Japanese Charts: Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Scores Another Debut Number One

Loving skyward sword! The button option works great and improves the experience for me. Currently on 2nd dungeon and missed this element in botw.

For comparison the original Skyward Sword sold 195k in the first 4 days (in Japan) whereas SSHD sold 159k in the first 3 days. Also BotW sold 231k in the first 3 days although you have to consider that there were far less Switch out there (since it launched the same day) and no one owned a Wii U (but on the other side there was ofc nothing else to play at the launch of the Switch)

Crayon Shincan on number 2 LOL 😂

@Clyde_Radcliffe "Controls that aren't fun are a red line for me in games."

I can certainly sympathise with that. Skyward Sword controls fine for me (at least it did on the Wii, don't own a switch copy), but control inputs have stopped me from enjoying Kid Icarus Uprising (just can't get on with them).

Not really much to say about the sales otherwise; looks like business as usual to me.

Maybe bring more Zelda games to Switch? Just a thought.

Χbox series X is selling decent (for Japan). Japanese discovered game pass, PS5 shortages?

@mariomaster96 Well also gotta remember that compared to when the OG Skyward Sword came out, Digital sales have exploded(Not to mention the OG Skyward Sword didn't have a digital version). So I'm sure in terms of overall sales, the HD remaster has far surpassed the OG.

@MS7000 Oh, I deleted my comment because I've been procrastinating too much today and decided it'd be better not to get into a big discussion. But yeah, games like Kid Icarus, Star Fox Zero and others had the same problem.

It's a shame really as Nintendo's controls on their 1st party games were near enough flawless in the GameCube era and earlier (at least for their time)

@mariomaster96 I am the outlier. Since I was waiting for Christmas 2017 for the Switch, I did buy Wii U BOTW at launch.

Now announce a Twilight princess and Windwaker collection

Shame to be frank. Shin chan deserves the top spot instead of yet another microwave warmed up meal from yesterday.

@QueenKittenWrite Oh yeah, I always forget those aren't included

@Clyde_Radcliffe
Star Fox Zero control scheme with Wii U gamepad was really confusing like i have no idea what should i do. 😩
I have finished 2 missions at beginning but still thinking twice to continue the game as the control scheme was really terrible.

@Kaioken I would buy a collection. Individually, I can’t justify them. I own both for Wii U.

Of course, the vast majority of Switch owners don’t have a Wii U. So they probably will be sold individually.

I‘ve played only 20 minutes into the game and the QoL improvements are already a huge step up. Now I want TP with motion controls (like the other 1% on earth).

Nintendo rules again . No big surprise here and nice to see x box doing so well.

Wind Walker HD and Twilight Princess HD would be amazing editions as well, and they’d be so cheap and easy for Nintendo… like you’re simply missing out on profit 😩

Thought it would be a bit different in Japan as Zelda is not as beloved there as the US but congratulations Skyward Sword. I'm having fun, played mostly button but will give motion a shot soon.

@Purgatorium
Oh boy.....time for me to explain this all over again.

Nintendo wanted Zelda to become an annual franchise. By doing so, they're stretching out most of their releases to one game a year (with the exception of 2019 where Cadence of Hyrule joined the fray). I think that's more generous than other Nintendo franchises like Metroid and Fire Emblem.

The other Zelda games would come. You just gotta be patient. This isn't like Mario where they can release a collection and call it a day - every Zelda game gets its own special treatment, so just wait.

Have yet to start as MHS2 is taking alot of grinding...

@Anti-Matter It's actually one of those "My summer vacation in the country" kind of games.

Not typical Crayon Shin Chan hijinks

It really is a shame Nintendo didn’t listen to Michael Pachter back in the day, get out of hardware and release everything on mobile platforms….

I'm playing through Skyward Sword, and while it's a bit awkward, the controls are starting to click. I'm pretty sure the problem is that I'm playing it like ARMS which only required quick twitches to make an action, as opposed to prepping a controller for sword swings. Also, I played the first 3 hours all at once, so probably burned myself out a little XD

I actually did have a problem flying the Loftwing at first until I realized that I didn't read the part on how to ascend with motion controls. Oops.

@ModdedInkling

I hope you're feeling better.

Go Xbox go!! oh I’m on a Nintendo site..I mean..pshh whatevs man 😂

Skyward Sword HD has been great. The visuals at 60fps are really great, and I wasn't sure the painterly look was being maintained from online trailers, but it is, and having that gestalt in the background and the painterly textures all sharp-edged up close looks great to me during play. Stills don't do it justice at all.

I really enjoy the characters and quirkiness at the start even if it it is a bit long.

