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[mindsale]

As we lose Wii infrastructure and people reset their hardware and delete their Wii Channels; as folks upgraded to the Wii U and then the Switch; there's been one undeniable casualty, a game that will not hold up over time unless issued a re-release, because of a game-breaking bug that occurs 30 hours into one's playthrough for 33% of all players.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

The bug in question occurs when you visit 1 of 3 dragons in the incorrect order (the Thunder Dragon first, specifically) while collecting parts of a song. It happens 30 hours into a playthrough and will render all further progress impossible. As the Wii was incapable of issuing patches, Nintendo released an optional Channel that would offer a fix, but that Channel is now the same vaporware as P.T. - only available on consoles that downloaded it when it was available.

It goes without saying that for this reason alone - leaving the game orphaned in time to its own QA errors - Skyward Sword needs a rerelease on contemporary hardware. While they're remedying the bug, they can tighten the combat, remove some of the Tadtone nonsense, populate the Overworld with meaningful content, enhance some of the lacking weaponry, and delete 95% of Fi's dialogue. The game will still feature the best music and dungeons in the series and a timeless, painterly style that looks beautiful in HD.

Do you think the game merits a re-release to correct the only mainline Zelda that will just break mid-playthrough without advance knowledge of a glitch?

Do you not mind that the game could potentially be lost to time, banished to an oasis of frustration and tedious replays from people needing to start their save anew?

If re-issued over a Virtual Console, would you buy a Skyward Sword with the Thunder Dragon issue fixed?

 

[takriel]

Hasn't this bug been fixed?

 

[Crimsonclaw111]

I'm never replaying Skyward Sword again until they fix the dialogue pop ups, get rid of the multiple demise fights, and let me save anywhere like BotW. The motion controls are whatever, keep them or do them over I don't care.

One time through SS was enough for me.

 

[roxaloxa]

Skyward Sword HD is surely happening, so it'll be fine.

 

[DoctorFish]

Does the Wii U release of Skyward not fix bug?

Although to be real the Wii and Wii mode of Wii U are very easy to softmod, and installing the save update channel wad is entirely possible from there.

 

[wrowa]

I'd assume the bug to be fixed in the Wii U eShop version.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

You have to do things in a pretty specific order to encounter the bug; it will only happen to a small percentage of players. It's just that if you're one of those players, it totally sucks.

The good news is it's 100% possible to install the save fixer channel via a WAD installer. Technically illegal but I'd be hard pressed to find a moral argument against it.

 

[Daedardus]

The newer versions of the game have it patched, so it is fine as long as you don't have a launch disc.

 

[Kamina]

I agree, it needs to be the next zelda to receive a remake.
HD, traditional controls, maybe some annoying Fii messages less, and by god please fix links weird lips.

 

[bomblord1]

It's been a while but I thought I read somewhere later prints of the game didn't have the issue.

 

[mindsale]

I'm never replaying Skyward Sword again until they fix the dialogue pop ups, get rid of the multiple demise fights, and let me save anywhere like BotW. The motion controls are whatever, keep them or do them over I don't care.

One time through SS was enough for me.

The kind of Remaster that would be necessary to make Skyward Sword an above-average game would require more work than just making a new Zelda in the tradition of Breath of the Wild.

They'd need to overhaul the combat (I don't believe that the JoyCons offer the same precision as MotionPlus), straight up add new bosses in place of constant repeats, mute Fi, fix the central game-breaking bug, give weapons some kind of differentiation, and present assets in higher definition, and probably much more I'm repressing.

 

[PrinnyBomb]

Had never heard of this bug before. Does that mean I actually have to use a guide to play the game?

 

[Griss]

I see what you're saying, but surely far less than 33% of players would think of going to the thunder dragon first. It's an unusual move, if I recall correctly. Doesn't the game sort of point you towards Lake Floria and the water dragon instead?

 

[Theonik]

People have archived the fix and it's really easy to apply via softmod.
Thanks homebrew.

 

[MrChocolate]

The newer versions of the game have it patched, so it is fine as long as you don't have a launch disc.

How do you know if you are buying a launch disc? Let's say I bought a used copy.

 

[Feffe]

Later reprints fixed the bug, which is also not present in the eShop version. Wii Shop is also going nowhere for the foresable future.

This thread is paranoic

 

[Gorilla Shark]

Had never heard of this bug before. Does that mean I actually have to use a guide to play the game?

You have no choice but to use the guide that's built into the game. Her name is Fi.

 

[mindsale]

I see what you're saying, but surely far less than 33% of players would think of going to the thunder dragon first. It's an unusual move, if I recall correctly. Doesn't the game sort of point you towards Lake Floria and the water dragon instead?

