The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

[Soniman]

There's rarely lip kissing in video games, let alone Nintendo games.

[Nix]

That reminds me!

WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T LINK AND ZELDA KISS. I hear it's because they don't want to impose a love interest just in case the player "doesn't like her," but why the hell would you play up the romance if it doesn't amount to a satisfying smooch?

Because they were probably going to kiss when the tornado interrupted. When you miss an opportunity like that you have exactly 48 hours until one or the other over thinks it, and from that point on you'll be stuck in "The Friend Zone".

/hasbeenwatchingScrubs

[VO.SUPER]

I found the quote, and it's from Kenji Inafune, not Hideo Kojima.

This sums up what I feel is the thing about Skyward Sword that makes it a double edged sword over here.

"Culturally speaking, Japanese culture is firmly rooted in wet-rice agriculture and its status as an island nation. Japanese want to be able to plan, they want to have guidance, they want to have focus. To put it simply, Japanese people feel uncomfortable with the unknown and not understanding the future. RPGs illustrate this well - It is your turn to attack, it is the enemy's turn to attack. You pick a magic spell and you have a predictable result. You progress through the game with clearly defined goals. Japanese enjoy having these clearly defined goals, and it progresses all the way through to the actual game implementation. Japanese game designers focus on the concept of triggering and proceeding through gameplay 'flags' or 'dip switches'.

Japanese people don't like just being dropped into a sandbox with no guidance. If you tell a Japanese person they are free to go anywhere, often times they will choose to go nowhere. Westerns, on the other hand, seem to be excited by the unknown. For instance, as a hunting and trapping society, an American may go deer hunting and encounter a bear. Japanese would be scared by this encounter, whereas the American will probably shoot the bear and go back excited that he got a bear instead of a deer. The unknown encounter becomes even better than the known. I feel this is the key difference."

That is how I felt when playing Skyward Sword. I was trapped in a corridor that, while being orderly was very restricting and did little to allow me to move. It's a game design that certainly suits the majority of Japanese players, though has a harder time reaching American players.

[lounge]

I think I enjoyed the sky world hub very much because of that sensation of flight was so fun. Flapping all the way up and then diving down. And going thru those boost stones.

I do like having some sense of guidance though. Wind Waker I felt did a bad job at that free exploration because of how it took foreeeever to get anywhere. There's all those islands scattered around but not only does it take long to get there, but you have no idea if you have the tools and items you need to fully explore it. At least in Skyward Sword they actually tell you that you can go to this island to open the purple glowing treasure chest on the map. That and it doesn't take forever to get there. With WW you have no idea once you get a new item or power, which islands you can use it at. To this day I still haven't visited all the islands because of those reasons.

Majora's Mask did a good job putting boundaries in the overworld. And the areas were so interesting once you got a new mask like Great Bay that you couldn't wait to explore every inch even though it didn't tell you exactly where to go. In that sense I guess I can see how MM is more open then SS, yet MM was still able to be compact too. But I think it depends on the game.

A game like Banjo Tooie where the worlds are Huge and doesn't tell you where to go and doesn't have a map, but it's so addicting to explore b/c everything is so full of life and interesting.. It works for that game. But zelda would need a balance.

Also I was upset Zelda didn't kiss Link. I still remember how good it felt seeing the ending of Mario 64 when Peach kissed mario, I felt all warm and happy inside. It especially made it worse in SS seeing how Zelda looks so beautiful in that game.

[DarkDefeater]

Going through Skyward Sword again and remembering my first time fighting Demise. I loved that battle. I didn't have an invincibility potion because I had already used in a skykeep room. I was sloppy and if I hadn't used the invincibility potion, I would of had a game over in sky keep. I didn't bother to get another potion, because I wanted to save Zelda ASAP. I beat him on my first try, but just barely. I had four hearts left when I was done. I used two Red potions ++.

In the second half of the battle, somewhat out of desperation, and despite Fi’s comment in the first half about not being able to use skyward strikes, I raised my sword, thinking if he can absorb lightning, I should be able to as well, right? I avoided spoiling myself about the final battle.

Sure enough, I was able to capture lightning, just like Gandalf against the Balroc. I was so happy, when I was able to get a lightning strike in. Fi was right. Skyward strikes using the traditional ‘divine energy’ was impossible. Fortunately, two could play at the ‘charged sword’ game. However, I discovered with subsequent attempts to charge my sword, he loved to charge at me. I struggled a bit before getting the mechanics down, being able to attack him without taking damage, like discovering that when Demise absorbs lightning, there is a shockwave.

