13.12.2011

Firstly I'd like to review the controller that comes with this bundle. The design of the controller is truly special and beautiful, with a brilliant finish and feel, it suits the game perfectly... although I do have a few minor complaints... I would have preferred all the buttons to be gold rather than the mixture of white and gold buttons you get. And I wish their was a gold nunchuck to go with this rather handsome gold wiimote! The controller has motion plus (which is necessary to play this game) built in and is exactly alike to a regular wiimote in terms of dimensions whilst also having all the benefits of motion plus included, which is great seen as, in my opinion the original motion plus accessory was a little ugly.Secondly,the CD of music is brilliant, it is a shame there isn't more Skyward Sword music included on it mind, as some of the music in this game is brilliant and I'd love to be able to listen to them outside of the game but the CD is still a very nice addition to a brilliant package... the only complaint I have with CD is the case, I wish it came in a more substantial case, the included card slipcase feels a little like an afterthought and I would have much preferred something a little more fittingly luxurious.Right, on to the game! I have literally just finished the game within the past hour and I just HAD to write down my thought and try and promote in a small way the brilliance that is Skyward Sword. This is easily one of the greatest games I have ever played and demands to be played. (It is as simple as that... but, hey, I'll expand anyway!) It sets so many new benchmarks whilst simultaneously sticking to the tried and true Zelda formula to create an experience that is fresh, unique and engaging, in this respect it kind of reminds me of the evolution that Mario underwent with the release of Mario Galaxy 1 and 2.The game taken me around 47 hours to complete, and although it has a slow start and some pacing problems here and there, there is such a strong sense of place and a brilliant sense of discovery throughout that by the time the credits roll you feel as though you have been exploring a real psychical living breathing world that you truly care about and want to save. Hylia and Skyloft engrave themselves on your brain and mind and following your quest as Link is always engaging and full of character. Speaking of characters, although Skyward Sword only has a small number they are really brilliant and full of personality, especially Zelda. The enemies you face also have a brilliant sense of variation and feel as though they really belong within this world.---Graphics 10/10Some may turn their noses up at the looks of Skyward Sword, yes it kind of has an old fashioned look about it and yes it's on the graphically inferior Wii console but my god is it beautiful. The design is just sensational yet also very understated and effortless. The game has this beautiful watercolour feel to it and there are views that really take your breath away. How they got this out of the Wii is beyond me, all I can imagine is it taken a lot of man hours, and I for one am so happy they put this much effort into the design of this world because it really is a very important aspect of this game. Think a more cartoon and buffed Twilight Princess or a more detailed Wind Waker and you're only half way to knowing how beautiful this game looks and feels. The graphics feel very solid and real, as if everything is actually made of something rather than just a bunch of polygons stuck together.Story 9/10This is pretty much Zelda as you know it but Nintendo have to be applauded for expanding on their characters and creating a world that is livelier than any Zelda before it, with a story arch that is pretty much always engaging and interesting. My only complaint is that some amazing awe inspiring characters such as Levias don't feature more within the game. It would have been great to find out more about some of these characters... oh and there is way too much Groose...Sound & Music 9/10Aside from the lack of voice acting (which I personally don't care about) I haven't a single bad thing to say on this front, the music is brilliant and varied, the sound effects bright and clear. One of the standout moments of the whole game for me was the music in Skyloft for the first hour or so of gameplay, it's just lovely hearing these different tunes for the first time, and there is this short track with horns that is both ridiculous and unbelievably charming. Plus the way the music crossfades and changes colour in some of the dungeons dependent on where you are is a lovely subtle touch.Gameplay 10/10At first I was a little disappointed with the combat system in Skyward Sword but I think it was simply my expectations were too high and there is a learning curve to using the controls that takes a few hours to sink in. There are some camera issues throughout also and you will find yourself centering the view often throughout, after playing Mario Galaxy which has a truly amazing camera I was a bit disappointed with this old fashioned feel of the camera in Skyward Sword. But these issues are easy to forgive when you are going around this amazing world and acquiring lots of new tools that are almost all great to use. There is an upgrade system for your weapons and items, bugs and trinkets to collect, sacred stones to seek etc etc... it plays brilliantly and varied enough to feel fresh. The combat is great, there is always a multitude of ways you can go about defeating the enemies and they are always great to interact with. Combat often plays out almost like miniature puzzles and it really is a refreshing change to combat and sets a new benchmark for combat in videogames. The outer dungeon areas have so much to do in them that they often take as long if not longer than the dungeons themselves to get around, creating a very different pacing to other games in the franchise and I much prefer this new pacing. The design of the dungeons is truly masterful, they are amazing to traverse and delve further and further into, the puzzles are always puzzling and varied, asking you to continuously rethink your surroundings and the possible functions of the items in your tool belt.Skyward Sword is a truly brilliant game that demands to be played and absorbed, with an amazing combat system, set of enemies, characters, puzzles and dungeons. But what shines through most throughout this game is the sense of brilliant craftsmanship and design, they really put so much love and soul into this game and it really shines through throughout the whole 47 hours it takes to get to the end credits. This is possibly the most important and painstaking game Nintendo has created since Ocarina of Time and is one of the best games I have ever had the pleasure to play, thank you Nintendo for all the love and devotion you continuously show to the art of video gaming, and for sending off the Wii with such a beautiful swansong.

