What do you Love about Skyward Sword?

Hello Zelda fans. Minish Pants here, with the first of hopefully many articles discussing our favorite parts of particular Zelda games. I’ve decided to start with Skyward Sword, as it is the freshest in my mind. I will eventually get around to all of them, in no particular order (unless a commenter asks nicely!) as I replay each game. The goal with these articles is to focus on the positive, and discuss amongst each other the best of each game. Even if you completely hate the game discussed, try to think of things about it that you liked. For instance, I’m not a particularly big fan of Phantom Hourglass, but when I get to writing about it, I will focus on the game’s strengths rather than weaknesses; what it did right, not what it did wrong. It’s fun to debate the flaws of Zelda and which games are better than others, but let’s remind ourselves why we love these games so much. Hit the jump to see what I felt were the best moments of Skyward Sword!

Upgrading Items

Treasure hunting has been a staple of Zelda games since the original NES classic. Rupees, bombs, and recovery hearts have been there since the very beginning. As the series continued to evolve and expand, more collectibles, such as magic jars and arrows, were introduced. Now, treasure hunting has become even more fun and rewarding! For the most part, rupees are the currency of the series. The practice of upgrading items by simply exchanging rupees to a shopkeeper is nice and easy, but depending on how easy it is to collect all those rupees, you may not feel like you accomplished much, or really even deserved the upgrade.

Searching far and wide for the more specific trinkets is not only fun, but extremely rewarding once you’ve collected the combination you need. Upgrading that irritatingly slow Beetle to a quicker, tougher one may not be necessary, but it sure is useful. The same goes for the Scattershot and Big Bug Net. Collecting these trinkets would be much more of a chore if it was a necessity (which it is in rare instances, i.e. restoring Gondo’s robot), but they can be acquired at your own pace, and can be completely ignored if you choose not to go out of your way for them. This is a system I would love to see in future games, for sure.

Getting %#$&@slapped by Ghirahim

I only discovered this about three weeks ago, and for some reason, I think it’s hilarious. During the first Ghirahim battle (it may work in the other two, but I haven’t tried it), let Ghirahim walk right up to you, and don’t attack him. Watch as he backhands you across the face. I guess I love this so much because it’s such a weak move for such a powerful, intimidating foe. He can teleport, conjure swords and projectiles, stop your sword in mid-swing… basically, he could kill you where you stand. But he wants you to fight back. So he %#$&@slaps you. It’s just hysterical. He not only looks like someone who would do that, but doing so is the first step to engaging someone in a duel. But instead of using a glove, Ghirahim uses his steel arms, like a true gentleman. It cracks me up every time.

Timeshift Stones and Timeshift Orbs

These nifty doodads provide some very unique and interesting puzzles. Time travel is not a new mechanic in Zelda lore, but this take on the subject certainly makes it feel fresh. Instead of traveling between time periods, Link can view two at the same time. Heck, he can stand in both at the same time. I loved navigating Lanayru Desert with these devices. Landscapes and enemies change depending on the time period, and time itself is literally in your hands. This seems like a mechanic that could possibly return, and for me, it would surely be a welcome one.

Using the Groosenator

I think we can all agree that Groose was an awesome character, and one of the most dynamic in Zelda history. Funny, useful, and arrogant, Groose was chock-full of potential; and we weren’t let down. He provides our favorite hero with a surprisingly helpful machine during the second and third Imprisoned fights. I, like many, find the second encounter with the beast to be the hardest, so it would be an understatement to say that Groose’s invention was handy. It was invaluable. To me, going after the Imprisoned’s toes is a suicide mission. It’s too risky and irritating to have to constantly catch up with his lengthy footsteps. I’ve always approached him by sailing to the level above and jumping on his head. However, he will shake you off. That’s when the Groosenator becomes essential. Bomb the behemoth, and jump on his head while he’s stunned. The battle will be a cakewalk and your life will be a lot easier.

Item Retrieval Mission

I can see where players hate being stripped of their powers, weapons, and abilities. It certainly makes things more difficult, but that’s what I like about it. Missions like this remind us that Link is more than a weapon-wielding powerhouse who easily plows through weak enemies. When Link finds himself in this kind of situation, the roles are reversed. It’s time to go into stealth mode! Now, I understand that many gamers can find stealth missions boring and tedious, but to me, using your wits instead of your muscles can be a nice change of pace, adding to a game’s versatility.

What I particularly like about this mission is that you’re not completely powerless until it’s over. You gradually reacquire your inventory, making progressing easier and faster. I’m sure many players were relieved to find the bulk of their items remaining in one chest, but honestly, I wouldn’t have minded if the mission went further. Ironically, however, I hate the stealth portions of Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. They’re just patience killers, and to me, those moments are about as plain as a stealth mission can get. Here, you need to take certain paths, retrieve items in a particular order, and sort of play a detective role.

Thunder Dragon’s Lightning Round

Well it’s about time! Finally, an open world game since Majora’s Mask decides to allow players to challenge bosses without starting the game over again! (Unless you count Ocarina of Time 3D, of course). I was so happy when I got to this part of the game. Not only was I going to get the unbreakable Hylian Shield, but I was going to have fun doing it! There are certainly bosses in the game that I dislike, but there plenty that I do like. Bosses are possibly my favorite part of the Zelda series, and I doubt too many fans were disappointed when they found out they would have to go through a boss gauntlet to obtain the game’s strongest shield. And if they were, it was probably only because they would have to face the Imprisoned at least twice in the same half hour.

Future Zelda games should take a note from this one, but a boss gauntlet doesn’t necessarily have to be part of the main game and therefore worked into the story, no matter how convenient. Just give us a new option on the file select screen, like in Banjo-Tooie. I’m sure I speak for most (if not all) Zelda fans when I say that we love bosses, and would love to replay them at anytime. Make it happen, Nintendo!

The Demise Duel

I know I’ve said in the past that the Wind Waker Ganondorf fight was my all-time favorite final boss battle… but I may have to reconsider that opinion. Everything about this battle was epic as well. Certainly, there was plenty at stake when fighting Ganondorf as Hyrule drowned, but I feel that you cared a little more about defeating Demise. He possessed a cockiness that Ganondorf didn’t relish in quite as much. Ganondorf has attempted intimidating Link in past games, but Demise made it clear to Link that he was just a human, and didn’t stand a chance against the titan. He went even further by telling Link that after he was through with him, he was going to kill his loved ones. Wow. Now that’s a final boss!

The fight itself culminates with everything you’ve learned with your sword. No other items necessary; a true duel. Once you familiarize yourself with his pattern of attacks, Demise can actually be one of the easiest bosses in the game. Nevertheless, I never get sick of this fight. It’s my favorite of the game (second MAYBE to the Ghirahim fight in the Fire Sanctuary), and that final blow with a lightning-charged Master Sword is truly epic and memorable. It is arguably Link’s finest moment in the series.

What do you all think? Do you agree or disagree with the list? What were your favorite Skyward Sword moments? Comment below, and let’s talk about it!