Returning to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword some ten whole years down the line from its original release, you may be expecting, as we certainly were, to be greeted by a core game that's unavoidably, naturally, beginning to show its age in some regards. It stands to reason, this is an entry in Nintendo's storied franchise that's had its detractors from the get-go, criticised for its sometimes unreliable motion controls, its fractured overworld, intrusive sidekick, pacing and some late-game repetition. Surely by now these issues — these rough edges — have been exacerbated, and even added to, by the natural progression of time.
Well, whether or not any of that might have been the case seems quite beside the point now; with this HD remaster, Nintendo has taken its gust bellows to a layer of jank that, in hindsight, stood between players and the true promise, the full potential, of this masterpiece. The raft of tweaks, changes and updates drip-fed to us in the months leading up to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD's release may not have seemed all that exciting on paper — this isn't some ground-up remake and there's no new content or notable changes to how things unfold — but together they give the underlying game here a whole new lease of life. This HD remaster feels like how we were meant to originally experience this adventure, the connection between the game's world and the player now unimpeded.
Let's start with those technical changes. The motion controls here, such a divisive element of the original release of this game, now perform so much closer to the way we dreamed they might back in 2011. Tight, responsive and absolutely up to the task in the most frantic of mob battles and boss fights, they may not quite manage the flawless 1:1 swordplay that was touted back in the day, but boy do they come close.
Engaging in combat in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD feels fluid, your sword swipes and shield actions responding accurately to your commands and enabling you to properly relax, to feel confident that the inputs you make whilst playing with motion controls will now translate onto the screen. We were impressed with this game's combat back in 2011, but there was no doubt it could prove hugely frustrating when a thrust or cut failed at some critical moment, when your shield refused to parry an attack or a skyward strike refused to charge. All of these issues are, for the most part, banished here.
In terms of the all-new button controls, although they don't quite match up to the feeling of immersion you get from swinging and flicking your Joy-Con as you batter Bokoblins and slice and dice Deku-Babas, they still feel remarkably good and enable Switch Lite and portable players to fully enjoy this experience in handheld mode. Controlling your sword by flicking the right stick works wonderfully well here, and in situations where your sword skills are really put to the test, such as those exacting face-offs against Ghirahim, they prove to be accurate and responsive enough to avoid almost any frustrations. There's still the odd time where a slash doesn't quite line itself up, where you need to thrust for a second time to get the required response, but in comparison to the original game's motion controls the difference in precision is truly noticeable.
There has been one trade-off with this handheld control scheme however, with regards to controlling the in-game camera. As we're sure you already know, you now have full control over the game's camera in this HD remaster when using motion controls, the right stick granting you total freedom over where you choose to look — a huge change that makes everything about this game feel so much more modern and free-flowing. However, when using the button control mode, you'll need to to hold down the left bumper button to access full camera control on the right stick. It's not a huge issue, we got used to holding in the left bumper where needed and letting go to engage in combat when necessary, but it's undoubtedly slightly inferior to the total freedom of the motion control set-up. It also caused us to spend a lot of time unsheathing our sword by accident until we got used to it.
The raft of quality of life changes that have been introduced here combine with these revamped controls for a much more modern feeling, streamlined and enjoyable experience. The new autosave feature that records your progress on the fly, the introduction of multiple save slots, removal of repetitive item descriptions, ability to skip cutscenes and speed up text; nothing here is ground-breaking — it's all stuff that perhaps should have been included from the get-go — but it is nevertheless transformative to the flow of this ten-year-old game.
Of course, the biggest change in terms of quality of life has to be the streamlining of your communications with Fi. Your sword-dwelling spirit side-kick is still an integral part of proceedings, but she's no longer constantly harping on or appearing every five minutes to give you a redundant run-down of things you already know. In fact, the whole Fi mechanic is almost elegant now — how you can call upon her only when necessary with a quick push of the d-pad for a hint, objective update or enemy description. She's actually useful and no longer the incessant annoyance of old. Alongside all of the other changes we've mentioned here it all adds up to a game that feels as though it's finally been given the freedom to flow properly, no longer bogged down by control issues, constant interruptions or annoying, over-eager guides.
However, with all of this doing so much to positively affect the player experience in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, it definitely does leave a quite a bad taste in the mouth that the ability to jump at will between Skyloft and The Surface has been locked behind the official Loftwing amiibo. When so much good work has been done to improve the game's pacing, it feels like a real misstep to lock this one properly significant change to the tempo of how you move around the world — perhaps even the biggest change — behind what is, essentially, a paywall.
Away from this one issue however, this remaster really has taken a ten-year-old game and made it sing like never before. We haven't even mentioned the jump from 30 to 60 FPS yet, a shift that makes everything you do here feel so much more fluid, exacting and responsive. Gliding through the air on your Crimson Loftwing, battling battalions of Bokoblin and clawshotting, whipping or swinging your way around the intricately designed dungeons here is now an absolute joy. That silky smooth frame rate joining forces with the new and improved controls and refreshed visuals to deliver an experience on a technical level that finally, absolutely does justice to the artistry and ingenuity of the game underneath.
Indeed, perhaps the biggest surprise in returning to this adventure ten years on, quite apart from all of the changes, nips and tucks introduced in this HD remaster, is just how well the core gameplay, the story, the dungeons, boss fights and puzzles have stood the test of time. It has its minor issues for sure; there's some unnecessary repetition of one major face-off, perhaps a little too much re-treading of overly familiar territory in the build up to the gloriously intricate final dungeon — and we could all have done without being thrown into a search for flipping Tadtones so late in the game — but overall what's here is still an absolute joy to engage with.
This is a game that's oft been criticised for its rather empty hub area, and it's true there's not a great pile to do or see as you fly around The Sky, but once on The Surface, once engaging with enemies, solving puzzles and searching out secrets, this is perhaps as good as a traditional, non-open world Zelda game has ever been. From Faron Woods to Eldin Volcano, Lanaryu Desert and beyond, it's non-stop fun with clever mechanics and new ideas around every corner. Boss battles — beyond that slight repetition issue with The Imprisoned — are also perfectly pitched, a fantastical, often ridiculously OTT line-up of grotesqueries that are suitably bombastic without being overly punishing, challenging without standing too tall in the face of your progression through the campaign.
The story too, without wanting to spoil a second of anything for those who are coming to this one fresh, adds much to the Zelda timeline. We get some great backstory here, origin details and explanations, as well as being introduced to some properly stand-out original characters (we love you, Groose). Skyloft may not be the most modern of game hubs — it's small and underpopulated and the islands that surround it are, for the most part, nothing more than hiding spots for the game's treasure chests and a handful of mini-games — but it's all so well designed, full of smart secrets and delightfully oddball characters. Soaring around these skies still feels utterly triumphant at times, too, taking to the air after an arduous dungeon run or boss battle, running and diving off a ledge to freefall and then be swept up by your Loftwing as that orchestral score rises... it still feels heroic.
In the end then, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD brings a level of Nintendo finesse and polish that was perhaps slightly lacking first time round. The quality of life improvements, increased frame rates, crisp HD visuals, refined controls and newly liberated in-game camera combine here to remove all previous barriers to your enjoyment of this epic, intricate and wonderfully clever entry in the Zelda franchise. It's a game that's received its fair share of criticism in the years since it originally released, but one that's now addressed many of those criticisms whilst coming as close to realising its full potential as is perhaps possible.
Conclusion
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD introduces a raft of technical improvements and quality of life updates that reinvigorate and revitalise this ten-year-old game. With motion controls more precise than ever before, an alternate button control scheme that totally works, crisp HD graphics, smooth 60fps gameplay and a bothersome sidekick who's been streamlined into something altogether more useful, this really does feel like Skyward Sword as it was meant to be experienced. Yes, the locking off of instant travel behind the official amiibo is a misstep, but beyond this one issue what's here is a sublime experience, a technical triumph and an absolute must-play for Switch owners and Zelda fans.
Comments 283
I’m not fully sold on this and would rather have got one of the Wii U remasters but I might give it a try.
Very excited to play this! Sucks my Walmart pre order got delayed... But super excited to hear the new motion controls are an upgrade (never played this on Wii).
I've said it before on here and I'll say it again, but videogames as a medium will not evolve (or at least the conversation around it won't) until the response to "... a core game that's unavoidably, naturally, beginning to show its age in some regards..." is a resounding "so what?"
Every game shows its age, including games released last week. Just because it's our age and we're used to it shouldn't make any difference from a critical standpoint.
@JoeDiddley I am still hoping to play Twilight Princess and Wind Waker HD on Switch sometimes in the future but curious to try this one out in the meantime!
Am I finally going to have to give in and buy an Amiibo, then? Oh wait, they're all sold out until 2035. Never mind.
Sounds like I will have a great time with the game
Coompletely agree with the joys and the cons.
Also got the amiibo, but only using it for figure on display purpose.
Good to know, I shall be picking this up in the fullness of time. And of course checking back in here to see the carnage.
@dystome You really don't have to buy the amiibo anyway. The original game didn't have that amiibo functionality either so the game should be perfectly playable without that.
