The Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword: 10 Most Important Changes Made To The HD Releases

The latest HD remaster in the Legend Of Zelda franchise is for the Wii title Skyward Sword, which has been altered in several ways for its new rerelease on the Switch. Some of these changes are major improvements, while others are seemingly minor quality of life alterations that are valuable to players.

Players of the original Skyward Sword may want to return to the game simply to experience the story again, but others may be looking to see how much these changes impact the gameplay. Although some of these changes may prove controversial to fans of the Zelda franchise, they ultimately show how the series is changing since the game’s initial release.

10 HD Graphics

As suggested by its title, Skyward Sword HD has upgraded the game’s graphics to high-definition quality, making the characters and world of Hyrule and Skyloft more vibrant and defined. The game’s colorful art style is rendered in crisp new graphics in the Switch’s console and handheld form.

Running at a resolution of 1080p and a framerate of 60 FPS, this version of Skyward Sword is also up to date with more modern console gaming standards. New and returning players will both find the graphics refreshing, as the game feels less dated because of its new look.

9 Shortened Introduction

One frustration many gamers had with Skyward Sword upon its release was the lengthy introduction and tutorial sections on Skyloft. This has been greatly shortened in the new release of the game, offering optional features and removing unnecessary control reminders from Horwell.

Since many players will have likely played another Zelda or another third-person action game before, this reduced tutorial will allow fans to make it through the opening section quickly and easily. Players unfamiliar with this style of game, however, still have enough tutorial content to understand the gameplay.

8 Amiibo Fast Travel

In what is arguably the most controversial change for Skyward Sword HD, players can use the Zelda & Loftwing amiibo figure to fast travel to the sky from anywhere in Hyrule. Due to the additional cost of the amiibo figure, however, many players are frustrated at this change being placed behind a paywall.

While the game’s bird statues can still be used to fast travel to the sky, this feature is a major improvement that will not be available to every player of the remake. The backlash generated by this decision, though, may prevent similar features from appearing in the future of Zelda remasters.

7 Multiple Save Slots

The original Skyward Sword did not allow players to keep several saved games in storage at a single time, but the remaster changes this. In addition to an autosave slot, three different save slots are available for players to use, should they want to return to a certain section of the game.

This is especially useful for players who want to maintain a regular save slot alongside a Hero Mode (unlocked after Skyward Sword‘s story) save slot to maximize their ability to explore the post-game content. Even though there are only three slots available, this feature provides a major improvement to the game’s flexibility.

6 Less Repetitive Item Descriptions

The original Skyward Sword included a controversial feature when Link would pick up items that would show a description for every unique item retrieved after each save. This meant that players would have to read descriptions of common items like rupees repeatedly over the course of the game.

In the HD rerelease, the appearances of item descriptions have been greatly reduced, with the vast majority of items only showing their informative blurb in Link’s first encounter with them. Returning players are sure to notice the speed and fluidity this adds to the gameplay.

5 Autosaving

While bird statues are still majorly important to Skyward Sword HD‘s saving feature, players do not have to stop at each and every statue to save. The new implementation of the statues allows players to manually save at them as usual, but the game also autosaves whenever players pass near bird statues.

This feature allows players to move through the game more quickly and with fewer interruptions, which, combined with the other new features, provides a streamlined experience. Since so many games now rely on autosaving, the addition of the feature here also makes the game feel more modern.

4 Skippable Cutscenes & Dialogue

In the original Skyward Sword, cutscenes could only be skipped in Hero Mode, unlocked after players complete the main game, meaning everyone had to watch every cutscene fully at least once. Dialogue also could not be sped up or skipped, so many fans welcome the rerelease’s changes.

Returning players will be especially happy that cutscenes and dialogue can be skipped, as there may be some sections of the game that they do not want to watch or read through again. New players will also benefit from this addition if they find themselves accidentally trapped in a dialogue exchange.

3 More Control Over The Camera

In a third-person action game like Skyward Sword, camera movement is an important part of gameplay, and the HD rerelease frees up the original release’s camera. Previously fixed behind Link, the camera can now be moved all around the hero, allowing for more dynamic control over gameplay.

The HD rerelease’s new controls, however, make it so that players who are not using motion controls cannot move the camera and attack at the same time. Still, fans of the franchise are bound to be happy with the increased flexibility offered by this feature.

2 Fi Is Less Intrusive

Like many of Link’s assistants over the course of the Zelda series, Fi is a controversial figure in the fandom for her repetitive interruptions of gameplay. Skyward Sword HD answers these concerns by making Fi a less intrusive part of the game, often allowing players to choose when to hear her comments and tips.

Combined with the new ability to speed through and skip dialogue, this means that players will be able to listen to Fi only when they want or need her advice. Returning players are likely especially grateful for these changes, but all players will be able to essentially customize their experience with Fi.

1 A New Control Scheme

One of the major draws of the original Skyward Sword was its use of the Wii MotionPlus peripheral (one of many following the fad) for precise control over Link’s sword. This rerelease not only features enhanced motion controls for the Switch, but also an alternative control scheme with no motion controls for handheld play.

When the HD rerelease was announced, this was perhaps the most anticipated feature. Not only does it increase the ways that players can play the game on the Switch, but it also allows more flexibility for players who did not like the original release’s emphasis on motion controls.

About The Author

Jason Mecchi
(96 Articles Published)

Jason Mecchi is a list writer at Screen Rant. His passions in writing are film and popular culture. He has also written for Midstory. He loves animals, watching movies, reading, and playing video games.

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