30.12.2011

Ever since I was introduced to Link's adventures via Majora and Ocarina I have played most of the Zelda series. Like most Zelda fans I eagerly awaited this new game, but with a little trepidation as I am not the world's best game player and dreaded such movement sensitive swordplay. My confidence was not bolstered by the first reviews I read on various gaming websites where people moaned at length about the motion sensitive sword play. Once I got the hang of it I found I loved it and it makes monster fights a bit more challenging. Though it is still possible to win many fights with general flailing around, it just takes a lot, lot longer than aiming a precision hit in the right direction.And there are many minor monsters who don't require any particular kind of sword strike to bite the dust. All boss fights need you to work out the best and most efficient tactics - sometimes both defense and attack - and I found it made the fights more fun. I'm not sure that once you've worked out the tactics needed that the boss fights are necessarily more difficult than previous Zelda games, but I didn't find one I didn't enjoy.Having found Twilight beautiful to look at but hard to play due to it's 'soft focus' and being one Zelda fan who loved the colours and effects of the cell shading of Wind Waker I think the graphics in Skyward are perfect as they combine the artistry and characterisation of Twilight and the vibrancy and clarity of Wind Waker. The music is also gorgeous, with a marvellous depth due to it being fully orchestrated. The game has a fabulous storyline, colourful characters, lots of sidequests and a lot of humour. It is choc full of familiar themes, tunes, items and activities, but not always necessarily in a way you might expect. You sometimes come across something you think you know how exactly how it is going to work only to be completely wrong footed.I suspect like most people I rarely give top marks to a game, but Ocarina was one such game (despite the rather clunky way you had to equip and remove the iron boots in The Water Temple!). With the technology available and compared to all before it for me it was aperfect game in every way - the boots were just a bit annoying, not a hindrance or massive annoyance. So for me Ocarina is the benchamrk against which I judge all (Zelda) games. And I really hoped I could give Skyward a 10/10 as well, but I can't.Unlike many of the other reviews I have read in various places it is not because of the motion control, which I love. It is because of:-(1) the endless number of times you have to go through the same conversations with people when buying or selling items. These are clunky, extremely annoying and there is no way to skip them! Each sale or purchase is also very inefficient, you can't browse all items in a shop, for example, you have to inspect each one individually with the attendant repeat conversation with the shopkeeper each time. And then if you want more than one purchase of the same item you can't just ask for multiples you have to go through the same rigmarole each time for each item. Selling stuff isn't much better - you can sell in lots of 1, 5 or everything so if you want to sell anything between 1 and 5 or between 5 and everything you have to trudge through multiple sales and their attendant conversations - sigh!;(2) Most items, including potions, can be improved upon only this time you do it by gathering various materials. I'm still undecided about this. This is something I love in games like World of Warcraft, for example, but in Zelda I think I like just getting the upgrades as rewards. Equipment items are upgraded permanently, but potions are not so if you need more of any given top notch brew you need the materials to upgrade the basic potions as these are the only ones you can buy;(3) Whilst key items are with Link all the time, there are other important items which can only be carried in a pouch with a limited number of slots. As with the upgrade system I am not sure yet whether I liked this or not. You make Link effectively more offensive or defensive depending on what you carry with you and some items have no fight value at all so have limited value in a dungeon, for example. I'm not sure I wanted to spend time pondering what I needed to cart round with me at any given time; and(4) My final thumbs down I'm afraid is a technical one - something I didn't think I would ever hear myself saying about a Zelda game! After many hours happy playing I got to a quest which had to be done in three parts and did not specify any particular order. All well and good, so as I need materials from the desert area I decided to kill two birds with one stone and go materials collecting and questing at the same time. Everything seemed fine until I tried to fulfill the other two parts of the quest. Nothing seemed to be triggered when I went into the relevant areas until I was eventually forced to do the one thing I hate to do on the first run through of a game - I went and looked on the net. And what did I find? A game breaking bug caused by a particular sequence of events triggered if you begin this quest in the desert area, as I had done. I had indeed done the exact sequence necessary to cause my progress in the game to grind to a halt, which explained why nothing ever happened in the other two areas. I was astonished, annoyed and frustrated. Skyward is quite a long (and expensive) game and this quest is near the end. At the time of writing there is a Japanese bug fix, but nothing in Europe. The bug can be avoided by doing the desert region last on this quest (don't want to add details as these will spoil the game for many) or by saving your progress so far in another save slot and not writing over this 2nd save file until the whole quest is complete. Then if you do trigger the bug you can at least go back to this other file and do the quest in a different order.Despite my gripes I would atill give this game a 9/10 and I would strongly recommend this game as it is a lot of fun, totally immersive and a great addition to the Zelda series.

