Things Skyward Sword introduced that you hope return - Zelda Universe Forums (2024)

There'll be some spoilers pertaining to Skyward Sword's gameplay in this thread.

The title is pretty self-explanatory, really.

Stamina: I really quite enjoyed this feature throughoht the entire game, especially the sprinting. I recently replayed Majora's Mask on the Virtual Console and was constantly wishing that it was possible to sprint. Sure, you can use the Goron Roll or the Bunny Hood, but sprinting also allows Link to scale ledges extremely quickly. Plus you get to hear his manly breathing. I just hope that, if the feature does return, we'll be able to upgrade the amount of stamina Link has. Maybe by collecting something similar to pieces of heart?

Orchestrated music: A no-brainer. I'm one of the ones that liked Skyward Sword's soundtrack. I understand that not everyone did, but I think we can all agree that the games should use orchestrated music from now on. Beyond just that, I was really impressed at the amount of original tracks that the game used, Nintendo really went all out for the music, and I would like to see future games emulate that.
I'd also like for future games to have musical variances. For some reason the feature is one of my favorite aspects of the game, it really made the game feel more immersive knowing that the music will oftentimes change depending on what you're doing, where you are or even WHEN you are.

Art style: Not necessarily right away, and certainly not something I would want to become standard from now on. But I REALLY liked the game's art style. Seeing screenshots and video of the game running on Dolphin makes me want to see the game in HD on my own TV.
I know it's very unlikely to happen for a while, and considering the graphical prowess the wii-U is supposed to possess I'm sure Nintendo will opt for a more Twilight Princess-y style (which I'm also excited about.) But I definitely hope the painterly style makes a comeback sometime in the future, preferably on home consoles.

Adventure Pouch: Something I was kinda meh about prior to playing, but loved by the end. The ability to decide if you want to carry lots of bottles for potions, or lots of quivers for arrows, or maybe lots of medals for collecting bugs and treasures was really a lot of fun. I only hope that future games require more strategy. On my second playthrough, an extra bomb bag was never even remotely necessary

Upgradables: Loved the system in Skyward Sword. It gave me a reason to go out and fight enemies and something to use my rupees on. However, like with the adventure pouch, I just wish that I had've felt the need to upgrade all of my equipment. The only upgrades I could see myself completey unable to do without would be the Beetle ones and the Scattershot.
If the system returns, I would like to see branching upgrades. Maybe you we could decide to either power up our bow or give it sniping abilities for example.

Beacons: Maybe a strange one, but I actually used them quite a bit. If the wii-U uses the tablet controller, I hope we're able to draw and take notes on maps. But it not, beacons are more than welcome. In a way they're actually more useful since we can see them both on maps and from Link's perspective.

Dowsing: Why are people complaining about this feature? You never HAVE to use it. I liked it because it cold be used religiously to find the exact location of an item or character, but you could also use it to just get the general idea of where something or someone was. It was also nice to tell for certain if you had found all the Goddess Cubes or Gratitude Crystals in an area .
On a somewhat related note, I also really enjoyed being able to walk around while in first person perspective in this game.

Motion controls: They weren't perfect. The nunchuck was too sensitive and maybe using the remote to swim wasn't such a great idea (I liked it, but the general consensus is that it sucked.) But I think the game generally used motion controls very well. It would just be nice to be able to fight more enemies that required precise attacks. Bokoblins are cool and all, but where are my Dark Nuts?
So really I'd be perfectly fine with the controls slightly tweaked (like Phantom hourglass to Spirit Tracks tweaked) and more enemies that require them.

Real-time item switchage: To be honest, I was kind of annoyed with the system when I first started playing. I went from that to general indifference after the first day or so. But, about halfway through my second playthrough, I really started to appreciate how convenient it is. It would just be nice to have more than 8 slots in the future.

The Beetle: Because it's the best item in any Zelda game and ♥♥♥♥ you if you don't think so.

Now it's your turn.