There's not a ton of freedom in this game, it's basically the Final Fantasy XIII of Zeldas, so I can see someone railing against the directed path when given three paths.

 

[NewFresh]

I'm never replaying Skyward Sword again until they fix the dialogue pop ups, get rid of the multiple demise fights, and let me save anywhere like BotW. The motion controls are whatever, keep them or do them over I don't care.

One time through SS was enough for me.

The best thing to happen to my Playthrough of SS was using Gecko Cheats to eliminate the recurring dialogue boxes.

 

[LegendofLex]

The bug in question occurs when you visit 1 of 3 dragons in the incorrect order (the Thunder Dragon first, specifically) while collecting parts of a song. It happens 30 hours into a playthrough and will render all further progress impossible.

You're dramatically oversimplifying the conditions needed to trigger this glitch.

You have to complete the quest and then backtrack to talk to a now-irrelevant, out-of-the-way NPC after the game prompts you to move on to other parts of the game.

 

[hank_tree]

There's not a ton of freedom in this game, it's basically the Final Fantasy XIII of Zeldas, so I can see someone railing against the directed path when given three paths.

Yeah but it's probably less than 1/3.

 

[MTC100]

It's been a while but I thought I read somewhere later prints of the game didn't have the issue.

It's nothing new for Nintendo, they even "patched" games on the NES back then. Of course you had to wait to get the newest version and you would never know if you had a 1.0.1 version or the 1.0 launch version.

For example Ocarina of Time had also different versions depending on the time you bought the game: http://www.zeldaspeedruns.com/oot/generalknowledge/version-differences -even changing the color of ganons blood from red to green.

 

[Shiggy]

Did they remove the channel from the shop?

 

[JershJopstin]

Kinda off-topic, but during my hero mode run through I encountered a different game-breaking bug in Lake Floria. In the room where you need to blow up a rock to progress, I simultaneously blew myself up and died, which managed to completely screw up that red parella guiding you. After continuing, she seemed to think I still hadn't blown up the rock. After saving (big mistake, but in my defense I forgot she was needed to unlock that door at the end) and resting, she followed me to the end but still used the dialogue from the rock room and wouldn't unlock the door.

I've never seen any mention of this bug online and was wondering if anyone else had ever seen it. Probably not.

(If you're curious, I managed to keep going by using an out of bounds trick in Faron Woods to get to the shortcut to the back of Lake Floria. I'm pretty sure the intended door is locked on the save file to this day.)

 

[Theonik]

It's nothing new for Nintendo, they even "patched" games on the NES back then. Of course you had to wait to get the newest version and you would never know if you had a 1.0.1 version or the 1.0 launch version.

For example Ocarina of Time had also different versions depending on the time you bought the game: http://www.zeldaspeedruns.com/oot/generalknowledge/version-differences -even changing the color of ganons blood from red to green.

It wasn't too rare for games that came on atomic mediums to just fix issues in re-releases. One example is Revenge of Shinobi for the Megadrive that had lawsuit risks being progressively eliminated over its print.

Insomniac also issues fixed copies of some of the Spyro games with similar game breaking bugs!

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

Unfortunately the game wouldn't work very well in the Switch's handheld mode, so it should be interesting to see if/when this game gets a remaster down the line.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

Pretty sure there was a WiiWare channel that you could download for free that fixes that glitch anyway.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

Did they remove the channel from the shop?

Nope, Wii Shop Channel is still up and running and the update is still downloadable.

(I need to buy a few titles myself actually...might do that this weekend.)

 

[mindsale]

Unfortunately the game wouldn't work very well in the Switch's handheld mode, so it should be interesting to see if/when this game gets a remaster down the line.

Purely in my own experience manipulating my JoyCons compared with a MotionPlus WiiMote, I don't believe the current controllers offers the same precision. They'd need to simplify or revamp combat, likely.

 

[Shiggy]

Nope, Wii Shop Channel is still up and running and the update is still downloadable.

(I need to buy a few titles myself actually...might do that this weekend.)

OP says

but that Channel is now the same vaporware as P.T. - only available on consoles that downloaded it when it was available

So who's right?

 

[JershJopstin]

You're dramatically oversimplifying the conditions needed to trigger this glitch.

You have to complete the quest and then backtrack to talk to a now-irrelevant, out-of-the-way NPC after the game prompts you to move on to other parts of the game.

This. I did said dragon first on my initial run. Didn't find out about the bug until I had finished the game.

