The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HDis the latest remaster in the lengthyLegend of Zeldaseries, arriving in July. The game originally came out in November of 2011 for the Nintendo Wii and like any newZeldagame, introduced new gameplay mechanics. It’s not new for an entry of a series to borrow gameplay mechanics from its predecessors, though it could be argued that thanks to some of the features introduced inSkyward Sword,Breath of the Wildis the game that it is today.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildcame out in 2017 for the Nintendo Wii U and Switch to critical acclaim, winning many awards.Breath of the Wildis the latest completely original game in the series, withLink’s Awakeninghaving been released in 2019 being a remake of an older title initially released for the Game Boy.Breath of the Wild 2was teased in 2019 but not much is knownof the sequel, though it is sure to borrow many elements from previous titles in the series. Some of these mechanics introduced in previous entries are improved upon forBreath of the Wild,with some of them originating inSkyward Sword.
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The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD and Its Legacy
Not only did the positive aspects ofSkyward Swordlend to the mechanics ofBreath of the Wild, but the negative aspects ofSkyward Swordwould also pave the way for Nintendo’s creative decisions. Because of the backlash againstSkyward Swordfrom some fans and its linear narrative design, Nintendo decided to break away from this linearity inBreath of the Wild, making it a completely open-world game, more in line with the originalLegend of Zeldagame for NES.
Skyward Swordstarted development shortly afterPhantom HourglassandSpirit Trackshad released, with the development time lasting around five years. The game ended up using the motion controls of the Nintendo Wii sometime after the Wii MotionPlus device was released, making motion controls the core control scheme for swordplay and other mechanics. Because some fans did not enjoy this gameplay approach,Skyward Sword HDwill release with the option to not use motion controls. This is probably the best change from the original, as some fans of the series simply did not wish to deal with motion controls getting in the way of their enjoyment, yet those who liked the motion controls can still use them if they so desire.
Even thoughSkyward Swordwill be releasing with optional motion controls,Breath of the Wildhas motion controls but not all of them are optional. Players who dislike this feature can turn it off for basic things like moving the camera and other basic controls, however, motion controls are mandatory for completing some of the hidden shrines. With Nintendo seemingly trying to cater to a wider audience, it is more likely thatBreath of the Wild 2will have more options when it comes to its motion controls.
Skyward Sword HD Will Remind Us What Has Changed
AsSkyward Swordis nearing 10 years old this year,it is easy to forget that a game that old still used mechanics that may seem outdated nowadays. The linear pacing of the story was something many fans did not like, while the forced motion controls didn’t work for some people. Despite this,Skyward Sworddid introduce some new gameplay elements that helped shape some features inBreath of the Wildand quite possiblyBreath of the Wild 2.
One obvious mechanic is the stamina system represented inSkyward Sword. For a short time, Link can make a dashing sprint while he has stamina as showcased in a reticle gauge, similar toBreath of the Wild’s,or the health gauge inSuper Mario 64. This isn’t limited to sprinting but also climbing and carrying heavy objects, which areboth important mechanics ofBreath of the Wild. When Link is at 1/4th of his stamina meter, it will drain at half rate, but when Link stops exerting himself his stamina meter will refill at a constant rate.
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InSkyward Swordafter the player obtains Link’s second sword, the Goddess Sword, the player can view the world in first-person with a technique known as Dowsing. This was necessary to help lead the way in a main or side quest and through upgrades, could help the player find Rupees, treasures, hearts, Gratitude Crystals, and Goddess Cubes. This gave the player a more immersive feeling and fleshed out the world a bit more as the player needed to look closely everywhere if they wanted to find everything. This gameplay element isreplicated inBreath of the Wildwith the Sheikah Slate,a portable device that also allows the player to view the world in first-person.
Skyward Sword Played With Some Features
One common element inZeldatitles is the unfortunate ability for Link to lose his shield. This is usually through an enemy known as the Like Like, however, inSkyward Sword,this was changed. Instead, Link’s shields (aside from the Hylian Shield) have durability and over time will break if misused. This forces the player to buy a new shield, very similar to if a Like Like were to eat a player’s shield in past games.This durability system was brought forward toBreath of the Wildin a big way, where almost all equipment has varying degrees of durability, forcing the player to stay on top of managing their equipment.
One other feature inSkyward Swordwas the ability to find treasures that helped Link make upgrades to his arsenal. The treasures that could be found were things like crystals, tails, blobs, feathers, and the like. Many of these treasures are similar to that of monster items that could be harvested frommany of the inhabitant creatures inBreath of the Wild. Much like inSkyward Sword,can be used as ingredients to craft items and upgrade weapons and armor. In this way,Skyward Swordwas very much a necessary entry into the series, otherwise,Breath of the Wildcould have ended up as a completely different game.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HDlaunches July 16, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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