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[FreeMufasa]

I hope future Zelda games don't have the crappy upgrade system SS has. I hate it in most games and when it was announced for SS, I frowned. It just makes things an uneccesary chore.

But I do like the idea of upgrading your gear. They should keep that but scatter it around the world, in treasure boxes for example. Instead of finding an Amulet, you can find a mid-tier shield in a treasure box. They should also incorporate it with the side-quests. Like the Biggoron Sword in OOT.

 

[9BR]

You guys make me feel emo for not playing the other games in the series and figure out all the cool stuff by myself. (The only other Zelda I finished was TP, and that was directly before I dug into SS).
The amount of easter eggs and refrences is just.. goddamn. :O

Yeah, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that Demise looked like Ganon and Akuma's love child.

 

[PokéKong]

Was I the only person greatly disappointed by the fact that going back in time didn't reveal an entirely new world to explore? When I found out I was going back in time, damn did I want to explore the three parts of the world, ravaged by war, and maybe have some puzzles and quests related to going back and forth in time, and maybe even get to see a brand new skyloft, with hints for what would become its culture in the future.

It was a repeat of Wind Waker, the moment you find yourself in an underwater Hyrule, but you can't explore it.

I had a feeling from the rest of the game that they weren't going to bother making many new areas, but I thought it would be a little more than basically one little room, the same exact little room you were in before. It's almost like they were pulling a big prank on Link, he walks into the same room, they tell him it's the past, and there's Zelda, right in the room that you couldn't get into in the present. And then you think maybe they will at least let you see her in the present since they went through all that trouble to put her in suspended animation, to somewhat solidify the fact that she's stuck that way for a long time until you do something, but no the door is still locked in the present.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

I'm in the last dungeon and about to finish the game. All I can say is that I'm ready for the game to be over. The repetition in Skyward Sword really made the game feel like a chore for me. Fetch quests. Escort quest. Recapturing your gear quest. Going to each zone 3 times. Finding fallen items from the skyworld. Collecting mats for upgrades. Ugh..

And I'll take riding a horse through what some people refer to as an empty and boring overworld in OoT and TP, as opposed to an even emptier sky world, any day of the week. It doesn't help that, at least in previous games like OoT and TP, songs could be played to transport you to each zone. In SS, flying just bored the crap out of me and it was unavoidable. Back to the green beam. Now to the yellow beam. Back to Skyloft. Oh, now to the red beam. Oh let's go to thunderhead now. Pumpkin Landing! Good grief that crap was annoying. And the mountain and desert areas looked too much alike with that boring brown color scheme. With only 3 zones in the whole game, excluding the skyworld, I would have preferred a little more variation.

It really is interesting to see what things people like and dislike in the game. For me, the silent realms were hands down the most interesting thing in the game. I also enjoyed fighting the Imprisoned until I had to do it two more times... The dungeons were not bad, but they were nothing spectacular and mind blowing, either. At the very least, I appreciate having 7 as opposed to the pitiful 4 that were in Majora's Mask.

And all of the side quests were halfway interesting until I realized that the final reward for getting all the gratitude crystals is just an even more useless wallet... Lame.

Motion controls didn't bother me too much. But the first two encounters with Ghirahim felt more like blind luck using hack n slash as opposed to a meaningful encounter. When I faced Tentalus I just laughed. Most obnoxiously stupid looking boss in a zelda game for me. I thought it was Elmo's ugly cousin from Sesame Street. Scaldera, Koloktos, and Levias were the highlights for me, boss-wise. Still have to finish the game, though.

Anyway, I just think the game really took the adventure out of Zelda similar to the way SMG 1 & 2 did away with the exploration that was in Mario 64. Not a bad game by any means, but I still prefer OoT and TP hands down. I guess I'll finish the game now lol. Maybe the end will change everything!!!

 

[Chuckpebble]

but no the door is still locked in the present.

I went up and peaked through the crack in first person though. The giant amber looking rock she's sleeping in is visible. Makes me wonder if it was visible all along.

 

[The Technomancer]

But the first two encounters with Ghirahim felt more like blind luck using hack n slash as opposed to a meaningful encounter

Oh man, I gotta disagree with this. The first one felt that way when I was getting my ass kicked, and it was when I slowed down and took a thoughtful approach to the fight that I finally got good at it, and it felt awesome.

 

[Pyrokai]

I went up and peaked through the crack in first person though. The giant amber looking rock she's sleeping in is visible. Makes me wonder if it was visible all along.

It was. I saw it and wondered what the hell it was before that cutscene even took place. When she sealed herself up I was like "omg THAT'S what the orange thing behind the door is!"

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Guardians are the statue guys that come alive when you step out of the safety zone, but the ghosts carrying the lanterns could actually be Poes.

Hrm, good point.

It was. I saw it and wondered what the hell it was before that cutscene even took place. When she sealed herself up I was like "omg THAT'S what the orange thing behind the door is!"

Same.

 

[JonCha]

Was I the only person greatly disappointed by the fact that going back in time didn't reveal an entirely new world to explore? When I found out I was going back in time, damn did I want to explore the three parts of the world, ravaged by war, and maybe have some puzzles and quests related to going back and forth in time, and maybe even get to see a brand new skyloft, with hints for what would become its culture in the future.

It was a repeat of Wind Waker, the moment you find yourself in an underwater Hyrule, but you can't explore it.

