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So why did Nintendo abandon the vibrant artstyle in Zelda Wind Waker?

SantaC

SantaC

Member
Artstyle in Zelda has been crap after gamecubes Wind Waker (yes they messed up the wii u version)

-TP was brown with muted colors
-Skyward sword looked generally ugly with vaseline and bloom everywhere.
-BotW looks ok, but still not as clean as the artstyle in Wind waker.


zeldawindwaker_review.jpg


maxresdefault.jpg


CtR9rnH_d.webp


crfDT8u_d.webp


My eyes really love these graphics. Colorful but clean.

Give me Wind Waker 2 please. (And no i dont count Zelda PH)
 
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L

lostinblue

Banned
SantaC said:
Artstyle in Zelda has been crap after gamecubes Wind Waker (yes they messed up the wii u version)
Click to expand...
I agree.

I actually liked the Wii U style (I wouldn't mind a WW2 using that art style), but it just wasn't the same tech at hand, and felt sad that the HD version just obliterated the original cel shaded vision for the game instead of updating it. It looks less like a cartoon and more like claymation with all the SSAO.

The original still looks great. (and I have to say, some degree of this happened with Ocarina of Time and Majora Mask, the more colourful palettes and more cartoony SD renditions of 3D models are not an improvement)


Wind Waker also marks the last Zelda where Koizumi had some involvement. Him and Aonuma don't get along, but that certainly brought some healthy competition to the end product. Also, the games plot is just not the same without someone trying to sneak in some of it, I really do think that also plays a factor on the artists rendition of the world.
 
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Hugare

Hugare

Member
Its not markatble enough

The BotW artstyle is much better to tell stories. Characters are more human-like, so they can tell a more mature story, with better performances.

But yeah, Wind Waker is my favorite Zelda, so I would love more of it. But I understand why Nintendo is lefting it on the past.
 
hybrid_birth

hybrid_birth

Member
SantaC said:
Artstyle in Zelda has been crap after gamecubes Wind Waker (yes they messed up the wii u version)

-TP was brown with muted colors
-Skyward sword looked generally ugly with vaseline and bloom everywhere.
-BotW looks ok, but still not as clean as the artstyle in Wind waker.


zeldawindwaker_review.jpg


maxresdefault.jpg


CtR9rnH_d.webp


crfDT8u_d.webp


My eyes really love these graphics. Colorful but clean.

Give me Wind Waker 2 please. (And no i dont count Zelda PH)
Click to expand...
Nintendo has been on your naughty list for years huh Santa.

What cute elf do I have to hump to get Santa a damn wind waker 2.
 
RoadHazard

RoadHazard

Gold Member
It was considered "kiddy".

Nintendo actually considered going with the WW style for BotW, but they found they needed a more realistic and detailed style (while still keeping the animated look) for it to really work with the kind of game they wanted to make. Was a great move IMO. I think BotW has the perfect art style for Zelda (it just needs more powerful hardware to really shine), it's a great combination of the animated style of WW with the more realistic character proportions of TP/SS (two games I can barely stand to look at today).
 
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Urban

Urban

Member
I dont know if you were into gaming back than but the backlash that Nintendo got for that look was insane! It was the first gaming meltdown i personally witnessed.
Nintendo showed a Techdemo on Space World and after that Windwaker came out and at that time this cartoon look wasnt really in or etablished like now.







Thats why all the people went nuts once the "realistic" Zelda was announced. Btw one of the best E3 moments.




P.s. I love Windwaker and would pay a lot of money for a 4k/1440p version from Nintendo and to me Windwaker is the only Zelda game who aged that well. The Artstyle is timeless.
 
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SantaC

SantaC

Member
Iced Arcade said:
Yeah Nintendo got insane backlash for windwaker when it launched. People hated it.

I enjoyed windwaker and wouldn't mind seeing another but not as a mainline game.
Click to expand...
Yeah but it wouldnt be any backlash today. It is not like Link looks like a champ in BotW2.
 
Impotaku

Impotaku

Member
Like others have already said it's all down to fanboy shit, idiot gamers equate anything colourful as kiddy which ironically is something only a childish person would do as anyone that actually has pubes doesn't care about been seen as childish in someone elses eyes. Once you get old enough you no longer give a shit.

