Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker originally had Link play theremin Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker originally had Link play theremin Sounds good to me. News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Published on 27 Jun 2022 12 comments The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker originally had Link play theremin, rather than conduct the winds using his titular conductor's baton. The detail comes from a 2003 issue of Nintendo Dream magazine, which popular YouTube channel Did You Know Gaming? has now translated. Zelda series boss Eiji Aounuma was all set to use a theremin as Link's musical instrument of choice, with each control stick on the GameCube pad set to control each of Link's hands as he manipulated its volume and pitch. Why the theremin? Apparently a film had recently released in Japan detailing the electronic instrument's creation in 1919 by Russian physicist Leon Theremin. Several of Nintendo's developers were fans. Watch on YouTube Fancy some classic Zelda? Majora's Mask is now on Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack. Legendary Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto was not a fan, however, and critiqued its control scheme. Eventually, Link's hand movements were changed to a baton - and the Wind Waker itself was born. Miyamoto also had things to say around Wind Waker's cel-shaded art style - but Aounuma had apparently anticipated this to a degree. To counteract this, Aounuma waited to show Miyamoto the new art style - though Miyamoto apparently "had trouble letting go of the realistic Link art style until the very end". The video is a fun watch for Zelda fans, even if not all of the detail here is new. There's mention of Wind Waker's legendarily-strict development time, which meant early ideas to explore more of Hyrule underneath the waves never made it into the game. There's also an admission that the game's ocean is as large as it is - larger than Aounuma wanted - to enable the GameCube to load islands in the distance slow enough the console didn't crash. Watch the video in full below. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 7 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store