Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker deserves an apology

After months of waiting for the new Legend of Zelda game to arrive, it's finally here. As the hype for the new game gathers momentum as more people discover its irresistible charms, I can’t help but feel we owe an apology to previous Zelda games; specifically, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

For many, this is easily one of their favourite adventures of the franchise. Our love for it is so intense we regularly clown ourselves into thinking today might be the day a remaster announcement is made. However, it didn’t start out that way. In fact, when Wind Waker first launched, fans were turned off by its aesthetic. They’d become accustomed to that early 00s quest for realism, fuelled by the need to prove that video games weren’t just for kids.

Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask both created this expectation of what a Legend of Zelda game should look and feel like. Granted, the Game Boy outings of the hero in green were more cartoonish, but given how limited the capabilities of the hardware was, it’s unsurprising those titles remained quite basic and childlike.

As we discuss the past we look to the present with The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

If we momentarily remove those Game Boy releases from the equation, Wind Waker was the next game to launch after Majora’s Mask. Visually, they’re markedly different. Muddy colours were part and parcel of Majora's Mask's story, to help create that atmosphere of impending doom. In contrast, Wind Waker was joyful, even when Link roamed creepy corridors filled with enemies. It was too much change for the fans. Fans who’d become accustomed to the “realistic” imagery the Nintendo 64 and GameCube first aimed for.

Now, however, we welcome its whimsy. In an industry where every game is striving to be as photorealistic as possible, Wind Waker is a charming escape. It also plays a large part in why titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom choose to rely on the allure of bright colours, simpler graphics, and a fantastical innocence. It’s not only attractive to look at, it also feels unique. Even Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, two titles that explore the darkest parts of this universe far more deeply than previous adventures, stray far from photorealism. Instead, both deliver an artistic rendition akin to stepping inside a painting.

The last time we truly had a gritty looking Zelda game was when Twilight Princess came out. The creative process took a turn yet again, and with it, “gothic” Zelda was born. Much like Wind Waker before it, it faced backlash because it didn’t fit the idea the fandom held in its mind. Not only did it reportedly “lack charm”, but critics claimed that its character designs were “ugly”. Not everyone deemed this a bad thing, however, I feel it unfair to describe anything about that game as ugly. It’s foreboding, it carries an undercurrent of unease, but it’s never unattractive.

You don’t need to agree with me to notice a pattern forming here. Sadly, it’s one that shows no signs of changing. Even though plenty of fans have been waiting years to play as Zelda, Echoes of Wisdom isn’t safe from judgement. The bell tolls for every Zelda experience it seems. This so-called "empty” looking game is the “death” of “traditional” Zelda, whatever that even is anymore. There will always be classic Zelda vibes, however, what’s deemed traditional has been steadily changing over the years ever since the game launched. To not innovate would be to stagnate. Still, scathing words are aimed at Nintendo’s latest creation.

Yet, as you’ll note if you take the time to revisit each instalment of the franchise, both before and after Wind Waker’s launch, cutesy graphics have been cemented as part of the aesthetic. The Legend of Zelda isn’t one or the other, it’s both. It’s hard hitting when it needs to be regardless of whether Link is a dinky cartoon version of himself, or whether he’s a statuesque knight fighting at Zelda’s side.

These characters, much like the series itself, are multifaceted. It’s what keeps its lore so interesting despite the series being decades old, and it’s part of the reason why we owe Wind Waker that apology. Breaking the mould is what it was initially known for, and now, over 20 years later, that’s part of the legacy that’s helping define the game in today’s climate.