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A thread debating love-it-or-hate-it opinions on The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii, released 2011) popped up on 5ch’s hardware/industry (Geha) board. The game tends to be regarded as one of the lower-selling, lower-rated entries in the Zelda series, but the thread saw plenty of praise for its story, puzzles, and the Timeshift Stone gimmick. On the other hand, the sticking points were: the sword-swinging motion controls via the Wii MotionPlus Remote being a love-it-or-hate-it feature, the claustrophobic feeling created by turning even the overworld fields into dungeon-like spaces, and the high difficulty of the early boss “Ghirahim.” Opinions were also split on the historical question of which game marked the series’ turning point.
What people said
Sales-wise and critically it's kind of middling
I love it, which makes that a little sad
It's just always the first one brought up whenever people talk about Zelda's weaker entries
I love it, which makes that a little sad
It's just always the first one brought up whenever people talk about Zelda's weaker entries
I love it for the tear-jerker story
Re: #2
Yeah, the story's great
Isn't this the only one in the series that's basically a school story?
Yeah, the story's great
Isn't this the only one in the series that's basically a school story?
Back then, not being able to get your hands on a MotionPlus Remote was absolute hell
Re: #5
Re: #10
The sword-swing motion controls really depended on the person and your setup
I found the trick and got into the groove with it,
but I bet people who couldn't get a feel for it just got frustrated
Re: #10
The sword-swing motion controls really depended on the person and your setup
I found the trick and got into the groove with it,
but I bet people who couldn't get a feel for it just got frustrated
My room was too small to play it comfortably
The bird-flying system was a pain
Re: #14
The whole "descending from the sky to the surface below" setup and premise was appealing,
but there was no warping, so getting around was a hassle…
The whole "descending from the sky to the surface below" setup and premise was appealing,
but there was no warping, so getting around was a hassle…
Controls are garbage, but the story and the Timeshift Stone gimmick were great, so I rate it decently
Re: #17
Maybe it's thanks to the Timeshift Stones, but the desert area is genuinely fun
The Sandship especially gets high praise — making a ship itself into a dungeon stage was a fresh idea
The Ancient Cistern in the Faron region is great too
The Buddhist-style theme — heaven above, hell below, with an Asura-like boss — was striking, and compared to the usual water dungeons in the series (which tend to spike in difficulty), this one was easy to understand and easy to clear
Maybe it's thanks to the Timeshift Stones, but the desert area is genuinely fun
The Sandship especially gets high praise — making a ship itself into a dungeon stage was a fresh idea
The Ancient Cistern in the Faron region is great too
The Buddhist-style theme — heaven above, hell below, with an Asura-like boss — was striking, and compared to the usual water dungeons in the series (which tend to spike in difficulty), this one was easy to understand and easy to clear
My rating is "couldn't even clear it"
Even watching walkthrough videos didn't help
I wish they'd built in some kind of shortcut
Even watching walkthrough videos didn't help
I wish they'd built in some kind of shortcut
The dungeons are top-tier for the series, honestly
It's just that a lot of people hate dungeons
And Breath of the Wild proved that
It's just that a lot of people hate dungeons
And Breath of the Wild proved that
Re: #22
Were the dungeons hard?
Re: #23
Every temple was fun, but I get why that dense, high-quality puzzle design isn't for everyone.
Were the dungeons hard?
Re: #23
Every temple was fun, but I get why that dense, high-quality puzzle design isn't for everyone.
Re: #23
You think so?
I don't really remember much besides that paradise-and-hell-looking place
You think so?
