Miyamoto Hated Wind Waker's Graphics (Exclusive)

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In this video, Did You Know Gaming takes a look at many pieces of cut content and unused ideas from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for the Nintendo GameCube that impacted the game's mechanics, story, and presentation.
Special Thanks to Eurasia_M for the Tetra's Trackers footage, PushDustin for magazine scans, Jacob Newcomb for translations, WayneIsBoss for providing supplemental footage, and Daniel Romberger for making a theremin Wind Waker remix for us. Here's a link to his full theremin cover: • Zelda, The Wind Waker:...
Research/Writing by Dr lava
Video Editing by TheCartoonGamer
Voice Over by Remix
Sources/Further Reading:
Nintendo Dream magazine, issues 82, 83, 84, 112, & 165
The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia
The Legend of Zelda: Arts & Artifacts
www.4gamer.net/games/201/G020...
www.1101.com/nintendo/zelda/0...
archive.videogamesdaily.com/fe...
www.usgamer.net/articles/zeld...

#Zelda #WindWaker #Buyee #Nintendo

[@DidYouKnowGamin]

This video has tons of new content, and took hundreds of hours to make. If you like what you see, we'd appeciate a like or a retweet. Cheers 👍

[@xXdarkdekuXx]

I am so excited, I am going to get really high first and grab a snack.

[@christopherjohnston1471]

"Chasm" isn't pronounced like "Chad."

[@Mankey619]

The one I liked is the concept of using a theremin to control the weather. Also I didn’t know that Japanese girls had a huge boy crush on teen Link back then.

[@2small4theMall]

@@christopherjohnston1471 yup, it has sm at the end

[@albertoromero5075]

is this the stanley parable channel?

[@Volair]

Miyamoto was actually the "young girls" that sent in all those letters for realistic Link.

[@Polychi1998]

Hey, a man is gotta keep his hyper realistic Link in tact.

[@elishaanderson9121]

ain't no girls rlly playin Zelda jus dudes 20 n up who ain't done bein kids yet🤣🤣🤣

[@raptorskilltor4554]

@@elishaanderson9121 well not to burst your bubble ,but….

[@steakwilliams4448]

​@elishaanderson9121 my sister n I played zelda since OoT. She was like 10 and I was 8.

[@elishaanderson9121]

@@steakwilliams4448 shut up

[@JoshBusker]

I love the mental image of Miyamoto making alt accounts to talk shit on Wind Waker's art style back when that was the big gaming controversy.

[@pkmntrainermark8881]

Whoa, I've never seen you in a comment section before.

[@AzureRoxe]

That would explain the odd hate the style had.

[@romulasex1717]

@@AzureRoxe it's not odd, it doesn't look like Zelda, that's why the hate

[@JoelJoel321]

@@romulasex1717 When it was made it represented 33% of all 3D Zelda games. So that's a big call...

[@toyinbode4368]

@@JoelJoel321 That's like saying there's nothing wrong with making Pikmin 2 a racing game starring Warhammer characters would be fine because at the time it represented 50% of Pikmin video games

[@BlarKedi3]

Now I know why Miyamoto looked so happy while presenting Twilight Princess.

[@GalaxyStandard77]

tbh that is what everyone expected since Majora's Mask.

[@ColoradoStreaming]

@@GalaxyStandard77 I remember being so pissed off when WW came out and it looked like a cartoon.

[@HealerType0079]

Ended up being the 3D Zelda that aged the best though. Ironic.

[@ferretappreciator]

@@ColoradoStreaming at least it didn't look like shit

[@otakulord9121]

Twilight is Miyamotos most hated Zelda actually he wishes they never made it

[@calvinboucher5741]

This game REALLY could’ve benefited from an extra year or two of development. There are so many fascinating concepts and it’s a shame that we didn’t get to see them fully developed.

[@robraze]

Definitely, after seeing the Wind Waker cut content/early art in Hyrule Historia, I would’ve loved to see them adapted in Wind Waker :( Seeing how Hyrule underwater was suppose to be more explorable since the Earth/Wind Temples would’ve been accessed there except up above the Great Sea, having the Fire Mountain & Ice Ring Isles as full Dungeons rather than short ones, Water Boots would’ve been a item in a Great Fish Isle Dungeon, the Tingle/Zora sail, etc so many content omitted

[@ADreamingTraveler]

So many gamecube games got rushed due to poor sales. Super Mario Sunshine was the buggiest 3d Mario game ever because of how short and forced its development time and release were. They were desperate to release whatever they could to help ease dwindling sales

[@beegyoshi8401]

Couldve been a ten

[@Afreshio]

Same. Although I think SS needed those years more than WW. WW is a decent game, with one of the best stories of the franchise. And the artstyle is so original. But SS overworld is not redeemeable imo. The sky is empty. its just empty.

[@RealJeffTidwell]

If there was ever a Zelda game that could use an expansive remake, it’s Wind Waker. If TLOU can get one, I don’t see why Nintendo couldn’t go back and renovate/rework this game instead of just releasing another HD port. They wouldn’t even have to adjust the graphics that much, just add content. That’s the only way I’d buy the game again, after beating it only once in 2003.

[@jaggidfire]

I'm from Maryland, and they did actually teach us that sailing trick in elementary school. We all went home and tried it in the Wind Waker and were ecstatic that it actually worked.

[@JDG707]

@@Concon12316 Aw yes, the Legend of Zelda: the wind WIND 🧐

[@bobosmith101]

live in maryland and never heard of it, huh

[@jaggidfire]

@@bobosmith101 it was a private school I think

[@braydengraves4655]

I tried it as well, though only in the HD version. I never had the original, and even if I did, I learned that trick way later, from a Ranger's Apprentice novel of all things.

