‘Zelda: Wind Waker’ Art Style Makes Nintendo Think Twice

Zelda: The Wind Waker raised controversy with its art style, and has made Nintendo think twice about its innovative approach for the next original game. You could say that the recent Wind Waker HD release was a sort of test to see if the art style would still turn gamers off like it did on the GameCube.

It was probably a bad idea to try that on the already failing Wii U.

The generally lukewarm response remained. Critics said it was a great port, as previously reported by The Inquisitr, but in the end it’s always the gamer who decides whether a video game succeeds or not. Gamers just don’t like the decidedly cartoonish look of Nintendo’s recently updated Zelda title.

These days there is more and more emphasis on high definition graphics, because with the next generation consoles so close we can taste them, there is less and less excuse in the consumer’s mind for below-par visuals. Many gamers are holding out on the latest titles because they want to see how much better Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Call of Duty: Ghosts will look on the latest consoles.

Zelda: Wind Waker graphics just won’t cut it any more, and Nintendo still wants to do something innovative for their next original Zelda title. Currently nicknamed Zelda Wii U, Nintendo is reconsidering the art style so it will be more well-received with fans of the franchise.

Nintendo is planning to unveil the next original Zelda game at E3 2014, but only if they can agree on an art style that won’t turn gamers off like Wind Waker did. The cartoony art style may be all well and good for Pokemon X and Y, but the demographic is different for pocket monsters than it is for epic and often dark fantasy adventures.

Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has said on the matter, “We encountered an awful lot of problems from the drastic leap we took with [Zelda] Wind Waker … I think we will be a bit more careful … If we find a new approach that not just the developers, but also the users would enjoy then I think we will want to break new ground again … But we haven’t found such an approach yet.”

Even though The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD was an overall critical success, the lukewarm reception among gamers has reminded Nintendo that the art style is not something they want to use again for the upcoming Zelda Wii U.