Skyward Sword

Hi fellow Zelda Dungeon fanatics and welcome, once again, to another Timeshift Thursday feature! This week I’m looking forward to sharing and discussing a climatic battle scene with you from Link’s latest adventure, Skyward Sword, in which I’ve found the combat before the corresponding final battle to be a richer, more difficult experience. Because Skyward Sword doesn’t include the most amount of highlights for a Zelda game, in my opinion, I haven’t leaned toward writing a feature revolving around the title. Yet, because we are discussing famous Zelda battles now, I do want to write about, possibly, my favourite part of Skyward Sword.

Today, we’ll take a look at the extensive Horde Battle brought about by one of Link’s main antagonists in Skyward Sword, Ghirahim. This section of end-game battle sequence truly tests Link’s reasons as to to why he is blessed with the Triforce of Courage. It is an outstanding test of courage and we shall see that further along the article!

If you want to read more about Link’s excruciating battle with Ghirahim’s minions then click the jump below and take the full descent toward the Sealed Grounds!

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Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess as most Zelda players would know are on a very different scale when it comes to graphics and art style. With Skyward Sword looking like a water color painting whereas Twilight Princess is very dark to fit its “Twilight” atmosphere. A very passionate Zelda fan has recently come up with a mod pack which gives Twilight Princess the graphics and bright color of Skyward Sword. This has created a very interesting mix of the games, read more after the jump!

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Hello Zelda fans. Minish Pants here, with the first of hopefully many articles discussing our favorite parts of particular Zelda games. I’ve decided to start with Skyward Sword, as it is the freshest in my mind. I will eventually get around to all of them, in no particular order (unless a commenter asks nicely!) as I replay each game. The goal with these articles is to focus on the positive, and discuss amongst each other the best of each game. Even if you completely hate the game discussed, try to think of things about it that you liked. For instance, I’m not a particularly big fan of Phantom Hourglass, but when I get to writing about it, I will focus on the game’s strengths rather than weaknesses; what it did right, not what it did wrong. It’s fun to debate the flaws of Zelda and which games are better than others, but let’s remind ourselves why we love these games so much. Hit the jump to see what I felt were the best moments of Skyward Sword!

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There are many covers out there of songs from throughout the Zelda series and each cover brings something quite spectacular that makes the song sound even more amazing. Covering songs allow all Zelda fans to show off their talent and creativity with the world. Today I present to you an amazing cover of the staff roll or credits from Skyward Sword. This song is a memorable one because it contains a multiple songs from throughout the game into one track and the two people playing this on the pianos do an amazing job with it. They do not only play on two pianos they actually play on three, constantly jumping back and forth between the three which is truly astounding.

There isn’t much more I can say about it so hit the jump to see the video.

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Today’s Zelda Fanart Spotlight is on deviantART artist PhantomMarbles Skyward Sword fanart “Behind the Waterfall“. In this fanart it shows Link and Fi standing outside of the Ancient Cistern. Fi looks as if she is explaining something to Link and Link is listening intently to her. The sun is shining down upon the cistern, illuminating the beautiful scene perfectly.

The outside of the Ancient Cistern is just as elaborate and beautiful as the inside of it. Link will realize this for himself once he ventures into the ancient dungeon.

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Well Zelda Dungeoners, we’re now down to the last few features in the Overworld Themes series. Last week marked the end of the Exploration Overworlds section of this series, so today we’ll be starting on the next set: Transportation Overworlds.

In the Zelda series, there are four games with transportation overworlds. These are Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, and Skyward Sword. As I see it, those can be further broken into another two groups; the “free sailors” that let you control your transport as you go, and the “fixed tracks” that keep you on a set course with more restricted movement. Today, we’re focusing on the former of those groups; jump in to see!

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As Zelda fans, we have undoubtedly been subject to the greatest variety in art style and graphics in a single video game series. We’ve seen 2D, cel-shaded, 3D, 2D cel-shaded, realistic, impressionistic, and variations of those listed. People always have very different opinions on which one is the best and why. So that’s what I’m here to discuss. I shall explain each art style or graphics implemented by each game, and then you can simply pick which one is your favorite. Don’t let your opinion go unheard!