Funnily enough all the zelda games i have enjoyed have been the cartoony looking ones, wind waker, 4 swords adventure +, links awakening & link to the past and also link between worlds. I just think zelda looks better in colourful cartoony enviroments, always wondered if nintendo had the technology they do now but back at the time when they made the very first zelda game would it be realistic looking or cartoony? i mean their hand was kind of forced with the tech at the time hence the cartoony choice but if they had the abiity would it have been realistic was that always the intended look?
 
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KellyM

KellyM

Member
At the time people complained about the art style and said it was too cartoonish and kiddy. People bitched and complained online. So Nintendo decided to give them the adult Link that they wanted. People kept saying they wanted the adult link from a Gamecube demo of Zelda That Nintendo showed at E3, At the time many compered The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker to Mario Sunshine in quality. Saying it wasn't as good as OoT. This hated caused them to change it. It only later people started to appreciate the Art style.
 
Holammer

Holammer

Member
The art (and setting) was in a part a result of working around hardware limitations.
Just like BotW's art direction. Especially BotW, they could have done Horizon Zero Dawn graphics if they wanted, but with two WiiU's taped together that's the best they could do.
 
Amin_Parker

Amin_Parker

Member
SantaC said:
Artstyle in Zelda has been crap after gamecubes Wind Waker (yes they messed up the wii u version)

-TP was brown with muted colors
-Skyward sword looked generally ugly with vaseline and bloom everywhere.
-BotW looks ok, but still not as clean as the artstyle in Wind waker.


zeldawindwaker_review.jpg


maxresdefault.jpg


CtR9rnH_d.webp


crfDT8u_d.webp


My eyes really love these graphics. Colorful but clean.

Give me Wind Waker 2 please. (And no i dont count Zelda PH)
Click to expand...

It's all subjective to me. Actually I feel like Wind Waker is the worst looking game among all the titles you mentioned . It was a lot of fun to play and I definitely completed the game, it's a cute little title but graphically it is not going to get hardcore Gamers on board . It will not expand the console user base . If Nintendo ever launched a console with a game that has that particular art style in the Zelda series it will not old well for the system long-term because it looks way too childish and I'm basing that off of the look of the characters. They have that chibi look. Nonetheless out of the other three games you mentioned concerning the Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild, I feel like Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild look kind of similar with Breath of the Wild looking much better. This is the appropriate art style for The Legend of Zelda series in my opinion. Twilight Princess looks a little bit too realistic but I don't think that's the ideal look for the series. I think it does better when it looks cell shaded but with a normal human proportions for the characters unlike Wind Waker.
 
DGrayson

DGrayson

Mod Team and Bat Team
Staff Member
Wind waker is one of my most favorite games of all time but I'm not sure it's art style would work for a sequel. It's so unique it's sort of stand alone like that. Perhaps another cell shaded game but not the same art style
 
Zannegan

Zannegan

Member
Can you really say they prematurely abandoned the artstyle when they kept it around for 3+ games? Anyway, I like the look for Wind Waker (and its sequels)--and Twilight Princess is muddy, muted, and ugly by comparison--but I wouldn't want the super-deformed bighead style for all Zeldas moving forward.
 
TheInfamousKira

TheInfamousKira

Reseterror Resettler
That's why every Zelda release cycle should be two games, one is the true vision of the creators, and one is a shitty cash grab release. It will trick the fanbase into hating the newest one like always, and enjoying the previous one, like always.
 
Abriael_GN

Abriael_GN

RSI Employee of the Year
Perhaps they simply decided it was not suitable for the tone of the following games?

usually, the simpler answers are the correct ones.

PS: thank goodness they abandoned it. They certainly have enough ultra-colorful ultra-cartoony games.
 
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JimboJones

JimboJones

Member
I'm glad they continued to experiment, keeps things interesting. We've had so many visual design changes since then.
 
Birdo

Birdo

Banned
Toon Link was in three seperate Zelda games (WW, PH, ST), wich is more than any other single Link style.

I wouldn't mind him coming back though.
 
Dream-Knife

Dream-Knife

Banned
Because back then the graphics were heavily trashed in comparison to the realistic graphics shown off at the original GC reveal at Spaceworld 2000.

No idea why they continued it with the DS games. Maybe because of technical limitations. Nintendo did go "kiddie" during that period too.
 
K

kevm3

Member
Windwaker was a great game and the art style was charming, but it's obvious why people went ballistic. Nintendo showed this awesome tech demo that looked like Zelda 64 on steroids and then gamers essentially got "Zelda babiez" in comparison. We were at a time when more realistic graphics that pushed the edge of tech was the in thing. We're a long ways from that time period and the more retro, cartoony look is a lot more acceptable.
 
