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[Unregistered007]

controls...


I bought into the hype and bought it.

I have never played a single zelda game so I had a brand new Wii Console sitting till the Zelda Release.


The game came in I popped it in and it was amazing. I have a PS3 and a 360 and the weaker graphics did not bother me at all. I did not mind the jaggies or anything.

and after 12 hours I was in a desert area .. this is where I gave up.

This game to me is utter snooze fest.


Go here turn that, open that door, do this little shit and that shit. find the map and get 5 rupees from this chest.

I dunno how you guys can stand this game not to mention reading the dialogue.

 

[jetsetfluken]

Go here turn that, open that door, do this little shit and that shit. find the map and get 5 rupees from this chest.

I dunno how you guys can stand this game not to mention reading the dialogue.

You can simplify and boil down games like OOT and LTTP the same way, yet they're regarded worldwide as some of the greatest video games in history.
Your outlook is in the wrong place. It's not the game's end. Perhaps you're burned out and your expectations or even outlooks on life are in the wrong place. Take a breather from gaming for a few months/years and then come back, and perhaps you'll find enjoyment again.

 

[jetsetfluken]

I made another long post about SS in here:

I think a lot of the hate for the motion controls in SS are coming from people who didn't put much time at all into the game, nonetheless beat the story.

I put 112 hours (from what I remember from the in-game clock) into the main story, got 100%/did everything sans bothering with Hero Mode.
After that I went and did misc. things I forgot to, like upgrade all satchels/bags, etc. and the grand total time was around 125 hours.

At first, I was not excited to play with the forced motion controls. I was one of the people that went and waited for the Gamecube version of Twilight Princess so I could play with a traditional controller, mind you (the motion controls in TP Wii were probably nowhere near as good as with WM+ in SS anyway).

But once I got started playing and got the sword, I was immersed. It was one of the most fun things I've done in a game for quite some time. Just twisting the WM+ remote and Link twisting the sword, slashing in different directions from different directions, both my arms extending outward and Link doing the spin attack, etc...it all felt so satisfying and fluid. I didn't mind it one bit and never had any issues with it, even on low battery (I went through about 7 pairs of batteries over the course of my playthrough, but I'm an exception because I really got my enjoyment out of it and explored every nook and cranny and then some). When the cursor/reticule got out of alignment, simply pressing down on the D-pad to center was more than enough to fix it.

Some say motion controls break the immersion, but the opposite was true here in my experience. Even the flying controls were fine and you felt more "in the moment" due to the motion. Sure, this kind of thing definitely should not now be applied to every other game because it works well here, though the developers have designed the flow and pace of SS to work well with the motion.

As for the game itself, I think it's one of the best 3D Zelda games, second to OoT and MM. Especially for the incredible significance to the Zelda timeline and the goosebump-inducing revelations and subtle hints and non-spoken things that link to key elements in future game in the timeline.

With that said, it'd be interesting playing it with a standard controller, but I appreciate what the developers have done with the WM+ and this game. Coming from years of not being so "wowed" by motion control games, this was one of the first that did it very well in my eyes.

I took the entire month of March (and a little into April) to complete Skyward Sword. Upon completion, I immediately documented my thoughts on the adventure. And that's the thing...a true adventure is what it was. Few games these days will capture us and have us forget the world we're living in, to be completely immersed in the world we see on the screen...is something many have been missing since childhood/early teens. SS is the first game in years to do that, because I threw aside all notions that any other game existed, and focused solely on one game, until I completed it. And it didn't matter if it took a few days to complete or a few weeks or a few months. Whatever it took naturally.
You can read the thread linked below and continue the discussion if you want, too.

LTTP || Zelda: Skyward Sword || and my vacation from the evil HD consoles [SPOILERS]

I await the next mainline Zelda title with open arms, especially for where it would take place in the timeline (some rumors point to around Link to the Past), whether it be the 3DS title or Wii U title. If they happen to use motion controls again, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Skyward Sword, besides the motion controls, has proved the Zelda team knows what they're doing, even if it's not hitting 'revolutionary' levels we saw with LTTP and OOT/MM for example.

