One part that I've been neglecting to do is the Pictobox sidequest. There's a pictobox shop on Windfall Island... well it's not really a shop, you can't buy anything there... more like an art museum I guess. The guy who runs it, Lenzo, is an obsessed photographer, and once you show him the Pictobox you got from the jail, he offers you a job as his assistant.
One of the weirder characters of Wind Waker... you can also go upstairs to check out Lenzo's art gallery.
Oh ho ho ho ho ho! Aren't these some finely snapped pictographs? You must admit it!
WHOA there gramps how did you get here so quick.
But come now! You needn't be so surprised, my young sir! It is a hobby of mine to sneak up behind people when they least expect it. It's quite an amusing diversion. Think nothing of it.
By the way, the pictographs you see decorating these fine walls have all been taken by none other than myself. They are my pride and joy! In my younger days I was tireless, sailing far and wide across the Great Sea, snapping pictographs wherever I went... Have a look at them, young sir!
There's a pictograph of some ChuChus.
Well, those are creatures called ChuChus. They are said to have medicinal properties, so they are a most important resource treasured by sailors the world over.
Why, there is even said to be an extremely rare species of them known as the Blue ChuChu. It is only under very unusual circumstances that they are ever sighted... You would be most lucky to ever come across one, young sir!
What? I've come across several blue ChuChus already I didn't think they were anything special. OMG they restore hearts AND magic! So... useless. Not like the rare milk you could get in Majora's Mask that gives you unlimited magic for 3 days...
Lenzo has some interesting backstory to tell about all of his photos... Are we gonna read all of it? Of course!
This is a pretty nice pictograph. This one is of a tiny rock islet resting far out in the seas southeast of here. Isn't it nice? There was a very dignified butler standing before the door, and I snapped his photo without even thinking... That aside, I am certain this is someone's private cabana.
Now he's hinting at other small sidequests out on the ocean. Last time I checked out this tiny island there was nothing to find except a house you couldn't enter... It sounds like the pictobox is involved in this one.
This is an incredible pictograph. I saw this strange platform rising up out of the seas, seaming to claw at the sky... It makes for an even stranger silhouette. I wonder if such things still remain out there on the high seas, lonely on the waves. Ah, if only I had the chance, I would love to see these things once again...
He's actually talking about a picture of the Tingle tower/fairy fountain thing... Seriously what's the story behind that? I'm still weirded out over two white-dressed Tingles who seem to have been enslaved by some sort of Tingle recruitment organization, forcing them to decipher maps and charts all day long... Lenzo actually saw this thing rise up out of the ocean, hmm, I wonder if he's involved in this conspiracy somehow...
Next to that is a picture of Link's home town OMG backstory time!
This is a pictograph of a place I once visited. Isn't it a finely snapped shot? I took it in my younger days. It is Outset Island. It is the most delightful of fishing villages, innocent and rich with nature's bounty... It was there I met a beautiful young lass... Although I suppose she is probably not as young as she used to be these days...
So it's possible Lenzo could in fact be a father to one of the kids on Outset Island... hmm, could Lenzo be Link's grandpa? Come to think of it, you never here anything about Link's parents in this game... and it's not like there was a war going on or anything... Link and Aryll were kinda just ditched by their parents and left only their grandma...
This next story's actually pretty cool...
The Elusive Ghost Ship
What kind of pictograph is this, you ask? One ill-fated day, misfortune befell me and my boat was destroyed. Clinging to the wreckage, I drifted at the whims of the waves... That's when I saw this monstrosity. This foul ship, veiled in mist and fading in and out of sight like something of another world... Yes, my young sir... 'Tis none other than the Ghost Ship!
The rumors I've heard tell of a man who researched the reaches of the sea where the Ghost Ship faded in and out of sight, and that he drew a map of its movements. But it is said that as soon as the man had finished drawing the lines of that cursed map... he died a most unexpected death... Chilling! Truly chilling!
Now if one were able to find that map... then it might be possible to sneak onto the Ghost Ship and get the treasure that is said to lurk within its hull!
Probably one of the cooler hidden secret areas of the Zelda games... you could play through this whole game and never even realize such a place exists. It kinda reminds me of LttP and the old "Chris Houlihan" room... only not quite THAT well hidden.
