The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Wiki: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Guides

Anonymous — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:29:00 GMT

Guides for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Wiki Page: chjncdhjjf

popkez — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:29:00 GMT

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Wiki Page: Part 5: ITEMS, EQUIPMENT, & CRAFTING

JoeSnow472 — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:28:00 GMT

Coming Soon

IT takes 5 million logs to make a sword

---LOZFAN1

Wiki Page: Part 1: HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

LOZFAN1 — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:37:00 GMT

Coming Soon

---LOZFAN1

Wiki Page: Part 2: GETTING STARTED

LOZFAN1 — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:31:00 GMT

The most profound change Wii MotionPlus brings to Legend of Zelda in Skyward Sword is real-time combat based on one-to-one motion input. Link has nine basic sword strikes at his disposal, each triggered by how you move your Wii Remote. An additional four special sword strikes call upon you to use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in tandem, and there’s also the new Skyward Strike.

Because of this, Link doesn’t learn any special sword skills throughout the game (like, say, the hidden skills in Twilight Princess). Instead, Link can access all of his possible sword maneuvers from the very moment he acquires the Goddess Sword. Your skill with the Wii Remote alone determines how effectively Link can use his blade in this game.

Vertical Slashes

Moving the Wii Remote straight up or down lets Link perform a vertical slash. A rising vertical slash (down to up) is crucial in certain boss battles, while a descending vertical slash (up to down) is very useful in fighting enemies like Keese and Chuchus. It’s easy to do vertical slashes very rapidly by shaking the Wii Remote up and down quickly, which is handy in boss battles where you have a limited amount of time to damage a boss’s weak point. While exploring the world, you sometimes need to use descending vertical slashes to chop down stakes.

---LOZFAN1

Wiki Page: Part 3: WALKTHROUGH

LOZFAN1 — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:24:00 GMT

Coming Soon

--LOZFAN1

Blog Post: Wii controls done right.

Julehisanvhi — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:18:00 GMT

I was skeptical about the accuracy of the motion controls for Skywards Sword when it was announced. I was wrong. This game’s controls are the most accurate for any motion game on the Wii I have ever experienced. Not only that, but the gameplay and story were amazing. The ability to upgrade weapons really makes a difference. And the Stamina bar was different but proved to be a comfortable change. This game is a must for any Zelda fan out there.

Blog Post: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in-depth review

Dima — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 06:05:00 GMT

By Dima

Yes, I realize this is over a year late. But I've only recently gotten a Wii again and have had the chance to play this game. Because of the lateness, I've chosen to be as detailed and comprehensive as possible in this review. There are spoilers. I hope you enjoy my review of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

I have always been a Legend of Zelda fan. Since early childhood I have admired Link's quests, playing through most of his (main) adventures at least once. The 3D Zelda's are, by far, collectively among my most favorite games of all-time. Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess easily snag a place in my top five. The same, however, could not be said for Skyward Sword.

This may initially come off as negative, but it shouldn't. Skyward Sword is a phenomenal Zelda game. It is a well-constructed game overall. But Skyward Sword doesn't reach the nirvana that is Ocarina of Time or even Twilight Princess. Not by a long shot.

This latest installment in the Legend of Zelda series also happens to be the first installment in the overall Zelda timeline. The timeline, while a bit janky, is actually an interesting thing to study up on. Unfortunately, before Skyward Sword even touches ground, it ruins one of the better story elements established in the Minish Cap. Specifically where the trademark "green hat" came from. I won't spoil much, but the Link in Skyward Sword, according to the canon, shouldn't have been wearing such a hat. But I digress. For now.

The game takes place in a land called "Skyloft", a series of islands with a large island in the center which houses most of the population. Navigation through the skies is reminiscent of Wind Waker in that you are given a vehicle (in this case a large bird in place of a boat) to navigate otherwise unsurpassable territory. Unfortunately for Skyloft, around 95% of the islands are relatively useless, housing minor secrets that you find on the ground that exist solely to give an excuse to fly around. Other than the main island of Skyloft, you are given an island with an inn and an island with mini games on it, each a ways away from the main island. These places could easily have been connected to the main island (as the main bizarre and the academy are) yet, for whatever reason, are spread incongruently away. The only reasoning behind this that I can deduce is that Nintendo wanted the player to get a feel for the new MotionPlus control scheme. While well-designed and well-intentioned, Skyloft fails to live up to past areas such as Hyrule Field, Termina, and even the Great Sea of Wind Waker.

