Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons

Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons are a set of lecture-like lessons on the wall of Sturgeon's house in The Wind Waker. Though entirely optional to read, the One-Point Lessons act as the game's introductory tutorial on controlling and maneuvering Link. The lessons are all written within the context of the game. There are ten lessons in total, treating on subjects such as Maps, Saving, and Recovery Hearts/Life Gauge.

Lesson One: The Energy of Life
"To be young is to know no limits to one's stamina. To become stronger, one must first know oneself. The in the upper-left shows one's current life energy. Perhaps a fancier way to describe it would be to call it a life gauge. As one experiences trials and hardships in life, one will naturally gain more s. However, if one is injured and takes damage, those s will decrease. At such times it may be possible to replenish one's health by cutting grass and finding hearts."

- Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons - Lesson One

The first of Sturgeon's One-Point lessons teaches Link of the life gauge, a basic element in any game of the Legend of Zelda series. The lesson explains that as Link progresses on his adventures, he will gain more Heart Containers, which will expand his life gauge. This lesson deals also on the replenishing of health by gathering Recovery Hearts, and teaches Link that cutting grass is an effective way to obtain them.

Lesson Two: Do Not Underestimate the Sea
"It's easy to get swept up by a little success at swimming, but the sea can be fickle! Swimming for too long will drain one's energy, and eventually one will sink. Watch the round icon in the bottom-right while in the water. This is one's swim timer. One should be sure to get back to shore before one's swim timer runs out. If one doesn't, I can't be responsible for what happens next."

- Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons - Lesson Two

This second lesson introduces a new gameplay mechanic unique to The Wind Waker: the "swim timer". This lesson refers to the round icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen seen while Link is in the water. As Link uses up his energy, the swim timer will wind down until it runs out, at which point Link will drown.

Lesson Three: The Great Map of Life
"As one is often hasty and acts without thinking when young, it's easy to get lost on one's way. It is at confused times such as this that one must refer to his or her Area Map in the lower-left. The yellow arrow shows one's current location. Enlarge the map with, or hide the map with . The [arrow] in the top-right portion of the Area Map indicates wind direction. Always remember that the wind blows in the direction of the arrow. Always!"

- Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons - Lesson Three

The lesson "The Great Map of Life" deals on the Area Map, found in the bottom-left corner of the screen. This map, which first appeared in Ocarina of Time, is used to situate Link in a given area. The yellow arrow represents Link, the tip represents the direction Link is facing. The arrow in the upper-right portion of the map indicates the direction of the wind. The map can be enlarged or hidden.

One element the lesson fails to include is the stationary blue arrow, which marks the spot from which Link accessed the area.

Lesson Four: Material Goods
"The more things one tries to experience in life, the more experience-related belongings one tends to gather. And, of course, with those belongings comes a need to keep track of them and keep them in good order. One needs only to press START/PAUSE to see the items he or she has obtained. The Items screen contains items the player can set to and use with, , and . The Quest Status screen, for its part, contains vital items related to one's quest. It's possible to switch between these two screens by pressing or ."

- Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons - Lesson Four

Sturgeon's fourth One-Point Lesson refers to the "Start Menu", also a vital element in the Legend of Zelda series. The items that can be equipped to the X, Y, and Z buttons can be found on the first screen (the Item screen). The second screen (the Quest Status screen) indicate all the quest-related progress that has been made in the game. Items found on this screen include Link's sword and shield, the Goddess Pearls, the Triforce Shards, the Pirate's Charm, and more.

Lesson Five: How Not to Regret the Things One Fails to Do in Life
"There are many things one longs to do in the limited time one has in this world. The easiest way not to regret things one wanted, but failed, to do is to save. While one may feel invincible and wish to continue one's quest, one never knows when disaster or calamity may strike. If one's life energy is extinguished before one has had a chance to save, then one's life will have been lived in vain. It is a shame to regret the deeds one has failed to accomplish in life. Press START/PAUSE and choose Save on either the Items screen or the Quest Status screen."

- Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons - Lesson Five

The fifth of Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons speaks of Saving, the act of recording progress which would otherwise be lost. Saving is accomplished via the Start Menu, on either of the two screens.

Lesson Six: Improving Human Relations
"To improve one's relations with one's fellow beings, one must be outgoing and press to speak to all people one meets. When one opens one's heart to others, others will open their hearts in return and offer wisdom on many important things. If the person's advice is strange or cannot be understood, one should not feel shy. One should simply ask the person to repeat the statement by pressing  again. More often than not, if one asks politely, a person will say the same thing over and over again until the meaning is clear."

- Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons - Lesson Six

This lesson elaborates on interaction with other characters, a key element in the majority of the games of the Legend of Zelda series. The lesson specifies the fact that most people within the game will repeat themselves if spoken to multiple times, assuring that Link understands the statement.

Lesson Seven: Knowing One's Own Abilities
"To improve one's life, it is wise to watch and  calmly whenever one comes across a person or an object. By doing so,  and  will pass along wisdom regarding how one can best interact with that person or object. To know one's own abilities is to know one's limits."

- Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons - Lesson Seven

The seventh lesson refers to the action buttons ( and ) that allow Link to interact with his environment. The actions these buttons can accomplish vary depending on the environment. The available actions are displayed on-screen. Common actions include "Speak" (when someone is nearby), "Crouch" (while immobile), "Sidle" (when up against a wall), "Lift" (when standing next to a object capable of being lifted), "Throw" and "Drop" (while carrying an item).

Lesson Eight: Changing Perspective Leads to Success
"The young often assume that they can see all that is before them, but oftentimes they are missing out on a grander view. By using to change perspective, one can often find oneself gazing upon sights and discoveries one never expected to see. Once one has seen all there is to see around oneself and determined an appropriate course of action, it is wise then to press  and take action. To get things at eye level, one should stop in one's tracks, press, and tilt  [upwards]."

- Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons - Lesson Eight

The eighth of Sturgeon's One-Point lessons serves to enlighten on the field of view. With the use of the use of the C-Stick, it is possible to change perspective. Pressing the "L-Button" returns the camera angle to the original perspective (i.e. behind Link slightly above him). Following up with an upward tilt of the C-Stick changes the view to a first-person perspective (seeing from Link's eyes).

Lesson Nine: A Fool and His Rupees Are Soon Parted
"It is commonly known that he who makes poor use of Rupees will have a hard life. In order to fully enjoy a long life, it is wise to gather Rupees early and often."

- Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons - Lesson Nine

This penultimate lesson advises Link to gather Rupees, the game's currency (as well as that of most games in Legend of Zelda series) early and often, suggesting that they will be needed at a later time.

The title of this lesson is undoubtedly a play on the well-known proverb: "A fool and his money are soon parted."

Lesson Ten: Becoming the Champion of Life
"Learn all there is to learn in lessons one through nine... And no matter what happens... Do not give up, do not complain, and do NOT stay up all night playing!"

- Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons - Lesson Ten

The final lesson of Sturgeon's One-Point Lessons has no message of its own, instead advising Link to heed the messages of the nine previous lessons, as well as to "not give up, not complain, and NOT stay up all night playing!"