Fi still bothers me. I've noticed it in some manga and anime too, where things are massively over-explained not trusting the audience to read between the lines even in the most basic and obvious ways. Fi always comes in and explains what we already know from inference (or sometimes just explains almost the exact same thing). It has been much-improved by I think it could go even further.

Even so, I still enjoy the moments when Fi's conversation wanders into literal absolutism and the other characters are very expressive. The cinematic approach was a big jump in quality for Nintendo at the time. It begs to have voice-work because it is directed that way.

Controls can initially confuse here and there, but they are as fun for me as they were back in the day. Motion controls as intended to get you to act things out like a kid which is just fun for me.

Yes, and being a success in Japan is always good for the continued support and advancement of Zelda games. Keep hoping for a Metroid breakthrough...

Hello, its me. The guy that prefers the motion controls to the button controls.

Whose still buying 2DS's in 2021?

@Kaioken im for this as long as they have both for $40 and they both run at 60fps

@AnnoyingFrenzy i prefer the motion controls for only the combat and aiming. Using motion for flying, swimming, balancing all sucks

I wonder if the Steam Deck will ever appear on this chart. Can't wait to take to the sky again on my OLED.

@Patendo

The buttons worked well enough for me until I realized I can't click my L3 to roll. So I had to switch to motion control and it is buttery smooth, I love it. Feels way better than the wii days

@SwankyKong64 Can't say I agree, flying and swimming with motion never bothered me (ie: if it was controlled with motion or buttons I wouldn't really care), though I get why people don't really like them.

By comparison, Skyward Sword on Wii sold ~195,000 at launch back in 2011. Much like in the UK, it seems like Skyward Sword HD matched or exceeded the launch sales of the Skyward Sword in Japan once digital sales are factored in.

Well deserved! I'm enjoying my first ever playthrough of Skyward Sword so far. I like the motion controls for combat using the sword & shield, gyro for the slingshot, bow, ect. I only switch to button controls when balancing on ropes and flying the Loftwing. Now bring Wind Waker HD & Twilight Princess HD to Switch please Nintendo. I don't want to buy the games for Wii U...

Surprised how Series X is just crushing Series S. Wonder if it's the 4K UHD Blu Ray player and ability to play 360 games??

I would prefer everyone to stop buying Mario Kart 8. I am so ready for 9. It's like GTAV. Enough already! j/k

I still think that, since the game sales only count physical - or at least that is what I have been told several times - that the game list is kinda pointless.

But hardware is hardware. And those numbers tell a clear picture. It's understandable why MS flopped in Japan, but clearly whatever Sony's been doing in their own home town in recent years has really not worked.

I lived in Japan for about 5 and a half years, and I know first hand how successful and popular Sony used to be in Japan. But I can't pinpoint any distinct reason why the PS4 fell off or why the PS5 has done so poorly.

And please spare me that "Japanese gamers don't like consoles/don't own TVs/only like portables" western delusion. It's just blatantly wrong.

Just beat Skyward Sword amazing game. Can’t wait for botw 2. Never had a Wii u wish they could port wind waker hd and twilight princess hd.

I advise everyone to actually BEAT this game. Skyward Sword has, hands down, one of, if not THE best ending in any Zelda game. Even including the endgame boss fight...hits you right in the feels.

I never played this on the Wii as in 31 years gaming, Zelda games were never really for me as I enjoyed other games too much.

Since WindWaker HD on Wii U though I've fallen in love with the games (though still nowhere near as much as other people do, not even close), and I am RUBBISH at the games, taking hours to do what others no doubt do in minutes, but I still really enjoy them now.

I'm LOVING Skyward Sword HD using button control. Beautiful game.

I love my Wii, but not sure I would have enjoyed this type of game on the Wii as the motion control only probably would have put me off and annoyed me.

As far as playing on Switch goes, I'm 6 hours in and love it. Highly recommended, especially if you're like me and it's technically a brand new game and experience.

@Andrew5678 I think like 75% of players who have problems with flying missed that part. It's painful to watch because without it... well you know what it's like without it. With it is like being a bird. I also think the loftwing gets faster when it flaps up. That's one tutorial they needed to make bigger, I think.

@Clyde_Radcliffe That's only a few titles that had control problems.. The problem is most likely partly you, though. It takes time to get used to a new control scheme. If you give someone who never has played video games a game controller, they will struggle with the controls, even for relatively simple games control schemes like Super Mario World.

The other part of the problem is that motion controls are much harder to program and I don't think Nintendo has the human resources to really take on that task to make impeccable motion controls.

In the case of Star Fox.. they should have scrapped the idea early on. It should have been apparent in the early stages of development that that control scheme was overly complex. But I think they made an error of judgment in thinking that they needed to innovate with using the gamepad to justify its existence.