Eventually, I was able to defeat him, and was possibly the greatest video game feeling I have ever had.

Barely defeating him on the first try, I felt like a hero. Other players may feel like he was too easy, and I respect that, but for me, beating him barely on the first try meant a lot to me. I felt like a hero of legend and that is one of the reasons why I feel Skyward Sword is my fav. Zelda game.

I love all the Zelda games I have thus far. Twilight princess was my first and I loved the epic feel it had. I also loved Spirit Tracks, Ocarinia of time, I really loved Majora’s mask. It was the most intense game emotionally I have ever played. Wind Waker was a great game, but it is my least favorite. Having to change wind direction so many times got tiring. My next Zelda game will likely be Minish Cap.

[VO.SUPER]

Eventually, I was able to defeat him, and was possibly the greatest video game feeling I have ever had.

Barely defeating him on the first try, I felt like a hero. Other players may feel like he was too easy, and I respect that, but for me, beating him barely on the first try meant a lot to me. I felt like a hero of legend and that is one of the reasons why I feel Skyward Sword is my fav. Zelda game.

I love all the Zelda games I have thus far. Twilight princess was my first and I loved the epic feel it had. I also loved Spirit Tracks, Ocarinia of time, I really loved Majora’s mask. It was the most intense game emotionally I have ever played. Wind Waker was a great game, but it is my least favorite. Having to change wind direction so many times got tiring. My next Zelda game will likely be Minish Cap.

It'll be over and done before you know it.

Edited August 13, 2012 by VisionaryBlur

[Soniman]

I have to stress how I think Wind Waker is perfection and practically is gaming art.

I literally love everything about the game, even the sailing which gave me the perfect sense of adventure and unbridled freedom, it was just amazing to me, only second to Majora's Mask as favorite Zelda game (and just game in general) of all time.

[Sami]

I would agree if not for its god-awful pacing. The end-game Triforce Hunt brutally murdered my enthusiasm for the game. Skyward Sword had some points that annoyed me, but at least it never got that bad.

I found the quote, and it's from Kenji Inafune, not Hideo Kojima.

This sums up what I feel is the thing about Skyward Sword that makes it a double edged sword over here.

"Culturally speaking, Japanese culture is firmly rooted in wet-rice agriculture and its status as an island nation. Japanese want to be able to plan, they want to have guidance, they want to have focus. To put it simply, Japanese people feel uncomfortable with the unknown and not understanding the future. RPGs illustrate this well - It is your turn to attack, it is the enemy's turn to attack. You pick a magic spell and you have a predictable result. You progress through the game with clearly defined goals. Japanese enjoy having these clearly defined goals, and it progresses all the way through to the actual game implementation. Japanese game designers focus on the concept of triggering and proceeding through gameplay 'flags' or 'dip switches'.

Japanese people don't like just being dropped into a sandbox with no guidance. If you tell a Japanese person they are free to go anywhere, often times they will choose to go nowhere. Westerns, on the other hand, seem to be excited by the unknown. For instance, as a hunting and trapping society, an American may go deer hunting and encounter a bear. Japanese would be scared by this encounter, whereas the American will probably shoot the bear and go back excited that he got a bear instead of a deer. The unknown encounter becomes even better than the known. I feel this is the key difference."

That is how I felt when playing Skyward Sword. I was trapped in a corridor that, while being orderly was very restricting and did little to allow me to move. It's a game design that certainly suits the majority of Japanese players, though has a harder time reaching American players.

Does it make me even more of a weaboo if that style of gameplay is exactly what I want in Zelda from now on?

Edited August 13, 2012 by Dissident

[Jetronic]

I would agree if not for its god-awful pacing. The end-game Triforce Hunt brutally murdered my enthusiasm for the game. Skyward Sword had some points that annoyed me, but at least it never got that bad.

The problem also lies in the fact that Wind Waker was never properly finished, that triforce hunt might have not existed otherwise.

On the bright side the long ass sailing sections brought the oppurtinity to play both fitting/unfitting music with Link's ever so amazing unamused/happy face.

Does it make me even more of a weaboo if that style of gameplay is exactly what I want in Zelda from now on?

Only if you worship it with a shrine.

I just fucking hate Tingle as a character and hate the fact that I have to pay 400 ruppees every time to decipher a fycking chart, seriously fuck Tingle.

Well he is a pimp, only he dresses in green. Edited August 13, 2012 by Jetronic

[Kuzu]

Yeah, that sidequest killed almost any enjoyment I had out of Wind Waker.

[Soniman]

The trifore hunt I dont really mind, as it gives the player a great excuse to discover and explore thee vast world around you.

