Categories: News

Lord of the Rings helped kill Nintendo’s plans for Wind Waker 2

You may not realize it, but Nintendo was actually making plans for a follow-up to their initially maligned The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Despite early gripes about a cel-shaded art style, Wind Waker went on to be a very successful Zelda game in its own right. However, there was no escaping the giant that was live-action Fantasy movies at the time, and the doubts over the cartoony art style would not survive a second time on Nintendo's home console.

On February 21st, 2017, Nintendo is releasing a book called The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts, and in it is the story behind the demise of The Wind Waker 2. There were many reasons for why The Wind Waker 2 never saw the light of day, but on the plus side, it was shelved so that the company could go into production on Twilight Princess. It's hard to argue that being the wrong call, don't you think?

Here's an excerpt from the book translated by Nintendo Everything:

Realistic Link came back four years after Wind Waker in Twilight Princess, which was released on GameCube and Wii. The pendulum returned again to the realistic direction, but what kind of circumstances resulted in it?
Takizawa: To tell you the truth, we had begun the initial steps towards creating Wind Waker 2 around that time. However, demand for a more Ocarina-like game was growing by the day. We did our very best with Wind Waker, and put everything we had into it…
Takizawa: However, Wind Waker 2 would have taken place in a more land-based setting, rather than on the sea, so that we could have Link gallop across the land on a horse. But Link’s proportions in Wind Waker weren’t very well suited for riding on horseback, he was too short, and an adult version of Toon Link did not seem appropriate either. So, while we were stuck on those problems, we became aware of the greater demand for a more realistic, taller Link. High-budget live-action fantasy movies were also huge at the time, so with all things considered, we decided to have at it. I was on board with the project as art director, and started off by bringing [Yusuke] Nakano on to do the design for Link.
The "high-budget live-action fantasy movies" that Takizawa is referring to is a nod to the original Lord of the Rings trilogy which began releasing in theaters in 2001 and continued into 2003. Wind Waker came out smack dab in the middle of the Lord of the Rings release schedule, coming in December of 2002, the same month as The Two Towers.
Nintendo eventually returned to Toon Link's world on the DS through Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, though neither of those really held a candle to either Wind Waker or Twilight Princess. Regardless, we can't wait to see what Nintendo has in store for the series going forward with Breath of the Wild.
Daniel R. Miller

I'll play anything at least once. But RPG's, Co-Op/Competitive Multiplayer, Action Adventure games, and Sports Franchise Modes keep me coming back. Follow me on Twitter @TheDanWhoWrites

Share
Published by
Daniel R. Miller

Recent Posts

Review: Hitman 3 is the peak of the trilogy

To kick off 2021, we have a glorious return to one of the best franchises…

4 years ago

Hogwarts Legacy has been delayed to 2022

Last summer, we got our first official look at Hogwarts Legacy. The RPG set in…

4 years ago

EA to continue making Star Wars games after deal expires

Today, it was revealed that Ubisoft would be helming a brand-new Star Wars game. The…

4 years ago

PS5 Exclusive Returnal talks combat, Glorious Sci-Fi frenzy ensues

Housemarque shared lots of new details about their upcoming PS5 game Returnal. Today, we learn…

4 years ago

Lucasfilm Games confirms Open-World Star Wars handled by Ubisoft

Huge news concerning the future of Star Wars games just broke out. Newly revived Lucasfilm…

4 years ago

GTA 5 actors recreate iconic scene in real life

GTA 5 is probably the biggest game of all-time. It has sold over 135 million…

4 years ago