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The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD review

1 year ago admin

Skyward Sword has never been my favorite Zelda game. Taking on its beloved franchise, the Nintendo era for the Wii introduced motion controls that made me anxious and annoyed during combat. At the same time, Skyward Sword’s dungeon and boss design remains one of the best in the series.

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Released: July 16, 2021
Rating: All 10+
Tested against: Switch

Skyward Sword has never been my favorite Zelda game. The era of Nintendo for the Wii, taking on its beloved franchise, introduced motion controls that made me anxious and annoyed during combat. At the same time, Skyward Sword’s dungeon and boss design remains one of the best in the series. Skyward Sword HD revives this divisive game and highlights some of the original’s biggest flaws. One of the most notable innovations is a new button-only control scheme that allows players to experience the game without waving their arms. Unfortunately, the overall structure of Skyward Sword remains largely the same, and the abundance of quests means it’s still a game of dramatic peaks and valleys. nine0004

I’ll get straight to the point: the new Skyward Sword HD controller inputs are a step up from the original motion controls. A player who wants to relive the glory days of the Wii can stick to the old control scheme and use their Switch Joy-Cons to swing Link’s sword or aim a bow, and those motion controls work about as well as they do on the Wii, meaning they work on 85 percent of the time. I like the realism of turning the remote control and watching Link reenact my attack on screen, but he cuts instead of hitting too often, which can mean the difference between winning a fight or missing an enemy and getting hit. In any case, these motion controls have always felt like a novelty, so I’m glad Skyward Sword HD’s button-only controls provide an alternative, using the proper analog stick to mimic your sword’s movements. These analog stick attacks are more consistent, but still not as accurate as the traditional button input found in other Zelda games. This system is also not intuitive; even after several dozen hours in the game, I felt unnatural, shaking my right stick with each approaching opponent. Luckily, you don’t have to be precise and most enemies end up falling if you constantly spam your attacks. nine0004

In addition to the new control scheme, Skyward Sword HD has several other welcome changes. You can now fast-forward dialogue and skip cutscenes altogether, making the story less tedious and allowing you to skip chatter during replay. The initial release bombarded you with item descriptions, offering detailed information about everything you collect every time you launch the game. Skyward Sword HD fixes this weird quirk and forces you to read item descriptions only once. Finally, Amiibo support means you can fast travel at any time, and your companion, Fi, now offers helpful hints at the push of a button so you don’t get lost or stuck, which is something I wish I had 10 years ago. nine0004

All the small changes to Skyward Sword HD add up, but they don’t solve the larger design problems of the original. The overworld of Skyward Sword is huge but empty for the most part, and the main quest is incredibly linear, which left me less excited to explore off the beaten path. However, the biggest flaw in Skyward Sword’s design is the series of quests you have to complete in each area. For example, before you enter the first dungeon, you must hunt down a group of disturbed bird-like creatures that stick their heads into the ground, masquerading as bushes. Later, before entering the mine, you need to find some broken generators. These quests feel unnecessary, full of mindless setbacks, and add nothing meaningful to the narrative or your adventure. In fact, the only thing they add in a meaningful way is your game clock. nine0004

It’s a shame that the journey to the Skyward Sword dungeons is so much work, because the dungeons themselves are the high point for the series. Link’s journey takes you through a skeleton-infested cave, a sand-trapped pirate ship, and an ancient temple buried in the heart of a volcano. The puzzles in each dungeon feel fresh even today, and each labyrinth invites you to inventively use your ever-expanding toolbox. Whether I was riding lava rivers on a giant boulder, using time stones to switch between eras, or swinging through vine-covered caves like Indiana Jones, I constantly felt like I was on some kind of wild adventure. nine0004

In a sense, the Skyward Sword was the end of an era. It follows a template set by Nintendo back in 1998 with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and it was the last game in the series before Nintendo reimagined the series with Breath of the Wild. In a way, Skyward Sword refines the Ocarina template, but the formula also feels worn and stuffed with junk. Despite all the ways Nintendo has updated this pack, Skyward Sword remains far from my favorite game in the series, but it’s clearly the best way to play this corrupted gem. nine0004

The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

Overall

8/10

Total

The overall structure of Skyward Sword remains basically the same, and its abundance of dramatic quests means it’s still a game and valleys.

