Is Skyward Sword the Worst 3D Zelda?

Having not played, don't own a wii. From what I've seen the gating in the game happens too soon. You have to complete each area to unlock the next. In an actual Zelda game you are able to visit the entrance to the other areas only to find out that you need a special weapon/item to be able to progress. That is not the case with this game, I like the uses I've seen for the beetle, but everything looks uninteresting and slow. Player has no control over the speed of the game. It's a shame.

Fortunately there is a certain 2D zelda game that ages well and does not need nostalgia to remain amazing, I'll go play it now.

For me, it truly is the best Zelda. The expansive world world of other Zeldas really never struck me as a selling point. It simply isn't what I come to a game for. This game is by far the most linear game in the series, and quite frankly, I like that. Ultimately, it has just as much (if not more) fluff as every other game in the series, but the streamline makes it all the more palatable, somehow. I adore the art style, mostly just due to my personal adoration of impressionist paintings. As for the controls... I adore them, just like I adored Red Steel 2 before it. I never had a single issue with the controls being innacurate, though that may be good luck on my part or bad luck on others. Did I mention I LOVE the art style? Because yep. I do.
Also, Timeshift stone puzzles.

"If this is what Nintendo will be using as a reference point for the series going forward, I may be done with the franchise".

I didn't like reading that, but its very true. I wish the side missions weren't miserably boring. If they were good, I would have done new game+. It felt like I just finished a bunch of chores and that's not the feeling I wanted to have when ending a Zelda game.

Yes I do think this is the worst 3D Zelda. But there wasn't anything in the I really hated. For the most part I just bored with the game rather then completely hating it. I liked the Tear parts but at the same time I won't really miss them if they were taking out. Even the worst parts like the tadtones just made me really bored but not hate the game. Then again the worst 3D Zelda is just a boring game. Also the toe boss can beated by stunning it with the bombs then jumping on to its head.

Nintendo's reference point should be from the two titles on the console that made the series golden in the first place. The N64...

Nothing could compare to Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. And I have doubts anything ever will until they start making Zelda games like those again.

Twilight Princess is still my least favorite 3D Zelda. I'm not a huge fan of Skyward Sword either, but I just really don't like the tone of Twilight Princess. The entire game is very off putting for me. I really just want a great 2D Zelda game of a Majora's Mask remake.

I don't know what Nick means with the imprecise motion controls. They really weren't THAT bad. I enjoyed the boss fights (even though they were ridiculously easy) but hated the dungeons. They got creative, sure, but they were too short to be any fun.

I was talking to a friend of mine and he said that this game was 100x better then Twilight Princess. It annoyed me that despite raw facts and the opinions of others I couldn't change his mind.

In the end I guess the game isn't bad but its not a great game, I guess some people will just always like some games more than others for reasons they can't really explain.

I still hold Majora's Mask as my favorite Zelda game. I think that was Nintendo's way of trying something new and different; a more mature and more fleshed-out take on a heralded series, at least in 3D. It's a shame to see the series almost "de-spin" out of that, though; that was the time when it was at its best in my opinion.

While I agree with Skyward Sword not being great, the fact that Nintendo - as a company - are very cautious of what they do with the Zelda franchise. They've taken risks with Mario, Kirby, Star Fox, even freakin' Metroid, but somehow Zelda always seems to be left to stick to a certain formula after the success of Ocarina of Time. Sure games like Majora's Mask and Wind Waker were different, but they didn't light any creative fires within Nintendo. Zelda alone is a justifiable franchise for me when it comes to purchasing Nintendo products, but Nintendo really should step up their development game. Here's a free one for Miyamoto and crew: First projectile for Link: Bow and Arrows. Second projectile weapon: A Freakin' Crossbow.

I think it may be the worst 3D zelda, but definitely not a bad game.

ehhh the game looks fine for say a ten year old ? But I think Nintendo is running out of ideas. Until they make the Wii 2 (sorry as a grown adult im not saying weeepuuuu) only then can they make a true open world once they have the proper tech to do so (well I would hope they would make a proper zelda that like twilight Princess but Im afraid it will be another kiddie game).

