'The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker' cancellation news: 'Zelda: Art & Artifacts' book gives details about title; now available in Japan

Catherine Salvador Thursday, December 08, 2016

A scene from the latest edition of the "Legend of Zelda." | Nintendo

It took a while before the "The Legend of Zelda" fans were finally able to accept the cancellation of "The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker," but Nintendo may have done some compromise when they revealed details of the title via a book.

Details about "The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker" will be revealed in a book titled "Zelda: Art & Artifacts." According to Eurogamer, the sequel was already in the development even before the release of "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess." It was supposed to feature the main character, Link, venturing on dry land. Developers apparently planned to make Link able to ride horses.

The promising storyline and the gameplay did not push through, which ignited the dismay of the fans. Since then, "The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker" was never heard of, especially since the upcoming "The Legend of Zelda: Breathe of the Wild" is soon to come.

In 2017, Nintendo is set to release a book titled "Zelda: Art & Artifacts," which comes with the "Hysrule Historia." The book reportedly will reveal substantial information about the canned "The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker," which could have been titled "Wind Waker 2."

"Wind Waker 2 would have taken place in a more land-based setting, rather than on the sea, so that we could have Link gallop across the land on a horse," said artist Satoru Takizawa. "But Link's proportions in Wind Waker weren't very well suited for riding on horseback, he was too short, and an adult version of Toon Link did not seem appropriate either."

When asked why the game was canned, Takizawa explained that the development team realized the strong demand for a realistic, taller Link.

"High-budget live-action fantasy movies were also huge at the time, so with all things considered, we decided to have at it. I was on board with the project as art director, and started off by bringing [Yusuke] Nakano on to do the design for Link," he added.

"Zelda: Art & Artifacts" is already available in Japan and is slated for a Feb.2017 release in the international market.