Still doesn't excuse locking the feature behind a figurine that not everyone will be able to get of course.
Bit annoying with the left bumper for hand-held/pro controller camera, but to be fair, still a reasonable solution.
Will probably pick this up when a lot cheaper (even Nintendo games do drop in price eventually). I still recommend this to anyone who has not yet played.
Excited. This will be my first time playing it. Got the Joy Con on order as well
I’ll def pick this one up. Probably the only zelda I missed out on playing so this release solves that. Can’t wait to be honest.
Never played and plan to get it when discounted.
Still going through my backlog.
I may give this a shot. I played a demo of the original version at Eurogamer years ago and hated the art system and colour scheme.
I guess it's just me who considers the Wii controls pretty much flawless. I never had any trouble with them.
Looking forward to giving this a try
I'm very excited to experience this again. Despite it's (admittedly rather awful) quirks, there were still several moments I enjoyed on the original release.
When the worst game in the 35 year old series still gets a 9/10 things are pretty good.
While I still own the original, the boost to 60 FPS sounds significant. For all its faults, it’s still Zelda, so I’ll be picking it up at some point.
I’m still not 100% sold on this game I didn’t enjoy it first time round and I hate the washed out looking graphics glad to see it has quality of life and technical improvements I won’t say I will wait for a discount cos it will never happen just wish they had given us TWP instead
I'll probably double dip after I finish MHS2. If you've never played it, you're in for a treat!
Kinda surprised to see all the hate for it. Its one of my favorite games in the series and despite its flaws, trumps even BotW for me because of one simple reason: it actually has a story. Arguably the best story in the series with Link and Zelda actually having personalities. Some of the best boss battles too! I found the original's motion controls to be almost perfect so any improvements is just icing on the cake.
As far as the amiibo goes...I'll just download it to my Powersave and be good to go.
I’m not buying this, but this is how remasters should be. Well, minus the game mechanics locked behind hard to find amiibo, that’s pretty terrible.
So you control the sword with the right stick? That seems odd, why is that?
Great review.. 9/10? Being that this is the only Zelda game I’ve never replayed after beating, I’m definitely getting this one again
I like how they gave Link a cute pointy hat and a pretty green dress. It’s a bold new look for our cliff-scaling, shield-surfing hero!
@Savino Awfull game or awfull 3d zelda game? Huge difference....
9?! This game is a solid 7
Wouldn't it have made more sense to hold the L bumper when you want to swing your sword? Maybe they will patch in an option to switch it.
@JHDK Worst? CDi and Triforce Heroes spring to mind. Phantom Hourglass too.
Nobody likes that repeating boss battle, lol. I assumed this would turn out well and will probably pick this up later on since I've already beaten it on Wii and still have a copy.
Loved the Wii game. Can't wait for this version.
Thanks for the review. Sounds excellent.
My emails tell me it is about to he shipped (physical)
@Beaucine When a game shows it’s age, there’s something worthwhile behind that statement. Ocarina of Time, for example, shows its age quite poorly. The whole experience feels outdated by modern games that took its concepts and massively improved upon them. The reason it was so critically acclaimed at the time is because it was quite literally a one-of-a-kind experience. But now, that gameplay style has become a standard, and playing OOT isn’t the only way to enjoy that style of game. Going back to it after playing 3D games with modern advances makes it feel like it’s “showing its age.”
Whereas, Super Metroid doesn’t feel that way at all. It was unique for its time, and modern games, like Hollow Knight, haven’t made it feel like an outdated experience.
I think that pointing out when a game feels outdated is part of gaming evolving, and being stuck on other thoughts would actually be the thing holding people back.
@Savino cool, but did we ask
@WiltonRoots,
There will be no carnage on here, everyone is just so level headed.
Cons: Nintendo cheaped out on extras. For he same price, 2011 Skyward sported a soundtrack CD and golden Wiimote
@Savino It definitely is not the worst. Even then, most of the flaws that would make it hard to play have been fixed.
@BloodNinja I disagree. Ocarina if Time is timeless. I played it for the first time back in 2013, the gameplay is solid and it was almost second nature to play, unlike ALTTP which took more time for me to get into. I think you are confusing the homogenization of the gaming industry and the “across the board” techniques developers use with progress.
I still have a little hope that Nintendo is waiting one month after this release to announce a bigger and proper Zelda 35th collection (not game&watch related). I hope this was a strategy to avoid cannibalizing sales on this one, as I simply do not care about SS. Bring me a Mayora´s Mask +Twilight + WW collection and I will buy for sure.
oh cmon dudes, the instant teleport is not a big deal as this was not a feature coming from the original game ..it is not even needed in Skyward Sword at all
@Savino Omar comin'.
@BloodNinja because this was one of Nintendo's weird control scheme experiments so they've just mapped the wiimote gestures to the right stick to "fix" it
@BlackenedHalo That's my impression too. Outside of speed running the game, it's paced in a way that you wouldn't even benefit from warping to the sky mid-level unless you somehow keep breaking shields or something.
@Controller-Drift A collection with the classic games would be most welcome. Not a fan of the first Zelda, but having Zelda 2, 3, and the GB awakening on Switch would be cool. I would pause my boycott for that.
I've not seen anything included in the updates that's likely to change my opinion on this game so I'll pass on it
@link3710 Phantom Hourglass one of the worst? What? The dungeons in the game are masterfully crafted! It had a really nice and warm sense of humour, the open world fit the game and there was a nice treasure hunting mini-game, so why the hate?
@carlos82 Oh! That is weird. I wonder why they didn’t simply do away with it? No way I’m going to play a game that toggles the camera for the sake of sword controls, that’s pretty inconvenient, considering current industry standards!
@WolfyTn Always love calling them that.
I have replayed the original twice, but still I love it enough so rebought it for the Switch.
My 3rd favourite Zelda behind BOTW and Wind Waker. Glad Nintendo Life also appreciates this masterpiece.
@MadeOutOfCake For me they were also flawless. Every minor motion it mirrored it exactly with no delay. Felt 100% 1:1 to me. That was why I always was so confused when people called it unreliable. I did use the golden controller that came with the Limited Edition, don't know if that made any difference.
I think a lot of players dislike the game because their expectations were 'Wind Waker in the Skies' but what we actually get is 'Diablo, but Zelda.'
Think about it: in Diablo 1 you have one village as the overworld with a handful of NPC's and then a dungeon experience that you do a few floors of, go back to the village to sell some stuff and then go back down.
Hyrule in SS is basically one big dungeon split into smaller sections. You can pick the order you tackle the sections in and in between you return to the village (Skyloft in this case) to uncover a few secrets and sell some stuff and restock before diving back in. You could argue the big dungeon world is reminiscent of Vagrant Story.
And what dungeons they are! This is Nintendo at its boss designing, puzzle-solving zenith and it shows up the otherwise brilliant BOTW for not having any proper dungeons which I hope the sequel rectifies.
@link3710 Phillips games don't count. Triforce Heroes is a spinoff. And I really like Phantom Hourglass.
Now this game has become a masterpiece? Doubt...
Honestly Skyward sword is my favorite of the 3D games! The whole world seems to want me to believe BOTW is the best ever but I just don't. This one has a real story and being first in the overall timeline it's significant and shouldn't be Missed. Plus I just adored the orchestrated soundtrack! BOTW is kinda disappointing by comparison.
Anyway seriously if you're on the fence just try it. It's sadly underrated. maybe now the motion controls won't have to turn you away this time since they are optional. I hope a few newcomers find their next favorite Zelda game.
@Darlinfan He didn't on Savino.
This is yet another port I won't be spending a ridiculous £50 on just for an added autosave and higher textures. Instead I might get the wii version out and play it on my wiiu, still got the sexy gold wii remote aswell which I will never sell
The changes made to this game signals to me one thing:
The overwhelmingly positive reception to BOTW's hands-off approach has altered Zelda titles forever!
Finally we can all expect Nintendo to stop treating us like children who've never touched a game in our lives...
The textures make me want to puke…
Ya know, it'll be time to see if that old Clean Cut bamboo minigame still has that problem with scoring too high.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6_Ty50Kais
@MadeOutOfCake I never had a bit of trouble. SS's not my favorite, but the motion controls were flawless for me.
This is the best Zelda game before BotW. It's a good mix up of everything that worked well with Zelda before the reconvention, while adding stuff that would be used in the later game. The feeling of exploring an unseen land was very well expanded on BotW, and motion controllers always worked well, this game used the Wiimote to its fullest. I'll get it for my son's birthday, he loves the game, and I love it too! The Amiibo adition is not really a big deal, the game is still enjoyable, and the transitions from land to sky are done fast anyways.
Super excited for this game. I preordered from Walmart for the goodies. I hope it arrives on time.
I'm still wondering if handheld/ Pro controller players can still use motion controls to aim with the bow and slingshot but still use the right stick for the sword. Can't seem to find clarification on that.