[@MemeScreen]

I learned this in High School as well. California.

[@sehtuk3953]

"What if my purpose?" "You work on Tingle." "Oh my god." This and the golf island story are both completely absurd and utterly wild. In fact, this whole game's development sounds like it was a mess. It's kind of a wonder that this game turned out as well as it did.

[@braydengraves4655]

People in Japan actually like Tingle. I will never understand why.

[@SirDoggo-wr7it]

@@braydengraves4655 He’s so weird but I dig it, he’s funny

[@bluegum6438]

It's a bit of a shame it got stifled so badly, because it looks like most of its flaws (ocean too big, too easy, not enough dungeons, lacking content) are down to simply not being given the budget or development time it needed. It's still one of my favourites.

[@braydengraves4655]

@@bluegum6438 The ocean being too big was because of the GameCube's hardware, not anything the development team did. If the ocean had been any smaller, it would've had to pause everything to load on occasion, because the GameCube couldn't process the information fast enough.

[@mattwo7]

@@braydengraves4655 He's goofy, that's all there is to it. _I_ don't understand why people straight up _hate_ him. Indifference, ambivalence and/or healthy levels of unease and/or disgust I can understand but _hate_ is a pretty damn strong emotion. I also don't understand why Hestu was so much more divisive than Tingle. Hestu is basically just Tingle as a weird-looking, oddly large Korok, he even goes "HOO-HA!" after his dance in a way that sounds a _lot_ like how Tingle says "Kooloo-Limpah!" and particle effects pop out of his maracas after he shouts that just like Tingle's confetti.

[@Vulpas]

Wow, Miyamoto was right, people didn't like the Wind Waker's art style. He's objectively correct that it wouldn't sell or be well received, BUT, the one time he's right is the one time I'm glad he didn't get his way because I adore Wind Waker as it is.

[@Aceshot-uu7yx]

It feels odd to say I wish he was wrong.

[@KumiChan2004]

Looking back. The art style is fitting for the game. But I still enjoy it the least out of the art style the games have had.

[@kacperwoch4368]

Miyamoto was wrong on many things Zelda since Ocarina of Time came out, that's why ultimately Aonuma was put in charge of the series.

[@gummostump4217]

@@Aceshot-uu7yx I personally think he was. The entire gamecube paled in Playstation's shadow, and sold some 30% fewer units than the n64 before it, and 80% fewer than the Wii after it. Given those circumstances, i doubt a realistic artsyle would have saved it.

[@Ballowax]

Kinda wished he didn't get his way when he saw dinosaour planet on N64 or when he decided to cancel StarFox 2.

[@RevolverLink]

The more I learn about game development, the more it feels like a miracle that any games turn out to be good, let alone great. Genuinely impressive that The Wind Waker turned out to be a classic despite an evidently brutal development cycle.

[@steel5897]

It's not a classic at all, basically everyone hated it before and when it came out, the game was considered a disappointment by Nintendo as well as critically. It's only a "classic" to young milennials and zoomers who grew up with the Gamecube and have a bad case of rose tinted glasses. No one currently over the age of 25 likes this game, it is the video game equivalent of the Star Wars prequels.

[@KisutoJP]

​@@steel5897 wtf is this garbage take? WW holds up INCREDIBLY well. I put it right next to Majora's and BOTW. Also why would someone under 25 play this game unless someone made them play it? You need to have a GC or a WiiU...nor does it matter. The quality of something is not dictated by a particular group of people. You could technically say that literally everything popular when we are a certain age has 'rose-tinted glasses' because it's when we're our most impressionable.

[@Spacepirate77]

@@steel5897 Just delete your account if you're here on youtube to trash this classic for free. Wind Waker remains a fan favourite and a huge inspiration in video game development. It's art direction and charm are unmatched.

[@adribier]

@@steel5897 I didn't play it in it's day (I didn't have a GC), yet I still think it's a classic

[@CaseyJewels]

@@steel5897 I'm 31 and it's one of my favorite Zelda games. Tetra is also my favorite version of Zelda, though that might just be because I love pirates. :P I loved it when it came out and I still love it now. I wish they would release it on the Switch so I could play the updated version (never had a Wii U, so I missed out on the remake). Also, it's received much better now in part because the graphics aged fairly well because of the stylization. Another reason is because people have had time to get used to it, rather than thinking they were getting a realistic Zelda game just to feel cheated by a cartoon looking one.

[@shazmosushi]

Smaller channels just starting out keep recycling the same old content from "The Cutting Room Floor" wiki, so I love that DYKG has grown to the point where they commission translations and digging through very obscure material to create more unique content otherwise not easily available in English. I hope the videos are successful enough to keep doing it, because it's a great thing.

[@cliffturbo2146]

"Let me talk about some new infos you've probably already heard of in 15 minutes."

[@Benjamillion]

Meanwhile I upload gameplay videos and barely get noticed 'cause shitty modern KZbin algorithm.

[@WilfredCthulu]

DID YOU KNOWS!? ISLE DELFINO LOOK DIFFERENT THAN IT DOES IN FINAL GAMES!?

[@andrewcoggins187]

I wish KZbin was transparent about how much money channels earn because it's gotta be astronomical

[@VashD15]

Tbf theyre only doing it after they've run out of shallow vids like that. I feel like there was half a decade where dyk gaming videos just felt like narrations of the Development section of a games wiki page

[@milliondollarmistake]

Holy shit. The guy who went insane from Tingle went on to produce the new Mario Party games? That makes perfect sense. Mario Party 10 was his revenge for making him work on all that Tingle content. Nintendo created the Japanese Joker.

