I’m pretty sure most of us had the same reaction when we finally realized what was being shown on the screen. Remember, presentation slides from earlier events in the year confirmed that a “WIND WAKER 2″ was in development for the GameCube. On top of that, we had all just gotten used to The Wind Waker’s cel-shading, and Nintendo had hinted they would consider sticking with the art style if it was favorable among the fans. Link’s 2003 outing may not have commercially matched that of Ocarina of Time, but the reviews were positive.

Instead, Nintendo went completely the other way, opting for the darker, grittier style of realism with this second Zelda game for the GameCube. Admit it, you were all giddy for hours after seeing that video for the first time.

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