I just played through Wind Waker for the second time and for a game that came out in 2003 it still looks amazing probably on par with games released today. 
So I guess I wonder why did people take issue with the artstyle, I remember there being massive bitching about it back in the day, can someone enlighten me please?

It really is, isn't it. My 2nd favorite Zelda game, I wish they're release it for 3DS, I'd gladly play it again, I've got a long hospital stay coming up... some sweet jaw surgery.

You know, I kinda scoffed at the art style at the time, but in retrospect, it really was pretty awesome.  
 
Which is why I like the style of Skyward Sword. Well, I think what I've seen may be a little too bright and happy (because you can do stylized/cartoony and still be dark), but whatever. 

It really does look AMAZING. I actually....did...some...stuff and got it running in HD - 1920 x 1080. Oh man, it looks NICE even if it isn't really HD. It still looks really good upscaled.

My copy broke ):  Still i beat it twice and got every heart piece, not counting the Nintendo gallery

I think it's easily the best Zelda game... cue angry mob of OoT and LttP fans.

" I think it's easily the best Zelda game... cue angry mob of OoT and LttP fans. "

On the PC, it even puts most current gen games to shame.  
 

I don't think people were really complaining about it not looking good.  It looks great, but it just wasn't what people wanted their Zelda game to look like.

cel shading ages pretty well, wind waker is still one of my favorite after a Link to the Past.

It remains a thing of beauty. Ask anyone and they will agree.
 
One can only assume that those who howled in protest when the first trailers were revealed, died of asshole.

When it was first shown, I didn't mind the art style. But I did love reading all the hate. Of course I bought it day one and thought the graphics were very simple and clean, probably why it holds up so well today. I also find that most Nintendo released games on the GameCube hold up quite well. I recently purchased F-Zero GX and it still looks sharp.

I still adore this game. Oh man is the music good as well.

" cel shading ages pretty well, wind waker is still one of my favorite after a Link to the Past. "

Graphically, It is my favorite game of all time. It makes me smile, and its like a feast for the eyes. 
I don't exactly know why people scoffed at the art style, maybe people wanted a more mature Zelda game? 
It isn't my favorite Zelda game but it is very close to it.

Youtube videos of Nintendo games like Zelda and Galaxy upscaled make me really sad that there is no HD Nintendo system, because the videos are GORGEOUS.

A lot of pubescent kids grew up on the N64 and had a weird idea of what Zelda was "supposed" to look like from Ocarina's non-art style art style.

" A lot of pubescent kids grew up on the N64 and had a weird idea of what Zelda was "supposed" to look like from Ocarina's non-art style art style. "

In defense of reactionary preteens everywhere, the art style was pretty off putting when the first screens showed Link as some weird munchkin thing.

Of course, I did eventually come to love it along with everyone else. The game itself isn't paced as well as Ocarina, or even Majora's Mask, but it's a lot nicer to look at.

Wind Waker was the shit
 

SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.

If it hadn't been for the tedious "Find the map shard pieces, now pay extortionate amounts to have them translated, now go find the sword pieces" trial towards the end of the game it'd have probably been one of my favourite Zelda's. The ending is incredible and the dungeons are really great. 
 
Majora's Mask still owns all as far as I'm concerned.

I agree. It is still a great looking game and I hope another Zelda game comes out like it on consoles. My biggest complaint with the game was that the islands were usually too small for my liking. Other than that, it was an incredibly unique game in the series.

Definitely my favourite Zelda game, I think people mostly bitched about it because they were lead to believe they were getting the super realistic art style that Nintendo showed off in that promotional video for the gamecube.  

In retrospect, I think I didn't give Wind Waker enough credit. It was better than Majora's Mask, but I was a big fan of Ocarina and in the age group to really not be a fan of Cel Shading. Of course, it took Twilight Princess being kind of a dull rote repetition of every Zelda trope for me to realize that. Nonetheless, that triforce scavenger hunt at the end was... off putting to say the least, and I still am not a huge fan of sailing everywhere. Probably my second favorite game in the series.

Fantastic game. I know everyone else here has said it already, but I'd rather play through this than Twilight Princess any day. 

Windwaker IS pretty awesome, I played it alot.
It's a shame those two planned temples (levels) didn't make it in.

I never really liked the way it looked, but it does hold up pretty well compared to the other games from the same time.

shit......i have strong urge to play that game now. Also I noticed that wind waker was hated quite a bit around the time of release but more people are turning around on that way later.

While the art style was cool, (I was one of the teens who semi-raged but still bought it day one) the dungeons were widely forgetable and cruising around in that ship was astoundingly boring especially when you were finding pieces of the triforce. None of the towns had the sprawling population feel that OOT or Majora's Mask had. (Its hard to pass up Clock Town as that was the greatest hub town ever made imo) The game still turned out as a great Zelda game-- just not as great as the others. It did have amazing music though.
 
The first time I rolled up to Dragon Roost Island and heard the music, I zoned out for 5 straight minutes just listening to the music.   

" shit......i have strong urge to play that game now. Also I noticed that wind waker was hated quite a bit around the time of release but more people are turning around on that way later. "

Wind Waker might be my favourite Zelda game. I loved every bit of it (okay the fetch quest was annoying), from the art and music, to the combat and the dungeons. The ending was fantastic as well. Great stuff.

Yeah, the game is still a treat to watch, but as others have mentioned, the soundtrack was absolutely fantastic as well.

I hated the look of Wind Waker back then. Me and a few other people (massive Nintendo fanboys) were raging on a gaming forum about it for a long time. Of course, when I actually played it, it was amazing. The art style really is timeless. And while Ocarina and Majora's Mask are horribly dated, WW still feels and looks as good as the day it came out. The triforce hunt at the end is horrible though.

Let's not forget that this came after Space World 2000 where everyone went batshit over this:
 
  

Wind Waker is amazing.
 
The style is still awesome to look at, especially the subtle details and some of the areas.
The music is on my Mp3 player and will not leave it anytime soon, some of the best music in the series!

I love Wind Waker - it's still my favourite Zelda game. I just wish it was in HD... oh, and if they could sort out the camera while they do that, that would be great too. Man, I don't know how people put up with camera controls in 2003...

Yes. Yes it is.

Oh what I wouldn't give for an HD Wind Waker...

I actually really loved this game. I thought the whole concept of the islands worked really well and I could spend hours just roaming the seas. The graphics still look beautiful today, you're right and in fact, this thread has made me want to play WW again.

I love this game.  Links Awakening is my favorite game though. 
Also the reason people were so disappointed when this was shown off?  This trailer.