There is a 30% chance that this game is enjoyable, but that percentage can be increased to 90% if the conditions are just right.
This review will be on the HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, but it will also encompass my experience with the original Wii version I played over a decade ago. My feelings about the one cannot be present without my feelings about the other.
I’m pretty sure 2011’s The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the first game I ever preordered with my own money (I still have the golden Wii remote that was packaged with it). A high school friend of mine and I would talk at exhaustive lengths about what we thought was going to happen in the game based off of the teaser art that was revealed featuring a swordless Twilight Princess-y looking Link standing back to back with a Wind Waker-y Great Fairy looking girl. The 3DS remake of Ocarina of Time had official art of Skyward Sword’s Link hidden throughout the world, which only further amplified my already bristling anticipation. Besides the previously mentioned remake of an already perfect game, Zelda had put out a few duds. It was time for a return to form. It was time for something with no strings attached. It was time for the classic Zelda experience.
And then I got the game.
Let it be known that there were some things I liked about Skyward Sword. Fi’s design, everything about Zelda herself, and of course Groose, stand out the most. The music is great as always and I like Kina the Pumpkin girl.
But those controls, man. For a game putting into practice what the Wii Motion Plus controller was capable of, it sure is a shame it never fully did exactly what I wanted to. It felt more like I was playing some carnival attraction.
I do not like them, Sam I Am.
Skyward Sword was kind of the last straw for me for a little while. In my petulant teenage eyes, The Legend of Zelda was no longer the proud sibling series to Mario, it was now the stupid gimmick series where they find new ways to play a game to justify their underpowered toyetic consoles to the world.
This opinion would of course change, but I still felt that way for a good few years. And regardless of which Zelda games came out afterwards, Skyward Sword was always my least favorite.
And then even more years passed. The game that was made to commemorate The Legend of Zelda’s 25th anniversary was ten years old. And to commemorate that, Nintendo released a high definition remake of the game, with the ability for buttons only controls.
Buttons only controls! I had to write it again just to feel the pleasure of putting it into words once more.
I got Skyward Sword HD at basically half price, and more than ever that feels like a steal. Buttons only mode elevates this game far, far above the original. It feels like I’m playing a video game! Every clumsy and misaligned action that Link could do before is now streamlined and precise. And they even give you the option to go back to motion controls and remind yourself how dire the situation was.
No longer is Skyward Sword a good Zelda game that is held back by how you interact with the world, it’s just a Zelda game now. And Buttons Only Mode actually makes that initial idea of intense sword combat Nintendo’s been chasing since Zelda 2 interesting to play! Sure, a lot of the combat has that shooting gallery feeling from the original where the enemy runs up to you and waits to be killed, but later on you fight more aggressive enemies that punish a missed input. And now that you have an interface that doesn’t miss an input half the time, it becomes an enjoyable challenge!
The world map is still small but without the Wii Motion Plus mosquito buzzing in my ear, I was able to understand that its constant reuse of the main three areas was a means of adding depth and richness to each of them, rather than laziness. I’d still like a snow area though. Or a beach area. Or both.
Skyward Sword HD taught me how to love again, and I, at the very least, really like Skyward Sword.
The ending is still kind of dumb. Spoiler alert for a 10 year old game but it retroactively makes my man Ganondorf feel less special. That’s some dumb shit.
I’ve played and 100%-ed The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword twice, once on each version, and I only recommend the second version. Button Only Mode is truly a game changer. Now, hopefully you will be as lucky as me and get this game for 20 bucks, but in the event that you won’t or haven’t, I still think it’s worth the marked retail price. It’s a good game with an endearing story with loveable characters, and now, interesting controls.
Fi is less annoying in the remake too.
This review will be on the HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, but it will also encompass my experience with the original Wii version I played over a decade ago. My feelings about the one cannot be present without my feelings about the other.
I’m pretty sure 2011’s The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the first game I ever preordered with my own money (I still have the golden Wii remote that was packaged with it). A high school friend of mine and I would talk at exhaustive lengths about what we thought was going to happen in the game based off of the teaser art that was revealed featuring a swordless Twilight Princess-y looking Link standing back to back with a Wind Waker-y Great Fairy looking girl. The 3DS remake of Ocarina of Time had official art of Skyward Sword’s Link hidden throughout the world, which only further amplified my already bristling anticipation. Besides the previously mentioned remake of an already perfect game, Zelda had put out a few duds. It was time for a return to form. It was time for something with no strings attached. It was time for the classic Zelda experience.
And then I got the game.
Let it be known that there were some things I liked about Skyward Sword. Fi’s design, everything about Zelda herself, and of course Groose, stand out the most. The music is great as always and I like Kina the Pumpkin girl.
But those controls, man. For a game putting into practice what the Wii Motion Plus controller was capable of, it sure is a shame it never fully did exactly what I wanted to. It felt more like I was playing some carnival attraction.
I do not like them, Sam I Am.
Skyward Sword was kind of the last straw for me for a little while. In my petulant teenage eyes, The Legend of Zelda was no longer the proud sibling series to Mario, it was now the stupid gimmick series where they find new ways to play a game to justify their underpowered toyetic consoles to the world.
This opinion would of course change, but I still felt that way for a good few years. And regardless of which Zelda games came out afterwards, Skyward Sword was always my least favorite.
And then even more years passed. The game that was made to commemorate The Legend of Zelda’s 25th anniversary was ten years old. And to commemorate that, Nintendo released a high definition remake of the game, with the ability for buttons only controls.
Buttons only controls! I had to write it again just to feel the pleasure of putting it into words once more.
I got Skyward Sword HD at basically half price, and more than ever that feels like a steal. Buttons only mode elevates this game far, far above the original. It feels like I’m playing a video game! Every clumsy and misaligned action that Link could do before is now streamlined and precise. And they even give you the option to go back to motion controls and remind yourself how dire the situation was.
No longer is Skyward Sword a good Zelda game that is held back by how you interact with the world, it’s just a Zelda game now. And Buttons Only Mode actually makes that initial idea of intense sword combat Nintendo’s been chasing since Zelda 2 interesting to play! Sure, a lot of the combat has that shooting gallery feeling from the original where the enemy runs up to you and waits to be killed, but later on you fight more aggressive enemies that punish a missed input. And now that you have an interface that doesn’t miss an input half the time, it becomes an enjoyable challenge!
The world map is still small but without the Wii Motion Plus mosquito buzzing in my ear, I was able to understand that its constant reuse of the main three areas was a means of adding depth and richness to each of them, rather than laziness. I’d still like a snow area though. Or a beach area. Or both.
Skyward Sword HD taught me how to love again, and I, at the very least, really like Skyward Sword.
The ending is still kind of dumb. Spoiler alert for a 10 year old game but it retroactively makes my man Ganondorf feel less special. That’s some dumb shit.
I’ve played and 100%-ed The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword twice, once on each version, and I only recommend the second version. Button Only Mode is truly a game changer. Now, hopefully you will be as lucky as me and get this game for 20 bucks, but in the event that you won’t or haven’t, I still think it’s worth the marked retail price. It’s a good game with an endearing story with loveable characters, and now, interesting controls.
Fi is less annoying in the remake too.