There's no way you could have missed Skyward Sword's release. The most eagerly awaited game for the Wii in 2011, and possibly in the Wii's history, hit the shelves in November last year, but no copy stayed on a shelf for long.
There was nothing but praise for the game. It was so good many people bought a Wii just to play it.
In fact, Skyward Sword is a Zelda game so amazing, it's hard to imagine how they'll improve on the next one. The last time Zelda tried something so drastically new was the release of Wind Waker back on the GameCube. The difference here, is that people actually bought Skyward Sword, whereas Wind Waker remains unplayed by many fans of the series.
While I'm happy for Zelda to stay in the format of Skyward Sword, I will miss a character I think we have seen the last of in 2009 on the DS. I'm talking about the incarnation of Link whose head is bigger than a Goron. It might be too early to say, but things are looking critical for Toon Link.
Toon Link debuted in a spectacular style. After two huge hits on the Nintendo 64: Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, Nintendo revamped an already seemingly perfect series for the GameCube. Before anyone had even played The Wind Waker, people had critisied Link's new look, saying the game will be too childish and it would loose it's edge. There were even internet petitions begging Nintendo to make Toon Link more realistic.
But that's not what happened. The game turned out to be just as dark as Majora's Mask, but laugh-out-loud funny too. The Cel-Shaded Graphics were perfect for the GameCube, and suddenly all the critics were claiming that they alone were defending the game before it came out.
It is also by far the most beautiful sounding Zelda. In the recent Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony, Wind Waker got over ten minutes dedicated to it's music. For those who have played the game, you can listen below and reminisce, and for those who have not, check out where Skyward Sword comes second to Wind Waker.
After Wind Waker, Toon Link jumped into our Game Boy Advance in The Minish Cap, possibly the most underrated Zelda game to ever be released, and currently available for the 3DS Ambassadors.
Once again, Toon Link was praised, bringing magic to an old series. Critics now turned away from words like 'childish' and replaced them with 'whimsical'.
The next console release for The Legend of Zelda was Twilight Princess.
Toon Link was nowhere to be seen, the game was the darkest Zelda yet, and the humour had been lost. Link was again reinventing himself, which was welcomed in open arms, but I worried that my favourite incarnation of Link would be lost forever.
Then, only a year after Twilight Princess was released, Toon Link was back. Toon Link appeared in Phantom Hourglass on the DS, and it's sequel Spirit Tracks.
The two DS games weren't met with as much enthusiasm as Toon Link's previous games, they didn't do anything new for the series, especially after playing Twilight Princess.
Between these two games, Toon Link made a surprise appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, teasing what he could look like in a new game for the Wii, but giving no clues towards one.
Now, with Skyward Sword's almost perfect formula, it's hard to see a future for Toon Link. With a HD Zelda announced for the Wii U, you would imagine Nintendo wanting to show off Twilight Princess' realistic graphics, or the amazing art style of Skyward Sword.
There is also a 3DS Zelda in the works, which is the only ray of hope for Toon Link, as the DS is where he has made his home. I hope to see you popping out of the 3DS Toon Link, but things look grim.
