official The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

[APH-Alex]

Okay, sorry I forgot to mention the CNET review as well, though I have a feeling they might be the same guy. Also, I have a feeling the other reviews are begging for traffic, seeing as how they're heaping all this praise on the game, but being vague enough so that one could still infer that it's just how gamespot described it. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to play it and see.

[Lexcyn]

The game is fun but honestly the graphics are pretty terrible. They aren't even what Twilight Princess were. I don't know what they were going for with this style?

[S00N3R FR3AK]

Okay, sorry I forgot to mention the CNET review as well, though I have a feeling they might be the same guy. Also, I have a feeling the other reviews are begging for traffic, seeing as how they're heaping all this praise on the game, but being vague enough so that one could still infer that it's just how gamespot described it. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to play it and see.

No going for traffic is giving it a bad review. Calling it the greatest Zelda game ever(IGN) would not bring the kind of extra traffic a bad review would.

[Blackhearted]

The game is fun but honestly the graphics are pretty terrible. They aren't even what Twilight Princess were. I don't know what they were going for with this style?

I'd say they were going for what 99% of games don't do anymore. Using this rare thing called "color" to make a world that actually looks good and alive. Something few devs seem to know how to do anymore.

[Guest xiphi]

Games like this are the reason why I still have my Wii. I personally don't think the graphics are terrible, if anything the art style is rather refreshing and really make the game feel alive and fanstastic.

[S00N3R FR3AK]

I'd say they were going for what 99% of games don't do anymore. Using this rare thing called "color" to make a world that actually looks good and alive. Something few devs seem to know how to do anymore.

Please if the color pallet isn't grey/brown/red it has must be horrible.

[]SK[]

Always wished they kept using the Wind Waker cartoony graphics :(

[SlimShady]

Yeah, what I saw from the graphics is really disappointing.

[stanley porkchop]

Is anyone else planning to play this on Dolphin?

[TheLegendOfMart]

You cant, Dolphin doesn't support emulated Motion+. It only has basic support for a Wiimote with M+ connected via Bluetooth you cant calibrate it and it constantly disconnects.

[johnnyq3]

Well the thing is that I actually like games that are colorful, and the Legend of Zelda series really brought that out. Even Halo was always colorful compared to other shooters of this generation. All I know is that it is "easier" to do grey/brown/red just because it "fits" in this depressing current generation of games.

[stanley porkchop]

You cant, Dolphin doesn't support emulated Motion+. It only has basic support for a Wiimote with M+ connected via Bluetooth you cant calibrate it and it constantly disconnects.

That is absolutely untrue.

[Dotdot]

SK[' timestamp=1321602570' post='594461275]

Always wished they kept using the Wind Waker cartoony graphics :(

Its odd but I thought how the enemys dying in that game with there cool puff of purple smoke animation was one of the nicest touches Id seen in any game ever.

[+Matthew S. Subscriber²]

Picked mine up today, beat the first temple... boy did they nerf any connection to other zelda games...

[Doli]

Not a big fan of the scanlines in the graphics. At first I thought the first cutscene with the ground breaking apart and the monster was pre-rendered video because of the scanlines. It just feels like the scanlines are there to hide a lower resolution. Some objects and textures are a bit blurry but if you get next to them and switch in 1st person view then they become sharp, looks like that was done to focus more Link and the action.

[Guest xiphi]

The visuals are intended to be that way to give an Impressionist look. Will probably go through the first dungeon today. So far, I'm really loving the game.

[Lexcyn]

I'd say they were going for what 99% of games don't do anymore. Using this rare thing called "color" to make a world that actually looks good and alive. Something few devs seem to know how to do anymore.

Don't get me wrong the game play is fun, but I think they could have done a way better job with the graphics. I understand they were trying to go for a water colour look but yuck.

[~Johnny]

Not a big fan of the scanlines in the graphics. At first I thought the first cutscene with the ground breaking apart and the monster was pre-rendered video because of the scanlines. It just feels like the scanlines are there to hide a lower resolution. Some objects and textures are a bit blurry but if you get next to them and switch in 1st person view then they become sharp, looks like that was done to focus more Link and the action.

The blurryness is actually just the paint filter they apply on top to give the game it's painted effect. And usually you wouldn't notice any scanlines if you weren't playing on a HD TV... but after a while you kind of forget about it when you get sucked into the game.

After playing this for 5 days now, I can pretty much say it's definitely one of the best Zelda games I've played, and certainly not a boring retread of older games. Some very smart puzzles in this one, some ingenious use of motion controls, great characters, great locations. Also, the Gamespot reviewer has CLEARLY been playing the game wrong if he's complaining about the controls. Though we knew that anyway... But the controls work brilliantly, as long as you slow down your sword strikes, and don't try and play it the same way you played Twilight Princess; you're not going to get anywhere like that. ou really do have to be careful with your attacks! Especially when you have those daft enemies that have electric shields that steal a heart off you everytime you hit them wrong .____. I was also never impressed much with the graphics when I first saw them in videos, but actually playing the game, they work brilliantly, and you do often forget you're playing on very old hardware.

