Support NeoGAF

[ccbfan]

Yeah I'm gonna

Spoiler

Have to try it without picking Ghirahim 3 first, being full-power made it too easy. I took a lot of hits during that fight, then tolerated it for a few more fights, then harvested the hearts of the Horde to restore my health, then did okay for the rest of the rounds. But yeah, after remembering about the hearts not dropping, I'm definitely going to have to change my strategy for Hero Mode. :X

Spoiler

Been playing this to win rupees to prep for hero mode. (Getting 99 rare treasures and selling in hero mode for all the rupees I need)

I always pick imprisoned 3 first cause its the only one I can possible die on.

All the other ones I'd lose 3-4 hearts max. Ghirahim 3 amazingly I can near perfect.

If I had to rate the bosses from most danger to least.

Imprisoned 3 - Don't lose hearts much but its possible I die.
Ghirahim 2 - The first part makes me lose 3-4 hearts.
Octopus guy - Some reason I always lose a 2-3 hearts against him.
Ghirahim 3 - First part is the only time he can even possible hurt me.
Scorpion guy - He's easy but there's no hearts in his level.

Rest is all tied because of the large amount of hearts. (All easy)
Ghirahim 1
Imprisoned 2
Imprisoned 1
Multiarm guy
Horde
fire ball guy.


No clue about hero mode though. I might go the potion cheat and pick the horde(This will be hard without the constant free hearts) or Ghirahim 2 since those are the ones I'd lose the most health with.

 

[Host Samurai]

Looks like I am 1/2 way through SS and I have to admit at this point outside of the swordplay that I enjoyed TP more. TP's main flaw to me was that it was piss easy.

 

[zigg]

Yeah,

Spoiler

Boss Rush

is a lot of fun.

I like how it's called

Spoiler

the Lightning Round

.

 

[carlo6529]

I have a question; are there only 18 hearts and two heart medals for a total of 20? or is there the usual 20 hearts plus the two medals?

 

[Thrakier]

Wow wow wow, that cart section. Just wow. Game is no a 7/10 for me at best. It's so flawed and so hilarious and childish sometimes, I really wonder how they got a metacritic this high. It's not a bad experience by any means, but it's a old one, artifical as hell, a collection of WM+ minigames with hilarious settings and characters. And all of it was done before. Next consider the fetch quests which are integrated in fetch quests which are integrated in fetch quests. Seriously...how is this game any better than an 8/10 at best?!?

 

[Togglesworlh]

Thrakier: Because number scores are fucking stupid? Who gives a shit?

In other news, I passed the cart section in one go. I've seen several people complain about it, but I don't really know why. It wasn't exactly fun, but it was pretty easy, I thought. U:

Unless there's more later?

 

[Mistle]

Seriously...how is this game any better than an 8/10 at best?!?

Because the majority of other people can still love it even if you dont.

 

[Thrakier]

Because the majority of other people can still love it even if you dont.

Yeah, but for what!? I guess most of you played this game (more ore less) at least twice in your gamer live, even more often I guess. This is by far the most artificial Zelda I played so far (even more so than the DS titles), the atmosphere is really shitty for the most part. It's outdated in almost every aspect, be it graphics or game design per se. It's so so gimmicky.

I wonder how many of you would like the game as much if it's name wouldn't be "Zelda"...

 

[victreeb3l]

Yeah, but for what!? I guess most of you played this game (more ore less) at least twice in your gamer live, even more often I guess. This is by far the most artificial Zelda I played so far (even more so than the DS titles), the atmosphere is really shitty for the most part. It's outdated in almost every aspect, be it graphics or game design per se. It's so so gimmicky.

I wonder how many of you would like the game as much if it's name wouldn't be "Zelda"...

the atmosphere and art direction is the best part of this game. unless you want to explain your reasoning beyond "its gimmicky and outdated!!", your post is pretty meaningless. artificial? huh?

Thrakier: Because number scores are fucking stupid? Who gives a shit?

