Well, I just watched the Nintendo E3 direct. No Wind Waker HD port.
I'm kind of convinced at this point that the game will not come to Switch. Therefore, it will be a long while before we see it again, if ever.
To me, this signals that the end for the series really is here. And I did, always consider Toon Link's games to be a separate series from the main, just as paper mario is also a cartoon style, and distinct from other entries.
Because Wind Waker is not going to show up again anytime soon, it will not have the actual successful release it missed out on in its two prior releases. And because it will not grow in attention from that, I see little chance of a new game starring Toon Link ever happening.
To say I'm disappointed would be an understatement. This is my favorite game. It is forgotten by a lot of the community in favor of more flashy or traditionally praised games, while Wind Waker and its sequels have always been in a much rougher spot.
So in lieu of Nintendo not acknowledging the game, I feel no qualms about playing it on dolphin emulator. If Nintendo has a problem with it, they should've given me a way to play the game that didn't require a Wii U.