*The next Zelda should have more experimental dungeons, like the Sand Ship and Sky Keep. These two were fantastic.

*Torch and block puzzles are largely absent from SS. Good, keep it that way. There's been nothing magic about these tired puzzle ideas since the first time we saw them in 3D in 1998.

*Link should of course still be as flexible as he was in SS. That means he can jump forward, kick-climb walls, quickly climb ladders, etc. These are great additions to the series.

*Boss keys = puzzles? Yes, please!

*The next guide should know as much as Fi, but never interrupt unless the story requires it.

• Stamina bar
• Link's flexibility
• Enemies which are combat puzzles (not really a new concept I suppose, but SS made the biggest use of the idea yet)
• Experimental dungeons
• Orchestrated music
• A second quest that makes the game harder (was introduced in the original game obviously, but Hero Mode was the first time we saw something like that since then)
• A villain rich in personality :ghirahim:
• Having to re-visit a dungeon (having to return to Skyview Temple was an interesting surprise)
• The Beetle (one of the best new items in a while)
• Upgrades
• Sidequests that have different outcomes depending on what choices you make (well, MM sort of introduced that, but the outcome was usually either success or failure which meant you had to go back in time and try again)
• Free flight (maybe not as the main form of travel but in some form)
• Beacons (were very helpful)
• The ability to freely switch and use items while still moving
• Vertical spin attacks
• Being able to store bomb flowers in your bomb bag

Pretty much all the new gameplay features, except that some should be a bit changed or fine tuned.

Make stuff like dowsing and beacons completely optional, and don't make the HUD beep forever and ever if you opt not to(or at least not if you set the HUD to normal or pro). Same goes for hints or notifications that your health or batteries or whatever else are low.

Don't tell me what an item is every single time I collect one. If I want to know what it is again, I'll just check it out on the subscreen.

Make Hero mode selectable from the start.

More options for upgrades on items, perhaps branching paths(and the option to go back and change them if you want). Make some upgrades necessary for things like some sidequests or secrets.

More emphasis on level design specifically for the stamina meter. I'm thinking more Prince of Persia esque stuff. Being able to permanently upgrade stamina would also be good.

Motion controls, um...

I'm drawing a blank here.

Quote from Vulpes

Motion controls, um...

I'm drawing a blank here.

Good contribution! So you don't agree with any item listed by me or the other posters in this thread then apart from motion controls?

I am personally wishing that there will be another Zelda game that takes place in the sky. I felt that the Wii's hardware really limited Skyward Sword's world in several aspects. I can just imagine how beautiful (especially with lighting like the one in the Zelda demo), dynamic, and content-rich the sky would be on the Wii U.

Other than that, I agree with everything in the OP. I especially hope they keep the motion controls.

Motion controls is obvious.

I liked the dash mechanism and the stamina bar; it added some difficulty to some things and I thought really harped back to ALttP.

Bosses outside of dungeons. Counting the multiple imprisoned fights, there were 6 bosses that were not in dungeons. It would be cool to have more of those.

I loved the expanded lore.

I thought the dungeons were great. I just want something like the Spirit Temple again, lol.

Upgrade system needs to come back and be expanded upon.

Hero mode must come back. I love the difficulty.

Stamina Running was amazing

Dungeon-like (more linear) areas I was very skeptical about this but I had alot of fun in all of the 3 lands. HOWEVER I was very upset there was not a field or plain in the middle to compensate for those who also like that. There should have been a mix of both.

RPG like elements Upgrading and such... very cool idea.. I'm not opposed to them adding more RPG elements.

Orchestrated Music Of course

More voice acting Zelda singing was a step in the right direction... now they just need the WHOLE GAME voice acted... except Link of course

Dungeon Variety Places that traditionally wouldn't be a dungeon, ex Sandship

I feel like I could have written this exact thread, even down to the specific things you listed. Great post!

