Test The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD : plus belle la Wii sur Nintendo Switch ?

Ten years after its release on Wii, Nintendo is relaunching The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, in HD version, on Nintendo Switch. A good idea yes, but….

Test The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD : plus belle la Wii sur Nintendo Switch ? View PriceRead ConclusionThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

The artistic direction
Full of good ideas
The soundtrack
Les prémices de Breath of the Wild

The “classic” gameplay, imprecise and complex…
Some textures and 3D models that really sting the eyes…
The first hours of play, quite heavy…
A few passages that are little or not at all inspired

Almost ten years ago, Nintendo launched a certain Skyward Sword on Wii, a new episode in The Legend of Zelda saga. If Twilight Princess had accompanied the launch of the console in 2006, Skyward Sword wanted to be the farewell gift of the one that would be replaced a few months later by the Wii U (but yes, the Wii U, remember…). An opus with a rather singular design, but which also imposed (and above all!) Nintendo's famous "motion gaming", with the Wiimote Plus (or the little Wii Motion Plus) to direct the sword of Link. An episode that divided many fans, and which clearly serves as “unloved”, with Zelda II: The Adventure of Link on NES.

I am the unloved….

Indeed, unlike all the other games before it, Skyward Sword was the first game in the license to use motion gaming exclusively. Unlike an Ocarina of Time, a Wind Waker or a Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword required playing the Wiimote (Plus) and Nunchuk, and gesticulating in front of your screen to kick your sword, to protect yourself with the shield , and to perform many actions. A heresy for many players, who then immediately decided to shun this opus.

Added to this was an overall very weak achievement technically speaking… Indeed, we are then at the end of 2011, the PS3 is celebrating its fifth anniversary, the Xbox 360 its sixth, and Nintendo is offering us a game that is certainly very artistically accomplished. speaking, but also stuffed with aliasing, textures from another era and a cruel lack of detail... Elements that again convinced many players, including fans of the saga, to make the dead end on this opus.

And it's a shame in a way, since Skyward Sword is a very successful episode in terms of the artistic direction, as we said, but it also shines with its narration. It is this episode that allows us to understand in particular the origin of the Triforce, but also of the famous legendary sword. A "Zeldaic genesis" in a way, that Nintendo wanted to relaunch on Nintendo Switch, with the hope of reaching a greater number of players this time. Indeed, for the first time, Skyward Sword offers “classic” gameplay, without going through the motion gaming box. However, transposing 100% gestural gameplay into traditional gameplay has not been smooth, and you risk complaining quite often about the playability of this Skyward Sword “but on Switch”.

You wanted to see Célesbourg and we saw Célesbourg

For the record, Skyward Sword allows players to know "how it all began", since it is the oldest story in the chronology of The Legend of Zelda series. A title that allows you to find a young knight (Link by default, but who you can rename), who lives peacefully in the domain of the heavens, in Célesbourg, with his childhood friend, Zelda. Quickly, this same knight will have to mount his celestrier (a giant bird) and arm himself with courage, a sword and a shield, to explore the continent "under the clouds" and try to save his friend.

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As always, the first steps in the adventure are very (very) guided, and the first hour of play is not necessarily thrilling. It nevertheless allows you to immediately visualize the "up to date" touted by Nintendo, starting with a new HD display of course. At this level, don't expect a miracle from this Skyward Sword, the game remains very pleasant from a strictly artistic point of view, with a majestic level design and nicely worked characters, but the game retains this "old-fashioned" side that will make more than one squint, with very often textures and other 3D models that seriously sting the eyes.

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Moreover, if (like me) you were eager to discover the “classic” gameplay of this Skyward Sword HD, then you will have to quickly break some habits. Indeed, Nintendo does indeed offer “all new button commands”, to play in the traditional way, but it will then be necessary to assimilate many key combinations. For example, to manage the camera, you can use the ZR key, which will allow you to put the camera behind the hero (and lock an enemy/character), but you can also use the right stick... provided you simultaneously press the key L.