Nintendo 64 game selection impressions for Nintendo Switch Online

Should I pay for a new subscription for emulated Nintendo 64 games?

The new subscription option for the Nintendo Switch Online service has caused a lot of controversy among fans. However, behind the high price, things are still quite interesting for the average player. For some, the main reason for switching to a new subscription will be the addition to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but I’m more interested in what Nintendo has to offer in the field of old-school entertainment. nine0004

Offers from Nintendo on this generation of consoles were rather poor. Yes, getting games by subscription is much more convenient than buying each desired game separately, but the collections themselves turned out to be rather weak, and the list of games was replenished extremely irregularly. But now, with a new subscription option, there are new collections of games from other consoles of the past. And Sega Mega Drive, aka Genesis, in this case is the least interesting — its games can already be purchased on Switch in the form of Sega Mega Drive Classics, which is available even on cartridges, and Mega Drive itself was not a rare guest in the living rooms of our country. The Nintendo 64 is another matter — a 64-bit console from Nintendo was extremely rare in Russia, and in the rest of the world it lost quite a lot to its competitor from Sony. Moreover, its emulation is known for a number of problems. nine0004

And the first one is not even related to the technical features of the console. The main problem with Nintendo 64 emulation has always been the controls, which were catalyzed by the original N64 controller.

Picture of Nintendo 64 controller

This controller meant several different use cases — it all depended on which handles the player was holding in their hands. So, the central analog stick was not used at all in some games, and the second cross, called C-Button in the official documentation, could be used both as a cross for controlling the camera in three-dimensional games, and as four separate buttons, which was especially convenient, for example, in six-button fighting games. Modern controllers with their conventional button layout cannot be transferred to this system in all its diversity, so the question arises: what did Nintendo do to make it easier for Switch users to control? nine0004 Of course, you can buy an official controller from Nintendo that mimics the shape of the Nintendo 64 gamepad, but this option is not for everyone.

The answer is nothing. Absolutely. There are no control settings in N64 Online as such. The main D-pad and center stick moved to the D-pad and left stick of the gamepad, respectively, while the C-Button moved to the right stick. And in some games, this scheme is terribly inconvenient, especially in those where the C-Button does not control the view. Among these, for example, Ocarina of Time and Lylat Wars. For such cases, of course, you can hold the right trigger and use the main buttons, but the convenience is also questionable. nine0004

The second problem, of course, is performance. The Nintendo 64 was an extremely powerful console for its time, and emulation required a certain amount of power. Switch hardware is not the strongest, and therefore there are fears that such a low-powered device may not be able to pull out the fifth generation console.

In general, the games look good, the output resolution is increased, and the picture looks sharper. But it hasn’t been without problems: for example, the water in Ocarina of Time looks like a cloudy texture, not a clear liquid. In addition, you won’t be able to use the standard Nintendo 64 save options here: the Nintendo 64 equivalent of memory cards, called the Controller Pak, is not emulated in this compilation, so in order to save progress in Zelda or scores in Dr. Mario will have to use emulated saves. nine0004

Ocarina of Time

N64 vs Wii VC vs Switch

(h/t @zfg111) pic.twitter.com/HM9renorc3

— Stop Skeletons From Fighting | ➕🔥🔥 (@stopskeletons) October 26, 2021

The third and perhaps the most important problem is the games themselves. The fifth generation of consoles is the era of early 3D, the very time when 3D graphics were stuffed into a huge number of games, without knowing how to work with it. Due to this, many projects of the second half of the nineties are now hopelessly outdated, both graphically and in gameplay. Accordingly, two questions are brewing here: “Which games of the Nintendo 64 era have stood the test of time?” and “Can they captivate the modern player?” We will try to look at each of the games presented in the subscription from both the above-mentioned sides, deciding in the process whether the selection of these games is worth attention or not. nine0004

Super Mario 64 (1996)

Of the three N64 start-up projects, only one got into the subscription — and the most important of them. Everything that can be said about Super Mario 64 seems to have been said: and that it is one of the greatest games of all time, and that this is the project that marked the beginning of modern three-dimensional platform games as such. But with all this, it is the fact that Super Mario 64 is included in the subscription that raises the most questions.

