The Legend of Zelda™: Skyward Sword

[quote name='Draekon']When skydiving you need to hold the controller flat. It may require you to hit down on the D-Pad if your alignment is out of whack.[/QUOTE]
The game does a pretty good job of hammering in your head that down = recalibration, but I did this a couple times while out in the sky and it calls/jumps from the bird. Dumb. Swordplay is working surprisingly well, so far.
 
[quote name='Draekon']While flying, hold the controller flat or tilted slightly downwards and flick upwards to gain altitude. Once you get a hold of those basics, flying is pathetically easy and you'll wonder why you couldn't do it so easily sooner (I was incredibly terrible until I looked up some flying hints online). You'll generally want to stay above the halfway mark on the altitude meter which isn't really a problem.

When skydiving you need to hold the controller flat. It may require you to hit down on the D-Pad if your alignment is out of whack.
[/QUOTE]

Thanks for posting this. I was able beat that section before I saw this post. I'm not sure if I got the hang of it yet but what took me 20 minutes before I got frustrated and shut down took me 2 minutes the second time around.

I like the inclusion of parkour elements and being able to choose some responses (along with fast travel from what I have just read in this thread). I'd like to think some Zelda team members played something like Fallout and Uncharted and thought, "maybe Link should do some of that?"

Guess I'll go back to staying away from this thread for awhile before I read another surprise in gameplay (no matter how small).
 
I probably logged 4 hours yesterday, and when I woke up my arm was actually sore. I recommend stretching before and after you dive into this one :)

[quote name='uncle5555']While I sit here and patiently wait for Amazon to ship me my copy **Grumble...Grumble** I have a question for you and others who did not preorder this game (and yet wanted it and the LE)

Why didn't you preorder the game and save yourself hassle?

I mean seriously, why not, if you know you're going to get it (or even if you were remotely interested in it) what is the drawback to not doing it? Especially with this game, has anyone seen the prices they are selling for in the Amazon marketplace lately....freakin' insane.

[/QUOTE]

I rarely buy games new, let alone pre-order them, and figured I'd just get the Motion Plus attachment to play. But then I saw they were $20 and it was essentially the same cost, and Nintendo 1st-party titles don't drop in price like most games do after a few weeks. Sure, I could probably find it for $40 or so and save $10, but I decided screw it. I also didn't realize that the bundle might actually be really limited, unlike the average Collector's Edition these days which goes for $40 6 months later because they made too many.

[quote name='KingBroly']I found that putting up your Shield against Moblins confuses them, which allows you to get in hits easier. They're kinda the hardest enemy I've fought in the game so far and they're like the second or third enemy you meet. Sheesh. You really have to think about some of these enemies. The other motion control stuff is okay. Tight Rope walking sucks until you realize you can shake the barbs off and the Bird controls are decent once you realize all it does is speed you up.

I got to the second temple, but I'm going to go back to Skyloft to upgrade my items just a bit since I'm at Max Rupees with my 2nd Wallet. Skyloft is a pretty well realized town in my opinion. Everyone has a house/room, and there's so many little details in this game, like the Mail Bag from Wind Waker being in Link's closet. This game has a lot of love and care put in it.

Also, enclosed/dark areas really have graphical problems. You can see banding going on which kinda stinks. I guess this game really pushes the Wii hard.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, fuck those Moblins. They keep breaking my shield, I'm on my 3rd one. It's frustrating since they encourage you to use it and block attacks, but the Moblins always smash it.

[quote name='Draekon']While flying, hold the controller flat or tilted slightly downwards and flick upwards to gain altitude. Once you get a hold of those basics, flying is pathetically easy and you'll wonder why you couldn't do it so easily sooner (I was incredibly terrible until I looked up some flying hints online). You'll generally want to stay above the halfway mark on the altitude meter which isn't really a problem.

When skydiving you need to hold the controller flat. It may require you to hit down on the D-Pad if your alignment is out of whack.

The tightrope walking needs the controller to be held up. If you start drifting to one side, fling it over to the other. Once you get that down it's pretty easy. The enemy/barb parts require you to drop and waggle.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for all the tips. I thought I was basically doing those things but clearly there are some nuances I'm not accounting for. I'll play around with it some more after work.
 
Did anyone feel incredibly awesome when
You first get the goddess sword and you had to lift it over your head to charge and attack the emblem in the back of the room

Put a huge smile on my face.
 
