Post by MasterSandman II on Jun 16, 2010 11:47:15 GMT -5
Source: wii.ign.com/articles/109/1098382p1.html
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was the last console adventure in the Legend of Zelda franchise, and even then that game wasn't exactly a native Wii adventure: it was originally produced for the GameCube and then converted over to the higher powered system. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the first Zelda game that's made specifically for Wii, and this one requires the Wii MotionPlus peripheral.
The version at the show is essentially a quick and dirty concept demo: we still don't know the plot and story of the game, but at the very least we get a chance to find out how native Wii motion can make the Wii experience better.
Keep in mind that Nintendo had a pretty dreadful live demo at its press conference, so anyone watching might be concerned that the game might not work as advertised. Watching that demo first hand I can tell you exactly why Miyamoto was having a problem: Wii Motion Plus can use the infrared sensor bar to recalibrate itself, and with the audience filled with devices emitting infrared, it was throwing off the device something fierce. I had the same problem when trying to play Wii Sports Resort last year in our video studio: infrared pollution.
Luckily, the game works. The Wii MotionPlus definitely helps with Link's ability to slice and stab with 1:1 precision. It took a bit to get used to the "shield on nunchuk" control because you had to whip the nunchuk to bring it out, but tap a button to put it away – whipping the nunchuk while the shield's out does a shove move that deflects projectiles back to their source.
I particularly like the idea of looking at enemies to see how you're supposed to attack them. The Deku Baba plant creatures opened their mouths vertically or horizontally indicating the only direction you could slash them to take them down. This bled into the demo's boss battle where you're attacking a giant scorpion with weak spots in each of his giant claws: the arachnid would open his pinchers a certain way, telling the player which way to attack.
The Wii Sports Resort archery mode has been brought to Zelda in his crossbow: to aim and fire you use the Wii remote's pointer to target enemies, then flick the Nunchuk back to pull back the string. Letting go of the button lets the arrow fly. I have to admit, this wasn't very intuitive in the thick of a fight.
The game has a pretty slick style that combines the "realistic Link" design with "toon Link" shading. It's much more colorful and vibrant than Twilight Princess. I think it looks pretty good, though objects in the background tended to get really, really blurry…maybe it was an intentional effect, or maybe it was a Wii limitation.
Nintendo definitely has work ahead of them. But the company made it clear: it's coming next year. Plenty of time to tweak it.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Preview
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was the last console adventure in the Legend of Zelda franchise, and even then that game wasn't exactly a native Wii adventure: it was originally produced for the GameCube and then converted over to the higher powered system. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the first Zelda game that's made specifically for Wii, and this one requires the Wii MotionPlus peripheral.
The version at the show is essentially a quick and dirty concept demo: we still don't know the plot and story of the game, but at the very least we get a chance to find out how native Wii motion can make the Wii experience better.
Keep in mind that Nintendo had a pretty dreadful live demo at its press conference, so anyone watching might be concerned that the game might not work as advertised. Watching that demo first hand I can tell you exactly why Miyamoto was having a problem: Wii Motion Plus can use the infrared sensor bar to recalibrate itself, and with the audience filled with devices emitting infrared, it was throwing off the device something fierce. I had the same problem when trying to play Wii Sports Resort last year in our video studio: infrared pollution.
Luckily, the game works. The Wii MotionPlus definitely helps with Link's ability to slice and stab with 1:1 precision. It took a bit to get used to the "shield on nunchuk" control because you had to whip the nunchuk to bring it out, but tap a button to put it away – whipping the nunchuk while the shield's out does a shove move that deflects projectiles back to their source.
I particularly like the idea of looking at enemies to see how you're supposed to attack them. The Deku Baba plant creatures opened their mouths vertically or horizontally indicating the only direction you could slash them to take them down. This bled into the demo's boss battle where you're attacking a giant scorpion with weak spots in each of his giant claws: the arachnid would open his pinchers a certain way, telling the player which way to attack.
The Wii Sports Resort archery mode has been brought to Zelda in his crossbow: to aim and fire you use the Wii remote's pointer to target enemies, then flick the Nunchuk back to pull back the string. Letting go of the button lets the arrow fly. I have to admit, this wasn't very intuitive in the thick of a fight.
The game has a pretty slick style that combines the "realistic Link" design with "toon Link" shading. It's much more colorful and vibrant than Twilight Princess. I think it looks pretty good, though objects in the background tended to get really, really blurry…maybe it was an intentional effect, or maybe it was a Wii limitation.
Nintendo definitely has work ahead of them. But the company made it clear: it's coming next year. Plenty of time to tweak it.