For starters, Super Mario 64 is already available on Nintendo Switch as part of the Super Mario 3D All-Stars compilation as an emulated version of Shindo released in 1997 year. Moreover, this game runs at 720p, although it retains a 4:3 aspect ratio, and most of the fonts in it have been replaced with high-quality ones. Of course, someone will say that this edition is limited, and it can no longer be bought, and few people will spend four thousand for the sake of a 1996 game. But the boxed edition of Super Mario 3D All-Stars is still available at some retailers, and SuperMario 64 comes with two games that are much less dated.

Not to say that Super Mario 64 is completely outdated. It’s quite convenient to play it: Mario jumps quite familiarly with respect to recent releases, it’s definitely not necessary to jump on enemies, because Mario can also hit with his hands, even the camera is quite controlled here, albeit quite sharply. The gameplay itself is also familiar, comparable to the Super Mario Galaxy series: at each level there is a certain number of stars that you need to collect to further progress through the game. But you usually come to the level for one particular star, and the conditions for obtaining it can be completely different — for example, defeat the boss, win a race against another character, or simply get to the star hidden in a hard-to-reach place. nine0004

Still, I’m wondering what the limited release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars was for, if one of the games in this bundle ended up in a subscription just a few months later. There is a feeling that Nintendo created an artificial shortage, and now they are using the desire of people who have not bought 3D All-Stars to play the classics of the genre. But the emulated version of Super Mario 64 could be bought by absolutely everyone and without having to pay for the opportunity to play it every year. Because of this, even a good game can leave an unpleasant aftertaste. nine0004

Mario Kart 64 (1997)

The Mario Kart series started on the Super NES with Super Mario Kart, but it was after the release of the second part, Mario Kart 64, that the popular racing franchise took on a more familiar form. gameplay, and in the picture: the developers no longer had to go crazy with the SNES-exclusive Mode 7 technology, and in three dimensions the tracks looked much more colorful, although the racers themselves were still sprites. In addition to this, the transition to three dimensions had a positive effect on the speed of the game — after all, Super Mario Kart was a rather leisurely game. The final benefit of switching to the N64 was improved multiplayer: the Nintendo 64 was originally built with the ability to play four players on the same console, making traveling together a wild but exciting experience. nine0004

Of course, the Switch already has one in the series in the form of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but some players still like the slightly slower pace of the older games in the series, so the appearance of Mario Kart 64 on the console seems like a pretty logical move. At its core, Mario Kart 64 differs little from the eighth part: racers drive along small tracks, collect bonuses, drift during turns and try to be the first to the finish line due to all this. The difference lies in the details. So, there are no coins that increase the speed of the car on the track, the set of bonuses is slightly different from other parts of the series, and drift gives much less acceleration than in the new parts, and is used specifically to enter turns, and not to get a bonus to speed. nine0004

But playing Mario Kart 64 only makes sense with friends. All the content available in the game in the form of eight characters, sixteen tracks and four levels for combat mode is open immediately, therefore, a lone player has to pass the same tracks with computer opponents over and over again. And if with a local multiplayer that can be played by four, everything is standard, then the online game deserves special mention.

And with it, things are extremely uneven in the N64 emulator. Even with an excellent connection, the application may start to show an error about the slow speed of the Internet, which means that the games will start to slow down. Mario Kart 64 has not been spared this scourge either: at times, the speed of the game in online multiplayer can drop dramatically, and it is not possible to fix this at all. Which is very strange, considering that in some PC emulators, online play is much more stable than here. nine0004

LMFAOOOOOOOO even N64 games got the Nintendo Online PowerPoint treatment 💀💀💀

Nothing but a quality $50 Switch Online Expansion Packpic.twitter.com/3UeoXXd5OX

— Aero (@ActualAero) October 26, 2021

All in all, Mario Kart 64 is a pretty fun racing game to play with friends, especially if Mario Kart 8 is getting old. Another thing is that you should go online with caution: it’s not a fact that your gaming session will go off without a hitch. But even without considering online, it’s still worth trying out Mario Kart 64. One way or another. nine0004

Lylat Wars (1997)

This name may be confusing at first, but if you look at the American version of the game, everything becomes clear. Lylat Wars is the European version of Star Fox 64, the second officially released installment in the rail shooter series, so we’ll refer to the game by its American name from now on to avoid confusion.