In other news, I passed the cart section in one go. I've seen several people complain about it, but I don't really know why. It wasn't exactly fun, but it was pretty easy, I thought. U:

Unless there's more later?

that part was a highlight for me. i have no idea how people struggled with that. finished it on the first go and wish it lasted longer

 

[McLovin]

I just beat the game (took my time with it). Better then Twilight Princess and Wind Waker although the pacing was a little off in the beginning. But once the game started picking up it was really good. I even enjoyed the 15 or so hours of padding the put into it.
So....

Spoiler

am I the only one that thought Ghirahim was harder then (Demise)Ganon? That boss fight was a little too easy imo. I used that potion that gives you half damage just in case, but I really didn't need it. Also for some reason I though Groose would turn out to be Ganon Kind of crazy that the legendary hero they speak of is the descendant of all the other links.

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Yeah, but for what!? I guess most of you played this game (more ore less) at least twice in your gamer live, even more often I guess. This is by far the most artificial Zelda I played so far (even more so than the DS titles), the atmosphere is really shitty for the most part. It's outdated in almost every aspect, be it graphics or game design per se. It's so so gimmicky.

I wonder how many of you would like the game as much if it's name wouldn't be "Zelda"...

If they were new IPs, every Mario and Zelda game from at least the last ten years would be an "underappreciated masterpiece" that no one on GAF would ever shut up about.

If anything, the Zelda name gets too many gamers' underwear in a twist over what the game "should be". And I'm not saying anyone has to like Skyward Sword. But "you just like it because it's Zelda" is an annoying empty argument.

 

[Neki]

Yeah, but for what!? I guess most of you played this game (more ore less) at least twice in your gamer live, even more often I guess. This is by far the most artificial Zelda I played so far (even more so than the DS titles), the atmosphere is really shitty for the most part. It's outdated in almost every aspect, be it graphics or game design per se. It's so so gimmicky.

I wonder how many of you would like the game as much if it's name wouldn't be "Zelda"...

the zelda brand has blinded us all. you're right. we can't like a game for it's merit, we can only like the game because it's zelda.

 

[MisterLuffy]

I beat the game two weeks ago.

Spoiler

After I saw Demise, I was surprised that he looked like Oni Akuma from SSF4AE. Fighting Demise was easy despite the part where his sword attacks does tons of damage which I was forced to use 3 potions. I was very disappointed that the last boss didn't have his last form which would've made the fight more interesting.

I like this game though because of story. I also like the ending.

 

[McLovin]

One thing I didn't like was

Spoiler

that ship stage's boss battle, it felt so dumb. That stage was great though, but that weird looking cyclops octopus with the dreads looked really out of place. And that whole setup leading to the reveal felt almost comical. Mostly because it was like they where trying to impress you(but after uncharted's ship stage it was just meh) I know I shouldn't compare the two but thats just how I feel. Overall the all the other boss fights where super fun. I really really liked the one with the golden armor dude. Where you dismember him with that huge sword I also thought the time puzzle sections where really imaginative. Although its kind of dark that everything in those stages was long dead.

 

[Kai Dracon]

If they were new IPs, every Mario and Zelda game from at least the last ten years would be an "underappreciated masterpiece" that no one on GAF would ever shut up about.

If anything, the Zelda name gets too many gamers' underwear in a twist over what the game "should be". And I'm not saying anyone has to like Skyward Sword. But "you just like it because it's Zelda" is an annoying empty argument.

Here's the current truth of Nintendo's game design philosophy:

Nintendo is LOATH to just throw all the traditional game design frameworks out the window because they believe those frameworks and mechanics actually have lasting value. That is what much of their business banks on. That people today, will finding the athletic leaping of Mario as fun as people in 1985 found it.

Because of that, Nintendo gets characterized as "outdated" by people who seem to primarily be entertained by whatever is new in game design this week, and/or have a very specific vision that follows the path AAA "experience" games are evolving along - becoming the ultimate interactive movie/jacking in to the Matrix.

This empowers people who are critical of Nintendo with the "you just like it because of the brand name" argument. Meanwhile, if you took Super Mario, made him a black 2D outline in a shadow world, and inserted the shadow of a dying Princess Peach on the ground at the beginning of world 1-1, you'd have modern gamers ranting and raving how it was the epitome of freshness, innovation, "games as art", etc.