I definitely want the adventure pouch to return. It added a welcome RPG slant to the game. I think they could add another two slots without it becoming too crowded. This is a concept that could be expanded on.

I completely agree on dowsing. I can't understand why people whine about that. It's entirely optional and does not even impose an "opportunity cost," since it uses the same button as first person viewing. I certainly appreciated it as I hunted for the last few gratitude crystals and goddess cubes.

Beacons are something people haven't talked much about. I didn't use them much, but it was pretty neat how you could use them to map a path across the sand in the Lanayru Province. Oh, and they were helpful in the sky as well.

Stamina meter was a good thought. In the future, hopefully we can get some upgrades (boots? Or maybe just improved "endurance?")

Another thing I'd add is the Skyward Strike. Now, it might not make sense with respect to the story of a future game, but I can tell you right now that I'll miss it if they don't include it as an "advanced technique."

The real time item selection menu was a fantastic innovation in my opinion. I think 8 is actually a pretty solid number (much more, and it may become cumbersome). Nonetheless, we can free up some spots for new items by ditching the sling-shot and moving the bug catching net to an adventure pouch item. The merit of every item should be considered. For example, while I enjoyed the Gust Bellows, I don't think it warrants bringing back unless they expand its functionality. Ditto for the whip.

And finally, I do want to see them further expand the upgrade system, but I acknowledge that it has to be done with care. If they go too far with it, it could fundamentally change the game in an undesirable way, becoming too much of an RPG. I want to see more upgrades that directly impact the game-play. The beetle was the best example of this through upgrades like the hook beetle and the speed boost. Most of the other upgrades were a matter of degree, not kind.

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*The next Zelda should have more experimental dungeons, like the Sand Ship and Sky Keep. These two were fantastic.

^I agree with this. After Skyward Sword, I want to see more dungeons that defy classification and really innovate. In the past, I've been satisfied with the overdone elemental themes, but I think it is more exciting to move beyond this.

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Having to re-visit a dungeon (having to return to Skyview Temple was an interesting surprise)

^I actually wanted to see more of that. I like the concept in principle, but not necessarily the way it was executed with the Skyview Temple. I would have preferred to have seen entirely new areas of the dungeon open up. I think most dungeons should provide incentive for returning to them, even if it is only for side content.

Well, people already said the most obvious ones. But on top of those, I really want to see the different varieties of the same enemy concept expanded on, but only if it doesn't come at the expense of creating whole other enemy types. I liked it it in SS, but the game also was lacking in number of completely different enemies. I want a whole bunch of bad guys, and different varieties of those bad guys.

Also, these were in OoT and MM, but then they disappeared until SS, but I want the "mini-dungeons" to always be around. That pirate stronghold was even better than the Sandship dungeon, in my eyes. Plus, I think they'll make a good compromise by mixing up the overworld/dungeon structure but without making the outside overworld sections as dungeon-like as they were in SS. They come unexpectedly so you'll never know what's coming up next, which is good for those who tire of a rigid structure in Zelda games, and those who miss the more organic and seamless overworld of past games will be happy.

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Vertical spin attacks

Oh please no. How is this even possible?

Quote from MM is GOTY all years

Oh please no. How is this even possible?

What was wrong with that?

Bosses like The Impresoned : For the first time I felt that I really need to save the world and to not screw itXD

Puzzle Key: Yes that was a nice touch, specially for dungeons that have few puzzles*cough Earth Temple cough*

Revisiting Dungeons: yes, of course, because it could create a very nice atmosphere since you have more items that the last time

Quote from Common Knowledge

What was wrong with that?

I thought Link looked ridiculous doing them. It would look even worse if a realistic style Link was performing one. Yknow, seeing as though it's physically impossible to do.

Quote from MM is GOTY all years

I thought Link looked ridiculous doing them. It would look even worse if a realistic style Link was performing one. Yknow, seeing as though it's physically impossible to do.

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Please.

Also, why give up something cool for the sake of physical real-life limitations?