18.11.2011

It's been a bit of a wild month hasn't it? Flying around the streets of Arkham City, Escaping sinking ships in Uncharted, gunning down your 'mates' in Modern Warfare/Battlefield and exploring the vast world of Skyrim. All of them were fun, however seemed to be preparation for Nintendo's latest masterpiece. 15 hours in and I'm taking a break from traipsing the land to provide this review. (Hey. I know it's day one of the official release but it's still more than what a lot of other games are offering.)The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has been met with (almost) universal critical acclaim, it was the game the Wii was invented for. Using Motion Controls you feel like you are controlling Link's actions,failure and satisfaction is put onto your shoulders. Swing the motion-plus horizontally and Link will do a Horizontal slash, same goes for vertical, diagonal. Even Link's Spin attack is included (don't worry. You don't have to spin.) meaning the action comes down to you. It sounds difficult yes? Not at all. Unlike a lot of other games I found the motion controls a great deal easier to use than with a controller. It's actually quite difficult to imagine playing the game with a controller. A feat that most other Wii games cannot proclaim.You aren't only limited to Link's sword for the Motionplus. His whole adventure pack is compatible too! Firing a Slingshot requires you lining things up, Bombs you can either throw or bowl (that's right! The countless hours spent on Wii-Sports finally pay off.) and a Robotic Beetle that you can control using the Wii controller. All basic things but all of the little things make the game feel great. Most of the items are upgradeable too. Using items you find on your quest you can improve your shield and slingshots and many other items too.Enemies react to the angle of the sword, ensuring you aren't just flailing your arms around as with Twilight Princess, one would try to take them out as quick as possible but that isn't the case. Study them, watch how they work. Rush in and the game WILL punish you. You'll get used to enemy movements and learn to overcome them.A Stamina bar is present, running, climbing, rolling, even attacking will tire Link out gradually, allowing you to be more creative and conservative when running around or flailing your arms wildly at the game.The artwork. Feels like an artwork come alive, mountains and forests in the background become fluid. While you can see it's not quite as advanced as say, Uncharted is for the textures does it matter? Nintendo have shown that they can use what they have and provide a game more beautiful than most on the big HD consoles.The gameplay largely centres around the mysterious Surface with the town of Skyloft high in the sky above. Think Clock Town with the world surrounding. Each citizen is as interesting as the last. Cheerful Shopkeepers during the day show their unhappy side on a night, while some others just come out at night. Skyloft has plenty of stuff to do that you can just find yourself running around there for hours rather than the main game (I'm fond of throwing Cats off the side of the Island to the sky below myself)The Surface is broken down into three sections, Forest, Desert and Volcano, These sections then evolve and change as the game goes on as you search for Princess Zelda. The sections are large in themselves. Many feeling like you've traipsed through an entire dungeon before you've even reached the Dungeon itself. You'll find yourself returning to the Sky often to replenish supplies before tackling on the Dungeon itself. A lot of complaints I've heard are that the game is too linear. Not really sure where that has came from. Agreed that compared to Skyrim you don't have the freedom to explore but it's not nearly as linear as the likes of Uncharted or Final Fantasy XIII. Think Mario 64. You COULD go get that Star. But you could also just run around and do whatever you want. Once the game gets going there is nothing stopping you from doing what you wish. (There's even a side-quest that looks to rival the Golden Skulltula quest from Ocarina in longevity)The music is beautiful, familiar Zelda tunes alongside a new score will have you humming the tunes along before long. The usual Zelda charm is present with Link shouting as he swings his sword, girls giggling, others shouting 'hey!' it's proof that one does not need Voice Acting even in 2011. Not to mention the freebie CD you get free with both versions. If you are a Zelda fan I very strongly recommend you listen to this before playing the game. It's worth it. The CD includes the likes of Kakariko Village, Gerudo Valley and a Wind Waker melody among others.I should probably try to find some problems with the game but to be honest I'm really struggling to do that. At first I hated the flying since it seemed to be impossible but it quickly got a lot easier after I re-read the manual and noticing something I'd missed out haha. Sometimes when trying to centre the camera behind Link he'll instead target onto something. Slightly frustrating. Maybe the amount of Batteries I foresee me going through before I finish the game haha. I do think that the companion 'Fi' could be a little more helpful. A lot of the time when trying to get hints for a puzzle you'll get only a brief explanation of how the dungeon works.The game isn't perfect. But it's about as close to perfection as you can get.Overall the game is a dream to play. You can feel the love and hard work that has gone into it and it really does put a lot of the recent releases to shame. You won't be done with this in 10 hours. You probably won't even see the end in a few weeks. The Motion Controls won't be for everyone but they're pretty much a dream with little to no problems throughout what I've played. It's the cream of the crop of gaming. And few manage to come as close as this.

