The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker – 15th Anniversary
Major Game Anniversaries in March 2018 to Make You Feel Old
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is still one of the most lauded games in the franchise’s history. Released on March 23, 2003, the game was met with universal critical acclaim for its visuals, expressiveness, and careful attention to detail. Though the new art style divided fan opinion, Wind Waker pushed the GameCube’s hardware limitations to the limit, similarly to how Kirby’s Adventure tested the NES’ power 10 years prior.
Though the game generated the most successful pre-order campaign in Nintendo’s history at the time, sales did not meet expectations. As a result, director Eiji Aonuma decided to change the series’ direction for the next installment, opting for a more realistic look in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. This being said, The Wind Waker’s art style was used again in smaller, handheld installments like Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks.