Yep. Could have been awesome... but it was exactly the same. I was hoping there would be some kind of Chrono Trigger moment, where you go out and see an entirely new land. Ah well

 

[Dever]

Just beat it. Best parts of the game were Groose and the later temple design.

Worst parts were the retread of the first temple, catching music fish, fighting the Imprisoned thrice and especially escorting that robot up the mountain. What where they thinking?

That said, there aren't any really high highs in this game. Everything just feels competent, okay, without achieving greatness. The environments especially. Forest area, mountain area, sand area, each one looking as cookie cutter as possible. I liked what they were going for with the watercolor aesthetic, but it only worked sometimes when you could see far off into the distance. Unless they make the combat significantly more complex, I'm not sure I want to see another Zelda using motion controls. They just don't do anything for me.

Unlike most people I guess, I really liked the opening. Sure it takes a little long, but it's great at setting up the world and characters. It's just a shame they don't do that much with the story... While you're chasing the flames, the story just disappears. Fi is a useless character, which is so weird considering Nintendo just made TP with Midna in it. Now Midna was a character with personality and made an impact on the story... Fi's just kind of there, stopping the gameplay every now and then by informing me there's a 90% probability I'm going the right way. Really wished they would have done something with the bird. At least give him a name!

So yeah, good game with a lot of faults. I should play TP again because I remember enjoying it a far more than this game. I want to play Legend of Groose.

 

[richiek]

Finally beat the game yesterday.

I liked the twist that Ghirahim was Demise's sword, just like how Fi was Link's sword. I'm puzzled though as to why Ghirahim has such a flamboyant personality, while Fi was robotic and unemotional (until the end). I think Nintendo missed a huge opprotunity at character development with Fi. She should have started out as machine like when Link first receives the Goddess Sword, then with each Sacred Flame, Fi should have shown more and twinges of emotion, until she becomes the Master Sword, in which she has a fully developed personality.

 

[Tritroid]

Unlike most people I guess, I really liked the opening. Sure it takes a little long, but it's great at setting up the world and characters. It's just a shame they don't do that much with the story... While you're chasing the flames, the story just disappears. Fi is a useless character, which is so weird considering Nintendo just made TP with Midna in it. Now Midna was a character with personality and made an impact on the story... Fi's just kind of there, stopping the gameplay every now and then by informing me there's a 90% probability I'm going the right way. Really wished they would have done something with the bird. At least give him a name!

I agree, but maybe they wanted to take a step back from a heavily characterized sidekick this time around because of how Midna tended to over-shadow everybody else in TP. I mean if you think about it, Midna overshadowed even Zelda, making her feel like the most important character out of everyone (granted the game's sub-title is coined after her, but still).

In SS it seemed like they wanted to devote more of that character depth to Zelda this time around, and go back to the sidekick being more Navi-esque, which is why Fi is ultimately so boring and doesn't really go beyond being a narator. That's just my guess.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Just beat it. Best parts of the game were Groose and the later temple design.

Worst parts were the retread of the first temple, catching music fish, fighting the Imprisoned thrice and especially escorting that robot up the mountain. What where they thinking?

That said, there aren't any really high highs in this game. Everything just feels competent, okay, without achieving greatness. The environments especially. Forest area, mountain area, sand area, each one looking as cookie cutter as possible. I liked what they were going for with the watercolor aesthetic, but it only worked sometimes when you could see far off into the distance. Unless they make the combat significantly more complex, I'm not sure I want to see another Zelda using motion controls. They just don't do anything for me.

Unlike most people I guess, I really liked the opening. Sure it takes a little long, but it's great at setting up the world and characters. It's just a shame they don't do that much with the story... While you're chasing the flames, the story just disappears. Fi is a useless character, which is so weird considering Nintendo just made TP with Midna in it. Now Midna was a character with personality and made an impact on the story... Fi's just kind of there, stopping the gameplay every now and then by informing me there's a 90% probability I'm going the right way. Really wished they would have done something with the bird. At least give him a name!

So yeah, good game with a lot of faults. I should play TP again because I remember enjoying it a far more than this game. I want to play Legend of Groose.

I disagree. Most of the temples were pretty well done.

 

[WiiredShawn]

Although I finished the game back at the end of November with 60 hours of play time (and most of those hours were of the non-masochistic, enjoyed variety), the game still creeps into my thoughts, primarily to suggest how much opportunity was wasted amidst the game's obvious competencies, as other people have said.

More than anything, though, I'm starting to really doubt Fujibayashi's abilities as a director, and I wonder if Aonuma is serious about taking more responsibility for the franchise. In all of Fuji's games - Minish Cap, Four Swords, Phantom Hourglass, and now Skyward Sword - one can sense the ability to devise an interesting premise and few solid gameplay ideas, but the holistic integration (particularly with the story) has always left me feeling...forlorn.

Phantom Hourglass, for instance is a decent game, but a terribly disappointing sequel to Wind Waker in light of (what I feel, anyway) Majora's Mask's brilliant response to the events of OoT. The story potential feels absolutely squandered, with Linebeck (and his relationship to the pirate lady) being the only saving grace, for me, from a character perspective. Coincidentally (or perhaps not), Fuji was the story writer for PH.

Minish Cap and Four Swords are obviously off-shoots, and though enjoyable in a lot of ways on the basis of their premise and some core ideas, they are fairly 'safe' Zelda titles, with practically meaningless plot and character integration (save for Elzo in MC).