@Edu23XWiiU @Zeldafan79 I really enjoyed Twilight Princess and liked the wolf mechanic, but I appreciated the brighter colors in Skyward Sword and felt it was the better game.
BOTW is the best, but some of its ideas got their start in Skyward Sword.
@BloodNinja
That's kind of the argument I'm disagreeing with.
Since videogames are creative, artistic experiences, it's actually far more difficult than it seems to determine what is or is not an "improvement." That's because anything you add to the experience is, inevitably, something else you take away. Refine and polish, and you take away the unique danger and excitement a more unpolished experience can bring. Make a digital world bigger and more lived-in, and you take away the focus and streamlined nature of previous videogame hubs. And so on.
For instance, with Ocarina of Time, I don't think any Zelda title's quite matched that game's pacing and flow. And yes, I've played it several times since 1998. Much of what makes it dated (its relative simplicity in comparison to later 3D entries) is also what makes it more immediate to play than some of its successors (which could get bogged down in the minutiae, like Twilight Princess's interminable intro or Wind Waker's disposable islands).
Which isn't to say I don't think videogames should evolve. But evolution is about adapting better to your environment (or your audience, in the case of videogames), not about improvement in some objective way. (We, as individuals, aren't plural "audiences," so we can re-adapt ourselves to old games, if we want to.)
The reason I think focusing so much on whether a game ages or not (which shouldn't be a question: every game ages, including Super Metroid and its control scheme, which is perfect but definitely 90s) holds the medium back is this: it prevents us from analyzing the present fruitfully and often puts the present (with its "modern standards") on a weird pedestal that actually keeps us from noticing flaws, finding avenues for innovation, and so on. It also keeps us from locating inspiration in the past. I feel critical takes of old games are often akin to someone trying to find "evidence of aging" like they're at a beach with a metal detector, instead of really engaging with the game and its internal consistency, and asking not "does it feel old" (which, again, is barely a question, because it probably does) but rather "how valuable is this experience." And that's the question I think is really worth asking.
I really enjoyed this game back in the day. This isn't my fave Zelda game, but it was fun at the time. The sword mechanic got a bit frustrating so happy to hear that it has been improved. There was that one boss fight that really pissed me off on the original (Scervo). My copy ships on Friday which is fine since I am almost finished with Paper Mario Origami King.
Already got the game coming, I don't care what the complainers said, I got the game for $40 anyways. Last I heard Sonic Colors Ultimate won't be 60fps on Switch anyways which is lame on Sega's part cause it's just a Wii port. How hard is it to make Sonic Colors run in 60fps on Switch? Even Dolphin got it running at 60fps and that was 3 years ago.
@jhvoorhies There is a special place in Hell for Scervo.
I love Zelda mainly due to the world and atmosphere but something about Skyward Sword (and Twilight Princess) just immediately makes me not want to play it. I can’t figure out what it is. I played the original Wii versions of both of those titles for about an hour each. That is my own fault but I was just put off - maybe it was just the wrong time in my life. I’m hoping this time around I will get properly into Skyward Sword. The Amiibo thing is 100% BS though. I hope they correct that down the line.
@abbyhitter Yes, the aiming uses the built in motion control so you just tilt to aim
@Tandy255 yeah, I love Twilight Princess, but Skyward Sword is the better game. I love how different it is from the previous Zelda titles,and gameplay made it so much better.
Nintendolife reviewer:hey a remaster from nintendo and its a Zelda game lets give it a 9/10 even if it’s one of the worst zelda game we judge game by nostalgia and Nintendofanboyism.
@Beaucine Sometimes, the artistic aspects are held back by the technical. To stick to the example, I don't find that OOT has aged poorly from a conceptual or artistic experience, but from a technical one. The pacing is slow and boring. The combat is dull and uninteresting. The unskippable dialogue, the constant annoyances from Navi, the poor controls, etc...have all been improved upon by games that came after it. The problem with OOT, is that it's many flaws are a result of experimentation of it's time. Evolution of environment is simply one aspect of that subject. A medium evolves by it's improvements from retrospection. Have you noticed that there really aren't many games that copy OOT's concepts? No, that's because modern improvements in camera function, game pacing, fluidity of character movement, etc, have evolved to try and deliver a better experience.
The idea is not to put modern games on a pedestal, that's such an odd concept. Most modern games are re-hashing old ideas from the 90's, anyway. All I'm saying is that when a game is "showing it's age," that's a sign that we have evolved, in the medium. How else would we be able to spot the improvements? Is every modern game perfect? Certainly not; nobody is saying that modern games are simply better than classic games. Super Metroid is literally a masterpiece that hasn't been replicated. Yet, I'm sure the people that love Hollow Knight would disagree with me, and they would be right!
It's just funny to me, because the argument is usually that people put old games on the pedestal, as some insurmountable zenith of excellence, not new ones. Wouldn't that be the thing that holds us back?
Perfect, Friday can't come soon enough.
@Beaucine Video games as a medium have been evolving rapidly constantly over the decades, not sure what you're trying to say.
@Savino “in your opinion”
@BloodNinja why would you need a collection of those titles when they are all on NSO and one has a remake on Switch?
@munstahunta maybe don’t come to the site then?
One question still remains unanswered.....Hero Mode?
@munstahunta Mega fail from you
@ModdedInkling The original Skyward Sword on Wii already had a hero mode, so it will probably just keep the original one.
@fafonio I'm not a supporter of the "games as a service," idea, so I will never use NSO because I prefer physical copies of anything I purchase. I played the remake through dungeon 6 but got bored from it's poor pacing. They slowed the game's pacing down a bit too much, and I find the gameboy version to be much snappier. That's why I and people like me would like to see those games come physically to Switch.
Exactly as I said, the accurate score would be 8.5, which is more fair, but this website can't do that, so... Let's go high.
9 is way too much for this.
@johnvboy As I can see.
@BloodNinja You control the sword with the right stick because you can swipe it in several different directions (horizontal, vertical, diagonal and you can also stab instead of swipe) and most enemies will block certain attacks. For example there are piranha plant like enemies that can open their mouth both horizontally and vertically and you have to match your strike accordingly or it won't do damage.
IIRC For Honor (that Ubisoft sword fighting multiplayer game) has similar controls and those work pretty well.
@BloodNinja
"Putting the present on a pedestal" is not an odd concept in the sense that it's extremely common. Not my own concept, though. Apparently not yours either.
I'm not saying old videogames can't be flawed. Of course they can be. Sometimes those flaws are the inevitable product of experimentation: camera controls hadn't been finessed yet when Ocarina of Time came out. My argument would be that those flaws were there to begin with, we just didn't notice at the time. (Certainly it's more fun to fight enemies in earlier Zelda titles, including A Link to the Past and even the very first 1986 Zelda.)
My argument doesn't involve not pointing out these issues.
However, I don't think the focus should be on how dated these aspects are or are not. Because that, to me, is actually irrelevant. The question is: does said aspect (controls, pacing, etc.) work or not work in the context of the game. Sure, said aspect might be old-fashioned: but does it work? (In the case of Super Metroid, the answer is "yes, the sometimes tricky, stilted-at-first controls work.") Time can give us the perspective to answer that question more accurately. But it's still the question we should be answering.
I do think remasters should be graded on some level of value for money in comparison to other remasters. Maybe a second score for that.
Anyways I love Nintendo gamers who say that they don’t care about resolution or frame rate but then make a big deal when a ten year old game gets rereleased in 1080p 60fps.
Despite all the hate I see for this game, I'm picking this up first thing after work on Friday. I took a gaming hiatus for almost 20 years (N64 was the last new console I had until I got a Switch) so even if I think the pricing is a little steep I'm glad to see games I missed out on become available again, and I haven't played a non-BotW 3D Zelda since Ocarina of Time was a new game. I read so much hate for Super Mario Sunshine before the release of 3D All Stars and that ended up being one of my favourite games in the series, I'm hoping something similar is the case here
@BloodNinja I wouldn’t hold my breath for a collection of those games. They are everywhere. Classic minis, NSO, 3DS, even a Game & Watch.
And that’s just mentioning the modern ports of those.
We’ve had them all in GBA, GameCube, Wii, WiiU, etc, etc. Those are like the RE4 of the Zelda franchise.
After initially not fancying it when it was first announced, I now find myself super excited for Skyward Sword on Switch!
It’s my birthday on Saturday (my 48th.. ouch!), so I’m rather hoping my wife or the kids have a nice surprise for me.
Ah, people, always complaining. Things are never great but slightly flawed in some regards, from someone's perspective, they ARE "the worst ever". They're never arguably bad but still enjoyable to someone, they ARE "the best ever". For two whole days.
Loved the original, sure I'll love it in an improved handheld version AND an improved motion controlled version. No game is worth €60 to me personally, but given a trade in deal and a points collecting system in a local game store, I'll get it at about €15 with a steelbook. So instead of fighting on the internet to make my truth the only truth allowed to exist in this entire universe and "prove" everyone else wrong, I'm going to decide for myself that that is a good deal, and enjoy it.
