The GameCube Legend of Zelda plays exactly like... a Zelda game. There's no two ways about it. Anyone worried that the graphical style would somehow detract from the feel of the game or make it in any way easier can rest easy. You aren't riding on flying hearts to battle the evil king naughtypants in his pumpkin-shaped fortress in the sky. It's just as hard and just as enjoyable as any Zelda game before it.
But good lord, is it pretty. Most impressive were the water effects, which were best shown off in the Vast Ocean stage. As you enter the arena, the water around you is undulating rhythmically - rising up and down with its crisp blue surface. As you cut through it with your boat, it splashes up on either side of you and cascades into your wake. Crescent shaped ripples emanate from every drop that hits the surface, and white foam pops into the air. Every inch of the ocean looks hand drawn, and shows off the graphical style beautifully.
Not to say the rest of the game is any less impressive. The sheer number of things that you could cut down and interact with in the first level boggles the mind. Patches of grass dozens of feet across. Flowers popping up here and there. Whole orchards of smaller trees that could be leveled with a well aimed spin attack. And they just kept going as you looked into the distance. The vastness of this relatively small town was astonishing, especially when viewed from the top of the watchtower. I can barely imagine what a busier and larger town would look like. Seeing the overworld will probably cripple me.
As I explored the demo of this game, I really got a Link's Awakening vibe. The light-heartedness, the frequent comedic sequences - it all reminded me of the Game Boy Zelda games. I actually just finished playing through the Oracle GBC games recently, and they've successfully topped my list when it comes to favorite Zelda games. I actually laughed out loud several times while playing them, it was all so well done. When Link was launched from the catapult in the GCN game, and when I did the spin attack for the very first time, I felt the exact same thing. It was all just so entertaining. If the developers actually ARE trying to capture the same feel as the Game Boy games, I don't think I could be happier.
And allow me to take a shot at the people who dislike Link's facial expressions, and think he should remain more stoic throughout the game. The main reason Link never really showed much emotion in the past Zelda games was either because A) he was a tiny sprite on a 2D system, or B) because the N64 simply couldn't animate his face outside of swapping one low-res animated texture for another. But now that the technical limitations of the systems are no longer a factor, why should Link's emotions still be constrained? Imagine the catapult scene with Link looking calm and collected the entire time. It wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining. Link is a 12 year old boy being thrust into a myriad of hard to deal with situations. There are bound to be times when he's shocked, frightened, determined, angry, etc. Seeing him relate to these circumstances appropriately makes it seem like he's actually experiencing them, and not just being played through them by some phantom person with a controller. I would agree that having link TALK would take away a bit of his mystique, but allowing him to emote can do nothing but add to the immersiveness.
And at the risk of editorializing, let me be blunt. You cannot form an accurate opinion of this game until you have had the controller in your own hands and played it for yourself. Those of you that base your opinions solely on screens, movies, and conjecture need to hold off on the name calling and wait until the game comes out before denouncing it. I think I speak for the entire N-Sider staff when I say that the whole cel-shaded debate is simply over. There isn't a single argument that could convince any one of us that the game isn't perfect the way that it is. It literally blew everyone at the show away. And unfortunately, the majority of you won't be able to have this sense of confidence until it's finally released early next year. But try and trust me. Once you boot the thing up in your very own Cube, all your doubts will fade away into pure gaming bliss.