In short, Skyward Sword did nothing to convince me that Fuji is totally the right person to direct the franchise - his games demonstrate very little ambition in terms of plot, characterization or deeper themes, and thus lack that majestic synthesis of concept and gameplay evidenced by OoT, MM, and to a slightly lesser extent, WW. And where ambition appears, it seems too quickly forgotten or wasted in service of his philosophy that "the most important aspect of game design is making the fundamental rule set of a video game absolutely clear to a player constantly throughout the game and at every available second whether the player needs to hear it or not" (hence, Fi).

That said, judging his skills on the basis of a complex product may be unfair, as naturally, many other people contributed to the game. But I seriously hope that, if he remains a director, he learns to drop the hand-holding evidenced in Fi and realize that the success of the most beloved Zelda titles rests significantly on their ability to take a meaningful concept (e.g., growing up, experiencing loss, clamoring for the past) and weave it through the whole experience to create a 'deep' (as opposed to a complex) feeling of satisfaction.

 

[Tuck]

I like SS's dungeons. Some clever puzzles, a few head scratchers, but nothing impossible. I'm playing through WW and they're around the same quality. Same with OoT, though I'd argue that OoT's dungeons weren't quite so linear.

 

[abasm]

Finally beat the game yesterday.

I liked the twist that Ghirahim was Demise's sword, just like how Fi was Link's sword. I'm puzzled though as to why Ghirahim has such a flamboyant personality, while Fi was robotic and unemotional (until the end). I think Nintendo missed a huge opprotunity at character development with Fi. She should have started out as machine like when Link first receives the Goddess Sword, then with each Sacred Flame, Fi should have shown more and twinges of emotion, until she becomes the Master Sword, in which she has a fully developed personality.

I think it's been mentioned before that Ghirahim has been "free" far longer than Fi has. There's a decent chance that he was just as robotic as Fi was in the beginning, and developed his personality (and appearance) over many years.

And yeah, I also expected Fi to become more "human" as I powered up the sword. Missed opportunity.

 

[Marlowe89]

Fujibayashi was pretty good for his first attempt at a console Zelda, but I don't think he's nearly as good as Aonuma. Phantom Hourglass was an atrocity on all counts, and it doesn't help matters that he openly said "the most important aspect of game design is making the fundamental rule set of a video game absolutely clear to a player constantly throughout the game and at every available second whether the player needs to hear it or not". Didn't like all the annoying item notifications and Fi's captain obvious "analyzations" in Skyward Sword? Well, too bad, according to him.

 

[WiiredShawn]

Fujibayashi was pretty good for his first attempt at a console Zelda, but I don't think he's nearly as good as Aonuma. Phantom Hourglass was an atrocity on all counts, and it doesn't help matters that he openly said "the most important aspect of game design is making the fundamental rule set of a video game absolutely clear to a player constantly throughout the game and at every available second whether the player needs to hear it or not". Didn't like all the annoying item notifications and Fi's captain obvious "analyzations" in Skyward Sword? Well, too bad, according to him.

What's most disturbing about this philosophy is its contrast to Miyamoto's opinion (stated in one of the Iwata Asks about OoT, I think) that respecting the intelligence of the player is paramount. I'm not sure if Fujibayashi has made the connection, there, but I wish Miyamoto would step in and make it known. Because really, the reduction of Fi's worthless support status and increase in her character development would have really changed the value of the game - maybe not to the level of MM or OoT (again, for me, I know I don't speak for every Zelda fan), but certainly to the level of TP and maybe even WW (although I think that would have required Demise also be more interesting).

And just so it's clear, I wasn't that bothered by Fi during the game - mostly, I ignored her intrusions, or at least tried to enjoy the very, very few moments of character pushing through the hardened soil of hand-holding helper. In fact, I'm more bothered by the game 'forgetting' that you picked up this or that bug 30 times before, and reminding you about it as if you had the working memory of a three-year-old. But Fi had so much potential to serve as the medium through which the game bound various conceptual threads, and leave a lasting emotional impression (the idea of her spirit sleeping forever in the Master Sword could have been incredibly touching!)- and they completely dropped the ball because Fujibayashi thinks players won't know left from right unless explicitly shown so on a wall-sized compass rose.

 

[Prince of Space]

Finally beat the game yesterday.

I liked the twist that Ghirahim was Demise's sword, just like how Fi was Link's sword. I'm puzzled though as to why Ghirahim has such a flamboyant personality, while Fi was robotic and unemotional (until the end). I think Nintendo missed a huge opprotunity at character development with Fi. She should have started out as machine like when Link first receives the Goddess Sword, then with each Sacred Flame, Fi should have shown more and twinges of emotion, until she becomes the Master Sword, in which she has a fully developed personality.

My thoughts exactly. Nintendo seriously stumbled on this; trying to cram all of her emotional development into the ending was poorly handled.

 

[PokéKong]

Finally beat the game yesterday.

I liked the twist that Ghirahim was Demise's sword, just like how Fi was Link's sword. I'm puzzled though as to why Ghirahim has such a flamboyant personality, while Fi was robotic and unemotional (until the end). I think Nintendo missed a huge opprotunity at character development with Fi. She should have started out as machine like when Link first receives the Goddess Sword, then with each Sacred Flame, Fi should have shown more and twinges of emotion, until she becomes the Master Sword, in which she has a fully developed personality.