Star Fox 64 was at one time both a continuation of the original SNES game and its rethinking. The original game used the SuperFX chip to render 3D models on a 16-bit system. Naturally, its performance left much to be desired, but as a technical achievement, the original Star Fox looked quite impressive. The Nintendo 64 version no longer suffered from these problems, and in addition to this, it introduced some ideas from the canceled Star Fox 2 to the gameplay. For example, in the N64 game, moving through space levels was much freer than in the original game, and in addition to he appeared ground and underwater levels with the appropriate vehicles. nine0004

In general, the flights and trips themselves are still played quite well. The basics of controls are easy to understand, and in order to hone your skills, you can go to the training mode. They will also teach more advanced maneuvers, including various turns, as well as the very barrel that has now become a meme. But it is worth noting that the maneuvers in the original were performed using the C-Button, therefore, on the Nintendo Switch you will have to use the right stick. And you need to be very careful with it during the game if you want, for example, to turn the ship around, and not switch to the first-person camera. nine0004

The most interesting, of course, happens in the story mode — and not only for the reason that the missions there are noticeably more exciting and difficult than in training. Star Fox 64 implemented a simple non-linearity of the passage. How you go through the levels depends on where you fly next. Moreover, the first and last levels will always be the same, and their total number will always be seven. Consequently, after the first playthrough, the average player will not see even half of what Star Fox 64 has to offer, and he will have to go through Star Fox again and again, deducing little by little all its secrets. Of course, you can try the 3DS version, which looks noticeably better and handles a little nicer, but the local version is very good for getting to know Fox McCloud and his team. nine0004

Yoshi’s Story (1998)

Yoshi’s platformers also have their origins on the SNES—Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island was a surprise at the time with its unique graphic style, making the game look like a chalk drawing come to life. The gameplay in Yoshi’s Island also had interesting ideas: Yoshi controlled very differently compared to the same Mario, he knew how to eat opponents and turn them into eggs, and these same eggs had to be thrown to solve puzzles and defeat especially difficult opponents. Mario in the name of the game was also not for a red word: baby Mario rode the whole game on Yoshi’s back, and immediately flew off him when he received damage, while uttering a heart-rending and incredibly furious yell. nine0004

Most of the representatives of the series adhered to approximately the same gameplay formula, and one of the few exceptions was Yoshi’s Story for N64. In this game, the balance has shifted towards the puzzle — now it was not enough just to reach the end. In order to complete the level, it was necessary to collect enough fruits in order to reach the required number of points. And, to be honest, the local gameplay is not half as interesting as in Yoshi’s Island. The basics of control remain the same, but in half of the cases you don’t even need to reach the end of the level: the required amount of fruit is collected much earlier than the finish line appears. nine0004

Of course, it’s not always easy: the level structure gets more complicated over time, but the process of choosing these levels in Yoshi’s Story is absolutely flawed. The game has six worlds, each with four levels. But the trick is that from each world you can choose only one level. We passed it — welcome to the next world, where everything happens according to the same scenario. On the one hand, yes, this provides Yoshi’s Story with replay value, but on the other hand, such an approach to limiting content is completely unsuitable for a platformer, and as a result, you want to play such a game much less. nine0004

But what is clearly pleasing is the appearance of the game. Yoshi’s Story uses pre-rendered 3D models to create the look of a diorama book. It looks very nice and positively distinguishes the game for N64 both against the background of the first part and against the background of subsequent ones. And in the future, the series will continue to stick to unique craft-related styles like Yoshi’s Wooly World and Yoshi’s Crafted World.

Yoshi’s Story was not received as warmly as its prequel at the time of release. And even now you can see why: the fun gameplay of Yoshi’s Island has been replaced here with the dubious process of finding fruits, and one passage takes at least half an hour. Not what was expected from the continuation of the cult game with the SNES. nine0004

Sin and Punishment (2000)

Sin and Punishment by Treasure was considered a cult game at the time of its release in 2000, largely due to the fact that the original version never made it out of Japan. In 2010, players outside of Japan were able to officially enjoy this rail shooter thanks to the Wii Virtual Console. In addition, its sequel, Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Skies, was released the same year.