 

[soqquatto]

I have to say, sitting back and playing a long Wii game has been very refreshing. I'm used to playing the HD consoles of PC games for the past few years almost exclusively, and to not have to have in the back of your mind things like worrying about achievements/trophies, having stupid people on your Friends List message you and taking you out of the game, constantly being connected online and "showcasing" what you're playing.

just to comment this: I've turned off all notifications (achievements, friends popping on and so on) and stopped playing online. I just do single player without ever bothering to look at achievements. and it's fucking fantastic.

this said, I don't have a Wii and I miss both mario galaxy and skyward sword. I'll need to borrow the whole set one day or another.

 

[WrenchNinja]

How do you take that long to do everything without hero mode? I did everything along with hero mode in 80 hours. Like wtf were you doing within all those hours?

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

I guess this thread is as good as any to post my current impressions of the game, as I've been playing it for the past 2+ weeks.

I'm pretty far (post-dungeon six spoilers):

Spoiler

I've gathered two of the melodies for the Song of the Hero

.

This is one of the most bipolar games I've ever played. One minute I could be playing and saying to myself, "This is easily the best Zelda game ever," and the next I'm going, "What the fuck were you thinking, Nintendo?" This happens so often. The game didn't manage to really grab me until the second dungeon. I thought the intro dragged on despite it being relatively short compared to both Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker, and it took me a while to get used to the artistic design of Faron Woods and the first dungeon.

But 90% of the game from the second dungeon and on has been absolutely fantastic, with some of the best and most memorable moments in the entire series. I'm normally not a fan of "fire" areas in Zelda games, but I LOVE the aesthetic of the Earth temple. So atmospheric. The gameplay mechanic in Lanayru Mining Facility was so unique and interesting. Then the game gets even better with Ancient Cistern, my favorite dungeon and boss in the game. Again, splendid visual design, and an awesome item. Who can forget the mine cart segment before the Sandship? Loved exploring the desolate ruins using the time mechanic again. Following that is my second favorite dungeon and boss.

And interspersed throughout are great segments, like

Spoiler

the cutscene where Groose realizes he's fallen below the clouds, or the cutscene right after completing the third dungeon with Zelda, Impa, and Ghirahim, the nerve-racking Silent Realm sections, the beautiful cinematic with Zelda after you step through the Gate of Time, the Levias battle

, and more.

And then there are some really weird fucking decisions, like slow text speed, constant notifications of shit you already know, some senseless if easy quests

Spoiler

escort mission and tadtones collectathon

, the strange lack of nighttime quests, limited sky exploration, the cookie cutter side quests (nothing comparable to the best in Majora's Mask), and some more that I'll get into later.

Overall, it's been a fun ride, and I can't wait to see how it ends.

 

[Effect]

I wouldn't expect SS style motion controls to stay for Zelda Wii U, since I doubt they'd want to do a major game that doesn't use the tablet as its controller.

Nah. Nintendo has other franchises for that. Anouma has already said he wants motion controls for the next console Zelda game and can't imagine going back to controls without them. At least that was pretty much what he said as I don't have the exact quote in front of me. Nintendo has no problem using their controls for some games and then not using them in others if they don't fit with what they are doing. So it's quite easy to see Nintendo forgoing the tablet controller for the next Zelda game if they wish. Though what is more likely is two control systems. They have both figured out. The problem that come about is how to balance the game for both control methods. There is a reason why there aren't a lot of enemies in Skyward Sword compared to other Zelda games.

You couldn't use that same setup if you used the tablet controller. I wonder if the game could be set to rebalance itself depending on the control used. Maybe not on the fly but every time you load up the game. Though I can see that being abused. Jump in with the motion controls if an area is to hard in order to remove a number of enemies and then go back once you're done.

 

[grimshawish]

and after 12 hours I was in a desert area .. this is where I gave up.

This was me pretty much - the first dungeons are probably the most dull and boring in the series, the fact their all beside each other really tears the games quality apart.

These dungeons should have either been changed or mixed up with the rest.


I just got through the first trial (forest/water one) and it was a lot of fun, a really great dungeon that isn't dull (getting into it though is a bit). I feel the whip and other ideas should have come in earlier on in the game.

Actually enjoying the game now, and the bosses so far have been mostly great (the controls promise so much; they just need to make jumping from item to sword quicker and their perfect - shame everything else is rather lifeless).


No on else feel they should have had you play as Zelda in this game? She actually seems to be doing some interesting things. I'm not sure what the fuck Link (or Fras in this case) is really doing.