About the Goddess Statues
Not a bad pictograph, hm? Is that not a rather mysterious statue? The statue's home is on one of the Triangle Islands. It lies due south of here. There are a total of three Triangle Islands: the northern, the southern, and the eastern Triangle Islands... Each of them has a statue such as this standing on its shores.
Wow, the Hyrulians must've went through a lot of preparations before Hyrule was flooded... They actually went put those 3 goddess statues at the top of those 3 specific island locations, where they can be activated by the goddess pearls... and in the middle of all of that, they actually constructed a huge tower that rises up out of the ocean when the 3 statues are activated. All this to prepare for the eventual return of a hero who can defeat Ganon. The Hyrulians truly had an enormous amount of faith and dedication to the Hero of Time.
This is where the backstory of Wind Waker differs significantly from the backstory of LttP. According to LttP, there was no Hero of Time when Ganon came to steal the Triforce. Instead, the knights of Hyrule fought Ganon with all their might, and eventually they managed to weaken him enough so that the 7 sages could seal him up in his own Dark Realm. This Hyrule was clearly capable of defending itself and didn't need to pray helplessly for a time-traveling hero to come and save them. Instead of being flooded by the gods, this Hyrule earned its peace and eventually was granted a golden age of prosperity by the Triforce. I think Wind Waker and LttP were clearly meant to be alternate realities, mirroring each other on opposite ends... Wind Waker tells of what happened to a kingdom that became too dependant on their faith in the gods...
This pictograph chills me to the bone... This is Forsaken Fortress! This place lies to the northwest of our fair isle, but it has been enveloped in filthy dark clouds of late. What are we to do against the silent evil that lingers there? If you value your life, young sir, then at the very least you should stay as far away from that place as you possibly can... It feels as if evil that is not of this world lies in wait there, biding its time.
I guess he didn't get the memo... you know, about how this place has been burnt to a crisp, the girls were saved, and all the evil has been driven out of it by the very kid he's talking to?
Assistant job #1:
A love letter... Do you know what that is, young sir? It is a collection of words of love, long unspoken and put into written form. Somewhere in this town, there is one who, despite constant rejection, never learns the cold lesson of unrequited passion and continues to write letters of doomed love. I am certain the object of this sadly one-sided affection is in quite a quandary over the matter.
I am of the mind that I must have a word with the unwanted suitor. However, I must have physical evidence. And thus, your first task is to snap a pictograph of this individual in the act of sending the unwanted letters! That sounds easy, does it not? Rightly so. If you hope to be my assistant, you must perform this task with ease!
uh... is this legal? Isn't there some sort of privacy matter here? Is he actually reading the guy's love letters or something? Why is it any of Lenzo's business who this guy sends letters to? There's the guy in red overalls, walking toward the mailbox. I guess I have to... uh... spy on him... there's so many things wrong with this lol.
Okay so I snapped a pic of this guy putting a letter in the mailbox. What next, oh nosy bearded asshole?
Oh-ho! Now THIS is a finely snapped pictograph indeed! Hmm now... They say love is blind, but what could he be thinking, mailing all these letters? I should not ridicule him, though, for he reminds me of myself back in the innocence of my youth... Memories of those bittersweet summer days come rushing back to me...
But I digress... Very good, young sir! I must congratulate you on... passing your first test! I shall promptly take this pictograph from you and use it most efficiently!
... I don't think I wanna know what he's using that picture for...
Assistant job #2:
You must search for this town's most timid and cowardly resident. I intend to flog his spirit so as to lend him some backbone. This individual flinches and jumps at even the slightest of surprises. I need you to capture the instant of pure fear on this individual's face in a pictograph.
So, tell me, do you think you can complete this task, young sir?
... Wow, this guy is a true genuine asshole. I must go and capture the moment of fear on some unsuspecting stranger... I guess I'll just go around throwing jars at everyone in town until one of them gets frightened... and of course the jittery jumpy guy I'm looking for is in the coffee shop.
Oh-ho! Now THIS is a finely snapped pictograph indeed! Clearly this individual must be the town's most timid of denizens! Fear is his constant companion! I cannot complain, young sir! You have passed in a most admirable manner! ...Say, and is it me, or is this chap quite the striking individual?