Nintendo's content also gets called childish because it isn't faux-artistic or grimdark bro, or super naturalistic, western, cinematic like Uncharted. Meanwhile, Nintendo tends to predicate their aesthetics and story content on the notion of their games being truly all ages. (The average 20-something gamer cares nothing for any audience outside his own, and seems oblivious to the validity of a game being open to a range of people, rather than aimed only at himself.)

This does not mean that every game Nintendo makes is the best game ever or that their games are without flaws, far from it. But they operate from a specific frame of reference, with a specific goal in mind, that pretty much sets them up to be burned as a ten ton straw man by gamers of certain proclivities.

 

[Hobbestetrician]

Here's the current truth of Nintendo's game design philosophy:

Nintendo is LOATH to just throw all the traditional game design frameworks out the window because they believe those frameworks and mechanics actually have lasting value. That is what much of their business banks on. That people today, will finding the athletic leaping of Mario as fun as people in 1985 found it.

Because of that, Nintendo gets characterized as "outdated" by people who seem to primarily be entertained by whatever is new in game design this week, and/or have a very specific vision that follows the path AAA "experience" games are evolving along - becoming the ultimate interactive movie/jacking in to the Matrix.

This empowers people who are critical of Nintendo with the "you just like it because of the brand name" argument. Meanwhile, if you took Super Mario, made him a black 2D outline in a shadow world, and inserted the shadow of a dying Princess Peach on the ground at the beginning of world 1-1, you'd have modern gamers ranting and raving how it was the epitome of freshness, innovation, "games as art", etc.

Nintendo's content also gets called childish because it isn't faux-artistic or grimdark bro, or super naturalistic, western, cinematic like Uncharted. Meanwhile, Nintendo tends to predicate their aesthetics and story content on the notion of their games being truly all ages. (The average 20-something gamer cares nothing for any audience outside his own, and seems oblivious to the validity of a game being open to a range of people, rather than aimed only at himself.)

This does not mean that every game Nintendo makes is the best game ever or that their games are without flaws, far from it. But they operate from a specific frame of reference, with a specific goal in mind, that pretty much sets them up to be burned as a ten ton straw man by gamers of certain proclivities.

/thread

And any other Nintendo thread, really. This is an amazing post and spot-on

 

[Togglesworlh]

It's only "spot-on" in that it's the other extreme of the Nintendo hate-love spectrum. Most of what he said is hyperbole.

 

[Hobbestetrician]

It's only "spot-on" in that it's the other extreme of the Nintendo hate-love spectrum. Most of what he said is hyperbole.

Reads pretty even-handed to me. Guess I am not seeing the extreme in it but I guess I wasn't looking for it which may be others case.

 

[totowhoa]

Where is this boss rush at anyway? I'm at the final battle, but I've just been side questing and whatnot for now. Haven't found it yet. Is it some island I haven't happened upon?

 

[DonMigs85]

Where is this boss rush at anyway? I'm at the final battle, but I've just been side questing and whatnot for now. Haven't found it yet. Is it some island I haven't happened upon?

Good grief, the Thunder Dragon mentions it quite plainly.

 

[Togglesworlh]

Reads pretty even-handed to me. Guess I am not seeing the extreme in it but I guess I wasn't looking for it which may be others case.

A person's argument typically sounds reasonable to someone else holding the same stance.

Because of that, Nintendo gets characterized as "outdated" by people who seem to primarily be entertained by whatever is new in game design this week, and/or have a very specific vision that follows the path AAA "experience" games are evolving along - becoming the ultimate interactive movie/jacking in to the Matrix.

This, for example, isn't really true. Sure, there are some people like that, but it's probably not even the majority. A vocal minority, as usual.

I love Nintendo and their games.

But I still feel they need to "get with the times", as it were. They are incredibly stubborn when it comes to admitting something they do is wrong. So much so that they'll often go in the completely opposite direction of some legitimate complaints. Not intentionally, I'm sure. It's not like they go out of their way to piss people off. I'm not really sure what the logic is behind some of their decisions, actually.