Only downside is the music I reckon - Wind Waker still holds the crown in my opinion for the greatest tunes of the series - a lot of the ones in Skyward Sword are very understated and instantly forgettable. It's a shame Koji only composed one song in this game, an even greater shame that Kenta Nagata was no where to be seen either :( The sky world probably could havve done with a being a bit bigger too - only takes about 5 minutes to fly around and see every island :(

[The Teej]

You cant, Dolphin doesn't support emulated Motion+. It only has basic support for a Wiimote with M+ connected via Bluetooth you cant calibrate it and it constantly disconnects.

I've been playing the game, up to the first temple so far (which feels a lot less like a dungeon and more like an extension of the overworld, which I think is great) in Full HD 1080p everything ramped up to max and have had only 1 issue so far (although I think that might have had something to do with my new wireless sensor bar, possibly) - although a quick recalibration fixed everything.

Oh, and I've been playing the game with the limited edition Golden Triforce Wiimote+, so... yeah, it works fine.

BTW, the game looks AMAZING in full HD. I haven't played the game on a standard def TV but judging from what everyone else has been saying, these issues aren't present when playing it in Dolphin.

I can also post a video if people would like :)

[GaMMa]

I used to be a pretty big gamer, but as of lately nothing has really excited me. Games are heavily scripted and the sense of adventure is gone. A lot of the high end games play more like a movie than a game.

I have to say WOW to this game though. The music, the graphics and the gameplay are awesome. The items sold in the shops are actually useful and unique, unlike previous Zelda games. In OoT I always felt shops were for people too lazy to find bombs in the field grass.

There have been a few times I've been in a field and have come across a cave and I felt actual suspense as Link walked in. I couldn't wait to see what was in there.

It's also funny how this game works. I'll think I'm going off the beaten path only to find out I was supposed to go that way.

This game has given me faith that Nintendo isn't on another planet and can still make a good game.

[THolman Veteran]

I used to be a pretty big gamer, but as of lately nothing has really excited me. Games are heavily scripted and the sense of adventure is gone. A lot of the high end games play more like a movie than a game.

This game has given me faith that Nintendo isn't on another planet and can still make a good game.

Skyward Sword is great, but I think that there is plenty of 'adventure,' but I wish that there was more exploration. I understand that they wanted to put the flying in, which, by the way, is a ton of fun, but the overworked feels really sparse to me. Most of the islands are just empty. I would've liked Wind Waker in the sky. There was a lot more interesting discoveries in that game, as far as just exploring places that aren't really relevant to the rest of the game. I think you should give Skyrim a try - it's big, open and pretty unscripted. Nothing like Zelda, and it shouldn't be. I reviewed it a while back.

Speaking of games being too scripted, one other very tiny thing that irked me was that the conversations where you get to pick what you say basically do nothing. After its over you can just restart and pick another option too see what happens, to your hearts content. I think that it's about time for Zelda to incorporate some interactivity.

Still, don't think that I'm putting Zelda down. I've loved it for ages, and I always will. This is a great game, and it will always have a special place in my heart. Yeah, you bet I'm a fanboy.

[GaMMa]

Skyward Sword is great, but I think that there is plenty of 'adventure,' but I wish that there was more exploration. I understand that they wanted to put the flying in, which, by the way, is a ton of fun, but the overworked feels really sparse to me. Most of the islands are just empty. I would've liked Wind Waker in the sky. There was a lot more interesting discoveries in that game, as far as just exploring places that aren't really relevant to the rest of the game. I think you should give Skyrim a try - it's big, open and pretty unscripted. Nothing like Zelda, and it shouldn't be. I reviewed it a while back.

Speaking of games being too scripted, one other very tiny thing that irked me was that the conversations where you get to pick what you say basically do nothing. After its over you can just restart and pick another option too see what happens, to your hearts content. I think that it's about time for Zelda to incorporate some interactivity.

Still, don't think that I'm putting Zelda down. I've loved it for ages, and I always will. This is a great game, and it will always have a special place in my heart. Yeah, you bet I'm a fanboy.

I'll agree with you there. Wind Waker had a ton of islands to explore. There were a bunch of islands that were a main part of the game, plus other random islands. They did have some filler with the fort-style islands. Most of them only had the outline of a square for you to walk on.

There was one conversation in Zelda I wasn't able to go back. Someone was asking why I wanted to be a knight and I answered for the money. The character was disappointed in me and I couldn't go back and reanswer.

I have yet to play Skyrim. I'm still trying to decide if I should or not. Those games take a large chunk of time. I probably put 200+ hours into Morrowind and Oblivion. Lots of fun, but long. I'd say Zelda and Skyrim are two totally different games. My only complaint with the Elder Scrolls games is they need to do a better job with the story and the characters within the world. Even though I put 400 hours into the series I can't tell you anything about the story or name a single character in the game. Zelda always tries to make the characters unique and quirky. Remember the Richard Simmons guy on Windmill Island in Wind Waker? Exactly :p.

[KoL Veteran]

Got the game and loving it. Love the graphics. Tried it in Dolphin in HD and it looks amazing. I'm going to stop playing it on the Wii and continue it in Dolphin.

[Slammers]

The gfx are awesome on wii or dolphin. Sure the rez is low on wii but that just goes to show how amazing the designers were that after about 30 seconds of play I forget about the jaggies and get sucked in. Just got up to the water temple. Loving it still.

[Am_I_Evil]

that was annoying