Zelda fans have been worried that the presence ofThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Wakeron the GameCube Nintendo Classics library for the Nintendo Switch 2 means that the Wii U HD remaster will never make its way to modern platform, but the possibility is still present. While there is clearly no guarantee thatWind Waker HDwill find itself on Switch 2, a Nintendo representative assured that a potential re-release isn’t ruled out.
Host Tim Gettys said onKinda Funny Games Daily(perTheGamer) that aNintendo representative told him that “all options were on the table” when it came toWind Waker HDand other similar casescoming to the upcoming console.
“I did ask [the Nintendo representative at a press event] if having The Wind Waker on NSO percludes it from the Switch 2 getting the actual Wii U port at some point, and he was very quick to say “no, all options are on the table.” Obviously, nothing is confirmed one way or another.”
Nintendo Switch owners have long hadhopes ofWind Waker HDandTwilight Princess HDescaping the Wii U exclusive library and having proper Switch ports, but the originalWind Wakerbeing the first title confirmed for the GameCube Nintendo Classics line-up briefly deflated those hopes. This comment from a Nintendo spokesperson at least gives some additional space for the possibility, not just forWind Waker, but for other GameCube games.
Being On Nintendo Classics Doesn’t Rule Out An HD Port
The Wind Waker HD Isn’t Disqualified Because Of Any Arbitrary Rules
With Nintendo wanting to drive its customers to its latest offerings, there are some cases of the company trying to overlap between its classic releases and fresher titles. One example isSuper Mario RPG, whichreceived a full remake on Nintendo Switchin 2023. The original SNES title never made it to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service, leading some speculation that Nintendo did not want any overlap. Of course, there are some inverse examples, such asThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeninggetting a full remake for Switch but the original Game Boy title being playable on NSO.
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Should this Nintendo representative’s comment be true, that indicates thatNintendo might not care about that overlap and still seek opportunities for multiple versions of a game to be playable. There are other beloved GameCube titles that might go through that overlap besidesThe Wind Waker— we could see the originalMetroid Primeplayable in the Nintendo Classics library, despiteMetroid Prime Remasteredon Switch releasing to acclaim, and the first twoPikmingames also received separate re-releases on the original Switch.
The Wind Waker And Twilight Princess HD Ports Are Trapped In The Wii U
These Revamped Zelda Games Deserve Exposure
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HDreleased all the way back in 2013, and it was a fabulous demonstration of the Wii U’s high-definition capabilities. The remaster also improved and streamlined some gameplay and quest structure elements of the original game, andplayers of the Switch 2 Nintendo Classics re-release won’t be able to take advantage of those changes.The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HDfollowed in 2016 with similar praise, and both versions are arguably the definitive iterations of those two games.
SinceNintendo ported so many Wii U games to the original Nintendo Switch, fans have long been baffled on why the HD remasters ofWind WakerandTwilight Princesswere left in the dust. It’s doubtful that Nintendo would releaseThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HDon Switch 2 way too soon after the original game headlines the initial batch of GameCube games, but Zelda enthusiasts can hold on to a little more hope for a port if they’re willing to wait even more.