@Darlinfan
Maybe I didn't make myself clear. But my argument is actually within your own post: "I love the original Resident Evil games. I love the fixed camera angles, I love the tank controls. But these things absolutely did not age well, or else they wouldn't be a barrier of entry for people today."
And that is exactly my point. Fixed camera angles and tank controls are absolutely dated in the sense that they've fallen out of favor in modern gaming. However, they provide a very unique, specific experience. Simply saying they're "dated" and moving on doesn't actually get us very far. (It'd be the equivalent of complaining Citizen Kane has 1940s acting and cinematography. Well, yes, it's a 1940s movie. A particularly good one, obviously, but also definitely of its time.) It would be more interesting and profitable to talk about how those mechanics work within the game and what it's trying to do. And if these mechanics are a barrier to entry for people today, well, maybe lower that barrier through conversation and dialogue.
So expect this too rate 7/8 most other sites as how Nintendo life always rate exclusives higher than the average
@Merry_Blind
Whatever it is I'm trying to say, I'm definitely not denying videogames evolve. That'd be like denying the ocean has lots of water.
Not gonna lie that read like an 8. I think some of those criticisms on a non-Zelda game would've dropped the score. Overall, great review and insights into how this compares to the Wii.
Probably get it on sale...who am I kidding, this game will never go on sale.
More like Skyward Shart am I right?
In all seriousness, I recall mostly liking this game back in the day in spite of its flaws. Will likely pick it up on sale.
@gamecrawler Well said! I love exploring the ocean in Wind Waker (and the map of BOTW). Exploring the sky in Skyward Sword retains some of that mystery & fun.
Not sure I understand the wording in the cons. It's not like they'd use an unofficial amiibo.
Skyward Sword is easily my favorite 3D Zelda game, so I'm considering this just because I don't have the original one on the Wii. But with that said, I think $60 for this remaster seems a bit too much, so I will probably wait for prices to go down.
I haven't played the HD version... But I still kind it better than BOTW because it has a well developed and incredibly interesting story as well as more diverse items and locals.
It was a blast on Wii, I'm sure it'll be a blast on Switch. Can't wait to play again!
Looks like an amazing Remaster! Another hit from Nintendo, worth the price, will easily pick it up!
After not exactly falling in love with BOTW, I can't wait to play a proper 3D Zelda again with decent dungeons and not too much traipsing around.
@fafonio Oh, I'm not holding my breath for it! I own the games on my NES and SNES, but it would be nice to have them on my Switch to reduce the wear on those systems.
I skipped this game back on the Wii because I was tired of motion gameplay at the time,but now I will give this game a chance. I'll pick it up in the coming weeks.
I wouldn’t mind this release so much if it weren’t for the pressure of top tier Nintendo anniversaries ending in “5” making me think a collection (and one that isn’t limited to a G&W) is what we should be getting.
It’s one thing for SS to be the main focus of Zelda’s 25th anniversary, but to do it again for its 35th is just insulting.
@countzero Interesting! I have played neither, and don't plan to, but that sure is a neat curiosity.
Comments section proves once again people hate the middle ground - something has to be the best ever or the worst thing ever…. What happened to common sense and central way of thinking
@JHDK Triforce Heroes is not a spin off. It's the 18th mainline Zelda game.
@Savino you are entitled to your opinion but worst zelda your dead wrong on that one that title goes to cd i ones
@invictus4000 I'll probably double dip after I finish MHS2. If you've never played it, you're in for a treat!
I can't try it if I don't know what MHS2 means. 'My House Sold 2', 'Man, Hell Sucks 2', 'Monsters Here Soon 2', etc....
I hate when people overuse acronyms or should I say 'IHWPOA'.
@Crono1973 Monster Hunter Stories 2.
Man, reading this made me forget how much I loved Skyward Sword on the wii. If I buy this though, it'll definitely be during a sale (so probably a couple years from now). Still can't justify full price for reasons many people have already explained before.
@BloodNinja I didn't see that anyone answered this correctly, but if they did and I missed it, my apologies for the redundancy
The way I understood it in the review is that there are two control schemes: one that uses motion controls, one that uses buttons. If you use motion controls, the right stick only controls the camera. If you use button controls, then the right stick controls the sword (to emulate motion controls), while to use the camera you have to press the left bumper.
@Broosh And it won't even see use in speedrunning, except maybe certain routing for 100% runs. It's basically a single-waypoint means to halt your game progress and travel backwards.
Calling it "fast travel" or "QOL" has always been ludicrously overselling what the amiibo actually does. It's literally just Oocoo Jr. from Twilight Princess.
Easily the best 3D Zelda game after Breath of the Wild in my opinion. The best combat, the best story, and some of the best dungeons in the series. People who missed the original are in for a real treat.
Back in the day you gave Skyward Sword a 10/10, and now a 9/10 even if its better according to the text. It's one of my least favourite Zelda games, not an 9 or 10 imho, it has serious design problems.
Didn't get to fare on the wii version
just did not like the motion controls at all
I think the motion controls just made a mess of the game
So hopefully using a normal controler will fix the game.
If not then it will stay the one of the weakest zelda games
I’m curious.. has the game crashing bug from the Wii version that involves the Song of Hero quest (I think that’s the game crashing bug) been fixed in the HD version?
@Jumping_Dead I looked at the original game's review. To be fair, it was another reviewer who reviewed the game. I guess an argument can be made that the same person reviewing the original game should review the remaster. But then, I also think we need to keep in mind different reviewers have differing opinions and that its quite possible the original reviewer isn't even with NintendoLife anymore
@UsurperKing It was answered, but I do not mind the redundancy, m'Lord.
Im gonna get this, but because of the backlog, im gonna wait until i can get it cheaper 2nd hand in 1-2 months.
My copy already shipped, can't wait for Friday!
@WiltonRoots don't waste your time dude! Some of these people are claiming this as the worst mainline zelda, and utterly garbage! If some randos on the internet are telling you this and you're still not listening, can you even be saved?
#SaveYourRupees
#WaitForASale
#LazyNintendo
9 was an obvious score.
I think these scores are handed out like sweeties. For a ten year old game that had existing issue's fixed and an HD upgrade and a £50 price tag, I would max a score at 8.
Now that Nintendo have ported almost all the Wii U games to the Switch, they are starting on the Wii games. It's anyone's guess how many Wii games are currently undergoing this transformation to be ported at full price.
While in its self you could say no one has to buy the game, and that's true, it is the lack of new games that will suffer. Are suffering already.
Geez. The haters are going to continue to hate, I guess. 🤷🏾♂️
Sounds like they’ve done a nice job. I hated the original but mainly the control, so will give this a try at some point. However having recently managed to grab a PS5 I’m busy for a while.
@majinx07
They patched that one in the original version after it was discovered. I’m almost certain they will have fixed it for the hd edition.
@thiz
It’s almost as if those reviews are 10 years apart and written by different people. I’m not sure which reviewer said it was unplayable either.
I cannot wait to play this after I beat MHS2. I am excited to play it. I hated the motion controls. So I will be playing this on my Lite. It does show it’s age, but so what.
Not to knock on it, but having experienced the original and the remake not having any noteworthy new features/dungeons, I probably won’t be picking this up - for myself anyway
I'm still not really sold. I don't remember much about the Wii original anymore beyond the motion controls being really inaccurate for me, and I don't feel like paying full price to discover if they really do work in this one (all the reviews back in the day said the motion controls were near perfect too).
I'd have preferred "button-only" mode to work like Ocarina of Time where a button press combined with a left joystick direction would be enough to swing in a specific direction. Losing the right camera controls to the waggle isn't really very good.
@BTB20 exactly. A spin-off would be the Crossbow Training, Tetra’s Trackers, both Tingle games (which are awesome Btw) or Cadence of Hyrule. Now those are spinoffs.
@Savino Gotta totally disagree with you. It's actually one of the best written Zelda stories IMO. Gameplay has it's hit and misses, but it really got a bad wrap I think with people being burnt out on "waggle" at the time.
Funny observation. In a world where 8k is out and 4k is standard now, People are more excited that a Nintendo game is being upgraded from 480p to 720p lol!
Hi there, is Hero Mode available from the start just like The Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD? Or do you have to unlock it after the first playthrough like in the original release?
@JHDK Not even close to the worst rofl!
Kind of impressed by the increase to 60 FPS. I'm not a FPS w_h_0re or anything - and maybe I'm wrong - FPS at least seems like an area that Nintendo doesn't usually bother expending much energy upon improving.
Really thought this would be a 10.
I'm genuinely excited for this game. I was never able to play the original on my Wii (RIP 2008-2013) so this is a great opportunity to get into it. The reviews seem very mixed, with some people loving it and some saying it's terrible but I'll give it a shot, even if it's $60
I feel compelled to buy this. I had traded in my wii before it came out and so this is the only Zelda In 35 years that I have never played.
Not sure if I'll bother with this as it was only 4-5 years ago when I finished it. Happy it's been remastered though, it's easily one of the best games in the series and maybe now people will stop remembering it so wrong. Controls were infuriating on Wii, but the rest of it was a master piece.
