The cel-shaded graphics didn't matter to me until people started bashing on it but regardless, it's still a great game!
In this game, Link's younger sister has been kidnapped by an unknown large bird so now he must search for her with the help of a sassy pirate named Tetra. As the story process, Link soon is accompanied by a stange, red talking boat called the "King of Red Lions." With his help, Link is able to sail the Great Seas to various islands and meet new friends along the way.
The gameplay is alot similar to Ocarina of Time & Majora's Mask so you'll find the gameplay mechanics quite familar (except the boat part, which is no big deal). Oh and yes, WW is the first 3D Zelda game that has no horse Epona but instead replaced by a boat. Like I said, no big deal because I actually enjoyed it though it gets tedious sometimes. Atleast while sailing, you'll encounter humongous creatures such as octoroks, boat raids, and even......SHARKS! *hums Jaws theme* So that'll atleast make the boat ride more interesting as you sail to new islands.
The music is pretty good; the intro, Oustset Island theme song are my favorite and of course, The Great Ocean theme (which is like a remix to OoT's Hyrule Field theme). Now here's a debate; after listening to WW and OoT's soundtrack, I can't really decide which game has the best music. Though I listen to OoT music way more than any other Zelda game but to be honest, all of the music are awesome so debate's over. Overall, WW's soundtrack is really phenomenal and mysterious as you go deeper into the story. :D
So Wind Waker is a great game and may take some time to get used to. It is the first Zelda game that features a Toon Link so you will encounter him again in recent titles such as Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks if you're new to the series, that is. But please don't be fooled by this big-headed boy cause he's just like the other previous Links...only smaller! LOL Also I'm going to point out that even though this is more of a "kiddy" Zelda game (so haters say), but it's really not. In fact, this Zelda has a dark storyline which I couldn't see at first until playing through it a few times. The game gets more intense especially when encountering certain bosses and the ending, which I won't spoil.
I'll say this though. This used to be one of my favorite Zelda titles growing up as a preteen even though during that time, I only played 3 Zelda games so I was still new to the franchise. As of now, it's considered my least favorite because of too much sailing and that's why I give it a 9.5/10. But please don't take my word for it because it's still an epic game....even way better than Phantom Hourglass & Spirit Tracks as I mentioned earlier. (but comparing those 2 titles, PH is better imo).
But hey, if you don't want to buy this game just because of the graphics then you're missing out. If you're buying the game for the story and gameplay, then that's great because trust me, it's a great entry to the series and there's nothing wrong with change. Nintendo is known for their creativity so I'll give them credit for their hard work. :)