On the topic of the MotionPlus, I would like to say that I was, for the most part, terribly frustrated with the control scheme. I calibrated the controller multiple times so clearly that wasn't the issue. The issue was that Nintendo created a control scheme that, ultimately, was less fun and harder to use. They wanted to give the player the feeling that they were "really" controlling Link's movements. Supposedly, if you raise the controller up, so will Link. If you slash downwards, so will Link. This is all excellent in theory yet is implemented poorly.

To start, most enemies require being striked in a particular way. Meaning if a bokoblin has their sword guarding their right side, you would slash left. Again, while it sounds fine in theory, the implementation feels extremely wooden. The enemies will arbitrarily move their weapons to a particular spot (generally up, down, left or right) to guard that particular area, leaving every other part of their body open for a strike. Other than this wooden sense of combat, the MotionPlus works far less than it really should. Far too often, I noticed, when I would strike right Link would strike diagonally, resulting in my getting hit, shocked, or otherwise punished for the hardware's mistake. I would focus most of my effort in getting the perfect angle of the strike right so that the controller would work and the enemy would get hit. Even worse, sometimes the enemies instantly jump to the angle that you are striking at, blocking even your perfect strike. This leaves no room for any particular strategy in combat and removes all of the fun of swordplay the past Zelda's had. Pretty much all sword play, apart from a few boss battles and key moments, is an arbitrary guess and check system that, as with the flight sequences, seem to be more of a flaunt of the MotionPlus mechanic than an actually fun system. Most combat sequences feel like a chore. It's also worth mentioning that Nintendo removed Link's ability to move while slashing which was one of the best additions included in Twilight Princess. This small touch could have been implemented just as well in Skyward Sword but was removed. On the same note, the fact that when you had full health in Twilight Princess and you touched a fairy, Link wouldn't just waste the fairy for 0 hearts. The fairy would continue floating. In Skyward Sword, even if you have full health, the fairy gets wasted. I don't see any logical reason for these steps backward. It genuinely feels as though Skyward Sword had an entirely different development team from Twilight Princess and simply chose to ignore any excellent editions Twilight Princess included.

And that is just swordplay. Nearly every other item in Link's arsenal also requires arbitrary use of the MotionPlus' gyroscope. In Twilight Princess, the bow and arrow system simply required use of the Wii remote's pointer. You point in the general area of the censor bar and it would accurately portray where your pointer is. This resulting in generally satisfying and precise gameplay. In Skyward Sword, however, they removed this feature. Now relying on the gyroscope, you are forced to press a button to "realign" the gyroscope whenever you shift your position. There is absolutely no way to change the control scheme. You are left with the unfortunately janky-ness of the new control scheme.

The companion this time around is Fi. Previous companions included the spunky Midna, the wise King of Red Lions, and the fairies Tatl and Navi, all of which were interesting and different in their own respects. Fi, on the other hand, is different but not particularly interesting in any way. She speaks as though she was a computer, analyzing percentage chances of you accomplishing a task or of an objective being somewhere. This computerization of a character results in her being extremely dull. The other companions had personalities and emotions where as Fi (apart from an out of place burst of emotion at the end of the game) is rather emotionless and boring.

Through Fi and other means (such as a Shiekah stone in Skyloft that can literally show you what you need to do in any given situation), the game also likes to tell you exactly what you need to do at all times. Previous iterations of the Legend of Zelda series would give you a sense of direction but leave it to you to explore and find out where to go and how to get there. In Skyward Sword, however, you are constantly being told what to do. For example, if you find an item or a key, you are immediately instructed on what you need to do with it and exactly where to go, giving you no chance to think. Puzzle solving too is dumbed down and relatively non-existent. For example, at a point in the game you are required to find a large amount of water. Earlier in the game, you had to find a large amount of water to put in a large basin. You are then reminded of the basin and how it can hold a lot of water and how to bring it to this particular location. The "puzzles" are literally described word for word how to be completed.

