Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Saros review
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Best turn-based RPGs
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
  • Delta Force giveaway
Don't miss these
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced reveal screenshot shows Edward Kenway stood next Blackbeard looking through a telescope.
Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced isn't making the map any bigger, but there will be more to do
Mario Bros 2 key art showing mario throwing a vegtable at enemies
Super Mario Nintendo was a madhouse thanks to the simultaneous development of Mario and Zelda, Miyamoto says
A screenshot of the upcoming PC game, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced uses the same engine as Shadows
Best NES games: Link holding a sword in the game The Legend of Zelda.
Super Mario Zelda was Nintendo's answer to "traditional RPGs," Shigeru Miyamoto says
Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link
The Legend of Zelda Shigeru Miyamoto thinks Zelda 2 was "sort of a failure," and A Link to the Past is the "real sequel"
A picture of a Nintendo 3DS console next to several of the best 3DS games and Nintendo cards.
Games The 25 best Nintendo 3DS games of all time
A Reggie Fils-Aimé puppet from Nintendo's E3 2015 presentation.
Games Nintendo doesn't discount games because it's "mentality" is shipping "the best" says ex-NOA boss
Link is shocked in a screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.
The Legend of Zelda The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake "all but confirmed," fans conclude following Star Fox reveal
An inkling with orange hair in Splatoon on Wii U using a splat gun to cover the stage with orange paint
Games The 25 best Wii U games of all time
Star Fox Switch 2
Action Games OG Star Fox character designer is "so proud" as Switch 2 remake is revealed: "This isn't a dream, right?"
Witch Hat Atelier
Anime Shows Witch Hat Atelier producer clears up production confusion behind the years-in-the-making anime
Fire Emblem Engage
Games Nintendo kept finished games in a "vault" while it waited for a "gap" to release them, says former marketing lead
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time screenshot showing Link, a young boy with elf-like ears and blond hair, with a surprised expression on his face
The Legend of Zelda The Zelda timeline was planned out for years, but Shigeru Miyamoto said it's "not that important"
Link in The Legend of Zelda movie
Live Action Movies The Legend of Zelda movie: Everything we know so far about the live-action movie
Kliff sits at a pond in the middle of a lush green forest in Crimson Desert
Adventure Games 100 hours of Crimson Desert made me realize how perfect Breath of the Wild is
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. Action
  3. The Legend of Zelda
  4. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD

Zelda: Wind Waker HD took 6 months to develop

News
By Connor Sheridan published 7 October 2013

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

It only took about six months to create our five-star favorite The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, series producer Eiji Aonuma told 4Gamer (translated by Siliconera.) The remastered HD version of the game came together quickly, though "development was still difficult" thanks to the difference of hardware.

Aonuma said scaling the game up visually was much easier than getting it to work in the first place, as cel shading is much more familiar than it was in 2003.

"At that time, the technique was established, but had not be used before by our staff, everyone had to do everything by hand," Aonuma said.

Latest Videos From
You may like
  • Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild 2 Zelda producer says "hardware evolution" lifts "restrictions" but more importantly, "greatly influences the game design"
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom screenshot showing Princess Zelda with tied-back blonde hair and emerald green eyes, wielding a sword before her face As Zelda devs tested contraptions now in Tears of the Kingdom, director realized Breath of the Wild still had potential
  • The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword screenshot Challenges in emulating Zelda titles demonstrates the series' knack for reinvention

While Wind Waker HD is largely a graphical update, it does have a few changes to the gameplay like (optional) faster sailing and a streamlined hunt for the Triforce pieces. Some cutscenes had to be re-framed to fit the 16:9 aspect ratio, as well.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
Wii-u Platforms Nintendo
Connor Sheridan
Connor Sheridan
Social Links Navigation
Former GamesRadar+ News Writer

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and was formerly a staff writer at GamesRadar+.

Read more
Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild 2
The Legend of Zelda Zelda producer says "hardware evolution" lifts "restrictions" but more importantly, "greatly influences the game design"
 
 
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom screenshot showing Princess Zelda with tied-back blonde hair and emerald green eyes, wielding a sword before her face
The Legend of Zelda As Zelda devs tested contraptions now in Tears of the Kingdom, director realized Breath of the Wild still had potential
 
 
The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword screenshot
The Legend of Zelda Challenges in emulating Zelda titles demonstrates the series' knack for reinvention
 
 
Mario Bros 2 key art showing mario throwing a vegtable at enemies
Super Mario Nintendo was a madhouse thanks to the simultaneous development of Mario and Zelda, Miyamoto says
 
 
Street Fighter 6
The Legend of Zelda Street Fighter 6 director says Shigeru Miyamoto is "a North Star guiding all game creators"
 
 
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda Nintendo knew Breath of the Wild's open-world pivot was "the right direction" after seeing players do "amazing" things
 
 
Latest in The Legend of Zelda
Link is shocked in a screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.
The Legend of Zelda The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake "all but confirmed," fans conclude following Star Fox reveal
 
 
Best NES games: Link holding a sword in the game The Legend of Zelda.
Super Mario Zelda was Nintendo's answer to "traditional RPGs," Shigeru Miyamoto says
 
 
Mario Bros 2 key art showing mario throwing a vegtable at enemies
Super Mario Nintendo was a madhouse thanks to the simultaneous development of Mario and Zelda, Miyamoto says
 
 
Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link
The Legend of Zelda Shigeru Miyamoto thinks Zelda 2 was "sort of a failure," and A Link to the Past is the "real sequel"
 
 
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time screenshot showing Link, a young boy with elf-like ears and blond hair, with a surprised expression on his face
The Legend of Zelda The Zelda timeline was planned out for years, but Shigeru Miyamoto said it's "not that important"
 
 
Monster Hunter World
The Legend of Zelda Monster Hunter and Pragmata creators praise The Legend of Zelda as "A source of inspiration in countless ways"
 
 
Latest in News
PS5 Pro reveal from trailer
Hardware PS6 price and release window still undecided, but Sony reports "an increase in investments" in next-gen PlayStation
 
 
Antony Starr as Homelander in The Boys season 5 trailer
Superhero Shows Homelander star teases his victory in The Boys series finale, and an unused shot from the trailer seems to back it up
 
 
Super Mario World, our number one best retro games
Super Mario Super Mario World director Takashi Tezuka is leaving Nintendo after 42 years
 
 
Marathon Triage runner
FPS Games Sony reports $765 million impairment loss on Marathon and Destiny 2 studio Bungie for the last financial year
 
 
Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb, the Penguin in episode 8 of The Penguin.
DC TV Shows The Penguin season 2 feels closer than ever to happening thanks to this writer listing
 
 
Key art for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen showing Venasaur against a swirling green background, cropped for a header image
Pokemon Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are now some of the best-selling Pokemon games of all time
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Marathon Triage runner
    1
    Sony reports $765 million impairment loss on Marathon and Destiny 2 studio Bungie for the last financial year
  2. 2
    Homelander star teases his victory in The Boys series finale, and an unused shot from the trailer seems to back it up
  3. 3
    How to unlock the Leon Must Die Forever wolf skin
  4. 4
    Super Mario World director Takashi Tezuka is leaving Nintendo after 42 years
  5. 5
    The Penguin season 2 feels closer than ever to happening thanks to this writer listing

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...