Zelda Skyward Sword HD (July 16th 2021)

[KHCast]

29 minutes ago, Blue Blood said:

They're not even going to be out until Skyward Sword is out. Nowhere has them up for pre-order in the UK yet, and in the States I think they're just generally listed as "coming soon".

Oh no they were up for pre order here in the states at GameStop, Best Buy and Target. All of the retailers of course, sold out within minutes due to scalpers. Best Buy always apparently has “coming soon” when they sell out of products before release 

https://www.tomsguide.com/amp/news/where-to-buy-limited-edition-zelda-joy-cons

[Blue Blood]

Just now, KHCast said:

Oh no they were up for pre order here in the states at GameStop, Best Buy and Target. All of the retailers of course, sold out within minutes due to scalpers 

https://www.tomsguide.com/amp/news/where-to-buy-limited-edition-zelda-joy-cons

In which case, I'm pretty sure you'll see more pre-orders open up closer to the time. I'd hold out for now. 

[KHCast]

Just now, Blue Blood said:

In which case, I'm pretty sure you'll see more pre-orders open up closer to the time. I'd hold out for now. 

How often do nintendo restock limited edition console equipment like this? Especially during pandemic, and given Nintendo’s ass track record in general on providing decent stock to stores, idk, I find myself on the cynical side, especially after the shit we saw with the PS5, and scalper bots that just auto purchase and steal this stuff out of peoples digital shopping carts. Like obviously I’m try and keep tabs on it, but it’s kinda shitty that I gotta basically watch this like a hawk cause if I look away for 10 minutes, it’ll all be sold out again, for god knows how long 

[KHCast]

https://mobile.twitter.com/Wario64/status/1394821946223710208

It’s a glorified fast travel ability and it’s locked behind a fucking 15 dollar plastic toy. Can Nintendo just...be normal for once?

[Wraith]

I remember the bazaar in the game going underutilized due to inconvenience+the game's low relative difficulty. If this were a regular feature it might have positively impacted the game kverall but since they locked it behind a physical item the work put into it will juat go to waste. I felt the same way about the featurea BOTW locked behind amiibo. Obviously could have improved the game for everyone but now marred by being tied to a toy that appeals to a more specific demographic. It's "not a big deal" in that most people won't care and won't have their experience affected all that much, bht it shows where their priorities lie now. Fragmenting the game to nikel and dime you, just like the rest of the industry. Made worse by the fact that it's already an overpriced port of a 10 year old game and having to play ball with scalper's due to a physical item's scarcity. 

[Sonicka]

9 hours ago, KHCast said:

https://mobile.twitter.com/Wario64/status/1394821946223710208

It’s a glorified fast travel ability and it’s locked behind a fucking 15 dollar plastic toy. Can Nintendo just...be normal for once?

Gah... just imagine the quick sail addition in Wind Waker HD being locked behind a KoRL amiibo.

I hope this is just an early access thing the Amiibo provides to the fast travel ability rather than ONLY way. 

[Shade Vortex]

This is one of those cases where I absolutely hate the amiibo functionality. A completely necessary QoL change for anyone who is a sane person (I sure hated having to go to the statues every time I went somewhere, especially since it had some unskippable and tedious aspects to it outside of the inconvenience), locked behind a physical object paywall? For a 60 dollar HD remaster? What QoL improvements are in the base game, outside of resolution/texture improvements, button controls and joycon support? SS is already my least favorite 3D Zelda and Nintendo aren't making me want to rebuy/replay it by doing things like this.

[Diogenes]

If it was a more significant fast travel mechanic I might be bothered but this seems so limited I'd hardly use it even if I had the amiibo.

[JezMM]

The idea of being able to instantly go to the shops and re-appear exactly where you left the ground seems really cool to me - even if you don't plan to return to the same spot after, it's still a faster way to get to the sky.  If this had been a thing you can unlock in-game by completing a side quest, that's fine, but doesn't seem like it is (not that they'd really mention that in the trailer trying to advertise it).

If that turns out to be the case... or some other new feature/content is announced that offsets this for me... or I'm just a coward and second-guess myself, I'll prolly buy the game and get the amiibo too just because it's a nice figure.

But uhh... if not, if this is how's it's gonna be, fuck it, I'm out.  Was looking forward to giving the game a second shot but this just pisses me off and if I'm not gonna vote with my wallet against a Nintendo game that I'm only partially excited for, what game am I?

[Blue Blood]

It even lets you warp out of dungeons and back to the sky. It's basically just Farore's Wind or Ooccoo, but locked behind a paywall (and the cumbersome mechanics of scanning the Amiibo instead of just using an item). We know so little about the potential QoL changes that Skyward Sword actually needs, but they show us one that's not really necessary and is a paywalled feature that's already in other games. 

Fuck that. 

[Soniman]

I was all set to buy this game even without knowing of any fast travel feature existing so this doesn't effect my purchase at all (plus thus has been so prevalent with people and Nintendo releases as of late I've kinda grown numb to all the boycott rallying and guilt tripping). But at the same time yeah it's really idiotic Nintendo did this, just one of many fuck ups on their part. Hell even if you buy the Amibo the task of  picking it up and physically using it just for a very simple fast travel mechanic just sounds tedious any way so no one wins here 

[Blue Blood]

13 minutes ago, Soniman said:

I was all set to buy this game even without knowing of any fast travel feature existing so this doesn't effect my purchase at all (plus thus has been so prevalent with people and Nintendo releases I've kinda grown numb to all the boycott rallying and guilt tripping). But at the same time yeah it's really idiotic Nintendo did this, just one of many fuck ups on their part. Hell even if you buy the Amibo the task of  picking it up and physically using it just for a very simple fast travel mechanic just sounds tedious anyone so no one wins here 

I'm not boycotting the game because of this feature. And I think that anyone suggesting such is an idiot. But yeah, I can understand why it's bothering people.

