The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker was initially met with a mixed response from fans upon its reveal due to the cel-shaded art style, and series creator Shigeru Miyamoto wasn’t too keen on it either.
In a video published yesterday (June 25) by DidYouKnowGaming, which features exclusive information on cut content from Wind Waker, it was stated that Miyamoto “literally cringed” upon first seeing the art style for the critically acclaimed GameCube title.
The story was also kept from Miyamoto for “quite a long time”, with the game’s director Eiji Aonuma describing it as “an adventure across the sea where the main character just happens to be Link.”
Miyamoto was reportedly insistent on a “realistic” Zelda title, but eventually gave in, as “with the team they had, it would’ve taken ten years to make a realistic Zelda,” whilst a game with the now-iconic cel-shaded cartoon art style would’ve taken a fraction of the time.
In 2013, it was initially reported that the team had kept the art style a secret from Miyamoto, with him being shown what a game with an art style more akin to likes of Ocarina Of Time and Majora’s Mask would look like on the (then) newer hardware. Fans also got a glimpse of a seemingly similar concept with the Space World tech demo revealed in 2000, which showcased a clash between Link and Ganondorf, as the two donned their iconic Ocarina Of Time designs.
It reportedly wasn’t until the team had footage of a fight between Link and a Moblin enemy that they felt comfortable enough to show Miyamoto the project, with the team being extremely passionate about Wind Waker’s art style from the start.
The next entry in the long-running and iconic fantasy franchise, the sequel to 2017’s The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of the Wild, is slated to release in spring 2023 following its delay from its planned 2022 release.
In other news, Pokémon Go has a new anti-cheat system.
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