20.11.2011

Skyward Sword is simply a majestic experience, and certainly one of the best games I have ever played. The title above is the best way I can explain in short how I feel about this game. It truly does feel like you are privileged to experience Link's adventure, which becomes your personal adventure. It's one of those games where you easily forget that anybody else is playing the game, as it seems like it's just for you.First off I should say I'm a huge fan of the Zelda series. That doesn't mean, however, that I'm a fanboy who's blind to flaws. That said, of the 14 hours or so of Skyward Sword that I have played I have encountered very few flaws.It is shaping up to be a true masterpiece.I was openly sceptical of the combat using the Wii motion plus when I initially heard about it. Now, I love it. It is not absolutely perfect, as has been suggested in some reviews, but I can tell you now it's incredibly impressive. If you put some effort into your sword strokes, and don't just waggle your wrist sitting down, the sense of controlling Link's blade is responsive and rewarding. Occasionally you do find Link is pointing his blade in completely the wrong direction, but a quick sheathing of the sword and getting it out again quickly sorts this out. Every item incorporates motion controls well and feels intuitive, but it is the added immersion that the swordplay provides that really stands out here.In terms of aesthetics, Skyward Sword is sublime. The art style is so assured and consistent that I find it hard to imagine it looking any better given the Wii's power limitations. Whilst great attention has been given to detail, the occasionally rough textures do sometimes let this down. The environments are nothing short of beautiful, however, and as tightly designed as you may expect from a Zelda game. The slight lack of islands to explore above the clouds, however, aside from the beautiful Skyloft where you begin your journey, is somewhat disappointing. If there were a few more islands inhabited by more than a handful of people then this would have greatly improved the scale of the game, which does at times feel slightly limited compared to past Zelda games. Some people may prefer this, but personally I love the exploration element of adventure games.There is plenty to collect throughout your journey, although I must admit I haven't yet found the need or indeed had sufficient resources to upgrade any of my items. This isn't through lack of trying, but it takes time to gather things, and even then shields can break surprisingly quickly. That said, maybe later on in the game this will become more pressing as the challenge increases, although it is already quite considerable for me. Enemies frequently take a whole heart off if they hit you (you do start with 6 hearts this time instead of the standard 3, however), and demand quick thinking and accurate sword-work to defeat.A special mention must go to the NPC characters, who are so colourful and yet somehow completely believable, that they are truly endearing. Many people will be able to empathise with the woman who is bored sick of her tedious job, and down-in-the-dumps because of it, for example. The characters expressions seem to have improved dramatically from previous entries in the Zelda series. This is no L.A. Noire, but the subtle expressions of Link and Zelda in particular really convey meaning. The lack of voice-acting still isn't an issue here, as the characters are so brimming with personality that, along with the charming expressions, the player can readily give them their own voice without conscious thought.In summary, everything in Skyward Sword is polished to near-perfection and really shows the fruit of 5 year's labour. The environments and characters are as caringly designed as ever, and the gameplay has experienced a huge overhaul with the motion controls. Further, the storyline is surprisingly tight for a Zelda game. If there was only a little more to explore both above and below the clouds, then Skyward Sword would be extremely close to being the perfect adventure game. This is a game you simply must experience for yourself. I'd heartily recommend getting this Limited Edition pack, as the orchestral 25th anniversary CD is incredibly rousing, and the gold Wii motion-plus controller is a nice and worthwhile addition.Time will tell if Skyward Sword can truly be crowned the best Legend of Zelda game in the series, but I can assure anyone wondering that it is certainly right up there. It's too early to say whether it will have the longevity and astonishing replay value that Ocarina of Time has, but I'm not counting it out, and neither should you. If you are on the fence about getting this game, then get out your Wii (or buy one cheap - it is worth it, I promise), grab this pack, and have the adventure of the decade. 9.5/10

