Skyward Sword

[Chiaki]

So, I'm a rough 15ish hours into the game and I am overall enjoying it. I'm still in the mine just before the temple of time so I know I have much more game ahead of me.

So far this is what I think from where I'm at now:

The good:
Story feels refreshing, updated and well-thought out without feeling like a carbon copy or a gimmick (Twilight Princess felt a bit like that to me). It feels like a worthwhile addition to the franchise, I'd put it up there with Majora's Mask or even Ocarina of Time (STORY only and nostalgia aside).

Style, while I think the graphics are lacking I like the choices made on the style. It seems fitting again without being a carbon copy of whats been done before. A small bad here though that I wish the Wii was more powerful to keep the pastel style and have things rendered better/sharper.

I like the items, they're new and different while the old standbys are still there.

The enemies are new and different (much to my annoyance sometimes when it comes to figuring out how to kill them) so its nice to see old enemies reincarnated and new enemies mixed.

I like the flying, again, new and different but feels like it "goes" with the old idea of having a horse/boat etc method of transportation.

Overall the character/location designs are good.

The Bad:
No over-world, I know there's the clouds but I wish there was a more over-world map.

Along with that, no towns, I don't like only having one central town to walk through, it makes me care less about the new races they've decided to introduce and their story.

Ghirahim looks dumb, I'm gonna say it, worst designed villain ever.

The controls are flat out annoying sometimes. I don't know why Nintendo didn't give a classic controller option. They can be finnicky when sometimes they are asking for a LOT of finesse.


Overall, I am really enjoying myself, its re-kindling a lot of my old love for Zelda that Twilight Princess didn't do. I feel like Twilight princess was trying too hard to look/feel like Ocarina of Time, rather than being its own stand-alone concept, good or bad.

I'd give it a worth playing rating right now though, I don't think it disappoints die-hards to new fans.

[Rekka]

So I take it this is an actual reason to blow off the dust and get my Wii back out again? XD I might end up getting it then, I am currently playing through OoT for the first time, I havn't played most of these newer Zelda games like Twilight Princess, Wind Waker, Majora's mask, sooo I might get this =o and who knows, might even pick up Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 and Paper mario sometime too XD I have been wanting to play those, but I am currently broke and saving for the oh-so expensive Vita using Christmas money TT_TT

[Chiaki]

I have heard Skyward Sword is supposed to be a prologue for OoT. I haven't gotten beyond speculation in the plot to support that but it could work out well for you perhaps playing it close together.

And yes, this is what I held onto my Wii for and turned it on for the first time in AAAAAGES, I'd say its worth it.

[TheBlackTiger]

I could go and explain everything I love about this game, but that would take a long time. It's a fantastic game. There were a couple things about it that irritated me, but they were spoilerish things, so I'll save it.

As far as the motion controls go, they are as good as they are going to get. I love how the game was designed around the 8 different directional swings. They take some getting used to, ad they aren't perfect, but I love them. It doesn't really simulate actual swordplay at all. I've been training in swordsmanship for years, and it felt really awkward. Once I disassociated it, it just became a fun game play mechanic.

The story is fantastic. And for those who enjoy to speculate about the Zelda timeline, it's pretty clear that this game is the very first one in the timeline. By the end of the game, this will be made obvious.

And the music is fantastic, as always in Zelda games.

[Chiaki]

You know what I have really liked about the game, and I don't really consider it a spoiler since its obvious from square one...

They make it very obvious (compared to previous games) that Link and Zelda have a thing. I mean right at the beginning she was practically going to confess it. Now I don't know if later in the game when they meet up again she's all like "this is my destiny sorry pal" but I have liked the fact that they are old friends from the start. To my knowledge that is the only Zelda game where its been like that. All the others they meet later.

[Mad_bull]

The Bad:
The controls are flat out annoying sometimes. I don't know why Nintendo didn't give a classic controller option. They can be finnicky when sometimes they are asking for a LOT of finesse.

do you have the wii motion plus? 'Cause i think that would make the controls a bit better. At least that's what i hear.

[Chiaki]

Yes, I'm using the limited edition motion plus remote that came in the bundle.

I'm sure it is better, but even then the controls are still just okay. For average gameplay they're not bad, but sometimes, in story sequences for example, they'll make you do something like pull out a sword from a stone and go through the motions of down around and up etc... When really, I'd just rather press A and watch Link do it. Or the sky diving feature has little finesse with the Wii mote, I remember doing certain sections at least 10 times to land on one platform in the right spot. Why couldn't it just be the joystick?

Basically I feel like they went a little motion crazy in some areas that didn't need to be, and the controls aren't sophisticated enough so it ends up detracting from the game rather than adding anything.

[Chiaki]

Okay I gotta say I just got to the part where Link plays the Ballad of the Goddess for the first time (not in training) and Fi sings with it. And during the sequence it looks like she's screaming.

I lol'ed a little.

[TheBlackTiger]

Yeah, Fi gets really creepy when she sings. She's great when she's dancing, but not when she's singing.

[Chiaki]

So I just finished it.

Overall, I have to say, I really liked it. I think it got bumped a spot to #2 for me.

I still missed the overworld map and towns outside of Skyloft. However, once I got a little more into the Skyloft quests that need was satiated a little. The music was good, and I decided in the end I thought the style was charming, reminiscent of something old school while still looking more modern and polished and considering the Wii's graphics limitations. I have to say what really impressed me was the characters and dialogue. Sure, they fell into the old cliches of hero, princess, guide/fairy, etc. But they actually were dynamic, less stoic and more relatable. And yes, Groose grew on me a lot. Finally (or finally of the non-spoiler section) I loved all the links to Ocerna of Time.

[spoiler=The End of the Game]I liked how Demise's real form was reminiscent of Gannondorf and how he alluded to the future. How all the characters in general fit into their respective roles.

So they came down to the surface and created descendants of the first link and Zelda, who was the goddess Hylia, became Hyrule, I can appreciate that connection.

Master Sword in Stone, I assume that the temple is the location of the early temple of time? Anyone else draw this conclusion?[/spoiler]

Overall, I really liked it, and it made me want to play Ocarina of Time again to see any other connections I missed. I appreciated their thoughtfulness and overall attention to establishing what I now consider a grander story to Zelda. Or at least this and OoT.

This game makes me happy I bought a Wii, it was worth the wait.