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Indeed, via a controller or on Nintendo Switch Lite, the maneuverability of the sword is imperatively carried out via the right analog stick. This allows you to wield the sword with (more or less) precision of course, but it also prevents you from freely managing the camera, without having to hold down another key for that. And this is only one ergonomic problem among many others…. Fortunately, it is possible to play this Skyward Sword in another way (unless you play on Nintendo Switch Lite of course…).

To enjoy in joy-con mode?

Quite painful to play in "classic" mode, Skyward Sword HD has not abandoned the motion gaming side which was its own in 2011. Indeed, it is quite possible here to opt for Nintendo Wii-style gameplay, in holding the Switch joy-cons in each hand. And we have to admit that the whole thing immediately seems more "natural".

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Via the right hand, we direct the sword of our hero, while the joy-con held in the left hand allows in particular to ensure the movements and to handle the shield. By opting for this mode of playability, we therefore avoid tedious manipulations and the gym of the fingers imposed by the “classic” mode. In addition, here we have the possibility of managing the camera freely via the right analog stick, which completely changes the situation. But we find ourselves in the same position as in 2011, with the same question: “Do I really want to gesticulate in all directions to play a Zelda? »

Admittedly, the movements remain (relatively) precise on the whole and we manage to evolve without too much trouble (and it's even rather nice at times), but it's a safe bet that those who shunned this Zelda there is ten years old due to incompatibility with motion gaming, will have no desire to stuff themselves with this same gameplay in 2021.

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The "neophytes", namely those who have not experienced the launch of this Skyward Sword on Nintendo Wii, will no doubt be delighted to be able to enjoy the gameplay that has been designed for it, while enjoying a visually optimized version. The "old" (and allergic to motion gaming) will probably opt for the standard control mode, but it's a safe bet that some (re) let go of the pad prematurely, the fault of many manipulations not always very "natural" nor practical, except of course if you have eight fingers on each hand.

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We advise all the same to the most irreducible of the pad to try despite everything the adventure in "joy-con" mode, because even if the whole thing is not very precise (and often requires recalibrating the right joy-con by pressing the "Y" key), the gameplay is pleasantly surprising, and we can only see how much this Zelda has been designed for motion gaming, with the added bonus here of the free camera on the right stick.

A draft of Breath of the Wild and comfort improvements

For the rest, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD obviously remains identical to the episode launched in 2011, with its qualities and its weaknesses, not to mention a somewhat painful start and some cumbersome quests, especially before entering a dungeon. Added to this is a "two-step" design, and it will take a little patience before you really enjoy the epic side of this Zelda.

Note that those who have absolutely never touched this Skyward Sword, but who have spent dozens of hours of pleasure on Breath of the Wild, will undoubtedly be both surprised and delighted to see how much this opus of 2011 served as a "draft" for the Zelda that accompanied the launch of the Nintendo Switch in March 2017.

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We find there in particular this fairly similar stylistic touch, this fairly “open” side, but also (and above all) the hero’s endurance gauge, crafting or even weapons and objects to evolve, and which can be destroyed.

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The other good news is that Nintendo has nicely revised the character of Fay, this rather unbearable character who accompanied our hero in the 2011 game. In 2021, Fay is still there, but this kind of robotic spirit is now much less present, much less talkative, much less invasive. Phew!

Pressing the directional cross allows you to call on Fay, who can provide various advice, including the next destination. To this are also added other comfort optimizations, such as the possibility of accelerating the display of dialogues.

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Ultimately, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is an opus full of qualities, which was unfortunately shunned (the fault of motion gaming and a too late release in particular) by many players when it was released on Wii. On Nintendo Switch, the game obviously retains all its original qualities, with the added bonus of a small HD makeover which is always welcome despite some really ugly textures sometimes.

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Despite everything, the game still struggles to offer a convincing gaming experience if you don't play in "motion controls" mode, and we have to admit that it's quite (even very) frustrating for those who thought they could finally play "normally" this opus so maligned.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

On Nintendo Switch, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is getting a second chance, but it lacks a "classic" gameplay that is far too complex and a frankly outdated side visually speaking. Apart from a few “comfort” improvements, the background remains unchanged, and we therefore find in 2021 this Zelda as divisive as it is inventive, “but on Switch”.