The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Template:GameNav Template:Future game Template:Game The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a game currently in development, created exclusively with the Wii in mind.^[1] Hence, it will be an entirely different from Twilight Princess, in terms of style, gameplay, and graphics now that the production team is considering the full scope of the Wii's capabilties over that of it's predecessor, the Gamecube. The game will require Wii Motion Plus.^[2] According to a recent interview, the game is slated for release before the end of 2010.^[3] However, despite the report of a 2010 release, the President of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, recently noted in another interview that Nintendo will only "launch the game when it is perfect", providing the final release date with a potentially large margin of error in comparison to the comment left by Iwata.^[4]

Pre-E3 2010 Interviews

It has been stated by Shigeru Miyamoto that Twilight Princess will be "without a doubt, the last Zelda game as you know it in its present form."^[5] However, the meaning of this quote leaves quite a bit to the imagination. In that same vein, Eiji Aonuma has recently revealed that he is looking to alter the "traditional flow" of Zelda games which consist of exploring a field, entering a dungeon, conquering the dungeon, and then returning to the field.^[6]

When Eiji Aonuma was asked in an interview if Twilight Princess would be the Nintendo Wii's only Zelda title, he replied, "I can't say, but I guess for now, maybe, yeah [laughs]. Not to say that it's going to be the final game. There's still a lot of potential with the Wii so there's still a possibility that there could be another Zelda for it. We do have some ideas in the works, but I can't say for sure because none of them have been approved and we're still very much in the planning process, so I hope you look forward to whatever comes out."^[7]

In a private meeting at the 2007 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Eiji Aonuma began to give details about the then-soon-to-be-released Zelda title, Phantom Hourglass. He then began speaking about the upcoming game, Skyward Sword. In his excitement, he began to reveal more details about the game, but was withheld from divulging too much information by Shigeru Miyamoto. He indicated that he would like to have a whole new control system for the game, and that it was possible that one-to-one swordplay (This could mean either first person perspective sword combat, or more likely a hint at Wii MotionPlus' 1:1 movement mapping) could be implemented. He also said that he would like to make the game to appeal both to the casual and the hardcore gamer, ^[8] a sentiment echoed by Miyamoto in a later interview.^[9]

Skyward Sword was not the only new Zelda game in development at the time, as Spirit Tracks was produced alongside (By a separate team) and released on December 7th.^[10].

At a round-table at the E3 2009 Convention, Shigeru Miyamoto disclosed that Skyward Sword will be announced at E3 in 2010. Artwork shown at the round-table was leaked shortly after, depicting a swordless, more mature, right-handed Link and another mysterious female figure, bearing resemblance to The Fairy Queen and The Master Sword.^[11] Miyamoto has admitted that Zelda Wii's version of Link will be older than those of past titles, and placed quite the emphasis on Link's lack of sword in the leaked artwork.^[9]

E3 2010

At the E3 2010, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was revealed during the Nintendo Press Conference, introduced by Reggie Fils-Aime and Shigeru Miyamoto. Miyamoto discussed that the use of the sword and shield will incorporate the motion capabilities of the Wii Motion Plus and use of the Nunchuk accessory. Weapons such as Bombs, Slingshot, Bow, and new items such as the Beetle and Whip were all showcased, all using the natural aiming and directional applicaitons of the Wii Motion Plus. Graphically, the title incorporates cel-shading and realistic elements, the former in relation to the overworld, and the latter in respect to Link's appearance and weaponry. Cel-shaded versions of enemies such as Octoroks, Deku Babas, and Bokoblins were apparent during the gameplay at the Conference in order to further explain the motion capabilities of the sword with Wii Motion Plus and the weapons during combat. In terms of the overworld, an open forest-like area was shown, that housed a large, central tree and a multitude of colorful attributes such as mushrooms, foliage, and even temple-like entrances along the area's walls. Though the Master Sword-looking being appeared on the game's leaked artwork, it was not mentioned whatsoever during the game's showcasing. Miyamoto revealed that the title will continue development through the end of this year, in preparation for a 2011 release.