Board 8 > The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Review Zone

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://opencritic.com/game/11317/the-legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword-hd/reviews

80 average through 37 reviews so far. That's way lower than the original Wii versions 93 OHHHH NOOOO (in reality this is probably the score SS was supposed to have since the beginning)

Skyward Sword returns with a some quality of life improvements and the ability to play it with just normal controls over motion controls. It boasts one of the best casts of any zelda game and some of the best dungeon designs and very unique combat. However the game is still fairly linear so if that was your problem with it, you're outta luck here

Destructoid - 8/10
Zelda: Skyward Sword was a weird game to assess in 2011, much less today. It had a lot of great ideas undercut by some questionable design choices, but to some, it was the best Zelda ever made. I understand that $60 for a remaster of a 2011 game is a big ask, but this is the definitive version of a flawed yet fun adventure that should be part of any Zelda rotation.

TheSixthAxis - 8/10
This is what people truly want from a Switch port. A gentle, well thought out, genuine upgrade that captures the heart of the original game and allows it to flourish at a higher standard. Although it is still perhaps a little simplistic, the game has redeemed itself through the quality-of-life updates that were sorely needed the first time around. Skyward Sword is finally a winner, and will undoubtedly delight newcomers and old fans alike.

God is a Geek - 9.5/10
Skyward Sword HD has made a fool of me, and really, I am just so happy I gave it another chance. This is the best version of a truly landmark game.

EGM
As of writing this, Im about three-quarters of the way through Skyward Sword HD, so I still dont know if I will end up beating the game. That final boss fight is still on the horizon. But this time I feel better equipped, because the game itself is simply better in every possible way. Whether or not my redemption arc will see its completion is still unclear, but so far, Nintendo has undoubtedly redeemed what was once the outcast of 3D Zelda games.

NIntendoLife - 9/10
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 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.


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quality of life improvements include

HD grafix

Playing without motion controls and just using normal controls

Make Fi shut up + the ability to skip tutorials

No more repeating item descriptions every time you pick up a rupee or whatever

Ability to skip cutscenes, fast forward dialogue, etc

Auto-saving

Full camera control

Amiibo only: Fast Travel

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ninkendo posted...

Amiibo only: Fast Travel

cursed amiibo

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Microtransactions

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So no actual improvements to how padded the game is?

That's a no for me dog

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masterplum posted...

So no actual improvements to how padded the game is?

ninkendo posted...

Amiibo only: Fast Travel

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The improvement they should've made is nixing the tadpole section.
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80 is what a functioning Skyward Sword deserves, looking back I don't know how the Wii version got a 93.

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Mac Arrowny posted...

The improvement they should've made is nixing the tadpole section.

Climbing the mountain a second time after you had already done it once was the first thing that came to mind, but that one was also bad.

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Skyward Sword is my favorite Zelda and even I can't deny its myriad of flaws. This sounds pretty good, but sad they didn't do a little bit more. Fix the Imprisoned fights (just cut one out is fine, would be cooler if they made them more unique but I didn't expect that degree of effort), refine a little bit of the padding, maybe add some islands to that big empty sky. I just wanted a little more effort put into it since I love this game so much. Ahh well, at least they nailed the Wind Waker remaster, and I adore that game almost as much.

Anywho, still play this game if you haven't. Best dungeons (well, tied with TP), best story, best combat in the series. And personally, I love the game's structure with the surface overworlds acting like dungeons unto themselves. The game is basically 80% dungeon gameplay because of it and I'm here for it, but I get the contention. Towns are just boring yo. You only need one good one.

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ninkendo posted...

Amiibo only: Fast Travel

Riot in the fucking streets

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ninkendo posted...

Full camera control

Not enough people talking about this. Massive improvement.

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up to an 83 average now through 44 reviews

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andylt posted...

80 is what a functioning Skyward Sword deserves, looking back I don't know how the Wii version got a 93.

everyone wanted it to be better than TP

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ninkendo posted...

Playing without motion controls and just using normal controls

All I care about!

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masterplum posted...

So no actual improvements to how padded the game is?

That's a no for me dog

They did, but probably not as much as some want. The intro is quicker at least. They also improved the text speed and solved the repeating item descriptions. Its a faster game now.

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ninkendo posted...

Yes, the locking off of instant travel behind the official amiibo is a misstep

The what now

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Also, the Zelda Loftwing Amiibo is apparently the only one that does anything.

Dusted my SS Link off for nothing. Although I did take this photo because the size difference between Link and Zelda is funny to me.


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swole link

JackMan posted...

Also, the Zelda Loftwing Amiibo is apparently the only one that does anything.

Dusted my SS Link off for nothing. Although I did take this photo because the size difference between Link and Zelda is funny to me.

https://www.polygon.com/22578543/zelda-skyward-sword-nintendo-switch-link-himbo

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My copy just came in the mail!

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Full camera control is techically not true you have to use motion controls since the camera stick is your sword using normal button layouts.

