I'm pretty much saying the same thing you are. Wind Waker's graphics turned me off to the game, and it's what caused me to get a PS2 instead of a GameCube. Then, when I learned more about it, Wind Waker ended up being what convinced me to get a GameCube. I don't think it's the best Zelda ever, but it certainly is great. And I actually disagree with the complaints that the sailing is monotonous. I suppose it gets tiring after a while, but I actually loved it. Traveling for several minutes at a time in between locations made the world feel really big for the first time. Rather than OoT's miniscule Hyrule Field, I actually felt like I was on a real journey. I haven't explored all of Twilight Princess yet, but it's starting to give me that feeling, too. It may not be nearly as big as Wind Waker's world, but it's able to give a similar feeling with actual land rather than just endless identical water.