The main story revolves around a great evil being unleashed and Link being the chosen one to stop it. Zelda games haven't been known for their excellent story-telling, but Skyward Sword feels like a step backwards even from the standards of Twilight Princess. Twilight Princess featured dramatic set-pieces and interesting and largely character driven missions in-between dungeons. Skyward Sword, on the other hand, is much less epic. The main villain, Girahim, isn't at any point in the game intimidating. In Ocarina of Time, by the time you are an adult, the main villain has already won. Hyrule has lost. The same can be said in Twilight Princess where Zant had most of Hyrule in twilight. In Skyward Sword, the villain's only objective is to release "Demise", a demon sealed away.

The moments when you meet Girahim are pretty lame as well. The combat sequences require you to learn how to defeat him and are far less arbitrary than the general combat. This is the only plus. Girahim is an immensely shallow and relatively moronic villain in general. When you first meet him, he has every intention to beat you. When you beat him, he is of course surprised. But instead of using his supposed power to do anything to stop you, he just lets you go. The next time you meet him after the destruction of the Temple of Time, he once again, without a fight, even, decides that you aren't worthy of his time or effort and lets you go once again, promising an excruciating and dreadful battle and pain that never occurs.

The main story, serves as an origin story for Ganondorf. Girahim seeks to release "The Imprisoned". After a few failed attempts, he manages to release The Imprisoned in its final form, Demise. Clearly the first Ganondorf (in both looks and the fact that he promises to curse Link and Zelda forever), Demise isn't a particularly new or interesting villain and fails to fill the hole that Girahim leaves. The final battle is one of the best and most challenging parts in the game and the final hit you make on him echoes The Wind Waker and is extremely satisfying.

While the story is relatively shallow, the game does shine in terms of dungeons. Most of the time. New elements are implemented such as the timeshift stones which let you change time instantly in the world around you. Those are fantastic and very fun to use and bring a lot to the table. The dungeons themselves are, as always, well-designed and have fantastic visuals. Unfortunately, Nintendo made the mistake of reusing the same environments multiple times. The format in Skyward Sword is typically do a dungeon in the forest area, do a dungeon in the mountain-fire area, do a dungeon in the desert area and then repeat with a new element added, such as flooding the forest or having the mountain taken over by monsters. The desert area did an exceptional job, however, in implementing the pirate ship dungeon which is one of the best dungeons in the game. The rest, while well-intentioned and provide new visuals to a familiar locale, suffer needlessly from poor design. The flooded forest could have served as an interesting backdrop for a new part of the story, but instead you are made to collect little song notes before emptying the water. It's arbitrary and could have been avoided.

One of the best parts of the game are the Silent Realm sequences. They too reuse old environments (such as the forest and the mountain region), but instead of making you do something watered down by poor controls or design, you play as Link, stripped of all weapons and abilities, and are required to find Sacred Tears for a Spirit Vessel (very reminiscent of Twilight Princess). The twist, however, is that if you take too long to find a Tear, these guardians will emerge and change the entire scene from serene to terrifying. The moments when the guardians appear add a level of tension I've never felt in a Zelda game and offer a right challenge.

The typical Zelda format for items is to find an item (in or before a dungeon) and then use it to beat the dungeon and its boss. After that, you rarely implement most of your items outside of said dungeon (save for things such as the bow, bombs or the hookshot). This is no different in Skyward Sword. It's in fact worse than any Zelda in recent memory. Since the game focuses so heavily on the swordplay component, items rarely see any combat.

The Beetle lets you control a tiny beetle that lets you pick up distant items, cut ropes, etc. for a limited amount of time. It is a fantastic inclusion and does help the gameplay and can be fun to use when the controls are less than bad. In the Earth Temple, you get the "mogma mitts" which let you burrow into certain portions of the ground and let you crawl around. No combat is used with this item either. Other items include the gust bellows which let you blow dust around, the whip which lets you flick switches, and the Goddess' Harp, which is the worst of any instrument you get in a Zelda game. There are no specific songs to play or notes to memorize or learn; all you feasibly use it for is to activate the Silent Realms and even then it's a matter of swinging the Wii controller back and forth. As with much in this game, it's arbitrary and tacky.

In addition to bringing back classic characters such as Zelda, Impa, and Ganondorf, new characters are introduced such as Groose. Groose is established early on as an enemy of Link who eventually becomes a friend of Link's and falls in love with a centuries-old Impa. While it's not the best character development by any means, Groose is an interesting character and plays a different role than any other Zelda character that I can think of.