20.2.2012

After playing through Skyward Sword here's a breakdown of my opinions:Things Skyward Sword does right:-Zelda herself is perfect. She is full of character and instantly likable. The best Zelda character of the series by far.-Sword controls are genuinely fun and used really well throughout the game-Graphics style is original and suits the series down to the ground-Imagination and vision of the team is top notch for 90% of the game-Real good dungeon and level design-The 'Zelda order' of everything including the order you get items, the order of areas etc has been muddled around helping to freshen things up,although in my opinion not as much as we were led to believe-The surface is generally very interesting and implemented well including the almost Metroid style of opening up of new areas off of old ones when you get a new item-The obvious love the developers have poured into the game is always apparent-How theatrical the whole game is, especially Groose.-Making it an origin story was a nice touch for long term fans-Rupees have a purpose again!-Ditching some over-used ideas from previous games makes everything that bit fresher-Some good new items as well as some well known ones-Some well placed nods to previous games-Timeshift sections were well thought out and were good fun-I really liked the sense of panic created by the Silent Realm trials, which is pretty rare in a modern Zelda game-Excellent bosses, if a bit easy. Some have said they found the last 2 bosses the hardest in Zelda history. Really?-Emotional bits. Not as many as OOT, but some great moments, mainly between Zelda and Link. I love the fact that the first half of the game is just Link trying to track his best friend, rather than saving the entire world.Things that felt wrong with Skyward Sword:-Constant notifications when you pick up a bug or item for the first time each session are utterly pointless and a constant source of annoyance-Fi - there is no need for her to keep chirping up. She ruins puzzles and will drive you mad every time you get down to 3 hearts as she tries to notify you that you are running low on health. Many found Navi irritating, but Fi really gets on my nerves.-NPC's have nothing interesting to say and rarely update their conversation relative to your advancement throughout the game. Generally the characters feel exceptionally hollow. Remember even on the Gameboy back in '94(?) we had Marin who despite being 4 colours and less than 20 pixels high was full of character! Zelda, Groose and a few others have a lot of depth, but the rest are dull and uninspired.-Not many really decent puzzles. You are never really left thinking what to do next as it is spoon fed to you. You generally don't need to think to get through the game. Puzzles are what make Zelda!-New races are pretty weak in comparison to the more established races-You're quite often forced to skip through the same dialog - one point this sticks out is whenever you get a potion you have to go through a spiel every time, even if you buy multiples-The sky is awfully bare. I was imagining something between the overworld from Skies of Arcadia and the sea from Wind Waker - at least give us more than one town to explorer!-Too much filler between key moments, most of which felt forced and ruined the games flow-I personally didn't like the adventure pouch - I'd much rather just be able to carry everything at once. Some loved it, but I didn't think it added anything note worthy to the game, it just made things a bit more annoying than they really needed to be-Overused motion controls. Items and swordplay are great, swinging on vines is OK, but swimming felt clunky and just didn't work well. Why bother with motion controls when they hamper the gameplay?-Where are the trading sequences? You do a few one off trades and return a few lost items, but no long sequence that really makes you think. This is a real disappointment.In the next Zelda I'd love to see a more consolidated, richer world where every NPC has a unique personality, with at least 4 or 5 times the dialog. I don't see any way back from the motion controls as they really are fun, but things like swimming should revert to a traditional method. I personally prefer the large overworld idea from recent Zelda's to the hub approach that is the sky in Skyward Sword. This is an excellent Zelda, but has a lot of obvious missed opportunities, and pointless sections and fillers. If Nintendo can just polish out the annoyances, and stop trying to be too helpful in pointing us in the right direction we could have an OOT beater, but sadly this isn't it.