Link and Fi were supposed to be like a robot servant and master relationship, where as Ghirahim and Demise makes more sense once you think of it as a classic Nobunaha x Ranmaru bishounen type of thing.

But yeah that whole line she goes though in that end about feeling this feeling called happiness was just a big "oh COME ON" moment for me, don't expect me to suddenly start feeling for this character right at the end. The second biggest failed attempt to tug on my heartstrings was at that robot captain's old broken house, which almost made me sad, but then she chimed in and ruined all the subtlety with "there is a 99% probability that the captain and his crew were a big happy family back then."

 

[MYE]

This game was AWESOME!!

And Demise's speech theme? Oh man that shit was good

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPbwgvAcZ94


dat synthesiser!

And the arena.... holy shit folks!


edit:

and this too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0np8WU2Znw

...man!

 

[PokéKong]

This game was AWESOME!!

And Demise's speech theme? Oh man that shit was good

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPbwgvAcZ94


dat synthesiser!

And the arena.... holy shit folks!


edit:

and this too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0np8WU2Znw

...man!

Oh gosh yes. I get a total Magus Battle vibe from it with a bit of 80's fantasy movie mixed in. Demise and that whole fight might be one of my favorite things about the game.

Though it's sort of odd how the Zelda series has transitioned into having a mano-a-mano duel be the very final battle. You'd think they would go by the OoT formula more often, with a human battle followed by a transformation gigantic beast battle, but then WW switched that up and they continued to do it in TP and no monster battle at all in this.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Well they did the monster battle three times throughout the game, anyways. But I've always felt mano-a-mano was more "epic." I mean superficially fighting a big monster seems "bigger," but there's always something about a duel. And especially since SS is a game based around swords...

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

I hope future Zelda games don't have the crappy upgrade system SS has. I hate it in most games and when it was announced for SS, I frowned. It just makes things an uneccesary chore.

But I do like the idea of upgrading your gear. They should keep that but scatter it around the world, in treasure boxes for example. Instead of finding an Amulet, you can find a mid-tier shield in a treasure box. They should also incorporate it with the side-quests. Like the Biggoron Sword in OOT.

Minish Cap did this extremely well. You were able to upgrade everything but you had to do small quests to get them.

 

[Xun]

Well they did the monster battle three times throughout the game, anyways. But I've always felt mano-a-mano was more "epic." I mean superficially fighting a big monster seems "bigger," but there's always something about a duel. And especially since SS is a game based around swords...

Most definitely.

Also slightly OT but I really hope Zelda 3DS will be a 3D Zelda game.

 

[Lone_Prodigy]

Link and Fi were supposed to be like a robot servant and master relationship, where as Ghirahim and Demise makes more sense once you think of it as a classic Nobunaha x Ranmaru bishounen type of thing.

But yeah that whole line she goes though in that end about feeling this feeling called happiness was just a big "oh COME ON" moment for me, don't expect me to suddenly start feeling for this character right at the end. The second biggest failed attempt to tug on my heartstrings was at that robot captain's old broken house, which almost made me sad, but then she chimed in and ruined all the subtlety with "there is a 99% probability that the captain and his crew were a big happy family back then."

I was low on hearts when I reached his place so when I saw the seat I ran to it.

Fi: "Master, this is not the time to be taking a break. You have to find the map!" (paraphrased)

 

[PokéKong]

Something I kinda interesting I noticed is there's almost no "magic" in the conventional sense in this game, and a significant amount of technology present compared to most Zeldas.

Fi is practically an AI computer, the desert is jam packed with machines and automations, there are robot miners, sailors, pirates, and the many armed robot boss of the water temple. Many of your items such as the Beetle, Gust Bellows, along with the slongshot and bow when fully upgraded have a very mechanical theme.

There are mystical elements like the Silent Realm, Demise's seal, various reference of intervention from the goddess, and empowering the Master Sword, but these all have a relatively physical nature and logical order to them. The harp's songs are the closest thing to magical spells, but the way Fi participates in them with her vocaloid singing might imply that it's merely the frequency of the song activating something like a sound key. There aren't things like conventional magic spells, sorcerer characters or enemies, and fairies got completely shafted. Great Fairies are completely absent, and there aren't even plain fairy fountains to stock up on the little ones, and the ones you can find are quite scarce.

And as evidenced in the time distortion elements around Lanayru, technology was even more advanced further into the past. I suspect if they ever made a Zelda that takes place earlier than this it would be nearly modern day/futuristic. It's almost like as technology became more and more forgotten to the people after SS, the fairies rose up to aid humanity, while restoring knowledge of the Old Goddesses in the process.

 

[jackdoe]

Something I kinda interesting I noticed is there's almost no "magic" in the conventional sense in this game, and a significant amount of technology present compared to most Zeldas.

Fi is practically an AI computer, the desert is jam packed with machines and automations, there are robot miners, sailors, pirates, and the many armed robot boss of the water temple. Many of your items such as the Beetle, Gust Bellows, along with the slongshot and bow when fully upgraded have a very mechanical theme.

There are mystical elements like the Silent Realm, Demise's seal, various reference of intervention from the goddess, and empowering the Master Sword, but these all have a relatively physical nature and logical order to them. The harp's songs are the closest thing to magical spells, but the way Fi participates in them with her vocaloid singing might imply that it's merely the frequency of the song activating something like a sound key. There aren't things like conventional magic spells, sorcerer characters or enemies, and fairies got completely shafted. Great Fairies are completely absent, and there aren't even plain fairy fountains to stock up on the little ones, and the ones you can find are quite scarce.