I just fucking hate Tingle as a character and hate the fact that I have to pay 400 ruppees every time to decipher a fycking chart, seriously fuck Tingle.

Edited August 13, 2012 by Soniman

[Sami]

The trifore hunt I dont really mind, as it gives the player a great excuse to discover and explore thee vast world around you.

While I can see where you're coming from, I honestly just have a lot more fun playing through some actual dungeons. That's why Skyward Sword is my favorite game. Some call it "not having an interesting overworld", whereas I see it as "not wasting my time with everything that isn't a dungeon".

It's always been a pet peeve of mine when people say the lack of a massive overworld akin to the Great Sea is an inherent flaw; I always see it as an absolute blessing.

[Old dead account]

I found the quote, and it's from Kenji Inafune, not Hideo Kojima.

This sums up what I feel is the thing about Skyward Sword that makes it a double edged sword over here.

"Culturally speaking, Japanese culture is firmly rooted in wet-rice agriculture and its status as an island nation. Japanese want to be able to plan, they want to have guidance, they want to have focus. To put it simply, Japanese people feel uncomfortable with the unknown and not understanding the future. RPGs illustrate this well - It is your turn to attack, it is the enemy's turn to attack. You pick a magic spell and you have a predictable result. You progress through the game with clearly defined goals. Japanese enjoy having these clearly defined goals, and it progresses all the way through to the actual game implementation. Japanese game designers focus on the concept of triggering and proceeding through gameplay 'flags' or 'dip switches'.

Japanese people don't like just being dropped into a sandbox with no guidance. If you tell a Japanese person they are free to go anywhere, often times they will choose to go nowhere. Westerns, on the other hand, seem to be excited by the unknown. For instance, as a hunting and trapping society, an American may go deer hunting and encounter a bear. Japanese would be scared by this encounter, whereas the American will probably shoot the bear and go back excited that he got a bear instead of a deer. The unknown encounter becomes even better than the known. I feel this is the key difference."

That is how I felt when playing Skyward Sword. I was trapped in a corridor that, while being orderly was very restricting and did little to allow me to move. It's a game design that certainly suits the majority of Japanese players, though has a harder time reaching American players.

So I'm guessing Japan hates Super Metroid but loves Other M. Lol sorry off topic, but this is an interesting bit that I didn't know about at all. Intersting how western and Japanese tastes are so radically different like that, and I never would have thought of open-ended vs linear gameplay at all. This is good to know and knowing is half the battle. Personally... I've always been fine with either one but have always had a strong preference for being more open ended and less hand holdy. SS really never felt hand holdy at all, none of the Zeldas have. Vut at the same time none of them have ever felt unguided DIY type aside from Zelda 1.

[Jetronic]

While I can see where you're coming from, I honestly just have a lot more fun playing through some actual dungeons. That's why Skyward Sword is my favorite game. Some call it "not having an interesting overworld", whereas I see it as "not wasting my time with everything that isn't a dungeon".

It's always been a pet peeve of mine when people say the lack of a massive overworld akin to the Great Sea is an inherent flaw; I always see it as an absolute blessing.

I usually saw most of skyward sword as a fancy obstacle course with hidden goodies here and there, I honestly didn't see it as a bad thing. Flying wise, not sure, since it didn't take much time to get from one place to the other. Edited August 13, 2012 by Jetronic

[Soniman]

While I can see where you're coming from, I honestly just have a lot more fun playing through some actual dungeons. That's why Skyward Sword is my favorite game. Some call it "not having an interesting overworld", whereas I see it as "not wasting my time with everything that isn't a dungeon".

It's always been a pet peeve of mine when people say the lack of a massive overworld akin to the Great Sea is an inherent flaw; I always see it as an absolute blessing.

Fair enough, I guess we just see what makes a great Zelda game diffrently, because dungeons are usually my least favorite parts of the game (luckily Skyward Sword remidies this by having the best dungeon design in the series).

Skyward Sword was indeed probably the most linear Zelda game. But I liked it for the fact that it tries to do something new and fresh with the formula. It really felt like a breath of fresh air considering how the last game Twilight Princess, felt way to damn big for its own good.

Now I personally wouldnt want to see this kind of formula be a normal thing for future 3D Zelda games, but on its own I think it makes for a unique experience.

Edited August 13, 2012 by Soniman

[Speederino]

I'm getting the impression that there are two types of Zelda fans: those who prefer the dungeons, and those who prefer the exploration. With that in mind I think we can clearly see why certain games appeal to some and not others. Take Wind Waker. Those of us who prefer exploration love it for presenting a ginormous world with oodles and oodles of hidden goodies and sidequests, but this is extremely unappealing to those who like the dungeons better. It makes the game too monotonous and boring in some areas.