Still - that was a really cool/sweet dungeon and joins some of my faves in the series.
Hopefully the rest are better (am worried their not otherwise they'd have been moved earlier in the game).

 

[BowieZ]

I was so hyped about the "sword girl" but she turned into a game-ruining nuisance.

Nintendo, when will you learn to trust gamers' intelligence again ?

 

[The Awesomest]

I just completed Twilight Princess recently. I believe Ganondorf says something about his hatred continuing on or being eternal or something. Nice nod to that in SS.

 

[saxman717]

Lifelong Zelda fan here that was majorly let down by SS. SS had so much potential but ultimately fell prey to the fixation with integrating the motion+ controller at all costs, development deadlines, and a team that felt the need to add in too many annoying new gimmicks to mix up the zelda franchise gameplay. Here are my biggest complaints:

1) Terribly spotty motion controls and moments in the game when precision was needed, bu the controls were inherently imprecise

2) Repetitive boss battles w/ Ghirihim and The Imprisoned......ESPECIALLY The Imprisoned. Just a huge waste of potential where other new bosses could have been used, or the players' time could have not been wasted going through the motions (no pun intended) again.

3) Silent realm sections were annoying, gimmicky and filler material that should have been left out or employed differently.

4) Musical note tadpole collection minigame was an atrocity that never should have graced the Zelda franchise.

5) Protect-the-robot minigame sequence with failure meaning a complete level restart was another atrocity that never should have graced the Zelda franchise.

6) NOT ENOUGH DUNGEONS/WORLDS --- 3 areas? Lazy!!!

7) Added this on edit....can't believe I forgot about it.....must have blocked it from my memory......FI was incredibly annoying, boring as a character up until the very end and produced way too many upskippable hand-holding comments throughout the entire game. Most frustrating sidekick in the Zelda franchise. I have blocked her from my memory, apparently....

Biggest Issue: SS felt like half of a game to me. With the filler material, gimmicky gameplay sections and repeated boss battles removed, the game would have been amazing and would have been on par with WW and possibly even OoT up through the Sky Temple section.

The Sky Temple section was when it felt like the game was just starting to get going and get interesting ---- it felt like the Tower of the Gods moment in WW...............the problem is that in WW, that WAS just when the adventure was getting going.............in SS, they decided to end the game soon after that (LAZY!!!!!!).

Sky Temple should have marked the halfway point /your-adventure-is-just-beginning moment (in Okami terms) and should have propelled the player into the 2nd half of a gripping story, with at least 3-4 new worlds/areas to explore after that point. Instead, the developers decided to call it quits and cash in. It was a lazy move and pushed SS down to the bottom of the 3D Zelda games on my list.

 

[NeonZ]

I thought the introduction and first dungeon were pretty slow and weak, but that has become pretty standard for 3d Zelda, unfortunately. I actually dropped the game for months there while I went to play other things...

Anyway, after picking it up again and getting through that boring tutorial and forest area, the game was actually fun, although I wasn't a fan of the unconnected overworld and its puzzle focus. The time gimmick in the desert section was really fun and new, but anything worse than that would have left me pretty tired by the time I reached the actual dungeon. Dungeons are fun, but I was never a fan of Link's Awakening which seemed to try to make the overworld itself feel like a cheap dungeon, and this game seemed to almost reach that level. The random races and situations also kind of reminded me more of a Super Mario or Banjo game than a Zelda.

In spite of Aonuma's involvement here, this game's director worked in the handheld Zeldas before, and I think the general world design and progression showed heavy influences from those.

I felt like they fixed the low difficulty problem of the non-MM 3d Zeldas though, and really liked the combat. Also never got the complaints regarding too much handholding from the sword girl - at least not after the initial segment, where there was too much hand holding in general, not just from her. She pretty much only popped up to give new story objectives to the player - and the game's main quest was clearly designed to be really linear, so I don't see the problem with this approach.

 

[Taruranto]

Tried to give it another chance recently, i dropped it around the Woods.

I just don't like when a game assumes i'm stupid.

 

[Supermanisdead]

saxman, what lol.