I was going to say yes, but then I remembered how much I disliked Twilight Princess (the only Zelda game I've never beaten). I don't care for the sparse Sky, the motion controls (not battle, but diving and the such), or the music (bland). Also, visiting the same 4 areas is horribly repetitive.

However, some things are awesome. Art style (but no HD...), the Goddess Cube/Chest link, and the better UI (Adventurer's pouch, upgradable items.)

Until Nintendo tries again, I'll have to stick with #1 Wind Waker, and a close #2 Majora's Mask.

If Nintendo is goign to release a game for a franchise like "Zelda," I don't know how they can afford to make the game so focused on a 'means of gaming' (see: motion controls) without risking their entire fanbase... I mean most people that liked Nintendo for their previous work (S/NES/64/GC) don't like motion controls, and yet they force that into their franchise-releases. Its just screaming high-risk.

I'm already at a disadvantage to liking this game as I found the Wii's controller setup hard to work with. the flying parts for me frustrated me with the limited time I played it. All I can say is, and probably with the least amount of originality, That Ocarina is so far from being the worst and this thing definitely is far from being the best.

Good review. Although I don't agree with the notion of modern Zelda games automatically being "excellent" or "cut above the competition", especially when they fail to deliver or evolve the series in the ways that matter. Perhaps on the Wii there isn't much competition -- well, actually there was, it was called "Twilight Princess"... albeit a 'gamecube' game, and one that I found to be arse-paralizingly boring, but it still beats the pants off Skyward Sword any day -- but being "good for a Wii game" generally says more about the quality of the Wii than it does about Zelda. Compared to most other games of 2011, SS just falls short in many areas. Even at being a "Zelda" game, it is little more than a pale imitation. Sure it may be "technically" be a "good game", or "decent", or whatever other words you want to use to imply that it isn't "bad" in Superman64 sense of the word, but is there any reason whatsoever to play SS over any other Zelda game? or for the game to even exist at all? Nintendo clearly aren't interested in doing anything remarkable, innovative, or interesting with the franchize anymore, so why not just put the series to rest, instead of constantly recycling tired formulas in the hope of trying (and failing) to recapture past glory.

Going back to the original OoT and MM is hard for me, and I don't have 3DS, so it's hard for me to compare SS to those. I have a huge admiration especially for MM but I just can't play it nowadays. If I don't take this to the count, I think SS is the worst 3D Zelda.

That said I'm currently playing SS on Hero Mode and still having fun. When I had fun on my 1st playthrough, it was a ton of fun and I couldn't stop playing! But this game is one of the easiest to pick apart - there are so many flaws and incredibly stupid design decisions. Compare that to, say, Dark Souls where I can only point out couple of flaws that didn't really bother me. And In my opinion DS was much more ambitious project.

@Rob K
You are right, and they already lost me for sure because of the forced Motion Controls, no Problem if there where an Option to use my Gamecube Wavebird or CC, but now i will break the Zelda Skyward Sword CD apart and never again buy any Nintendo Products - Nintendo and Zelda is dead for me because of that!

So yes, it was a screaming high-risk and i hope they loose the Fanbase for sure and then hopefully Nintendo goes down because of that with their Shity Motion Control Crap, i sooo hate it!

I haven't played the game so I can't say, but I did watch an entire LP of the game and the impressions I got from it were mainly that it had too many slow and boring parts and the world didn't seem to have much identity. The mechanics of the game also seemed a bit archaic like Nintendo is living in the past still.

I agree fully.

I'm at the boss of the 6th dungeon and imprecise motion controls are making him a real pain in the ass. And looking ahead in guides to find out what's next isn't motivating me to keep playing. 10+ hours of MANDATORY shit that feels like boring side quests to get to the last dungeon? No thanks. Like you said, I also have no desire to explore the world and find everything like I did in previous Zelda games. This is going to be the first 3D Zelda game that I won't finish, and definitely the worst of the bunch. It's better than Spirit Tracks, but that's like saying rotten apples taste better than rotten oranges.

