Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Information
release date: Q4 2011
developed by: Nintendo EAD
published by: Nintendo
director: Hidemaro Fujibayashi
producer: Eiji Aonuma
Interesting facts:
+Prequel to Ocarina of Time (meaning no Ganondorf?). It is the earliest game in the series.
+ Make use of the Wii MotionPlus peripheral for sword-fighting, with a revised Wii Remote pointing system used for targeting.
+ Produce Eiji Aonuma has stated that the game's plot is to be comparable to a school drama.
+ Skyward Sword connects to the story of Ocarina of Time, and elaborates on the reason for Ganondorf's appearance.
+ skyward Sword will have orchestrated music, composed by Hajime Wakai and Koji Kondo, who provided additional compositions.
+ The style of the game was inspired by the French artist Paul Cezanne and Miyamoto's love for impressionist art. Realistic visuals were dropped to allow for more exaggerated character designs, emphasizing the enemies' attacks and weaknesses.
+ Birds instead of horses- the traditional way of traveling in Skyloft is by way of bird and every person in Skyloft has his or her own feathered friend to get around with. Link has a special and rare one which allows him to travel through the clouds and access the mainland below.
+ Nintendo is going to try to release it in all the regions at the same time so everyone can play it together, which may explain the delay a little more.
Plot
(Link flying with Zelda, with whom he has affections for.)
Link is born and raised in Skyloft, a group of islands floating in the sky. During the game the player will revisit Skyloft several times, similiar to how Link revisited the town in Majora's Mask repeatedly. Also, like Majora's Mask, there are a lot of gave events which involve the town people that get intertwined into the main story. Link and Zelda go to the same boarding school, and there are teachers and a principal there as well.
(Skyloft- a land separated into several islands floating in the sky)
Link leads a normal life there until one day he discovers the Skyward Sword, which leads him to another, previously unknown, land beneath that is ruled by evil forces. Link uses the sword to travel back and forth between the sky and the land, and as he does so the mystery of why the two worlds became separated is gradually revealed. Later on in the game the sword becomes the Master Sword and assumes the form of a female figure while giving Link advice. (your new Navi)
Unlike previous installments, Zelda is not a princess in SS, but a childhood friend of Link's. They''re also schoolmates.
(Zelda is a childhood friend of Link)
During the game Zelda disappears and Link has to find her. He's opposed on this quest by the Demon Lord Ghirahim, a mysterious and powerful figure who rules the surface world and wishes to kidnap Zelda for unknown purposes.
(Demon Lord Ghirahim. Kinda reminds me of Kefka.)
Battle System
(battle system in Skyward Sword)
The gameplay of SS departs from the normal series' traditional flow of alternating over-world and dungeon exploration. The controls are revised, with swordplay based on the Wii MotionPlus peripheral, which allows one-to-one motion control between the Wii Remote and in the in-game sword.
Battles do not focus solely on timing attacks, but also on their target, such as the directions in which the enemies are hit.
In addition to the sword, there are the following items:
+ a mechanical flying beetle to grab items at a distance
+ a whip
+ bombs
+ a slingshot and bow, both are controlled with Wii MotionPlus.
A stamina meter will allow fro sprinting and running up walls.
Drinking health-restoring potions will not interrupt the gameplay anymore, and the maps were made easier to read, making it harder to get lost.
The player will have the option to turn off the heads-up display.
(The HUD is frequently used to simultaneously display several pieces of information including the main character's health, items, and an indication of game progression (such as score or level).
(Skyward Sword with no HUD)
My Opinion
Skyward Sword looks pretty interesting, though I'm still not sold on the art style, but oh well. I like the idea that Link can actually go over walls this time- it adds to a lot more areas where you can walk around. I also like the idea that Zelda is not a princess this time but a normal girl. But I'm disappointed that we'll have to wait until the end of the year to play this game when it was already announced so long ago. This is almost as bad as Twilight Princess, which was notorious for getting delayed. However, according to Nintendo Skyward Sword will NOT be put on the Wii U and the game itself is complete, meaning we should be able to play it soon. Let's keep our fingers crossed!
Source: wikipedia, IGN
Image source: various