I'm about to enter the third dungeon. Though I'm stuck at work until 5:30 today. I really hate sitting here thinking about a game I want to get back to playing.

So far it's been pretty good. Had a little bit of trouble initially with the first dungeon and the second dungeon was a breeze. The run-up to the third is giving me a tiny bit of trouble too. Frankly I'm glad to see puzzles that take longer than two minutes to solve because they require you to think creatively and be observant.
 
So I got to the third dungeon last night. Man, that pre-area was pretty insane.

For those struggling with combat, I highly recommend shield bashing (shake nunchuck when enemies attack) because it's an easy way to get free damage on them.

EDIT: Shield Bash is how you beat Moblins really easily. I figured this out when
in the third area if you attack one and get blocked you take damage. Quite costly.
 
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Just beat the first dungeon and wow...that boss fight was one of the least fun I've ever had the displeasure of playing. I knew what I needed to do but executing the plan was the problem. Things just did not happen happen the way I wanted them to at least half the time from sword slashes to backflips. I don't care much for the controls overall but they were serviceable up to that point. I'll keep playing for one more dungeon at least but that really dampened my enthusiasm for the game.
 
Do you need to hold the sword completely level before thrusting will work? I spent 10 minutes too long taking out a
Skulltula
because thrust would not work for me. Of course the one time it did work, Link thrusted twice.
 
I started the game last night but only played for 1:30.
I got as far as receiving the goddess the sword and then saved and quit. I was ready to fall asleep I was so tired :(
Overall it started really slowly. It was your traditional talk to everyone to learn the controls. I thought that some of the dialoge was drawn out too much though. Overall I'm sure it will pick up soon. Will get a few hours in tonight.
 
Boss fight in the first dungeon did indeed suck. Everything has been pretty smooth since then. I've made it past the third dungeon since I have work on weekdays (early day off tomorrow and no work again until Monday! woot).

As for
Skulltullas
.... fuck them before you get the dungeon item. I hate those bastards. I usually hold it pretty level and just start thrusting like a rabbit in heat. I probably fought them wrong before I was able to more effectively kill them once I obtained the dungeons treasure.
 
[quote name='GizmoGC']What is the best way to beat the first dungeon boss?[/QUOTE]


For me, what I did was:

Hang back and wait until he sprints at you to attack. At which point you want to have your sword on that side and swing at the correct time to hit him. That's what I did, but I'm not sure if that's how you're supposed to do it. I had to grab all the hearts from the pots and even use the free healing potion I got. It took way longer than it should have to finish the fight, so charging your sword before he charges you may work best.
 
Jumped on the $150 Wii console with this and NSMB at target yesterday.

Really loving this game. Was a little under the weather yesterday so I just lounged on the couch and put nearly 9 hours into this (stopped at the
volcano
section of the surface.

Only gripe is lots of jaggies in the graphics, but a lot of that is probably just that my HDTV sucks with SD content in general.


[quote name='Draekon']For me, what I did was:

Hang back and wait until he sprints at you to attack. At which point you want to have your sword on that side and swing at the correct time to hit him. That's what I did, but I'm not sure if that's how you're supposed to do it. I had to grab all the hearts from the pots and even use the free healing potion I got. It took way longer than it should have to finish the fight, so charging your sword before he charges you may work best.
[/QUOTE]

You can also
shield bash him when he charges and that will stun him briefly and let you get some sword slashes in.
 
Ok I have not read ANYthing on this game. I did play through some of Twilight Princess when it came out.. it was.. er, ok. I did like OoT (of course).

In general, how would this compare to the two? I really want to play my Wii :(
 
I generally despise motion controls, but think they're pretty well done in this game.

Having the sword play be more 1:1 is a big improvement over the random waggle in Twilight Princess. And pointer controls were always pretty solid for aiming.

I do dislike some of the stuff like the bird controls. Works fine, but I'd rather just use sticks and buttons for that.
 
The local gamestops seems to have the bundle in stock at least if the online stock thing can be trusted. Anyone know of an online source for the bundle? Ideally one where I don't have to pay tax. :) Otherwise I'm going to run by gamestop on the way home and pick up the bundle there. Will be an xmas gift for my kids.
 