And as evidenced in the time distortion elements around Lanayru, technology was even more advanced further into the past. I suspect if they ever made a Zelda that takes place earlier than this it would be nearly modern day/futuristic. It's almost like as technology became more and more forgotten to the people after SS, the fairies rose up to aid humanity, while restoring knowledge of the Old Goddesses in the process.

Or, it could be that the technology became so advanced that it was mistaken for magic. Mind blown.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Or, it could be that the technology became so advanced that it was mistaken for magic. Mind blown.

NANOMACHINES

 

[MYE]

Also, am i the only one who felt that this is the first time a Zelda game actually tried to translate ALTTP and LW's general architecture and artstyle into 3D?

Cartoony dorways with skulls, elaborate pillars and colorfull statues. Interesting textures, patterns and architecture keeping simple walls and floors from being boring to look at, etc...

I LOVED realizing this game looked like those sprites that sparked my imagination in my childhood, come to life in 3D.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

It definitely evoked a lot of "Hey this is like LttP" moments in me, more than the other 3D titles for sure.

 

[abasm]

Or, it could be that the technology became so advanced that it was mistaken for magic. Mind blown.

Yeah, the supposed "regressions" from game-to-game into magic are actually people mastering technology they can no longer hope to understand. The King of Red Lions? An AI backup + holograms. The Twilight Realm? Trans-dimensional portals. The gods? Supercomputers.

Nintendo better not realize what they're getting themselves into and start explaining all this stuff. I want to speculate the SHIT out of this.

 

[Tuck]

Speaking of magic, i hope they bring stuff like ice and fire arrows back one day. I miss the magic meter.

 

[Xun]

I don't think it matters that things are more advanced before/around the time of Skyward Sword.

In real life we've had ups and downs due to the end of empires, and it's obvious Skyward Sword mimics that to a certain degree.

 

[Kai Dracon]

I don't think it matters that things are more advanced before/around the time of Skyward Sword.

In real life we've had ups and downs due to the end of empires, and it's obvious Skyward Sword mimics that to a certain degree.

Plus it's something of a trope in modern Japanese fantasy to portray the world in a state fallen from knowledge, only instead of primal/mystical "Edens", it's something the contemporary audience would resonate with: technology. Even if a kind of magical technology.

Pure fun speculation on Zelda via Skyward Sword, is that stuff like the three goddesses who created the world itself, and the triforce, are said to be "goddesses" via the thin thread of oral tradition, with the existence of the triforce being the most concrete evidence that the story is true.

Likewise, it kinda seems Hylia, in OG goddess form, was from a generation after the original three; perhaps a creation / offspring of the originals herself?

That there was high technology which harnessed seemingly mystical energies into a reliable, non-spellcasting form leads to speculation that before the great demon war against Demise and his kind the world had existed for a long, long time after its "creation" and civilization had become quite built up. Skyward Sword is the beginning of Zelda's legend and of the Master Sword. But what would come to be called Hyrule probably had a very long history predating that, with its own drama, stories, empires, and perhaps other gods or cosmic beings besides Hylia.

 

[crisdecuba]

All right... finally finished the game tonight (life was busy, so I could only play on weekends for a couple of hours at a time). Here is my (chronological) list of pros and cons:

(Disclosure: Played this on the Dolphin through my HTPC, using the gold WiiMotion plus controller.)

After the Forest Temple
+ Artstyle is nice, including the "paint filter" for distant objects
+ Running up walls is excellent
+ Beetle is cool
+ Hrmm Fi is quirky and somewhat humorous
+ I like Link and Zelda's relationship
+ Swordplay seems responsive
+ Diving through the clouds for the first time was cool - good sense of anticipation for the adventure
+ The explorer Goron is kinda funny (with his tales from the sky [e.g. no conflicts, water that gives eternal life, etc.)
+ Girahim was interesting and seems decently powerful

- I don't like finding things (Kikwis)
- Text moves so slowly
- Controller can get wonky when aiming (doesn't use the sensor bar I guess)
- Why do I have to control the bird by tilting??

On The Way To Eldin Volcano (Just Saw Impa For the First Time
+ Bowling bombs is cool
+ I really like how the leadup to this next dungeon is like a series of environmental puzzles
+ The payoff for finding the little girl (getting introduced to the nice demon that wants to be human) is cool
+ Flying in SS is more enjoyable than sailing in WW
+ Haha I actually brought down the chandelier in the pumpkin place hahaha
+ People react somewhat more realistically to what I do in their houses (though most don't care if I break their pots)
+ The characters are pretty interesting and entertaining (like the has-been swordsman and the happy guy at the fun fun happy island or whatever you call it)
+ Getting much more used to sword fighting - gotta be more deliberate with the moves

- The fetch quests in Skyloft are going to get annoying I think
- Day / Night mechanic takes too long
- Weak graveyard compared to TP or OoT
- Why does Link have to solve everyone's problems?
- Gratitude crystals?? Literally crystals... more things to collect...

After Beating the Earth Temple
+ Boss fight was cool, though easy
+ Girahim's emotional openness is fun / funny
+ The uphill nature of the leadup to the Earth temple was cool... it's satisfying to run up the side and take down the trolls
+ I appreciate being able to get down through the slide and back up through the gust of wind
+ Riding the big metal / stone ball in the lava using the JOYSTICK - perfect!
+ Interesting uses for the beetle so far
+ Dungeon length was juuuust right.

