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Windfall Island

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After the tumultuous Forsaken Fortress escape, Link washes ashore at Windfall Island at dawn. Here, the talking boat King of Red Lions informs you that you’ll need a Sail before you can venture onward. Windfall is a charming town filled with friendly faces, side quests, and secrets, so let’s dive in!

Finding the Sail and Meeting Tingle

First order of business: get that Sail. From the docks, head up into town. Near the town’s main plaza (by some stone stairs on the east side), you’ll find a merchant named Zunari wearing a big parka. Talk to him and purchase the must-have boat sail for 80 Rupees. Congrats, you now have the Boat’s Sail in hand! This is all you technically need to move on, but Windfall has plenty more to offer, so don’t rush off just yet.

While exploring, you might notice a small jailhouse by the town’s gate. Inside is a peculiar green-suited man named Tingle, who’s locked up for… being a little too Tingle-ish. Step on the hidden floor switch behind the crates to spring him free. In gratitude, Tingle gives you a nifty item: the Tingle Bottle in Wind Waker HD (or the Tingle Tuner in the GameCube version). (The Tingle Bottle was used to send messages via Miiverse in the HD version – a fun little social feature back in the day.) Before Tingle waddles off, he also hands you Tingle’s Chart, and leaves behind a big hint: check his jail cell for treasure. Sure enough, crawl through the small hole in Tingle’s cell to find a secret room with a treasure chest. Open it to snag the Picto Box, a camera for taking screenshots (selfies with Link, anyone?). You can use this Picto Box for a cool photo side quest on Windfall if you’re feeling creative.

With Tingle free and the Sail in your pocket, you could return to the boat now. But why not stick around and soak up Windfall’s offerings? The island is crawling with fun activities and colorful characters – this is Wind Waker’s biggest town, after all.

Notable Side Quests & Secrets on Windfall

Windfall Island is loaded with optional goodies. Here’s a quick tour of things you can do before sailing onward:

Hide-and-Seek with the Killer Bees: Outside the school, you’ll meet the four troublemaking kids called the Killer Bees. Talk to their leader, Ivan, then chat with their teacher, Mrs. Marie, inside the School of Joy. She’s at her wit’s end with these rascals and asks for your help. Agree to the challenge and play hide-and-seek around town. The kids hide in sneaky spots (behind trees, a gravestone, etc.), but once you catch all four, they’ll apologize and you earn a Piece of Heart as a reward for your efforts. Mrs. Marie will also be delighted – remember her, because later on she loves Joy Pendants (collect any you find!). Tip: Roll into the big tree near the courtyard to shake one kid down from his perch!

Song of Passing: On the cliff top near the Bomb Shop (the shop with the big bomb sign), you’ll find a funky dancing fellow named Tott (dressed in disco clothes reminiscent of Elvis). Chat with him at night. Whip out your Wind Waker in front of Tott and he’ll get excited and teach you a secret song. Mimic his moves (the song rhythm is Right, Left, Down on the Wind Waker) to learn the Song of Passing. This totally optional tune lets you switch day to night and vice versa at will – super handy for timing-related events (and for triggering the nightly auction coming up). It’s basically Wind Waker’s version of the Sun’s Song from Ocarina. Not required to beat the game, but highly recommended for convenience!

Windfall Auction (Swift Sail in HD): Once you have the Song of Passing, you can visit the Auction House at night. It’s the big mansion at the top of town (where a rich family lives). Speak to the doorman after 8 PM (use your new song to make it night if needed) to participate in the auction. You’ll bid against villagers on rare items. In the HD version, one of the prizes is the invaluable Swift Sail – an upgraded sail that lets your boat zoom across the sea faster and even auto-adjusts the wind direction. The Swift Sail only appears after clearing Dragon Roost Cavern, so consider coming back for it later with a fat wallet (it can cost around 200–300 Rupees to win). Other auction goodies include Pieces of Heart and Treasure Charts. Outbid those suckers by tapping A rapidly to raise your bid at the last second – time is of the essence in auctions!

Salvatore’s Sinking Ships Mini-Game: Near the town’s entrance, look for a game house with two stone pillars. Inside, the ever-dramatic Salvatore runs a Battleship-like mini-game (famous for his “Sploosh! Kaboom!” lines). For 10 Rupees a play, you get to fire cannons to find hidden squids on a grid. If you sink all the squids in the fewest tries, you win prizes. Beating it the first time nabs you a Piece of Heart (hooray!), and subsequent victories yield Treasure Charts (#7 and #23) or Rupees. It’s a game of luck and logic – plus you get to see Salvatore’s goofy hand-drawn ocean artwork. Give it a shot for some quick fun and loot.

Lenzo the Pictographer: Windfall is home to Lenzo, the master photographer, who lives in the red roofed Pictography Gallery by the harbor. If you visit him with your Picto Box, he’ll eventually offer a side quest: taking specific pictographs of island happenings. Completing his three photo challenges will upgrade your camera to the Deluxe Picto Box, which can take color photos (necessary for a later figurine quest). In the GameCube version, you needed to catch a Firefly from Forest Haven to get this upgrade, but in the HD version the quest is streamlined and you can get color pics by just finishing Lenzo’s tasks. This is an involved quest that spans across the game, so you can always come back later when you’re ready to play paparazzi.

Other Characters: Chat up the locals! There’s a pompadoured dude named Garrickson who stands atop the cliff at night (he’s obsessed with the moon phases), a couple in love by the stairs (their plot will evolve later if you help a poor girl), the ever-sad rich man in the mansion whose daughter was kidnapped by birds (you’ll meet her later), and more. You can also find a Chu Jelly Juice Shop where Doc Bandam brews potions from ChuChu jellies – if you have any Chu Jelly, he’ll make you potions for free. And don’t forget the Windmill/Lighthouse on Windfall. It’s not operational yet, but eventually you’ll be able to get it running (hint: you’ll need to change the wind and have a certain item from later in the game). Once it’s activated, it doubles as a lighthouse and can reveal a secret treasure.

After enjoying Windfall’s attractions and stocking up (break pots and look in shrubs for extra rupees if you need, the town is generous), you’re ready to continue your main quest. Head back to the King of Red Lions at the dock. Use your newly bought Sail by equipping it and hopping on the boat. Your next destination is Dragon Roost Island, which lies to the east of Windfall on your sea chart. If you talk to the fishman near Windfall (give him bait), he’ll mark your sea map and mention a “crazy dancing fool” on this island (yup, that was Tott!). When you’re all set, play the Song of Passing if it’s night (to get morning wind in your favor) and sail East through the shimmering blue sea toward the towering volcanic island with a plume of smoke – Dragon Roost, here we come!