Bit of a tangent comment, so forgive me.
So Skyward Sword loses points for a traversal feature being locked by an Amiibo? Okay, that’s actual sound reasoning for a deduction.
But Monster Hunter Stories 2 loses points for being too “grindy” when it’s an RPG? I’m sorry but what….?
I’m aware the reviewers for the two games in question are different, but I’m sure the review policy/structure is the same for all reviewers.
And I think it needs a review itself.
Never played it, buuuut sadly I'm not getting it just yet, Sep is were the good games are.
Pre ordered the Loftwing Amiibo from Nintendo UK early last month using Google Pay. Yesterday I received a notification from Google Pay confirming my payment to Nintendo UK had been declined. I don't think I'm getting this Amiibo anymore which sucks. Anyone else here experienced this?
All reviews say it is good yet people still feel the need to complain about the price. If this was wind water or ocarina nobody would complain about the price and people would say it is a bargain
I couldn't get into the Wii version, so I'll give this one a chance.
@Beaucine That's all theoretically or philosophically fine, but this isn't an art class. The vast majority of people read video game reviews to decide whether a game is worth playing today, and for that reason "hasn't aged well" is a useful criticism.
@zool
How does price factor into how good the game is. If this was ocarina nobody would complain even if it was a port of the 3ds version
Great to hear that the motion controls work well! I hope that we will soon get more switch games with motion control combat!
I'm starting to think I'm in the minority who had very few issues with the original motion control scheme. I rarely had to recalibrate my Wii Remote+, and the only action I had occasional trouble with was thrusting; thankfully this isn't needed often, but it is a crucial move for a boss fight.
Also, while I agree locking the instant sky warping behind a scalped Amiibo is bogus (I want the amiibo, but for the design, not the functionality), this really isn't necessary to enjoy the game. The original release didn't have it, and to be honest there are enough save statues scattered around that this isn't a big deal. If we're talking about a game on the scale of BotW on the other hand....
Overall, it seems the various QoL improvements and control options are welcome. Skyward Sword isn't my favorite Zelda game - it's in the middle of the pile for me - but it certainly is worth diving into again. Just not at launch for me. This month is full enough as it is! XD
@Zeldafan79
I agree about botw (haven’t played skyward sword just watched a let’s play) it was crammed down my throat botw was the best but when I am bored with 90 shrines to go yet I can replay wind water or link between worlds anytime and in some cases enjoy it more on later play through I realized botw was only loved due to the open world and most everything else was given a pass if it was bad
@link3710
And the two on the nes and this is my unpopular opinion but a link to the past
@Darlinfan I should have made the scoring a bit clearer. 8 would be equivalent to 10, so this game would lose at least one a point for poor value, so yes a 7.
I have only bought one Nintendo game this year (other games were 3rd party), I think there is a lack of new Nintendo games.
@munstahunta
And ocarina is a perfect game and never has nostalgia effect it. That puzzle of putting a fish by jabs Kabul or learning sharia’s song were obvious. And you never revisited areas you already explored in the adult period
@chapu2006 I honestly thought it would be an 8 at best. Why? Because I don't care how great the remaster is, locking an important QoL improvement behind a ridiculous amiibo paywall is agregiously scummy.
That aside, I feel like in reality, the SS remaster is probably an 8 or a solid 7) but, of course, one has to take into account NintendoLife's usual +1 or +2 score inflation for all Nintendo published games.
(Although to be fair, it's not just NL - this phenomenon often seems to be the case with lots of major videogame review outlets).
And of course, there are many other major studios seem to get inflated scores, but - since we're on the topic of Nintendo - it does fairly clear that Nintendo published games almost always score extremely well. And while most deserve their high marks, there are definitely more than a few headscratchers, with scores that are pretty sus at best. (Incidentally, I would point you to IGN's ridiculous review of Skyward Sword on Wii for a great example of this!)
@swoose
I know. People hate this amibo feature yet they seem to be fine with twighlight princess locking a dungeon behind one
I’m going to get this when I can get it discounted. Even if I end up using store credit or something toward it. I bought the game I think about 3 times now and I each time I got frustrated with the controls being motion-based and just stopped. It’s hard for me to spend $60 knowing I have to go through that beginning portion for a fourth time. For sure though, this will be the last time and I’m finally going to beat it! Can’t wait to try it again with all these improvements!
@blindsquarel That seems like a pretty unnecessarily simplistic and loaded generalization, don't you think?
What evidence do you have that the "people" who "hate" the SS amiibo paywall are, broadly speaking, the same people who were perfectly "fine" with its implementation in Twilight Princess?
Best music in the whole series. It calls to me. It’s in my head right now! Buy me! It says!
@Beaucine games evolve, just like cars. I don’t like the handeling of old cars. I love the new cars.
Same could be said of old games vs new games. Some old games used to work or were acceptable, but aren’t now.
@RadioHedgeFund
I agree that the boss fights were really well done…I mean other than that purple Pixar Rastafarian Kraken thing lol
I liked it on wii but never completed it. I stopped playing because of the forced motion controls. Fortunately this has been fixed 😁🙏
Wow the review is lightspeed ahead of its release
Given the importance of the amiibo to the gameplay and the hoarding of amiibos by scalpers, I will be holding off on the purchase until Nintendo offers some solution. I would accept (with a slight grimace) a modestly price DLC release of the amiibo's fuction or (ideally) a patch that allows it without the amiibo.
Giving a 9/10 to a game with such a significant paywall is an injustice.
@blindsquarel Nintendo are charging full price for an old game that had a facelift.
Full price as in a new game that's been a few years in development, a game we've never played before, it's brand new.
A rehashed game should have a budget price. Similar to something selling as second hand, that's been refurbished. Nintendo is asking us who have already bought and played and paid full price, to pay full price again, to play it again.
I would rather play a new game, but Nintendo aren't offering many new games at the moment.
To you this may be a new game, if you didn't buy the original.
But to others it's an old game, we've been there and done it and if it had a budget price, for the budget game it is then it might be worth a revisit. A bit like watching an old movie, you don't expect to pay full price.
It's not that it isn't affordable, it just not good value for money, and according to stuff I've read its not one of the best Zelda's.
@koekiemonster
I just don't think it's that simple and straightforward. It's pretty easy to see how a game is dated. I can figure that out within a minute of booting up a retro game. The real question I ask myself is, do these dated elements work or not within the context of the game? Can I learn the game's quirks? That means I look at the game more deeply. Otherwise, I'm just checking to see if a game from 20 or 30 years ago plays like one today. Which, well, it probably won't and I could have told you that from reading the Wikipedia entry.
This game is as expensive as Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart. Nintendo is out of their minds
Never liked SS then and despite the QoL changes and the framerate I doubt I'll get this one. SS was the peak of the awful Aounuma's puzzles-and-daddy-issue style of gameplay that started with Majora's, got worse with Wind waker, kinda improved with Twilight Princess but got rotten with this one.
Remember that Breath of the wild was a success not thanks to Aounuma but despite him. I fear that if this remaster became successful, he will believe again that he is a genius (HAH!) and will infect BoTW2 with his toxic style.
Well, unlike most, the original was already my second favorite Zelda game. Seeing all the improvements in this video, I'm definitely looking forward to it! (It also helps that I was able to snag a pre-order from GameStop when it was briefly $10 off. And for any looking to get a similar discount, Walmart generally has all in-store games $10 off once they're released.)
its sad but is true, this game already on pirates hands. This game was leak a few minutes ago.
The whole amiibo thing isn't a misstep in my opinion, it makes the game far too easy. It's there for speedruns and for the seriously unpatient who want to play the game on baby mode.
@nimnio
Does it have to be either/or?
I know reviews must, on some level, work like buyer's guides. But the criticism (of film, videogames, or literature) I've read that I actually remember later on and even re-read usually tries to go beyond that.
For instance, last year I played Mario 64 for the first time. I loved it, but it's also very obviously dated. The camera, most notoriously.
Now, when playing it last year, I could have lamented the camera isn't up to modern standards — which it obviously isn't — and left it at that. Instead, I tried to work with it and found that, most of the time, the game is actually designed around its camera controls, old-fashioned and unpolished as they might be. For nearly every jump (though there are annoying exceptions) there is generally a way to place the camera the way you want to. (Also, being aware of how the camera was originally mapped to the N64's C-buttons definitely helped.)
This didn't make the camera any less dated, but it did make me understand how it worked within the context of the game, allowing me to struggle less with it and, most importantly, deeply enjoy my experience. It also gave me an appreciation for how the game is designed — even its most flawed aspects — and its time period.
So, if I were writing a review of Mario 64 from a modern perspective, I'd outline my little personal journey above. If a reader doesn't care about learning the intrincacies of the camera controls, I'd be warning them anyway through my description. But I also go a little bit beyond "dated camera," for those who might want to keep at it. And that's all I'm arguing for here: to go a little bit deeper and ask how stuff actually works inside a game, not just to pinpoint how an old game is old.
