One of the more controversial games Nintendo has ever released was The Wind Waker on the Gamecube. The cartoony graphics were a dramatic change from those featured in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, but the game still managed to find critical and commercial success as an incredibly fun title with top-notch combat controls.
It's likely for these reasons that the Big N chose to remake The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD for its struggling Wii U console, in an attempt to tide over fans awaiting a new Hyrulian adventure.
Nintendo's product manager, Roger Langford, believes the HD version of the classic game will generate enough interest in consumers to drive Wii U sales. The company is basing this belief off of the tremendous success it experienced when it released The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D on the 3DS back in 2011; something that helped turn the tides for the then troubled portable device.
“It is the perfect time for Zelda fans to discover Wii U. For many Zelda fans, this is the first time that they’ll discover Wind Waker and we’re treating the game as a triple-A new release. Ocarina of Time 3D performed positively on Nintendo 3DS and we’re looking to replicate this success with The Wind Waker HD.”
There's no denying the power that The Legend of Zelda as a brand has amongst gamers, and diehard fans aren't likely to let an HD iteration of the classic pass them by. The strategy Nintendo has taken to allow Wii U owners to download the game weeks ahead of its brick-and-mortar release could prove fruitful for the firm and its attempt to offer its current fan base digital incentives. The special edition Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Wii U bundle should also help motivate fans/collectors too, but whether or not it can live up to the sales of Ocarina of Time 3D remains to be seen.
Do you think The Wind Waker HD will help move consoles, Ranters? Would you have preferred Nintendo released an HD version of another classic Zelda game on Wii U instead?
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The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is available now on the Wii U eShop, and across retailers this October 4th.
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Source: MCV