[SPOILERS!!] The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

[Mokong]

Finally I managed to get the Hyrulian Shield in this game on Hero mode

 

Doing the replayed Boss battles on Hero mode was bloody hard.... took me 4 goes before I finally got the Shield.

 

Plus since it is hero mode ALL the boss battles are active not just the ones you've done up to that point. That includes the final battle with Ghirihim (sp?) just before the last boss....and yeah the last boss is a possibility in the boss rush too

 

Luckily though on the way to the shield the last boss didn't come up. But no matter which boss I choose to start with, the last Ghirihim (sp?) fight would be 2nd on my 3rd and 4th tries I just started with him to get him out of the way.

 

What made it extra hard I think was cause it was Hero mode the double damage really messes you up. I'd be doing fine most of the time then make one little mistake and the double damage hits you hard. What would have been a 2 heart loss normally becomes a 4 heart loss and it when you can't regain hearts or use potions and still have X amount of bosses to fight to get your target of 8 for the shield it can be jarring.

 

When I got to my 8th boss I had just 3 hearts left (out of 17), luckily it was the 2nd Imprisioned fight and was able to beat him quickly and without taking any damage, phew.

And yeah I did get the heart piece too

 

So got all parts of the Song of the Hero, just need to do the final Silent Realm and will be on my way towards the end of the game. Should have this finished before Friday and Wii U

Edited November 27, 2012 by Mokong

[Grazza]

Well done, Mokong, that's extremely impressive. I thought that shield was hard enough to get in Normal Mode!

[Lens of Truth]

Shame there's no extra reward for completing this in Hero Mode, otherwise I'd have set to it! [Or is there? Mokong will have to keep us informed!] Might have a shot in run up to Zelda U

[Hogge]

I heard the Wii U scales up Wii games.

Wonder if the increased resolution will make the distance paint shader more obvious, because as it is now, I couldn't see it until someone pointed it out to me. I've seen emulated HD screenshots where the effect truly pops out and looks amazing.

[Dcubed]

I heard the Wii U scales up Wii games.

Wonder if the increased resolution will make the distance paint shader more obvious, because as it is now, I couldn't see it until someone pointed it out to me. I've seen emulated HD screenshots where the effect truly pops out and looks amazing.

 

Upscaling is not the same as uprezing (which is what the Dolphin emulator does).

 

Upscaling is just taking the 480p image and blowing it up to HD resolution by scaling (the clue is in the name!). Your TV already does this, but some people may have a crappy scaler in their HDTV so for them, they'll notice a slightly better picture.

 

What Dolphin is doing is actually re-rendering the game in a higher resolution (like a PC game would if you increased its resolution). This can only be done through software emulation and there's no magic pixie dust that can make it work with the original hardware.

 

Emulation is also generally a really spotty form of compatibility and only really works perfectly if you emulate each game one by one (that's how the Virtual Console works), hence why the Wii U does not emulate the Wii - compatibility would be too low and a lot of games just wouldn't work.

 

Shame there's no extra reward for completing this in Hero Mode, otherwise I'd have set to it! [Or is there? Mokong will have to keep us informed!] Might have a shot in run up to Zelda U

 

The journey is its own reward

[Lens of Truth]

The journey is its own reward

Quite right. Just didn't want to go straight into a second quest without at least some sort of carrot at the end of the stick. I really enjoyed Skyward Sword so I wanted it to stay special. The 3DS has kept me pretty distracted since then and now the Wii U arrives tomorrow!

 

It will be attempted sooner or later though!

[Mokong]

Shame there's no extra reward for completing this in Hero Mode, otherwise I'd have set to it! [Or is there? Mokong will have to keep us informed!] Might have a shot in run up to Zelda U

 

I don't think there is any reward for beating Hero mode.

