flameboy Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 Nearly 100 hours of gameplay= AwesomeUpgrade system= Awesome Controls (if they work, which I'm certain they will)= Awesome Graphics= Doesen't look like a painting like Nintendo claimed they wanted it to. Not too happy about cel shading (why Nintendo use cel shading on Zelda, but not in any Mario or Kirby games just seems insane to me). Sounds= Not even close to what I'm expecting from a Nintendo flagship in2011. I LOVE that they have brought the sounds it makes when you land a hit on an enemy with your sword.
Ronnie Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 I LOVE that they have brought the sounds it makes when you land a hit on an enemy with your sword. Same here, love that
Grazza Posted October 2, 2011 Posted October 2, 2011 Graphics= Doesen't look like a painting like Nintendo claimed they wanted it to. Not too happy about cel shading (why Nintendo use cel shading on Zelda, but not in any Mario or Kirby games just seems insane to me). It's not cel-shaded, is it? It's colourful, but not cel-shaded. I'm pretty sure Wind Waker is the only Zelda that uses that technique. Incidentally, the opening to Mario Sunshine is cel-shaded!
Dante Posted October 6, 2011 Author Posted October 6, 2011 The site has updated with new videos - Intro, ... Woods, ...... Temple.
Dante Posted October 8, 2011 Author Posted October 8, 2011 Zelda: Skyward Sword Deserves to be Called an RPG At my leisure, I also poked around in the game's menus. Zelda fans know that's where you learn cool stuff. In those Zelda menus I began to find more signs of how the game is RPG-like. I already knew that shields can degrade and need to be repaired. That had been shown at E3. In the menu, I could see my wooden shield's damage bar and assess whether it needed repairs. Managing the condition of an item like that? That's fairly RPGish, yes? I could also see a full page of potentially collectible items, most of them not yet found and shown only in silhouettes, mostly bugs and I think some skulls and other loot drops. I got a sense there might be a crafting system. Ah, very RPG, if true. (I didn't actually find a crafting system yet.) In one of the game's menus I found some numbers. They were a big surprise. I was—bear with me—talking to my in-game friend when this happend. Or, I was talking to Fi, the spirit or whatever she is that accompanies you in your quest, morphs into your sword and talks a bit like a computer. In a menu for her, I found an option to ask her for advice. She'll give a hint about what you should do next. I then found an even more peculiar option to ask her for "analysis". What's that all about? I selected it and got to read some text from her. She told me that the suitability of the items I was carrying was at 75% for the area I was in and that the items in my pouch were balanced. Hold on. I also found another Fi menu option called "Rumors". I asked the Nintendo people if they could comment on it, which is an inside joke (loyal Kotaku readers will get it). What Rumors would Fi tell me about, I wondered? I clicked the option for her to speak. She started talking about a rumor that "medals" will give you beneficial effects as long as you're carrying them. Oh my. Effects? I can equip special items that bolster certain qualities of my hero or his gear? That's pure RPG right there. I couldn't find any medals, mind you. I didn't even have the one she described, which was a so-called potion medal that extends the duration of potion effects. These are the exact kinds of things I wasn't expecting to find: evidence that there is more choice about the kind of Link I can be in Skyward Sword. That's not the kind of choice, underpinned by the mathematics of status effects and item balance that we've had in Zelda games just about ever. I assure you that this game hasn't gone full hardcore RPG. Not even close. You're still going through dungeons finding major items required to solve specific puzzles, all as you would in any Zelda, but on the periphery of a familiar blueprint I see options to tweak some of the finer details of this latest Link quest.
Burny Posted October 9, 2011 Posted October 9, 2011 (edited) Zelda: Skyward Sword deserves to be Called an RPG Loads of rubbish, really. I get the impression the writer desperately wants to be able to call Zelda an RPG and completely overblows this analysis into a small novel. All this seems to be are some more intricate mechanics layered on top of the usual Zelda stuff. Degrading and tiered shields, medals that change some effects etc.. Doesn't turn Skyward Sword into a stat-based game with choice of character classes and the likes. Edit: Looking at stats and customization, multiplayer components in most modern shooters are probably more RPG-ish than Zelda is with these new elements. Edited October 9, 2011 by Burny
MindFreak Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 Impressions of the first three hours are found here: http://www.gamereactor.eu/previews/9031/Skyward+Sword:+the+first+three+hours/ I don't want to read it to avoid spoilers. Or well, I DO want to read it. Badly. But I mustn't. Just thought I'd post it here for you guys to read and drool over.
