The Wind Waker HD Glitch: How to Break Makar Out of His Cell Early!
2Though I'm not sure if "glitch" is the right term for this. It's more an exploit of one of the game's features. It allows you to get Makar out of his cage in the Wind Temple, without needing the Hookshot.
If you notice issues like horrible resolution and buffering during playback, please don't fret over your network settings. Regrettably, the video's quality is naturally that poor. I'm sorry for that and the lack of sound, but I'm still trying to learn the ins and outs of using my recording hardware and software.
To explain the trick in detail, the HD version of the game allows Link's dungeon companions to follow him through doors if you use the "Call" prompt on them beforehand, by pressing ZR. Apparently, Makar’s cage isn’t coded as an obstacle to stop him from trying to follow you, so the game will think he is and spawn him at the next door you go through.
As the video shows, it took me two tries for the trick to work, and I don't know if it's a matter of how fast you reach the door after calling Makar or the exact path you take to the door.
This trick can be used to make parts of the Wind Temple more expedient; rather than needing to backtrack to get the big key after freeing Makar, you can take him with you and get it on your first trek through that part of the dungeon. You can also activate the fan in the center room earlier than intended, saving you from having to grapple back up from the bottom with the Hookshot.
Lastly, to clarify one other thing, Makar will act as though he's still in the cage if you go near it before destroying the statue. This had me thinking you could softlock the game if you went near the cage without Makar there for the camera to shift to, but it turns out nothing will happen if Makar isn't in the room. I tested it to verify.