 

I doing cause a: I haven't played Skyward Sword since I first beat it after getting the game

B: I've been meaning to give it a 2nd play and am now trying to get that done before the WiiU comes out (cutting it close) and it wouldn't have been right of me to not do my 2nd play on Hero mode....plus for the CHALLENGE

 

(you can actually put a heart medal in your pouch and hearts will start appearing again...but very rarely....I tested it for a bit but then took it out as there's way more tension knowing hearts won't drop. If you mess up before a boss and find yourself needing to use a potion early it really hurts your pride, haha. But you can still find seats to sit on and regain health...but some dugeons don't have any )

 

With such a gap in bewteen my plays too I didn't remember much of what I did 1st time round so had to actually work out some things again which was nice

 

Hoping I can get in a good session this evening and finish it off.... from what I remember once I beat the last Silent Realm and then get the Triforce it's near enough a straight run to the last boss isn't it (with the horde battle and Ghirihim (am I spelling that right?) fight on the way.... but considering my best time vs Ghirihim on boss rush was 1 min 50 seconds I'm not too worried bout him... repeated attempts to get the Hylian Shield just honed my skills, haha.

Edited November 28, 2012 by Mokong

[Lens of Truth]

I can't think of a better way to bid farewell to the Wii. Wish I'd done the same now. Been trying to polish off a few things on the 3DS because it probably won't get a look in for a while!

 

I think you're right about what's left iirc, should be able to get it done in a few hours definitely. The final boss is just so amazing! The more I reflect on it the more I think the ending is an inspired set-up for the series. It strikes exactly the right tone and does it all with such timelessness and economy, not a word or gesture wasted.

[Ronnie]

I can't think of a better way to bid farewell to the Wii. Wish I'd done the same now. Been trying to polish off a few things on the 3DS because it probably won't get a look in for a while!

 

I think you're right about what's left iirc, should be able to get it done in a few hours definitely. The final boss is just so amazing! The more I reflect on it the more I think the ending is an inspired set-up for the series. It strikes exactly the right tone and does it all with such timelessness and economy, not a word or gesture wasted.

 

I found the final battle(s) of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess far better personally. The Skyward Sword ones were a bit meh by comparison, at least the Demise bit was.

[Lens of Truth]

I found the final battle(s) of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess far better personally. The Skyward Sword ones were a bit meh by comparison, at least the Demise bit was.

Fair enough. I have a great deal of trouble picking between WW, TP and SS. To me they all had minor issues, highs and lows. Still all great, but not quite to the level of the Zeldas that feel pretty much perfect - LTTP, LA, OOT, MM.

 

The whole of Wind Waker's final sequence was stunning, even if Ganondorf himself was too easy, and what an ending! Twilight Princess' boss(es) felt more rote and clunky to me.

 

Demise was easy, once you sussed him, but I panicked and got knocked about a fair bit, with the motion plus losing its calibration! Think I enjoyed it so much because it was a test of nerve as much as anything and the GREAT atmosphere and visuals, really pushing the Wii. His pulsating fiery mane, the ethereal water/sky, obligatory lightning, all brilliant. Oh, and I love the way the music ramps up from the initial to the final phase, with very subtle but unmistakable suggestions of the chromatic crawl of Ganondorf's theme (most prominent in the second track):

 

 

I seem to remember you not being a fan of the music at all, but I find that it grows on me the more I hear it.

[Ronnie]

Agree about TP's bosses, they were quite clunky without much flow but there were some nice ideas in there.

 

I wasn't impressed with the Skyward Sword music at all no, some tracks may have been nicely put together but they just weren't memorable in the slightest. So boring and generic compared to the genius of Wind Waker, Ocarina, Twilight Princess etc - For a series that has music at its core, it was a huge disappointment IMO. The sky overworked track for instance was godawful and lazy.

[Jonnas]

Skyward Sword's music? Forgettable? Some of it, maybe...

 

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...but I generally disagree with that sentiment.

[Wii]

It was forgettable because you hardly ever heard it. Forgettable music and a forgettable game. Worst Zelda ever in my opinion. The motion controls were decent though so they can keep them for the next game.