It's mostly the little things, of course. No one who likes a Mario game is going to complain about the acrobatics. That's some of the purest joy you can find in a video game.

Meanwhile, if you took Super Mario, made him a black 2D outline in a shadow world, and inserted the shadow of a dying Princess Peach on the ground at the beginning of world 1-1, you'd have modern gamers ranting and raving how it was the epitome of freshness, innovation, "games as art", etc.

This is ridiculous, too. Super Mario Galaxy is constantly praised as one of the freshest, most innovative platformers ever. Even people who like the "faux-artistic" Limbo. Sure, tastes don't always overlap, and there are going to be outliers on both ends who completely detest the other, but that doesn't mean everyone feels that way.

Back to my original point about legitimate complaints... Slow text in Zelda is a good example, I think, of a legitimate complaint that goes ignored. I don't know anyone who says, "You know, I think the text needs to be a bit slower. I can't keep up!" It's pretty much the exact opposite. Almost everyone I know, on the internet or otherwise, dislikes how slow the text scrolls in Skyward Sword. Why does it seem like it gets slower and slower with every new game?

I took one minor example and expounded upon it to the extreme. I'm not actually that passionate about this singular issue, but the little things do add up, and it's generally in the little things where Nintendo lags behind the rest of the world.

On the other hand, they do tend to listen to the "big" complaints, like Wind Waker's graphical style, followed by Twilight Princess'. Twilight Princess' formulaic, standard game structure, followed by Skyward Sword. Who knows what will happen next.

But the point of this post is not to talk about Zelda (even though it's the Zelda thread!). I'm just saying that there are people in the middle, too. Not all complaints are based in ignorance or some alleged desire for "dudebro".

Also, there's nothing wrong with wanting Nintendo to step even further outside their comfort zone in terms of game design. Sometimes, that's where a creator's most interesting ideas can formulate. What WOULD happen if Nintendo proper tried to make a dudebro game? We'll never know - of that I'm 100% sure - but it might be the most amazing thing ever. (I doubt it.)

 

[Joonytoon]

Where is this boss rush at anyway? I'm at the final battle, but I've just been side questing and whatnot for now. Haven't found it yet. Is it some island I haven't happened upon?

Spoiler

Go back and speak to the Lightning dragon

 

[Regulus Tera]

After weeks of hiatus I finally had the chance to tackle the sixth dungeon. That Silent Realm portion was a bitch, but worth it at the end. I am disappointed at the dungeon item though. I hate incremental upgrades like that, but the burrowing portions were sorta fun so I can't complain.

The fight against the boss of this dungeon was the best so far.

 

[MechaX]

Jesus fucking Christ.

Right when I'm starting the last set of battles, my WiiMotion+ decides to crap out and it won't recognize my nunchuck. And I just bought this fucking thing too.

 

[richiek]

Jesus fucking Christ.

Right when I'm starting the last set of battles, my WiiMotion+ decides to crap out and it won't recognize my nunchuck. And I just bought this fucking thing too.

My gold Wiimote crapped out on me as well. Fortunately, I sent it back to Nintendo and they replaced it free of charge.

 

[MechaX]

My gold Wiimote crapped out on me as well. Fortunately, I sent it back to Nintendo and they replaced it free of charge.

It's just maddening that I either have to spend $25 more dollars or potentially send it in to Nintendo just to essentially play the last hour of the game. All for a accessory that should have been in the Wii controller day one AAGGGHHHH

 

[Yagharek]

I finished this yesterday. The first Zelda game I've ever completed.

Its also one of the best games I've ever played. Motion controls add so much to this game, bringing a level of cinematic drama and emotional investment in major battles that HD asset tours have never achieved.

I hope Nintendo keep motion controls, and whatever philosophy it was that led to this level design. I've never played anything with quite so many beautiful areas that are packed with things to do.

Everything about this game impressed me. Music, characters, scenarios faced by them, the sense of gravitas about their circumstances, Fi as well was excellently done.