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Zelda Dungeon has featured the works of artisan baker Cakecrumbs a few times before, most recently as a part of the deviantART collaboration project Link’s Blacklist, where she contributed a very impressive and accurate replica of the Furnix enemy from Skyward Sword, made entirely from cake. Food enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that Cakecrumbs has returned to Zelda to make another incredible edible creation; this time the focus being a Beamos from Skyward Sword. Hit the jump to find out more!

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Nudity, whether it be partial or brief, is not uncommon in the Zelda series. When nudity is depicted in a Zelda game, it is never overly explicit, thus, the ratings on any one game are not higher than they are. Though it is definitely present in the series, and it is not a new aspect, beginning as early as Link’s Awakening. This can be a somewhat controversial topic, as people all have very different ideas on what nudity adds or takes from the Zelda series, whether or not it is necessary, and if it should be continued in future games or not. Various aspects and depictions of nudity will be utilised as I further discuss the positives and negatives of nudity in the Zelda franchise.

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This probably isn’t a moment that a lot of other people would call one of their favorites. It’s just Moldarach. Again. In a pretty similar-looking room, when you’re stronger and it’s much easier to defeat. “That’s the definition of lame boss recycling!” you might say. Possibly, but I think there’s some other serious merits to this moment, and because of them, it at least made a big impact on me.

Think about it from this perspective: How many bosses in the series have their place in the world basically explained to you? Think back on the large number of boss monsters throughout the series, and it’s pretty obvious that we have no idea what most of them even are. Even a number of the ones where we have hints — such as Bongo Bongo, an “evil shadow spirit” that was sealed in a well — are still not sufficiently explained to the point where we can understand how they work and what their place in the world is. Moldarach was entirely different. It wasn’t a demon, or a nondescript monster, or just some other weird being not elaborated upon; Moldarach was what happens when a tiny Aracha grows to be 1000 years old. It is seemingly the product of the natural growth process of these normal animals in the game’s world.

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Each Zelda tale is rich in puzzles, enemies, and overall solid gameplay. However, I have recently realized that my favorite Zelda games tell (what I perceive to be) the best stories in the lore. Maybe the writer in me makes me bias to liking one Zelda game over another based purely on this factor. It’s tough to justify this; video games should be enjoyable based mostly on how much fun you have actually playing the game. Stories are important, for sure, but I would argue that the most important aspect of any game is an enjoyable gameplay experience, story coming second or third. Some of my all-time favorite video games tell barely any story at all: TMNT: Turtles in Time, Super Mario Bros. 3, Donkey Kong Country, etc. But Zelda is different. I’ve always enjoyed writing and found storytelling fascinating; Examining everyday people handling larger-than-life problems. The Zelda series has, time and time again, excellently recycled the story of an average boy stepping up, embracing a daunting destiny, and saving the world. Hit the jump to see which Zelda games I feel have best told the tales of our favorite hero (in order of release).

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In almost every Zelda game since Ocarina of Time, Link has fought side by side with an invaluable partner, who grows with him and provides him with special abilities. In a way, each partner is really the protagonist of their respective game. The impact we feel from Link’s transformation from average boy to fabled hero falls a little short. Sure, Link grows in spirit and power dramatically by the end of each of his adventures, but his personality rarely goes through much of a metamorphosis. From beginning to end, he is kind, brave, bold, unflappable, athletic, and naturally gifted as a fighter. An effective protagonist needs a little more depth. And that’s exactly what we get from many of his sidekicks. Before we pick our favorites, let’s look back at the many companions that have aided Link on his adventures. (WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD)

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Have you ever wondered about Link’s past in Skyward Sword? If he had parents or siblings? Or how he and Zelda first met? An amazing video was recently created by FerisaeArt on YouTube who has created a animatic, comic styled video based on their interpretations of what they think life was like for Link before the beginning of his journey to becoming the goddesses’ chosen hero and how his friendship with Zelda began and how it became to be what it was throughout the game Skyward Sword. Watch the video after the jump!

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Among the many new features included in Skyward Sword was a refined inventory system. The addition of the Adventure Pouch made for some interesting choices when it came to resource management. The beginning of the game started the player off with four slots to fill with extra items, and that amount is doubled by the end. But that is about the peak of the Adventure Pouch’s significance: something extra. While the customization of Link is something that could lead to many creative opportunities, I do not believe that Skyward Sword tapped into this concept to its fullest potential.