Impotaku

Impotaku

Member
except saying windwaker had bad graphics is actually bull, when that game was released it was amazing i remember buying it on import and been blown away it was like stepping inside a living cartoon. The fact that it's graphics hold up so well even now is testiment to how good it was, look at ocarina of time if people want to target games that have aged badly.
 
Saber

Saber

Gold Member
As a fan of cell shade, never was fan of this game. I even like the style of Minish Cap(one of my favorite gba games), but this game feel lamish to me in comparison. Nothing remarkable attracs me, I would rather play Twilight Princess.

I may not like this game at all, but certainly understand its appeal. Its just weird people saying anyone who dislikes it is a hater, let alone saying the reason for the lack of sequel was outrage lol
 
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Vagswarm

Vagswarm

Member
I don't think Nintendo ever really stuck with any particular style for Zelda. They are all within the realm of being artistic and cartoony, but never exactly alike. I am sure the backlash had something to do with it though... most people want an adult link with less of a cartoony look.
 
SinDelta

SinDelta

Member
Birdo said:
Toon Link was in three seperate Zelda games (WW, PH, ST), wich is more than any other single Link style.

I wouldn't mind him coming back though.
Click to expand...
Four using his art style (though a different Link) if you count Minish Cap.
iu
 
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Sidesalad

Sidesalad

Member
RoadHazard said:
It was considered "kiddy".

Nintendo actually considered going with the WW style for BotW, but they found they needed a more realistic and detailed style (while still keeping the animated look) for it to really work with the kind of game they wanted to make. Was a great move IMO. I think BotW has the perfect art style for Zelda (it just needs more powerful hardware to really shine), it's a great combination of the animated style of WW with the more realistic character proportions of TP/SS (two games I can barely stand to look at today).
Click to expand...

Glad to see Nintendo shook that 'kiddy' image.

But seriously, botw does have a great art style. It's the only Nintendo game I even bother with these days.
 
Astral Dog

Astral Dog

Member
They didn't... 🤷‍♂️
They keep using the exact same style for portable Zelda games, and used cartoony cel shaded on Skyward Sword, Wind Waker HD and Breath of the Wild.

If they changed its simply to vary the Zelda visuals, Wind Waker art was very controversial even after release, but its a very popular style just doesn't fit ALL Zelda games.

Also, Nintendo themselves considers the artsyle of Breath of the Wild an evolution of Wind Waker, they even said they were inspired by WW HD when making BotW, honestly it doesn't matter that YOU don't like it, its still the same style in their eyes but more complex
 
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Meesh

Meesh

Member
I mean, here's the thing. The Wind Waker was the perfect... er.... storm at the time. We had that mouth watering tech demo with realistic Link and Ganon doing battle and then Nintendo gives us toon Link. It was such a brilliant contrast I still remember the internet having an aneurysm lol.

Cel Shaded Link as we knew it in Wind Waker was a one and done deal, sure they expanded on the look with spiritual visual stylings in other Zeldas. But as far as playing Link in a sautday morning cartoon? It's just Wind Waker, and I love it.

Personally I'm beyond glad they left WW cel shaded style behind but it's not because I don't love that style or don't fully appreciate how expressive all the characters seemed, how vivid and dream like the world was. It's because that particular look and style is unique only to WW, and a reason I love that game even more. It's a reason to go back every year for me to play.

I dont want another WW style Zelda, but I'll take a Switch remaster any day.... so long as there aren't any stupid QoL features hidden behind and 40$ Amiibo shenanigans.
 
clem84

clem84

Gold Member
BotW has an evolved cel-shaded look. You could argue it doesn't have as clean a look as WW, but things can't always stay as simplistic, they have to evolve. BotW's look is still very artistic IMO.

qLX9LY6.jpg
 
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CrustyBritches

CrustyBritches

Gold Member
I love Wind Waker it's my favorite Zelda. It had pretty amazing visuals for it's time contrary to what people might think. I picked it up in '03(?) on a $149 bundle deal where you got to pick from 1 of 3 games. A GC for $99 at the time was such a steal.
 
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Keihart

Keihart

Member
Most new entries on the Zelda games try to reinvent themselves so i see the change on aesthetics as a plus.
I also really like how BoTW looks, the flat textures in favour of having more stuff moving at any moment was a really good descision.
 
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