I teared up at the end. The game is truly heartfelt like the best of Studio Ghibli.

It might even be my favourite game.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

I've been going through the game slowly, but I really love it so far though I'm only through three dungeons. The beetle is awesome, love what it adds in exploration and the ability to look around and decide what to do next. Really impressed by how different everything in the game is, new races, enemies, puzzle types, not much from the previous games included.

 

[Tiktaalik]

After being busy and away from this game for two weeks I'm back and playing again and I'm stuck and need a hint. I'm in the area prior to the 3rd dungeon and I'm currently trying to

Spoiler

unlock these seals or something via entering these three little rooms and solving these time/sand/electricity related puzzles

. The problem is that I'm completely stuck on the third room. There's this giant cavern, and I have no idea how to get across...

edit: Figured it out eventually... Probably one of the trickiest, most clever puzzles I've seen yet.

 

[The Awesomest]

A couple of notes:

-I love sitting and finding myself in a short conversation with someone. Like in Zelda's room, reading her diary, or in the classroom watching Pipit and Karane flirt, or in the Skipper's retreat. It's a great way to stay entertained while waiting for my health to refill. Speaking of the Skipper's retreat,

-

Spoiler

Getting up to the top was seriously the saddest place I've ever been in a video game. The letters from his son, the pictures of his crew, and what was probably his wife and son just lying there underneath the dust.

I'm not the only one, am I?

After being busy and away from this game for two weeks I'm back and playing again and I'm stuck and need a hint. I'm in the area prior to the 3rd dungeon and I'm currently trying to

Spoiler

unlock these seals or something via entering these three little rooms and solving these time/sand/electricity related puzzles

. The problem is that I'm completely stuck on the third room. There's this giant cavern, and I have no idea how to get across...

I got stuck there too. Running across doesn't work. Have you tried killing the thingy and carefully observing what happens to its shell? I hope I'm remembering the solution correctly.
Solution, but try to figure it out with the hint I just gave you

Spoiler

The sand should carry the shell to the other side, and you can ride along. I think.

EDIT again: clever lil bugger innit?

 

[TheCongressman1]

-

Spoiler

Getting up to the top was seriously the saddest place I've ever been in a video game. The letters from his son, the pictures of his crew, and what was probably his wife and son just lying there underneath the dust.

I'm not the only one, am I?

It was kind of sad, but I still really hate the robots.

 

[milkyjay20]

-

Spoiler

Getting up to the top was seriously the saddest place I've ever been in a video game. The letters from his son, the pictures of his crew, and what was probably his wife and son just lying there underneath the dust.

I'm not the only one, am I?

Spoiler

of course not. you'd have to be dead inside to not be touched by that! there's mostly always a bit of poignancy in zelda games, from the flute player in ALttP to the lonely kakariko/lost woods guy from OoT

 

[DonMigs85]

Spoiler

of course not. you'd have to be dead inside to not be touched by that! there's mostly always a bit of poignancy in zelda games, from the flute player in ALttP to the lonely kakariko/lost woods guy from OoT

Spoiler

Can't they just be repaired by the dude in Skyloft with some flower oil?

 

[MisterLuffy]

A couple of notes:


-

Spoiler

Getting up to the top was seriously the saddest place I've ever been in a video game. The letters from his son, the pictures of his crew, and what was probably his wife and son just lying there underneath the dust.

I'm not the only one, am I?

EDIT again: clever lil bugger innit?

Spoiler

Now that you have mentioned it, I find that sad too. Gondo could make them alive with the ancient flower like he did with Scrapper.

 

[milkyjay20]

Spoiler

Can't they just be repaired by the dude in Skyloft with some flower oil?

Spoiler

well yeah. lol

 

[maharg]

Here's the current truth of Nintendo's game design philosophy:

Nintendo is LOATH to just throw all the traditional game design frameworks out the window because they believe those frameworks and mechanics actually have lasting value. That is what much of their business banks on. That people today, will finding the athletic leaping of Mario as fun as people in 1985 found it.

