"3D Classics: Xevious" Review

For Nintendo eShop

Pros:	Cons:
Fantastic use of 3D effects	Terrible audio and repeating music
Dual layered gameplay is fun	Obnoxious difficulty level is borderline crazy

     The second 3D Classics game doesn’t feature as great as gameplay as Excitebike did, but the 3D enhancement saves this game from being a total fail, and instead provides nice eye candy for 8-bit fans while providing ear aches for modern day crowds.

    The selling point for 3D Classics: Xevious is the brilliant 3D effects. The regular 2D graphics are pretty good for old NES games with the exception of the tiny near impossible to see bullets. The 3D however, creates a near holographic feel in which ships come out of the screen, and the area that you bomb remains inside the screen deep down. This amazing effect is honestly the only good thing about the game as everything else is fairly mediocre.

      The sound effects are not that great themselves, but the music in the game is absolutely awful. All it does is repeat the same atrocious theme over and over and I cannot stress how bad it really is. You’ve got to hear it to believe it.

     The gameplay itself is actually really fun and utilizes a revolutionary (at the time) dual-layered gameplay which fits the 3D well. Shooting ships is fun, and it is always satisfactory to bomb targets below. The only problem I had (which this is a massive problem) was the difficulty of the game: I never could pass the first level. I wish the difficulty wasn’t so high as it seems that bullets begin coming out of nowhere and hit me when I never expect it. Maybe this game gets better after the first stage, but thanks to the terrible difficulty levels I never had the chance to find out.

    The controls work as one might imagine: moving around the screen with the D-pad, shooting enemies, and bombing targets works well enough to be satisfactory, but there is always room for improvement. But the controls work well enough for an 8-bit shooter.

   I can see why Nintendo chose to give Xevious the 3D treatment: it looks beautiful in stereoscopic 3D, but the game itself really isn’t all that great. While I did give the game a 7.0, keep in mind that this is for the 3D version as the original would’ve likely received a 5.0-6.0 or so. So, if you’re not into playing the game in 3D, I definitely recommend avoiding this at all costs, and if you do like 3D then prepare to feast your eyes on a beautiful looking terrible game.

Graphics: 3D effect is unbelievably brilliant, 2D visuals are ok but bullets are hard to see     9.5

Audio: Terrible, awful repeating music and bad sound effects, yes, it really is that bad           2.0

Gameplay: Dual-layered gameplay is fun, but game is so difficult all the fun is sucked out    7.0

Controls: Moving around the screen, shooting enemies, and bombing works well enough   8.0

Overall: While the 3D is insanely awesome, the awful audio and difficult levels makes this only moderately playable  7.0

"Mario Kart 7" Review

For Nintendo 3DS

Pros:	Cons:
60 FPS even when online and 3D turned on	More tracks and characters would be nice
Tons of Replayability and a great online mode	Gyroscope controls don’t mesh well with 3D
New underwater and Hangliding are great	Customization welcomed, but poorly executed
Tracks are well designed, new 1st person mode

            A new entry in the Mario Kart series has almost always accompanied a Nintendo system with the exception of the NES and Game Boy, but it’s ironic that a Mario Kart has never been released at the system launch instead coming out at least 6 months later. Although the game didn’t have the impact that I had hoped for, I still found myself enjoying every last minute of Mario Kart 7 and I won’t hesitate in saying that its one of my favorite Mario Kart games to date.

            The graphics are for the most part pretty solid with well designed characters, karts, and tracks. The only real exception I found was in the Donkey Kong Country course if you pay attention the trees on the sides of the tracks are not 3D objects, but rather a 2D texture applied to a wall of the level, I notice things like this and they do detract from the score. My favorite aspect of the game’s visuals is that it stays at a consistent 60 frames per second the entire time even with 3D on or when playing online, this is quite a feat by Nintendo so kudos for managing to accomplish it. Finally, the 3D in the game while not nearly as stunning as Super Mario 3D Land, makes driving a bit easier and adds minimal depth to the experience. Some highlights of the 3D include the start of the race when Lakitu counts down the race starting, as well as the bullets in the DS airship stage. On the other hand nothing really sticks out as being awesome and the game doesn’t lose that much from having the 3D turned off. Overall it’s not an all that impressive showcase of 3D but it’s not all that bad either.

            As always with Mario Kart the sound effects are wacky, crazy, and unordinary, and they still are. The eight characters on the course constantly yell, scream, (and I think Wiggler may have cursed in worm language), and make other crazy noises and it sounds better than ever. The sounds of the items also sound good as well as the kart motors. The music that accompanies the tracks are all very well composed and some of them are the best themes in the Mario Kart series, but it’s no Legend of Zelda.

            The traditional gameplay of Mario Kart 7 is still identical to how it’s always been with only a few major exceptions: the hangliding sections of the courses are phenomenal, adding a possible short-cut, a cool visual effect, variety to the normal course, and a bit of strategy as to where to land, and how far you want to stretch your flight. Overall the hangliding segments are the single best improvement this game has, let’s hope they’ll be back again in future installments. While not as cool as flying, driving underwater also helped add some variety to the courses and was well appreciated by myself. The underwater segments aren’t much different than above ground besides a visual tweak and slightly less control over handling but I enjoyed them nonetheless. Another addition is the new first person mode which can be combined with the motion control mode, or the traditional circle pad mode. I never stayed in 1^st person for long as I found it hard to know what was going on around you and it was much more difficult to drive when using this viewpoint, but it was a nice option and it made the 3D stick out that much more. At first, I wasn’t a big advocate for the return of coins, but after a few hours with the game I began appreciating the coins for what they’re worth (see what I did there?). It adds variety, change of pace, and gives you the option to try to go for collecting them or avoid them altogether, I do wish you didn’t have a ten coin limit to each course though. The customization of karts is also a nice addition overall, albeit with a few issues I encountered. First of all, instead of allowing me to purchase new pieces they are randomly unlocked whenever you collect enough coins, and even when you do get your kart pieces there isn’t a very simple way to compare stats without memorizing them in your head. While a good idea on paper, I’m afraid the customization process didn’t quite live up to expectations. With all these improvements it seems Nintendo took some elements of the Mario Kart franchise out of the equation, and actually they did. Gone are bikes from Mario Kart Wii which honestly I never missed them (even though I use them 100% of the time in MKWii), the balloon battle mode has changed (which I never play battles very often so not a huge deal), say good bye to the mission mode from Mario Kart DS (this is a huge downfall as this mode should have stuck with the series ever since MKDS), and say bye-bye to fake item boxes and thunder clouds (the former of which is a shame). Replacing those missing items are the Fire Flower, which is a close combat attack that is both fun to use and gets instant results, the Tanooki Tail, which isn’t all that useful but gives 1^st place players another option besides bananas and green koopa shells, and the Lucky Seven. I’m not sure where to stand regarding the Lucky Seven, it gives you seven items at the same time and should be a good thing, but my issue was that I got so overwhelmed with the seven items that I ended up wasting half the items or driving myself off the track. When using the item correctly however, it was more than enough to return me to first place. Finally, my absolute favorite part of MK7 is the new tracks. Nearly every last track is extremely well designed and an absolute blast to race on, explore, and crash on hundreds of times. I love the 1-lap style of the Wuhu Island courses and Rainbow Road, and I also enjoyed the new Bowser’s Castle (which looked a lot like world 8 from Donkey Kong Country Returns, gee I wonder why?). One of my favorites would be Rock Rock Mountain with the exception of the terrible camera angle when ascending its mountainside with boulders rolling down. For the most part the tracks are well designed and this is definitely the best Mario Kart ever in terms of gameplay. One more note: I’ve been upset with the Kart designs now ever since Mario Kart Double Dash, I want karts that are designed off of the characters again, not some cheesy pipe car or soda jet.

            Obviously the amount of gameplay in Mario Kart is infinitely high thanks to immense Replayability. I was quite a bit let down by the small character roster which should have been quite a bit bigger and should’ve included Waluigi, Birdo, and Baby Bowser. Also, I think it’s about time the Mario Kart franchise starts having more tracks than just 16 new and 16 old. I want to start having 32 new tracks each installment and I hardly care how many old are included, I’m pretty sure new tracks are better than old. The online mode makes up for this though thanks to its addictive and competitive nature. The new community options are fun by I still just assume play worldwide. I’m sure Mario Kart 7 will end up being my most played game on the 3DS, so I can’t complain much, but once again I do wish there were more characters and tracks included.

            The controls in the game are overall good. The normal controls work relatively well with no noticeable problems. The circle pad feels good, the drifting has been changed from past installments and does take a little while to get accustomed to but makes snaking a bit more difficult although it can still be done. The gyroscope controls for 1^st person are not good. They don’t work well in the first place but not only that, but they don’t mesh well with 3D, it’s one or the other, and I’d much prefer the 3D over the motion controls. Plus, it is immensely difficult to drift while driving.

            So another Mario Kart game has come and gone which signals yet another new system in Nintendo’s ever-growing library. This Mario Kart racer takes the series to new heights thanks to the amazing new ways of driving, and other new additions to the formula. Some of them I can hope for a return while others I’m hoping to be left in the dust (no pun intended). Let’s hope that Mario Kart for Wii U will break the tradition and finally become a launch title.

Graphics: Smooth character models and tracks, good use of 3D, 60 FPS online and off          9.5

Audio: Some of the best music in the series, great sound effects, but it’s no Zelda                  9.0

Gameplay: New modes are all appreciated, fantastic track designs and new items                9.5

Gameplay Amount: Fantastic online mode, more tracks and characters needed                  9.5

Controls: Normal controls work relatively well, gyroscope controls don’t work well with 3D9.5

Overall: One of the finest Mario Karts yet, superb online, great new ways of driving             9.3

Top 5 Zelda Games

   This is easily the most anticipated feature I’ve yet to create for this site, and as I write these words on my laptop I feel as if this list will be inaccurate within the next few years. Why you may ask? Well, at the rate things are going now, another triple “A” defining Zelda adventure will be released on Wii U, and easily make it into the top 5 therefore kicking out another adventure and altering this list. But unless you’re reading this article a decade after I’ve posted it (and if you are please find the nearest time machine and send all future Zelda games back in time so I can play them! J) then view this list as the most accurate indefinite list of the best Zelda games of all time, and please remember this list only includes the 3-Dimensional Zelda games as I’ve never much enjoyed the 2D adventures. Following are the top 5 Zelda games of all time, for the top 5 Skyward Sword bosses, etc. check out the separate article.

Number 5: “TLOZ: Majora’s Mask” (Original Score: 9.0)

            I can already hear fans grumbling across the world: sure Majora’s Mask had one of the most unique and darkest story telling in Zelda history, sure it had a sense of urgency to complete the mission at hand, sure you could change into many different protagonists, and it also had some great tunes courtesy of Kojo Kondo, but the graphics weren’t much improved over Ocarina of Time, and the game’s length was drastically reduced. I also tended to get annoyed by some of the game’s dungeons and gameplay concepts including the emphasis on sidequests and speaking of sidequests: the story feels too much like a side-story of the main franchise, and doesn’t have much importance to the series. Some other quibbles come from the low-resolution textures, the save system, and occasionally the 3-day system irks me. I may seem too critical of Majora’s Mask and that’s because I really don’t love the game like I do the other four on this list, but the game is still an awesome game that I enjoyed nearly every last minute of.

Number 4: “TLOZ: The Wind Waker” (Original Score: 9.5)

            Before its initial release The Wind Waker was looked upon as nothing more than a major departure from the Zelda series and one that would be destined to remain unsuccessful among the Zelda community, the only good thing about this prediction is how false it ended up being: Wind Waker ended up being one of the best games ever. Wind Waker has what is overall perhaps my favorite art style in the Zelda series even more so than the realistic art style of Twilight Princess or the impressionist art style of Skyward Sword. The music in the game is the last of the great Zelda music, as since then there hasn’t been quite as good of soundtracks as there used to be, and the story was epic in its own unique way. It’s a shame the game isn’t nearly as long as some other Zelda adventures, and the quest itself isn’t nearly as captivating thanks to the eternally hated Triforce hunt and the tedious sailing across the vast sea. Still though, Wind Waker is easily my favorite GameCube game of all time, and is very close to being called a masterpiece.

Number 3: “TLOZ: Twilight Princess” (Original Score: 9.7)

Twilight Princess isn’t without its faults, it’s story isn’t nearly as good as most Zelda adventures, the Wolf form of Link isn’t all that intriguing or fun to play, some of the worlds are too large and sparsely populated, and there were some texture problems and other design flaws, but what Twilight Princess does provide is a hardcore Nintendo creation at its best. Twilight Princess has the most realistic visuals the series has to boast, and it is also one of the longest Zelda games and includes easily the best dungeon designs the series has to offer. And although it does feel pretty similar to Ocarina of Time it’s better for it, and if you really want a unique Zelda game, Skyward Sword is right there for you.

Number 2: “TLOZ: Ocarina of Time” (Original Score: 9.8)

Although I never actually reviewed the original game (only the 3D remake) I can promise you that despite the original’s lack of 3D visuals and updated controls, it’s just as good of a game thanks to the originality and revolutionary aspects the game had to offer. Ocarina of Time is an example of a well-rounded Zelda game, and a perfect one at that. The gameplay such as dungeons, items, and enemies are well crafted and all of the puzzles are a blast to play and solve, the length of the game is appreciated as well. And the artistic side of the game is superb too including a great plot that explains about the pieces of the Triforce, good visuals for the time (and good updated 3D visuals for 3DS fans), and a compelling and timeless soundtrack. Finding fault in Ocarina of Time is like calling Michael Jackson a terrible dancer, and likewise the game’s downfalls are practically nonexistent though the water temple is a pain, and like in most Zelda games: switching items is pretty tedious. This timeless classic would have easily earned the top spot on this list had I written it a month ago, but things have finally changed and a new victor is ready to take the crown.

Number 1: “TLOZ: Skyward Sword” (Original Score: 10.0)

Being that it is my first video game ever to get a perfect ten, and that I pretty much said in my review that it was my favorite Zelda game ever, it should come as to little surprise that it turned out being number one on this list. Skyward Sword is practically flawless, and instead delivers the BEST gameplay in the series thanks to new innovative items, advanced dungeon designs, epic boss battles of unprecedented proportions, and a new formula for traversing overworlds and re-visiting old locations. The game is also super lengthy and includes tons of replay value making it the longest Zelda adventure yet. The artistic values of the game are simply stunning: from the beautiful orchestrated soundtrack to the jaw-dropping plot and characterization that has never before been seen in a Zelda game, all the way to the game’s brilliant impressionist art style (which may be my favorite part of the game) I just cannot get over how amazing Skyward Sword really is. My only issue with the game is the controls which while are indeed revolutionary, they could’ve used additional work as I sometimes found pointer control issues and sword combat problems here and there. Besides this and some other minor issues (including Fi’s repetitive voice and the surplus of text) I was 100% happy with this latest adventure and I have no problem calling it the best Zelda game ever made and perhaps the best Wii game and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up being my favorite game of all time. Ocarina of Time’s time is up, there’s a new hero in town. This game gets two thumbs skyward from me (like thumbs up, but thumbs skyward, get it? OK, sorry for the cheesy joke, I had to).

Do you agree with my selections? What is your favorite Zelda game? Do you prefer the 2D titles? Why? Let me know in the comments section below! Oh, and also below is a chart showcasing some awards I’ve handed out to various Zelda titles.

Award Name	1st Place Winner	Honorable Mention
Best Graphics:	Skyward Sword	Wind Waker
Best Audio:	Ocarina of Time	Wind Waker
Best Story:	Skyward Sword	Ocarina of Time
Best Gameplay:	Skyward Sword	Twilight Princess
Best Gameplay Amount:	Skyward Sword	Twilight Princess
Best Overall:	Skyward Sword	Ocarina of Time

December 2011 Schedule

    First off sorry about the recent delay in posts in the last few days/weeks. My Top 5 Zelda game feature will be online tomorrow and my Mario Kart 7 review will be online this Sunday. I will be mini-reviewing all of the 10 GBA Ambassador games for the 3DS and those reviews will land next week. Finally, to complete the circle on 2011 I'll be revealing my top 7 Mario Kart racers, vehicles, items, tracks, games, and more and this feature will be arriving later in the month (and I'll be reviewing all the Mario Kart games separately). Look below for the full schedule.

December 16th 2011-Top 5 Zelda Games Feature
December 18th 2011-Mario Kart 7 Review
December 25th 2011-GBA Ambassador Games Reviews
December 25th 2011-Fluidity (Wii), World of Goo (Wii), Xevious (3DS), and Pushmo (3DS) Reviews
December 31st 2011-Mario Kart Series Review
December 31st 2011-Top 7 Mario Kart Feature

All dates are subject and likely to change (unless I can keep to my deadlines)

"The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" Review

                                                                    For Nintendo Wii

Pros:	Cons:
Absolutely stunning impressionist art style	Some minor control issues
Beautiful orchestrated soundtrack
Tear-jerking story and cinematics
Ingenious dungeon and overworld designs
Massive quest with plentiful sidequests
Phenomenal 1:1 sword combat

            Skyward Sword: a name of a game that I looked forward to for years. Before it was Skyward Sword, it was simply called Zelda Wii. Sure Twilight Princess was released for Wii, but Skyward Sword was the first to be fully designed with Wii in mind and therefore took advantage of every last aspect of the Wii. Skyward Sword is a once in a generation event that I’ve been excited for since E3 2009, and now, two and a half years later, enter the Hero of Time…

            One of the largest issues that gamers have with the Wii is it’s lackluster graphics ranging from draw distance to detail to animation. There have always been some exceptions however including the Super Mario Galaxy games and Twilight Princess itself, but for the most part the Wii hasn’t really had many standout visual design, until now. Possibly the best looking Nintendo-made game to date, Skyward Sword looks absolutely stunning. The art style itself looks like an impressionist painting from long ago and ranges in style from Mongolian volcanoes, to Arabian Deserts, to cute little forests, and of course, Skyloft itself which is one of the prettiest areas in the game. The frame rate, character designs, and animation is all smooth and gets the job done as well, but the one standout feature of the visual design is the draw distance which is magnificently handled by blurring areas in the far distance. The amazing thing is how well it fits in, it looks like some watercolor painting in the background and you mostly don’t even notice that it just covers up the Wii’s poor draw distance capabilities. It’s a seamless feature that just makes the visuals that much better. Another great thing is how dense the areas have been designed, gone are the sparse deserts and boring walkways. There are now mushrooms, butterflies, and bugs roaming the terrain as if it were their own. This adds to the realism to the game and makes it that much more enjoyable.

            The audio featured in the game has its ups and its downs but is overall one of the best sounding Wii games, only behind games like Super Mario Galaxy. The orchestral soundtrack is both grand and fitting to most of the locations, and helps set the mood and feeling of adventure throughout the entire quest. The only issue I have with the music is that there are hardly any standout themes such as Lost Woods or Gerudo Valley from Ocarina of Time, but my favorite theme of the game, The Ballad of the Goddess (the game’s main theme), is simply gorgeous and made even better because it is Zelda’s lullaby in reverse. Some of the dungeon themes sound great and even better than its predecessors, I just wish there were more memorable themes overall. The sound effects all work well including the noises made by the Skyloft civilians including Beetle, Zelda, and Link. Voice acting is nonexistent but the game advantages from the lack of voice acting instead utilizing funny grunts and groans from NPC’s like the new Goron character, or Groose (the bully of Skyloft who turns out to be a hero). I love some of the enemy noises in particular the Bokoblins (red trolls with swords) who scream as they roll down mountains, run from Link’s items, and jump if you sneak up behind them. Little touches like this help to make the game much more real and natural. One issue with the sound is with Fi, Link’s new counterpart: I find her voice to be well done, creepy, and mysterious as it should be, but I feel that it is overused to the point of madness. Fi talks way too much and both her text boxes and her voice gets extremely redundant. For the most part the sound in the game is perfection, but there are some minor gray areas to complain about.

            One of my absolute favorite aspects of the game is the story line which tended to surprise me, please me, and excite me at every twist, turn, and dive that it threw at me. The opening scenes provided some nice romantic characterization for Zelda and Link which helped me to invest in their characters more than I ever have in a Zelda game. Zelda’s fall to the ground below was filled with great symbolism that intrigued me enough and that feeling of intrigue stuck with me for the entirety of the adventure. And speaking of symbolism, most of the Zelda franchise has been built upon symbolism ranging from the Master Sword, to the Triforce, to the Hero of Time, and the Great Evil that returns again and again. It was incredibly pleasing to finally learn the backstory behind these characters and objects that continue to be a major part in Zelda lore, in particular learning the history of the Master Sword. There were some confusions in the story but I highly enjoyed the time structure similar to Ocarina of Time, the introduction of Impa, the awakening of Groose as a hero, and the bits with Ghirahim that turned out to be creepier than I could have imagined. All of these great moments were told through stunning cinematics that could easily be strung together and watched as a movie. This is by far the highest production values seen in a Zelda adventure, and one of the best looking cinematic adventures crafted by Nintendo perhaps only beat by Metroid Other M. The presentation here is timeless.

            As with most Zelda games, the central part of gameplay is the dungeons themselves, and for the most part the dungeons in Skyward Sword are all brilliantly designed with new interactive puzzles and enemy fighting. Some of my favorite dungeons included the Ancient Cistern, a water dungeon that focuses less on water and instead on the new whip item and its Zombie-like basement, and the Sky Keep, which seams together all of the game’s dungeons into one final dungeon that you can cleverly change the layout to. While the game only had seven dungeon compared to Twilight Princess’s nine I do wish there had been a bit more, but is instead replaced with the overworld which feels like a dungeon in itself. The overworlds in the game have many more puzzles, and much more enemy fighting than before. And not only that, but they are re-visited many times in the game only slightly different each time you visit them. Similar to style to Metroid Prime, you now revisit locations up to three times each time completing a different objective than the time before, and although it may seem like re-using areas, each time the area seems completely new and re-purposed for your new mission. I honestly prefer this structure over the previous game’s trend of visiting an area once, and then never again. The new items in the game are all useful and serve a purpose and whereas like in previous titles, they are not overused in their respective dungeons, and are used much more spread out through the entire adventure. One of the more useful items is the Beetle, which allows advanced exploration of a nearby area and also allows bombing sessions which can come in handy when approaching an enemy when on low hearts. Skyward Sword’s gameplay is some of the more challenging in the series, I experienced many more Game Over’s than I ever have in a Zelda game. Some of the new features in the game, such as upgrading your items and shields are welcome additions, though I wish the game wouldn’t explain materials to me every time I found them. Other welcome additions include the ability to customize your interface for the controls, the game allows you to completely remove the control explanation icons, or leave them there for less experienced players. The new ability to dash adds strategy to the gameplay being commonly utilized in dungeons, and also makes traversing large areas much more efficient and enjoyable, and it once again adds realism to the game in the form of running out of breath. These new advances to the formula help set apart this game from the Zelda franchise, and I personally hope each of these ideas return for the next Zelda adventure. The boss battles in the game are on a much larger scale both in size and the way of battling them. While not all the boss battles are winners, I found the battle with the Imprisoned to be one of the largest boss battles I’ve ever experienced, and the battle with Koloktos, the Ancient Cistern’s boss, was creepy, fun, and exciting. The gameplay in Skyward Sword is a brilliant testament to the Zelda franchise and is one of the most revolutionary in the Zelda series. It’s a fantastic game with some truly brilliant designs.

            Although the world is smaller in size, the dense design of every level makes Skyward Sword the largest Zelda game yet in terms of content. Sure, there aren’t as many dungeons and areas to explore, but the dense design saves unnecessary time of running back and forth, and the re-using of areas adds to the game’s length. There are plenty of sidequests to engage in, and tons of intriguing characters to talk to for the players who want to milk the game’s content completely. And when you’re done with all of that, the game offers a Boss Challenge mode (accessed through the Thunder Dragon), and a second quest Hero’s mode. But even if you don’t want to engage in extra content, the main quest itself will last hardcore fans a good 35-40 hours, and casual players up to 50+ hours of fun.

            Over the past few years, the biggest discussions regarding Skyward Sword were relating to the game’s new motion plus control system. I was generally happy with the new control scheme introduced by the game, and the controls are much more realistic and well-done than Twilight Princess was five years ago. The controls make the game much more unique than any other, and I while I still enjoy traditional controls, motion control is proven to be a nice alternative to Zelda games. Some aspects of control that work extremely well include the dash button, flying on your Loftwing, selecting items (which happens in real time), dowsing for hidden items and characters, and most of the items work well (including the bombs, beetle, etc.). I did have some minor and major issues with a few control types which included the harp, the swimming controls (which should’ve been left as analog control), and anything including the pointer, which seemed to need constant calibration. The shield controls also felt unrealistic and the shield health meter seemed unneeded and should have been left out of the final game. The best and worst aspect of the controls comes from the sword itself. Fans were promised true 1:1 sword-swinging motion combat, and for the most part Nintendo delivered. Swinging the sword feels extremely solid and rewarding and much better than traditional controls have ever given us. On the other hand, the controls sometimes went out of calibration and I experienced several control related deaths thanks to my sword swinging the wrong way. I do give Nintendo kudos for not allowing players to wiggle the remote and instead must strategize against a good variety of enemies that must be fought during the quest. Overall, the controls aren’t perfect, but still prove to be one of the best motion controlled games yet.

            The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is so freaking good that I can’t even put it into words. The gorgeous visuals, beautiful soundtrack, and cinematic story-telling make it the most artistically advanced Zelda adventure, and the superior length and level design make it the best playing Zelda adventure yet, despite a few control issues. I had a hard time deciding the game’s final score because I found that it wasn’t a perfect game, but it was so darn close to perfection, I gave in and gave it a superior score nonetheless. Ladies and gentlemen: this is a masterpiece, if you don’t already have this game in your collection then shame on you. As I end this review I look back upon the last five years and the history of Skyward Sword, I feel as though a generation has just ended, and another has just begun. Whereas I smile at the brilliance of this game, I sadden at knowing we are several years from the next. Good job Nintendo, good job on a true work of art. Oh and one more thing: what happened to Dodongos? Dodongo dislikes Skyward Sword, but I like it, I like it a lot.

Graphics: Absolutely stunning impressionist art style with detailed worlds and characters 10.0

Audio: Beautiful orchestral soundtrack with an amazing main theme, great sound effects  10.0

Story: Romance, drama, action: the story is a truly cinematic way to tell this Legend           10.0

Gameplay: Ingenious dungeon and overworld designs, brilliant new items, unique levels  10.0

Gameplay Amount: Massive quest with plenty of sidequests and Replayability                  10.0

Controls: Phenomenal 1:1 sword combat and control, some pointer issues are annoying     9.5

Overall: Perhaps the best Zelda game, possibly the best Wii game, and likely the best game of all time, Skyward Sword is a fantastic adventure that includes perfection in all areas of its design. Don’t underestimate this game’s brilliance, Skyward Sword will remain a masterpiece and should be compared to other artistic feats like “The Titanic” and “Romeo and Juliet”. My absolute highest recommendation, my favorite adventure, my favorite Legend…              10.0

Sidenote: Yes, this is my first perfect 10 that I have given out and it will likely remain the only 10 for quite some time. Games like Skyward Sword really don’t come around all that often, embrace this game and don’t let it go for it is a true masterpiece. Make sure to check out my Top Zelda feature later this week where I name my top 5 Zelda games as well as some surprises.

Skyward Sword Top Five Bosses, Dungeons, Items

    I’m ready to announce my favorite Bosses, Dungeons, and more from Link’s latest adventure. In this feature, I’ll reveal the top 5 dungeons, top 5 bosses, and top 5 items of the game. Do you agree with my selections? (SPOILER WARNING)

Top 5 Items:

5. Arrows: Let’s face it, the bow and arrow are extremely useful and easy to use, but it isn’t exactly thrilling to use. The motion control does work well when pointing at the screen to use them.

4. Clawshots: The clawshots are not quite as much fun to use as they are in many other Zelda adventures, and their pointer controls can sometimes require constant re-calibration. Despite these facts the clawshots are still quite enjoyable to use.

3. Whip: The whip isn’t all that useful and the controls are often whacky and unresponsive, but it sure is rewarding to snag an item or key from a Bokoblin or swing across a gaping chasm.

2. Bombs: Not only are the bombs explosively fun, but their motion controls work well and are easy to see the trajectory of where they will land thanks to a blue arrow on screen. Skyward Sword makes bombs more enjoyable than ever before!

1. Beetle: I never thought I’d say this, but after days of struggling to adjust to the Beetle’s contemporary controls I finally decided I liked the little guy. Not only can it bomb enemies from above, hit secret switches, and scope out enemy territory, the thing can send Bokoblin’s running (try it, chase after one and they run screaming). I do wish the motion worked a bit better as I did come across some problems.

Top 5 Dungeons:

5. Fire Sanctuary: Most of this dungeon’s hooks aren’t all that interesting: using water encased in a plant to harden lava gets repetitive and wasn’t all that thrilling, and the underground digging segments were boring and tedious. The visuals and theme of the dungeon were pleasing however.

4. Earth Temple: Not only is one of my favorite items (the bombs) introduced here, but some cool gameplay such as rolling on a large boulder and bombing from afar is found in this dungeon. It’s not a great dungeon, but it’s not a bad one either.

3. Sky Keep: Sky Keep’s main concept of altering the layout of the dungeon is a thrilling new concept that helps add some variety to this typical dungeon, the problem is… it’s a little too typical with no new themes but only re-used themes from the game’s other dungeons. The dungeon is a fun dungeon that is certainly above average, but some new gameplay mechanisms would have been nice.

2. Lanayru Mining Facility: This dungeon is not only one of the most unique and creative dungeons in the Zelda series, but it introduced some truly amazing enemies, combat types, and innovative puzzles. There are tons of great obstacles included in this dungeon and the visuals look great. It’s a shame that when the idea is re-used later for the Sandship, that it wasn’t improved upon but rather degraded.

1. Ancient Cistern: At first this dungeon didn’t appear all that special to me, but after noting the interesting Indian style of the dungeon, and playing around the whip: I was in love. Plus, the underground area of the dungeon is my favorite part of the entire game. I just wish the underwater swimming controls worked a little bit better.

Top 5 Bosses:

5. Scaldera: The boss of the Earth Temple was certainly a sight to behold, but the way in which you beat him wasn’t all that intriguing to me at least. I do appreciate this battle for a different approach and it did add some variety to the game’s boss battles, but it seemed sort of repetitive and silly.

4. Demise: The game’s final boss battle is both thrilling and lackluster at the same time. On one hand, the visuals and music were epic and the stakes of the battle were at a record breaking high, and the battle was intense and challenging for all players of all ages. On the other hand at the time of the battle you hardly even know the villain you are fighting and I find Ghirahim may have been a better final boss. You have no reason to invest in Demise as he is killed off as quickly as he is introduced. Besides these points, the way of fighting Demise is not revolutionary, and just recycles most of the gameplay used against Ghirahim, though the Skyward Strikes section of the battle is far more interesting. My biggest probable with this battle was the controls which tended to aggravate me especially during the Skyward Strike section of the battle in which the sword controls hardly worked at all. Demise is a good boss but not a good final boss.

3. Ghirahim: For the most part Ghirahim was used to show off the game’s 1:1 swordplay motion control. And in that regard it did fairly well, my problems with the battles with Ghirahim is the fact that there were three total, and that the first two were nearly identical. I also found some difficulty in fighting Ghirahim for the most part, as the controls were occasionally unresponsive or inaccurate. The third and final battle with him greatly improves upon the first two, and offers a thrilling climax while providing an epic battle.

2. The Imprisoned: Besides having an awesome name, the Imprisoned has to be the largest boss seen in a Zelda game, and one of the coolest looking. However I will say that he looked even cooler before he sprouted wings and arms. I do wish there weren’t three battles with this boss but rather one or two, but I did enjoy the variety added in with each battle and the epicness of fighting this thing was extremely grand in size and scope.

1. Koloktos: The fact that the best boss of the game comes at the end of the best dungeon is just a great surprise. All of the motion controls work well here, and the gameplay-- whipping the creature’s arms off and using its own swords against it—is also well integrated. Besides all of this, the boss uses those creepy zombie Bokoblins against Link, and to top it all off the boss’ design is just as thrilling as the battle itself—complete with a gold plating, a Buddha appearing head, and a petrifying scream that accompanies its constant swinging of its sword. Koloktos is by far one of the Zelda series’ best bosses.

Zelda Question and Answers

Am I in favor of Motion Controls? On this I’m not sure where to stand. I have always loved traditional controls however the motion in Skyward Sword is well done, with a few exceptions (such as the pointer). There is certainly some advantage in having motion, such as enemy AI is further expanded and battles are more strategic, however I still find traditional controls to be a tad bit better. I’m not saying I don’t want more motion controls in Zelda, but maybe switch-off game to game just like the art style. Realistic Zelda games could have traditional control while exaggerated has motion controls.

Am I in favor of voice acting? I definitely don’t want Link to talk, and everyone else is probably better off silent too rather than something cheesy. I do wish that there would be a bit less text however.

Which style is better? A few Dense areas that are revisited or many sparse areas that are seen once? One thing I hate about Twilight Princess is how large Hyrule Field, Gerudo Desert, and Lake Hylia are. You constantly must roll across the terrain towards your location. Now in Skyward Sword, there is no barren land, no unimportant corners, nothing. And yes you have to revisit most locations three times, but the land varies and the game is so long you will have forgotten the location by the time you revisit it. Densely packed areas that are revisited is better than more barren areas that are boring and barren.

Which art is better? Realistic or Exaggerated? It’s nice to see both but exaggerated impressionist art styles such as Skyward Sword don’t age as much. I think that exaggerated art styles and cel-shaded better depict Hyrule and its surrounding areas. That’s why I put my vote towards fantasy art styles like Wind Waker and Skyward Sword.

How long does the game last? For a hardcore player with Zelda experience, the main quest will last around 25-30 hours, but with sidequests maybe an additional 5 hours. For less-experienced players the game should last around 50 hours. Keep in mind that there is a second quest which doubles the total gameplay.

Is it the best Zelda yet? For that answer, check back later for my top Zelda games feature which will name the best Zelda game of all time!

Please Note: My other articles have been delayed and will be posted later this week.