And most importantly, to think of "datedness" as a neutral term that is neither good nor bad. (Because everything dates.) Some datedness, after all, can be refreshing or interesting. (The lack of handholding, openness, and arcade sensibilities of the 1986 Zelda, in my opinion.) That's why going a little bit deeper is a necessary step.
@Andy_Witmyer
I did think about the amiibo paywall but SS seemed to get taxed a lot more for its faults than, say, the mario 3d world port, in NL's review. 3d world got a 10 despite "performance issues in handheld bowsers fury and online", which sound like and can be substantial issues.
SS also deserves credit for the difference in quality between the port and original. Many issues have been resolved and work well (e.g. camera), unlike in other nintendo ports like mario bros u deluxe, which get little alerations.
As for your inflation point, it is correct and something that is a problem. However, SS still deserves a good score, just maybe not a 10.
You were right. Good argument.
@carlos82 @BloodNinja Yeah, the directional inputs for the sword are fundamental to the game (some objects, enemies, etc require a slash in a certain direction, so the directional has to be maintained. It was fundamental to the original concept of the Wii and required the Motion Plus accessory that actually put a gyroscope into the controller as originally promised. And is part of why the game failed at launch, even if you wanted the $40 accessory to play the $50 game, it was never really available and in stock anywhere, so you'd have to buy the $70 Wii Sports Resort bundle to get one to play your $50 Zelda game. It was a mess.
Interestingly, though, it's long forgotten but it wasn't the first game with a similar control scheme. The first to use a handheld gyro as a directional input, but not the first game to have directional sword input. There was a PC game back in the day by Treyarch (before they were Call of Duty Studio #3) called Die By the Sword, that pioneered the exact concepts used by Nintendo here (Lateral thinking through recycling withered game ideas.) You controlled motion via the keyboard, and controlled the sword freely with the mouse. Not as direct as waving a sword shaped controller around on the Wii, but the control scheme of SS is more or less fully recycled from Die by the Sword.
@JHDK I like Phantom Hourglass too, but I'd rather replay Skyward Sword tbh (well, it's no contest with the rerelease, but I'm comparing the originals) Though, they both suffer from a few similar problems.
@BlackenedHalo I like the game, that's the thing. Even the worst Zelda game still has a place in my heart. But the game suffers from an obnoxious central dungeon, one of the less interesting casts, some story missteps (Making Tetra a stone damsel in distress when she's the most interesting WW character), and occasionally obnoxious controls. Combine that with an incredibly similar but better option in Spirit Tracks, and I'd probably put it as one of the least likely games for me to replay.
...Id still rate it an 8/10 though, it's certainly fun, especially for a first run. But I'd say Skyward Sword is a bit better... Along with most of the rest of the series.
The review says the motion controls are more precise, which is possible, but they were plenty precise in the wii game, so I am doubtful of this claim, also this review feels like a preview more than a review, this game is not a 9/10, there is so much that the review glossed over in terms of pacing issues, repetition, limited enemy variety, how the HD affects the art style, etc. Fixing Fi & the items descriptions is way too small a thing to say that this game is as it always should've been.
The screenshots indicate very washed out graphics, even for a 10-year old game. And I am not even a graphics guy, my most played games of all time are GBA Fire Emblem, BotW and Hades.
@MajorTom
It's moreso whether or not Hero Mode is accessible at the beginning or if it still requires beating the game.
I really liked Skyward Sword. It had my favorite combat in the series. Ppl saying this the worst Zelda, can't say I agree. I actually finished this game while Minishcap or phantom hourglass got so dull I never bothered.
@DK-Fan What is it you dislike about Aunuma Style (OMG I'm going to call it that from now on.) I mean, yeah, classic style Zelda is my favorite. The excessive anime and linearity of SS was a huge complaint at the time, but I did enjoy it when I played it (and accepted that everything Wii necessarily had to be gimped). I like the puzzle play in general, of TP, SS, OOT, (MM was kind of a weird experiement), WW. I never felt it was THAT different from the puzzle play of ALttP, LA, etc.
I'm still more a Miyamoto Zelda fan, and BotW, is indeed Miyamoto reigning it back in. Though it's a given that BotW2 will be an Aonuma Zelda....Miyamoto doesn't do the day to day anymore, but did at the start of BotW1.
@NEStalgia I actually remember that!
I am burnt out on these HD Zelda Remakes. I feel like they do the bare minimum with them. A couple of fixes or adjustments (that we would typically ask for anyways in free patches in modern games) and call it a day. Also pay full retail price. Stop fleecing us Nintendo.
Now the 3DS remakes for Ocarina and Majora was a different story.
Lastly, Skyward sword is one of the hardest to play mainline 3d Zeldas with its iffy controls, camera and lackluster game elements. But I will take that over a timed game with big difficulty spikes anyday.
@dystome buy an NFC tag and download the bin file. I'm not a collector, therefore I don't care, I just want the function.
@BloodNinja Wow, that's a pretty obscure mention to have remembered. Internet high five!
@JHDK Triforce Heroes isn't considered a spinoff by Nintendo. They added it to the timeline.
I felt at the time that the little niggling issues really prevented people from seeing what a great game this was - sure Fi was a little annoying and the "it's one rupee!" thing every time you get one was obnoxious, but the core game was great.
I'm glad to hear the quality-of-life tweaks are helping people to see past those surface issues to the great game underneath.
My second favorite 3D Zelda after Wind Waker.
It was pretty decent on the Wii, never finished it though. The most annoying thing was the item description every time you picked something up, made me start avoiding grabbing things so I didn't have to see the same slow text box for the 900th time.
@Beaucine so many reviewers when writing themselves into a corner, just use "its older" or "its showing its age" as a get out of jail free card. Its not like Super Mario World is bad because its "old" or something, especially for a game as recent (lets be real, games haven't "changed" in basic mechanics since the 2000s) as skyward sword. They're just too afraid to say "I dont like X thing because"
there’s way too much bloating in this game for it to be any higher than a 7/10
Well at least this comments section serves as a good insight into the Zelda fan base and how many of them think. Safe to say they have pretty awful taste all around. Skyward Sword can't be the worst 3D Zelda game when The Windwaker is a thing. You live and you learn, I guess.
I am willing to bet approximately 99% of the people who had issues with the motion controls on the original not being 1:1 had pirated the game. It came with an update the pirates lacked (at least for a while...) that enabled Motionplus to work properly. They are where the "janky" or "inaccurate" crap came from.
Motionplus was capable of 1:1. This isn't something people can debate. It is a fact. The other problem with that is that the average person is not a trained swordsperson. If anything, 1:1 movement is too accurate for most. This is why Wii Sports tennis used an interpretive version - it's more fun for someone who doesn't have the technical ability of someone who knows it for real.
Skyward Sword, legally owned, with Motionplus update, did 1:1. It just did. Sorry to be so blunt but this isn't up for debate.
@NEStalgia My issue is that he has stated that he doesn't like zelda and that he only liked Link to the past because he keeps cutting grass and link's awakening because of the drama. So why is somebody that doesn't like Zelda (or gets Zelda) in charge of Zelda? Since he is in charge of the series he has done some weird changes:
1.-Zelda is about a fantasy setting inspired by Celtic and Arthurian legends. Wind waker has silly pirates, spirit tracks have GODDAMN TRAINS! and Skyward sword has high school drama. Link's awakening is different because it was a dream and a tongue-in-cheek project.
2.-Zelda is about action/adventure with exploration and growth. It didn't have puzzles until LttP and it was complementary. He only makes dungeons with room after room of puzzles over and over again. He replaced exploring a huge world to explore with a tiny 4x4 square world (Majora's), a boring sea, TRAIN TRACKS! and a dull cloudy sky and a corridor world.
3.The stories were mostly fantasy-based on classic stories. But now are a weird mix of western, treasure island, GODDAMN TRAINS!, and School drama.
4.I am tired of seeing his daddy issues over and over again and I bet he was severely bullied at school because Link or another character is always bullied by everybody. Also seeing weak feminine men with big manly women tells me that's he has serious domestic issues at home and we must suffer with him. Get therapy, dude!
Breath of the wild is different because SS had very low sales and the director and the new staff were actually fans of the classic Zelda (and it shows). Twilight Princess has also less of Aounuma style because Miyamoto pretty much forced him to do it that way after the mediocre sales of Wind waker.
The only reason why he is still in charge of Zelda is that he ships the games on schedule. But the series declined on sales when he got in. In another company, he would have been fired or replaced by somebody that actually likes the series.
@Khalic
I would get that checked out.
@NinjaGuy69 Wind Waker is my and many other's fave Zelda game. If that means I have "awful" taste then so be it. Beats being an awful person.
@dystome Yeah, this just makes me want to figure out some other way to "use" an amiibo without actually owning it. Hmm...
I’ve never played this game before and I’ve been on the fence but amazon was still offering release day delivery so I ordered it today.
@MadeOutOfCake Most people have no problems with them, but if, say 5% do, they will definitely make their complaints heard.