Because of that, Nintendo gets characterized as "outdated" by people who seem to primarily be entertained by whatever is new in game design this week, and/or have a very specific vision that follows the path AAA "experience" games are evolving along - becoming the ultimate interactive movie/jacking in to the Matrix.

This empowers people who are critical of Nintendo with the "you just like it because of the brand name" argument. Meanwhile, if you took Super Mario, made him a black 2D outline in a shadow world, and inserted the shadow of a dying Princess Peach on the ground at the beginning of world 1-1, you'd have modern gamers ranting and raving how it was the epitome of freshness, innovation, "games as art", etc.

Nintendo's content also gets called childish because it isn't faux-artistic or grimdark bro, or super naturalistic, western, cinematic like Uncharted. Meanwhile, Nintendo tends to predicate their aesthetics and story content on the notion of their games being truly all ages. (The average 20-something gamer cares nothing for any audience outside his own, and seems oblivious to the validity of a game being open to a range of people, rather than aimed only at himself.)

This does not mean that every game Nintendo makes is the best game ever or that their games are without flaws, far from it. But they operate from a specific frame of reference, with a specific goal in mind, that pretty much sets them up to be burned as a ten ton straw man by gamers of certain proclivities.

Maybe I'm missing some context here, but it seems to me the vast majority of complaints with Skyward Sword are things that have changed for the worse, not things preserved from a golden age. Stuff like slowing down text speed, slower interactions with NPCs, more and more rigid game progression structures, etc. are all relatively new developments and are what I and many others see as dragging this game (and other recent entries in Nintendo's top tier franchises) down from being what it can be.

Honestly, if they made another game just like LttP but different I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I'd buy it so fast and I'd eat it up like it was candy. I *want* my old Zelda conventions back and I miss them dearly.

 

[cacophony]

Zelda's Lullaby backwards = Ballad of the Goddess

I'm so late to this but holy shit, that blew my mind. Crazy how it's such a strong melody both ways.

 

[Hobbestetrician]

Stuff like slowing down text speed.

Holding down the A button once the text starts makes it go faster for me. Did I get the only copy that does that or is that still not fast enough for people? I am a fast reader and it moves along just fine holding down the button. Or do people just want to skip it completely? I guess it could be that once you hit A the entire dialog that fits in the box immediately displays and you can hit A again to advance to the next line but the scroll doesn't seem slow to me except in a few places where you can tell they deliberately slow it down for drama's sake.

Oh well, back to enjoying the hell out of the game for me.

 

[PokéKong]

After I got the options to add more things to dowse for and all these events kept popping up to activate a new item for dowsing, my batteries started running low so Fi pops out and I half expected her to give me the option to dowse for batteries.

Spoiler

of course not. you'd have to be dead inside to not be touched by that! there's mostly always a bit of poignancy in zelda games, from the flute player in ALttP to the lonely kakariko/lost woods guy from OoT

I was pretty touched by it,

Spoiler

until Fi chimes in with her analysis that there is a high probability that the captain and his crew and family were probably very happy back then, like COME ON, she might as well be telling me there's a 100% probability that I should be sad.

 

[Papercuts]

Holding down the A button once the text starts makes it go faster for me. Did I get the only copy that does that or is that still not fast enough for people? I am a fast reader and it moves along just fine holding down the button. Or do people just want to skip it completely? I guess it could be that once you hit A the entire dialog that fits in the box immediately displays and you can hit A again to advance to the next line but the scroll doesn't seem slow to me except in a few places where you can tell they deliberately slow it down for drama's sake.

Oh well, back to enjoying the hell out of the game for me.

It makes it go faster, but barely. When you start to deal with the shops and minigames a lot, they just regurgitate the same info and it takes too long to get the actual conversations done. This is also another issue with the whole pick up an item and have it show a text box, bring up the menu, and go back out. You can't make that go faster. Fi's heart and battery warning don't get sped up either.

Compare that directly to the last installment, twilight princess, where the text speed was much faster by default and filled the entire box with another button press. There is absolutely no reason to change this. TP also did the same slower, dramatic text boxes that still allowed you to instantly fill them.