Dante Posted October 12, 2011 Author Posted October 12, 2011 (edited) The first 15 minutes of the game. = (2:06) [Fi]: Link... time to open your eyes. Soon, very soon you'll face a big destiny. The time of awakening... Link... Link... (2:59) [Letter from Zelda]: You sleepyhead! I'm sure you're still lying in bed as this letter arrives... Isn't it so? Good morning Link. Today the bird riding ceremony takes place! Our appointment... Do you remember? Zelda (3:56) [random guy 1]: Good morning Link! Today's the big day of the bird riding ceremony! I wanted to participate too but I didn't make it through the qualifying round. That's why I'm staying here and I have to carry these barrels to the dining room. But I really would've liked to see you flying... Well, I can't change it! Give it your best! I'm cheering for you! [...] Oh Link, it seems like you want to help me? Thanks! So... could you carry this barrel to the dining room for me? Apparently you know that you can pick up certain objects by pressing A. You can put them down again by pressing A again. Point your Wiimote upwards and give it a quick shake while carrying a barrel in order to throw it. Smaller objects like pots can be rolled by holding the Wiimote downwards and giving it a quick shake. But you'll bring this barrel to the dining room without destroying it, yes? Always be careful! If you've forgotten what I've just told you then press 2. This will show you what actions you can currently do. It's really practical! (5:51) [random guy 2]: Hey Link! Over here! Good morning, Link! Today's the bird riding ceremony, how are you? I want to talk to you about something. Keep Z pressed, look at me and then press A to talk to me. Yeah right, by pressing Z you can target aims. You can target people by pressing Z and speak to them by pressing A. If there's no one to talk to, press Z to look forward. But there's no good talking at this distance, so would you please come up here? If you run towards these wooden crates then you can climb on top of them! Hold down A and move in order to run, this way you can get past minor height differences! Give it a try! Well isn't it practical to run by pressing A? But if your stamina meter goes to zero then unfortunately you'll be out of breath, you should take a rest just before it's empty. And on we go! You can jump gaps like this one via normal movement, that's the automatic leap! Automatic... sounds good! Hello Link! Are you going practising for the bird riding ceremony? Oh, you've got an appointment? Zelda is waiting already? But now while you're here... Mia, the pet of Zelda's father, our director Gepora, has run away. What ever shall I do? The director and Zelda are very busy with the preparations for the ceremony. I wanted to lure Mia with some bait but the ceremony is about to start... And in this outfit I can't run after her. Could you do me a favor and bring Mia over here? Thanks for taking the time to help me. You should find something to climb up here. If you shimmy along the ledge then you should be able to reach the rooftop. Again, thanks! Hey Link, in order to reach the top of that roof it's not sufficient to sprint with A. You probably have already noted the crate, right? Place yourself in front of it and hold down A to move it. Then run towards the crate or hold down (analog stick) directly in front of it to climb up. You brought her back safely! Thanks a lot Link! I'll feed Mia now. Tell the director that we've found his pet. He should be on the plaza in front of the temple. Surely Zelda's there too so hurry up! (10:20) [Zelda]: A young man, guided by the Goddess, will connect sky and earth and bring the light... Good morning Link. Say, did my sky bird wake you up? Our appointment... had you forgotten about it? Look, my dress and this instrument! With those things I'll represent the goddess at the bird riding ceremony! Great, isn't it? Especially that instrument... they say that already the legendary goddess played such one. Its sound is incomparable. Dad told me that it's called "lyre". So, what do you say about my dress? I've woven the shawl all by myself! With this dress and the lyre I'm incorporating the goddess! I wanted you to see me like that, Link! That suits me well, right? Are you serious? Thanks a lot, Link! [Gepora:] Zelda... are you done with the preparations? [Z:] Oh dad! [G:] Link's already here too, wonderful! Even you sleepy guy have made it in time today! If you win at today's bird riding ceremony then you may spend the rest of the ceremony together with Zelda, so give it your best! [Z:] Talking about making efforts... Listen, dad! In the last time Link has... Well he hasn't really trained a lot for the ceremony... Also when he was flying he didn't really put much effort into it... If he doesn't act now then he'll surely lose! [G:] Calm down my dear! Besides ability, the bird riding ceremony also tests the bond between man and animal... It's not easy to win it. Sure, Link isn't really the most hardworking student... You two know each other already since earliest childhood, therefore you also know that Link and his sky bird have a special relationship. Each inhabitant of Skyloft has his own bird. It's the goddess herself who