18.11.2011

I have been playing this for a fair few hours now and after seeing Gamespots review of the game I was sceptical that it may not be that good. This is the first time I have ever disagreed with one of their reviews, although the 7.5 they gave it isn't low this deserves at least a score of 9 from a highly rated gaming site. IGN gave it a 10 which I no doubt agree with.Lets get onto the controls, the part of the game game-spot and one other site didn't like.I so far have had no problems with it and think they have been made to work very well and feel extremely polished. The sword swinging is very responsive and feels very nice to use. When rolling/throwing bombs and other items it shows you the path it will take so is easy to aim and isn't hard to do after a few tries. The motions used in this are also very good. If you have played Wii sports resort you'll feel right at home with this. You shake the nun-chuck on it's own to raise your shield in combat and block attacks using the usual Z-Target system to lock on to your enemies.Flying theThe shops are in my opinion greatly improved, you walk to the item you want and then select it to buy it. Nice little touch as you now only have to go to the item you want, although when they were a scroll through shop it want bad, this just makes it feel like you get the item you want quicker. Also there has been a weapon upgrade and repair system added so you can improve your weapons to make them more effective. Again a nice little touch.The graphics, the part most people nowadays want to be perfect to have a game considered good. I have never been bothered by graphics, I'll take game-play over graphics any day. But this is one of the best looking games I have played on the Wii. Like most Wii games the graphics aren't sharp but like the other Zelda games they are a world to be taken in as a whole and not each part and texture individually. A bit like Elder Scrolls games where the textures aren't perfect but when you look at a part of the world as a whole you can only think... WOW!The combat in this game is something that I am really enjoying so far. You can't just go in and swing your remote like there is no tomorrow, it requires thought and tactics thanks to the new stamina bar. I again like this addition. What the developers seem to have done is make the game more realistic without going over the top and making so realistic that is takes away from the game-play. If you are on the back foot in a fight you can no longer just run for your life because if you run out of stamina then Link slows to almost a stop and you will most likely be killed. I have not yet got to a boss fight but if they are like fighting the enemies then they are going to be very fun and more than likely challenging.The stamina bar adds a new dimension to the game-play, climbing requires thought and so does scaling ledges while hanging off. You can no longer just hang there for a long periods of time. The stamina bar is also depleted by certain sword manoeuvres so you can no longer just spin attack or use other moves when attacked by a group of enemies.With the map system it hasn't changed much from the other versions of Zelda with the overlook view on the world with one nice new addition... You can now place markers, which shoots a beam of light up into the sky so you can see the direction in which you need to be heading.The few complaints I have with game would be that you can only save it at statues and not when you want to. I also haven't taken to you companion in this or the sound they have given her, Midna being my favourite so far.The music and sounds in this game are otherwise wonderful, almost on a par with the soundtrack from Ocarina of Time.All in all I am very much enjoying this game so far and and am looking forward to getting hours of game-play out of it.Game-play: 10Sound: 9.5Controls: 10Combat: 10Graphics: 10 (for a Wii game)Also I highly recommend getting the special edition if you can get if for an extra few pounds than the normal edition for the soundtrack and remote (with built in Wii Motio Plus, no add-on on the bottom, very nice addition).I cannot recommend this game enough. If you buy it, Enjoy!