Skyward Sword had 3 times the gameplay of Wind Waker. Are you forgetting the very few, very awful dungeons that WW had? Two of them had the shitty co-op gimmick that was so slow and frustrating to change players. Two other ones were not even dungeons, but a small puzzle room where you get an important item. The only good dungeons in Wind Waker was Dragon Roost Island and the Forest place.

There was some good exploration in WW, but it was just a huge island/beach setting with most of the islands being 1 room puzzles. Skyward Sword had more varied areas with more complex secrets.

The controls were not inherently imprecise. You don't have to like them, but they worked extremely well.

Silent Realm wasn't gimmicky at all. It was challenging speed-run type shit.

I agree with the shitty robot protection thing. That was pretty annoying since it was so damn slow.

Tadpole collection was NOTHING compared to the shit Triforce quest and dropping thousands of rupees on those dumb map translations.

I don't know how you can say SS was less of a game than WW. SS was actually a full game!

 

[Criminal Upper]

I love people giving up SS like, 2 hours into it, and immediately labeling it a bad game.

Makes me lol.

 

[Neoriceisgood]

Man I miss playing this game, the style and feeling of it are so lovely..

 

[NeonZ]

I love people giving up SS like, 2 hours into it, and immediately labeling it a bad game.

Makes me lol.

Eh, I'm really enjoying SS now, but Zelda's current trend of boring tutorials and introductory areas with no excitement is a pretty big flaw. They don't seem to be worried to catch players' attention at all, just waiting for them to advance through the game in spite of the boring start because it's "Zelda". Even if most of the game's content still is good, that approach is just a big mistake if they're trying to make a mainstream game.

 

[Nocturnowl]

Lazy used to describe dungeons and overworld areas, man people will just throw lazy as a criticism to anything these days.

 

[RagnarokX]

I had a suspicion based on videos I had seen, so one of the first things I did when I played SS was to go to the gate to the goddess statue and look up at the broken dome. There I spotted half of OoT's temple medallions and half a triforce; and I knew where the other half of the dome would be. It was a nice touch.

Reading this thread, I just had an idea. Maybe there are two temples of time from SS to TP; the Temple of Hylia, located in the woods in SS and TP, and the Temple of Time located in Lanayru in SS and OoT, rebuilt to resemble the temple of Hylia.

 

[Franchuzas87]

BEST. ZELDA. EVER.

Spoiler

Not really, but it's easily in my top 5. I even enjoyed the tadtones search

 

[victreeb3l]

best zelda thus far. took a slight dip near the end with the tadpole things but its one of the best games ive ever played in my life

 

[ASIS]

Lazy used to describe dungeons and overworld areas, man people will just throw lazy as a criticism to anything these days.

Gamers wouldn't be gamers if They don't use two words:

1. Lazy

2. Insulted!

 

[dark10x]

best zelda thus far. took a slight dip near the end with the tadpole things but its one of the best games ive ever played in my life

The simple fact that the game is loaded with fetch quests and tutorials is enough to disqualify it for me.

It's still pretty good despite that. I simply wish they hadn't focused on trying to make such a lengthy game. There's too much padding.

 

[Franchuzas87]

By the way, besides how much Fi talks, my only nitpick is that they should have allowed to do dungeons (and predungeons) 4, 5 and 6 in the order we wanted, like they did with the searching of dragons. The game would feel much less linear.

Also, more sidequests, but still it's better than Twilight Princess in that regard.

 

[grimshawish]

Also, more sidequests, but still it's better than Twilight Princess in that regard.

The best way for side quests are tiny little islands and you sailing about on a boat into uncharted waters. You want to explore

I seriously just want a Windwaker Sequel on WiiU. Would be awesome; plus aiming with the canon using the gyro for precision would be godly

 

[Lord_Byron28]

The random races and situations also kind of reminded me more of a Super Mario or Banjo game than a Zelda.

In spite of Aonuma's involvement here, this game's director worked in the handheld Zeldas before, and I think the general world design and progression showed heavy influences from those.

I felt like they fixed the low difficulty problem of the non-MM 3d Zeldas though, and really liked the combat. Also never got the complaints regarding too much handholding from the sword girl - at least not after the initial segment, where there was too much hand holding in general, not just from her. She pretty much only popped up to give new story objectives to the player - and the game's main quest was clearly designed to be really linear, so I don't see the problem with this approach.