appoints a protective bird to everyone of us, that's the job of the sky birds. Everyone of us meets his personal bird here in front of the statue at an early age... of course it was the same with you two. The sky bird that's been dedicated to Link is a very special one. It is of crimson red colour, that's so rare that we used to think that this species was extinct. Link, you're connected to your sky bird by destiny. Do you remember my dear? Back then, as soon as Link met with his sky bird for the first time... They floated through the air as if they had already known each other for ages, without any practice, problematically... I still remember how jealous you were back then! Well it's no wonder that people envy Link and his relationship to his sky bird! People have the tendency to despise those who are special in some way. [Z:] You're taking things not seriously enough dad! You know that bird riding ceremony also functions as a test of the knight school? Those who don't put enough effort into the ceremony won't get good grades... And in the worst case scenario Link won't be able to become a knight! [G:] Everything is fine my dear, just calm down a bit! Every time there's something concerning Link, you're always kind of... [Z:] Link! Come on, let's go practicing, at least a little bit! Now come over here! What are you doing? Let's go! Jump down from this platform and call your sky bird, just like you always do... The ceremony is about to start so you need to be in good shape! What are you saying? You can't feel your sky bird? Don't say things like that, you're just looking for excuses! Now come on, you need some practice. Do it for me! See ya! Link! You must press (d-pad) to summon your sky bird! Edited October 12, 2011 by Dante
Dante Posted October 14, 2011 Author Posted October 14, 2011 (edited) Site has updated with new areas trailers: Link swims the same way as in Zelda:MM. Unkillable redead bokoblins. Edited October 14, 2011 by Dante
Kav Posted October 14, 2011 Posted October 14, 2011 That Lake trailer is the first time where the graphics have wowed me. I thought it looked beautiful!
The-chosen-one Posted October 17, 2011 Posted October 17, 2011 im going to wait, and play this one on wii u, my wii is not working and i dont want to buy a new one, so i will wait till wii u is out, next year, then i will buy this game, to have more fun on my wii u, lol ,
Dante Posted October 18, 2011 Author Posted October 18, 2011 Iwata Asks: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Iwata: You say that there were twists and turns, but I heard there were few detours this time compared to the last game The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Aonuma: After we finished The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, we began work on the new game in the series. After awhile Fujibayashi-san had finished making The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, and he showed us a planning document saying he wanted to make it. We had him be director and discussed something that would use Wii MotionPlus, which was developed right around that time, so players could freely operate the game. For about half a year after that, I have to say the mood was very nasty! (laughs) Iwata: I heard. (laughs) Fujibayashi: We tried a bunch of things for Wii MotionPlus, but it was really quirky. Aonuma: We played that and realized all you could do with it. Wii Sports Resort has all kinds of games like Swordplay and Archery and you can play each one as its own separate game, but in The Legend of Zelda, you play everything on the same field. Fujibayashi: That's right. You may be fighting with your sword and the next instant use the Clawshot or shoot an arrow or throw a bomb, so it was really difficult to make the game so you could use Wii MotionPlus to do those things smoothly all on the same field. Aonuma: So I proposed to the staff to not use Wii MotionPlus afterall. Iwata: You gave up once. Aonuma: Yes. Then we started making a Legend of Zelda game that you would play using the original Wii Remote and Nunchuk. But then I fell under intense pressure from some other producers, who said, "Aonuma-san, why aren't you using Wii MotionPlus?!" (laughs) Aonuma: Yes. Ghirahim fights barehanded. You'll think, "All right, I'll strike at him from this angle," but he expects that and stops Link's sword with his hands. Iwata: At Nintendo 3DS Conference 20117, Miyamoto-san said he struggled with that. 7. Aonuma: That's right. Miyamoto-san kept saying, "You can't beat this guy!" (laughs) Iwata: As a player, he was steamed. (laughs) Aonuma: Yes. Well, he complained more than getting mad! (laughs) But he didn't tell us to scrap it, so I think he liked something about it. He said that he wanted us to make the way to win more instinctive, though.
flameboy Posted October 22, 2011 Posted October 22, 2011 If you want to know what score Edge gave it go here: http://www.next-gen.biz/reviews/legend-zelda-skyward-sword-review oddly its not the actual review its just a quote from the review and it tells you that the magazine goes on sale next week and what score they gave the game....also December issue coming out 25th October swear such things get earlier all the time.
