Nintendo Shows Off Improved Skyward Sword HD Motion Controls

Posted on March 16 2021 by Andrew Millard

Unleash your sword with the right Joy-Con and raise your shield with the left Joy-Con! In The Legend of #Zelda: #SkywardSwordHD the original controls have been recreated on #NintendoSwitch, and are smoother and more intuitive than the original version. pic.twitter.com/ouC5CajoSN
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 15, 2021

Nintendo is touting more specific, “smoother and more intuitive” motion controls for Skyward Sword HD. On March 15, the Nintendo of America Twitter account reposted a short video from last month’s Nintendo Direct that showed the relationship between Joy-Con movement and on-screen action. The gameplay footage, with an inset crop of the player’s movements, shows a fairly relaxed range of motion and a clear 1:1 relationship between the real-life action and Link’s animations.

One of the more prominent complaints about the motion controls on Wii was a disconnect between input and animation. The video in the tweet shows a better connection between the player and Link. Featured motions include raising Link’s shield and slashing horizontally, vertically, and at a rising diagonal.

From my experience, the most common disconnect came when trying to charge a Skyward Strike, which is not featured in the video. However, if Nintendo has dialed in the Y-axis, the Skyward Strike should also be improved.

Have you made up your mind to play Skyward Sword HD with either motion controls or button-only? Will you try one before the other when it comes out on July 16? Let us know in the comments how this video compares to your expectations or past experience.

Source: Nintendo of America