Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

This kind of sounds like what you have to do in Donkey Kong 64 once you gain access to the rest of the characters, in order to complete the game 100%

I still haven't played the game (I know, what am I waiting for), but if that really does turn people off, it sounds like it would be justified.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

I personally always loved a huge zelda world. When they were too small I was just thinking to myself, man this is the end of the known world here? That's it? It was always fun having many different places to explore and many different routes around the land to get you from place to place. I think this was best done in Twilight Princess so far, but I've yet to see how it is in Skyward Sword. I am getting it for Christmas, so I'll be late to join everyone in their comments.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Hm, SS also has many different routes around the land. There are also less 'dead spaces' between areas, so it feels more like a real place. I haven't seen everything yet, but so far it doesn't feel too small.

Anyway, the Trials are so pretty...

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

The thing you have to remember though is that each area is more complex and full than any of the other 3D areas. You have enemies and obstacles and puzzles impeding your progress; its not just an big empty plain. Also, you don't just return to the same exact area. I've only returned to the first "area" so far, but it opened up another section of that area.

I was pretty annoyed when I had to go back through the first dungeon, though. Like, what is this about?

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

So, I just remembered something.

Remember a thread from, like, 10 years ago before The Wind Waker was even revealed? It was an absolutely massive thread speculating about what "Zelda128" would be like. Anyway, one of the many ideas thrown out there was that Link's sword could be 1:1 control via the GCN's C-stick. You would swipe by moving it from side to side and could wave it around, etc.

I remember thinking it was an absolutely horrible idea at the time.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Don't get me wrong before I start this, but I think the game would have been better off without motion controls at all. and would have been much better with the sword being used by a control stick in a 1:1 instead of with the way it plays now.

Don't hate I'm enjoying the game, but I still think it would have been a lot more precise with a stick controlling the sword. You would still get the full range of motion.

However honestly it's really not an issue until you're in a combat situation and the sword doesn't respond right.

The other complaint I have is the combat is super slow. Enemies are retarded. They just stand there and slowly attack or guard all day. So what I thought was going to be some kind of awesome motion infused challenge turned into a borefest.

Now on to the good stuff. This is the BEST motion controlled game I've ever played. I'm about 12 hours into the game and just finished my 3rd temple. So far I haven't been bored playing it, and so far the most important thing I've learned in this game is "YOU CAN FUCKING CUT LIKE FUCKING EVERYTHING!"

Shield bash is fucking sweet in this game. When I do get involved in a battle at least shield bashing every enemy attack keeps my shield from getting fucked up.

I also enjoy the story, the characters and the general pacing.

So good job nintendo. You made a game for the wii that I actually like.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Haha, I remember speculating about that a lot. It was the best thing ever in my mind.
This is better. :)

Actually I should try and find a Zelda wish-list I made around that time. I wonder how many other things came true.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

It was a pretty awesome time to be a Zelda fan back then. Coming pretty soon off of the one-two punch of OoT and MM... the series was the undisputed king and anything was possible. Unfortunately, I think the series as a whole fell prey to the ultimate overhype. After OoT the Zelda games couldn't just be great games - they had the to the Best Games of All Time.

Unfortunately, no Zelda game has been able to legitimately claim that title since OoT (even if you feel a more recent Zelda game is better than OoT, I don't think you can argue it was as revolutionary or as far ahead of its contemporaries as OoT was for its time). Mixed with Nintendo's constant missteps in the minds of "hardcore" gamers, this has caused the Zelda series to kind of fall out of grace... For as many people claiming Skyward Sword is the best game ever just because its Zelda, there's the same amount trashing it because its from Nintendo, or it has motion controls, or it hasn't changed "the formula" enough, or they just didn't enjoy themselves while playing it.

Ah well.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Well after doing some light spoiling and playing since my last post I found out I'm almost done with the game.

This is a good game, I appreciate it, however it isn't the best zelda game. It isn't the best zelda game by a "longshot"...

Get it?

Anyway. The puzzlan was kinda meh, the enemies and combat remained slow and boring, and something just wasn't there for me. I really don't know what it is that wasn't there, it just felt off the whole time I have been playing.

I feel it's probably the 3rd or 4th best zelda game sitting behind OoT/ALttP, and possibly Majora's Mask. Also this game has made me realize just how awful I thought Twilight Princess really was.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

What? You don't agree with IGN's 10 out of 10, BEST GAME EVAR?

You are a troll and a flamer! Your opinion is invalid! You are a moron! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Just a couple more weeks til I get my hands on this thing. I am pretty excited, not gonna lie.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Aye, that he is. :p :lolz:

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Barring the innovation and framework that OoT laid down, I really appreciate that each Zelda experience is very personal.