The intrigue of the Adventure Pouch can be attributed mainly to its limiting nature. Having a finite amount of space in which to carry items forces decisions to be made regarding which items will help out the most upon departing from Skyloft. This allows for a variety of different experiences to be had and thus increases replay value, which is always something to aspire to. Since the core of Skyward Sword’s gameplay did not always actively make use of this feature, however, it is often overlooked and hardly seen as a limitation. While you acquire more items that can be placed in the Adventure Pouch over the course of the game, you also acquire more slots in the pouch with which to store them. Although not a direct result of this, more important decisions involving the Adventure Pouch are made near the beginning of the game. Towards the start, while you only have four or five available spaces, your items are also weaker and less reliable.

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In preparation for Easter Sunday, Nintendo of America has been running a series of Nintendo Easter Eggs on their Twitter and Facebook pages. These have included everything from nifty control options in Nintendo Land to cool design choices. A recent feature about Skyward Sword was one of the latter.

While a number of Skyward Sword‘s quirks and references were caught by fans almost immediately out of the gate, this specific design piece was actually pretty under the radar. In case you missed it before, jump in to see Nintendo’s Tweet on the subject!

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By now, most Zelda fans have probably heard of First4Figures and Figma considering the wonderful contributions the companies have made to Zelda collections everywhere. Now, though, a new company is quickly getting recognition with their own lineup of Zelda-related figures.

Japanese toy manufacturer Medicom has a fairly wide range of merchandise ranging from their small and affordable Ultra Detail Figures (UDF) to the large, gorgeously detailed Real Action Heroes (RAH) line of figures. Last Summer, Medicom announced three new Zelda figures for the UDF line, set to be released next month. Now they’ve stepped up the game with the announcement of a Skyward Sword-themed entry to their Real Action Heroes. Jump inside to see this sweet new figure!

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Hi, and welcome to another episode of Timeshift Thursday where I take you along to explore some of my favourite areas in Nintendo’s ground-breaking Zelda series! Today, I’d like to show you one of my most loved parts of the Skyward Sword adventure; an area which by namesake’s really proved to be an extensive “trial”. The entrance to this area known as a “trial gate” leads to the testing of Link’s courage, strength, and wisdom while also reflecting that trial upon the gamer who must not make any dangerous error while trying to clear through the hallowed grounds.

So today I’d like to take a detailed glance at the Silent Realm. This is one of Skyward Sword’s darkest moments; a very sacred place where Link gains a unique item for his journey if he completes the strenuous test. You can follow my writing and learn more about the Silent Realm by clicking the jump below!

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Ahh… the Sandship.  It is one of the most confusing and easiest dungeons in Skyward Sword.  There are a lot of complaints about this dungeon because there are a lot of floors and doors.  But what is really fun about this dungeon are the many puzzles and challenges that it presents you with.  Overall, I think it is one of the best, but not necessarily the easiest, dungeons in Skyward Sword.

Click the jump to find out more!

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YouTube member willturnbow recently uploaded a video showing off their latest creation, an animated cake decorated with scenes from Skyward Sword. The cake includes not only Skyloft above the clouds but the world beneath the clouds complete with a Sealed Temple and Faron Woods. There are little details everywhere in the pastry landscape if you look around. Near the end we are shown what was used behind the scenes to make all the little parts move on their own underneath the table and behind the backdrop. Then the step by step process of actually forming each part until the entire project is complete.

Jump inside to check it out for yourself.

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A couple weeks ago we told you about video game composer SuperShigi–known for her work on Plants vs. Zombies–having recorded a gorgeous vocal rendition of “Ballad of the Goddess” employing many vocal harmonies and melodies all weaving together.

Well, she’s back at it again! And this Skyward Sword song cover is even better, in my opinion. This time SuperShigi covers “Fi’s Theme”, again recording many lovely vocal harmonies, piano, and even an ocarina.

Jump inside to watch the awesome video!

