I played The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker on Nintendo Switch 2, but it's a bittersweet reminder that we're not getting the game at its best

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker screenshot of Link conducting — Link from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Image credit: Nintendo)

It's been a huge week for Nintendo fans. The Switch 2 Direct revealed a packed roster of upcoming Switch 2 games coming to the hybrid console, from Donkey Kong Bananza to FromSoftware's next project The Duskbloods. Meanwhile, first impressions from our Switch 2 hands-on preview find the new device and its accessories very impressive. But for sickos like me, we got something far more important: The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is finally coming to modern hardware, via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack's upcoming GameCube additions.

Lost at sea

Hands-on playing The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker on the Switch 2 — The classic title still holds up on Switch 2 (Image credit: Future)

First released on the GameCube back in 2002, The Wind Waker's open-world ocean exploration and vibrant cel-shaded art style won players over with stunning success. After the darker tone of 2000's Majora's Mask for the Nintendo 64, the cheerier aesthetic was initially not well received by all – but Wind Waker's qualities soon shone through, and it became a heavyweight to rival 1998's Ocarina of Time.

So when it came to the ill-fated Wii U in 2013, it was a huge positive for a platform that sorely needed the win. With a HD visual upgrade and some new quality of life features (including a faster sail for Link's boat), we had the perfect version of a masterpiece. Sadly, that's where it remains, as The Switch 2's GameCube library will launch with the original game rather than its upgrade on June 5.

Any port in a storm

Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube Controller — A classic controller returns (Image credit: Future)

We played the Nintendo Switch 2

Hand holding Nintendo Switch 2 console with red backdrop. — (Image credit: Future)

Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on preview: "After four hours with the Switch 2 it's clear that this is a true evolution"

I was able to go hands-on with Wind Waker at the Nintendo Switch 2 preview event in Paris. With the new GameCube inspired gamepad, I took control of the adorably elfish Link and ran about Outset Island, jumping on rocks, slashing through grass and snatching the local pigs before hurling them into the ocean and watching them swim back with a stout stroke. I was back, and I made sure the bokoblins who patrolled the forest knew it as I wielded my short blade with the excitement of a 35-year-old man who finally got what he wanted.

In the 15 minutes I was afforded with the game, I can safely say it was as magical as when I first played it all those years go. While the camera controls took some getting used to due to the right stick being inverted to most modern action/adventures, I felt right at home as I ran around outside Link's home and dived into the sunkissed ocean. However, this iteration of Wind Waker is not without its caveats.

For one thing, the game is not available to buy on the Nintendo Switch 2. Instead players will require a subscription to the Nintendo Online + Expansion Pack. While the service will also be getting GameCube heavyweights like Soul Calibur 2 and F-Zero GX – with many more planned for the future – the idea of paying monthly instead of buying outright doesn't sit well with everyone. But the real downside is the version of Wind Waker coming to the service.

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker screenshot of Link talking to Medli — Fan favorite familiar faces (Image credit: Nintendo)

Agonizingly, we're not getting the improved HD version. No, that beautifully refined jewel will apparently stay forever trapped on the Wii U as we have to make do with a somewhat modernized GameCube version. We're talking lower graphical fidelity, which is particularly offensive when reading on-screen text or scrutinising the seemingly stuck-on features of character faces.

Lastly, the title is only coming to Nintendo Switch 2. This means the wait for Wind Waker on the original Switch is now indefinite, and that's a bitter pill for many to swallow when the OG hardware is no doubt more than capable of running it. The only comfort I can offer is the emulation of the Nintendo Switch 2 was faultless, boding well for the many other ports in the pipeline.

So, while we will finally have The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker on a modern platform, it's one that will require further investment, both in hardware and subscription services. And yet, I'll do it. It's not the version the timeless classic deserves, but its timelessness means a weaker rendition still satisfies – and I'll be setting sail with Link again as soon as I can.

Looking for more The Legend of Zelda content? Here's our list of the franchise's best games of all time.