Back in 2001, when Toon Link was first unveiled, fans were outraged. Be it a fear of change or disappointment in the "childish" style, many fans denounced Toon Link as a true rendition of Link.
Fast forward to the present. Toon Link not only enjoyed more than a marginal sales success with The Wind Waker, he went on to star in three handheld games, including Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. Yes, clearly Toon Link is a cartoonish version of the classic Link we know and love. But fans have come to appreciate Toon Link for his vibrant personality.
Fast forward to the present. Toon Link not only enjoyed more than a marginal sales success with The Wind Waker, he went on to star in three handheld games, including Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. Yes, clearly Toon Link is a cartoonish version of the classic Link we know and love. But fans have come to appreciate Toon Link for his vibrant personality.
Toon Link himself bears a style similar to that of the games he stars in. He's colorful, he's energetic, and he's fun. His games feature cel-shade graphics, which put a strong emphasis on color and shading. Critics have praised not only The Wind Waker, but Toon Link's handheld DS games as well.
The success of these handheld games is really what cinched Toon Link into the Legend of Zelda family. Fans became comfortable with the cartoonish character, and warmed up to the change of pace Toon Link and his games brought to the series.
Recently, Toon Link's iconic game The Wind Waker was released in HD for the Wii U, to raving success. It's taken a few years, but fans are finally coming to accept Toon Link as the Link incarnation he is. That in no way means that there aren't fans who dislike the little guy. A lot of people in my survey had negative things to say about Toon Link, and shouted their support for the classic Link.