The GBA's Canceled Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker Sequel We Never Got To Play

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was a divisive game when it was first announced in 2002. After riding the high that was the Nintendo 64 era of Zelda titles like Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, fans were expecting another darker-toned entry in the series. When players were instead met with a cel-shaded and cartoony version of Link, the hype for a new Zelda game turned into backlash. The game was judged harshly after its announcement trailer, with many dubbing the new entry as "Celda."

Despite apprehension from the community, The Wind Waker turned out to be one of best-regarded entries in the Zelda series. The game received critical acclaim and was adored by fans who fell in love with the title's open sea and moving storyline. The Wind Waker eventually received direct sequels in the form of Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks on the Nintendo DS, and it even got an HD remaster for the Wii U in 2013. 

However, many fans might not realize there was also a Game Boy Advance sequel to The Wind Waker that was in the works, but never saw the light of day.

Before he became the director of the acclaimed Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle for the Nintendo Switch, David Soliani was working on a sequel to The Wind Waker in 2003. Alongside his colleague and game artist, Fabio Pagetti, the duo worked hard to have a demo ready for Nintendo to judge. 

Soliani revealed this information in a tweet from 2017, and he even attached a screenshot of what the game would've looked like. "Me and Fabio Pagetti almost convinced our managing director to let us produce a demo for a GBA version of Wind Waker," he wrote. "No luck that time, but it was running nicely. We were dreamers."

The screenshot features Link in brightly-colored pixel form, standing in what looks like to be a dungeon. There are a couple of familiar assets from The Wind Waker, such as the blue jars, the cartoony torch, and Link in his distinctive Wind Waker outfit. Although this game never went forward, players did get to see a pixelated return of Toon Link on the Game Boy Advance when The Minish Cap was released in 2004.