The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is the latest remaster in the lengthy Legend of Zelda series, arriving in July. The game originally came out in November of 2011 for the Nintendo Wii and like any new Zelda game, introduced new gameplay mechanics. It's not new for an entry of a series to borrow gameplay mechanics from its predecessors, though it could be argued that thanks to some of the features introduced in Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild is the game that it is today.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild came out in 2017 for the Nintendo Wii U and Switch to critical acclaim, winning many awards. Breath of the Wild is the latest completely original game in the series, with Link's Awakening having been released in 2019 being a remake of an older title initially released for the Game Boy. Breath of the Wild 2 was teased in 2019 but not much is known of the sequel, though it is sure to borrow many elements from previous titles in the series. Some of these mechanics introduced in previous entries are improved upon for Breath of the Wild, with some of them originating in Skyward Sword.

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Not only did the positive aspects of Skyward Sword lend to the mechanics of Breath of the Wild, but the negative aspects of Skyward Sword would also pave the way for Nintendo's creative decisions. Because of the backlash against Skyward Sword from some fans and its linear narrative design, Nintendo decided to break away from this linearity in Breath of the Wild, making it a completely open-world game, more in line with the original Legend of Zelda game for NES.

Skyward Sword started development shortly after Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks had released, with the development time lasting around five years. The game ended up using the motion controls of the Nintendo Wii sometime after the Wii MotionPlus device was released, making motion controls the core control scheme for swordplay and other mechanics. Because some fans did not enjoy this gameplay approach, Skyward Sword HD will release with the option to not use motion controls. This is probably the best change from the original, as some fans of the series simply did not wish to deal with motion controls getting in the way of their enjoyment, yet those who liked the motion controls can still use them if they so desire.

Even though Skyward Sword will be releasing with optional motion controls, Breath of the Wild has motion controls but not all of them are optional. Players who dislike this feature can turn it off for basic things like moving the camera and other basic controls, however, motion controls are mandatory for completing some of the hidden shrines. With Nintendo seemingly trying to cater to a wider audience, it is more likely that Breath of the Wild 2 will have more options when it comes to its motion controls.

As Skyward Sword is nearing 10 years old this year, it is easy to forget that a game that old still used mechanics that may seem outdated nowadays. The linear pacing of the story was something many fans did not like, while the forced motion controls didn't work for some people. Despite this, Skyward Sword did introduce some new gameplay elements that helped shape some features in Breath of the Wild and quite possibly Breath of the Wild 2.

One obvious mechanic is the stamina system represented in Skyward Sword. For a short time, Link can make a dashing sprint while he has stamina as showcased in a reticle gauge, similar to Breath of the Wild's, or the health gauge in Super Mario 64. This isn't limited to sprinting but also climbing and carrying heavy objects, which are both important mechanics of Breath of the Wild. When Link is at 1/4th of his stamina meter, it will drain at half rate, but when Link stops exerting himself his stamina meter will refill at a constant rate.

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In Skyward Sword after the player obtains Link's second sword, the Goddess Sword, the player can view the world in first-person with a technique known as Dowsing. This was necessary to help lead the way in a main or side quest and through upgrades, could help the player find Rupees, treasures, hearts, Gratitude Crystals, and Goddess Cubes. This gave the player a more immersive feeling and fleshed out the world a bit more as the player needed to look closely everywhere if they wanted to find everything. This gameplay element is replicated in Breath of the Wild with the Sheikah Slate, a portable device that also allows the player to view the world in first-person.

One common element in Zelda titles is the unfortunate ability for Link to lose his shield. This is usually through an enemy known as the Like Like, however, in Skyward Sword, this was changed. Instead, Link's shields (aside from the Hylian Shield) have durability and over time will break if misused. This forces the player to buy a new shield, very similar to if a Like Like were to eat a player's shield in past games. This durability system was brought forward to Breath of the Wild in a big way, where almost all equipment has varying degrees of durability, forcing the player to stay on top of managing their equipment.

One other feature in Skyward Sword was the ability to find treasures that helped Link make upgrades to his arsenal. The treasures that could be found were things like crystals, tails, blobs, feathers, and the like. Many of these treasures are similar to that of monster items that could be harvested from many of the inhabitant creatures in Breath of the Wild. Much like in Skyward Sword, can be used as ingredients to craft items and upgrade weapons and armor. In this way, Skyward Sword was very much a necessary entry into the series, otherwise, Breath of the Wild could have ended up as a completely different game.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD launches July 16, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.

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