I don't really remember much besides that paradise-and-hell-looking place
I was blown away by Tears of the Kingdom, so I went and played Skyward Sword, and I was shocked to find out it's rated so low
Re: #25
Just being a Zelda game raises the bar massively
If a third-party studio put out something at this level, it'd be huge news
Just being a Zelda game raises the bar massively
If a third-party studio put out something at this level, it'd be huge news
Re: #25
Well, if the controls don't click with you it's rough going
I bet a lot of people just can't get it to move the way they want
Personally I think it's got the most exhilarating combat in the series though
Well, if the controls don't click with you it's rough going
I bet a lot of people just can't get it to move the way they want
Personally I think it's got the most exhilarating combat in the series though
Out of that first trio of brats, that one little punk has such an awful personality I can't forgive him
I made sure to stick him with the ghost (a side-quest prank you can pull on him)
I made sure to stick him with the ghost (a side-quest prank you can pull on him)
I played the HD remaster, which fixed up the controls and let you use a Pro Controller, but the controls still weren't great, and on Wii the Remote was heavy too, so I get why sales weren't great
You're forced to go back to Sky Keep twice because of the story, and since there's no open plain, the surface map feels narrower than usual
I've listed a lot of complaints, but personally this is a title I like
Maybe it's because there aren't that many story-critical characters, but I like a lot of the cast
Re: #27
Both Bud and the bug-loving guy get scenes that make you warm to them as you progress through the story and side stories
You're forced to go back to Sky Keep twice because of the story, and since there's no open plain, the surface map feels narrower than usual
I've listed a lot of complaints, but personally this is a title I like
Maybe it's because there aren't that many story-critical characters, but I like a lot of the cast
Re: #27
Both Bud and the bug-loving guy get scenes that make you warm to them as you progress through the story and side stories
Re: #30
I got stuck on the Silent Realms
Walkthrough videos were completely useless for those
I got stuck on the Silent Realms
Walkthrough videos were completely useless for those
Re: #37
I get it. I had fun with it myself, but
the sudden shift from slow, methodical puzzle-solving to demanding quick, agile character control was pretty abrupt
And that BGM is bad for your heart too
I get it. I had fun with it myself, but
the sudden shift from slow, methodical puzzle-solving to demanding quick, agile character control was pretty abrupt
And that BGM is bad for your heart too
The whole "densely packed" concept ends up feeling more like reused assets, if anything
And the hand-holding is awful — how dumb do they think the player is?
And the hand-holding is awful — how dumb do they think the player is?
Re: #43
Fi talking about absolutely everything
was kind of a unique thing for the series, yeah.
Feels like the amount of text just ballooned in proportion to how detailed the dungeons and story got
Fi talking about absolutely everything
was kind of a unique thing for the series, yeah.
Feels like the amount of text just ballooned in proportion to how detailed the dungeons and story got
It's a transitional game from traditional Zelda to the open-air style, so it ends up being an unusual entry
The strength of the story saves it though
The strength of the story saves it though
Re: #45
My understanding is that Breath of the Wild is where the Zelda elements that had hit a wall in Skyward Sword got reconsidered
I do think it was the trigger that made them go all the way back to the original Zelda
My understanding is that Breath of the Wild is where the Zelda elements that had hit a wall in Skyward Sword got reconsidered
I do think it was the trigger that made them go all the way back to the original Zelda
Re: #49
Wasn't "rethinking the givens" a thing that started with Skyward Sword?
The one that definitely hit a wall was Twilight Princess
It went back to Ocarina of Time and got stuck trying to surpass Ocarina of Time
Wasn't "rethinking the givens" a thing that started with Skyward Sword?
The one that definitely hit a wall was Twilight Princess
It went back to Ocarina of Time and got stuck trying to surpass Ocarina of Time
Re: #55
Was that how it went?
I'd never heard that "rethinking what's standard for Zelda" thing until Maone brought it up in 2014, after Skyward Sword.
That was news to me.
https://youtu.be/VDe0do1Cq9U
They kept repeating it in the Breath of the Wild developer videos too.
https://youtu.be/B4bHdcQnzjU
Was that how it went?
I'd never heard that "rethinking what's standard for Zelda" thing until Maone brought it up in 2014, after Skyward Sword.
That was news to me.
https://youtu.be/VDe0do1Cq9U
They kept repeating it in the Breath of the Wild developer videos too.
