Zelda Skyward Sword HD (July 16th 2021)

[Wraith]

Along with that, just a smidge more clarification on QOL changes.

Quote

Optional help from Fi: Fi only appears in cut-scenes or when necessary and can otherwise be summoned manually to provide advice or guidance.

Enhanced framerate: The game runs at 60 frames per second, resulting in smoother gameplay

Fast-forward dialogue: Text shown on-screen can be fast-forwarded by pressing the B Button

Streamlined item information: Explanations for collectable items, such as insects and materials, only appear the first time the item is collected

Skippable cutscenes: Cutscenes can be skipped by pressing the – Button

Autosave: Game progress will be saved automatically, in addition to the existing manual save option

Skippable tutorial dialogue: The introductory player tutorials have been refined to be less intrusive

The specify materials and emphasize Fi again, along with confirming autosave and a modified tutorial
 

[Sonikko]

I saw that, sounds like a great version of the game to me. The marketing has been weird to say the least, but it's exactly what I expected it to be in the end.

[VO.SUPER]

Yeah, I imagine Fi now only pops out of the sword following a cutscene, but all the moments where she would pop out without any build up have been relegated to just her making the sword glow and make a noise. There were also those times where her text box would just pop out as well. Hell, just not seeing her jump out of the sword will save a ridiculous amount of time alone.

[KHCast]

Is it weird how I’m still debating on if I should buy this? Like idk, I’m more sure of buying Sonic Colors Ultimate more than this, and that’s primarily cause that’s $40 bucks as a Remaster vs a full 60, (which even then when you look at stuff like KH1.5 + 2.5 and Crash and Spyro HD trilogy, still seems a bit much). But at the same time, I’ve never actually played through SS, and it’s the one 3D Zelda game I still need to beat, but I ALSO realIze it won’t be getting any sales anytime soon and the used price will only be like 4 bucks off. Then again, with stuff like Neo TWEWY dropping this month, I might be better off holding off this for the time being anyway...hmm

[VO.SUPER]

6 hours ago, KHCast said:

Is it weird how I’m still debating on if I should buy this? Like idk, I’m more sure of buying Sonic Colors Ultimate more than this, and that’s primarily cause that’s $40 bucks as a Remaster vs a full 60, (which even then when you look at stuff like KH1.5 + 2.5 and Crash and Spyro HD trilogy, still seems a bit much). But at the same time, I’ve never actually played through SS, and it’s the one 3D Zelda game I still need to beat, but I ALSO realIze it won’t be getting any sales anytime soon and the used price will only be like 4 bucks off. Then again, with stuff like Neo TWEWY dropping this month, I might be better off holding off this for the time being anyway...hmm

I say just hold out until you REALLY feel the urge to play it. Because if you have options you're looking forward to, I say just go with what you want by priority. Not like SS is going anywhere like SOME games.

[Sonikko]

On 7/6/2021 at 9:13 AM, KHCast said:

Is it weird how I’m still debating on if I should buy this? Like idk, I’m more sure of buying Sonic Colors Ultimate more than this, and that’s primarily cause that’s $40 bucks as a Remaster vs a full 60, (which even then when you look at stuff like KH1.5 + 2.5 and Crash and Spyro HD trilogy, still seems a bit much). But at the same time, I’ve never actually played through SS, and it’s the one 3D Zelda game I still need to beat, but I ALSO realIze it won’t be getting any sales anytime soon and the used price will only be like 4 bucks off. Then again, with stuff like Neo TWEWY dropping this month, I might be better off holding off this for the time being anyway...hmm

With Nintendo games the trick is to always pre order them on Amazon as soon as they're announced, they almost always get a 15€/$ discount a month before launch, if by the week before launch you're not interested anymore, you can just cancel the order, but in the meantime you'll have secured yourself a 20% discount.

I have SS pre-ordered for 45€ currently, which I think is a fine price, not sure I'd pay 60€ for it tho.

I wanted to get TWEWY as well and I was debating on wether to get SS or TWEWY too, but eh, Zelda won.

Confirmation that they reduced the mandatory interactions with Fi.

[KHCast]

So the games 10 bucks off at GameStop right now uhh...fuck I might cave and just get both since this likely isn’t happening again for awhile 

[Wraith]

5 hours ago, Sonikko said:

With Nintendo games the trick is to always pre order them on Amazon as soon as they're announced, they almost always get a 15€/$ discount a month before launch, if by the week before launch you're not interested anymore, you can just cancel the order, but in the meantime you'll have secured yourself a 20% discount.

I have SS pre-ordered for 45€ currently, which I think is a fine price, not sure I'd pay 60€ for it tho.

I wanted to get TWEWY as well and I was debating on wether to get SS or TWEWY too, but eh, Zelda won.

Confirmation that they reduced the mandatory interactions with Fi.

I don't doubt that they changed something with regards to Fi, but again they went and showed a clip that is not a mandatory interaction.

[JezMM]

I sure hope they made the interaction optional where

Spoiler

she acts like she was developing emotions the entire time in any way whatsoever and suddenly gets ham-fistedly sentimental during the ending.

Always felt that one was particularly unnecessary!

[Sonikko]

I did notice that too after I posted the footage, yeah.