I felt the predungeon sections reminded me a lot of SM64 in a sense with the level design, retreading, numerous random tasks and more open exploration in a confined area.

Also, the director of the game was the director and subdirector of two of the most hated LoZ titles(PH and ST) but he also directed OoA/OoS and TMC. I can tell whoever came up with the harp mechanic came up with the spirit flute because both are frustrating and broken. The required parts for those instruments aren't so bad but they can be frustrating.

I enjoyed the game a lot but there were some things I would've handled differently and some fat could've been trimmed. I have a hard time ranking LoZ titles though.

 

[Levyne]

It was an ok Zelda. Not nearly as bad as Spirit Tracks or Phanton Hourglass, not nearly as good as A Link to the Past or Majora's Mask.

 

[Franchuzas87]

The best way for side quests are tiny little islands and you sailing about on a boat into uncharted waters. You want to explore

A new Bomber's Notebook with tons of characters to help would also be great. Majora's Mask and Wind Waker were the 3D Zeldas that got sidequests right. I wouldn't mind a new Zelda with only 5 or 6 dungeons if the sidequests and optional areas were as good as MM and WW ones.

 

[schwabdizzle]

Besides the 1st 3 hours and the last Boss, this game was pretty much perfect.

 

[grimshawish]

A new Bomber's Notebook with tons of characters to help would also be great. Majora's Mask and Wind Waker were the 3D Zeldas that got sidequests right. I wouldn't mind a new Zelda with only 5 or 6 dungeons if the sidequests and optional areas were as good as MM and WW ones.

Bringing in a map that can be drawn on like in the DS Zelda's would work a charm too.
Sometimes its just about keeping straight what your doing and where things can be returned for.

I was disappointed they didn't update it into OoT as it makes me worry they've shut the door on the function :/

 

[MvmntInGrn]

Had an urge to get back to this after beating MM for the first time a few months back.

Put another hour and a half into it before I couldn't take Fi and my slashes rarely registering properly. I would have it lined up for a perfect horizontal slash then end up with another slash when I went to move. I'm in a desert area I think, just got to the dungeon.

The overworld areas seem nice in size but bore me to no end. The forest was alright but the volcano-ish area and the desert were no fun to me. One of the things I liked the most about MM (and something the other 3D Zelda have gotten right) is that the sections between dungeons can still be fun, in fact in MM case it was probably the highlight for me.

 

[Spirit Icana]

I had just finished replaying The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time a couple days ago. Adult Link's arc was great. Oh and the music, oh man! I tell you guys, no Zelda game after Ocarina of Time has captured OoT's eerie atmosphere since. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmsZyC0UXUU

Oh, and I still hate Skulltulas. Stupid things falling right through the ceilings in the shadow temple suck. Scares the crap outta me.

Anyway, I'm thinking of replaying Skyward Sword now. From my memory, the combat in SS is better than OoT. SS also has some lovely cutscene orchestral music from EAD Tokyo's Mahito Yokota. I think the bosses in SS are overall superior to OoT too. OoT's bosses are too easy.

After that though, I can't think of anything else that was better than OoT. I can't remember SS's dungeons too well. What I can remember is all the fetch questing, npc searching, and Fi's talking that I'll have to re-endure before setting foot in a dungeon. I'm not looking forward to revisiting that sky hub world either. I liked how OoT's world was very connected.

 

[Muramasa]

finished the game pre release in like 4 days with 30h playtime with almost all sidequest.

Liked the motion control sword fight. But wow... the world design is really bad. The game had also like 10h repetitive gameplay too much. Fi is annoying and i never get stucked in the game. Normaly i get lost in zelda games.

5 years since tp.... i dont expect much from the next zelda.

 

[LizardKing]

I want a Zelda game in a Xenoblade-like world, but with more connectivity between areas.

 

[jmls1121]

A lot I would like to respond to, but at first I would like to mention that the idea that there is only 3 areas is ludicrous. Lake floria and faron woods are not the same area, guys.

 

[Franchuzas87]

A lot I would like to respond to, but at first I would like to mention that the idea that there is only 3 areas is ludicrous. Lake floria and faron woods are not the same area, guys.

That's right. There are three main regions under the sky, but with at least two big, well differentiated areas each one: forest and lake in Faron, desert and sand sea in Lanayru, and volcano and... and... Ok, Eldin is not a good example of that.

