Zelda fans, rejoice. While fans worldwide had many reasons to be optimistic about the Nintendo Switch 2, knowing three GameCube classics are arriving on launch day, including Wind Waker, there’s still a shred of disappointment, given how much we all want to see that game get a port to Switch consoles. Luckily, recent events give fans a reason to be optimistic about getting one.
Speaking on Kinda Funny Games Daily (thanks, VGC), Tim Gettys had some interesting things to say about a Wind Waker Switch port after talking with Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of product development, Nate Bihldorff. Widely regarded as one of the best Zelda games of all time, many of you spent the last eight years waiting to see Wind Waker arrive on Nintendo Switch, only to feel a shred of disappointment each time the next Nintendo Direct rolled around.
Well, according to Gettys, when speaking with Bihldorff, he “did ask if having The Wind Waker on Nintendo Switch Online precludes it from the Switch 2 getting the actual Wii U port at some point,” and the response he got is “no, all options are on the table.”
That certainly gives me a reason to be hopeful, especially as Gettys goes on to point out that “nothing’s confirmed one way or another, but there are many examples of games that are on Nintendo Switch Online and you can get them in a different way, whether it’s a remake, or the same port version or whatever it is. So, [it’s] interesting that they didn’t say it’s not happening, but essentially it was ‘never say never,’ it’s Nintendo.”
If you’re not so hot on the history of Wind Waker, it debuted on the GameCube in 2002 in Japan, heading to the West the following year. Then, ten years later, in 2013, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD on the Wii U, easily becoming one of the best Wii U games out there. No doubt it’ll prove just as popular for NSO players when the Nintendo Switch 2 release date rolls around.
Unfortunately, if you don’t secure your Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order or pick up the console later, you won’t have access to the GameCube library, as it’s exclusive to the upcoming hardware. Still, there are plenty of games like Zelda that you can enjoy on the OG Switch, as well as the wonderful Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.