Very good, young sir! And this means you have passed my second test! I shall promptly take this pictograph from you and use it most efficiently!
So now he's somehow got use for pictures of people being scared... what a nutjob.
Assistant job #3:
Lenzo: Very good! Next is, at long last, my final command! Open your heart and mind and listen to what I say... Somewhere in this town is a couple, a man and woman whose hearts are secretly filled with thoughts of the other, and yet for reasons unknown, the two have never spoken. Even when they happen, by chance, to pass each other on the road, they each steal a brief, furtive glance of the other, but they suppress the longing in their hearts...
Wait... so Lenzo can read people's MINDS? No wonder he's so invasive...
I cannot let this tragedy go on any longer! For the sake of the town and my own desire to help these two poor souls... I shall become Cupid, the archer of love! These two are timid burglars in the house of love... and you must capture a pictograph of them thinking their furtive thoughts!
And young mast Link... If and when, hope beyond hope, you manage to complete this third task... Then you shall be my number-one pupil! Oh ho ho ho ho! Does that not excite you? ...Good luck to you, young sir!
Alright, I'll complete this 3rd task, at least it's not as creepy as the last 2...
The man and woman on Windfall that like each other and sometimes exchange glances... it's not that hard to figure out who they are. These 2 are who I refer to as "walking guy" and "standing girl". Normally when you talk to the walking guy he always talks about how he loves walking around... and when you talk to standing girl she usually talks about how she likes standing around and meeting people who pass by.
Now when you talk to them, though, walking guy talks about a girl that he likes but never had the courage of talking to... Atanding girl complains about how nobody has noticed her new dress... to get a good picture of them looking at each other, and they only glance for a couple seconds... you also gotta stand far enough away, otherwise the walking guy will look at you instead.
Lenzo: Oh-ho! This is a finely snapped pictograph indeed! ...I had no idea these two would get along so splendidly! You can see the love there, hidden but thriving. Even I, who have lived in this town for so many long years, did not realize in the slightest the extent of their passion. You have done well, Link. I shall promptly take this pictograph from you and use it most efficiently!
Now then, my young sir... You have completed all of the tasks I set you to. My doubts about you have all been cleared up! I shall hereby be proud to call you my assistant, Link! And to reward you further for your fine efforts, I offer you this! The elderly lady next door tells me it has value, of sorts.
A Joy Pendant! But wait, is that really the only reward for doing this?
Color Pictographs
Lenzo: From here onward, come rain or wind, my heart shall rest in comfortable ease. And at the same time, your heart will learn the love that pictography fosters!
Hmm, okay well lets go and see how walking guy and standing girl are doing.
Both of them are obviously hot for each other. The girl wants you to take a picture of her and send it to the guy...
So I tried that, but the guy doesn't like the picture... wtf... says it needs to be in color.
There's another nameless NPC on Windfall who I call "sitting guy", cuz he's always sitting around outside either on the steps or ontop of the gate... he gives you a puzzle, tells you to take a picture of something... something perfectly round and pale. The first thought would be those little round pigs, but then I figured the full moon would fit his description perfectly. However, you can't really see the moon's paleness in black and white, so this is another thing that needs color.
So obviously I'm not done with this pictobox stuff.
Lenzo: I have researched this concept for many years, and at long last I understand it! A stronger light is needed to imbue color in the pictograph. No normal light will do. Now, I have heard tales of a mystical creature in a place called the Forest Haven. It is said to be the tiniest of creatures, one that unleashes an otherworldly light...
Oh yeah, remember that eskimo salesman guy? Yeah I kinda neglected to do his sidequest. Finally I stumbled upon one of those traveling merchants who I can sell this stupid flower to...
Yeah I got this... um... legendary flower... that came from a distant land... and has healing properties... and if you water it for 3 months it produces gold... how about it?
I'll take it! Now I just gotta convince Zunari this plant is somehow valuable.
What's wrong with your eye, dude...
I recall there being firefly-like objects in the Forest Haven, so I'm gonna check that out...
After I talk to Makar and his not so subtle singing waterfall.