One big part of Groose is his specific theme. It's a delight to hear whenever he's around. On that note, the soundtrack for Skyward Sword is great, but not memorable. I can remember virtually every song from Ocarina of Time and the other 3D Zelda's but nothing (save Groose's Theme) really sticks out at me from Skyward Sword. Still, it's beautifully composed and serves as ample music for the adventure.

All in all, Skyward Sword serves as a worthy addition in the 3D Zelda lineup. It is far from perfect and far from the best, but it is a decent game in the end. There are many issues with it but, from a personal perspective, being back in Link's boots and tunic and wielding the Master Sword is satisfying in itself.

Thanks for reading my review of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. I would appreciate any comments you all could leave. Thank you!

Blog Post: This game is THE game

Andrewforbes88 — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 06:43:00 GMT

It's Zelda so it's amazing but then you realize how amazingly Nintendo implemented motion controls and then you fall in love. The level design in this game is among the best in the Zelda franchise and that's saying something. I'm not going to draw this review out, this game is amazing, go buy it!

Blog Post: Wii's Last Great Game

Alliekattus — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 18:04:00 GMT

It has been a very long time since I have picked up a Wii remote. After going out to buy this game I had to dust off the console, plug it back in, and find the nunchucks. It took a while to get used to the controls again, what with fives years since the last Legend of Zelda game, so it required some tweaking all over again.

The story is what one expects from a classic Zelda franchise, temples, gaining iconic weapons along the way, fighting bosses, collecting heart containers, rupees, solving puzzles, and saving the every angelic Zelda; but that never dulled the game play. It is a new story line which will keep you playing until the very end, even if the time frame of when this one is supposed to take place in relation to the other games is quite confusing. It has a mixture of the graphics of Twilight Princess and cell shading, and has a bright/colorful element to the screen. The battle actions are well executed and are enjoyable to discover, though a little awkward to execute at first with the Wii remote and nunchuck.

It is sad that we are starting to see the fade of the Wii generation, and its fall from its great expectation to be the next big gaming console. But it will go out with a bang with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Blog Post: The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword Review (Nintendo is teh best)

doveboyz — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 19:39:00 GMT

This is AMAZING. I loved this game so so so so much that I would make up resons why I could not skype with my friends. The graphics suck kitty poop on the Wii but thats just cause its blurry. That does not matter after you play for about 10 hours. From going to kill evil guys in tombs made of dried lava, to killing a giant man eating scorpian in a 50 by 50 sandstone tomb. The story is fun and exiting. So if you don't like to fight, cry, or be like WTF WTF WTF WTF SHE WAS THE GODDESS. (Below is Spoilers)

Zelda is the Goddess

Link marries Zelda at the end and they live on the ground

The old lady in the tomb is really non other than Sheik from OOT

Girraham has a badd@$$ sword

Blog Post: impressive... very impressive!!!

Z-Man 94 — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 04:50:00 GMT

Definitely a worthy successor.

Graphics were top end (for the Wii)

Music was great. Perfect for every area and battle (my personal favorite was the first dungeon's music)

Gameplay was a fantastic new addition to the Zelda series. It cant be stated better than above. At first its difficult to take out even the easiest of enemies but as I progressed through the game I noticed (and was proud of) my improving skills at dispatching even the most challenging of enemies. The bosses were creative and different than the usual bosses. They are like a whole nother puzzle. Now I may be a little picky but I would love to have the miny bosses back from twilight princess. Items were well controlled and flowed seamlessly with motion where applicable. The new item menu was a great addition that kept the gameplay flowing and provided less stops in the middle of the game kept it fast paced and actiony.

Negatives- The musical instrument. Very dissapointing... the occasional trouble navigating the item menu or adventure puch (my main trouble was pointing left). Some of the dissapointing quests during the song of the hero (tadtones for sure). I would much prefer a new set of dungeons and more items. I miss the hyrule overworld. I liked it more than the skyworld overworld (which was still descent besides its spread apart vastness and lack of action.

I would definitely reccomend this game to anyone. This game has made it into my top 3 of all time video games ever so go get it and have your own gripping adventure today.

Blog Post: Not Quite A Legend, But Still A Great Story

Stranger — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 06:55:00 GMT

As I sit here reflecting on my experience with Skyward Sword, I notice a lot of good and quite a bit of bad. There was many great moments and ideas in this game, but was ultimately brought down a bit by some issues I noticed. Which ones? Read on for more.