[@MidniteAndBeyond]

20:58 I actually did a spit take on my second viewing of this video, when I saw my name in the corner! As far as I'm aware, this is the first time one of my LP's has been used for a DYKG video. Thank you so much for including it! Tomorrow is actually my 10 Year Anniversary of making Let's Plays, so this was a very heartwarming gift to receive. Wind Waker is a very special game to me and this video unveiled so many interesting development stories that I didn't know about, previously. I was always sad to know about how poorly the game was received upon its release, and its even more heartbreaking to know how rough it was for the development team, as well. I'm glad the game has garnered more praise and appreciation in more recent years. It remains as my favorite Zelda game and one of my favorite games of all time.

[@pampamtamtam4001]

That's pretty cool!

[@ryanhernandez1877]

That's _very_ cool!

[@AlfredoAVA]

Underwater Hyrule was the BIGGEST tease I've ever experienced in any game, ever. It was legit the reason I bought an Action Replay for my GameCube, so I could moon-jump out there and finally explore it, haha! Still absolutely love the Wind Waker for what it is, but still would have loved to have seen what could have been with added development time. Guess I can hope in absolute vain for a "Director's Cut" version of the game that realizes it's original scope XD Amazing video!

[@qunt100]

I kind of picture it as like the master quest version of ocarina of time. Just a zelda wind waker with the deleted dungeons added back. Where as the dungeons in master quest were just revamped dungeons. I also, reading the part where they wanted to do a dual world system like a link to the past, that would have been pretty cool. 4 dungeons in the old hyrule, 4 dungeons on the ocean. I felt the same way in skyward sword. They could have had some dungeons in the sky, and some dungeons down below. It would have been pretty cool.

[@AlfredoAVA]

@@qunt100 I agree :) Spreading dungeons throughout both worlds like Link to the Past did would have been cool, in both Wind Waker and Skyward Sword. Especially with how in Wind Waker, the Earth and Wind Temples actually are in underwater Hyrule, but you only enter them via islands on the surface. Having their entrances be somewhere in Hyrule that you have to discover would have been cool.

[@davetheimpaler204]

What if the reason Nintendo hasn't released Wind Waker HD on Switch yet... is because they're working on a "director's cut" version of the game?

[@AlfredoAVA]

@@davetheimpaler204 Ooo! That'd be a treat, wouldn't it? Not gonna get my hopes up but, hey, crazier stuff has happened in the world of gaming :)

[@davetheimpaler204]

@@AlfredoAVA Yeah, it's certainly possible. Think of it this way: Instead of doing another full remake like Link's Awakening, Nintendo could put in 50% or less of the work for a director's cut of The Wind Waker and still sell it at full price.

[@Zinkolo]

I can't believe Myamoto was accused of choosing this art style all these years when this whole time he was the biggest one against it and cringed.

[@Omar_E11]

I mean you can't blame him. Nintendo was struggling financially at the time and sales were their priority. WW became one of the lowest selling main series Zelda games.

[@pakaman9101]

@@Omar_E11 what? U sure u replied to the right comment cuz ur comment is outta place

[@Omar_E11]

@@pakaman9101 naw im replying to the part where he mentioned he was against it

[@weregretohio7728]

Miyamoto was so out of touch well before people realized it. It's a shame the cringeworthy part of the fanbase was with him. God, I think about the whole "Cellda" thing and people crying over the reveal of TP and die a little inside. And then the failure of the Lunchbox lead us to modern Nintendo... ugh.

[@Omar_E11]

@@weregretohio7728 Bro hate to break your little bubble but if anything this little fact proves that he was IN TOUCH.

[@mrnoname98]

"Sorry about the crabs." -Eiji Aonuma

[@KEN-1991]

Pause...

[@deadcake4406]

Honestly, I actually prefer the world not being continuous. I always liked in Wind Waker how it felt like the world and the ocean was much larger than I was allowed to explore in game. On the one hand that can feel restrictive, but on the other, it gives a sense of scale to the world. There are characters in Wind Waker who claim they travelled from faraway lands, so to me, Wind Waker's "Great Sea" always felt like a small island community, within a giant world that'd be full of countries and the like. Like how Hyrule is just one kingdom in the world of Zelda.

[@roundninja]

Yeah, it's disappointing when a game world pretends to be an entire planet, but clearly isn't nearly that large. Better to just keep the game small and let you use your imagination for the rest of the world.

[@maxspecs]

I mean, it allowed Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks to come out.

[@JlBUNROCK]

@@maxspecs the underrated games

[@badladyami]

At least the Great Sea didn't seem as obvious a way to hide hardware limitations as all the corridors in Twilight Princess did.

[@scintillam_dei]

Eh. I prefer actually colossal realms to explore and conquer, which is why I did a map of half of earth with America in the center (Meso to be exact) in Age of Empires 2 HD in the biggest possible map size, which is 4X bigger than the one called "gigantic." It took me five months to create, and is very realistic. I wanted to see the Aztec Empire fight the Incan Empire in the proper context. :-) The real world will always have exceedingly more unfathomable depth than fantasy worlds, all of which are based on the real world anyway. "Only God creates. The rest of us just copy."

[@alexmott507]

1:20 hearing the Wind Waker theme being played on a Theremin in the background is one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time, love that you went the extra mile with that!

[@Civilian08]

I always thought the zig zagging boat thing was a bug. I had no idea it was specifically designed into the game, and reflects real world physics.

[@DYKG_Clips]

That fact towards the end about the ocean... could have felt like a different game.

[@ZERO9098767]

The one about the map wrapping around like Skies of Arcadia's, or a lot of Final Fantasy games? Yea. That would've been nice. Probably would've cut down on sailing time. And to think, it was thrown out just for an insignificant bit of story that could've easily been done away with instead...

