The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, despite earning widespread critical acclaim, has still been criticized by some fans of the franchise. It seems one of the main complaints people have had about the game has to do with its forced implementation of motion controls. Despite this, many reviews in 2011 praised The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's motion controls, and according to Nintendo, they will be even better in the upcoming Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD.
Nintendo made this claim while sharing a new video of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD's motion controls in action. The video shows Link utilizing his weapons in the game, with the right Joy-Con controlling Link's sword and the left Joy-Con controlling Link's shield. Nintendo says that the motion controls have been "recreated" for the Nintendo Switch version, which will result in them being "smoother" and "more intuitive."
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD's motion controls are optional, so if fans still aren't impressed, they have other control schemes available. If players opt to play the game without motion controls, sword and shield movements will be relegated to the Joy-Con's control sticks instead. How this matches up with the motion controls remains to be seen, but fans can test them both out come the game's launch in July.
Improved motion controls is just one of the changes that fans can expect from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD. The game will remain the same experience that Zelda fans remember for the most part, but it will boast some improved visuals and maintain 60 frames per second. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD will also have amiibo support, though the exact functionality of the figures in the game haven't been revealed at the time of this writing.
More information on The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD will likely come about in the months ahead. Nintendo has been promoting the game regularly on its social media channels, like with this tidbit about the motion controls, and previously to point out the similarities between The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild.
Since 2021 marks the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda franchise, Nintendo is expected to re-release more Zelda games this year. Perhaps there will be a special Zelda-themed presentation coming up that not only provides an update on Skyward Sword HD, but also highlights the other Zelda games that are rumored to be jumping to the Switch for the 35th anniversary. However, that's just speculation at this time, and so fans should keep an eye out for more concrete information.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD launches July 16, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.