Dante Posted October 24, 2011 Author Posted October 24, 2011 Some quotes from the Edge's review. Before a sword even enters his hands we've met a uniquely athletic Link... Regions built around volcano ascents and sucking quicksand help rediscover a platforming challenge diminished in Zelda since the addition of the auto-jump. Nintendo has been so busy elaborating on Ocarina's heroic ideal that it's forgotten to embrace it for itself. So what better way to honour 25 years of bravery than courageously striving for something new? And what opportune hardware to cut those ties? After all, hasn't the Wii hardware spent the past five years searching for the hero inside itself? Firstparty experiments have tested Wii's boundaries, deducing what does and doesn't work. Their findings resonate throughout Skyward Sword. In Wii Sports-powered bomb bowling. In skydiving and swordplay learnt on a Wuhu holiday. In the surreal beauty and orchestrated bombast beamed down from Super Mario Galaxy. In the metallic Metroid chu-chunk of a door lock. Even the opinion-dividing Wii Music is vindicated in subtle moments of auto-tuning cleverness. How apt that this ultimate tale of hero-making should see Nintendo's hardware become the console it was always meant to be.
flameboy Posted October 24, 2011 Posted October 24, 2011 Wow so Edge clearly billing it as a culmanation of the "shit" "casual" titles giving the Wii it's ultimate swan song!
Dante Posted October 24, 2011 Author Posted October 24, 2011 More from Edge: On swordplay - 'In action, it is nothing short of revelatory...the victories are ours in a way they could never be with a standard controller.' On Skyloft and the overworld - 'Imagine a halfway house between MM's Clock Town and WW's ocean; a community of oddballs scattered across a sky archipelago. Considerably smaller than the sea, it makes up for it in density of character.' On the puzzles - 'How's this for a statement of intent: not a single torch-lighting number, and only one push-the-box-on-the-button incident...Where TP's gizmos gathered dust after glorious debut dungeons, SS keeps its kitbag tight and in constant circulation, with ingenious multitasking and surprise upgrades along the way.' On the upgrade system - 'Such avenues jar with an adventure balanced for the base items. Odds don't need swinging in Link's favour...that said, the idea gains traction once the end credits have rolled.' (NG+?) 'No two hours are the same...its 35 hours - that's ignoring a wealth of trinkets - fly by in a heroic blur.' Post Script stuff, basically looking at how Nintendo have overhauled the structure and world to make it feel denser and more lived in: 'Exploring Hyrules of old, you can wonder what exactly Link is fighting for. On the surface these are games obsessed with their lands...stepping out on to the cherished soil paints a different picture. This is virgin territory, untouched and unloved...far from a living breathing ecosystem, Hyrule is a sealed adventure playground...For such topographical waste to exist in the same universe as Nintendo's dungeons is mystifying. And if Skyward Sword is anything to go by, Nintendo feels the same way'. 'Field areas now teem with life...off-duty shop staff reveal the comically tragic lives behind their forced grins. Characters have a place and purpose in this world; can you say the same of Ocarina's perpetually giggling brothers?' 'Where previous Zelda's felt overly prepared, with everything positioned just so for the adventure to begin, dowsing let's Nintendo adjust on the fly. Come the end of the game, players will be surprised by how much they missed on previous passes.' ''Aonuma highlights the ability to go back to a dungeon you have already explored, with a new mission. This, he explains, brings you the newfound possibility of using your memory and your experience of the dungeon to help you in the challenge. Indeed, entering once-liberated grounds to clash with a new batch of squatters is one of the game's richest pleasures.' 'A few developments pull off the coup of altering playstyles entirely..the desire to cram play styles into a limited space owes a bigger debt to Mario than any previous Zelda. The plumber's 2D jaunts make an artform of trans-formative spaces, where a simple costume change reveals unseen expanses and a trail of red coins carves challenging dares around familiar platforms. There it feeds into Mario's guileless pursuit of joy, here it conjures something more. Only when you know a place inside out does it truly become worth fighting for.'
Dante Posted October 25, 2011 Author Posted October 25, 2011 Skyward Sword review is up on the Edge site.
Supergrunch Posted October 25, 2011 Posted October 25, 2011 So, I need motion plus for this right? Does that have to be bought separately, or does it come in any packages with the game, like the gold one? Not terribly interested in another controller though...
Burny Posted October 25, 2011 Posted October 25, 2011 @Supergrunch The game doesn't come packaged with the Motion Plus addon. You either have to get the addon separately or the limited edition game that comes with a Wiimote+.
