The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a game that fans have been demanding for seeming ages. It’s not the most celebrated entry in the series. It reviewed very well on the Wii but that didn’t mean it garnered universal praise. Skyward Sword is very divisive overall. Still, there are certain fans that adore it to pieces.
The biggest complaint of the original game was the motion controls, which this remaster does update. How did Nintendo update them and what else did the company fix? It might not be enough to entice the naysayers to try it again on Switch. However, if Nintendo adds these things as well through patches, it might become a more inviting game.
8 Add-In Native Loftwing Amiibo Support
Nintendo is not shy about putting exclusive content onto Amiibos. When it comes to getting costumes, that’s fine because they don’t affect gameplay usually. The Loftwing and Zelda Amiibo seem like essential parts of Skyward Sword HD as new additions. It allows players to warp back and forth between the sky and surface at most points in the game.
If this Amiibo was widely available, the extra $25 would be fine. However, Nintendo never makes enough of these toys anymore, making them hard to acquire. Since that’s the case Nintendo should just add the support via a patch or paid DLC if the company really wants the money. Fans would assumedly pay up.
7 More Save Slots
This series has usually only supported three save slots. In a time when these games were saved onto the cartridges themselves, this was understandable. Nintendo needed to save space. However, as files are kept elsewhere nowadays, there is no excuse.
Nintendo did at least change Skyward Sword in the remaster so that players could save the game on all three files. Nintendo also added autosaves. It would be even better if the company added more slots in general.
6 Adjust The Skip Options
Some dialogue can be passed through, but other conversations cannot be fast-forwarded. Some cutscenes can be skipped altogether but others cannot.
This inconsistency can be frustrating to players that just want to get to the gameplay. Skyward Sword is ten years old after all, many people have already experienced it. Presumably, a lot of gamers are returning for their second time and don’t feel the need to relive the story or just want to watch the best parts of it over again.
5 Photo Mode
Every modern game should come with a photo mode. It seems to be the hot new trend. The industry is about half and half on incorporating it into games, though. In the case of Nintendo, they have done it before for this series.
When they re-released The Wind Waker on Wii U, Nintendo included one which helped create some incredible photos and videos. This included one where Link sings along to a Kanye song. Does Skyward Sword HD need a photo mode? No, but it would be fun to have.
4 Voice Acting
The Zelda series got along just fine without voice acting. That is up until Breath of the Wild where things changed. Link still couldn’t speak but everyone else could. It’s a little hard to go back to the classics now without voice acting after being spoiled by that game.
Since Skyward Sword HD is already out without voice acting, there is little chance of Nintendo patching it in. It’s still something worth noting even if it is just a wish.
3 Sailcloth Functionality
Breath of the Wild took a lot of elements from Skyward Sword and made them better. One of these things was the Sailcloth which Link gets from Zelda after winning the Loftwing race in Skyward Sword. All it does is allow Link to fall gracefully down.
The Sailcloth doesn’t soar as it does in Breath of the Wild. While there aren’t many instances where this sailing ability would come in handy, it would at least give players something new to do in this updated version.
2 Reduce Stamina Gauge Depletion During Battle
Another mechanic Breath of the Wild took and made better was the stamina gauge. Even at the beginning of the game, Link could do more in the ruins of Hyrule than Skyward Sword HD’s hero can.
This goes for exploration and combat. Link doesn’t get winded from fighting in Breath of the Wild but he does in this game. It would have been nice if Nintendo updated the remaster to allow combat to not be held back by the stamina meter. There is still time to patch this in.
1 Add Difficulty Modes
If there is one thing Nintendo lags behind in video game development, it's difficulty levels. A lot of the company's key franchises, including The Legend of Zelda, don’t use them. This is seemingly done to create an experience that is even for all players.
However, games like Skyward Sword HD and other entries may be too easy for some but too hard for others. Not all gamers are alike and that’s why these different modes exist. If Nintendo doesn’t add new difficulty levels for Skyward Sword HD then they should hopefully consider adding them in future games like Breath of the Wild 2. What could it hurt?