[@ZERO9098767]

@ofdevnipqkfvcedmqwjpo I didn't even notice the comment was left by their second channel. And then they went and gave it a like from the main channel. Lmfao

[@harshal1153]

@@ZERO9098767 It’s not insignificant and really ties the themes of the story together, so I think it was worth it

[@Paradox-xm9zq]

@@ZERO9098767 The problem with doing that is that it would imply that Hyrule is the entire planet

[@ZERO9098767]

@@Paradox-xm9zq Not if they don't include the line about going to find a new Hyrule.

[@exie4678]

17:28 'they changed it into a squid game' I have been corrupted

[@asdfoifhvjbkaos]

AHHHHHH

[@Dreadjaws]

Man, I didn't even know the "moving in zig zag to go against the wind" was some sort of fact taught in schools. I tried it in the game because I felt it should work based on my very basic knowledge of standard videogame physics. I'm actually surprised it works in real life as well.

[@hyzmarie]

Yeah it’s called tacking

[@scythelord]

it actually is taught in school, but most people aren't going to remember it at all as it is typically taught in history when it is ever brought up and perhaps in some science/physics classes as well. Sailing is big in history, especially the discovery of the Americas and circumnavigation of the world.

[@awakenedcrowl]

"and nowadays he's producer on the mario party series" So he DID go crazy!

[@ReboyGTR]

11:47 *Sue-Belle got me acting unwise.*

[@smactork]

Really hoping that this puts a spotlight on Tetra's Trackers for a fan translation. I don't think people would mind Japanese audio, as long as there are subtitles and English menus, like the Yakuza games

[@DJIVision]

Well I think the main issue's that with Tetra's Trackers, you spend most of the time looking down at the GBA, and you can't really keep looking up at the TV to read subtitles. That'd make a fan translation especially difficult -- you kinda have to have translate the audio.

[@ReinBelmont]

0:45 i thought they were going to say "Hey! That's an interesting story, lets get Link thrown in the gulag"

[@dannymusic]

It is so fitting for the legacy of the theremin that the instrument was cut because it was too difficult and awkward to play. Thanks for having me on to contribute to this video; these revelations about the struggles in Wind Waker's development are super interesting.

[@DJIVision]

Thanks Danny :)

[@astupidmonkeyygaming544]

That Zelda was one of my favorites because it was so different. Link had an actual sister and a real reason to go on a rescue instead of some big disaster. Also, taking an enemies weapon was one of my favorite things in the world. Taking a Dark Nuts weapon and beating them with it was so much fun or smashing the rats with the skull hammer and seeing them go flat was awesome!

[@mendelevium2768]

My appreciation for Aonuma grows stronger each day

[@64-96]

He's the real MVP in the LoZ series if we're being honest.

[@CralexKokiri]

I’ve seen several speedruns of this game, some of which use the extension “crowd control” to enable chat to influence the game. One such action sends Link to a creepy “Tingle” room. Now I finally know what’s up with that room. Thanks DYKG!

[@aaronolson6736]

I'd be fine getting the Treasure Trackers game with just subtitles, those voices are perfect

[@NeroTP]

Ikr, japanese dubs rocks 🤩

[@RealDanteS01]

I feel like it could make gameplay more difficult. Based on what I understand, you're mostly looking at your gameboy, but you'd need to look up to read the subtitles rather than just hearing what they have to say while still looking down.

[@dannykazari]

Really wish both this and Mario Sunshine got like an extra 6 months or so of development... cuts have to be made and deadlines need to be met, but as great as these games are, we'll forever have to wonder about what they could have been. The Gamecube sure was an interesting console.

[@youtuber6193]

Completely agree on both counts. I love Windwaker but it does feel like it’s a couple or dungeons short and some of the other missed elements would’ve really finished the game off. If Nintendo weren’t feeling the huge pressure from Sony and Microsoft I think they would’ve taken their time to finish the games off properly.

[@jongameaddict]

@@youtuber6193 I think 2 or 3 WW dungeons were put into Twilight Princess. One may have even made it into Skyward Sword I feel like I've heard once? But I'm not sure.

[@JKSmith-qs2ii]

We have already experienced what could have been Eiji Aonuma has said multiple times that ideas that get cut make their way in some form in another Zelda game.

[@Wendy_O._Koopa]

No amount of time could have saved Mario Sunshine... unless someone on the team secretly modeled all seven of Bowser's children for them after hours and also programmed different mechanics for us. "Look Miyamoto, now you don't have to throw seven teenagers out with the bathwater, only to replace them with Dad's mini-me."

[@Hysteria98]

@@jongameaddict If I had to guess, I would have said the Temple of Time and the Arbiter's Grounds, at least.

[@jokx4409]

Man each time I learn about cut content, it always reminds me how much of a masterpiece the game could've been had it simply had a year or two more in development. It would've been even more of a masterpiece than it already is.

[@reach17-CH]

I always thought the Hyoi Pear was supposed to be kind of like that "Hoy!" shout that you always hear Aryll make, since Aryll and the pear both attract seagulls

[@OozoTheClown]

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, when you catch a Neon Tetra, your character says ""I caught a neon tetra! Wasn't hard to track." Since every caught fish includes some sort of pun, it seems like the localizers have included a reference to Tetra's Trackers here. This video describes how difficult it would be to localize the game, so I have to wonder if the ACNH localizers put some time into localizing Tetra's Trackers before being told to stop, and if so this reference may have been done in tribute to their work that never saw the light of day.

[@sion8]

🤷‍♂️

[@galegorgeous8857]

That’s quite a reach

[@OozoTheClown]

@@galegorgeous8857 Which part is the reach? That it's a reference to Tetra's Trackers at all, or that the reference was made in honor of localization work that never amounted to anything?