Makar: Oh! Link! I haven't seen you in quite some time, have I? I'm surprised you were able to find me here.
Hmm? You're wondering why I'm all the way down here?
It isn't any fun if everyone knows in advance what song I'll play.
What? You can hear my song outside? R-really...? I thought the sound of the waves would drown it out... Perhaps I should play a little more softly when I practice from now on.
I hear ya, rock on you dumb little tree stump thing with a leaf for a face. I'm gonna need your musical abilities to help me restore the master sword later. I'm sure you're gonna get yourself kidnapped again in the next dungeon just like in the Forbidden Woods... and I'm probably gonna carelessly throw you around through dangerous obstacles and leave you alone in a room full of monsters. But you keep playing your violin there.
There's just what I came here for... Now to explore around a bit more and find that Nintendo Gallery.
After about a half hour of climbing the Forest Haven, going through the wrong exit, looking for the platform where I can get a seagull, and running out of magic and dropping back down to the bottom, I finally opened up the gallery.
This place is really cool to look around in once you've collected all the figurines. That won't be for a while though.
Back to Windfall...
Lenzo: Is... Is that...? ...Why, I feared the secret light had been extinguished forever! Is that truly one of the long-fabled Forest Fireflies?! Oh, glory! My fine assistant, Link... For ages, it has been said that the Forest Fireflies possess a mystical power. For your efforts, I shall place this one inside your box! Come on now, hand me your Picto Box, if only for a moment...
And with that...
- You got a Deluxe Picto Box! It has been imbued with a mystical light, so now it can take color pictographs!
Lenzo: Oh-ho! Now, those pictographs of yours that have forever lacked the scintillating palette of life should henceforth show the world as it was meant to be - in living color!
Hmm, now... that was quite an easy thing to do after all.
...Ah, well. Such is life. Now go out there and snap pictographs. Snap them in color for me, for all the years I spent unable to do so! Go to it, Link!
Now that I have a firefly-powered camera, I'll be able to take a colored pic of standing girl to show to walking guy and get the heart piece from him.
Might wanna get a better toupee there, buddy.
I also grabbed a pic of the full moon for sitting guy for another heart piece.
When you talk to Lenzo again, he gives you a "Legendary Pictograph"... which is a picture of a character that you can only see in cutscenes... which picture he gives you depends on the shape of the moon. The pictures themselves aren't very interesting, but these are pretty much needed for completing the Nintendo Gallery, for figurines which are way cooler than Lenzo's pictures.
An island in exchange for joy
The Joy Pendants I've been collecting throughout the game are only used for Ms. Marie's sidequest, but they seem very important somehow. Every dungeon has some of them. Now that I have more than 20 pendants I'll give them to that teacher and see what this is about.
So this is what true joy feels like! The lady sure does love her necklaces...
What's this? She's GIVING me a private island cabana? That's an awesome deal. I didn't even have to look very hard for these things. And that's only one of the rewards she gives you for bringing her Joy Pendants. It's really gonna be a joy to find all these things and see what the next reward is!
Let's check out that cabana.
Wow, this butler is awfully skinny. He really needs to get some nutrition.
He's somehow managed to melt his body into the door...
At first there doesn't seem to be anything of value in here. There's a sliding block puzzle of snot kid. I tried it for a bit and then gave up. These are definitely not my kinda puzzles.
I'd love to stay and help you with your existential crisis door guy, but if there's nothing else in here then I'll just be leaving... uh...
Just as soon as I find the secret hidden within these walls...
The fireplace turned off, and revealed a hidden hole! It leads to a sewer maze filled with those rats who take your rupees!
There are locked doors that can only be opened from the other side, and little crawling mazes underneath that lead you into these locked rooms. This seems like the kind of maze that the 2D Zelda games had a lot of.
There are many dead-end paths with rupees at the end, then finally when you make it into the last locked room...
Aha! I knew there had to be something important hidden here!
2 triforce charts down, 5 more to go.
Another treasure on the cabana island that's not too hard to spot. I'll have to remember to come back here with the hookshot.
Finally done with all this pictographing, now it's time to find the Wind Sage to restore the power to repel evil to the Master Sword.