The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Is Coming to the Nintendo Switch on July 16

During the February 17th Nintendo Direct, The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma popped up to announce that an HD version of Skyward Sword will be released for the Nintendo Switch on July 16, 2021! The game originally released on the Nintendo Wii in 2011, ten whole years prior.

Most games on the Nintendo Wii focused on motion controls performed with the Wii-mote and the connected Wii nunchuk. For example, in the original 2011 Skyward Sword, a player had to swing the Wii-mote a certain direction to get Link to swing the Master Sword the same way. On the Nintendo Switch, those motion controls have returned for Skyward Sword HD while using both Joy-Cons instead. Aonuma promises that “the controls here are smoother and even more intuitive” thanks to the greater processing power of the Switch.

Some people weren’t fans of playing a Zelda game with motion controls in 2011. It even proved to be a deal breaker when it came to purchasing the game. Fret not! Skyward Sword HD will also feature “button-only controls,” so that players won’t have to swing or move Joy-Cons at all. Tilting a control stick in a direction will translate to Link swinging his sword that way.

Writer’s opinion: I played through Skyward Sword when it first came out. I don’t remember disliking the motion controls. I think there were only a few instances, like boss fights, where not getting the timing right was frustrating. Overall, having to swing my controls throughout the game made me feel that the combat was more intense and rewarding.

In other related news, a noticeable portion of Nintendo fans didn’t appreciate the Skyward Sword HD reveal. When Aonuma appeared on screen during the Nintendo Direct, many expected his appearance meant something new was about to be unveiled about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. And were greatly disappointed when that was not the case. For example, one fan on Facebook replied to a Kotaku article about the disappointment, saying “Nintendo I love you but don't leave me hanging like this it's breaking my heart. You could gave given us something, ANYTHING related to BOTW2 and it would have been much better.”

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The Feb 17th Nintendo Direct marked nearly 2 years since the last full length Nintendo Direct, and it came with plenty other game announcements to enjoy. Below are a few favorites.

(image source: Business Wire press release)