Wow, some of the ebay prices for the bundle is crazy! And the dumber thing is that anyone can pick one up from Gamestop, (even though I despise Gamestop)
 
Maybe I'll just forget about the bundle and pick the regular edition. Can use my $50 in kmart gaming coupons (well, if I buy something else too, which I'd make a 1600 MS Points card) and get another $20 gaming coupon. In light of that, the bundle seems even more pricey (getting it at Gamestop with no deal).
 
So I just managed to do (20-25 hour spoilers here)
the Lanayru Silent Realm. It was tougher than the first one, but it was still fun. Unlike PH/ST, these have a lot more freedom and also reward you for finishing them by allowing you to pickup all of the dormant treasure around afterwards without fear. The item I got really opened up the game a bit, which now allows me to get a few more Goddess Cubs. I've also managed to get 33 Gratification Crystals, which is cool.

Haven't even seen the fifth dungeon yet, but I've heard amazing things for it. I have a few caveats with the game, but it's pretty damn good so far.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']The local gamestops seems to have the bundle in stock at least if the online stock thing can be trusted. Anyone know of an online source for the bundle? Ideally one where I don't have to pay tax. :) Otherwise I'm going to run by gamestop on the way home and pick up the bundle there. Will be an xmas gift for my kids.[/QUOTE]

Walmart is selling them as part of their BF presale on Thurs. night maybe you can snag one from them. [quote name='johnnypark']
I rarely buy games new, let alone pre-order them, and figured I'd just get the Motion Plus attachment to play. But then I saw they were $20 and it was essentially the same cost, and Nintendo 1st-party titles don't drop in price like most games do after a few weeks. Sure, I could probably find it for $40 or so and save $10, but I decided screw it. I also didn't realize that the bundle might actually be really limited, unlike the average Collector's Edition these days which goes for $40 6 months later because they made too many.
[/QUOTE]

Thanks. ;) I was just curious is all, especially when it was pretty big news when Amazon quit selling the LE that there was a fairly decent possibility that this might be harder to get than usual. Curious to know how many copies Walmart (and other retailers doing a BF sales on this) managed to set aside for themselves (this also probably caused a shortage of the LE in the retail chain)

On the upside Amazon finally shipped mine yesterday and it'll be here tomorrow via FedEx. Still don't really understand why it didn't ship sooner, I pre-ordered it in Sept. :lol: Oh and thanks for everyone using the spoiler tags, makes me less afraid to come in here if the experience is going to get ruined by accidentally reading something. Kudos.
 
I turned off my Wii in horror. This was also the first time I've seen a game over screen in a Zelda game.

A Zelda game with challenging combat. That first boss was like figuring out a Punch-Out battle with swords.

After being reacquainted with motion controls they all work great. Figuring out that the aiming system's intial start up point is set up where ever your remote was at rest made things easier.

Walking on ropes also become no problem when I realized the remote needs to be pointing up in the air and not laying flat. Even with a Dualshock, Castlvania Lord of Shadows rope walking was much more of a hastle :lol:
 
I've heard the final boss is the hardest Zelda boss ever. So I don't really know what to expect from that. All I know is I haven't died once after beating the 2nd Dungeon. Probably because at that point I felt I had mastered the controls. I don't know, but I can't help but feel like I'm skipping out on content somewhere.

Anyway, 26 hours in, and just beat the 5th dungeon. There's one Chest in the first place you go in this new, amazing area that I can't figure out how to get. I'm sure someone will tell me or I'll go to Gamefaqs. Everything else though I've figured out on my own after some careful thinking.

About the 5th dungeon
I honestly didn't know I was there until I got the map so I could see the Blue Flame.
The entire dungeon was cool, and while the boss was easy, it was like something out of a Pixar film.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']I generally despise motion controls, but think they're pretty well done in this game.

Having the sword play be more 1:1 is a big improvement over the random waggle in Twilight Princess. And pointer controls were always pretty solid for aiming.

I do dislike some of the stuff like the bird controls. Works fine, but I'd rather just use sticks and buttons for that.[/QUOTE]

I actually liked the swordplay more in TP. It was simple so I wasn't fighting the controls to do what I wanted to do. In SS, anything that requires precision such as the plants with the vertical and horizational mouths, is just a pain in the ass. Maybe it's because I'm playing sitting down but I really don't want to stand up and play for hours on end. I just hope one day we will get another Zelda game that uses just a controller.