- Having to hunt down the five pieces of the key to get into the dungeon is a pain, though not as bad as finding the Kikwis.
- Lady with the white hair is chiding me for being too late... didn't you see I had a monster to kill??
- When running away from the huge boulder, why FORCE me into a run-toward-the-camera view?? Just to recreate Indiana Jones?

After the Desert Temple
+ The desert area and the "hit the stones" mechanic to transform certain areas to what it was like thousands of years ago was cool.
+ Finding a chair in the middle of the desert to sit on and recover = nice.
+ Color pallete for the desert dungeon was awesome
+ I LOVE defeating the spinning laser eye thingies - side slash, side slash, stab!
+ The tool that blows wind all over the place was cool, though I found it a little hard to get used to aiming it.
+ It was cool to realize you had to blow the sand away to find the boss burrowing
+ Groose's reaction to first landing on the surface was funny - I wonder what will become of his character.
+ I wasn't late this time, was I, white haired lady!?!?? HA! I saved your butt.
+ Fighting the "Imprisoned One" right after the third temple was very cool. And it was a fun fight. Hitting those toes and watching them "pop" was satisfying. So was stabbing the thing back into its forehead

- The midboss in the desert dungeon where I have to blow wind at it's "hat" in order to open its mouth and stab the jewels was hard and somewhat annoying
- I used to like sending the cubes up to Skyloft, but opening two of them only to find they're high value ruppes you can't put back since you have a full wallet sucks

After Getting the First Flame
+ Tears??? NO I don't want to find tears! I hate finding things!! Oh wait... this is pretty cool. Very tense. These "guardians" are interesting, and the change in the lighting and music is cool. That wasn't so bad. I still don't like finding things.
+ Whip is a cool item, especially in how natural it is to flick in different directions and how you use it against the boss
+ Dolphin jump is cool
+ The water temple was pretty cool. I really liked the underbelly of the dungeon with the zombie goblins. And it was cool climbing the rope and seeing them climb up after me and clamoring.
+ The water temple boss was AWESOME. I really enjoyed realizing you could swing its sword back at it. It was also harder than the previous bosses.

- Flying into the big storm cloud was cool in a "I've been looking at this forever, I wonder what's in it" sort of way, but it was a little let down by how dim and dark and desolate it was.
- Oh! A Scale - I can swim now. Cool. But I don't like controling it by tilting the controller... and the weird thing is that swimming on the surface is controlled through the joystick, but underwater it's tilt controlled. Not liking it.
- Oh really? You need more sacred water, Water Dragon? Let me guess, I have to go FIND it. Seriously? It's in the dungeon? So I make my way through the forest to get to the temple, but there's a tight rope that's been cut. WHY? So now I have to go to skyloft, and then back down to a different Save bird. Boo! And Fi's comment at the beginning of the dungeon is funny: "You can't douse here, but I think it's in the FURTHESTMOST part of the dungeon." YOU DON'T SAY!

About to Fight Girahim for the Third Flame
+ I like how the items continue to be used throughout the game (with the exception of the deku nuts now that I have the hookshot and bow and arrows)
+ The lead up to the pirate ship was cool with the time shift stones... getting into the boat and sailing through a desert was cool... so was the section where I could carry the timeshift orb through the dungeon, as was the pirate ship where I would need to switch the entire ship around. Very cool.
+ Controlling the ship with the joystick was PERFECT - thank goodness for no motion controls here
+ Burrowing is pretty cool. Especially because it remains connected to the actual dungeon through the use of the Z button
+ Sky diving down toward the two faces in the dungeon was cool - that moment when you look over the edge and see the faces, deeeep below - very cool.
+ Figuring out I needed to stab the water droplets was neat
+ Drawing a triforce on the butterfly wall section gives you 3 fairies hahahaha
+ The giant octopus boss fight was pretty cool - especially when it became clear that you were actually chopping off pieces of the boss
+ Hookshots are cool - nice that it's automatically a double hook shot, and it's nice how Link auto aims generally toward the next target when there are mutliple hookshot targets in a row
+ Admiring Girahim's physique is strange... though in a good way from a character perspective - nice and creepy

- I don't like the silent realm sections any more, though that's probably because of the tension induced. I don't know how I feel about having to redo sections in the silent realm. In Mario 64 it was cool to redo worlds but I don't know about now...
- Rollercoaster was meh.
- I'm really starting to not like the amount of handholding there is through Fi. At first I thought it wasn't that bad, but when I enter into a new area and she pops out saying, "You should explore this," I'm like "what do you think I'm going to do? NOT explore??" I understand that the idea is to tell the player "you're on the right track," but I'd rather figure that out more on my own.
- Another instance of hand holding - we need a big basin of water to pour into the big frog's mouth - great, an interesting puzzle that makes you think: where have I seen a big basin like this - but before you can think about it, Fi pops out and says: hey, go visit the water dragon, AND borrow her basin, AND I've made the basin a dowsing target in case you weren't completely sure of what I just said...
- The big boss of the pirate ship (the giant octopus) seemed contrived. It's triggered by entering a room, with no lead up
- I wish I had a faster skyward sword charge up