Like....OoT has a different feel than Majora's Mask, and Wind Waker feels like a different game than Twilight Princess.

If I had to pick one Zelda game that I would want to live in...I'm not sure what game I would pick.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Don't pick Majora's Mask, because you'd only have 3 days left to live. :(

Edit: Also don't pick Link's Awakening... because when Link wakes up, you'll disappear!

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Took me about 40 hours but finished the game.

Want some time to really digest everything, I loathe making snap calls on anything, but was a really solid experiences that had some odd design choices in 2-3 areas that knocked it down a peg for me.

Loved the end game sequence and the main baddie.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

I haven't finished it yet, but this sums up my feelings so far pretty closely. I'm thinking specifically of Silent Realms and repeated elements (not Zelda elements; Skyward Sword elements, if that makes sense).

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Ok, now I want to know how many dungeons there are. I'm on my way to the 6th... is that the last? I've put 35 hours into the game so far, but I've spent a lot of time on goofing around. I'm a bit worried that the game is much shorter than I expected.

Oh and please no spoilers, just the number of dungeons (or a general picture of how much is left for me).

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

I'm pretty near the end of the game, I think. I just read through IGN's 10/10 review of this game, and I am completely blown away at the utter horeshit contained therein. Not once is there any mention of the game's many, many flaws, such as retreading the same 3 areas 3-4 times, the stupid ass silent realms, or the general frustration that arises when the motion controls just don't work properly.

I'm not trying to hold IGN to any kind of standard, but what a complete crock of shit, and that goes for any of the other (many) 10/10 reviews for this game. I want to express fully my complaints with this game, but I'll wait till I'm done with it.

As it stands, there are a number of drawbacks that have thoroughly annoyed and disappointed me...

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

I think re-visiting the same areas 3-4 times, is a decision that varies per person. Some love it, some hate it. I don't mind it. Since they usually come with different tasks/opening up more of the world.

I loved the Silent Realms personally, and think again that varies per person.

And.. yeah the motion controls are a whole diff ballpark. In my entire 40 hours with the game, I've only had issues with it 4 times and only once was it frustrating to me.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Personally, I don't understand the grievances behind revisiting areas. When you do revisit you go to new areas within those areas and/or the areas you've already visited are altered or changed in a drastic way. And its not like you've never had to revisit areas in any other past Zelda games.

I think the issue with this and also with the various "there is no overworld" complaints has to do with Nintendo's presentation of the world. Because the different areas so clearly separated and distinct from each other and because they're more dense and have monsters and puzzles and corridors it creates an atmosphere less of "this is a place in the world" and more of a feeling like a dungeon. So having to traverse through it again, for whatever reason, feels more like having to go back through the Temple of the Ocean King to advance in PH than having to go back through the Kokiri Forest and Lost Woods to get to the Forest Temple in OoT.

Anyway, I also don't like the Silent Realms, but I've seen plenty of people talk about how much they love them, so its not an objective flaw with the game. Personal preference. Same with the controls. The only issue I encountered with them was trying to stab. I could never get that to work consistently. There's also enough people who have had no issue with the controls that I don't think its an inherent flaw in the game.

That said, I don't personally think its a 10/10 game either. Although I don't mind "revisiting" the main areas, I do mind fighting two bosses three separate times each and having to go back through one of the dungeons for a meaningless fetch quest. I also didn't like the Silent Realms, as I stated above. Overall, I think its the best Zelda game since TWW, but that still places it down around the halfway mark in the series as a whole.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

I love the trials in the silent realms. It all looks so pretty and when you're being followed it's pretty scary. I was actually a bit disappointed that I got the 2nd and 3rd one in 2 tries each.
I don't mind revisiting places, I always do that in Zelda games anyway. And it's not like it's the first Zelda where you do this! Almost every Zelda had you go back to a place you already knew, from where you found another dungeon.
For example OoT: you visit 3 areas as a kid: forest, mountain, Zora's Domain. When you're grown up you need to revisit those areas to find new temples. They even had a temple behind Kakariko Village!
Maybe in SS it seems more frustrating because there are only 3 points where you can descend to the surface.

The motion control is awesome, I want them to remake every Zelda game with these controls.

My complaints:
- Why do they give that stupid message every time I pick up a bug after I've loaded the game??!?! It's come to the point where I deliberately don't pick up items because it will annoy me.
- Uhm I had something else but I forgot.

Anyway, do I think it's a 10/10? Depends on if decimals are allowed. If not: yeah it's more a 10 than a 9. If they are: I'd give it a 9.8.