[bob]

Aw crap - this thread always makes me feel guilty that i never completed this game....

 

 

.....and then i remember that i don't complete the majority of my games. And i spiral into depression and despair.

[Lens of Truth]

Agree with all of @Jonnas suggestions. Fi's theme is particularly haunting when it's played on piano and strings at the end.

I wasn't impressed with the Skyward Sword music at all no, some tracks may have been nicely put together but they just weren't memorable in the slightest. So boring and generic compared to the genius of Wind Waker, Ocarina, Twilight Princess etc - For a series that has music at its core, it was a huge disappointment IMO. The sky overworked track for instance was godawful and lazy.

I'm not going to try to convince you because music is such a subjective thing, but I may as well offer a case for what is good about Skyward Swords soundtrack.

 

For a start, I really liked the sky theme! It's so different to what you'd expect, yet it fits the sense of youthful adventure perfectly - the spikey, mercurial woodwinds and strings in the first section are almost in search of a theme and then you get the gorgeously lush romantic second section primary on cellos with little chiptune-like punctuations. I honestly think it's really original stuff - lazy is the opposite of what I'd call it. I'm also a fan of the Ocarina of Time Field music though, which in a more pronounced way is like a nascent suggestion of the main Zelda overworld theme - it's really a bunch of variations in search of its subject! What they should have done in Skyward Sword is have the flying theme change over the course of the game and maybe build in more florishes of the NES theme (at least it appears in the credits though!).

 

I do think the soundtrack is a mixed bag. The early portions of the game have much stronger more memorable stuff that captures a spirit of freshness, optimism and friendship:

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Those last two are both not-so-distant cousins to the folky title piece and pirate tune from Wind Waker as well! Family resemblances between themes and the unconscious connections they make have always been one of the best things about Zelda music IMO.

 

Unfortunately there's also A LOT of generic filler where the music's just treading water:

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I won't quote others, and that's by no means the worst offender, but you get the picture. It even happens during some crucial story sequences as well, like the face of at the ruined Temple of Time.

 

The Eldin region has pretty weak tracks as well that land on the wrong side of ambient. Also wouldn't it be great to hear a twang of guitar in Lanayru? @Dcubed has posted about Faron Woods being a great track and I agree - great in the way that it just sort of creeps up on you slowly and you realise what a magical woodland atmosphere it creates.

 

While it's patchy, I think there's enough good material there and promise for Zelda music expanding its horizons in the future (which it does need to do).

Edited November 28, 2012 by Lens of Truth

[Dcubed]

I can see why some may have been disappointed in SS's OST, considering that it's the first orchastrated Zelda, right of the back of the last console Zelda being criticised for featuring a very movie esc soundtrack without the production and audio quality to match.

 

Skyward Sword's OST, for the most part, is basically the polar opposite to Twilight Princess in that it doesn't feature that much in the way of a grand soundscape (outside of a few select tracks like the opening intro, various cutscene music, boss battles and the Skyworld overworld theme) and it's not hard to see why it may have been disappointing to some, who may have hoped to hear something more along the lines of Zelda TP - but with a grand orchestra.

 

I think that much like its art style, it straddles a line inbetween Wind Waker and Twilight Princess (though perhaps closer to the former than the latter), between the more subdued or unusual tracks and the bombastic/epic - though also containing a style of its own (Fi's theme, the various songs that you learn and yes Faron Woods too are completely unlike any other tunes in the series!)

 

It's an oddball OST and I really like it myself. It's not my favourite of the series (that title goes to Wind Waker, with Spirit Tracks being a close second), but it's one of the better ones (and in a series that has given us a consistently amazing selection of soundtracks, that's saying a lot!)

Edited November 28, 2012 by Dcubed

[Ronnie]

What I will say is that Fi's Goodbye at the very end is lovely, really really nice. Up there as my favourite Zelda tunes. The rest though just seems like bland filler for the most part, though I do hear what you're saying LoT.