Graphics: Generally thought of as an Achilles Heel for the Wii, I was pleasantly surprised here. While you may not be raving about the blast processing used to make it go 1000 FPS or something like that, the visual style supports the tech, and doesn't really leave you feeling unsatisfied. On the contrary, there are some beautiful vistas here that I thoroughly enjoyed. While there may have been a few rather blocky looking corners, overall the graphics are perfect for the game and are pleasing to the eye.

Sound: What can I say? Koji Kondo's composing talents continue to amaze and adapt to whatever situation Link finds himself in (he's the composer for pretty much every Zelda and Mario game). Whether he sits calmly under a tree or is in a fierce battle the music always supports the setting. As far as the sound effects, if you've played any 3D Zelda game nothing here will surprise you, just more of the same of Link's sword clanks, grunts, and shouts.

Story: Legend Of Zelda to me has never really majorly been about the story. Sure, you have your old archetypes like Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf, but they've never really amazed me. Skyward Sword delivers a pretty great experience in this department, and delivers what is most likely the best story ever to grace a Zelda game. Characters like Groose and the old lady residing in the Sealed Temple add extra layers of complexity.

Gameplay: This is where things started to fall apart, at least for me. There were problems with the shields having damage meters, most of them collapsed like they were made of pudding until later in the game. This made me forgo a shield entirely for a good portion of the time. One last problem I had was Link's stamina meter, it felt like it ran out too quickly, leaving Link with a physicality comparable to a fifty year old chain smoker. I was stuck having to consistently re-center the remote during fights, and there were several times where it not being centered got me irreparably behind during battles. There were a few times where my nunchuk wouldn't register a shield raise and left me open to damage. On the other hand, some of the items are improved substantially by the introduction of motion, and provide new, fresh experiences, in particular an item that flies around controlled entirely by the remote tilt and orientation.

Design: While still falling onto the old traditions of locales like desert, forest, and mountain, there aresome clever dungeons and logistical challenges due to new items and many other great ideas. There is in particular the entire Lanayru province, hosting some of the best design I've seen in any Zelda game. There are stones in this province that bring the area around them back to a long-past time when hit. Also, there's an entire area in it you discover later in the game that is utterly breathtaking which I will not spoil. But the game is mired down a bit near the end, where it seems like they're adding on fetch quests and breaking apart items into pieces all for the sake of lengthening the game. I wouldn't have been sorry to see some of the pre-ending missions cut (Tadtones anyone?).

Overall, there were some annoyances, but I still enjoyed the vast majority of my time with the game. I would recommend this to you if you enjoy Zelda, Nintendo, adventure games, or motion controls. While not offering a mind-blowing experience, it was a great play, and a worthy successor to the Legend Of Zelda series.

Blog Post: One of the most inspiring games I've ever played

Crawlingvx — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 03:20:00 GMT

The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword is kind of an odd duck. Very rarely you get a game that wraps you around itself so much. I must admit, almost confess, that this game had me very nervous since it was revealed, even though I had all this excitement build up just because it was a new Zelda game. Also there was a little aspect of me worried about the 480p graphics. But in my first play session with the game, all that fear just dissapeared. After my first playthrough, I came to realize that this was'nt just another Zelda game, its a work of art. Never I felt so attached to the characters in a game like I did whenever a cutscene was played. For the second time (being only preceded by Ocarina Of Time), I actually felt that the reason why Link is always muted was justified. I felt as if I was myself a character in the game. And I think I never felt so worried about what would be the fate of another character, our most beloved Zelda. What happens with this game is that every aspect of it is key to the whole picture that this game intends to create. Everything from the animation, the motion controlled gameplay, the characters, the story, the narrative, the music, everything plays its role to deliver one of the most fantastic experiences I've had with a game in my lifetime.

On a final note, I would like to congratulate every person that lend its passion for videogames and this series in general for making one of the most memorable games that I have yet played. Rarely does a game makes you awe for its content instead of its technological prowess. And almost never makes you shed a tear because of the impact it has on you.

This game, is greatness.

Blog Post: Great Game

Surfup5 — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:24:00 GMT

This game is the best Zelda game yet, with the awsome looking enemies and bosses, especially the last boss, great motion controls, and incredible story. Zelda has never been better. this game may even be better than OoT. All I have to say to Nintendo is, "Keep up the good work and I hope the next Zelda game can compete with this masterpeice."