[KHCast]

I’ll buy the game. Just used and when there’s probably some sale or deal at GameStop I can take advantage of like “buy 1 new game and get a used one 50% off”  

 

Did that with Pokemon Sword and Paper Mario lol

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

Objectively: This is an improvement on all fronts to a game who's primary method of control was its biggest barrier to entry, and the strengths of the game are that much nearer to a generation of game-likers they can inspire.

 

Subjectively: No widow clutching her dying partner can know the sorrow I felt learning that my sworn enemy still lives, and I will not rest until this game is in Real Prison.

[TurkishDelight91]

Can't wait to pay 60$ for a 10+ year old game re-released with nearly no changes!

[Blue Blood]

I've been totally out of the loop with this. I've got the game and the Joy Con pair ordered (I needed some new ones anyway), but have Nintendo actually issued any updates about the game apart from just the ridiculous Amiibo functionality? SS would benefit so much from refinement, more than many other Zelda games, but has there been any word like... At all? The game is out in little over a month.

[G-Force]

Nope, not a thing.  You're exactly as in the loop as the rest of us.

I guess if there's anything left to say about this game, it's gonna be said at E3.

[Blue Blood]

8 hours ago, G-Force said:

Nope, not a thing.  You're exactly as in the loop as the rest of us.

I guess if there's anything left to say about this game, it's gonna be said at E3.

Cheers. I did check around first before asking, but couldn't find anything. And that explains why, so thank you.

It's really strange though. Sure, this is just a port of Zelda game 10 years ago, but it's still the big Zelda game for the year (unless Nintendo surprises everyone by releasing BotW2 in Autumn). There's so much that they could do to improve the SS experience. I'm interested in having the game on Switch regardless of changes, but I do want to see exactly what this offers. Free camera movement when using  the motion control set up would be very nice.

[G-Force]

Honestly, the Zelda remakes have pretty much always just been the original experiences with quality of life improvements, so the lack of info on SkywarHD may just be due to a lack of meaningful things to say.  At best, it might just be things that are better shown through a demo than trailers.

One interesting thought I've come across, though, actually came from a discussion I was reading about playable Zelda in BotW2, and that's the idea of Skyward Sword having some kind of Zelda story, where you play as Zelda and see her travels on the surface.  I don't think there's any real chance of this actually happening, but it's a nice thought.

The thing that really gets me is the lack of Zelda info in general this year.  They announced Skyward HD and... that's just kind of it.  This year's the 35th anniversary of Zelda, we know Age of Calamity's getting DLC really soon yet we don't know anything beyond a vague outline, and Aonuma's been catty about BotW2 a couple times now.  I wouldn't be surprised if it's all connected.

[KHCast]

If you pre order the game from GameStop, you get a poster 

 

https://vgculturehq.com/skyward-sword-hd-pre-order-at-gamestop-will-include-poster/

 

 

Meanwhile UK folks that pre order get some cool merch from Game

https://www.zeldadungeon.net/exclusive-skyward-sword-pre-order-bonus-available-in-the-uk/

In Japan you get an acrylic stand if you pre order from Geo 

https://www.thefamicast.com/2021/04/skyward-sword-acrylic-stand-bonus-pre.html?m=1

[Blue Blood]

Just FTR, the steelbook and keyring are available from several UK merchants. I don't particularly want either, but they're both coming with my order from ShopTo, so hey ho. I actually think that I'd rather have the poster.

[Blue Blood]

Some details about what this game will include:

Quote

- Enhanced performance
- Improved motion controls with the Joy-Con controllers
- All-new button controls, allowing you to choose your style of play
- Various quality-of-life enhancements, including refinements to player tutorials and general guidance throughout the adventure

The first three are all givens, but the fourth is confirmation that we've all been waiting for. I wish we had specifics though.

[Sonikko]

Oh damn, yes, thank you so very much.

Maybe Skyward Sword will actually be decent now.

[JezMM]

It's kind of hilarious that this is one of the few games out there where "refinements to player tutorials" is hoped to suggest that it will make things LESS blindlingly obvious.  Typically it's the other way around, with obtuse moments in games getting tweaked to make the scenario easier to figure out in the remake (see OoT 3D's Water Temple).  I wonder if they intend to cut Fi dialogue or just make it so she only springs up if you spend a while without progressing.

[VO.SUPER]

3 hours ago, Blue Blood said:

Some details about what this game will include:

The first three are all givens, but the fourth is confirmation that we've all been waiting for. I wish we had specifics though.

It's just one of those things I don't think the Zelda team want to advertise at all.

"We fucked up by treating our players like morons with these tutorials so we're removing them/making them optional."

It's just not something they probably see as flattering marketing. It's not even something that changes the pace of the game in a HUGE and obvious way like removing the Triforce charts in Wind Waker, but should make a difference in the long run.