The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was not the most popular entry in the Zelda series on release, to say the least. With its second life in the HD remake for the Nintendo Switch, though, fans are returning to Skyloft to experience where the story of Hyrule chronologically started. Is Skyward Sword HD worth it? Definitely, if you know what you're getting into.
Fans consider Skyward Sword to be among the easier games in the Zelda franchise, though the game's boss fights require more precision than in any other game. It's a game that's very easy to pick up for first-timers, but getting some of the finer details of sword movement down can take some time.
Updated January 28, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: The release of Skyward Sword HD brought new life to the second-to-last Zelda title on consoles, but despite being a much older Zelda game than Breath of the Wild or the Hyrule Warriors series, many players still haven't gotten around to exploring Skyloft and the origins of the Zelda series. There are lots of things players can accidentally do wrong in this uniquely vibrant entry in the series, like not upgrading their wallet, not having enough Empty Bottles, or having the wrong control scheme set up. Make sure to keep track of your gratitude crystals especially because they can be traded in for a variety of useful items (like the aforementioned wallets) throughout the progression of Skyward Sword.
13 Avoiding Wallet Upgrades
Wallet upgrades in the Legend of Zelda series are essential, unless you don't want to be able to purchase high-value items in the mid-to-late game. Wallets in Skyward Sword aren't purchased with Rupees, though, they are instead earned through the Gratitude system that rewards players for completing side quests.
In Skyward Sword there are four types of wallets that a player can get: the Medium Wallet (500) for 5 gratitude crystals, the Big Wallet (1000) for 30 crystals, the Giant Wallet (5000) for 50 crystals, and the Tycoon Wallet (9000) for 80 crystals. There are also three "Extra" wallets that increase the rupees a player can hold by 300 each.
12 Not Using The Right Shield For The Job
Aside from Breath of the Wild there are few shields available to Link throughout the Legend of Zelda series. Most games have only a small handful of shields for Link to use, but in Skyward Sword shield choice matters more than in most other titles. This is because, like in Breath of the Wild, shields have durability and environmental modifiers.
The Wooden shield types, for example, burn up instantly upon contact with fire. Sacred Shields are easy to break but regenerate their durability over time, and the Iron Shield can electrocute Link if it comes into contact with electricity. Make sure to purchase and equip the right shield for the encounter, or you might accidentally burn or zap away your only defense.
11 Having Too Few Bottles
One thing that many veteran Legend of Zelda players know to do is look for empty bottles. Just about every Zelda game has this feature that lets players collect liquids and even fairies in a portable jar. In Skyward Sword there are five Empty Bottles the player can find throughout Skyloft and beyond.
Bottles in Skyward Sword work just like in other Zelda titles, letting the player collect and use potions and other similar consumables as well as trap fairies who automatically heal Link when he is near death. Not having enough Empty Bottles at certain points in the game can make it much harder to take down difficult bosses or survive through encounters at all.
10 Sticking To The Main Story
The main story of Skyward Sword is pretty engaging, as it's chronologically the earliest entry in the series and explains a lot of things to come. However, the real meat of the game is in the variety of side quests available for players – and these quests can unlock some pretty nifty rewards.
Finding Batreaux allows the player to collect Gratitude Crystals, which can be exchanged for a larger wallet, Pieces of Heart, and the like. These crystals can be found out and about in the world, but they can also be quickly earned from side quests too.
9 Not Exploring Skyloft at Night
A few things change in Skyloft at night. There are new spawns, new NPC patterns, and most importantly new side quests and items to find. While the player can't explore a lot of areas at night, Skyloft becomes a much different place.
To explore Skyloft at night simply go to sleep in Link's bed back at his home. There are some quests that require Link to go to bed and trigger the nighttime sequence, too.
8 Spending Too Long In Skyloft (At The Start)
Skyloft is a beautiful place to be certain. It's more colorful than just about any area in Twilight Princess, its main predecessor, and it's vibrantly alive aesthetic makes it hard to leave. Unfortunately, Skyward Sword HD's intro sequence takes way too long to get to the actual game.
Link will return to Skyloft often during his adventures, so don't waste time at the start exploring and just get through the sequence. It's not like you'll be saying goodbye forever!
7 Ignoring Goddess Cubes...
On the Surface Link may come across a huge Hylian cube, which when hit with a Skyward Strike will unlock a treasure back up in The Sky. The player learns of their use in the Deep Woods from a Goron, but it's easy to pass them by and forget.
As soon as you learn how to Skyward Strike, go about looking for these cubes to unlock Gold Rupees, Medals, and even Pieces of Heart back up in The Sky. Once Link has left the surface, Fi will mark the location of the chest on his map.
6 ...And Ignoring Bug Hunting
Skyward Sword has a number of fun things to do aside from questing and adventuring. Sometimes it's nice to kick back, relax, and catch a few bugs for the collection. It's a pretty fun minigame that can be satisfying on its own, but the Bug Net has more uses than just for insects.
Use the Bug Net on Tumbleweed, Pink Fairies, Birds for Bird Feathers, and even against Demise, which distracts the boss. It also, perhaps obviously, yields bugs that can be used in other areas of the game.
5 Choosing An Uncomfortable Control Scheme
There are two control schemes in Skyward SwordHD: the controller layout, and the motion control layout. Motion controls were how the game was originally designed, and for the most part is more precise than using the joystick and gamepad, though it does require being active and moving constantly.
While it might take a minute to learn, the controller layout is more responsive and can be used no matter your position.
4 Being Imprecise On Bosses and Minibosses
Fans of the Zelda series all agree that the bosses of Skyward Sword require much more precision than in any other title in the franchise. This is because of the game's original use of motion controls for Link's sword, which made getting exact angles on bosses an important skill to master.
New players won't be able to roll around and wildly swing their sword, like in previous Zelda titles. Instead, it's worth figuring out how the combat system works, because it's one of the most satisfying (especially considering its competition on the Wii).
3 Not Keeping The Gyroscope Accurately Set
When using motion controls, it's vital to make sure the controller is synced correctly with the Switch and its surroundings. While the original Wii controller had some major issues with this, the Switch JoyCons are a little better about it.
Nonetheless, being imprecise is the main downfall of players in Skyward Sword. Be sure to regularly reset the gyroscope by going to the Inventory of Map menu and prettying Y. The camera will then center in your right controller's aim.
2 Listening To Fi's Hints Instead Of Figuring Things Out
Just with any adventure exploration game, it's common to get lost in the narrative or world in Zelda games. Players can ask Fi for a hint and for advice, but it's a little bit immersion ruining and makes the game far too easy.
Games tend to be much more satisfying when the player can figure things out on their own rather than have their handheld throughout the experience. Don't ask Fi for help, try to figure things out the slow (and more rewarding) way.
1 Farming Items, In General, Is Pointless
There are some items in Skyward Sword that are useful for various reasons, like those used in the Scrap Shop or Infusion Shop. However, there's almost no point to going out of one's way to farm these items as players are given plenty throughout a normal playthrough.
Unless the player really, really wants to buy a new upgrade or collect the max Rupee count for their wallet, it's mostly a waste of time to dedicate effort for farming items.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is available on Wii, Wii U, and in the HD version for Nintendo Switch.