"Skyward Sword" second impression. Better than the first. Nov 25, 2011 6:00PM PST

(I don't want to spoil anything for those who've yet to play the game, even the tiniest bit, so what may be considered minor spoliers will be written in white font.  Highlight it with your cursor to make it visible.)

I put another 4-5 hours into the game and am happy to say that I am firmly immersed in it.  The new Motion Plus-enabled mechanics add a sense of realism that's been a long time comin'.  Figuring out how to kill my first skulltula took a while, and I love how you have to flip them on their back when they're on the ground by flicking the sword up.  I still have trouble executing the jab motion, but other than that the controls feel accurately responsive.  I'm curious as to why the Wii remote loses it's centering so often, but Nintendo did well in making it easily resettable.

I'm more comfortable with Link's movement now, something I complained about in my first impression.  I like the dash feature.  I understand the complaints of it's limitation, but really, I've yet for that to be a factor, whether it be during dashing, hanging on a ledge, etc.  I prefer dashing over the constant rolling that sped up link in previous Zeldas.

I like the new item menu format, too.  Accessing items is much faster now without having to go to the sub menu to equip them.  It's a nice touch.  Overall, the entire interface is improved and is a welcome step in the evolution of the series.  

My cat has been a good sport as I play.  He's a spoiled lap cat, and I've bopped him in the head numerous times as my arms flail around during battles.  Suffice to say, this is a game that requires both arms to be free and ready for action at a moment's notice.

If you like Zelda and haven't played this game, have no fear.  I'm still very early into it, but I think it's fair to say that Skyward Sword is another masterpiece.

Some WOW moments:

The first time I had to hold the sword upright to energize it.  Such a great idea!

Having to cut through a web for the first time.  So cool.

Battling my first skulltula.  As SamuraiTerry admitted in a comment to my prevous blog, I died.

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Comments (7)

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• Awesome

  Posted: Nov 25, 2011 12:00AM PST by  V4Viewtiful
  

  my biggest surprise in this game is how accurate the physics are, various sections of gameplay rely on it that i found rather clever.

  i still find that stamina meter somewhat a nusaunce especially in the last few stages of the game (it will try your patience so bad), i really got a kick out of the Desert stages just seeing how seemlessly it works is a testiment to Nintendo's inteligent design. Oh, by the later stages (this isn't a spoiler) but depending there will be some slow down, why? you'll get it when you get there

  This Game has some of the cleverest puzzles in the series and most games.

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  • I'll keep that

    Posted: Nov 25, 2011 12:00AM PST by  Raised_on_Nintendo
    

    in mind as I progress.

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• Is it true that...

  Posted: Nov 26, 2011 12:00AM PST by  ghost_of_gamemaster4747
  

  the bosses are easy pushovers? I read where someone said that. He also said that as you get late into the game, the game relies on puzzles and less battles. Is that true? I must say that this is a nice looking game and if I had a Wii, I would consider buying a used copy, however, after reading that this game is more puzzles than battles and the battling is too easy, I am starting to think maybe this game won't be so great. To date, I have only played "A Link to the Past" and that game was so-so in my opinion.

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  • side note...

    Posted: Nov 26, 2011 12:00AM PST by  octoberfleshed
    

    you should try Minish Cap, you may not like the Zelda style, but it was developed by Capcom and has a different feel to it (although the graphics look similar at first, this is deceiving dude, trust me).  To be honest though, I'm kind of a fanboy so if you're looking for a slightly less biased opinion it's tough to find one man.

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  • unfortunately yes, the bosses are easy

    Posted: Nov 26, 2011 12:00AM PST by  V4Viewtiful
    

    and fustrating at points i think it's because they were being generous with timing and reaction times of the average player, in that sense it's dumbed down. But the puzzles probably make up for it, they are far more thought provoking than before (for me anyway).

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• Minish Cap

  Posted: Nov 26, 2011 12:00AM PST by  Raised_on_Nintendo
  

  is an excellent game, especially if you like A Link to the Past.

  The one part about Skyward that makes it super easy is the dowsing ability.  I stopped using it because of that.

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• OOOOOH

  Posted: Dec 10, 2011 12:00AM PST by  octoberfleshed
  

  I think I've made it to the portion where Jose was saying the pacing is uneven....yeah, I can see where he's coming from with that.  I'm having an awesome time...have you had the chance to beat it yet Dave?