Skyward Sword is OK…
I still have my N64, with Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. I just played Ocarina a couple months back and after all these years, it is still a timeless game…There are many timeless games that Nintendo produced in the past…that’s why they made it possible to download them onto the Wii (for a nominal fee?)
I have chosen to continue to play them on my tired N64 system…seems more real to me.
I would have to agree that the most challenging aspects of the new Zelda game are the controls…and its repetitive nature… The idea of a world in the sky is cool, but not particularly memorable. Don’t get me wrong, I do really like the game, but it was too childish and I was expecting MORE from the new installment of Zelda…

I thought most of this game was kind of boring. The only part I really enjoyed, was the very final boss fight. Everything else seemed to small and empty, while in most other Zelda games, the emptiness is met with an expansive world that's just a joy to explore. Skyward Sword isn't that bad, it's just slow and boring. In my eyes, Majora's Mask is the best. It's sort of dark and different, which I find interesting, but sitll very whimsical. I can recommend almost every other Zelda game I've played, but, Skyward Sword just doesn't quite have it.

totally agree with the review. Zelda SS disappoints me on a million levels. The fetch quests, the returning to the same 3 areas again and again, the lack of exploring a large hub world, the sketchy sword combat (in my opinion). And the list goes on. There are lots of good things about the game too, which is why i found myself enjoying it at times. But I have a confession to make: My attachable Wii Motion Plus broke during the course of SS. I'm probably within 5-10 hours of completing the game and have not bought a new motion plus to do so. That was a month ago. It is honestly not worth the 30 or 50 bucks to finish the game. Every previous Zelda game, i would have paid the money at this point. But not Skyward Sword. That sums up my level of attachment to this game.

I am having no problems with the game. In fact I am enjoying it quite a bit. Now I wouldn't really know if it was the worst 3D zelda so far as I have not finished OoT and Majora's Mask yet (didn't have an N64 growing up but I have played the games) but by no means is Skyward Sword a bad game. The "fluff" may be a bit annoying but it's not as bad as I hear everyone say it is.

I played the game for three hours and I'm never going back. It's the same template, but what they've plugged in (Fi instead of Midna, flying instead of sailing, etc.) just doesn't work for me. Neither do the imprecise controls.

I loved Wind Waker, I awfully enjoyed Twilight Princess, but I can't play this.

I could understand your feelings about the series being unable to evolve, but the amount of years between new installments in the series seems to make up for it (At least for me it does). I would agree with you about the "Overworld" in the sky being uninteresting and not worth exploring. Flying from rock to rock is not nearly as fun, compelling, or impactful when compared to the great sea of Wind Waker. And yes, I would also agree with the problem of revisiting the same three central locations over and over again. The side missions were repetitive chores, so I didn't even bother with those, but in the end, for me, the game was a blast. It was just plain f**king fun.

Even acknowledging the game’s annoying quirks, it's still the best game I played in all of 2011. I try to treat every entry in the series as its own distinguished and unique identity. I guess other fans tend to look at all the 3D installments synoptically and always compare them WAY TO MUCH. If fans keep on harping about Zelda games of the past, no one's going to enjoy any of the new ones (Especially if Nintendo continues to evolve the series further). In the end, Skyward Sword was GotY for me. Why? Because it was fun. Plain and simple. I don't hearken back to older games in the series and bitch about how Skyward Sword "Isn't like Ocarina of Time" or “Not as good as Twilight Princess”. When I play Skywards Sword, I don't think about how much better Ocarina of Time was; I think about how much fun Skyward Sword is.

Nothing about this Zelda game made me go, "Oh wow! I'm so glad to be playing this!" In fact a little more than half way through the game I was having to come up with reasons to finish the game. The only reason being that it's a Zelda game.

I was very disappointed in this game and rate it just above Spirit Tracks, which, in my opinion, is the absolute worse Zelda game ever creative. (I haven't and probably wont finish that one.) Maybe my expectations of Skyward Swords were set too high. But everything felt below par, repetitive, and boring. I am still excited to see where the series goes from here and it hasn't made me any less of a Zelda fan. I'm just not going to gush over it or replay it like I have for the other games.