Blog Post: A Fountain of Great Joy

RadiantChaos — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:46:00 GMT

Every now and then a game comes along that simply brings you utter joy. There are plenty of great games out there, some of which have complicated and intriguing gameplay while others deal with controversial story elements. And then, there are games that are majestic, adventurous, and just plain happy.

Skyward Sword is one of those games. The entire adventure is filled with so many moments of creativity, excitement, and vastness that the experience comes together to fill one with a feeling of euphoria. The experience of Skyward Sword is a diverse one; the player often goes from clearing out a dungeon to exploring the expansive overworld and then clearing up a few sidequests. I would spend hours at a time just goofing off in Skyloft, taking in the wonderful setting, intriguing characters, and humorous dialogue. The sheer number of sidequests is impressive, even in a day and age where games like Skyrim provide an infinite number.

The story is the best of a Zelda title to date, and intrudes more often than previous installments. The characters are vibrant and even see development; Link becomes a very likable hero (surprise surprise), even after starting out as a lazy adolescent. Groose also sees impressive character change, as he evolves from an annoying jerk (who slightly reminded me of Gaston from Beauty and the Beast) to someone aware of their destiny and willing to help however they can. Even Zelda undergoes some development, and her character sees much more fleshing out than many previous games, which is fitting for a series named after her. Many people complain about Fi, but I actually found her statistic speak to be funny and refreshing, even when her advice was so obvious a Goron could have told me about it. The story takes a few twists, throws in some references to older Zelda games, and has a very satisfying conclusion, which to me felt almost poetic. I also appreciated Nintendo's various humorous references; the "25th anniversary," "Grooseland," "You look born to wear green," and "The Legend of Groose" all had me laughing out loud.

Gameplay tends to polarize some of the players. Many people have griped about some of the motion controls being unresponsive, but I can testify that for the most part they worked well. While playing, I got better as I learned to exaggerate the different movements of the remote, especially for using the sword. This is especially notable because for the entire game I was using a remote not made by Nintendo, which likely means the control was worse than it would be otherwise. I was very satisfied as a whole with how the Motion Plus turned out. I did find the harp-playing moments to be difficult and annoying, as it often took several minutes for me to get it played correctly. I have my doubts that it was entirely my fault; I am a drummer, so I would think my rhythm would be sufficient. Either way, it isn't too difficult and I managed to persevere.

The boss fights were among the most entertaining I've played, not just in this series but in all games I've played. Very rarely did I get frustrated, and most of the time the battles made me feel like a master player for fighting well and a genius for figuring out how to win. Since I am not either of those, I'd say that the game did a great job of making players satisfied. The last two boss battles are also enticing, despite what many (including Tim) have often suggested. While the final boss is somewhat short for a Zelda game (the final battle in Twilight Princess took me an hour), it is cinematic and epic.

The music is beautiful and really helps convey great feelings within the game itself. Classics like Zelda's Lullaby, the House Theme, and the Main Theme are all redone in full orchestra. I never once grew tired of the music, and it made me feel even more adventurous. Similarly, the art style and graphics are beautiful, despite being standard definition. I never once felt that the Wii limited how the game looked, and the art style really suits itself well to such a fantastical tale.

I haven't had a chance to start Hero mode yet, as I opted to finish up some loose side quests instead. Still, I believe I still have several hours of enjoyable Skyward Sword gameplay left. My playthrough lasted me 64 hours or so, which is the most I've had on a Zelda title yet.

This was the favorite Zelda game that I've played so far. Having gotten into the series only last year, I don't hold the nostalgia most other gamers have, so I can say with complete integrity that this game is better as a whole than any other title in the franchise. I would even go as far as to call it one of my favorite games ever.

At the end of the day, games are meant to be fun, and no other game does that better than Skyward Sword. It utilizes every part of the media to create an lengthy experience that never stops creating pure bliss. It helps define the genre as an art form, it proves innovative motion controls can mix with "hardcore" games, and it renovates an entire series of games. Truly, there isn't much more you can ask for.

Blog Post: The Best Game I've Played In Years

Link's #1 Fan — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 18:54:00 GMT

First of all, I play video games 24/7 and I get to know a few pretty well. But, I will never forget every second of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. I love this game more then any other I've played in a long time.