Just Beat the Game
+ Girahim fight for the third flame felt like a good duel - I was actively using my shield and counterattacking
+ Fighting the final portion of the sky guardian boss on it's back was cool, especially hitting the projectiles back at it and having to adjust based on how it was dodging.
+ Fire dragon design is cool
+ One of my favorite puzzles from later in the game is where to take the sappling for it to grow up - especially because Fi didn't spoil it
+ The sections with the timeshift stones continue to be my favorite
+ The final dungeon, where you can rearrange how the rooms connect, was clever and well done
+ I like how each section of the final dungeon is like a big self-contained puzzle
+ Collecting the triforces were great moments for me, likely due to nostalgia, but also because it gave a tangible sense of progress through the dungeon
+ The fact that the skyloft section fits perfectly into the chasm below in the forest was an awesome realization ("aha!... so that's what skyloft was hewn out of")
+ The lead up to the Girahim fight, fighting the hordes on your way down the chasm, was great!
+ The rise of the true form of the imprisoned one was excellent
+ Realizing that Girahim is the evil counterpart of Fi was awesome
+ Realizing the intentional contrast between Fi's robotic personality and Girahim's emotional high drama was cool
+ Demise's hair is cool
+ The final battle was excellent - felt epic, yet intimate - and it really felt like the motion controls added to the experience with the shield thrusts and slashes from different angles and whatnot - very satisfying
+ Thunder mode in the final battle was cool
+ Finding out the Impa was grannie was very touching
+ Fi and Link's final interaction was also touching (probably because Fi has reminded me of Data from Star Trek throughout the game) - her final line about the data from her interactions with Link being amongst the most precious was great, as was her "Thank you" at the end

- How many times am I going to have to fight the imprisoned one? At least it was different with Groose and the cannons, but still feels a bit like retread
- There's a Sky Guardian that has never been introduced until this moment, though his existence is apparantly common knowledge to everyone (including the pumpkin guy)
- Why do I need the pumpkin soup if really what gets the sky guardian to talk to me is the fact that I killed the infestation on his body?
- Why do I have to hit the 10 targets in 120 seconds before you'll "allow" me to use the skill that you have already taught my bird to perform? Why can't I master the skill as I fight the boss?
- The song was split into 4 pieces... okay... and three of them are below... you don't say... feels like filler
- 16 tad tones? In the water that I have to motion-control-swim through? WHY???? I hate just having to find things and I hate swimming...
- Okay, it's cool that my gear is gone, but I don't like stealth quests... and I don't like how contrived it is - it makes it easier, but the trolls are almost TOO dimwitted to the point where it feels unrealistic
- The initial Girahim fight at the end was pretty easy
- The final incarnation of Girahim was weird in that it basically looked like he was presenting his sword to you for you to slash and break...
- The "final move" where Link stabs Demise just wouldn't work!!!! I had to knock him down 3 times before it registered correcting that I was doing the finishing move - so frustrating!!

Final Thoughts
I found myself at the end of the game very satisfied, and thinking that Zelda games must continue to be made (just as in the Zelda universe, evil must continue to arise and a hero with a green tunic must continue to defeat it). Each Zelda game brings something new to the table, and while each game in the series isn't perfect (with the exception of LttP ), the series continues to provide some of the most satisfying and deep gaming experiences anywhere. The second half is weaker than the first in terms of creativity and pacing, but the final dungeon and boss battles make up for it and leave you with a great taste in your mouth.

 

[The Technomancer]

Plus it's something of a trope in modern Japanese fantasy to portray the world in a state fallen from knowledge, only instead of primal/mystical "Edens", it's something the contemporary audience would resonate with: technology. Even if a kind of magical technology.

This isn't even specifically Japanese. I read somewhere years back someone theorizing about how this trope is a result of our cultural memory of the Roman empire.

 

[AniHawk]

- The "final move" where Link stabs Demise just wouldn't work!!!! I had to knock him down 3 times before it registered correcting that I was doing the finishing move - so frustrating!!

you know that each time you jump in the air and 'miss' that you're doing it correctly, right? the three times was for dramatic effect. not sure if you saw, but each time, he rolled out of the way less quickly.

 

[darkpaladinmfc]

- Gratitude crystals?? Literally crystals... more things to collect...

I loved Gratitude Crystals. They let you do quests without being scared that your reward will be 20 Rupees or some shit like that.

 

[KarmaCow]

you know that each time you jump in the air and 'miss' that you're doing it correctly, right? the three times was for dramatic effect. not sure if you saw, but each time, he rolled out of the way less quickly.

It's definitely not scripted since it's not always three times but I'm not sure what causes him to roll out of the way. I'm guessing it's damage taken instead of timing but I have no idea.

EDIT: just realised this is from the boss rush and it might be different there.

 

[Mistle]

you know that each time you jump in the air and 'miss' that you're doing it correctly, right? the three times was for dramatic effect. not sure if you saw, but each time, he rolled out of the way less quickly.

He only rolled out of the way once for me. Got him the second time.

 

[AniHawk]

huh. i didn't know that. made the fight more intense for me.

also i didn't do the skyward strike at all, so it was just an old-fashioned beat-down.

 

[Kai Dracon]

This isn't even specifically Japanese. I read somewhere years back someone theorizing about how this trope is a result of our cultural memory of the Roman empire.

That's probably true.

I guess I'm just thinking of it as something Japan has really latched onto. Japanese authors / world builders love having an apparently natural civilization be the devolved remnants of people with like, Star Trek technology. Stuff that's MORE advanced than the present day world of the 20th/21st century reader.

