Skyward Sword HD

[Maryokutai]

I don't want to start a big discussion about this but imagine if OoT came out today, unchanged in terms of content and playability but with a fresh coat of paint. Would reviewers mention its "dated structure compared to BotW" like they do with Skyward or would they blindly give it a 95 because its just that game? I'm kind of inclined to believe it'd be the latter. You can't stick to "for its time" reasoning for one game and throw it out the window for the next.

[Maf]

This is really complicated but here are my best, quick thoughts on it.

 

Skyward Sword and other Zelda games were called stale when they came out because of OoT. They were being compared to it. So if OoT came out today, the same with fresh coat of paint, it would probably still be viewed favourably because it didn’t have 4 or 5 games before it that wore thin for people. 

 

Also if OoT came out today no way would it review great anyway because of how small it is, how backwards the UI is compared to today, etc. Part of what made OoT review so well in the first place were the games and trends that surrounded it. If you change those things for today’s games and trends but it stays the same. It’s going to be harsh. Fresh paint or no.

 

Then comparing OoT to BotW. I can’t even.

 

And also that kind of did happen because OoT came out on 3DS and got a 94. But is that because of nostalgia or because it was on a 3DS or what. 
 

This is a very hard alternate universe mental exercise. 

 

[one-armed dwarf]

I tried to play OoT on 3DS and I thought it was shite and would have given it a 49. If anyone asked for the 2016 perspective it's that it's a shitty ass game by that year's standards

[mfnick]

I replayed some of OoT on the 3DS and loved it still. Maybe not 94 good but in 80’s.

 

No way should Skyware Sword be around 80. I thought Skyward Sword on Wii was a bad game & time could have only made it worse. Probably deserves about a 60 now with the QOL improvements. Maybe 65-70 if they’d not locked part of fast travel behind a £25 figure. 

[Maf]

The reviews are increasing my confidence in the game but I’m still sceptical. I know there are parts of this game that are bad. But maybe it will end up being an uneven 8. Where parts are amazing, parts are bullshit, and when I boil it down an 8 is where it ends up. I do remember this game finishing on an incredible high note. 

[OCH]

The parts I do remember about this game, prevent me from buying it. Even if the controls are improved.

[bellow]

I agree with @OCH on this one. I still own the original and have 2 consoles capable of running it (as it was meant to be played). I've never felt the urge to fire it up again to be honest.

[Maryokutai]

13 hours ago, Maf said:

So if OoT came out today, the same with fresh coat of paint, it would probably still be viewed favourably because it didn’t have 4 or 5 games before it that wore thin for people. 

 

It didn't back then (though, well, technically it did have 4 games before it) but it would now. I know it's next to impossible to approach OoT without acknowledging its influence, I just feel like people are happy Skyward is universally accepted as being the ugly duckling of the family so they can vent some of their overall Zelda frustrations at it without facing the backlash they would if they had chosen a more popular game in the series.

 

Because in fairness Skyward Sword did actually try to change the formula up a bit. Dungeons feel more organically linked to their surroundings, they mix up certain aspects of how you complete them (IIRC one boss isn't even being fought inside its dungeon), it introduces crafting and actually has a proper storyline. It's in no way as radical an overhaul as BotW is but after TP basically just wanted to be OoT 2.0 I was happy about the littles changes here and there they tried out with SS.

[DANGERMAN]

13 hours ago, one-armed dwarf said:

I tried to play OoT on 3DS and I thought it was shite and would have given it a 49. If anyone asked for the 2016 perspective it's that it's a shitty ass game by that year's standards

I played it on the N64 and feel the same

[Maf]

Mine's been delayed until the 21st. So no Zelda weekend for me ?

 

Nintendo punishing me for talking shit about it. I repent, Nintendo I take it all back Skyward Sword is the greatest please send me the game 

[OCH]

Ever since it's release, I have held up Majora's Mask as my all time favourite and probably the best 3D Zelda. OoT did have an 'in the moment' star quality to it. But, replaying it a couple years ago. It is just a bit bare bones.

MM shook up the formula perhaps more so than any other, until BoTW. The three day cycle. The Four Temples. The fact that the majority of the quests in the game fully fleshed out virtually every person that lived in Termina. It incentivised you to try to save them, on an individual level, from the approaching doom. Not just a nebulous "Save the Princess and defeat the Pig Wizard". Not to knock the others. LTTP is my number two by quite a wide margin.

 

But there are ways to shake up the formula that don't put people's backs up. Even though it is a great game, it took a long time for Wind Waker to be positively received after all.

[mmmark]

On 11/07/2021 at 11:12, mmmark said:

I liked SS too, I just haven’t banged on about it lads, but I won’t be playing it again. I rarely 100% a game and then later think, “I know, that 40hrs I spent playing that game to death, I’ll do it again”. I’d rather just let it live lovingly in my memory instead of going back and be annoyed because progress has happened since. 

This man lies when he sees it’s only £34.99 from curry’s.