Nintendo has revealed that The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD will release exclusively for Nintendo Switch in the coming months.
With the chance to discover the origins of the Master Sword in what is the earliest story in The Legend of Zelda series, you will join Link as he sets out to save his childhood friend Zelda who must also confront her own destiny.
Soaring through the sky riding a Loftwing, you will journey between floating islands and descend to the treacherous surface world, swinging your sword and angling your slashes to break through your enemies’ defences with motion control or the newly-added button only control scheme.
“This game originally released in 2011 on Wii, and now it’s coming to Nintendo Switch,” explains The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma. “The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword featured a control scheme in which players would use the Wii Remote Plus controller as a sword and the Nunchuk controller as a shield.
“With the increased processing power of Nintendo Switch the controls here are smoother and even more intuitive. And we’ve recreated the controls for the sword and shield here by having the player hold two Joy-Con controllers. The Joy-Con controller in your right hand is the sword. Swing it to have Link swing his sword in the game. The Joy-Con controller in your left hand is the shield. By lifting the controller, you can raise the shield to block enemy attacks. You can perform other actions, like using both controllers to wield a bow and arrow. These physical movements add a sense of urgency and tension to combat.”
“But… we’ve also made it possible to play the game with button controls to ensure it can be played in handheld mode or on Nintendo Switch Lite. After mulling over how to assign different gameplay elements to different buttons, we decided to apply the sword motions to tilting the right control stick. Tilt the stick down when you want to swing the sword downward. To swing to the right, to the left, or diagonally, just tilt the stick in the respective direction.
“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, as the game depicting the earliest story in The Legend of Zelda timeline, details the events around the creation of the Master Sword itself. We hope that people who played the original game on Wii, and those playing it for the first time, will enjoy discovering the origins of The Legend of Zelda.
“Many of you may already know this, but The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was the last original console game prior to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and it was still following the established conventions of The Legend of Zelda. However, it gave a glimpse into many features and innovations that would eventually be adopted in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Using the Sailcloth to descend in midair, a stamina gauge that depleted as you scaled walls with vines or ran… even the concept of collecting items to upgrade gear. I hope those of you who’ve played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will give this game a try as well. Please look forward to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD!”
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD will release exclusively for Nintendo Switch worldwide on 16th July 2021.