 

[Thrakier]

Here's the current truth of Nintendo's game design philosophy:

Nintendo is LOATH to just throw all the traditional game design frameworks out the window because they believe those frameworks and mechanics actually have lasting value. That is what much of their business banks on. That people today, will finding the athletic leaping of Mario as fun as people in 1985 found it.

Because of that, Nintendo gets characterized as "outdated" by people who seem to primarily be entertained by whatever is new in game design this week, and/or have a very specific vision that follows the path AAA "experience" games are evolving along - becoming the ultimate interactive movie/jacking in to the Matrix.

This empowers people who are critical of Nintendo with the "you just like it because of the brand name" argument. Meanwhile, if you took Super Mario, made him a black 2D outline in a shadow world, and inserted the shadow of a dying Princess Peach on the ground at the beginning of world 1-1, you'd have modern gamers ranting and raving how it was the epitome of freshness, innovation, "games as art", etc.

Nintendo's content also gets called childish because it isn't faux-artistic or grimdark bro, or super naturalistic, western, cinematic like Uncharted. Meanwhile, Nintendo tends to predicate their aesthetics and story content on the notion of their games being truly all ages. (The average 20-something gamer cares nothing for any audience outside his own, and seems oblivious to the validity of a game being open to a range of people, rather than aimed only at himself.)

This does not mean that every game Nintendo makes is the best game ever or that their games are without flaws, far from it. But they operate from a specific frame of reference, with a specific goal in mind, that pretty much sets them up to be burned as a ten ton straw man by gamers of certain proclivities.

That's a nice excuse for "we are not able to change Zelda". Sorry, that's a lot of bullshit right there. And I love love love Super Mario Galaxy 2 because of it's lovely design, amazing gameplay and great pacing. Besides being part 2 it still feels fresh. The atmosphere and the music is second to none, it's a masterpiece.

I can't say that about Skyward Sword. With "artifical" I mean that the game feels somewhat "constructed". Sure, that's more or less that way in every game but in Zelda it's so in your face. For example those weird "Basketball hoops" which are everywhere in the desert which are only there to utilizie the WM throw mechanic. Or that stupid cart sequence. There are tons of things like that in the game and that totally destroys the atmosphere for me. It's more like a giant playground than a real adventure, it's a collection of Zelda themed Minigames.

Also I still think that the game is way to traditional. What other people call "nintendo proved quality", I call it outdated. They were able to somewhat overcome it in SMG but not at all in Zelda. It's basically the same as every fucking zelda game before and at this point I just can't stand it anymore. The pacing is pretty much broken. And that's the real offender right here. Granted, I didn't read most of the reviews but judging from the metacritics score no one really complaint enough about the fechtquests in fetchquests in fechtquests. So many fetchquests that it's really hilarious, it's almost like a persiflage on the whole Zelda series itself.

Whatever, I know that there are enough people who want Zelda to be just like that. I do know though that I'll not invest time again in a tradtional Zelda. If they do another one for their next gen system I really hope they switch it up for the next game. Use a proper engine with lighting etc, use a more cinematic approach for the cutscenes (let the characters talk DAMNIT I feel like in the fucking 90s!!!), use a different flow for the pacing/gameplay maybe be bold and get rid of traditional dungeon design at all! Oh and absolutely get rid of all traditional sound effects pls. In Skyward Sword I get spammed with the typical "oh a door openend" soundeffect that it got old in the second it started...oh wait, it was already old before. Get rid of that. And get rid of that annoying heart beeping. Seriously, GUYS, it's the same game for 25 years now!!!! 25 YEARS! Change it up at least a bit goddamn, at least try! And no, waggle+ is NOT enough in my book.

The thing is I'm so bored by this game because I more or less already know what's coming up. It's just so predictable.

 

[pringles]

It makes it go faster, but barely. When you start to deal with the shops and minigames a lot, they just regurgitate the same info and it takes too long to get the actual conversations done. This is also another issue with the whole pick up an item and have it show a text box, bring up the menu, and go back out. You can't make that go faster. Fi's heart and battery warning don't get sped up either.