23.11.2011

Spoiler Free!!!!Controller : Nice gold colour with the triforce symbol and wings at the speaker. I only bought this Limited edition because I, like a lot of wii owners, got fed up of the easy games and never bothered with the motion plus.25th anniversary cd: Tt has a collection of songs from prior Zelda games all done in orchestra. The cd is quite long at 45 minute's but I only managed to listen to one full song from Ocarina of time (Gerudo valley). A nice collectors item more than anything.Skyward sword: I've only played past the first 2 bosses and I'm reviewing it now to keep this spoiler free!Graphics : The first Zelda I played was Ocarina of time at 12 years of age and the graphical style at the time suited me.Wind waker didn't visually appeal to me even though it was a great game. I was excited about Twilight princess since I thought it would be a lot more realistic but the style didn't really suit. The visual style of Skyward sword suits Zelda. It looks and it feels right when your playing. The graphics are not spectacular but there good for the wii. And with the visual style I'm not sure much more could be done without compromising the artistic nature of the game.Controls: I got fed up with the Wii's game line long before the motion plus came out so I bought this pack. I seen demos of Zelda being played with the '1-1' action and, well, it's not perfect. The enemies block quite a lot so you have to be accurate. As you go on through the game they get quicker and quicker so you can end up wildly slashing around. It doesn't take anything away from the game though.Difficulty: It's a lot more challenging and time consuming than previous Zelda's since the control's and general gameplay involve movements and the like. I found the first boss quite difficult. I was killed about 20 times if not more. The second one was much easier though and quite familiar from the series. I've always felt Nintendo should add difficulty levels to games as there always far too easy and with the odd tedious bit that would annoy you but so far I'm happy enough with this game.Length: I'm 15 hours in it and from what I can see; the game, first time around, should amount to about 50 hours. It's hard to classify the game since there are more RPG elements than normal and much more exploring. The side quests seem to be integrated with the main quest more than previous instalment's.Overall : The game, story and control's are new yet quite familiar as well. The story is quite witty with funny moments though the bit I have played. The basic concept is the same as most Zelda's. I'm enjoying this game very much and will play it a few times over so it's good value for money. Whether you need the box set or not is up to yourself; it's a nice collectors item but I don't imagine it will ever appreciate in value. I have all the special editions from thoughout the years.Other games on the Wii before it's death: Pandora's tower and The last story will be last games I buy for the Wii since they are more traditional hardcore(ish) RPG games. Also Xenoblade chronicles is well worth a buy!

22.12.2011

This is not only the best game on the Wii, but is also the best game to come from Nintendo in over a decade. The motion control, which previously has been a somewhat gimmicky or pointless addition to videogaming (even in the majestic Mario Galaxy) is an integral and often astonishing part of this wonderful, heart-warming masterpiece. From the moment the game begins to the moment it ends, you are bombarded with inventive, ingenious and fresh ideas, all of which implement unparalleled Wii motion control. So many ideas come your way in fact, that you wonder how many more any sequel can possibly have! Level design has rarely been so good, in fact it may have the most well designed set of temples in any Zelda title,