After reading some of these posts, I guess I suck badly since I have died 5 or 6 times already. Granted 1 was to the first
Stalfos...had no shield at the time
and the others were to the first boss but still...lol.
 
just cleared the first temple and had a blast fighting the boss.

controls are wonky and half the time he doesn't do the swing I want him to, but at least this early on I can waggle and will eventually land a hit.
 
I'd say Skyward Sword's learning curve is pretty steep. It's better to take slow swings until you get the hang of it. Once you do though it's kinda 1:1. Oh, and Shields are important. Very helpful to Shield Bash.

I think I just got to Dungeon 6. I'm not that far into the next area so it's too soon to say.
 
[quote name='KingBroly']I'd say Skyward Sword's learning curve is pretty steep. It's better to take slow swings until you get the hang of it. Once you do though it's kinda 1:1. Oh, and Shields are important. Very helpful to Shield Bash.

I think I just got to Dungeon 6. I'm not that far into the next area so it's too soon to say.[/QUOTE]

I can tell. I'm only a few hours into the game and I'm already on my third wooden shield :(
 
The Metal Shield's your best bet for a while. I got the Third Shield and upgraded it to max. Then I found out that
by doing something later on I'll get the Strongest Shield.
I wasted a good 800 Rupees on that Shield total, but so far it's paid dividends.

I kinda not like having a Guide for this. Makes it feel really exploration heavy.
 
I know there are technical reasons why, but I would've loved it if I could dive bomb into Skyloft like I can with all of the smaller skylands.
 
Played some more tonight. Got the key shards to get into the second dungeon and saved and quit at the start of it. Loving the game so far.
 
[quote name='theflicker']I know there are technical reasons why, but I would've loved it if I could dive bomb into Skyloft like I can with all of the smaller skylands.[/QUOTE]

I think this kind of has to do with the engine the game is running on. It's pretty dated (how's 1996 for its' inception work for you?) so I think they need to update the engine like Nintendo did for Super Mario Galaxy.
 
[quote name='KingBroly']I think this kind of has to do with the engine the game is running on. It's pretty dated (how's 1996 for its' inception work for you?) so I think they need to update the engine like Nintendo did for Super Mario Galaxy.[/QUOTE]

Are you're suggesting the engine behind SS is a modified version of the engine used to make WW? I don't know when development on WW started, 1996 seems early but possible. Whatever you're getting at, it's a bold claim. Citation?

I know a lot of the same-platform Zeldas shared engines, but the impression I've taken away from the SS hype is that this game was built from scratch. For the Wii. Which makes the horizontal lines inexcusable, although not a big deal.
 
The Wind Waker engine is a modified version of the Ocarina/MM engine, which was derived from Super Mario 64. It's also the same engine that ran Twilight Princess. So yes, Zelda needs an engine upgrade, BADLY. The horizontal lines were in Twilight Princess as well, although they were not as prevalent as they are in Skyward Sword. I'm guessing it's part engine, part Wii hardware, part art design.

Zelda also needs voice acting. I didn't really come away from TP saying 'Zelda needs Voice Acting NAO' but after spending so much time in Skyward Sword and its' slow text of death, Zelda needs Voice Acting, NAO.

...And I think the game's story might have just imploded my mind.
 
While I can't comment as I worked from 7:30 to 6:30 and will be going to the 4th dungeon today (I was tired as hell last night getting home), I should be able to get off early today and play if everything goes well. My serious complaint so far is Fi. I absolutely fucking hate Fi. Especially in the
music parts as her singing movements are TERRIBLE.
(Post dungeon 3 spoilers)
 
I'm about to enter the 2nd dungeon. Only got stuck once coming through the volcano, but that's because I
rolled the bomb down that bridge wrong the first time and wrongly thought I needed to do something else.

Combat is becoming a little easier. I think there should be a simplified version of the first dungeon boss as a tutorial at the beginning of the game. Make it a dream sequence, whatever, but I don't the feel like the game quite prepared you for the level of involvement that first boss required. Definitely a steep learning curve.
 
[quote name='KingBroly']I think this kind of has to do with the engine the game is running on. It's pretty dated (how's 1996 for its' inception work for you?) so I think they need to update the engine like Nintendo did for Super Mario Galaxy.[/QUOTE]

Try 1995!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocarina_of_time#Development

It says Mario 64 and OoT were being developed concurrently, starting in '95, although it was so heavily modified that it basically became a different engine.

