The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD - A Comprehensive Review of the Soaring Adventure on Nintendo Switch 2

Hello everyone, I'm your old friend, a seasoned Nintendo player and game critic. Today, we're going to talk about The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, a classic that has been remastered in high definition, already offering players a new gaming experience on the Nintendo Switch. As anticipation for the Nintendo Switch 2 grows, we'll also discuss how this game might perform on a potential Nintendo Switch 2 and whether it's worth upgrading our hardware for.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD: Return to the Skyloft

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was originally released on the Wii platform in 2011, telling the earliest story in the Zelda series timeline. In this game, Link lives in the floating city of Skyloft with his childhood friend Zelda. One day, Zelda is swept away by a mysterious force, and Link embarks on an adventure to the unknown surface world to find her.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a high-definition remaster of the original game. While retaining the core gameplay and story, it optimizes the graphics, controls, and other aspects, allowing players to experience this classic more smoothly.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Review: Pros and Cons

2.1 Gameplay: 7.5/10

The core gameplay of Skyward Sword HD remains exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat. The dungeons in the game are ingeniously designed, filled with various mechanisms and puzzles that require players to use their brains to successfully navigate. In terms of combat, since the original game was designed with motion controls in mind, Skyward Sword HD retains motion controls while adding button controls, allowing players to choose their preferred control method.

2.1.1 Pros:

• Unique Motion Controls: While not everyone enjoys motion controls, Skyward Sword's motion controls do add a lot of fun to the game. Players need to swing the Joy-Con to control Link's sword and precisely attack the enemy's weak points. This control method provides a strong sense of immersion.
• Ingenious Dungeon Design: The Zelda series' dungeon design has always been praised, and Skyward Sword is no exception. The dungeons in the game are filled with ingenious mechanisms and puzzles that require players to observe carefully and think creatively to find solutions.
• Interesting Items and Abilities: Link will acquire various items and abilities during his adventure, such as bows, bombs, beetles, and more. These items and abilities can be used not only to attack enemies but also to solve puzzles, adding a lot of fun to the game.

2.1.2 Cons:

• Forced Motion Controls: Even though the HD version adds button controls, some scenes still require the use of motion controls, which makes some players who dislike motion controls feel inconvenienced.
• Repetitive Maps and Enemies: Some maps and enemies in the game reappear, which reduces the game's freshness.
• Linear Story: Compared to other Zelda games, Skyward Sword's story is more linear and offers less freedom.

2.2 Graphics: 8/10

Skyward Sword HD features a high-definition remaster of the original game's graphics, making the visuals clearer and more detailed. The character and scene models are also more refined, and the colors are more vibrant. Overall, the graphics of Skyward Sword HD perform well on the Nintendo Switch, but there is still a gap compared to other games of the same generation. If this game could run on the future Nintendo Switch 2, it is believed that the graphical effects would undergo a qualitative leap. We can refer to the analysis in nintendo switch2 first look.

2.2.1 Pros:

• High-Definition Remaster: Clear, detailed graphics with vibrant colors.
• Refined Character and Scene Models: More rich details in characters and scenes.
• Stable Frame Rate: The game runs smoothly without significant lag.

2.2.2 Cons:

• Texture Quality: The quality of some textures is still low, lacking detail.
• Art Style: The game's art style is relatively cartoonish, which may not suit all players' tastes.

2.3 Sound: 8.5/10

The sound effects in Skyward Sword HD are excellent, with melodious music, realistic sound effects, and a good atmosphere created for the game. The voice acting in the game is also well done, and the character dialogue is full of emotion.

2.3.1 Pros:

• Melodious Music: The music in the Zelda series has always been praised, and Skyward Sword is no exception. The music in the game is full of epic and adventurous feelings, which can well enhance the game atmosphere.
• Realistic Sound Effects: The sound effects in the game are very realistic, such as the sound of weapon collisions and the roars of monsters, allowing players to better immerse themselves in the game.
• Well-Done Voice Acting: The voice actors in the game performed well, using emotional voices to interpret the characters in the game, making the characters more vivid.

2.3.2 Cons:

• Looping Music: Some music in the game will loop repeatedly, which may make players feel bored after a long time.

2.4 Story: 9/10

The story of Skyward Sword HD is very exciting, telling the earliest story in the Zelda series timeline. The plot is full of suspense and twists, keeping players interested in the story. The characters in the game are also very well developed, and the bond between Link and Zelda is touching.

2.4.1 Pros:

• Exciting Story: The plot is full of suspense and twists, making it captivating.
• Successful Character Development: The main characters such as Link and Zelda are very well developed, with distinct character images.
• Profound Themes: The game explores profound themes such as courage, friendship, and responsibility, which can trigger players' thoughts.

