Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct Misses Huge Wind Waker Opportunity

Did you tune into the Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct hoping to see classic adventures like Wind Waker and Twilight Princess get a second life on the Switch? If so, you probably felt a pang of disappointment. Nintendo dedicated nearly the entire showcase to the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake, leaving little room for other beloved titles.

Out of all the Zelda remasters that have graced the Switch over the years, there's still a Wind Waker HD-shaped hole in the collection. The Wii U version, released back in 2013, remains the definitive way to play this cel-shaded classic. It's smoother, sharper, and packed with quality-of-life improvements that fix the original's pacing issues. While the GameCube original did make its way to Switch Online last year, it just doesn't compare to the upgraded HD experience.

Wind Waker might not have the same legendary status as Ocarina of Time, but its influence is all over modern Zelda games. The sense of adventure, the open seas, the expressive art style – you can see echoes of it in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. So why is the best version of this masterpiece still trapped on the Wii U? The same goes for Twilight Princess HD, another gem stuck in Nintendo's forgotten console era.

Maybe I was setting myself up for disappointment. When Zelda's 40th rolled around, I couldn't help but think back to Mario's 35th anniversary celebration. That gave us Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a bundle of three classic games with updated visuals and smoother performance. Sure, it was available for a frustratingly limited time, but it was a celebration. Why couldn't Zelda get something similar? The ingredients were all there – Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD just sitting on the Wii U, begging to be ported.

Instead, we got a Direct that was laser-focused on Ocarina of Time. Don't get me wrong – the remake looks stunning. It's faithful to the original while adding modern touches like a jump button, and it's coming out on November 5th. I'm genuinely excited to dive back into Hyrule with this fresh coat of paint. But for those of us who wanted to see the best versions of other classics make the leap to Switch 2, the wait continues.

Is it too much to ask for a collection that honors the entire Zelda legacy? Maybe I'm being greedy, but with the franchise hitting such a major milestone, it feels like a missed opportunity. Perhaps we'll have to wait until Zelda's 50th anniversary for the full treatment. At this rate, my Wii U might not even survive that long.

What do you think? Were you hoping for Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD on Switch, or are you satisfied with the Ocarina of Time remake? Let me know in the comments!