The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

[dium]

I mostly liked Skyward Sword, but I can never see myself replaying any of it. Because the worst part of the game for me was the beginning: I had to finish the entire first dungeon before the game stopped feeling like an elaborate tutorial for itself. The "wind-up" periods of modern Zelda games get longer and longer with each release, and this one was the record.

• I did find the low hearts thing annoying, but still not as annoying as "HEY LISTEN" once was.
  

I don't remember Navi being nearly as annoying as everyone else says she was. And I played through that game several times; maybe I was young enough to develop a "hey listen" immunity?

I found Fi to be way more annoying, and started to see her as the personification of all the unnecessary hand-holding Nintendo put in the game. It's a pity because I liked everything about her at first (her visual design, her goofy fake-talk sound effects,

, and to a small extent even her robot personality).

[Sno]

Fi talks a fucking lot in this game, but... I don't know, i feel like Fi kind of walked that line between being an active participant in the story and just being the leading hand of Nintendo.

I did actually play the N64 games much later than most other people, i played them after Wind Waker via those weird GC re-release discs. I ultimately felt that they completely held up, but Navi's shrill little voice bite, the frequency and insistence with which it pops up while you're trying to do other things, and the nakedness of her simply telling you where to go next with virtually no narrative justification, it made me crazy. (I don't actually remember if Majora was the same with Tatl, since it was recently replaying Ocarina on the 3DS that was a refresher course in how much i hate Navi, and i think they actually reduced the frequency of her "advice" in that version.)

Midna was awesome, i liked Midna.

[Roderick]

Midna was fantastic, a really great companion with so much character. That said, I wasn't bothered by Navi at all in the two times I played through Ocarina. I'm the same as you, Sno, I played the N64 games for the first time on the Gamecube. First Ocarina, then Wind Waker ( I felt I had to do it chronologically), then Majora. But I just didn't mind the little fairy and thought the strong reaction to her on the internet was mostly exaggerated for comic effect. I don't know if they reduced her frequency of callings on the 3DS remakes that I played later, but it might be you developed an immunity for her as well!

[tegan]

I also first finished OoT and MM on Gamecube, my only previous experience with the N64 games being less than a few hours cumulatively on a rented copy.

The thing about Navi is that you can ignore her. I don't think I've ever deliberately responded to "HEY LISTEN!" Fi was a lot more difficult to ignore, though I can't remember exactly why (did the Wiimote vibrate or something? It's been a while).

The other thing is: Navi never gave you advice on the game unless you asked her to. Fi is constantly pointing out that you'll need to find keys for doors and advising you to investigate whatever the camera's pointed to. She deliberately makes puzzles less fun by telegraphing the answers to you constantly throughout the game.

Pointing out how low your hearts are as if to say "you're awfully bad at this, aren't you, master?" was just the icing on the cake.

Also: "Master, the Wii remote seems to be running low on batteries."

[Sno]

I just popped in my Twilight Princess disc to see whether or not that game controls as badly as i remember, or if i have just grown more open to dodgy motion controls.

It took about five minutes for me to reaffirm my opinion that Twilight Princess is kind of fucked.

I've also just realized that developers must have learned somewhere along the way to never trust the nunchuk, because i don't think I've played a Wii game in years that asks you to do specific gestures with that thing like Twilight Princess did. (Unless as part of a duo with the Wii remote, where the game is really only recognizing the Wii remote.)

[tegan]

So I've been playing this again.

 

 

 

 

Never change, Fi.

 

Never change.

[miffy495]

Hahaha. Awesome. I have a weird relationship with this game, in that I only actually seem to end up playing it when I'm staying with my girlfriend at her uncle's house to babysit his dog. I have one dungeon left to go, after starting it two Januarys ago. I start dogsitting again on the 9th. I will be finishing this game then.

[dartmonkey]

I actually played this for 5 mins the other day while waiting for a friend to arrive and try the Pikmin 2 multiplayer (which as it turns out beats 2-player Mario Kart, hands-down). I played it originally on a standard-def TV. We've upgraded now and the first thing I noticed was huge jaggies. It's still pretty, but in my memory it was beautiful. I have a similar problem with the N64. I should really pick up a good old Sony Trinitron CRT for retro stuff, though it's a ballache when I don't often fire them up.

My only real irritation with this game was aiming. Why did they not use the pointer? The Motionplus wheel thing worked well once I realised it WASN'T a pointer and realigning the sword once in a while was fine, but I was constantly re-centering the reticule when aiming. Why not use the infrared?

[melmer]

Am I a massive dick or what?

First temple. First eyeball thing puzzle. It likes looking at the tip of my sword, cool, I'll charge up my sword and zap it in the pupil with a thrust... Doesn't work :?

I've googled it:

In the new room, there's an Eye Switch. Lock on to it and point your sword at it. Do large circular motions with the sword in a clockwise manner while aiming right at the TV. The Eye Switch will follow your movements; rolling its eye in the direction you move the sword. The Eye will eventually turn red and fall off causing the door below it will open.

Stupid

[Nappi]

Yup, I had to Google that as well. That.. wasn't very intuitive.