That spot was always optional, weird choice of footage.

[Salamander]

I wonder if the marketers just aren't bothering to look up past footage / replay the original to determine which optional interactions were originally mandatory.  Understandable if so, really.

[KHCast]

 

Nintendo starting to take cues from Sonic twitter I see lol

[Tomboyish Mermaid]

Making Fi optional improves this game so much in quality. 

[VO.SUPER]

This one is a documentable change. So in the original, you'd jump up the pillar and then you'd get a dialogue box telling you about using up your stamina, and how to do an autojump they cut that out in this one, so it's much more streamlined.

[VO.SUPER]

 

Camera control confirmed. When using non-motion mode though you need to hold the L button to use it. 

[Sonicka]

Camera Control was always one of the biggest drawbacks on the Wii with games that utilised the Wiimote (+Nunchuck) or motion controls in general. 

I didn't have any issue with the camera in the original game as it was fine tuned to this mostly linear adventure. However, I would still class as very valuable improvement for sections where you do get to wonder. No more camera centre triggering!! Hurrah! 

I do hope this turns out to be a good'n overall, I adore the original game and (until BOTW) couldn't see myself wanting to return to button mapped controls after the accomplishment made here.

The only thing I'm a tad disappointed with is that Unlike WW and TP the visuals haven't exactly been... improved lets say, especially to the same extent that those two got. Everything is 100% sharper and cleaner for sure with SS, but there isn't any new textures or anything added like WW or TP got with their overhauls. Presently everything just looks solid and flat (if still vibrant)... but that's about it. Feels like a missed opportunity on that side of things. 

Skyward Sword's painterly style was also designed to mask the Wii's limitations and draw distances and that's not going to be an issue on Switch. Whilst great, the Watercolour depth of field was really quite something back in the day and it's just not really noticeable on this version. So I'm a little surprised that unlike the other HD remasters that they didn't lean further into the specific visual aesthetic for this game - it could have been really gorgeous if they put the work in there. 

The flip side to this however - is 60fps! So it's a fair trade off.  I imagine that would have taken a hit back to 30 if they really went overboard. 

[Soniman]

Quite a drop from the scores of the original which was around 93 on MC, guess even with the improvements the flaws are more noticeable to critics now that the "new Zelda game" hype wore of long ago 

[VO.SUPER]

I figured the button controls wouldn't be perfect. The game was just too built around the motion for them to perfectly replicate. I do dislike how you can't mix and match the control schemes, so you can have motion sword play and arrows, with stick controlled swimming and flying.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Did they at least manage to make Fi less intrusive and annoying?

[VO.SUPER]

43 minutes ago, Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon said:

Did they at least manage to make Fi less intrusive and annoying?

Most of the reviews say yeah, one even going as far to say, "she's almost elegant"

[KHCast]

Just got the game delivered to me! It’s also funny when I get a game before the release date. Time to check it out!

 

so first thing I’ve noticed. The lighting dims randomly..umm…hope this isn’t frequent

[VO.SUPER]

I decided to cave and buy it. What can I say? I feel nostalgic for Skyward Sword I guess.

 

They really cut down on the tutorials. Even if you don't factor the cutscenes, there is a lot of tutorial dialogue just absent. Hell, when you get on the Loftwing to go to the surface, you can see that Fi won't give you a tutorial on how to use the map screen.

Edited July 16, 2021 by VisionaryofSUPER

[Sonikko]

Just finished Minish Cap in the morning and started Skyward Sword.

Feels much better paced than the original release, it looks lovely and plays pretty well. The motion controls feel a bit more precise than they used to, so that's a plus.

Handheld mode works, that's about it, not the ideal way to play imo. The game still looks gorgeous.

[Blue Blood]

Games nice enough. Barely played it yet. I've just met Zelda in Skyloft for the first time, so I've done essentially nothing.

I would have gotten further by now, but I can't find any time to actually play the game when I could instead be admiring the beautiful Hylian Shield and Master Sword Joy-Con pair. These are absolutely beautiful. Stylised and flashy, but not gaudy in their design. I got grey ones with my Switch originally and love the look of the system like that. When they started to drift though, I had to get a pair of neon red and blue because of price and availability and haaaaaaate them so much. They're so ugly. These though? Yeah. Love 'em. They're just gorgeous. And Skyward Sword is reminding me how much I love motion controls and the form factor of these two controllers held independently (the grip is still task). The between the hefty and comfortable Pro Control and wielding two separate Joy-Con at once, the Switch easily has my favourite controllers of all time.

[JezMM]

Only skimmed the footage but I'm glad they're FINALLY doing tutorials where the instructions for simple inputs like moving the camera are given on-screen, during gameplay, without pausing said gameplay.  It's only been the standard in most games for a decade or two, lol.

Hearing that motion controls are all or nothing though and you have to use them for flight/swimming if you want to use them for the sword is a huge bummer though.

In a surprise to myself, because honestly I thought there was a fair chance of me backpedalling after the amiibo annoyance and buy it anyway... there's still just not enough going on here to justify paying for it over again, so I'm sitting this out for now. I look forward to giving this game the second chance I was sort of looking forward to with this remake in 10 years time or so when it's in truly bargain bin territory (so, y'know, 10% off on the eShop).