Nintendo Fuels Zelda: Wind Waker HD Hopes Amid Switch 2 Speculation

The announcement that The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2 via the GameCube library has sparked speculation about its future on the console. However, fans can breathe a sigh of relief. According to Nate Bihldorff, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of product development, the availability of a game on Nintendo Switch Online does not rule out the possibility of a remaster or remake. This was shared during a conversation with Kinda Funny's Tim Gettys.

Despite their popularity, both The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess have yet to be ported to any version of the Nintendo Switch. The Wind Waker, previously ported to the Wii U in 2013, will soon be accessible through Nintendo's premium subscription service when the Nintendo Switch 2 releases on June 5. This has led some fans to worry about the prospects of a full remaster.

Bihldorff emphasized that all options remain open for these beloved titles. He noted that there are precedents where games available on Nintendo Switch Online have also been released in other formats, such as remakes or the same port versions. This suggests that a remaster of The Wind Waker on the Nintendo Switch 2 is still very much a possibility.

The addition of GameCube titles to Nintendo Switch Online was revealed during last week's Nintendo Direct presentation. This significant update will offer subscribers access to a variety of classic 2000s-era games at launch this summer, including F-Zero GX, Soulcalibur 2, and, of course, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The library is set to expand in the future, with titles such as Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi's Mansion, Super Mario Strikers, and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness on the horizon.

In other news, the Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order date in the United States faced delays due to import tariffs introduced by President Trump, which caused financial market instability. The delay soon affected Nintendo Canada as well, confirming that pre-orders would also be postponed there.

For more information, be sure to check out everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct.