WEBVTT

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- [Narrator] 2011's "The
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword"

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was both a beginning and an ending

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for one of Nintendo's
most beloved franchises.

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Released on a system known
for its casual appeal

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and unorthodox motion controls,

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"Skyward Sword" was a mixed bag of sorts.

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Yes, it sold millions of copies

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and received multiple awards
for its innovative aspects

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and general quality,

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but fans have since identified it

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as one of the weakest Zelda games.

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Their decision to shelf the
traditional 3D Zelda formula

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resulted in the phenomenal,

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highly regarded "Breath of the Wild".

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Now, almost a decade
after its original debut,

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Nintendo's released "Skyward Sword HD"

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for the Nintendo Switch,

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giving the Wii adventure
a fresh coat of paint

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and tweaks to its controls and gameplay.

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Truth be told, in the
post-"Breath of the Wild" world,

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this rerelease isn't gonna win

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the accolades the original did,

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but that's not the point.

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Rather, revisiting the
venture via "Skyward Sword HD"

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gives us a better understanding

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of where the Legend of
Zelda ended up 10 years ago,

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and where it's going now.

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(soft instrumental music)

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It's easy to get lost in
the labyrinthine timeline

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of the Zelda saga,

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but luckily "Skyward Sword HD"

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is canonically the beginning of it all.

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This origin story is a
fitting place to jump in

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for someone like myself

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who didn't play "Skyward
Sword" on the Wii,

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and anyone who casually pops in and out

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of the Zelda timeline

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and wants to better
understand the larger story

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and the characters who inhabit this world.

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"Skyward Sword HD" shows Link

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to be a carefree and
downright lazy sky dweller

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who would rather sleep in

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than practice becoming a knight.

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He's the character who has all the skills,

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but doesn't know his true potential,

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and feels like more than a
cipher wearing a green tunic.

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We also discover that Skyward Sword Zelda,

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the first reincarnation
of the goddess Hylia,

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is just a normal Skyloft settler,

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sans the usual princess baggage.

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She's Link's childhood friend,

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and happens to be mad thirsty
for the Hero of the Skies.

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Witnessing the origin

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of the Link and Zelda character archetypes

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was surprisingly enjoyable,

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granting more life to the duo
than in usual Zelda games.

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Turns out, it's nice when these
kids show some personality.

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(Zelda screams)

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(Link gasping)

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To be frank, "Skyward Sword"
is linear as a game could be.

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The follow the breadcrumbs style gameplay,

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paired with their helper spirit
Fi's obsessive handholding,

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can feel stifling,

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contrary to the spirit of adventure

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you might hope from a Zelda game.

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That said, I didn't get too
caught up on the linearity,

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perhaps because I've been
duly warned ahead of time.

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Sometimes, I just wanna
turn on the autopilot

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and go through the motions
from point A to Zed.

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And, to be honest, most older Zelda games

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have linear adventures,

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aside from a few side
quests here and there.

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Even so, the linearity rubbed
a lot of folks the wrong way,

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and the developers noticed.

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Mr. Zelda himself, series
producer Eiji Aonuma,

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even commented on it.

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Essentially saying, we hear the many,

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and things will be
different next time around.

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As a result, the development team

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sought to rethink every
aspect of its next major game,

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resulting in the free
roaming, open-world gem

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that is 2017's "Breathe of the Wild".

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So, if you were expecting "Skyward Sword"

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to be at all like "Breathe of the Wild",

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heed my warning and look elsewhere,

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but if you want to play a
traditional, mainline Zelda title

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on a current console,

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"Skyward Sword HD" is the game for you.

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Of course, I have to
mention "Skyward Sword's"

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famous motion controls,

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which turned out somewhat wonky

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due to the Wii's middling hardware,

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and are one of the reasons
the original version

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garnered its mixed reception.

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Many core aspects of
"Skyward Sword's" gameplay

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are centered around motion controls.

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As expected, the remaster's
motion controls are imperfect.

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Wrangling them in wasn't a fun experience.

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Yet, when it works, it's
definitely satisfying.

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Slicing a Deku Baba in the
right direction is fun,

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and, dynamically aiming at a Guay

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and taking a down mid-flight
is surprisingly gratifying.

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Luckily, the Switch version offers

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a new optional control scheme

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that ditches motion
control inputs entirely.

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Now, you can make Link

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precisely hack and slash
in the correct directions

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using the right analog stick,

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which suited me and my
play style just fine.

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The Switch version also
lets you look around

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with the right stick while
holding the left bumper.

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It's a bit clunky, but
still a welcome addition.

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At the end of the day,

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"Skyward Sword HD"
still puts a heavy focus

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on the motion controls,

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and it should be played,
or at least tried,

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the way the development team intended.

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Will I continue using the motion controls

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instead of my pro controller?

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Maybe not.

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The new game pad style controls are great.

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Still, I may switch back
and forth from time to time

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to better grasp the essence
of what the Zelda team

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was trying to accomplish here.

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"The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD"

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lets you revisit a turning point

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in one of Nintendo's greatest
and grandest franchises.

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It's a rare chance to look at the past

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on a current gen console,

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and it's helped me better
appreciate what came after,

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even while feverishly waiting

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for the saga's promising future,

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and that's good enough for me.

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(dynamic orchestral music)