13.12.2011

What to say of this game... Amazing, Awesome, Incredible are the kind of words which do not give it enough credit. This game is just awe-inspiring!First off, the reason Nintendo gave for it to be the best: Controls and GameplayAs most of you know, the biggest difference to this Zelda than other ones is the implentation of the Wii Motion Plus accessory. Personally, I didn't have one already so I bought this bundle for the Wii Remote Plus. And I must say, it works! It is very accurate and does feel like your doing 1:1 sword actions as if you were Link! The only time it didn't work as planned was the bow and arrow mini-game a bit further into the game. When trying to center the aiming cursor,

24.11.2011

At the time of writing this, I'm about 1/3 of the way through The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and if it carries on the way it's been playing, I shall easily claim it as my game of the Year 2011. Pipping Portal 2 to the post with only a few weeks to go!I've always consider myself a proud hardcore gamer; although I've become somewhat a casual-hardcore gamer of late (not finding enough hours in the day). So it may surprise many that a Wii title is my GotY. But Skyward Sword is nothing short of outstanding!The Game has stirred something inside me that I've not felt in several years when playing a video game; that frustration at facing a challenge only to be elated upon mastering it.

6.12.2011

I have been a fan of the Zelda series right from the glory days of the NES, so I was really looking forward to the sagas newest offering. I was not disappointed!For me, the game GENUINELY feels like old school adventure games where you are on a quest, eagerly exploring new areas, always wanting to find out what is around the next corner/over the hill/behind the rocks.The control system is straight forward and intuitive, and it does really make the most of the motion plus, something that at the start of the game is not too apparent (As you can get by fighting most enemies without much degree of skill and just waggling the remote) but as the game progresses, certain enemies require you to attack them at just the right angle,

26.11.2011

I'm really pleased with this bundle!The CD with orchestral music is really great - there's a lot music that will be recognized by the older Zelda fans, and it's just a nice soundtrack to get with the bundle! If you're not already a fan of the Zelda series, though, you might be less excited than I was. ;)The Wii-mote controller is great - the gold and zelda-themed decals make for a nice addition to the experience of playing the game! And it's a great way to get hold of a Wii-Motion Plus controller without paying out the nose for it! One small minus - though (at least, if I have understood it right): as I understand it, you can NOT play this game without a Wii-Motion Plus Wii-mote?

24.11.2011

Ignore the negative guff (its rubbish!!), get the game, enjoy!!!! This is the fitting swansong that the Wii deserves. Its just a shame that this amount of effort was not put into more Wii games!! After playing this game for a few (too many!!) hours I can say it is a joy to play. I have stopped myself on several occasions during play and laughed because I cannot believe how intuitive the gameplay is - I feel somebody has spoken to non-hardcore gameplayers as to how to make the game more accessable to all. For example most of the first hour of gameplay is a tutorial, however having played most of the Zelda games in the last 25 years I did not feel patronised,

1.12.2011

Game design:Doubtlessly stimulating adventuring and the most challenging Zelda game since "A link to the Past". Boss fights are tough and collectables are plentiful; so there's plenty of value here. A lot has been made of the changes made in the structure of the game but in the grand scheme of things, they haven't. However, when there's such a high level of inventiveness and attention to detail on display one wouldn't really notice.Visual design:HELD BACK BY RE-MODIFYING THE ALREADY MODIFIED "TWILIGHT PRINCESS" ENGINE. Some parts are still lovely to behold but not quite the work of art "Wind Waker" was and still is. And no,

18.11.2011

Okay first off massive thankyou to Amazon! superb service as always! recieved item day before release so very chuffed! Secondly i'm a massive Zelda fan, so this is a big deal to me!I'm a few dungeons in, so i havn't completed yet but when I do i will do a full review, but it already warrants a 5 star review. Okay onto the game itself.. A beautiful game using superb graphics, so much emphasis these days on HD graphics and yeah they are great! But this manages to be a true beautiful artistic game, much like WindWaker and will still be beautiful in 10 years! The game play is what you expect from the excellent Nintendo, perfect! Seriously! Twilight Princess Used the Wii remote and to swing your sword was more of a flick,

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Limited Edition (Wii) - Reviews

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