Treasure were considered the masters of action games at that time: from their pen projects such as Gunstar Heroes and Alien Soldier for the Sega Mega Drive, and a year after Sin and Punishment, the company will release the iconic shoot’em-up Ikaruga. And in the title we are considering, their skill shines to the fullest. nine0004

Sin and Punishment uses a control system rare for the N64: the character is moved with the main D-pad while the crosshair is moved with the stick. That is, you have to hold the controller by the left and center handles. In addition, the trigger on the central handle is used for shooting, and the bumpers serve as jump buttons. On the right side of the controller, only the A button is used — to switch aiming modes. This control scheme fits perfectly with modern controllers, where the right stick is used to move the sight, and the left stick is used to move the character, shooting is done with triggers, and jumping is done with the help of bumpers. However, due to the lack of control settings in N64 Online, once convenience turns into torment. The sight, of course, can still be controlled using the right stick, which is responsible for the C-Button, but the character will have to be controlled using the D-pad. nine0004

Fortunately, the game itself has become slightly outdated over these 20 years. Of course, graphically Sin and Punishment is not too surprising, but the staging, level design and gameplay are still pleasing. Fortunately, the principles of the genre have not changed much over these 20 years, and Treasure has implemented its main elements perfectly: the hero moves quite briskly and knows how to roll by double pressing the direction button; the recoil from shooting is felt weak, but thanks to this there are no problems with aiming, and the behavior of enemies is quite easy to read. The game, however, is quite simple, and the continuation in it is endless. nine0004

Sin and Punishment is a worthy representative of the rail shooter genre, which you can still play with pleasure. Of course, it’s also available on the Wii Virtual Console, but the console’s digital store has closed, so Switch Online might be a good way to try out this iconic game. Benefit specifically Sin and Punishment is worth it.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

Everyone seems to have heard about Ocarina of Time. This game is a milestone in the history of video games, and it was Ocarina of Time that largely influenced modern video games due to its appearance and controls, as well as Z-targeting, analogues of which are still used in many projects. nine0004

Ocarina of Time in the N64 collection is simply indispensable. Moreover, her appearance on the Switch just looks as logical as possible. The usual three-dimensional Zelda on the Switch is somewhat lacking — Skyward Sword stands out too much due to its controls, and Breath of the Wild gameplay is completely different. Against the background of these games, Ocarina of Time looks old-fashioned in a good way, without hitting the completely old-school gameplay, like the same Link’s Awakening.

But when you start playing it, it feels old-fashioned in a bad way, like the same Super Mario 64. You can’t control the camera in the game — it moves after Link, but turns rather slowly, therefore, it’s easy to find the right viewing angle pretty hard. Due to the inability to control the camera, in fact, all aspects of the game become many times more difficult than they really should be. In combat, the vaunted Z-targeting doesn’t work half the time, making any enemy that attacks Link from behind a real challenge. Aiming the direction of the jump is also difficult, although possible with some skill, and in Ocarina of Time you have to jump often, and at times quickly. And due to the idiotic control scheme, using items in the local Ocarina of Time is also extremely inconvenient, because to select them you need to use three directions on the right stick. nine0004

Some of these problems were fixed in the 3DS remake: Z-Targeting worked better there, and it became easier to aim there thanks to the gyroscope, and the game speed became noticeably faster thanks to reworked animations and other small things, and that version just looks better. There is very little point in playing the original with a 3DS family console, and if you only have a Switch, then the Switch Online version, although not the worst option to join the great game, will take some getting used to. nine0004

Dr. Mario 64 (2001)

Dr. Series Mario has appeared on most of the Nintendo consoles since its launch on the NES. One of the exceptions was the Switch, which is very strange, given that online the likes of Dr. Mario puzzles are best revealed — take a look at least at Tetris 99. Therefore, the appearance of at least some Dr. Mario on Switch can’t help but rejoice.

