10 Ways The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker Is Secretly A Masterpiece
9. Art Style
It's no secret that Nintendo's decision to implement a cell-shaded art style to the series was a bold move, and was met with a healthy dose of criticism. The Wind Waker's commercial reception was considerably less that previous instalments into the franchise, with 2006's Twilight Princess returning to a more realistic design as a result.
Perhaps a way to disassociate itself from the psychologically unnerving tone of Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker's art style mirrored Link's joyful jaunt across the high seas.
Though divisive upon release, there's no denying that the change to more 'cartoonish' visuals stands the test of time far greater than its 3D predecessors. Dusting off an N64 to return to Ocarina of Time's Hyrule field is not easy on the eyes by today's standards, with the 3DS remaster quickly becoming the only way to experience its tale.
The Wind Waker's visuals needed no such treatment. Though a HD port was released for the dying WiiU in 2013, the changes were minimal. Bolstering the visuals to a native 1080p was an easy decision and unlike the 3DS pair of remasters, no edges needed refining and no dungeons altered.
2003 or 2013, The Wind Waker has aged beautifully.