You first begin waking up in your dorm room by Zelda's bird spitting a letter at you. It turns out to be Zelda, telling you to meet her at the Goddess Statue. This is an important day in Skyloft, where a knight in training gets a step closer to becoming one, and whoever wins a bird challenge moves up a rank and does a traditional ceremony with Zelda pretending to be the Goddess. Groose, a bully of Link, gets into a fight with you over Zelda before the race begins, but turns out Zelda's there to see it and yells at Groose.

The beginning really gets you into the feeling of how this Zelda game has a little humor and relationship conflict in it. I find this to be an intriguing plot with Link having a crush on Zelda. It makes it feel more important to him to save Zelda then in the other Zelda games. I absolutely love this plot. I really got in zone with it and some parts I laugh, others I cry, its like reading a very emotional book.

Also, the game play is something original and new to the Zelda series. In this Zelda game you use the Wii Motion Plus remote which gives you the ability to do more things with it. Nintendo programmed it so you can roll pots through holes, move your sword any direction you want, and even control riding your bird. This makes it feel more fun and different when doing any action throughout the game and it never gets old.

The graphics are also very unique. They kept the more realistic Link but what is different is the backdrop. The backdrop looks like watercolor and gives you that fantasy world feeling wherever you are. Also, the Link in this game is a mix between toon and realistic Link. As realistic as he looks, you can tell that Link is more colorful and rounded out then the Twilight Princess Link.

What is also unique is the references to Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. For instance, the shopkeeper on the boats in Wind Waker is in Skyward Sword, only he now works in Beedle's Airshop, where you can buy the type of items you want to save up for. And the reference with Twilight Princess is having Lanayru Province still a desert, the only difference is there are sink holes throughout it.

There are also some changes to the game controls. Have you ever kept rolling around to move quicker in Zelda? Well in Skyward Sword, when you are walking you can press the "A" button and do a Dash. You can now dash up walls, sprint, and, if a ledge is short enough, jump right over it. This gets rid of the feeling of being slow, but there is a catch, you have an "energy gauge" which tells you how long you can sprint. If you use up the energy gauge you'll walk REALLY slow and you can't do anything until it regains itself. You can stop dashing for about 3 seconds though and start sprinting again, so its not so bad. The energy gauge is also used when climbing vines and dashing up ladders. I think it gives it more of a real world idea to Zelda, because it makes since if you get tired after sprinting for a long time.

If I were you I would buy Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword as soon as possible. It has a great plot, controls, and game play so why wait when you can get the most amazing game in the world? Stop wasting time and get this game!!!

Blog Post: Good but not Great

Lelita2992 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:09:00 GMT

every time i pull out the claw shots or bow or watever i have to reconfigure the wii mote to center it by pressing down on the arrows. its just getting so aggrevating to play this game. i have to play it in shorter and shorter intervals, and i dispise FI she bugs the hell out of me. I'd rather have Navi over her in a heartbeat.

midna and navi atleast didnt repeat everything that was just said to you. "zelda has left to cleanse in the waters of the eldin mountain." DING!!! "I have a report to inform you of. there is a 85% chance zelda is no longer here and has gone to the eldin mountain." no s*%t sherlock! i just f*^%ing read that! "you have obtained the clawshots. you can use them to reach high places" DING!! "Link i have a new report. You have just gotten the clawshots you can use them to reach high places" DING!! "there is a 82% chance the room you just ran into will set your clothes on fire" REALLY!! i didnt know, i didnt just learn to do that on my own. I mean really for what age did miyamoto make this game for, it clearly wasnt for anyone beyond the age of 9.

bad guy puts his shield to the left, so i swing right. and what does the sensor bar read? thats right you guessed it, LEFT! I swing up to hit the lock, it reads right. in the middle of a battle i have to stop swinging at the big baddy trying to KILL ME to allow the stupid motion controls to read that im wanting to change directions on my swing. its not fluid at all. to pull out a item you hit B, to use the item you hit A, to put away item and change item B again. so when your fighting a boss and your just trying to land that last hit your a lil flustered, 4 hearts left, no potions no fairy youve brokin all the jars so you hit B then B again, or your unknowingly holding B down, and oh s*^t all of a sudden you have the bug net out...seriously!!?? why not use B to draw item and B again to use item and then A to put item away? why make it more difficult? i want to meet the man you thought of the controls, clearly it was one man cause otherwise others would have stopped his stupidity, and im going to b*^#h slap him so hard he'll be speaking english.