A question: is there a shooting range for the bow??? I haven't found it yet, but I want to! Should be great.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Check the building where you first received your sword. Fledge should be around there. You get to puncture some pumpkins.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Aside from the Silent Realms.
Seems like we are in agreement. Though didn't mind fighting one boss 3 times as much as the other one. Since the other type of fight didn't change much.

I also had issue with two of the revisits but won't spoil it for anyone.

-Yeah that was annoying. Especially when you are in the middle of a battle.

Yeah the pumpkin shooting as Ginkasa mentioned.

Ok I beat it. So I just want to say, that the only reason I'm bothering with all these detailed impressions is because I'm super passionate about the Zelda games. OoT and Wind Waker are in my top games of all time, and we only get one of these like every 5 years, so to me this release is like an event, and I'm sure it is to many other people as well.

This game is such a mixed bag for me. I understand the general consensus is that people are either completely in love with it, or are hating on it. Whatever, popular games always receive this kind of feedback, it's to be expected. It does suck that any Zelda game ever released will always be compared to OoT and will have to live up to an impossibly high standard. It's the Zelda curse, I guess. Anyways, I don't care about comparing the games or ranking them. I just want to express these few points on the game.

Let me get the negative out of the way first. This is going to include some SPOILERS, but it seems like most people in here have beaten it anyway. Just a warning regardless.




-Fetch quests and general filler. Going back to the mountain for a pinwheel. Going through the first dungeon again for some water. Escorting that stupid robot up the mountain ARE YOU KIDDING ME. There was so much pointless running around that added nothing to the game, except time on the clock. I have no doubt in my mind that the developers were pressured to make the game as long as they could, but who can say that Skyward Sword wouldn't have been 10 times better if it was 25 hours long instead of 35, and with all the bullcrap collecting and running around removed? I think time will show that with repeated playthroughs. I know for me, when I replay Wind Waker, every single time I quit when I get to the triforce hunting.

-Exploration. 3 areas is not enough. If the forest and mountain were as diversified as the desert, I think I would've been fine with it. But the mountain was terrible, I honestly hated the first time going through it. And guess what? I hated it sooo much more the fourth time I visited it. The forest was really nice but I wanted more of it. After you went through that area the first time, you really pretty much seen it all. The water part of it added absolutely nothing, and I was very dissappointed it wasn't fleshed out more.

-Silent Realms. Fuck them. They sucked in Twilight Princess when you had to collect the stupid light drops or whatever it was, and while they suck less in this game, they still suck. Maybe some people don't hate them, and I can appreciate that, but let me ask you this: wouldn't you have preferred a sort of mini-dungeon to get those gifts of the goddess (like the Well in OoT to find the Lens of Truth, or the ice cavern where you get the blue fire)?

-General disappointments. I was really upset that the sky area was basically empty, and you do almost nothing significant there. When Wind Waker came out, I thought of a Zelda game where you would have an airship and explore a Sky world, like WW's ocean overworld. I was so excited for this game to fulfill that dream, and damn it for letting me down. Maybe it's my own fault for having expectations, but I don't give a shit. There was so much potential here to develop a rich and deep sky world, with tons of cool places to explore and discover. There wasn't even really a proper sky dungeon. BAH FUCKING HUMBUG

-A few control issues. Stabbing with the sword was ridiculous and never seemed to work properly. Rolling bombs sucked. The harp was utterly pointless. And I hated swimming, HATED IT.

-The issue with the collectable items coming up every time you load up the game, good god that annoyed me. Like Angrist was saying, I would intentionally avoid items just because I didn't want to be bothered with a stupid game interruption.

-Fi, was a lousy ass character (if you can even call an emotionless robot a character), and was so damn annoying pestering me with "advice" all the time, or repeating an objective for me as if I'm not smart enough to figure it out. We've come a long way since the annoying days of Navi, so why is this bullcrap still plaguing these games? At least give us the option to turn her advice off so we don't have to be bothered.


I know this is a hell of a lot of complaints on my part. The point I'm trying to make is that there were many, many times throughout the game were I was incredibly frustrated, and there was even one point in particular (tadtunes...) where I almost just quit the game for good. A Zelda game is always such a magical experience for me, but this one had by far the most aggravating moments throughout, and like I said earlier, I don't even know if I could ever make it through a replay.

Now that I've got that aggression out, I want to say that the good parts of the game, were fucking GREAT. Like some of the best shit the Zelda series has ever known. All the dungeons were awesome, unique, varied, and had different layers to them. They were smart, well designed with great shortcuts, and had you using all your tools instead of just the one you would get in the dungeon itself.

