In celebration of The Legend of Zelda's 35th anniversary, Nintendo is getting ready to launch a remaster of one of the franchise's more recent iterations, with Skyward Sword HD hitting shelves later this month. Fans already know some of the re-release's new features, including the ability to switch out the game's divisive motion controls for a new thumbstick-focused playstyle; however, it seems there are other adjustments being made to ensure the game meets modern standards.
Revealed via a new trailer over on Nintendo's YouTube channel, Skyward Sword HD will have several quality of life changes, with Nintendo streamlining the more long-winded aspects of the original Wii release. Some of these are small while others are more significant, including the decision to make Fi's notoriously criticized hint system an optional part of the game.
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When players are stuck in an area or dungeon, the Master Sword will now chime, indicating that Fi can give advice if needed. Players will then be able to open a menu and consult her on what to do next. In the original game, the companion would impart hints on the player automatically, becoming infamous for her long-winded information dumps. Making her advice optional is sure to be a big draw for returning players.
The clip also offers more insight into the game's two control schemes. For those sticking with the motion controls, nothing's changed. The left Joy-Con acts as the Nunchuck, controlling the shield, while the right Joy-Con is the Wii remote, acting as the sword. For those picking the new button controls, they'll be able to maneuver the shield via the left stick and the sword with the right, moving it in whichever direction they want to deflect or attack. The bow will work similarly, with motion control players able to draw and fire arrows using both joy-cons, while manual control players will just use the shoulder buttons and thumbsticks.
In addition to both major changes, the game will also have several smaller quality of life updates. Players can now fast-forward dialogue, making exchanges with NPCs much faster, and item descriptions won't repeat on subsequent pickups, meaning players won't have to frequently enter drawn-out information screens. Cutscenes are now skippable too, which is a neat addition for returning Skyward Sword fans and speedrunners.
Alongside all of these changes, the game will also come loaded with enhanced visuals and a higher frame rate, making it the definitive version of the Wii adventure. For those who've never played the game before, Skyward Sword is the earliest game in The Legend of Zelda timeline, seeing Link embark on a journey to save Zelda and defeat an ancient evil known as Demise. It seems to have a lot in common with the upcoming sequel to Breath of the Wild, which recently revealed it would add a brand new sky-bound world for players to explore.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is set to release on July 16 for the Nintendo Switch.