Purely in my own experience manipulating my JoyCons compared with a MotionPlus WiiMote, I don't believe the current controllers offers the same precision. They'd need to simplify or revamp combat, likely.

Have you played ARMS? I haven't, but I've only heard really good things from those who have.

 

[mindsale]

OP says


So who's right?

I last logged into my Wii two years ago, thereabouts, and it was a wasteland of unsupported Channels. I wrongfully assumed you could no longer download the Skyward Sword Fix Channel, but I'm surprised to learn you can.

 

[ASIS]

Purely in my own experience manipulating my JoyCons compared with a MotionPlus WiiMote, I don't believe the current controllers offers the same precision. They'd need to simplify or revamp combat, likely.

Oh? Could you please explain how you did your "test" (I assume they are home made tests correct?). I'm really interested in this, and so far the only thing I can say from my own extermination is that the Joy Cons do not read a motion in a single axis correctly. That's about it.

 

[brandonh83]

I want an HD version so bad. Wii resolution held that art style back so much.

 

[JershJopstin]

I last logged into my Wii two years ago, thereabouts, and it was a wasteland of unsupported Channels. I wrongfully assumed you could no longer download the Skyward Sword Fix Channel, but I'm surprised to learn you can.

They brought down the online service channels (weather/news, among others) but the rest are still there. Though come to think of it, the SS save fix channel might constitute 'the rest' lol.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

OP says


So who's right?

I can't imagine why they'd remove it. I can check tonight when I get home but I don't have access to my Wii U until then.

 

[udivision]

You're afraid that <Nintendo> won't re-release or port this <3D Zelda>?

Okay.

 

[mindsale]

Oh? Could you please explain how you did your "test" (I assume they are home made tests correct?). I'm really interested in this, and so far the only thing I can say from my own extermination is that the Joy Cons do not read a motion in a single axis correctly. That's about it.

Doing accelerometer puzzles in Breath of the Wild - switching back and forth between two pairs ofJoyCons and two Pro Controllers - I noticed much more response in the Pro Controllers. By contrast, my JoyCons felt not only unresponsive, but slower. Mired in molasses with their registry.

 

[Frost Walrus]

Do you think the game merits a re-release to correct the only mainline Zelda that will just break mid-playthrough without advance knowledge of a glitch?

Well, actually, the original release of Twilight Princess also had an infamous glitch late-game that would doom your save file.

 

[BRocknRolla]

Some people *really* want others to like SS.

 

[brandonh83]

You're afraid that <Nintendo> won't re-release or port this <3D Zelda>?

Okay.

I mean, I guess it's possible. The difference is in the motion controls. It'd work with the Joycons I assume, but it would need more work than just updating the visuals and maybe a few in-game alterations.

I think it'll happen, just a question of when, but I've never been completely positive that it will.

Some people *really* want others to like SS.

Sure. I think some of its flaws are greatly exaggerated and I would like to see it find a bigger audience if they made some refinements.

 

[Feffe]

The channel can still be downloaded. In fact, it's the only available channel on WiiShop in Wii U virtual Wii mode

 

[mindsale]

I mean, I guess it's possible. The difference is in the motion controls. It'd work with the Joycons I assume, but it would need more work than just updating the visuals and maybe a few in-game alterations.

I think it'll happen, just a question of when, but I've never been completely positive that it will.



Sure. I think some of its flaws are greatly exaggerated and I would like to see it find a bigger audience if they made some refinements.

I'm curious if a critical consensus would even be favorable in a post-Breath of the Wild, dismissal-of-the-formula world.

It's got some great dungeons and music, but its combat and weapons are pretty hit-or-miss, its bosses repeat constantly, and it's much more a list of fetch-quests to do things between dungeons than the freedom BotW affords players.

 

[Council Pop]

but that Channel is now the same vaporware as P.T. - only available on consoles that downloaded it when it was available.

This isn't what vaporware means. Vaporware is software which has been advertised and hyped up but which either doesn't exist or is nowhere near completion, and stays in this strange 'in between' state for many years.

Also, I don't think that Skyward Sword HD is inevitable at all. Most people consider it the weakest 3D Zelda game (if not the weakest game in the entire series), and after Breath of the Wild I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo wanted to leave the old, formulaic 3D Zelda structure behind, focusing on 3D open world Zelda and 2D 'classic' Zelda.

 

[RagnarokX]

Well, actually, the original release of Twilight Princess also had an infamous glitch late-game that would doom your save file.

That one's much easier to trigger, too. All you have to do is play the game correctly and save and quit at a certain time. This glitch in SS requires going out of sequence in a bizarre way.