The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is out next week for Nintendo Switch. It’s a remake of the original Wii game. The game required a Wii Remote add-on because it was so advanced. The title absolutely smashed it on the Wii, pushing the console to its limits. On the Switch, the remaster isn’t going to push things that far, but it certainly looks a lot better. The main thing that this remaster will do though is bring the game back into relevancy for just a small window of time. It’ll be all anyone with a Switch is talking about, and that means that it’s so much more worth buying and playing than any other Switch game at the time.
In Skyward Sword, players take on the story of the Master Sword’s origins. Link lives in a place above the clouds of Hyrule, it’s almost the antithesis of Windwaker because it’s still a sea, just a sea of clouds you’re living on. You’ll traverse the clouds on a giant bird, but Hyrule is still accessible by dropping through said clouds. If you look at Skyward Sword and then the trailer for Breath of the Wild 2, there’s actually a decent comparison to make, meaning that you’ll likely need knowledge of this game before the next new entry in the Zelda franchise.
The Switch version will be even more accessible than the Wii version. While the Wii sold well, it was still a home console. The Switch can be taken out of the house and anywhere you go, meaning you can play Zelda literally anywhere. This has only previously been possible with Breath of the Wild or the Game Boy Zelda entries, and Skyward Sword’s mechanics are far more advanced than those retro releases. Everything about this game feels and looks fabulous, and Zelda fans are doing themselves a disservice by not playing it.
Here’s the bottom line, this is an old Zelda title, but it sets up a lot of the story that you’ll know if you’ve played other games. It’s got charming visuals, a banging soundtrack, and should be essential for all Switch fans. don’t play anything else until you’ve conquered this game.