 

[ASIS]

That's right. There are three main regions under the sky, but with at least two big, well differentiated areas each one: forest and lake in Faron, desert and sand sea in Lanayru, and volcano and... and... Ok, Eldin is not a good example of that.

With Eldin, the developers made the area in a way that you will tread the very same grounds, but the rules change everytime. IMO I think the first and third time were awesome for Eldin (I really, really liked the stealth mission). But the second time was, personally, the lowest point of the game. They really didn't have to do that.

 

[IrrelevantNotch]

The controls are by far the most intuitive and enjoyable thing I've played in years... is what I would say if I were a repressed weirdo.

 

[The Mana Legend]

My second favorite Zelda game ever. I really loved the break from "massive world exploration," and enjoyed the best dungeons in the entire series. Fucking loved the shit out of it.

 

[JaseMath]

I hated the controls at first - absolutely hated them. In fact, into the 1st dungeon, I just wasn't feeling the game so I shut it off and entertained the idea of throwing it up on the B/S/T thread. I decided to give it another chance, trying instead to NOT fight the controls and give into playing the game the way it wanted me to. It finally clicked for me, and by midway into the 2nd dungeon, I was completely hooked.

BEST ZELDA SINCE OoT.

 

[ThinFinn]

I really enjoyed this entry to the series. I rank it up there, together with MM and LA as my favorite Zeldas.
It is one of the few games in recent years which was genuinely able to put a smile on my face as I was playing.

 

[Franchuzas87]

With Eldin, the developers made the area in a way that you will tread the very same grounds, but the rules change everytime. IMO I think the first and third time were awesome for Eldin (I really, really liked the stealth mission). But the second time was, personally, the lowest point of the game. They really didn't have to do that.

Totally agree. That it's filling without imagination, unlike the search of the three dragons. One can complain about the tadtones, but at least it's an original task that breaks completely with everything that we had been done before. That's not exactly padding in my book.

 

[ronito]

I was just about to make a thread about this.

I'm currently at

Spoiler

Fighting Demise for the THIRD time

For the past few days I've been debating whether or not just to put it down.
Fact is, as much as I love the Zelda mythos I can only put up with so much.

The main thing it feels like I'm fighting the game instead of the enemies. "No Link not that! No just go over. Not that way!" There's been several times where I've jumped off the couch and kept trying to do the motion the game expected several times in a fury before it took. Nothing is more frustrating than setting up a boss for a certain strike you have to do and then have the wiimote register it as a sideward strike when you wanted a downward strike.

The controls alone are enough to put it in deeply marred territory.

But there's more to it than just that.
You have a virtually worthless skyloft. Why is there even a night in Skyloft?
A sparser overworld than Wind Waker.
Recycled Environments and Bosses. Didn't care for the desert? Well too bad, you're going to go back to it. 3 times. Hated the Demise fight? Welp too bad.
Loads of filler stuff ("oh you want this song? Well now you gotta go and do these fetch quests for 3 other characters.")
Really the only motion controls that felt natural were the whip and aiming.

Miyamoto once said that when a player dies he should always feel it was his fault and not the game's because if they feel it was their fault they'll come back for more. If they feel it's the game's fault they'll end up giving up on the game.

Between the terrible, TERRIBLE controls and all the filler that keeps getting thrown at me (You're trying to save the world? And need my help? Well i need you to go and collect 15 of item x before I'll help you. What do you mean you saved my life and I owe you? That was like yesterday.) I'm seriously at a breaking point with this game. The only thing that keeps me going is the fact that I feel I'm somewhat close to the end and I've invested so much time in and it's zelda. If it were any other game I would've likely given up by now.

 

[TheCongressman1]

I'd love for the controls to stay in place, as long as I am allowed to move while slashing.

This. There's no reason you should have to stop while slashing.