@SolBlazer It's the worst 3D Zelda, in my opinion. I've played it several times and it lacks the polish, challenge and intrigue that you'd expect from a Zelda. I'm not saying it just to say it. Good on you with the personal attacks though, champ. Way to not be an awful person (sarcasm).
This is still in my top two Zelda games, and by all accounts this looks better in almost every way, so I'm very interested to see how well it's received and reviewed.
@Beaucine that's exactly why many NES, SNES, Genesis games still hold up today and are just as fun as they were in their heyday. Similar to how old music albums are still great to listen to, or old, classic movies are still fun to watch.
As for this game, I'm honestly glad they went with this game and not just bringing back over Twilight Princess/Wind Waker. This game came out as the Wii craze was crashing and it was handcuffed, like most games on that horrible console (yes, I truly do not like the Wii), behind forced motion controls. Now the graphics are more polished and you can play the game with a regular controller. It's not BOTW 2 but it's a nice game to hold over that appetite.
@Beaucine I don't entirely agree. You make a good point, but from a technical standpoint, I think a game should be judged in the context of the era it was created.
So if you're going take a SNES game and judge it by 2007 standards, that's just silly.
But that's just for technical/mechanical aspects.
For things like gameplay, story and writing, I do agree that what's good is good and what's bad is bad, regardless of if it was made in 2021 or 1994.
@NinjaGuy69
I mean they didn't even finish making Wind Waker (twice!)
Can we please have the author of the review be the narrator in the video review?
@0nett
I’m saying Nintendo has done worst before yet people still praised the port
@zool
You say from what you have read it is a bad game so I can assume you haven’t played it. So with that in mind it is a new game for you. If Nintendo charged sixty for ocarina would you say it is a seven out of ten game. For those who bought it before it might not be worth sixty but for those who are new it is a new game and those cost sixty.
@Andy_Witmyer
I’m saying that it shouldn’t effect how much a game costs or how good it is when people praised the twighlight princess port and let that slide
@Kirby_Girl I really enjoyed it as well and really happy it got this remaster! Now if we can only get the other 2 from Wii U…
I’m a massive Zelda fan so I buy up everything and would love especially to have Wind Waker in portable fashion…
@NinjaGuy69 maybe your wrong.... this game is magical
@Sourcecode definitely agree.. one of the most memorable games
I thought people hated this game
Too bad they couldn't be bothered to update the textures.
@gojiguy "people" hate everything that they cant understand.
Just watched the video.
It looks really rough, seems like the game could have done with the Grezzo treatment.
Even in 2011, this game was a tough sale. I had bought the WiiMote adapter specifically for it, and I was ready to go. There I was, trying to play this with motion controls, digging out a set of AA batteries, and at 480p whilst in that same year, we had stuff like Skyrim. It was severely dated at the time, and the constant nagging by Fi - I couldn't get past it.
Yet here I am 10 years later, ready to get it another go. It's not often you buy a game again you didn't like first time round!
@BloodNinja Because Nintendo.
The positive reviews have turned me around... I'm mildly interested now
Would still prefer Twilight Princess though....
Whingers gonna whinge. Never played it before, picking up my pre-order in less than 24 hours. Can't wait!
@NinjaGuy69 Your original comment was so arrogant and condescending, what other conclusion was I supposed to come to? Ok the "awful" person thing was me just turning your choice of words around.. Maybe 'not-so-nice'...
@Crono1973 I only use acronyms when its a brand new game thats currently making the rounds and can be logically guessed by most people. MONSTER HUNTER STORIES 2 just came out. To give you a leg up in this race, in the next few weeks you might see SSHD. This would mean "Skyward Sword HD". Now you're set up for success!
And also...I meant if you've never played Skyward Sword, you're in for a treat.
@Ambassador_Kong Indeed, venerable Ambassador.
@Savino you are welcome to that opinion, but it seems you must be in the minority on that
Buying that N2elite to emulate amiibos 4 years ago really was a fantastic idea. This way I can enjoy anything locked behind 15+€ figurines.
@chapu2006 Thanks. You made some good points as well. As far as remasters go, SSHD doesn't appear to be the best but it's certainly not the worst.
Nintendo's certainly done some really cheap, barebones facelifted cash-ins for some of their games. The recent Switch collection of classic 3D Mario games is a recent example of this, with Mario 64 in particular representing maybe the laziest "remaster" I've ever - if you can even call it that. (Which is an absolute shame. A game of that sort of caliber and well-deserved praise and prestige frankly deserved a hell of a lot better of an refresh than what it got imo).
The Pikman remaster was also kind of unimpressive.
With the added content 3D World could have been excellent, but they somehow didn't seem optimize it for Switch to the degree that it should have been
In all of these cases, Nintendo seemed to get a good score anyway, but I can't help but to wonder: would equally barebones remasters as released by just about any other company (with some notable exclusions) receive the same amount of claim as Nintendo routinely enjoys?
That's probably a rhetorical question.
At this point, it probably seems like I'm not really a fan of Nintendo, but that's not the case. Since 1988, I've owned every home console they've ever released (save for one), and in all but one generation, I've been a Nintendo only gamer (in the N64 era, I did eventually get a PS1, but it was at a yard sale for $50, so why not? Haha)
I love Nintendo and always will, but that doesn't mean that I love every single thing they do. Some of the decisions they've made defy all logic and are frankly as puzzling as they are infuriating. They rightly get lots od praise, but I'm not afraid to give them criticism where criticism is due.
@Kreko You don't have to pause the game every minute, that's a pretty vast over-exaggeration.
@blindsquarel yes I have played it, and I've played Ocarina and I've played Ocarina on the 3ds in 3d, the best version. That was remade in 3d and priced at £30.
If Skyward is a new game to you that's fine, but to me it's old and I've paid full price already for it.
The point is while Nintendo churn out old games at full price and reviewers review them as new games, like all the ports we've had from the Wii u over the last 4 years, then fewer new games will get released.
Good luck to all those who haven't played these old games and enjoy them and if you are happy to pay full price for what is 10 years old then that is ok as well.
But for the 'some of us' who would like new games for our money, saying botw 2 is being made and it might be here in a year's time is not really good enough.
@MS7000 "a lot cheaper"? Lol Nintendo games never gets "a lot" cheaper.
Eh, I'll pass. This is one of the few Zeldas I'm not in any rush to replay. There are all the other annoyances that come with buying it but who cares? It'll sell anyways. People are always eager to throw their money at Nintendo so why even bother bringing things up anymore? Instant gratification, that's all we ever care about. Oh well.
Using a mild word like "misstep" to describe an absolutely scummy move from Nintendo and not including the price tag in the cons for what is essentially a decade old game is a serious MISSTEP on NL's part.
@Beaucine i totally agree with your point in general, but skyward sword suffered from being an epic tale developed for Wii, when Nintendo wanted grandpa, grandma, and every non-hardcore gamer to try their library.
I hope these few adjustments are all the game needed to shine.
@Joriss it might physically
Not many people bought this on Wii compared to the install base. I welcome this port. If it takes 4-5 years between AAA titles, whats wrong with a remaster in the interim. Complaints about price are also annoying. If a classic film has a 4K restoration do people complain on about paying the current entry fee to see it.. Or would people complain that it only cost sixpence back in 1937? Besides.. The RRP is £50 but ive got a physical preorder for £42 with steelbook and itll be available for £36 within a few months. I'm still excited to play this even if its a bit creaky in a post-BOTW world.
@Zequio My physical copy of Paper Mario: The Origami King says otherwise. Got it for £22 brand new.
No news here - the critics love it. For the repetitive boss battle, I remember laughing out loud at how it was essentially the same thing over and over. When travelling down to the same areas multiple times, I was constantly thinking 'I'm sure I've done this already'. Even then, when I was up in the sky, there wasn't much to do or explore (in contrast to the sea in WW).
Overall, I think the game is just an ensemble of stuff I don't like. I didn't like the motion controls, the repetitive bosses, the repetitive areas. What I think makes this game truly divisive is its overall style. To me, the ancient tech feels cartoony and out-of-place, and the same goes for Ghirahim, who felt a bit OTT. When I saw Skyward Sword pop up in the direct, I had a real bad reaction at the sight of it. If I at least admired the overall style, then I'd have somewhat forgiven the 'quirks'. (FWIW, though, there were some dungeon/boss designs in the game that I did really like)
Got my copy arriving tomorrow. Was only £42 from Base.com. Can't wait, haters gonna hate.
Very much looking forward to it. I absolutely loathed Breath of the Wild and Link's Awakening so it's good to finally have a Zelda title on the Switch that i'll enjoy.
Mind you, SS definitely isn't without it's issues either.. I still haven't forgotten that awful Imprisoned third fight.
All I want is a Zelda 2 sequel, is that too much to ask? A Zelda 2.....2.
@Rhaoulos
You can also emulate Joy Con with Samsung phones and send Amiibo over Bluetooth to Switch. (Only works with Samsung phones with Android 8 and newer).
You can also write Amiibo to cheap NFC 215 tags and use them as real Amiibo.