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Considering you probably noticed the immense amounts of red, pink, and chocolate around over the past few days, I doubt I need to point out to anyone that Valentine’s Day was just last Thursday. In light of the official “romance day” celebrated by couples everywhere, today seemed like a good day to focus on a more romantic Zelda tune than usual.

Now, making assumptions about Link’s love interests is a larger can of worms than I ever want to get into (“Ilia’s Theme” was enough, thanks . . . and if anyone brings up Malon versus Saria I may hide). So, I decided to play it safe and picked a song that blatantly sells itself as a romantic theme. Its title, after all, is “Romance in the Air.” So if you can stand just a little more sappiness coming out of this weekend, go on and hit the jump to read more!

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LIMITED CHANCE ITEM – NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Canadian cheap-shirt website ShirtPunch is at it again today with another awesome Zelda-themed design! These guys have already brought us numerous cool, clever, and otherwise gotta-have shirts based on our favorite series, and they certainly have not disappointed with today’s design, “The Hero’s Journey.”

This shirt, which is dark blue in color, features a circular silhouette filled with all sorts of Zelda goodies. Jump inside for a better look!

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…until this Saturday. For $19.99 at every Target, if you haven’t already, you can pick yourself a copy of Skyward Sword. Though Nintendo has a reputation of never putting first party games on sale (unless a re-release comes along, such as the Nintendo Selects series), Skyward Sword seems to have found its way to the sale isle.

Some of the copies even still have the limited edition soundtrack that shipped with the original copies of the game. Though this is probably why Target is doing this promotion, all that really matters is the thumbs up your wallet will give you if you go out to buy a copy.

So what are you waiting for? Hit the jump for more information!

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We know that many of you have already heard this gorgeous piece of music by now, but we’ve been swamped with many other news posts (including the wonderful news of the two Zelda releases for Wii U!). But just in case you somehow have not already heard this lovely piece of music, we just had to share it with you.

The composer for the music in Plants vs. Zombies, Laura Shigihara, explains that originally she was just planning on doing a straight piano cover of the lovely song from Skyward Sword. But as someone who composes and arranges music himself, I understand all too well how one’s original plans with regard to recording a piece of music have a way of giving way to new ideas. Before she knew it she had not only added some lovely harmonies to the preexisting melody, but had added whole new melodies as well. You’ll have to hear it for yourself after the jump!

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If you have a bit of fabric, some odds and ends and a little sewing knowledge, the possibilities are endless. A fellow Zelda fan, tw1nrova from Imgur, had an idea to bring one of those cute little Kikwis to life in plushie form. It is just as adorable in physical form with its bushy tail and pointy nose. Just be careful not to mistake it for a tree. Take a look and see what you think. Pictures after the jump!

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Games do not need HD graphics to look good. A statement sometimes resented in the gaming community, but games such as The Wind Waker and Skyward Sword have shown gamers that a game can indeed look beautiful without the need for HD graphics. That being said however, it is still undeniable that HD graphics do improve upon the look of games substantially and eliminates the slight out-of-focus look associated with standard-resolution graphics, which are now often considered sub-standard. Our sister site, GenGAME has posed an interesting question in terms of how HD graphics would affect the look of Zelda; to be more precise, out of the three most recent home-console Zelda games, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, which looks the best when converted into HD? Hit the jump to find out more!

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Today’s Fanart Spotlight is on deviantART artist ynnej555‘s Skyward Sword fanart, “The Vast World“. This fanart shows Link sitting atop a branch on a tall tree located on the land that will eventually be known as Hyrule. He is overlooking the landscape of Faron Woods at nighttime. Some cloud cover can been seen from this view as well which helps the viewer see exactly how high up Link is.

This traditional artwork is quite impressive and is one of the best ones that I’ve seen yet that uses items in that particular medium. The way the artist portrayed this view makes one wish they were up there with Link enjoying the sights.

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We don’t usually tend to find many song covers from Skyward Sword yet this rock cover of the game’s “Main Theme” is a stunner. This cover composed by YouTube user LennartAlsing showcases him playing a Kramer Focus 3000 guitar to perfection with his strumming and chord changing an unbelievable talent!

You can take a listen to this rocking cover of Skyward Sword’s “Main Theme” after the jump!