 

[StAidan]

Now that I've reached the end of the game, I can say my final impressions are basically what my initial ones were.

Major gripes:
- Unlike some others, I really didn't mind revisiting the three major areas, since there was something different to do there every time. (Didn't like the tadtones, though.) On the other hand, I agree with the sentiment that fighting The Imprisoned three times was too many.

- The constant collection popups irritated me to no end. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Especially since exactly the same problem existed in Twilight Princess. I don't need a description of an Amber Relic or a Blessed Butterfly every time I turn on my Wii, nor do I need to know how many [monster part here] I have in the middle of fighting for my life. Ugh.

Likes:
- Loved the motion controls. Every future Zelda should have them -- it made the combat so much more interesting. Except getting the thrust maneuver to execute was WAY too hard when I was in the heat of battle, because it seemed like 80% of the time it would pick up nunchuck movement too and make me do one of those flipping power slashes instead.

- Dungeon design was nice, and I was glad the dungeons didn't drag on forever like I always felt they did in TP. For the most part, no backtracking required, too.

- Sound/music/graphics were all superb.

Anyway, my conclusion is still that Skyward Sword is the best Zelda since Ocarina of Time. Link to the Past is still my favorite, but I don't think Nintendo could ever come up with a 3D -based Zelda that would change that opinion.

No plans to try Hero Mode. I don't have time for 40-to-50-hour gaming experiences in my life anymore, but I'm willing to make an exception for Zelda every 5 years or so, whenever a new one comes out. Just no interest in playing through it twice

 

[Mistle]

huh. i didn't know that. made the fight more intense for me.

also i didn't do the skyward strike at all, so it was just an old-fashioned beat-down.

same here lol. the skyward strike was so cool though that i wish i had thought to do it.

 

[WonkyPanda]

Why does my friend insist that Link and Zelda are siblings? Have I missed something?

 

[watershed]

Why does my friend insist that Link and Zelda are siblings? Have I missed something?

Something is wrong with your friend. If they were siblings then there's also something wrong with zelda with all the incestuous looks she gives to Link throughout the game.

 

[Kai Dracon]

Anyway, my conclusion is still that Skyward Sword is the best Zelda since Ocarina of Time. Link to the Past is still my favorite, but I don't think Nintendo could ever come up with a 3D -based Zelda that would change that opinion.

The thing about ALTTP is that it's the ultimate expression of the original Zelda formula. The reason it's perfect is epitomized in its very opening and the iconic drum beats that the opening strikes.

You wake in the rain.

A mystery calls you to the castle.

You immediately experience the shock of your dying guardian, who hands you both a weapon and your first tool to manipulate the environment with.

You then play the first dungeon, and become attached to Zelda instantly by guarding her through the second half of the dungeon, and you emerge into a place of calm and safety - the church.

You are then told to save the world. Step outside the doors into the Hyrule overworld, and the iconic Zelda 1 overworld music plays with its highest quality composition (at that time).

And all this happens in a very short amount of time. Nostalgia would make some demand that every Zelda be exactly like this, but you can't recreate the same moment over and over. All this pacing - and the rest of the game that follows - depends specifically on the resolution of gameplay in ALTTP. From its perspective, scale of its world, and the scale of Link's traversal of it. The exact balance of storytelling it employees. So forth. It is Nintendo's little zen box of Zelda.

I often think that if The Wind Waker had been finished it would be the 3D successor to ALTTP. It tries really hard in the opening beats and generally does it. It just falters when it runs out of content and rushes the ending.

In lieu the perfect TWW, I do feel Skyward Sword is the best 3D Zelda and it does evoke ALTTP's dense overworld, where navigation is a puzzle in and of itself. Also I think the game's primary heroic theme, Ballad of the Goddess, is the first legitimate successor to the original Zelda hero's theme. Such a piece of music.

 

[crisdecuba]

you know that each time you jump in the air and 'miss' that you're doing it correctly, right? the three times was for dramatic effect. not sure if you saw, but each time, he rolled out of the way less quickly.

Oh, sorry - to clarify:

The first time I knocked him down, I couldn't get Link to do the move at all - just kept thrusting his shield.

The second time I knocked him down, after about 3 erroneous shield thrusts I got him to do it (and Demise rolled out of the way).

The third time, after 2 erroneous shield thrusts I got Link to do it and I killed Demise.

The frustrating part was Link not doing the move.

huh. i didn't know that. made the fight more intense for me.

also i didn't do the skyward strike at all, so it was just an old-fashioned beat-down.

You can't do Skyward Strikes in the final battle due to the spell that Demise had over the area (I tried doing it and it wouldn't charge, and then I checked with Fi and she confirmed it)

 

[linkboy]

Oh, sorry - to clarify:

The first time I knocked him down, I couldn't get Link to do the move at all - just kept thrusting his shield.

The second time I knocked him down, after about 3 erroneous shield thrusts I got him to do it (and Demise rolled out of the way).

The third time, after 2 erroneous shield thrusts I got Link to do it and I killed Demise.

The frustrating part was Link not doing the move.



You can't do Skyward Strikes in the final battle due to the spell that Demise had over the area (I tried doing it and it wouldn't charge, and then I checked with Fi and she confirmed it)

You can't do a Skyward Strike, but you can catch the lighting strikes using the same motion and nail Demise with those.