Honestly, I think it's rather scummy to put the amiibo functionality as a con in a games review. The original game didn't have the teleport feature, and the feature is borderline game breaking, so it shouldn't even be a part of the conversation when reviewing the game. Can anyone actually give a reason why the game NEEDS fast travel from anywhere, besides the fact that the functionality exists somewhere in the world? No, they can't. Because there are plenty of statues around the world and it's not that hard to get to one. They're essentially a check point in the game.
@Kreko I just played and beat it this morning. You are vastly over-exaggerating. You only switch stuff when necessary, and it takes literal seconds. If you are switching every screen, you're doing something wrong, probably fumbling with the controls. The changes they made in the remake were nice, but there was nothing wrong with the original, either. Additionally, the 100% speedrun for the Switch version takes around 3 hours. The 100% speedrun of the gameboy DX version takes 90 minutes. Just saying, the GB version is the faster version.
Well, 263 comments and I still have two questions. Is Hero Mode still locked behind beating the game? And are the different controls schemes locked to different modes, i.e., can I use non-motion controls in TV mode? Seems like everything I see about the sword swings mapped to the right stick is always in handheld.
I was going to go back to the Wii version for the motion controls but if these are actually better I suppose I'll get this one.
@Kreko
What do you mean by let it roll?
My Switch won't respond to wireless controllers anymore; can I play this game with my wired Hori classic controller? Or do I have to play it in handheld?
How does it have a reader review average & the game isn't out yet? I guess it may be after midnight in China or Australia right now, idk. Definitely not enough time to finish it. I hate when reviews are left when the person hasn't complained a game. I guess if u hate a game u won't finish it, so there's probably no way to make it perfectly fair,, sadly.
@Darlinfan I think I have watched that show 4 times all the way thru in the last decade. A real masterpiece.
I was worried about motion controls and graphics but no complaints at all, the game is super polished
@zool
Thirty was standard for 3ds games and for the Wii U remakes fifty was the standard. Remakes have always been full price
@blindsquarel yes a remake would be full price. But Skyward sword is not a remake. It's had a bit of a graphic upgrade and the control system changed, otherwise it would not work on the Switch. So full price is Nintendo cash grabbing.
Can you still recenter the camera position with just a button press so that you don't have to use the stupid right stick manual camera (since Nintendo still hasn't figured out the concept of an automatic 3D camera)?
@BloodNinja Then just play with the superior motion controls in the first place! Then the awkward right stick swordplay and camera toggle won't be issues at all, except you know, for being an archaic manual camera instead of an industry standard automatic camera with the right stick needed only for rare slight manual adjustments.
@Beaucine When levels are designed around them, then fixed cameras angles aren't dated at all! They're at least much better than dual analog camera controls, at any rate, although even those are dated in favor of automatic cameras in 3rd person 3D games (except apparently ones made by Nintendo) and mouse or motion controlled cameras in 1st person 3D games.
See, for example: "Super Mario 3D World," which has the best camera in a 3D Mario game simply because it uses fixed camera angles and has the levels well designed around them.
@San_D The graphics aren't washed out! It's just a pastel art style that favors lighter colors, and it's always looked great.
You sound like one of those people who initially dismissed the cartoony art style of "Wind Waker" even though it's mostly praised nowadays. In fact, it's because of those more unique art styles that the graphics in both "Wind Waker" and "Skyward Sword" have aged the best out of all Zelda games (not counting "Breath of the Wild" which is still new enough that the graphics haven't aged yet).
@BulbasaurusRex But I don’t want the game
@dystome juat go on etsy and by the chip. It’s cheaper and easy to get. I bought all the chips for Monster Hunter, Animal Crossing.
@BulbasaurusRex Art style and graphical quality are not the same thing. I do understand they went for a pastel style, but the output is very blurry and washed out. The last screenshot hurts my eyes.
@zool
Wind Waker and twighlight princess are remasters not remakes. Yet they were sold at full price
1: "as it was always meant to be", that's reviewer nonsense. IF it was supposed to be that way from the start (Fi being not annoying, skippable cutscenes, autosaves, etc), they would have done just that from the start!
2: "finally a free camera, making the game more modern", the what now?! Twilight princess Gamecube had a free camera. And Windwaker, but there you reviewers always complained that it was terrible (well, I think it was great)!
Other then that nice review!
I agree with @San_D though: It doesn't seem that much improved, barely at all. But I will find out soon enough, I have it in my possesion.
Another nonsense thing from reviewers is "definitive edition", they use it all the time. Every game is definitive...untill the new version arrives.
@Darlinfan Hey me too re: the Sopranos. Theyre the only shows I revisit.
@San_D Yes, they are not the same thing, but the pastel art style is quality as well. It's not washed out at all, and it can't possibly be blurry (aside from perhaps when undocked) now that it's in HD! There must be something wrong with your eyes if such beautiful graphics actually hurt them, even if you were looking at one of the undocked screenshots.
@BloodNinja I'm saying you may want it after all if you just give the motion controls a try, since they negate all the complaints you had. If there's no demo, why not try renting it from Redbox or some other rental service depending on your country, or even just try the original Wii version if that's easier to rent or borrow?
@BulbasaurusRex Oh, I wouldn't touch this game with a ten foot pole. I've watched long-plays of it and it looks extremely tedious.
I'm sorry but this game looks mediocre on the Switch imo. I'm not paying $60 for this port.
@BulbasaurusRex "It's not washed out at all, and it can't possibly be blurry (aside from perhaps when undocked) now that it's in HD!"
Wow, ok mate, if you say so.
I've downloaded this today and will give it a play over the weekend to see what I think. Going into it, I'm looking forward to the dungeons and boss battles as I cannot remember much of them from when I played this on the Wii. I am dreading the gameplay though... I just don't think I'm going to enjoy this half as much after playing BotW. I realise they are entirely different games, but the fact remains, BotW just changed everything!
The graphics do not look HD. Graphics look sooo dated and like a 10 year old game or a budget title. No way am I paying the full asking price for this. Could u imagine if this ugly game released at full price on PS5 or even PS4 it would be a laughing stock or just totally ignored. If this wasn’t a Zelda game no one would buy it
Ok this is definitely inconsistent with ratings given from other media outlets. This is not the first time I've come across this, with favourable reviews being heavily skewed towards first party Nintendo games.
Delivered today! Would have been yesterday if DPD could put it through the letter box 😠
How is its price not a negative £50 for
a remaster of one game from a retro console unbelievable how the industry has changed this would have been a 6 or 7 at best due to it not being sold at a budget price 10 years ago.
"New motion and button controls are precise and bring out the best in the game's combat and traversal"
Stop drinking, NintendoLife
@MS7000 Its $50 at gamestop now.
@abbyhitter Yes, you can.
@Maverick_D Thanks for the heads up. Unfortunately, I live in the UK where there is no GameStop.
Isn’t a 9 at all - how can this be one mark less than BOTW? It is terrible
I'm sorry but how can you say this is as good as any non-open world Zelda has ever been? Past Zelda's gave the impression of an open world, this literally cuts the world into pieces you can't travel between without returning to the sky - that's a terrible design and not at all like any previous non-open world Zelda's.
Also why does no one ever pick up on the fact the dungeons in this game were stripped right back from past games? They're scaled right down, they're small and not very complex. They removed the compass which cuts down one item you need to acquire to progress. One dungeon even does away with finding the map. I've never read anyone criticise this about Skyward Sword, but it annoyed me first time around. This was a step toward the even more scaled down dungeons of Breath of the Wild.
I always loved exploring the overworld a lot more than going through the dungeons. Skyward Sword feels like every area is a dungeon. That's why Breath of the Wild is the best Zelda game by a long stretch IMO. The world in BotW is so vast and beautiful and interactive, no other game compares.
I like to Wii game, and I like the Switch game. The Switch game seems easier than the Wii game to me. I much prefer the motion control over the straight paddle.
Don’t listen to the negative Nancy’s on here. Made an account just to encourage fellow Zelda fans to
Enjoy a wonderful game. Great story, graphics are great, and in my opinion the best technical battle mechanics out of any Zelda. Really makes you appreciate breath if the wild more playing this one and seeing how the producers evolved on concepts from SS. 9/10 for me. Price is maybe a bit high, but you won’t be disap
I wanted to like SS but after half way through the game it felt a drag with annoying controls, outdated game design, and way too much padding between the most fun parts of the game. It does have some excellent dungeons and boss battles, but that's not enough to feel motivated to finish the game. Nintendo could have done more to remove additional frustrations, but did things like locking fast travel behind an amiibo.
Just finished this for the first time. Not that anybody cares I'm sure. I too struggled with the motion controls on the original release but, while still not perfect, found them far more enjoyable than the pro-controller this time around. Thought the story and some of the dungeons, particularly the last one, were excellent. Glad I finished it in time for Ocarina of Time next Tuesday. 55 hours well spent.
Oddly enough I prefer the motion controls to this game over the R-STICK. There is a cool story in this, but it is the weakest 3D Zelda, a bit wonky, and really a 6/10 game for me personally.
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