What could have been


[*]More sidequests/events - Since I was going for a 100% file, after every "key event" (post-dungeon) I talked to every person in Skyloft, both day and night, as well as on Pumpkin Landing, Beedle day/night, etc. I found that a lot of the time, there were no new events, and if so, only one every dungeon or two. I feel there was a lot of potential that was missed with many characters giving you sidequests - you could have done a fetch quest for Piper gathering rare ingredients, quests for the man eating at the bazaar/Lumpy Pumpkin at night, etc. I actually enjoyed the early sidequest where you had to deliver the Hot Pumpkin Soup to the knight instructor in time - things like that made the sky realm feel much more connected and aware of eachother.
This also ties into the next "could have been":


[*]More islands in the sky instead of tons useless boulders - When I first got the ability to ride the Skyloft and explore the "sky world map", I was in awe. There were dozens and dozens of seemingly new, explorable islands just in my view - what lied in the horizons I could only assume were dozens and dozens more. But upon closer inspection they were just useless suspended boulders to I guess make it look like more of a world with things in it. Alright, I figured later on maybe new islands would "appear". As I progressed through the game, I was wrong (besides the 2 "big" islands inside the Thunderhead). I was very disappointed, because I was looking forward to this being the "sky" take on Wind Waker's ocean. The ocean in WW felt very huge, and there was of course way more explorable islands. In essence, besides Skyloft, which isn't necessarily huge in itself, you are left with only a handful of "real" islands, almost all of which are small and only 2-3 only contain one-room "houses".
Having a sky world the same size as it is but just with 10-20 more "real" islands with people on them (it'd also help for them to be a little bigger than little circle sized islands with a tiny one-room house) and things to do would have easily added on to the replay value of the game by many hours.
[/LIST]

These two things I can not agree with more.

 

[JoeFu]

I loved SS so much.

I really don't know what to say to people who think the controls are broken. I learned to play the game while laying down on my couch.... so yeah.

 

[mantidor]

The controls are by far the most intuitive and enjoyable thing I've played in years... is what I would say if I were a repressed weirdo.

Yes all of us who enjoyed the controls are repressed weirdos, we are just too much of fanboys I guess, so much that we put up with a 40 hour game (at the minimum) of bad controls and forced ourselves to enjoy it. Yup, thats what happened for sure.

I hated the controls at first - absolutely hated them. In fact, into the 1st dungeon, I just wasn't feeling the game so I shut it off and entertained the idea of throwing it up on the B/S/T thread. I decided to give it another chance, trying instead to NOT fight the controls and give into playing the game they way it wanted me to. It finally clicked for me, and by midway into the 2nd dungeon, I was completely hooked.

BEST ZELDA SINCE OoT.

Seriously, I was very LttP with this game too, and hearing all the mixed reactions on the controls made me approach the game very cautiously, they worked perfect, until I faced a Deku Baba that changes from vertical to horizontal randomly and it killed me. A freaking Deku Baba killed me. Humiliated, I could have gone to the internet and join the rank of haters, claiming the controls to be broken, I swore I was doing everything right.

The thing is, I wasn't, I practiced and noticed that I was not doing the moves right and my reaction time was slow, one thing is doing small moves, another is doing fast slashes in the middle of a battle. I practiced until I could kill bokoblins without even needing to get off the couch, or needing to do wide strokes.

You know the worst part? I'm left handed. While I'm still pissed about the lack of a lefty mode, I could beat this game and I enjoyed the controls very much. Once you realize the game is truly 1:1, you learn to control how your hand holds the remote, is not exactly relaxed couch gaming anymore.

 

[TheCongressman1]

You know the worst part? I'm left handed. While I'm still pissed about the lack of a lefty mode, I could beat this game and I enjoyed the controls very much. Once you realize the game is truly 1:1, you learn to control how your hand holds the remote, is not exactly relaxed couch gaming anymore.

It actually isn't true 1:1, but I get what you're saying.

This just makes me want to say once again that I hope the next Zelda implements full 1:1 motion swordplay.

 

[EloquentM]

Superb controls and unparalleled dungeon design.

 

[SecretMoblin]

I wasn't as thrilled with the motion controls as others were, though I certainly don't think they were "broken" or generally unresponsive. But true 1:1 motion controls for a game in which swordplay is a major element of gameplay would be nothing short of a logistical disaster.

The beauty of digital controls is the immediate, guaranteed response; you press the button and you know exactly what will happen.

And yeah, I don't get the dungeon criticisms. Among the best in the franchise.

 

[prwxv3]

the game is good but it has a bunch of problems that need to be fixed for the next Zelda. Hopefully Nintendo ignore any artstyle, story, setting whining and actually fix these issues. There is no reason for the constant notifications you get even if you have seen them once already to exist.