Motion controls work better with the joycons, they're lighter than the wiimote and no wires to the nunchuck gives you more flexiblity. That said I can't really use normal controls since the right stick on my pro controller has drift. I can't get Link to stop swinging.

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Lord Ephraim posted...

Full camera control is techically not true you have to use motion controls since the camera stick is your sword using normal button layouts.

Motion controls work better with the joycons, they're lighter than the wiimote and no wires to the nunchuck gives you more flexiblity. That said I can't really use normal controls since the right stick on my pro controller has drift. I can't get Link to stop swinging.

You hold L and move the right stick to move the camera

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Ugh, that just reminded me that SS. Link is the only one I wasn't able to get

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Neat. I might get this, but Im going to have to wait until I get some stuff taken care of first.

LeonhartFour posted...

everyone wanted it to be better than TP

it is

but still not a 93

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Midna vs. Groose is a tough one, but

GOTTA GO WITH GROOSE ONCE AGAIN

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Groose is clearly better than Midna, but the more applicable comparison would be Midna v Fi

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Groose vs. Everybody

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Groose vs Lu Bu and Yoshimitsu

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O-aKWdXnRk

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ninkendo posted...

Amiibo only: Fast Travel

lmao

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That's really kind of oversimplifying it. The amiibo allows you to go into the sky at any time and back to where you were on the surface, but it doesn't suddenly open up a bunch of fast travel locations. And there are bird statues all over the place in this game that serve that same function of taking you to the sky. Generally on the surface you're usually no more than a minute away from one when you need to use it. It's really not a quality of life change that the game needed. It's still incredibly stupid to lock something like that behind an amiibo, because it is cool, but I imagine that sounds much worse to someone who has never played/doesn't remember the game well.

I am baffled, however, that they chose to lock hero mode behind beating the game, apparently. This...makes no sense. WWHD and TPHD both have hero mode available from the get go. I know enemies in those two games do significantly less damage than enemies in SS so they desperately needed a hero mode and SS didn't, but...damn. :(

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StartTheMachine posted...

WWHD and TPHD both have hero mode available from the get go.

Link's Awakening for Switch had that too.

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Now my amiibo is listed as coming Tuesday

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These Zelda Joy-con are so cool. I love them.

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I don't remember ever desiring fast travel in my Skyward Sword complaints so I'm not concerned about that

dunno when I'll get HD version, though it helps I still got catching up to do with Ace Attorney so I don't have GAAC to compete this month

SS joycons meanwhile should be coming in the next week or so hypeeeee

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andylt posted...

80 is what a functioning Skyward Sword deserves, looking back I don't know how the Wii version got a 93.

Every major console Zelda title ALWAYS gets ravished with praise on release.

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Yes because they are all fantastic games.

But to that point when you look at how Skyward Swords contemporaries reviewed on rerelease, Id say its probably still one of the best games from that year they have all just aged.

https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim

https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/la-noire

https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/dark-souls-remastered

At least it didnt turn out like Return to Arkham:

https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/batman-return-to-arkham

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I also feel like Wind Waker was never especially hated. It performed well in popularity polls not long after its release.

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The people who played Wind Waker liked it, but the artstyle put off people from buying it, so it under performed sales-wise.

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LinkMarioSamus posted...

I also feel like Wind Waker was never especially hated. It performed well in popularity polls not long after its release.

I mean a mainline Zelda game is only going to do so poorly here

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LinkMarioSamus posted...

I also feel like Wind Waker was never especially hated. It performed well in popularity polls not long after its release.

counter point

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/1365-tournament-semifinal-link-vs-cloud-strife

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Leonhart4 posted...

I mean a mainline Zelda game is only going to do so poorly here

I'm not even talking about just GameFAQs.

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JackMan posted...

The people who played Wind Waker liked it, but the artstyle put off people from buying it, so it under performed sales-wise.

Yeah it always felt like a vocal minority hating WW and TP. Not that either game is above criticism or anything, but still. Feels like that era of the franchise might be just as iconic as the pre-N64 games.

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Man, after only playing for a couple hours, I can't imagine playing this without full camera control now lol.

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JackMan posted...

The people who played Wind Waker liked it, but the artstyle put off people from buying it, so it under performed sales-wise.

Wind Waker sold really well! I believe behind only Ocarina of Time for attach rate - it was mainly held back in raw numbers by the Gamecube. By franchise standards it held up better than Super Mario Sunshine.

The only major Zelda game you can kind of argue underperformed saleswise was Skyward Sword and that had a huge launch then dropped off. This version will do much better as the Switch is in a much better place now than the Wii was then. The actual lowest selling is OG Majoras Mask though.

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Well, it under performed according to Nintendo's predictions, especially in Japan. Gamecube selling poorly is part of it, but Zelda is normally a system-seller.

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Exactly that. Most Zelda games have sold systems, regardless of their attach rate. Remember when their were more BotW (for Switch) copies sold than there were Switches? If Wind Waker had been a hit, the GC would've been a much more successful system.
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So is there any benefit/charm to playing with motion controls? Always seems weird to take a game designed for it and port it to a "normal" control scheme.