Pure gameplay Dr. Mario 64 differs little from the original for the NES: multi-colored viruses are located in a glass, pills consisting of two parts of a different color are dropped from above, and if you make a chain of four elements of the same color, be it viruses or pills, the row disappears. The player needs to get rid of all the viruses in the glass as quickly as possible. The essence is as clear as possible, and it is easy to join the pace of the game. nine0004

In addition to the standard time trial Dr. Mario 64 offers several more modes: you can try to complete as many levels as possible in a given period of time, or complete levels by removing only one specific virus from the glass. The game also has a simple story mode, but the story does not hide anything interesting, although it gives you the opportunity to hone your skills in the game against other players.

Multiplayer Dr. Mario 64 reveals itself the most. Of course, it is not as fast as Tetris or Puyo Puyo, but there is an opportunity to spoil the opponent with a good game. And you can play not only together, but also four, which is even more fun. I am glad that on the Switch this can be done not only with friends on the same console, but also online against random players. This, in addition to simple controls and nice 2D graphics, makes Dr. Mario 64 is one of the simplest yet most enjoyable games in the collection. nine0004

Mario Tennis (2000)

Camelot Software Planning is widely known to the average gamer as the developer of the Golden Sun RPG series and as the creator of a huge number of sports games featuring Nintendo characters. The first of these was Mario Golf in 1999, followed by Mario Tennis in 2000.

And what can I say? This is tennis. Quite ordinary, easy to manage, with a large number of characters and courts, as well as a bit of interesting modes. These include playing on the Bowser court, which constantly swings in lava, or a mode in which you need to make the ball fly through the rings that appear on the field. Quite traditional for sports games. Multiplayer is also here: up to four people can play at the same time, both on the same console and online. nine0004

Another thing is that the Switch already has Mario Tennis Aces. And here the case is not similar to the same Mario Kart — structurally, sports games change little over time, unlike kart racing, so a fresh release is the best option to join tennis with the heroes of Mario games. Of course, few people want to pay the full price tag for tennis, but let’s be honest, it’s better than playing an old version of the same game that may not work too well.

Operation: Winback (1999)

Operation: Winback by KOEI and Omega Force is the only non-Nintendo-branded game in the collection, and it’s an odd choice. Of course, this is not to say that many games from third-party publishers came out on the Nintendo 64, but even so, Operation: Winback is not the project that comes to the mind of the average player at the mention of the 64-bit Nintendo console.

To be fair, for its time, Operation: Winback was an incredibly innovative game. It was from it that kill.switch and Gears of War grew — textbook representatives of modern shooters. In Operation: Winback, third-person shootouts were implemented, a cover system that allows you to shoot without showing your opponents’ eyes, and even light stealth elements found a place. But, as always, the fact that the game introduced some important ideas to the industry does not guarantee that this very game will be a pleasure to play now. nine0004

However, it’s worth noting that the Winback has survived pretty well: the shooter mechanic relies on auto-aim, which works fine, the enemies aren’t too smart, which compensates for the extremely sharp movement of the sight in manual mode, and the standard pistol has infinite ammo, so with the main gameplay there will be no problems.

But management is another matter. You can’t shoot blindly, and the shooting button, depending on the context, can also be responsible for interacting with objects lying on the ground, such as cartridges, or for the hero to hide in cover. The latter, by the way, works pretty well: you can hide behind both high and low objects, only the hero only sticks out from the side, and not from above, for example. Moving around and controlling the camera is also quite convenient, but only if you set up the controls correctly, which, as we have already found out, cannot be done in N64 Online. Therefore, you will have to suffer and get used to what third-person shooters were like in 1999 year.

In general, although Operation: Winback is not impressive against the background of modern representatives of the genre, it can deliver a couple of hours of peculiar pleasure. The local shooting mechanics are pretty easy to get used to, and the graphics don’t hurt the eyes too much. Of course, someone will think that it makes little sense to play such an old shooter, and this approach can be understood. However, in any case, it is worth giving a chance to such an interesting exhibit of video game history. The main thing is to get through the local control scheme. nine0004

Summing up, I would like to note that the selection on N64 Online itself is quite good: there are titles important for the history of the platform, and some lesser-known games, and average, but quite exciting projects. Another thing is that the implementation of emulation leaves much to be desired. So, in some games in the American version of the service, a very strong input lag was noticed, and this is in addition to the above problems.