The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review for Nintendo Wii (Wii)

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Box Art

System: Wii
Dev: Nintendo
Pub: Nintendo
Release: November 20, 2011
Players: 1
Screen Resolution: 480p	Fantasy Violence

This will happen quite often, actually. Since Skyloft is where the Bazaar is, and since you will need to go there to purchase shield bombs, potions, and the like, traveling via bird might bring to mind The Wind Waker's sailboat scenes. The other place you will frequent in the Bazaar if the Scrap Shop. Here you can upgrade you equipment or have it repaired. For example, you start out with a wooden shield, but if you have the rupees and the right special items, the "blacksmith" will upgrade it to a bounded wooden shield, thus increasing its durability. It's these little additional RPG elements that increase the play value of Skyward Sword to a level not even attempted by its predecessors. And while I have not touched on them all, the surprises will be both refreshing and welcome.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Screenshot

The graphics of Skyward Sword are a treat as well. In the game's early stages, when not a whole lot was revealed about the game besides a few initial screenshots, I thought the color pallet of Skyward Sword was a bit off. It was muted and felt like there was little to no effort in the graphical presentation. Now that the adventure is actually here and I've spent so much time in this world, I would hate to see the color scheme changed to anything else. While it is still seems a bit muted, it's the way the color flows that makes it all work.

The audio is a similar tale. While those familiar with previous Zelda games will feel right at home with the sounds effects and voices, there are a few places where it seems the voice work just doesn't mesh well. The soundtrack, however, makes it so blatantly obvious why so many gamers love the world of Hyrule. Never missing a beat, Skyward Sword ranks high—if not taking the top spot—on the list of the best Zelda scores ever composed.

Skyward Sword is a game that delivers on the promises made before its release, but it also makes good on several promises five years old. Simply put, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is why you bought a Wii in the first place. So if you hid away your Wii, sold it, or whatever, it's time to reclaim it and prepare yourself for an adventure in Hyrule unlike any you have experienced before.

By Matt Walker
CCC Editor-In-Chief

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

5.0

Graphics
These are some of the best graphics I have ever seen on the Wii.

4.8

Control
The Wii has finally found a game to show off why we were so excited about motion controls.

4.9

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
A beautiful score for a beautiful world.

5.0

Play Value
This is what we wanted Twilight Princess to be.

5.0

Overall Rating - The Best
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword boasts the most realistic sword combat of any game to date, turning every encounter into a challenge of both brains and brawn. Wii MotionPlus technology accurately translates the angle of every sword slice, effectively putting Link's blade in the player's hand. Analyzing enemy attack and defense tendencies and counteracting with precise swings of the sword provide a satisfying experience that blends puzzle-solving with a new and distinctly unique combat system.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword redefines the traditional Zelda framework and introduces an arsenal of items, upgrades, and rewards unlike any game in the franchise to date. The adventure guides players into, out of, and back to dungeons and areas they've already completed. Along the way, Link gathers a massive inventory of peculiar items and resources that can be used to upgrade many of his weapons and equipment.

Explore a massive, multilayered world that seamlessly blends soaring exploration in a sea of clouds with intense ground-based adventuring that blurs the line between the main world and traditional Zelda dungeons. Link soars through the skies on the back of a noble bird and dives beneath the clouds to the continent below in an epic quest that lays the foundation for the events in the critically acclaimed The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.