I still prefered SS over Majora's Mask, but it was definitely disappointing. As you say though, it's still an excellent game. I don't understand how you can admit that and then, a few sentences later, say that you may be done with this franchise. That seems absolutely too extreme. I couldn't imagine myself just ignoring a new Zelda game and all the great things it provides, even if, like with SS, those great things are scattered around shitty sequences.

Has the author played Zeldas before? To my knowledge..in OoT you visited the same 3 or 4 areas. The first sets as a kid and then the second when you're an adult. Same with Wind Waker, same couple of islands.

For myself I loved this game aside from one thing..the end boss fight. Every 3D game in the series has gotten it right and was done well. When the final fight ended in Skyward Sword I was shocked that was all it was.

I loved the controls, the art style, the dungeon designs, music everything.

I will agree though, the overworld was the weakest in a long time.

I have never played Wind Waker, but have played the other 3D Zeldas. I would say SS isn't a terrible game, but it does get frustrating/annoying after awhile. Especially since playing twilight princess previously and finding the world in that game to be more interesting. I finished SS and the first worlds from my mouth was "Finally its over", not something I had with the other 3D Zeldas. Maybe because I expected more seeing as "everyone" was giving it a perfect score, but I sure hope Nintendo can change things up and not be so "stuck in the past".

Nah, Skyward Sword is alright. It's not as good as Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, and Ocarina, but it's not the worst of the 3D games. Twilight Princess is the worst 3D Zelda game. Don't blow a casket, though. Twilight Princess is fantastic, just not quite as fantastic as the others.

Really the only thing wrong with Skyward Sword is Fi. She needs an off switch.

Having just finished Skyward Sword earlier tonight, I can't help but disagree with everything said in this post. But before that, let me explain why I find myself among those heralding Skyward Sword above every other 3D Zelda game, possibly over them all.

Skyward Sword is nothing short of stunning. Elements of the story, which I will refrain from spoiling, provide unique and very interesting perspective on the entire series as a whole. It is a fantastically written piece to send off the Wii, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else, despite a couple frustrating and contrived sequences.

On the gameplay side of things, Skyward Sword does what everyone wanted Twilight Princess to do; it legitimizes motion controls for a hardcore audience. It's a shame that it took Nintendo until the end of their console's lifespan to do it, but they did it. Control over the swings of your sword, coupled with enemies built to predict and protect against what you're telegraphing, make the game's combat far more fun than I've had in any other Zelda game, hands down.

On top of that, the dungeon design in Skyward Sword is some of the best the series has to offer. Once again, without spoiling anything, that final dungeon is especially well-crafted, and requires some unconventional thinking to get through it.

All of that, on top of a collection system that actually kinda matters, a fully-orchestrated (and beautiful) soundtrack, a stunning art style that makes for a beautiful game despite the Wii's limitations, and more side quests and other content outside of the main storyline than I think has ever been in a Zelda game, and you're looking at one fine piece of software.

That's not to say I didn't have my gripes with the game, though. This is where Nick and I agree; the overworld gets a little stale. Often times, I wanted to be able to just hit a "Go back to Skyloft" button, instead of having to fly all the way there from where I was, and then all the way back, especially because there's nothing terribly interesting to see along the way.

However, I don't really have as much of a problem with that as Nick seems to. Yes, Wind Waker did it best; the feeling of sailing uncharted seas, exploring places most people have never even seen, and finding all that lies beyond the horizon. But I've always seen the overworld as a way to get me from point A to dungeon B, and so on. I've never cared much for exploring the world beyond what I could do when I first visit an area, because usually, there's no point. Some rupees here, a piece of heart there, but I've never really been compelled or felt like I needed either, and only ever did it for completion's sake.

The fact that the world above the clouds could have been more interesting is a little short-sighted to use as an excuse to call the entire overworld bland, though. There are three main areas below the clouds, and each of them is exciting and new, employing unique mechanics to keep them interesting.

Yes, you do end up return

I'm actually going to have to agree with you, Nick. While Skyward sword should NOT at all be considered a bad game, It just didn't feel on par with previous 3D Zelda games. Everything you listed in this article is true for me. I really hated going back to the same few locations in the game, I hated doing these mindless fetch quests, and I HATED using dousing (but maybe that's just me).

I spent over 50 hours playing this game, but alot of it actually felt like "filler" just to lengthen the game out. If all the filler (like the part where you lose all your equipment and have to sneak past moblins in the fire level, or where you have to catch "music note fish" in the forest) was left out, the game would probably leave a better impact with me.

Ocarina of Time is my favorite zelda game (also my favorite game of all time), but what I liked from it were the great memorable characters, from: Saria, Mido, Malon, Talon, Impa, Ruto, Navi, Darunia and so on. Unfortunately, I can count all the memorable characters in Skyward Sword on one hand. I do like the fact that Zelda actually has a personality in this game though, as well as a "slightly" bigger role, at last! And of course, the motion controls are, as always, excellent.

In the end, Skyward sword while not a bad game, is probably one I won't be going back and playing anytime soon. Its a very beautiful game, but just has too many annoyances for me to even consider it.

"most people would gladly trade the wii remote for a gamecube controller any day of the week."

Do you have any research to back this up? Cause that sounds like a pretty bogus claim. I went back to TP and WW after SS and while they're both awesome games, the Motion Plus is an amazing experience.

The tough thing about this Zelda is I find is the great things are great but the bad is really bad. I do find it true that I do not find myself wanting to explore the overworld mainly because in other zelda's there were towns to visit, here we only have skyloft and a few select places in the overworld. Other than the main characters none of the side characters are very memorable as well.

Even though I don't like certain sections of this game I still have a lot of fun with the dungeons and the bosses.

Do I find this the worst Zelda? not really, Zelda II was pretty bad and Spirit Tracks wasn't so hot either. Worst 3D Zelda? Maybe, but even with it's flaws it's still a good and solid Zelda experience. I still have hope in the Zelda franchise it hasn't gone the route of Sonic which has went downhill soo far that it's struggling just to make a decent game.

As far as motion controls go I have no problems with them, but I can see some ppl prefer them without. Maybe if they came up with controls where you could use the C stick to wave the sword around some people might not be so apprehensive to the controls. It is a matter of preference anyway.

I personally found the gameplay mechanics to be fun, but I pretty much had a problem with everything else.

I haven't played Skyward Sword (I don't have a Wii), nor have I played all of the Zelda games to date (CDI games notwithstanding), but the Zelda series as a whole has never been anywhere close to my favorite series. Don't get me wrong, it's a good series with a great story, memorable characters, and decent combat, but there's one thing that truly kills the experience for me; wandering around aimlessly with absolutely no inkling of where to go or what to do, frustration peaking, exacerbated by the expansive world. Too much of the basic gameplay is hidden or kept secret, and all of the Zelda games I've ever played have suffered from this issue. I don't think that the game should hold your hand all the way through, but when the next primary goal takes about 5 hours to find, something needs to change.

I've played roughly 7 hours of it so far, got past the first dungeon, and am now searching for key pieces to enter a sand themed area.
To be honest, the game is very boring. I agree with that it limits you way too much in exploration. I like open world games, and I think that's pretty much how Zelda has been since it's beginning. Wind Waker made me feel like I was exploring a vast and beautiful ocean, visiting lonely islands, and viewing beautiful scenery. However, I feel like the world is very small in Skyward Sword, and I really couldn't care less about the story, which doesn't appeal to me at all.

Zelda is getting boring, and it seems like they just took out all the fun parts in the new one. The style is Ok, but it just looks bland to me.

My 3d zelda games,

5: Skyward Sword
4: Wind Waker
3: Ocarina of Time
2: Majora's Mask
1: Twilight Princess

Therefore it is the worst one.