[@TopOfAllWorlds]

@@OozoTheClown why are you assuming they put time into localizing tetras trackers at all?

[@DarkLink1996.]

@@TopOfAllWorlds Because there's screenshots of a localization

[@psyme-]

I had actually learned about the Zigzag technique on when I got to use a single person sail boat during a summer trip a year before, and was glad it worked in the game. It really helps for getting around a single island or reef.

[@ChairyCrasher]

Did it make you feel smart?

[@djhero0071]

You guys deserve a lot of praise and respect for going the extra mile and translating the magazine interviews. It brings to light new facts and trivia people like myself would probably never know otherwise. That's a pretty deep dive and I love y'all for it.

[@f0xxyb0xxes88]

This definitely makes me kinda sad because Wind Waker is my favorite. It’s sucks that the whole development did not seem to go well.

[@CamusHyuga]

On the flip side, you can tell how passionate the team was about making this game that they did everything in their power to make it happen, even if they knew people like Miyamoto wouldnt like it, to me that love for this game shows up in the end result, even if they wanted it to be better.

[@f0xxyb0xxes88]

@@CamusHyuga That is so true! Thank you for bringing up a great point :)

[@jamesrustle7536]

I imagine miyamoto put a rush on it especially after seeing what it was to get it over with. He did the same with majoras mask.

[@zacheray]

@@jamesrustle7536 it really doesn’t feel like a rushed game

[@KaminoKatie]

Both MM and WW are rushed

[@Sientir]

I didn't realize how crunched Wind Waker's development was. Edit: To clarify: I know the vast majority of video game development has involved crunch. What surprised me was the degree of crunch involved in Wind Waker's development, not that there was any crunch at all.

[@NoahNCopeland]

name any game. it was probably crunched.

[@Sientir]

@@NoahNCopeland Yes, I know. It's a problem that needs to be addressed. I just didn't realize Wind Waker was so crunched that developers were literally not going home for such extended periods of time. I've typically thought of Nintendo as being better than that extreme.

[@internetguy7319]

@@Sientir what an innocent soul

[@hyzmarie]

@@Sientir poor guy. Nintendo is a Japanese company and as such they have an unhealthy work ethic.

[@hyzmarie]

Not saying that all Japanese people are that way but the culture tends more in that direction

[@medli20]

This was legit my favorite game for years and years (hell, my username has reflected it pretty much since the game was released in North America). It always saddened me that it wasn't as well-received as it could have been-- I think a lot of people kind of snubbed it for its aesthetic, but it's just such a fun, colorful, unique, gorgeous game that felt way ahead of its time. Thank you for taking the time to do the research and make this video-- seeing this appear in my subscriptions was an absolute delight! It makes me want to dig out my old copy and play it again. 🙏

[@64-96]

What's worse is having this game be your favourite game of all time as a kid, discovering the internet in the school library and thereby discovering that you're nearly alone in liking it. It was really saddening to my younger self discovering the game I loved so much wasn't accepted just because of the art style, which I happened to absolutely adore. It's even sadder seeing a lot of people in these comments hold onto this grudge and continue to trash on the game and use this video to vindicate their opinions and 'prove' the game was bad, because "Miyamoto hated it!", "It had the worst sales in Zelda history! (ignoring Majora's Mask and the general failure of the Gamecube and Wii U apparently)", etc.

[@travistorline812]

I really wish I could see into an alternate universe where Wind Waker got a few more years in development. Also, I got a big laugh learning about the guy who felt like he was going crazy working on Tingle!

[@ajtriforcegamerofhyrule8538]

Good thing they didn't make the same mistake with Botw

[@Lucas-db2jq]

It's ok Aonuma. I forgive you about the crabs, I really like them. I even have a figurine in the Nintendo Gallery. And I will pour one out for Toshiaki Suzuki , and his much welcomed efforts on everything Tingle. Koloo-Limpah, my friend.

[@cheldardo]

Based curiomatic Lucas render pfp

[@songarakram]

It still blows my mind that the Tingle Tuner mode was axed for the Wii U version. The Wii U has a damn game boy advanced built into the controller.

[@Shoeboxcat7]

You've got a serious point. I never thought about that. It could've just been a button that appeared on the gamepad when using the Tingle Tuner...you can't even use the message bottles now since Miiverse is dead. So the replacement is a dud.

[@tenchimuyo69]

Interesting how Miyamoto and a lot of fans had the same negative impression of the artstyle. Miyamoto must have been in a mild panic at how people were talking about it before the game even released, but it somehow worked out in retrospect.

[@ChampionHero]

I actually liked the art style when I first saw it, and loved it in the HD Remake. It's aged so much better than anything before it, and even to some degree, better than some of the more realistic ones after it. BOTW is the exception as this has basically taken WW's art style and modernised it with a touch of realism. The perfect balance.

[@rlee1185]

I remember everyone being so excited after the GameCube teaser footage. Link looked realistic and bad*ss. And then this cartoon version was the very next game. Everybody was mad.

[@Kurry34]

The super realistic concept trailer was sick, then this came out. I was pissed too. Turned out to be my favorite Zelda game just under botw.

[@-iloveyou]

no, it didnt work. you sound like stockholm syndrome

[@tenchimuyo69]

@@-iloveyou kek

[@diegog1853]

The funny thing is, Miyamoto was kind of right at the time in saying that wind waker wouldn't sell, it underperformed, behind both ocarina of time and twilight princess. And at the time it was a fairly hated artstyle by a lot of people, including me as a kid, I thought they made link uncool. I think it is partially in retrospect that wind waker is so beloved now, both the gameplay and artstyle.