With Skyward Sword, the entire game is essentially a big dungeon from start to finish. Great for those who love that, but the exploration is scaled back to the point where it pretty much doesn't exist.

And Twilight Princess...actually, that's still a hard one to peg down. It definitely doesn't seem to cater to the dungeon-oriented crowd, and it seems some of the exploration lovers thought the world felt too empty and lifeless. Understandable, though I disagree.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

And Twilight Princess...actually, that's still a hard one to peg down. It definitely doesn't seem to cater to the dungeon-oriented crowd, and it seems some of the exploration lovers thought the world felt too empty and lifeless. Understandable, though I disagree.

So it's the guy who tried to be two things at once, but only ended up being okay at best.

[Speederino]

So it's the guy who tried to be two things at once, but only ended up being okay at best.

I guess? I don't know, I liked the game fine so I have a hard time judging it on these grounds.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

I guess? I don't know, I liked the game fine so I have a hard time judging it on these grounds.

Well I pretty much enjoyed Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess, so it really doesn't affect me either.

[Salamander]

I'm getting the impression that there are two types of Zelda fans: those who prefer the dungeons, and those who prefer the exploration. With that in mind I think we can clearly see why certain games appeal to some and not others. Take Wind Waker. Those of us who prefer exploration love it for presenting a ginormous world with oodles and oodles of hidden goodies and sidequests, but this is extremely unappealing to those who like the dungeons better. It makes the game too monotonous and boring in some areas.

I was going to say "But I like both," but then I realised I like my dungeons to be a bit more non-linear and capable of being explored, too. I like having multiple directions to go in and not necessarily having to head straight to where the plot wants me to go. Even if it is a straight line, I like it to be a somewhat muddled one. You're sent off in a direction but it's not entirely clear what you're meant to be doing or where you're meant to be doing, and part of your aim is to find out.

[JezMM]

I never had a problem with sea travel but then I LOVE the sea. I mean I don't want to actually go out to it in real life but I live by the sea and the idea of travelling out and exploring alone is a pretty nice fantasy.

Granted, I probably would have enjoyed it way less if it weren't for that beautifully tweakable free camera on Wind Waker. I loved choosing majestic camera angles and looking at stuff, stopping off at islands and platforms and doing the barrel rupee collecting games.

I do recall the Triforce Charts being super hard first time but now I know where they are I always enjoy it. It's kind of just "different" from standard Zelda fare of just dungeon after dungeon, and has all those mini-dungeons scattered throughout anyway.

[speedfreak]

SS dungeons were pretty good, but TP has the best dungeons in the series hands down. WW easily has the weakest dungeons IMO.

Edit: I'm talking 3D Zelda's here.

Edited August 13, 2012 by speedfreak

[JezMM]

Definitely agree with that. TP's dungeons were fantastic and very inventive and fun. Well, except for the Forest Temple which was... good but just kinda there.

I think Snowpeak Ruins was my favourite just for the premise. And there was something really nice about the dungeon having this cosy little "safe area" to travel through where you could stop off and have a bowl of soup. Soup that you helped to make! D'aw.

Although my singular favourite dungeon of all time is probably Spirit Temple from OoT. Getting to be Young Link again right near the end had this odd sense of epicness. I mean I know we had to do Bottom Of The Well as Young Link too, but something about Spirit Temple just felt so final. Like even though you were playing as this nostalgically familiar Young Link again, you still had all that sense of accomplishment from what you've done as Adult Link behind you.

Also Spirit Temple has the best dungeon music ever hands-down.

[Speederino]

Beat the Sandship. Have to say, I rather liked that. I love it whenever a dungeon is presented as something other than a temple or ancient ruin, so a pirate ship was a nice change of pace.

Though I am really hating Fi more and more as the game progresses. I mean for fuck's sake, Navi could be annoying with her constant badgering but she wasn't outright stupid. Fi, on the other hand, says shit like "Master, there is a 70% chance that these big tentacles trying to kill you belong to a giant monster. There is also an 80% chance that ripping giant holes through the walls of the ship will cause it to sink." NO SHIT!? REALLY!? Well Fi, there's a 100% chance that you are the most useless sidekick to ever grace a Zelda game. God.

[VO.SUPER]

Yeah Fi is one of the worst examples of Nintendo trying to appeal to their Japanese fan base, most notably, children. But how old do they think the kid who purchases it will be, 5?

Edited August 14, 2012 by VisionaryBlur