https://youtu.be/B4bHdcQnzjU
Breath of the Wild is undeniably the best
You don't have to do the parts you can't handle
If you free either Daruk or Urbosa, you can beat the final boss and see the ending even if you're bad at the controls
Re: #55
I think the rethink started from A Link Between Worlds (lit. "Triforce of the Gods 2")
For Skyward Sword it was Fujibayashi joining the team, field-dungeons, and the clear-assist (videos) (which were pointless)
You don't have to do the parts you can't handle
If you free either Daruk or Urbosa, you can beat the final boss and see the ending even if you're bad at the controls
Re: #55
I think the rethink started from A Link Between Worlds (lit. "Triforce of the Gods 2")
For Skyward Sword it was Fujibayashi joining the team, field-dungeons, and the clear-assist (videos) (which were pointless)
In terms of puzzles and dungeons, this was the most fun entry for me
But nearly every location feels like a dungeon, which creates a claustrophobic feel and weakens the sense of adventure
Also, among the 3D Zelda games this one leans pretty heavily into action, so it might not click for a lot of people
But nearly every location feels like a dungeon, which creates a claustrophobic feel and weakens the sense of adventure
Also, among the 3D Zelda games this one leans pretty heavily into action, so it might not click for a lot of people
Re: #60
Every surface stage being a dungeon means the pacing never really lets up for the player
Feels like the game is built in a way that wears you out while playing
Every surface stage being a dungeon means the pacing never really lets up for the player
Feels like the game is built in a way that wears you out while playing
The Ancient Cistern and the Sandship are incredibly well put together
Re: #60
I feel you
Re: #60
I feel you
I got so hyped during the first Ghirahim fight that I landed an iaido slash on my cup and cut it clean in half
My wife chewed me out so hard for it
My wife chewed me out so hard for it
Re: #64
The difficulty of that first Ghirahim fight is absolutely out of line lol
Sure, the sky and forest sections are basically the tutorial, so you've had more time swinging the sword than usual by then, but that's still way too hard for a first-boss slot lol
The difficulty of that first Ghirahim fight is absolutely out of line lol
Sure, the sky and forest sections are basically the tutorial, so you've had more time swinging the sword than usual by then, but that's still way too hard for a first-boss slot lol
Since even the fields you cross to reach a temple were turned into dungeons, you're basically puzzle-solving nonstop
For puzzle lovers that's a "hell yeah," but I get why it'd feel like a drag too
For puzzle lovers that's a "hell yeah," but I get why it'd feel like a drag too
Re: #73
Right, right, that's probably exactly why it feels so claustrophobic
And the sky is supposed to be the breather point, but honestly it feels pretty flavorless
The sea in Wind Waker felt like it actually worked as that kind of space, though
Right, right, that's probably exactly why it feels so claustrophobic
And the sky is supposed to be the breather point, but honestly it feels pretty flavorless
The sea in Wind Waker felt like it actually worked as that kind of space, though
The strain it puts on your arm, man
Re: #74
Just point the Remote downward or swing it at whatever angle is comfortable
You don't need to aim at the screen, so it's actually easier that way
Just point the Remote downward or swing it at whatever angle is comfortable
You don't need to aim at the screen, so it's actually easier that way
Re: #81
I thought the item-rental system they came up with for A Link Between Worlds was a great idea
Playing Skyward Sword makes you want the Clawshot or the Bow early on anyway
I thought the item-rental system they came up with for A Link Between Worlds was a great idea
Playing Skyward Sword makes you want the Clawshot or the Bow early on anyway
Re: #81
The rental system felt kind of lackluster to me, honestly
Giving you almost every item from the start just made each individual dungeon feel thinner than in previous games
Though that experiment presumably led into Breath of the Wild later, so it wasn't wasted effort
The rental system felt kind of lackluster to me, honestly
Giving you almost every item from the start just made each individual dungeon feel thinner than in previous games
Though that experiment presumably led into Breath of the Wild later, so it wasn't wasted effort
For Ghirahim, for example, if you point to the upper right first,
then swing further out, past the edge of the TV screen, up toward the upper right as if slashing, Link does a lower-left to upper-right sword slash that gets through without being guarded.
But as a player movement, it feels like you're slashing at empty air off to the side, so it's really not intuitive at all
then swing further out, past the edge of the TV screen, up toward the upper right as if slashing, Link does a lower-left to upper-right sword slash that gets through without being guarded.
But as a player movement, it feels like you're slashing at empty air off to the side, so it's really not intuitive at all
Re: #84
I'd turn my wrist to the right to get Ghirahim to guard on his right side,
then forcefully swing both hands further right to pull off a clockwise spin slash and hit him from the left to take him down
It put a ridiculous amount of strain on my wrist, but that was the only way I could figure out
I'd turn my wrist to the right to get Ghirahim to guard on his right side,
then forcefully swing both hands further right to pull off a clockwise spin slash and hit him from the left to take him down
It put a ridiculous amount of strain on my wrist, but that was the only way I could figure out
Background and Key Points of the Debate
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was released for Wii in 2011, with sword-swinging motion controls via the Wii MotionPlus Remote as its main selling point. In 2021, the Switch HD remaster added the option to use button controls instead. What split opinion in the thread was whether those motion controls felt “exhilarating” or simply had “bad controls,” and how people felt about the “claustrophobic” sensation created by turning even the overworld fields into dungeon-like spaces. Opinions also clashed over which game marked the turning point where the series had stagnated and needed rethinking — some pointed to this title, others to Twilight Princess — and that point should be read as a difference of interpretation among 5ch posters rather than settled fact. Overall, the dungeons and the Timeshift Stone gimmick were rated highly, with complaints concentrated mainly on the controls and the hassle of getting around.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and summaries of the 5ch (Hardware/Industry [Geha]) thread “Is there really nobody who likes Zelda: Skyward Sword?“
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