 

What they should have done in Skyward Sword is have the flying theme change over the course of the game and maybe build in more florishes of the NES theme

 

That would have been great. Like they altered the Observatory theme in Galaxy 1 over time as you went through the game. Lazy may have been the wrong word to use for the sky theme. I just found it a generic adventure theme that you could apply to lots of game, and it didn't sound it fit in with the Zelda world at all. The way they didn't even bother with changing it for the thunderhead though is what was lazy. Even silence with stormy weather would have been better. Dungeon themes were forgettable, I can't remember any (maybe that's just me though). Faron Woods was nice, but it all just seemed quite weak, when compared to the loud tunes of OOT/MM (love the Deku Palace theme) and WW.

[killer kirby]

Only time I really pay more attention to the music is if I am dulled out by the game itself, hence why I know the Wind Waker music so well.

[Grazza]

Skyward Sword's OST, for the most part, is basically the polar opposite to Twilight Princess in that it doesn't feature that much in the way of a grand soundscape (outside of a few select tracks like the opening intro, various cutscene music, boss battles and the Skyworld overworld theme) and it's not hard to see why it may have been disappointing to some, who may have hoped to hear something more along the lines of Zelda TP - but with a grand orchestra.

 

Exactly. Once I'd heard the Twilight Princess music orchestrated (as on the CD that came with Skyward Sword), it became probably my favourite Zelda soundtrack (although it's always hard to beat Wind Waker).

[Mokong]

Gah I should have started playing earlier..... totally forgot what the Triforce dungeon was like, only remembered when I opened it up and also remembered how much a SUCK on "moving tile" puzzles

 

Took me longer than expected to get the bloody Triforce parts.

 

Ah well got it now and will leave the ending so (horde battle, final Ghirihim battle and Demise) for tomorrow.

Least at 1 day away from Wii U it'll be a good send off for my Wii

 

....and something to do to take my mind off the hype for Wii U and annoyance of those of you who might get yours early

[Ronnie]

Sky Keep always bugged me because of one thing. Here you are achieving the three pieces of the triforce, and the game plays the same jingle it does when you find a new bottle. Just lazy, not to mention the non-descript room and animations.

[Dcubed]

Sky Keep always bugged me because of one thing. Here you are achieving the three pieces of the triforce, and the game plays the same jingle it does when you find a new bottle. Just lazy, not to mention the non-descript room and animations.

 

I thought that was hilarious myself. The most powerful object in all of the Zelda universe and it's just lying around in a non descript chest, in a typical room. No fanfare, just "oh here, have a Triforce. No big deal"

[Jonnas]

Funny how I agree with everything that lens of Truth said. I should add another couple of tracks I enjoyed.

 

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I'm also a fan of the Ocarina of Time Field music though, which in a more pronounced way is like a nascent suggestion of the main Zelda overworld theme - it's really a bunch of variations in search of its subject!

 

And I'd also like to say, that this OoT comparison hits the nail in the head. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it: Skyward Sword is the game that reminds me the most of Ocarina of Time, but for all the unexpected reasons.

One of them is the overworld theme. I disliked it at the beginning of the game, felt it was forgettable and unimpressive, but grew on me and now fills me with jubilance every time I hear it. This description applies to both games.

[Retro_Link]

I agree that finding the Triforce was a complete fail, I mean seriously Nintendo, WTF! No really WTF, why is the Triforce all small and in some randon chests, someplace random? What were you thinking!?

 

But that aside... BEST ZELDA EVER!

 

(apart from Ocarina of Time) :p

[killer kirby]

I agree that finding the Triforce was a complete fail, I mean seriously Nintendo, WTF! No really WTF, why is the Triforce all small and in some randon chests, someplace random? What were you thinking!?

 

It miles better than trying to find it in a scattered empty world with water. But I still agree, but as long as Nintendo keep improving. You never know we might get the triforce shards in dedicated temples soon! That's never been done befo...oh wait.