[Twig]

I think the only reason I knew to do it was because I had watched a demo of someone doing it.

 

It is unintuitive, but only because video games have trained us for so long to not think outside of the box like that.

[SecretAsianMan]

I think the only reason I knew to do it was because I had watched a demo of someone doing it.

 

It is unintuitive, but only because video games have trained us for so long to not think outside of the box like that.

 

That is the exact reason I knew what to do.  Skyward Sword in particular is rather heavy on the tutorials which doesn't help encourage creative thinking.

[Twig]

Yeah that's also true. The contrast of an incredibly hand-holdy kind of game with that kind of puzzle that stands out and is really unique yet not really hinted at is... a contrast.

[osmosisch]

Reminds me of the stupid puzzles in the 3DS one where you had to close the screen at one point and blow into the mic.

[melmer]

This guy made me lol

 

Fi is really starting to grate on me, hoooooopefully she'll pipe down soon as i literally can't go more then 3 minutes without her popping out and spouting some shit. Wouldn't it be nice to walk in to an area with a puzzle, solve said puzzle then move on to the next area in one seamless experience where you never lose control of the character. So far in this game, there's an 85%* chance that that sequence i just mentioned would be littered with momentum killing cut scenes and patronising dialogue.

 

* see what i did there

[SecretAsianMan]

I actually liked the character of Fi, but yes she is incredibly annoying.  Thankfully this fact has been noticed and the next iteration of Zelda will supposedly cut down on the tutorials a lot.  Fi is one of the instances where I wish they had done the walk and talk instead of forcing you to stand still and go though one way dialog boxes.

[tegan]

Fi is really starting to grate on me, hoooooopefully she'll pipe down soon as i literally can't go more then 3 minutes without her popping out and spouting some shit.

 

hahaha nope

 

She's like that for the whole goddamn game.

 

Has she done the bit in the Ancient Cistern where she explains what a key is yet? Or helpfully pointed out that your health is low?

[Twig]

If you are playing on Wii and have hacked it to set up Homebrew, there are some cheats you can activate to severely limit her annoyance factor. It doesn't stop some of the more egregious examples of hand-holding, but it will stop her beeping. It'll also stop every time you pick up an item for the first time during a play session EXPLAINING THE ITEM TO YOU AGAIN.

 

You can also set the bird to always fly at maximum speed which I liked because I hated flying.

[melmer]

Regrettable I'm playing it through the Wii U.

It would be a shame to quit a zelda game so hopefully it doesn't become unbearable.

I'm also probably less likely to stick it out as I've got the wonderful 101 and pikmin 3 waiting for me and oh so many good titles on the horizon. I need to be done with this before bayonetta 2

[melmer]

Finished. like 36-37 hours completion time

 

That sure was a zelda game

 

The dungeons and most of the bosses were fantastic! The overworld stuff? not so much, too much backwards and forwards. Flying and swimming was and absolute chore. I gave up on side mission about half way through although cute were not worthwhile for the amount of time/effort it took to complete them.

 

I had to google what the bug were for as i was walking around with like 60 bugs in my underpants for no reason, found out they were for boasting potions.... POTIONS? What do you think i am? some filthy casual? ( i did stock up and use multiple potion on the end boss, but no where else in the game)

 

I quickly gave up exploring the smaller islands in the sky as they were all utterly pointless

 

Fi was fine, not as bad as i expected

 

Harp's are lame

 

Overall but the formula needs a serious overhaul. There's just no surprises or stand out wow moments. Thank god the waggle era is over, hopefully the new zelda wont have any gimmicky bullshit

[miffy495]

Have you played LBW yet? You should. I liked Skyward Sword a lot, but played it in small chunks over a period of a year. LBW shakes it up juuuuust enough to still feel like traditional Zelda but have something new and cool, and as a result I blasted through it in a week. It's great.

[melmer]

Alas, I haven't a 3DS. But a link between worlds would be top of the list. I think I'm all zeldard out for the time being

God I hope the Wii U game doesn't incorporate the touchpad too much. Just give me tight normal controls, there's a time and a place for gimmicky controls and it's not in a zelda game

[Roderick]

[melmer]

exactamundo

[Woodfella]

Playing this at the moment. Really liked the  opening/ set up. I like how the characters of their own little quirks and mannerisms. The writing/translation job is grand too, it's really quite funny. Like a kids cartoon at times. I also like how Link/Zelda have a sort of character now. Better than nothing. Just done the sandy temple and thought the whole time crystal thing was pretty cool. I enjoyed the build up to the dungeon too. It was like a little mini dungeon in itself. Skyward sword is weird because there is this big disconnect from the dungeons and the main area, skyloft. It's kinda set up like demon's souls, big hub area, with stuff to do and shops, then portals to varying environments, not that des is the only game like that, just one that came to mind.  That disconnect doesnt really matter though because both areas are pretty darn great(so far). 

 

I am finding blue droning lady pretty irritating though. You should be able to set how much she assists you or something because at the moment she is permanently set to simpleton .Why does it play the little cutscene and  "putting it the pouch" animation when you pick up a material for the first time on that session? I am an impatient man and I've seen it before!