Dante Posted October 26, 2011 Author Posted October 26, 2011 Iwata Ask Part 2 - Link first lands in the Sealed Grounds when he falls from Skyloft - this is an incredibly important place in the story - this area is a connection point before you reach the game fields and dungeons - expect to revisit areas and access new locations throughout the game - fields are now created with height and depth - you can also catch little birds - bug-catching requires a different approach and swing style depending on the bug - expect grasshoppers, cicadas, dragonflies, butterflies, unicorn beetles, stag beetles, mantises and more - one bird that rarely shows up to catch is a blue bird - landforms are created to be dense and offer up all sorts of exploration opportunities, rather than have the player pass through once and be done with it - the game's theme during development was exploration and discovery - the team originally thought of an L-shaped wire for dowsing - the dowsing and beacons are used to keep players from getting lost - the art style lead to some issues earlier in development - when NoA commented that the effects were 'featureless' and lacking something, the dev team hopped on the comments to change that - it took time to create an effect that clearly indicated which what you were swinging your sword - the idea of the giant enemy came from a request from Aonuma - Aonuma simply told the dev team to create "A giant enemy attacks one place and you have to do something about it." - Fujibayashi then told Asuka, "There's a giant boss that tries to force its way to a destination. I want you to come up with a way of holding it back." - your job is to keep the giant boss back, not defeat it at first - what happens when the boss reaches the top? That's a secret for now - you can attack the boss' feet from the ground level, or you can get onto the boss from above and fight - the programmer in charge of the camera always carries around a camera or video recorder to catch all sorts of angles - the big boss from the Sealed Grounds shows up multiple times - the big boss' name is actually The Sealed One - you can seal it away but never totally defeat it - the way you fight it changes as the story goes on - even after you fight dungeon bosses, you may have to return to that dungeon to get something else - there will be new challenges waiting for you when you return to these dungeons - the dashing idea came up when the A button became open for use - the dev team likens the Silent Realm gameplay to that of a game of tag - now you can get new items in the game field rather than just in dungeons - particular attention was paid to how Link enters dungeon - the dev team wanted to recreate the feeling of the original Legend of Zelda when it came to entering dungeons - the last time you visit the forest in Skyward Sword, 'something unbelievable happens' - robots appear in this adventure - when Fi comes out and talks to you about enemies or items, the team calls that 'Fi Captioning'
bryanee Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 Man dat music, especially when those things start to chase you in the stealthy bits.
Burny Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 (edited) I never understood why some people loath the stealth segments in Zeldas. I quiet like them. The best one was the pirate fortress in Wind Waker imo, which really built up a bit of a creepy atmosphere. Only downside to it was that I found navigating the fortress quiet confusing. The sections in Spirit tracks with the different phantoms were excellent, too. The abilities of the phantoms really allowed for some nice puzzle elements. Edit: I might just be imagining things, but the forest theme's melody sounds quiet strange to my ears, especially when it sets in for the first time in that video. Might this be another well known Zelda theme played in reverse? Edit 2: No. Playing it in reverse definitely doesn't result in a melody I would recognize. Edited October 27, 2011 by Burny
flameboy Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 Just read the extracts from the review and just wow, honestly Zelda's stepped up. After Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks (yes very different breed of Zelda game) I was not expecting this at all!
Dante Posted October 27, 2011 Author Posted October 27, 2011 (edited) Screencap for the new trailer footage that Reggie will show on GTTV. The site has update with new areas etc and game over footage. Giant Lava Master has a roughly translated name of “Gumaamu” There are upgraded Purple “Dark Lizalfos.” Dark Lizalfos have the same attack style but are faster than their green counterparts. There is an archery practice location found within Skyloft. Bokoblin Base is a new area in the Firey Region. The Bokoblin will steal all of Link’s inventory items and he must retrieve them. In the new Fire-based dungeon, Link will have to save Mogmas. It is here where he aquires the Mogma Mitts. These let you dig through certain spots where you can access other areas that seem impassable. While digging you can break walls that block your way. During the digging process you switch to a bird’s eye view of the game while moving about. Deep in the Mountain of Eldin you will explore a very hot area. Link will burn over time. Your clothes will light on fire and it will eat away at your health. Link will need to find bulbs that hold water and these can be used to cool him down. Link can be seen wearing an upgraded version of the Iron Shield. The new fire dungeon translates to “Old Shrine.” The Digging Mitts are upgraded to the Mogma Mitts. Edited October 28, 2011 by Dante Automerged Doublepost
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