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In November 2011, I plugged my brand new MotionPlus attachment into the bottom of my Wii remote. I booted up the console, pointed my newly accessorized Wiimote at the screen and clicked on

the icon for the _Legend of Zelda_: _Skyward Sword_. A new _Zelda _title had finally arrived. Ten years later, Nintendo has rereleased an HD version of _Skyward Sword _for the Nintendo

Switch, mostly to serve as an appetizer for _Breath of the Wild _2,_ _coming (hopefully) next year. The story remains unchanged in this high-def installment, but the developers added some

desperately needed quality-of-life improvements that iron out a few — but not all — of the frustrations from a decade ago. _Skyward Sword HD_ deserves our attention, even if it's only a

remaster. Nintendo isn't known for updating their older games, but they're always up for an HD or 3D remake. And _Skyward Sword_ isn't a perfect game, but any addition to a

franchise as influential as _Zelda_ warrants discussion and critical review. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL GAME WITH CHARM TO SPARE _Skyward Sword _radiates beauty and charm. My older brother once

described it as a mixture of two other Zelda games, the cartoony brightness of Windwaker_ _and the darker, realistic art style of Twilight Princess. When they combine, the result is a

vibrant installment of a franchise that's constantly changing from game to game. Memorable characters like Ghirahim, the flamboyant, sadistic Demon Lord or Groose, the dumb jock

crushing on Zelda, make cutscenes and dialogue entertaining (even if there is too much of it). _Skyward Sword_'s overworld is a breathtaking site. Skyloft, where your journey begins, is

a quaint, yet thriving town perched above the clouds. Waterfalls cascade down into the puffy white sea below them as giant birds called Loftwings take flight with their owners. Tiny islands

float around Skyloft, begging to be explored. Whether they house little shops or a rogue treasure chest, there is endless fun in the sky around your home base. A well-designed overworld, in

my opinion, is one of the most important aspects of a game as linear as _Skyward Sword_. It's the perfect way to break up some of the game's monotony as you search for Zelda. When

you have places like this to explore in your backyard, it makes coming home almost as much fun as the areas below the clouds. Like many _Zelda _titles, our hero Link's got a trusty

sidekick in _Skyward Sword_: A data-driven, AI-like spirit who inhabits your main weapon. Her name is Fi, and _Zelda _fans love to gripe about how annoying she was in the original game. And

truth be told, they're right. Fi was constantly interrupting gameplay, bestowing painfully obvious hints about how to proceed while I was already running in that direction. You

don't need to hold our hands, Fi; we got this. Luckily, _Skyward Sword HD_ makes her a bit more taciturn, which smooths the game a bit, allowing players the freedom to explore without

interruption. Fi still pops up from time to time, and for folks new to _Skyward Sword_, she does provide the occasional helpful hint. BUT NOT EVERYTHING IS SUNSHINE AND WATERFALLS The Fi

fix, however, does not resolve many of _Skyward Sword_'s original pacing problems. The gameplay interruptions are constant; one moment you're running impatiently into a new

environment, the next you're being cut off by a minor character with one too many lines of dialogue. It's frustrating having your desired pace obstructed and limited with

meaningless interactions. Granted, some of these interactions are amusing, like an NPC being frightened when Fi pops out of your sword, but most are unnecessary and clumsy. When _Skyward

Sword _released on Wii, it was the first major title that experimented with Nintendo's new motion controls. The MotionPlus attachment that I mentioned earlier is a small upgrade to the

original Wii remote; it could identify directional swings, opening up the chance for developers to make combat more interesting. An enemy is blocking your downward sword swings? Slice from

side to side to expose its weak points. Oftentimes, a gimmick like motion control is limited to one specific game, or short era of games. Take the Xbox Kinect, for instance: it was popular

very briefly in the early 2010s, but never produced games of note. The novelty wore off. The Wii MotionPlus wasn't dissimilar; _Skyward Sword _was the only major release that required

motion controls, and Nintendo never brought it to other core franchises like _Mario_ or _Pokémon_. Needless to say, it wasn't an overwhelming success. In _Skyward Sword HD_, players

have two options: continue to wield the gimmick from ten years ago (Joy-Cons detached) or switch to button-only controls while using a traditional controller. Similar to the original

_Skyward Sword_, the motion controls on Switch are cloddish. Constantly recentering my pointer felt no different than it did ten years ago, but with increasing frustration because I was

expecting the technology to have improved after a decade; I eventually stuck exclusively to the button-only controls. It took some getting used to, but the button-only controls worked well

for me. Rather than swing a Joy-Con, I could simply tilt the control stick to influence my sword swings. After about an hour of adjusting, I found it much easier to play when I didn't

need to waste time recalibrating the motion controls. Despite their imperfections, _Skyward Sword _and its HD remaster_ _are memorable games. And while my younger self wants me to enjoy the

game as much as I did back then, there are noticeable stumbling blocks that trip me up as I give it a refreshed playthrough. I still love this game, don't get me wrong. But when you

play a game like the _Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild _only a couple of years beforehand, an older _Zelda _just feels a bit stale, especially one whose repetitive, linear gameplay leaves

me wanting more. _Keller Gordon is a columnist for _Join The Game_. Find him on Twitter: @kelbot__ Copyright 2024 NPR