2.4.2 Cons:

• Story Pacing: The game's story pace is a bit slow, requiring a long period of setup in the early stages.

2.5 Control: 7/10

The control feel of Skyward Sword HD varies depending on the control method. The motion controls are very immersive, but require players to adapt. Button controls are more precise, but lack the fun of motion controls.

2.5.1 Pros:

• Multiple Control Methods: Players can choose motion controls or button controls.
• Precise Button Controls: Button controls are more precise, allowing players to better control Link.

2.5.2 Cons:

• Adaptability of Motion Controls: Motion controls require players to adapt, and some players may feel inconvenienced.
• Forced Motion Controls in Some Scenes: Some scenes still require the use of motion controls, which makes some players who dislike motion controls feel inconvenienced.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Guide: Beginner's Guide

For novice players, Skyward Sword HD may be a bit difficult. Here are some beginner's guides that hopefully will help everyone better experience this game:

• Familiarize Yourself with the Controls: First, familiarize yourself with the game's controls. You can choose your favorite motion controls or button controls.
• Observe and Think More: The dungeons in the game are ingeniously designed, requiring players to observe carefully and think creatively to find solutions.
• Make Good Use of Items and Abilities: Link will acquire various items and abilities during his adventure. You must be good at using these items and abilities to attack enemies and solve puzzles.
• Don't Be Afraid to Die: Death is an inevitable part of the game. Don't be afraid to die. Learn from failures and continue to improve.
• Talk to Other Characters More: Talking to other characters can provide important information and clues.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Compared to Similar Games

Compared to similar Zelda games, Skyward Sword HD has its unique characteristics:

• Motion Controls: Skyward Sword is the only game in the Zelda series that focuses on motion controls.
• Linear Story: Compared to other Zelda games, Skyward Sword's story is more linear and offers less freedom.
• Unique Setting: The game's setting is in the floating city of Skyloft, which is very different from other Zelda games.

Compared to other action-adventure games, Skyward Sword HD has its unique charm:

• Ingenious Dungeon Design: The Zelda series' dungeon design has always been praised, and Skyward Sword is no exception.
• Profound Story: The story of Skyward Sword is very exciting, exploring profound themes such as courage, friendship, and responsibility.
• Unique Art Style: The art style of Skyward Sword is relatively cartoonish, which is different from other action-adventure games.

5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD: Prospects on the Nintendo Switch 2

Currently, the Nintendo Switch 2 has not been officially released, but rumors about the new console are rampant. If The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD can run on the Nintendo Switch 2, we can expect the following improvements:

• Higher Resolution and Frame Rate: The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to have more powerful performance, capable of running Skyward Sword HD at a higher resolution and frame rate, making the graphics clearer and smoother.
• Better Visual Effects: The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to adopt more advanced graphics technology, which can enhance the visual effects of Skyward Sword HD, such as more realistic shadows, more detailed textures, and more.
• Smoother Operation Experience: The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to adopt more advanced touch technology, which can enhance the operation experience of Skyward Sword HD, such as more sensitive touch response, more precise motion controls, and more.
• Backward Compatibility: If the Nintendo Switch 2 is backward compatible with Nintendo Switch games, then players can continue to experience The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD on the Nintendo Switch 2. nintendo switch2 compatibility may provide more detailed answers.

Considering the current performance bottleneck of the Nintendo Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD still experiences frame drops in some scenes. If it can run on the Nintendo Switch 2, it is believed that these problems can be solved, bringing players a more perfect experience. Of course, upgrading to the Nintendo Switch 2 also means we need to consider the cost brought by nintendo switch2 price.

6. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD: Score and Conclusion

Overall, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a classic worth playing. While retaining the core gameplay and story of the original game, it optimizes the graphics, controls, and other aspects, allowing players to experience this game more smoothly. Although the game has some shortcomings, such as forced motion controls and repetitive maps and enemies, these shortcomings cannot cover up its advantages.

• IGN Score: 8.5/10 (Reference: https://www.ign.com/articles/the-legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword-hd-review)
• Metacritic Score: 82/100 (Reference: https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/the-legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword-hd)

My Final Score: 8.3/10

Reason for Score: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is an excellent high-definition remaster that successfully brought the classic to the Nintendo Switch platform. The game has an exciting story, ingenious dungeon design, melodious music, and unique controls. Although the game has some shortcomings, these shortcomings cannot cover up its advantages. If you are a fan of the Zelda series or like action-adventure games, then Skyward Sword HD is definitely worth a try. Especially considering the future Nintendo Switch 2 may bring a better experience, buying now is also a wise choice.

Hope this review has been helpful to everyone. If you have any questions about The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section, and I will try my best to answer them. Let us look forward to the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2 and the performance of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD on the next-generation console!