Beloved 3D Zelda Game Can Now Be Played Free In Your Web Browser

The Legend of Zelda fans can now play the best game in the series, The Wind Waker, for free in their web browser.

Fans of The Legend of Zelda have been repeatedly burned by Nintendo’s refusal to release an updated port of The Wind Waker HD for Nintendo Switch, but this here might be the next best thing.

Available on PC and mobile, the unofficial ‘The Wind Waker Threejs’ by developer Robin Payot is available to play for free in any web browser.

This fan-made version of the game adapts the best part of the beloved Nintendo classic by letting you control Link’s boat as he sails across the Great Sea.

Players can collect sunken treasure in the main game mode, titled ‘Explore the Ocean’, racking up a high score based on how much you manage to collect, while also avoiding hitting the barrels.

You can also sail past many of the different islands seen in the original release of The Wind Waker (though you sadly can’t explore on foot), and can even change Link’s appearance.

There’s actually quite a lot to see and explore here, and while it’s not necessarily a full port of The Wind Waker, it’s interesting enough to warrant a short playthrough. It’s cool to see the fan game using what appears to be the original graphics too.

There’s even a photo mode which you can use to take screenshots of the various sights you happen across, which you can then save to your computer and upload elsewhere. However, it doesn't appear to be working properly at the moment.

Meanwhile, a separate mode called Rupee’s Game is a Subway Surfers-style arcade minigame where you travel along a single route on the ocean, collecting rupees while avoiding hitting barrels.

Again, this is a small bonus game mode to kill some time during a lunch break or while waiting for dinner to cook, rather than a full port of the GameCube classic.

You can play The Wind Waker Threejs in your browser on either PC or mobile by going to this link.

Originally released in 2002, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker remains one of the most popular games in the series thanks to its unique art style, fun sailing gimmick, and the fact that it launched on one of Nintendo’s most popular consoles.

It was later remastered as The Wind Waker HD for Wii U—which also brought about some much needed quality of life updates—and fans have hoped for a Nintendo Switch port ever since then.

Sadly, it doesn’t appear like that version of the game is going to be available any time soon, but fans can play the original GameCube version via a Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription.