SS: Release dates announced!

Updated August 18th 2011.

Release Dates:

Europe release date

18th November 2011

http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/29577/zelda-skyward-sword-uk-release-date-confirmed/


North America release date

20th November 2011



Post any details from any footage you see of the game here (items, locals, enemies,  mechanics, etc).

Items:
Skyward/Master Sword
Hylian Shield
Lamp?
Whip
Flying Beetle (can pick up bombs and other items, hit switches)
Bottle
Red Potion (can be drunk from bottle while moving)
Bombs (can be dropped, thrown, or rolled like a bowling ball, shows path trajectory)
Bomb Flowers
Slingshot
Bow
Harp

Mechanics:
Sprint (uses a stamina meter)
Real-Time Weapon Inventory Access
Dropped Health-Hearts Are Shootable
Spin Attack
Chargeable Sword-Slice Projectile Attack
Destructible Scenery (Trees can be cut, they sever at the exact point you slice)
Shield Bump
Jump Slash
Forward Jump
Side-Hop
Front-Flip Sword Slash
Back-Flip
Forward Stab Sword Attack
Roll
Swing On Hanging Ropes
Log-Roll on Lava Boulders
Grab Bombs with Whip
Leap Up Vines (quicker than climbing normally)
Wall Run

Enemies:
Octoroks (they hide under bushes, rocks can be reflected back with shield bump)
Keese
Skulltulas (on vines, very mobile)
Giant Scorpion Boss/Miniboss (has eyes in it's claws that must be slashed in a certain direction)
Goriyas
Bokoblins
Deku Babas (must slash them in the vertical/horizontal direction of their mouth)
Eye Doors (can be made dizzy by rotating sword around them)
Blob Monster (possibly a type of Chu-Chu)
Stalfos (they have 2 swords, can do shield breakers)
Lava Mollusk
6-armed boss
Fat moblin with wood shield
Big rolling metallic electric enemy
peahat
beamos (need to chop lower sections to reach it's eye to kill it)
fire-breathing monkey under rock
large on-land skulltulas

Locals:
Skyloft (Various islands of clouds in the sky, Link's home)
Forest Area
Lava Dungeon
Buddhist-style dungeon
Mechanical style dungeon
Desert/Beach Area

Other:
Link Appears As Right-Handed
There Are At Least 8 Inventory Items
Bottles Have Their Own Inventory Screen
At Least 4 Bottles Are Obtainable
Map Screen Flies Straight-Up Overhead Above Link's Position
Cutscenes Are Skippable By Pressing "2"
Two Of The Enemies In The Demo Do Up To 2 Hearts of Damage Per Attack
A smoking volcano can be seen in the distance from the forest, most likely a Death Mountain of sorts
New pale & skinny male character, most likely a main antagonist
Meter of some kind is under hearts
Great Fairy Girl is on D-pad (most likely a Navi button)

I've already found a huge sequence break! (yes I did cause I'm the son of Chuck Norris)

The tone looks much more colourful than Twilight Princess, I have a feeling it uses a heavily modified engine of TW. The IGN stream was laggy in my half so I might have to watch it again to see the missing parts, including the trailer.

Quote

Deku Babas (must slash them in the lateral direction of their mouth)

Fixed.

forward jump / ground jump


graphics look amazing, the controls looked horrible in the demo, hopefully we'll hear more about this game soon from the people playing it at e3


OK the controls are fine:
http://kotaku.com/5564197/the-legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword-video-preview-starring-me

good shit


You can skip cutscenes like in TP
theres a bottle and map on the + - buttons? Hmm

this game sucks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tr73yddYd0

Move while using the item menu, Stalfos wrecks this kids shield, 2 full hearts of damage. drink potion while moving

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB80OJrMLbI

Scorpion — again 2 full hearts of dmg.  Forward hop -> JS

Controls are fluid. I like it. the second this gets leaked I'm pirating and playing it live. :)

new stalfos video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6swIOgyaVxI

new scorp video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tcGfbd3t7w

zelda games and physics always have an inverse relationship

It hurt to watch the shitty live demo during the conference this morning. Is very good to hear the positive reviews on the smoothness and precision of the controls since then. And the graphic style looks really nice - almost like a cross between WW & TP.

You guys like the graphics? I really dislike them. They had a great graphics system for TP and it looks like a downgrade to me.

I only have one thing to say about this:

[20:23] <Razakin> But probably most major news are new DKC, Kirby and Kid Icarus
[20:23] <Razakin> And some silly Zelda with penis name

Okay, Here is what I took from a press interview tonight, there are a few useful things in there:

Miyamoto said that the goal of Skyward Sword is to get back to basics and focus on what makes them really fun. He said that there's often a big lag from when the graphics get done and the game is completed. He said the reason they only showed a piece of teaser art at last year's event was because of this lag. He said that gameplay on Skyward Sword is almost complete, and the graphics are being polished. He said they need to make a few more dungeons but it's mostly complete. However, since he couldn't guarantee it would arrive this year, he'd rather take his time and get it right.In this Zelda, Link is a little boy born into a land above the clouds called Skyloft. One day, he learns there is a land below the clouds ruled by evil forces. However, the revelation prompts a series of events which forces him to go to the land beneath the clouds. The reason he goes down is in the title--it's the Skyward Sword. The sword possesses intelligence, and will assume the semi-human form in the teaser poster shown last year. It's the "master sword." The Skyward Sword will become the Master Sword, apparently. The sky is also very important to the game, apparently. He said when you play the game, the cloud banks are "very impactful" and they wanted to make the art style highlight them. Apparently Miyamoto was such a fan of the art style the approval process took one step. Miyamoto said he's a big fan of Impressionist Art, so the new art style reflects that. He said Cezanne was a big influence. He said the Wii MotionPlus offers such precision that players have to pay close attention to the enemies. For instance, the demonstrator is fighting a scorpion, and must hit its claws at specific angles. Aouma said the new, exaggerated art style helps in this process. "If we had kept the Twilight Princess art style, we'd be done already!" He said they also want to change the typical structure of Zelda games with Skyward Sword. He said they also want to change the typical structure of Zelda games with Skyward Sword. He asks how many people have played Ocarina of Time. ALL the hands go up. He apologizes for the long time it took to change out of iron boots going through the Water Temple. He says the 3DS version will make this process much easier. He said that Skyward Sword will make item management and changing clothes much easier and more streamlined. Miyamoto says the item selection process may be unfamiliar, but once players are used to it, it will feel comfortable. He said the pointing item system from Twilight Princess could be cumbersome because people often couldn't find the cursor on screen. He said the Wii MotionPlus will have a new pointing system that will make the Wii Remote be used like a three-dimensional mouse. They run the trailer from this morning's presentation again. Wait--Link? In a Zelda game? I. am. shocked. Second questioner expresses concern the HUD for Skyward Sword is too crowded and takes up too much real estate. Aonuma said that the demo at E3 will have the HUD up all the time, but they are still working on how to deal with it exactly. Third questioner asks whether or not Skyward Sword will have an original orchestral score or maybe even voice acting. Miyamoto says they have increased the number of music staff at Nintendo to write more songs. Next questioner says he noticed that Link could drink potions while running in Zelda, where as in the past he had to stop. Aonuma said that it was a decision to provide more seamless combat. Miyamoto says one of the goals of the game is to have gameplay be as seamless as possible. Next question talks about how he just beat Spirit Tracks on the plane and wants to know if the whip originated in Spirit Tracks or Skyward Sword. He gushes about the whip item at length. Aonuma said the whip originated in Spirit Tracks, and that the same person is handling the mechanic in Skyward Sword. Much of the staff of Spirit Tracks is working on Skyward Sword. Next question wonders if the developers worry that the sword fighting mechanic will tire out players. Miyamoto says he does get a bit tired playing it at the office. But he plays it a LOT, apparently. Aonuma says that the pace will vary enough, with puzzle solving and exploring and whatnot, that it shouldn't be a problem. But the demo on the show floor made it look like its constant combat.

Here's a 12 minute interview about Zelda: SS's development

http://e3.nintendo.com/wii/game/?g=zelda


Click "Iwata Asks" at the bottom right.

That is one wall of text worth reading and the Nintendo E3 site is awesome.

What about the save mechanics? Without a start menu or pause HUD, I wonder how they plan to "seamlessly integrate" that..

MEHdit: Nevermind. Just because there are no item select menus doesn't mean no start menu. I doubt the save mechanics will change much.

Yuggles wrote

You guys like the graphics? I really dislike them. They had a great graphics system for TP and it looks like a downgrade to me.

Completely disagree.  TP had no color anywhere and it tried way too hard to look "realistic" which is stupid when you're fighting blob monsters and purple goblin things.  This game is pretty much Wii TP (now compatible with color TVs).

Pirgah wrote

Okay, Here is what I took from a press interview tonight, there are a few useful things in there:

Miyamoto said that the goal of Skyward Sword is to get back to basics and focus on what makes them really fun. He said that there's often a big lag from when the graphics get done and the game is completed. He said the reason they only showed a piece of teaser art at last year's event was because of this lag. He said that gameplay on Skyward Sword is almost complete, and the graphics are being polished. He said they need to make a few more dungeons but it's mostly complete. However, since he couldn't guarantee it would arrive this year, he'd rather take his time and get it right.In this Zelda, Link is a little boy born into a land above the clouds called Skyloft. One day, he learns there is a land below the clouds ruled by evil forces. However, the revelation prompts a series of events which forces him to go to the land beneath the clouds. The reason he goes down is in the title--it's the Skyward Sword. The sword possesses intelligence, and will assume the semi-human form in the teaser poster shown last year. It's the "master sword." The Skyward Sword will become the Master Sword, apparently. The sky is also very important to the game, apparently. He said when you play the game, the cloud banks are "very impactful" and they wanted to make the art style highlight them. Apparently Miyamoto was such a fan of the art style the approval process took one step. Miyamoto said he's a big fan of Impressionist Art, so the new art style reflects that. He said Cezanne was a big influence. He said the Wii MotionPlus offers such precision that players have to pay close attention to the enemies. For instance, the demonstrator is fighting a scorpion, and must hit its claws at specific angles. Aouma said the new, exaggerated art style helps in this process. "If we had kept the Twilight Princess art style, we'd be done already!" He said they also want to change the typical structure of Zelda games with Skyward Sword. He said they also want to change the typical structure of Zelda games with Skyward Sword. He asks how many people have played Ocarina of Time. ALL the hands go up. He apologizes for the long time it took to change out of iron boots going through the Water Temple. He says the 3DS version will make this process much easier. He said that Skyward Sword will make item management and changing clothes much easier and more streamlined. Miyamoto says the item selection process may be unfamiliar, but once players are used to it, it will feel comfortable. He said the pointing item system from Twilight Princess could be cumbersome because people often couldn't find the cursor on screen. He said the Wii MotionPlus will have a new pointing system that will make the Wii Remote be used like a three-dimensional mouse. They run the trailer from this morning's presentation again. Wait--Link? In a Zelda game? I. am. shocked. Second questioner expresses concern the HUD for Skyward Sword is too crowded and takes up too much real estate. Aonuma said that the demo at E3 will have the HUD up all the time, but they are still working on how to deal with it exactly. Third questioner asks whether or not Skyward Sword will have an original orchestral score or maybe even voice acting. Miyamoto says they have increased the number of music staff at Nintendo to write more songs. Next questioner says he noticed that Link could drink potions while running in Zelda, where as in the past he had to stop. Aonuma said that it was a decision to provide more seamless combat. Miyamoto says one of the goals of the game is to have gameplay be as seamless as possible. Next question talks about how he just beat Spirit Tracks on the plane and wants to know if the whip originated in Spirit Tracks or Skyward Sword. He gushes about the whip item at length. Aonuma said the whip originated in Spirit Tracks, and that the same person is handling the mechanic in Skyward Sword. Much of the staff of Spirit Tracks is working on Skyward Sword. Next question wonders if the developers worry that the sword fighting mechanic will tire out players. Miyamoto says he does get a bit tired playing it at the office. But he plays it a LOT, apparently. Aonuma says that the pace will vary enough, with puzzle solving and exploring and whatnot, that it shouldn't be a problem. But the demo on the show floor made it look like its constant combat.

tl;dr

Yuggles wrote

You guys like the graphics? I really dislike them. They had a great graphics system for TP and it looks like a downgrade to me.

I absolutely HATED TP's graphics. Very low-res and shimmery, everything bled together. Skyward Sword has a kind of painting look to it which looks OK. The develpoer's themselves said in the interview "the graphics is the current thing we are working on", so I'm assuming the visuals are still in development.

Another video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em-n3LrCD-Y

shit pals I'll start saving money starting from today, the game won´t be on Mexico until almost 5 months after the relase, so I got to buy it online, which would be almost $1500 (around 110 USD)

that's weird. so close to USA and you get a massive delay like that. i'm much further down the americas and i get games here day 1 with USA nowadays (it used to be days later before and weeks later before that. month delays were in the N64 days and it was 1 month usually)

Chimpas wrote

shit pals I'll start saving money starting from today, the game won´t be on Mexico until almost 5 months after the relase, so I got to buy it onlyne, which would be almost $1500 (around 110 USD)

Mejor crusa para el otro lado y compralo. ;)

She made my sword go skyward.

This will be an E for everyone game?

If any of you remember the old demos for TP before it came out, the prototype demo version was a lot different from the final version. I don't know about the graphics. I have somewhat of a hope that they will be altered a bit before the game's release. Personaly, I loved TP's graphics, and predict that SS will be like the graphic altering form OoT/MM to WW. Probably the same level of disappointment-- I love WW graphics--. I like the wierd bug item that you shoot out to pickup bombs and stuff too.

This game better have Guays

bluephantom340 wrote

Mejor crusa para el otro lado y compralo. ;)
(Better cross to the other side and buy it)

Yeah lol, I should walk 30 miles to buy a CD, (I have no passport) >_>

Chimpas wrote

Yeah lol, I should walk 30 miles to buy a CD, (I have no passport) >_>

If I lived in Texas I'd totally smuggle in you in my trunk and take you to BestBuy, but alas :/

Just smuggle the game across instead and have him pay in pesos, less danger danger