I loved upgrading items, but I think it could've been pushed even further, like upgrading armor. It's a good start anyway, and something I hope they keep and expand upon in future titles.

The art style was great, if not hindered by the Wii's capabilities. I think they've nailed the visual style for the series, so I'd love to see a new Zelda for Wii U that utilizes this style with high-res textures, more dense foliage, and bigger, more populated areas.

So in the end, it was a good journey with a lot of missteps that totally screwed with the pacing. Subtract all the filler and I would replay this game in a heartbeat. I am dissppointed with the sky world and a lot of other things, but overall I was happy to be playing a new Zelda game. When the credits were rolling and the original Zelda theme came on, I was definitely feeling happy.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Just after finishing this game and stewing on it for a couple of days, I would honestly give it a 7 out of 10.

I can honestly say now that this game just got added to the list of zelda games I would never replay.

Right there with WW and TP. Also Minish cap, phantom hourglass and spirit tracks.

I think basically I've figured out what has happened. The more they try to lengthen a zelda, the less I enjoy it.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

I need help with playing the song at the Pumpkin Pie. Before I snap the game in two and smash the controller into the wall and enjoy how it shatters in a thousand pieces.

THIS. IS. THE. WORST. MINIGAME. IN. A. ZELDA. EVER.
I'm doing it perfectly. PERFECTLY. I've been trying for over 45 minutes and it's driving me CRAZY.

So what the heck am I doing wrong? What I do is strum from left to right and back, following the hands of the spectators. MOst of the time slow, sometimes fast and sometimes a pause. And does the freestyle part matter?
I discovered I shouldn't follow the hands 100%: they do this stupid bouncing movement at the extreme left and right. I once tried to imitate that, but I got cut off halfway the song, so I figured that was wrong.

So now I've tried it for about 25 times. I get the timing exactly right, following the rythm for 99%. Sometimes the calibration messes up and I make a mistake because of that (I HATE THAT!).

So I think there ar 3 options:
- The game is clearly broken. You cannot beat it.
- You have to do it 100% correctly, which is pretty much impossible.
- I'm doing something wrong.

Please help me. :( Please please please please please please please please...... this minigame is making me hate the game SO much right now.


Oh and if this doesn't unlock the mentioned 'pumpkin shooting range', I'm going to scream. What torture is this anyway, giving you the best bow controls ever, but not showing you a shooting range.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

1) It doesn't unlock the Pumpkin Shooting Range, that's actually on Skyloft. I know weird.
2)I got it the first time I tried it.

I just remember following the skinnier audience member because he was moving slower, and never doing full motions.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Ok, you're the 5th guy who says he got it the first time. I hate it so much.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Wait, have you gotten any prize for it yet? :confused:

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Nope, nothing. I get to the end of the song, but they keep telling me it wasn't good enough. I almost know their lines by heart now.

I know the quest started with me breaking their chandelier for a piece of heart, but this torture isn't worth it.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

tried it myself, seemed to do it perfectly, and failed a number of times. I haven't attempted it since. good luck.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Hmm... I got it the first time too.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Angrist, you are not alone. I'll bet it took my 15 to 20 times to finally get it, and even then they said basically something like "meh, that was good enough I guess". So I am assuming that you can do it better and possiblly get a better reward.

But yea, I have no idea what I did that was better the time I actually passed it. Seems like if you are doing it right the music starts to kick up, and adds layers or something, so you can sorta tell if your doing in properly, it gets a little louder. Hope this helps.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

I believe, you only get the one prize for it, or so I've read.

Since I got it first time, never bothered to try it again

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

They pay you to do it again after that. I think the amount they pay you depends on how well you do it.

Anyway, I got it the first time also...

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

I've been thinking. How is it even possible to get it the first time? You don't know the rythm (the faster parts and those where you pause), but apparently you passed the test.

So how did you do that? Did you maybe have a delay in your motions, is that the trick? I figure you saw what they did and tried to copy it, causing a delay. And you passed.

I'll try that.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

Well you don't need to be perfect.

For the most part, they'll say it was good, but not the best.. and you'll get the prize anyhow

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

It was pretty predictable honestly. I didn't do a great job, but they gave me the prize. I like prizes.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

I guess me and Angrist must be retarded then. I found it to be one of the most frustrating things I have ever experienced in a zelda game. Probably took me at least 45 minutes to finally get it.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

I second that. I still think I'm doing something wrong.

Re: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
 

*Shrugs*

What can we say, some of us are musically gifted!

Anyhow, wrote up my brief thoughts on the game
http://nerdsontherocks.com/review-sh...-skyward-sword