For many years, Nintendo simply didn't know what people wanted out of a Zelda game. Originally Wind Waker was going to feature a traditional "realistic" art style, but the creators got worried that in the increasingly competitive market they wouldn't stand out -- so Toon Link was born.
It sold well but many fans reacted negatively to it at the time, causing them to shift back into realism with Twilight Princess, which, subsequently, people also didn't like, having finally come around to Wind Waker.
To some degree Skyward Sword tried to marry the two styles, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild rights so many of the wrongs that game committed.
via destructoid http://ift.tt/2lgD576