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Like the Triforce itself, the spirits of Link and Zelda transcend time, reincarnating throughout the course of history to combat the evil that would beset Hyrule. And so do their poses. This image posted to Memebase says it all. Hit the jump to see!

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This moment brought me to tears. I know that Fi had terrible character development throughout Skyward Sword. Her emotional attachment to Link was never really hinted at or shown. While it makes sense that it would have, to some degree, come out of nowhere, I don’t think it was handled that well in Skyward Sword’s plot. I did appreciate that they tried to make her an active participant in the adventure like Midna was, but the end result was her mostly just giving unneeded advice at annoying times. It was admirable, but poorly executed.

But all of that stopped mattering to me during this scene. I still complain about her development because, had it been good, this moment could have been so much better. But that doesn’t change the fact that this scene was highly emotional. Skyward Sword as a whole did a good job with its dialogue; most of the characters’ actions and words felt realistic, and helped the world come alive. That strength of the game is present here. Fi’s actions initially seem almost too cold, even for Fi. At least that was my impression. It feels as though she’s attempting to adhere to her old attitudes too strongly — wording things as coldly as possible even though she normally talks a little more friendly than that — before realizing and accepting how she really feels. The story of an emotionless character developing emotions, feelings, and attachments to their companion is an old one… but that doesn’t make it any less cool or emotional.

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Hyrule Historia is undoubtedly one of the most important things to happen to the Zelda series in a long, long while. Even if the content provided inside the book itself would not be of interest to every fan, the recently announced limited edition has sold like wildfire, with the coveted book selling out in a matter of hour on sites such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. For those of you who own the Japanese edition or have otherwise read the translations on sites such as Glitter Berri’s, you will be aware of the exclusive Skyward Sword manga present at the back of Hyrule Historia, drawn by Akira Himekawa, a duo of Japanese artists who have worked on a number of previous Zelda manga. The website Kotaku has recently managed to acquire the entire manga, translated into English, which is now available to preview more than a month before the actual release of the book. Intrested? Hit the jump take a look!

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One thing the Zelda series has become over the last 26 years is less difficult, especially with fighting enemies. Some fans would consider the easier enemies a terrible thing to have befallen the Zelda series, and there’s no doubt Alex at GenGAME is one of those people. Whilst taking a look at Skyward Sword’s enemy hoard at the end of the game, the GenGAME article evaluates the Zelda franchise’s overall difficulty, and calls for more challenging adventures in the future. Hit the jump for more!

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Hello again my friends, and welcome once more to this week’s Flute Boy’s Meadow!

Now, last week I took a look at the main themes/songs for four of Link’s companions from the series: Navi, Tatl (more or less), The King of Red Lions, and Ezlo. This week, I will be looking at the themes for Midna from Twilight Princess, Ciela from Phantom Hourglass, and Fi from Skyward Sword. As for Princess Zelda, I do realize that her spirit form plays the role of a companion in Spirit Tracks but I feel that Zelda is not really defined as a companion. Zelda as a character is something much more, and her theme got its own post two weeks ago if you would like to check it out.
Also, just like last week there are SPOILERS AHEAD. If you have not finished Twilight Princess, Phantom Hourglass, or Skyward Sword, tread carefully.

Now without further ado, let’s get on with it! Make the jump to get started.

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This week’s Windmill Hut is an in depth review of a YouTube gem known as thomandy. His channel is almost completely dedicated to cover songs on the piano, and a great deal of them are from the Zelda series. At the awesome quality of his performances, I find it astounding that most of his videos don’t have that many views. I believe he deserves to sit among the YouTube Zelda cover artist greats. Jump in to see why.
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Good afternoon my Zelda friends, and welcome to another Flute Boy’s Meadow!

As I said last week, from now on this music feature is going to be looking at original compositions from Zelda games, breaking them down a bit and basically just looking at them in a way that we usually don’t bother to. Last week I went old-school with the classic Dark World theme from A Link to the Past, so for this week’s feature I thought I’d move forward a bit. I have decided to look at a song that has seen appearances in most Zelda games over the years: Zelda’s Lullaby. This song has had so many renditions in the past, it is staggering and this feature is much longer than usual as a result. If you have the time, jump in to see!

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