[@KamenRiderGumo]

Not in my book. Game looks and plays like garbage. I hate it only slightly less than Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks (the only Zelda game I have never bothered to finish).

[@Lightningstrike1220]

@@KamenRiderGumo well, welcome to being the minority then. Enjoy it, I guess.

[@alulim4968]

@@Lightningstrike1220 its not a minority, if fact, everybody knows the fans love WW for it's story and gameplay, but not the graphics, thats only nostalgia of the people who play it.

[@Lightningstrike1220]

@@alulim4968 that is an opinion based on nothing.

[@alulim4968]

@@Lightningstrike1220 if the opinon of the majority of fans means nothing...

[@nachocabo4221]

It`s such a shame this game didn`t sold well. It`s by far one of my favorite Zelda games, and the art style and personality it has a is a huge reason why. Definitely wanted to see more of this link, specially because aside from botw, is the only one I feel is a character and not just a tool for us to connect to the world

[@V-Jes]

Toon Link has plenty of games (including a direct sequel to WW on DS) as he became the Link for the low budget spin offs Nintendo knew aren't gonna sell well.

[@nachocabo4221]

@@V-Jes yeah I know, but the full blown sequel sounded cool

[@iamcll]

Oh you misunderstand stand it sold fine, Just not enough for the rich fucks at the top lol.

[@JazGalaxy]

Toon link is the best blonde link. My links of choice are toon link, original link, link to the past link, BOTW link, skyward link, twilight link and the ocarina link

[@JDG707]

@@JazGalaxy that’s a whole lotta links. Think it would’ve been faster to name the links you didn’t like lol

[@JankisPitt]

Tetra's Trackers sounds cool as hell, it's a shame it never came to the west

[@AT7outof10]

Oh my god, Aonuma keeping the truth away from Miyamoto is such a chad move; if only the Paper Mario games could do the same. Ask for forgiveness, not permission.

[@karldettmann7780]

Some of these facts are ridiculous enough that they could be made up, but DYKG is saying it so I believe it. They could say "Link had a snorkel in early development, and could dive into the sea," and i would believe it

[@strobohobo]

The yacht and Zelda enthusiast Venn diagram.

[@DeltaChairlines]

21:25 "Did you also know that Ubisoft tried to make a Wind Waker sequel for GBA?" Yeah. You mentioned it at 10:15. Shame it got scrapped, though. That screenshot looks so damn cool.

[@syedshamrezrehanshahkazmi3324]

1:38 the flute switches into a theremin😁

[@mattwo7]

18:43 And then Yo-Kai Watch came along and localized "posses" to "inspirit" which only really works in select few cases like Blazion and Happierre and absolutely doesn't work in cases like Dismerelda and -Pepa Madrigal- Drizzelda.

[@conc0n]

ah yes, the good ol zig zagging boat, the most important lesson i definitely learned in high school

[@i.l.l.l.l.]

This was a particularly good episode, very thorough and well-researched

[@MistaBrandoVA]

“Miyamoto physically cringed” LMFAO I’m glad he didn’t get his way, crazy to think that game was so hated back in the day now its been revered as a beloved classic. I love that art style and they should make a sequel without any time constraints. That’s also adorable how they referenced Animal Treasure Island! That’s such a cute anime film and I can see the resemblance. Your channel is the only gaming trivia based one that actually puts in effort for new information, your extra effort into research is always appreciated!

[@ColoradoStreaming]

A big reason people hated it was a bunch of kids played OOT and MM then Nintendo had a promo of their new game that was gritty and had realistic graphics. We all got really excited then Nintendo dropped the cartoon art style and everyone was really disappointed.

[@ddsjgvk]

But it does have a sequel it has to Phantom hourglass and Spirit tracks

[@pvdv1985]

Honestly this artstyle is timeless. Can't wait to play it again

[@NukeOTron]

From the footage you gathered, yes, Tetra's Trackers IS pretty much a Marvelous game, right down to the physics and animation. I'd recognize that diagonal run, hammer motion, and weird jumping style anywhere. ...also, you can zigzag to move a boat?

[@Dylan-ty1bo]

You mean the Marvelous games of the Satellaview?

[@NukeOTron]

@@Dylan-ty1bo Yes. ...and Marvelous: Mouhitotsu no Takarajima, the straight-up cart release. I know it's common knowledge that Tetra's Trackers started off as a Marvelous game, but let's be honest, there's hardly an English-speaking person who's seen Tetra's Trackers in action (...well, there might be a few videos, but still...). At least Marvelous: Mouhitotsu no Takarajima has a few translation patches.

[@Dylan-ty1bo]

@@NukeOTron Wow that's very interesting you know about that series. I thought I was the only one. I only know about it because I have a spreadsheet of all of Nintendo's franchises... I'm kinda a mega-fan haha

[@RichardHardslab]

I'd had the zig zagging described to me a while ago, I was told it's called 'tacking'

[@StevenUlyssesPerhero]

I feel like it absolutely would have been possible to retain the Tingle Tuner in Wind Waker HD. The Wii U's default controller literally had a screen in it, and failing that, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate showed it was possible for a 3DS and Wii U to communicate, so why not make it available through Download Play?

[@SparkyDaHedgehog]

It's always felt a little sad that Wind Waker had such negative backlash against it when it was released. Because to me, it's the best 3D Zelda hands down. It captures the feeling of being on an adventure the best to me. Once you have free reign over your sailing, exploring the Great Sea is so much fun. You see an island in the distance, and take off towards it to discover something new! And while it can take time to traverse, the size of it put the world it created on a whole other level than Ocarina. I didn't get that same feeling of wide open exploration and adventure from a Zelda game until BotW came out. But Wind Waker will always come out on top for me. Everything about this game rules.