The point still stands, though, Zelda was in need of an overhaul from the ground up.
 
[quote name='Draekon']While I can't comment as I worked from 7:30 to 6:30 and will be going to the 4th dungeon today (I was tired as hell last night getting home), I should be able to get off early today and play if everything goes well. My serious complaint so far is Fi. I absolutely fucking hate Fi. Especially in the
music parts as her singing movements are TERRIBLE.
(Post dungeon 3 spoilers)[/QUOTE]

My wife really likes Fi because her awkward dialogue reminds her a lot of Bones from the tv show.
 
[quote name='KingBroly']The Wind Waker engine is a modified version of the Ocarina/MM engine, which was derived from Super Mario 64. It's also the same engine that ran Twilight Princess. So yes, Zelda needs an engine upgrade, BADLY. The horizontal lines were in Twilight Princess as well, although they were not as prevalent as they are in Skyward Sword. I'm guessing it's part engine, part Wii hardware, part art design.[/QUOTE]

Not that I don't take your word for it, but where are you getting this from? I'd like to read more on this.

The relationship between SS and TP makes sense (as you point, especially so given the horizontal lines), but what remains of OoT has got to be superficial at best. I would think that SS :: OoT as Portal 2 :: Doom/Quake. But again, I have no idea, it's just a guess.

This is a really interesting topic, though, it'd be fun to read more on game development and programming at Nintendo.
 
[quote name='dothog']Not that I don't take your word for it, but where are you getting this from? I'd like to read more on this.

The relationship between SS and TP makes sense (as you point, especially so given the horizontal lines), but what remains of OoT has got to be superficial at best. I would think that SS :: OoT as Portal 2 :: Doom/Quake. But again, I have no idea, it's just a guess.

This is a really interesting topic, though, it'd be fun to read more on game development and programming at Nintendo.[/QUOTE]

I posted a link a few posts up that goes into more detail.
 
What ever engine it uses, the graphics are a let down even for a Wii game. I'm not a big graphics whore, but it looks pretty bad on my HDTV with the horizontal lines, jaggie edges, motion blur etc.

Still a great game, but definitely another Wii game that makes me want to kick Nintendo in the nuts for putting out a non-HD console as the art design is great and I'd love to be playing it in HD!
 
[quote name='johnnypark']I posted a link a few posts up that goes into more detail.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, JP, thanks for the reminder, but I didn't see much detail in the wikipedia link on the game engines throughout the post-SNES console Zeldas. If anybody has anything that more directly addresses this, please link.

[quote name='dmaul1114']Still a great game, but definitely another Wii game that makes me want to kick Nintendo in the nuts for putting out a non-HD console as the art design is great and I'd love to be playing it in HD![/QUOTE]

This is the first Wii title that has made me regret Nintendo's decision on HD. The Wii prints money and all, but dammit. The game deserves to look as good as other contemporary titles.
 
[quote name='dothog']Yeah, JP, thanks for the reminder, but I didn't see much detail in the wikipedia link on the game engines throughout the post-SNES console Zeldas. If anybody has anything that more directly addresses this, please link.
[/QUOTE]

I was curious too, but so far the only connections I see (according to the various Wikipedia articles, look at the articles for each of the main games and they will mention it if it is in there) are the following...

(I'm skeptical that they'd be retrofitting an old engine from the mid-90's for 15 years, there would literally be none of the old code in it for it to make sense that it still would be used after all of this time)

SMB64 ---> OoT ---> MM

WW ---> TP

??? ---> SS (maybe based off of TP)

Finally got my copy today, I know some people were having issues with crushed boxes Amazon had mine in a small box with air packets around it, still the gold foil was smudged from fingerprints, I figure they went pretty cheap on the printing process if that stuff is rubbing off so easily. (don't care personally, just addressing others' concerns)
 
[quote name='dothog']This is the first Wii title that has made me regret Nintendo's decision on HD. The Wii prints money and all, but dammit. The game deserves to look as good as other contemporary titles.[/QUOTE]

You know they're going to re-release some games in HD on Wii U. Everyone's doing it. Besides, I believe the games are made in 720p and downscaled anyway. At least most Wii games from Nintendo are.

So for an HD Collection of Zelda I expect Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. Maybe Wind Waker. For Mario, Galaxy 1 and 2. And then to finish it off, the Prime Trilogy in HD :hot:
 
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