Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya calls Zelda: The Wind Waker “crap”

Hideki Kamiya has never hidden his problems with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. More than 20 years after Nintendo launched Link’s GameCube adventure, the Devil May Cry creator is still picking at the same sore spot: sailing across the Great Sea. And he really doesn’t like it. Kamiya’s criticism centres on Wind Waker’s pacing, its reliance on sea travel and the repeated need to change wind direction during trips between islands. He’s raised similar complaints before, so this isn’t some sudden change of heart sparked by a recent replay. His position has stayed remarkably consistent. For Kamiya, the issue isn’t Wind Waker’s cartoon art. It’s what players spend their time doing.

Sailing remains Kamiya’s biggest problem

Wind Waker built much of its identity around the Great Sea. Link travels between islands aboard the King of Red Lions, searches for treasure, visits small settlements and uses the Wind Waker baton to control the direction of the wind. For some players, this gives the game a slower pace between dungeons. Kamiya sees it very differently.

His complaints focus on how often players cross large stretches of water, stop to adjust the wind and continue sailing before reaching the next major destination. Treasure charts and underwater chests add more tasks across the ocean, increasing the amount of time spent away from dungeons and combat-heavy sections.

Kamiya has criticised this structure for years. He previously took aim at Wind Waker’s late-game Triforce hunt, where progress slows as Link searches across the sea for the pieces needed to reach the final stages. He’s also criticised the number of dungeons.

It’s a fairly clear design preference. Kamiya’s own games tend to move quickly, putting combat, movement and player input near the centre of each encounter. Wind Waker often asks players to spend several minutes travelling before reaching the next substantial location. Those two approaches don’t have much in common.

Nintendo already changed several of these sections

Nintendo addressed several pacing complaints with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD on Wii U in 2013. The biggest addition was the Swift Sail. Once acquired, it let Link’s boat travel faster and automatically placed the wind behind him. Players no longer needed to use the Wind Waker every time they wanted to change direction during normal sea travel. It made a noticeable difference.

Nintendo reworked the Triforce hunt too. The original GameCube release required players to collect eight Triforce charts, pay to have each one deciphered and travel to the relevant location to recover each piece.

Wind Waker HD cut down this process. Several Triforce pieces could be collected directly, leaving fewer charts requiring translation. Nintendo didn’t replace the Great Sea or redesign Wind Waker around a new structure. The ocean remained central. The Wii U edition simply removed some repetition and sped up the sections players spent travelling between major objectives. Kamiya’s criticism still applies more directly to the original GameCube release.

The art style isn’t his target

Wind Waker’s visual direction caused plenty of debate before its 2003 release. Nintendo had previously shown a GameCube demonstration featuring Link and Ganondorf with a more realistic appearance, so the switch to cel-shaded graphics surprised players. Kamiya’s complaints sit elsewhere.

He isn’t attacking the cartoon presentation, animation or character design. His criticism is aimed at the mechanics linking each major part of the adventure together. It’s an interesting distinction, especially since Wind Waker’s graphics dominated so much discussion around the game during its original release period. Two decades later, the graphics rarely need an introduction. The sailing still takes time.

Wind Waker remains one of Zelda’s highest-rated entries

Kamiya’s opinion hasn’t stopped Wind Waker from becoming one of Nintendo’s most highly rated Zelda games. The original GameCube release holds a Metacritic score of 96, putting it near the top of the series’ critical rankings. Reviewers praised its combat, animation, dungeon design and expressive presentation, though sea travel and the Triforce search attracted criticism from some players.

Its reputation remained strong enough for Nintendo to produce the Wii U remaster a decade later. The original GameCube edition is now available through the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics catalogue on Nintendo Switch 2 for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers.

This version follows the GameCube release rather than Wind Waker HD, meaning players encounter the original sailing speed, wind mechanics and Triforce structure. For anyone curious about Kamiya’s complaints, it’s probably the clearest version to play.

Kamiya hasn’t changed his mind

Kamiya has directed some of Japan’s most recognisable action games, including Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, Okami and Bayonetta. Fast movement and immediate player control feature heavily across much of his work. Wind Waker runs on a different rhythm.

Nintendo built large stretches of the game around travelling, searching and crossing open water between its more concentrated dungeon sections. Kamiya didn’t enjoy this approach years ago, and his recent comments show little has changed. Wind Waker may have earned its place among Zelda’s most acclaimed releases. Kamiya still doesn’t want to spend so much time sailing.

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