[@mingusmofaz5898]

It was universally praised on release.

[@SparkyDaHedgehog]

@@mingusmofaz5898 By critics? Yes. By the fans? Not as much.

[@mingusmofaz5898]

@@SparkyDaHedgehog No, I'm pretty sure fans and the general public loved it too. Pretending that a cadre of online forums poster complaining about the look of the game was the default opinion is ridiculous.

[@SparkyDaHedgehog]

@@mingusmofaz5898 When the game was new, most of what I heard of it was the dislike of of the art style and general hatred of the sailing mechanic. That was it. It wasn't until much later that the general attitude I saw towards the game started to change. The fact that it sold much less than Ocarina is pretty telling, too (though that might have something to do with the gamecube sales in general). And Twilight Princess was made the way it was in response to the criticism against Wind Waker's visuals. And guess what? That sold basically double the amount that Wind Waker did across both Gamecube and Wii versions.

[@nah4467]

Tbf the next zelda in line had marketing and teasing of being another Realistic or more serious tone and this came before Twilight Princess is why there was more backlash tbh. It'd be like showing FF7 and then saying here's a spinoff FF that's unrelated and cartoony. Especially, with the edge the mid 2000's had. I still rented/played it when I was younger but I was the kid who also wanted and craved Twilight Princess which is my favorite over all of them. So the backlash imo was more of a kneejerk to seeing something build up from the n64 only to then show...something that subverted expectation ya know? Over time, that turned into more love for that type of genre too that it sold pretty well and has a good following for good reasons. It's not my favorite but I was the kid to give it a fair shot...although the introduction to the game *sneak* level was probably the worst part to Wind Waker. It's a bad introduction imo. 8 or 9 outta 10 though.

[@ChrisKramer_]

Ah the good old days. Learning how to captain a sailboat against the wind in my second year of high school. My third year had us learing how to save ourselves from a nosedive in a biplane. Crazy times.

[@ooiiooiiooii]

“A human with red eyes is kinda creepy” Albinos: 😔

[@TheGameLecturer]

Crabs were my first encounter of what was my first game of this generation of consoles, so really, they were a technical slap. I couldn't believe how much details went into them !

[@poleythepolarbear9706]

I had no idea that Wind Waker suffered so greatly from crunch as a result of poor management.

[@707tinman707]

Its funny that they say they had to tone down the difficulty because this was the only Zelda that I couldn't finish as a kid because of the "triumph forks" part.

[@tbtb66]

The incredible amount of foresight on Miyamoto's part with the art style He just somehow knew gamers wouldn't like it, and even then a few years down we got exactly what he wanted, a realistic Zelda

[@ab-mi9vf]

they didn't like it at the time but wind waker's style in retrospect is considered classic and groundbreaking

[@V-Jes]

To be fair it wasn't hard to see at all considering how badly it clashed next to the other Zelda games in both tone and style, especially next to Majoras mask what came right before it...

[@ericp631]

@@V-Jes but I actually find that a huge reason for what puts Zelda apart from other series (and a reason why it's my favorite series) almost every game is distinct, having a different tone and style for each game (usually)

[@atre5763]

Too bad Twilight princess looked ugly

[@foxymetroid]

@@atre5763 That's the downside of a "realistic" art style. What looked amazing at launch looks uglier and uglier as time moves on. Cel shading, on the other hand, holds up better when done right because it doesn't need the fine detail "realistic" art styles do.

[@sergeant_ozzy1037]

Actual information I’ve never heard before? THIS is why I’m subscribed to this channel.

[@nothingcankilldagrimace]

This is amazing content. Producer notes/interviews that talk about lost/cut content is always fascinating. You’re left with so much, “what if?”

[@TheVirtualBomb]

I finally got a Wii U and picked this game up. Haven’t gotten far but enjoying it a lot

[@RootVegetabIe]

For people that will inevitably say that the two cut dungeons should have returned in WWHD: They were repurposed into Twilight Princess dungeons

[@TickedOffPriest]

Which ones?

[@realoctolink64]

@@enorma29 Good point, but would they really have 2 fire dungeons in one game?

[@RootVegetabIe]

@@realoctolink64 I doubt the cut dungeons were even at that stage where they had a visual theme. It's moreso the concepts and groundwork for the dungeons that would have been in WW. Saying that, OoT had dungeons with similar themes between young Link and Adult Link.

[@Gernam12]

@@realoctolink64 they did in ocarina if you count dodongo's cavern.

[@eunaoseibrother467]

Ura Zelda Dungeons also got repurposed in Majoras Mask, using cut content in future zelda games is a common pratice.

[@mak_707]

I'm actually glad they made the boat zigzag, I used a few times to move a little bit, like with the tower of the gods first room.

[@nonhmusic4570]

Great content right here, the amount of insight lost in non translated stuff makes for a whole new wave of knowledge about these games, thanks DYKG

[@KrisKrisKrisKrisKris]

12:12 king of red lions does a minecraft hurt sound effect

[@BeaglzRok1]

Ironically, while I didn't learn the zig-zag trick from school, I did figure it out from this game. So I think it was worth it.

[@buchiklop110]

Thank God saner heads prevailed regarding what the Wind Waker itself should be.

[@pkmntrainermark8881]

You guys really go all the way for these. I love seeing all of this newly translated information.

[@TheVolvagia]

So, they just had like 1 year to make Majora's Mask, and then only a year and a half to make Wind Waker and even with the time constrains they managed to do two of the greatest entries in the franchise... Wow...