oh and the depth perception? rotflmao! theres no such thing in this game. i think im literally standing on top of a bug to catch it, and i swing my net to catch it, turns out i was like a foot away from it! your flying across the sky to one of the columns of light, and it feels like forever, not cause its big, but cause it feels like your never getting any closer. it stays the exact same size and distance till your literally flying by it and then you dive. you think the bubba is right on top of you and so you swing to kill it, turns out your a f*%$ing car length away from it, and it hits you. if miyamoto wanted players to do close combat fighting, then give us a knife not a sword, a sword has distance but obviously he needs to go back to history class, a sword is meant for distance dip s*^t.

I grant the game for having some aggravating yet thrilling boss fights, except it feels like sometimes I'm fighting the exact same one again and again. The story is finally something different, I loved Majora's Mask for changing it up, dont get me wrong the strories have never been the problem. Characters are flamboyant, and interesting. And I do love the feeling of pride and "H#ll yes, I gotchya you jerk!" feeling, but those feelings seem rare and far apart. Just felt like they tried too hard to make the motion controls work. But I stuck with it, no matter how angry i kept getting and finished the game. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to beat some crazy clowns into a bloody blob of goo with my bare hands :)

Blog Post: Skyward Sword: Good but not the best

Roger Fountain — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:20:00 GMT

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is by all means a good game. There are a couple of flaws it has however, which are what keep me from agreeing with Phil Kollar of Gameinformer. First off, it feels to short. Maybe it’s because I was coming off of my Skyrim high when I played it, but 32 hours didn’t seem like enough. The game starts you off with six hearts instead of the traditional three; that made me feel like I missed out on three dungeons right there. Also, you don’t get any more than eight items in your items pouch. That hurt. One of my favorite parts about Zelda is all the cool items you can get. In Twilight Princess, the item wheel started out small, but got bigger than eight items after a while. My other complaints with Skyward Sword are the graphics, constant re-calibration, and you can’t save anywhere you want to. When it comes to graphics I know the Wii has its limitations, but I even went out and bought some component cables and the edges still looked jagged. I had to re-center the aiming often, because no matter where you are pointing the remote, it assumes that you are pointing it at the center of the screen every time you pull out your item. The saving system is a pet-peeve of mine, but it doesn’t really get in the way of the game. Link has to find these bird statues before he can save it, kind of like in Majora’s Mask.

Now onto the good parts of the game. The items you do get are sweet. My favorite of the newbies is the whip. It’s fun to Indiana Jones it for a while in Zelda. The Sword play is awesome. When Eji Anouma announced that the series won’t be going back to the standard button to swing the sword, I rejoiced. If you ever wondered what it would be like to hold a virtual sword, this is it. Although, you can be too fancy with it; what it boils down to is you’re able to swing in 8 different directions; up, down, left, right, and the diagonals, or you can stab. This is what a lot of the enemy types are based around. The puzzles are simple, yet brilliant, especially the time crystals concept. The boss battles are off the chain, one of them even has the entire dungeon itself involved in it. However, you do run through the same areas a couple of times, some may like this and compare it to Metroid. I didn’t like it, it made me feel like Nintendo cheaped out a little on level design, but it didn’t ruin the fun. Also, the story line pretty much sets up for every Zelda game ever. While it wasn’t mind blowing, it did satisfy me to learn about how everything started.

Overall, it’s a good game, but Twilight Princess was better. I’m sure that Nintendo’s already started working on a Zelda game for the WiiU and I can’t wait to see that. I think that Skyward Sword will go down as the “Super Mario: Sunshine” of the Zelda series. By that I mean, they tried some new stuff; new mechanics, new looks, but overall, it’s a solid entry to the series and there is much fun to be had.

Blog Post: Better than the ocarina

skywardsword11 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:34:00 GMT

in one word, amazing. Skyward Sword delivers on everything I hoped and more. With stunning graphics, amazing swordplay, stamina meter, and weapon upgrade system. It surely is the best Wii game of 2011, if not the best Wii game ever. challenging fun puzzles, epic boss fights, and realistic exchanges with other characters, Skyward sword is a game everyone should enjoy.