill. It's just a jump from one platform to another, and from there to another after catching an updraft in the leaf that lets you float and glide, but that second jump is heinous.

What's so tough about it is catching the updraft because it's moving around the island you jump from, sure, but it's also (as far as I can tell) always further than you think it is. Since you need to time your jump so that you float over the updraft and the distance between you and the updraft is hard to judge you really need to watch and work out just how far you are from the thing before making the jump.

Thankfully, by watching the column of wind I'd ride from the side of the island, I was able to properly judge when best to jump and made it into the next dungeon on my second try. In past playthroughs, I remember it taking at least three times as many attempts.

So, from here on in the game gets easier. Far far easier. And, what's more, with the Deku Leaf and the floating ability it bestows, a little bit more of the game has opened up. Once I get the bombs and all three pearls, I'll be able to do just about anything. And that's always the best part of any Zelda game: Unlocking more content not because of a high score or because you brought some bloke fifty lizard scales, but because you can interact with your environment in a new way.