Why are you listening to Fi's battery/health warnings? Those are optional. It's like saying "Fi keeps interrupting me and telling me what my play time is!!". No she doesn't. If you have 1 heart, you're doing nothing special and the Fi icon lights up, you should know after the 1st time it happens that she'll tell you about your health if you press the Fi button. Same with the batteries.

The text the first time you pick up an item/bug is mildly annoying, but just like Fi, it's very overblown. I do tend to just pause the game with the home button and leave the Wii on, so I don't start a 'new session' every time I want to play for 10 minutes and have to get those text boxes for every new bug.

I agree a little bit with the shopkeepers though. Other than the Item Check girl, they all pretty much say the same things over and over and even though it's not many seconds that you lose, it could have been a little smoother.

All in all though people are making too much of these things. Maybe I'm just more patient of a person, and I like to be sucked into the universe of Zelda and take my time, not just rush through everything, but I think the game moves faster and smoother than a lot of other Zeldas.

 

[ASIS]

Why are you listening to Fi's battery/health warnings? Those are optional. It's like saying "Fi keeps interrupting me and telling me what my play time is!!". No she doesn't. If you have 1 heart, you're doing nothing special and the Fi icon lights up, you should know after the 1st time it happens that she'll tell you about your health if you press the Fi button. Same with the batteries.

The text the first time you pick up an item/bug is mildly annoying, but just like Fi, it's very overblown. I do tend to just pause the game with the home button and leave the Wii on, so I don't start a 'new session' every time I want to play for 10 minutes and have to get those text boxes for every new bug.

I agree a little bit with the shopkeepers though. Other than the Item Check girl, they all pretty much say the same things over and over and even though it's not many seconds that you lose, it could have been a little smoother.

All in all though people are making too much of these things. Maybe I'm just more patient of a person, and I like to be sucked into the universe of Zelda and take my time, not just rush through everything, but I think the game moves faster and smoother than a lot of other Zeldas.

Yeah it's not that big of a deal IMO. But oh well.

 

[Mzo]

Holding down the A button once the text starts makes it go faster for me. Did I get the only copy that does that or is that still not fast enough for people? I am a fast reader and it moves along just fine holding down the button. Or do people just want to skip it completely? I guess it could be that once you hit A the entire dialog that fits in the box immediately displays and you can hit A again to advance to the next line but the scroll doesn't seem slow to me except in a few places where you can tell they deliberately slow it down for drama's sake.

The speed shifts from plate tectonics to glacier. There should be an option to speed up the text from the start and hitting A should bring up the rest of the text.

 

[VICTORsaurio]

just made it to Eldin... I can't help but laugh every time Link gets burned

 

[John Dunbar]

Resisted the urge to play this until after my exams, so just started today. After 6 hours and 50 minutes I've beaten the first temple and delivered pumpkin soup, and there's one thought that's mostly on my mind at the moment:

Did a bird just shit on my head? Did I walk around with a steaming pile of crap on my head?

 

[Deleted member 17706]

4 hours in now and the camera is kind of bothering me. It needs to follow Link better. Sure, you can press Z to center it behind Link, but that doesn't work very well if there are any lock-on targets nearby.

Also, I seem to suck at the stab motion.

 

[PKrockin]

Hearing the complaints about Fi again, I am so glad I have a modded Wii.

 

[Reveirg]

I played Skyward Sword and LOVED it, one of 2011's best games IMO. However, I had tried Twilight Princess earlier this year and was bored to tears. I reached the point where you have to catch butterflies I think.

Should I try going back? Or am I not the only one who loved SS but didn't enjoy TP?

 

[Levyne]

Seriously, GUYS, it's the same game for 25 years now!!!! 25 YEARS! Change it up at least a bit goddamn, at least try! And no, waggle+ is NOT enough in my book.

The thing is I'm so bored by this game because I more or less already know what's coming up. It's just so predictable.

So...this seems like a series you don't like? I mean, why play it then? You must find something endearing in order to keep playing the series AFTER 25 YEARS.