Back in February, it was discovered that Nintendo's upcoming The Legends of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD would feature amiibo support. At the time, it wasn't known exactly what said amiibo support would entail, but now Nintendo has slightly lifted the lid on that. Earlier today, it unveiled a new amiibo figurine for fans and collectors to get their hands on, one which is releasing the same day as the game.
The amiibo figure in question is of two characters: Zelda and her blue feathered Loftwing. For those unfamiliar with the original The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Zelda in this game isn't a princess at all, but instead the daughter of the headmaster of the Knight Academy on the floating islands of Skyloft. She's also a close childhood friend of Link's, giving him more of a personal reason to rescue her when she is seemingly kidnapped.
The Loftwings are a species of bird used by the residents of Skyloft to travel through the sky. Players can look forward to getting one of their own in-game, with Link's unique Crimson Loftwing being the method of transportation between the various floating islands.
However, as one may expect, the new amiibo wasn't just made to add to peoples' collections. The amiibo also allows for a new gameplay feature that, from the sound of it, otherwise can't be accessed in-game without it. Specifically, fast travel between the sky and the surface world beneath the sea of clouds.
Normally, Link can only return to the skies above through statues that also serve as save points. But by tapping the Zelda and Loftwing amiibo on the controller, Link can instantly warp back to the sky from any location, and that's including dungeons. Not only that, but using it while in Skyloft or flying through the air will return Link to the exact spot he came from.
This feature allows players to more easily visit Skyloft's bazaar to restock on items should they run out, but the fact that it can even be used in dungeons almost turns this quality-of-life feature into a gamebreaker. Perhaps this is why Nintendo is locking it behind the amiibo rather than including it in the base game – unless there's a new hidden in-game item that can unlock it.
It's still unclear whether any of the other Legend of Zelda amiibo are compatible with the game as well. If they are, they may simply share a universal function rather than provide unique benefits. For example, they could work similarly to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, where tapping an amiibo provided you extra items and materials.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD releases on July 16th.
Source: Nintendo