[@SullySadface]

Thats a nice bird. Good name too. I would absolutely play that game with the original voices holy crap that boat is AWESOME

[@paulhudalla9527]

Lol, I went crazy when you mentioned Skies of Arcadia, I just started playing that game and I already love it, it is quite obscure though

[@DJIVision]

I'm the guy guy who wrote this video. I love Skies of Arcadia, and I've been looking for a chance to mention it for years. Lol when I read the quote about Wind Waker's world almost being round I was like "yes, finally, I can mentioned SOA."

[@misdrievousdemise3815]

I like how after a while, the backing music of the Windwaker theme changes from how we know it as a flute, to that of a theremin. That's a really sweet detail, considering the subject matter at the time

[@tspitz9480]

You guys put so much work in these videos. We appreciate it so much. Keep up the hard work!

[@IronicSonic83]

Pretty sure Miyamoto was also in love with the realistic elf stud 😏

[@mariochavez9963]

So bummed about the scrapped sequel 😭 Wind waker is my favorite Zelda game

[@linkheroofspiritsakatrains4812]

At least we got phantom hourglass which was a sequel even though it was different from what wind waker 2 would have been

[@ValiantPixel]

We could get a sequel or spiritual successor following the Breath of the Wild sequel, since I have a feeling that Nintendo will want to try something new after two games in a row with the same art style.

[@BlazeHeartPanther]

21:25 Uhhh, yea, you just told us in this video XD

[@svenbtb]

I can't say enough how much I love what you guys do, I really appreciate the extra effort and care you all take in order to bring new (to us in the West) information about a lot of games we know and love and the stories behind them. I preordered Wind Waker and have loved it ever since, possibly my favorite Zelda. I always thought it was kinda low dungeon-wise, hearing that it had 2 whole dungeons cut makes sense. Oh man I totally forgot about Tetra's Trackers, I remember hearing about that in Nintendo Power and thinking it sounded cool. Wonder how hard it is to get that working via emulation? I'd love to play that sometime. Had no idea it had so much voice acting! Really sucks to hear about the crunch =/

[@KirbyVolt]

Maaaaan, now I really want that Wind Waker sequel that Aonuma wanted to do. I know we got the DS games, but I'm super curious what that direct WW sequel would have been about. I understand sales, but I think it's a testament to WW that the style was probably the best choice about it. It still looks good nearly 2 decades later, whereas the follow-up looked pretty rough even when it released in 06.

[@ultrascarlet5275]

Probably would've been Twilight Princess with elements of Spirit Tracks' story and the Toon artstyle.

[@kjul.]

As much of a genius Miyamoto is, I'm glad that the team didn't listen to him in this instance. Love the wind waker ❤️😊

[@lux-pro]

His instincts were right for the time. The majority of fans did not want that style and it showed in the sales. It’s much easier to appreciate now having had more mature Zelda games come after it. I love WW too, but I’m glad that style didn’t become the standard thereafter.

[@MrGametv1994]

Now. But back then Wind Waker had a poor reception if you compared with other Zelda games before. Not only in sales but also the reaction of Twilight Princess years later.

[@atre5763]

@@lux-pro Yeah Zelda fans were real dumb back then

[@GarethColquhoun]

I remember being super pissed when WW was announced. I'd seen the realistic concept demo video Nintendo had released, so I and many other fans felt duped and robbed of what we believed was coming. Instead a childish looking cartoon was what we were getting. I still bought it though. You know what it became my 2nd fave Zelda after Ocarina Of Time

[@Omar_E11]

@@lux-pro Exactly. Miyamoto was 100% correct that it wouldn't sell and the aftermath proved it.

[@daniredux]

Fantastic work with this video! Hearing about how messy the development of Wind Waker got caught me by surprise. Wind Waker is great game, but it could have been even better and that's a shame. Also, "Tingle Specialist" is now on my list of worst possible jobs ever. Poor Mr. Suzuki.

[@BruceBoyde]

I can only imagine the research that goes into this kind of thing. Sooo many magazines with nothing but the same old stuff you already know just waiting for those nuggets of "new" content. It's really appreciated

[@napoleonfeanor]

Strange how much information is hidden in plain sight through old JP magazine interviews. I wonder if there are Zelda facts videos in Japanese which have covered these topics many years ago already

[@kjul.]

14:25 now that is just sad. Fuck the concept of "crunch" and Japanese work culture in general.

[@frickinfrick8488]

It’s so cool that you guys are digging up new info, it’s crazy how much interesting stuff was left untranslated

[@retsuza]

Love the legit journalism/digging you guys do, much appreciated

[@lceBox]

Having the Zelda tunes played on a theremin as background music was a great choice 👍

[@linkheroofwinds]

I thought I knew all there was to know about this game, but looks like I was wrong! Great job

[@StegDarkhorse]

Man it's crazy that I'm still learning new things about this game's history. Thanks for all the cool info in this one.

[@charmygreen665]

Im pretty sure you guys are the only channel from the normal boots days that i still follow, and its because your content has done nothing but gotten higher quality over the years. Thanks for what you do 🤘

[@the6ig6adwolf]

Favorite game in the series. Exploring the open ocean for the first time, truely felt exciting.

[@lightninstriker10]

In the interest of providing transparent information about Tetra's Trackers, do you think you guys might be up for doing a separate video showing a full four-player game with subtitled dialogue, perhaps in both commentated and non-comentated formats, so we can all see exactly how the game was played and how it worked?

[@stripedrajang3571]

Um, that might be asking for WAY too much. TOO much.

[@personalgamedevyt9830]

Thank you for the interesting trivia on Zelda lore and the development by the amazing staff!

[@GerikDT]

18:58 Which "...which a-_pear_-antly they didn't think the western audience could handle. Well, probably the western audience's _pear_-ants, if you know what I mean." Not sure if intentional, but I'm hoping it was.