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The upcoming release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD on the Nintendo Switch will see more than just a fresh coat of HD paint--the game will also add in some new quality of life changes. For example, the newly-revealed Zelda and Loftwing amiibo will let players fast travel to the sky from within dungeons or while on land. In the original release of the game, fast travel mechanics were only available when you were at Bird Statues, which also acted as save points.

This wouldn't mark the first time that Nintendo has locked features behind the paywall of using amiibo; Metroid: Samus Returns on the Nintendo 3DS had a controversial reveal that an amiibo would unlock a special Fusion Mode. Nintendo hasn't made it entirely clear as to whether or not fast travel capabilities will be locked purely behind purchasing the more-expensive-than-usual $24.99 amiibo, but for now, it seems like it's exclusive to those that can scan the figure. Both The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD and the fast-travel unlocking Zelda and Loftwing amiibo will launch on July 16th.

Every legend has an origin – and soon you can follow the earliest tale in The Legend of Zelda™ timeline when the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD game launches on the Nintendo Switch™ system. The HD version of this classic adventure features enhanced performance, smoother motion controls, and newly added button-only controls. The new “Zelda & Loftwing” amiibo* will be released on July 16 to accompany the launch of the game.

The Zelda & Loftwing amiibo features two characters on a single base: Zelda as she appears in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, and her trusty Loftwing.

In The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, Zelda is the hero Link’s childhood friend, and is always looking out for him. Loftwings are large birds living on the floating islands of Skyloft and are ridden by the people there to travel across the skies.

Introducing the Zelda & Loftwing amiibo!




In The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, the adventure takes place between the skies where Link and his friends reside, and the vast world of the surface that lies beneath the clouds.

Normally, you can only return from the surface to the sky by way of designated save points, but using the Zelda & Loftwing amiibo while on the surface in the game will allow you to return to the skies from anywhere on the surface, even inside dungeons.

 

[Darksabre72]

Now that's kinda stupid, tbh.
While the game could have been improved with some fast travel features, there was no issues the way it was originally made, just a little annoying between certain sky sections.

I would have been up for QOL improvements instead, like how Wind Waker HD was improved with faster travel speeds in the ocean, but there, this is flat out cheating for a price, with a cosmetic plastic collectable that will be cloned day one and pretty much rendered worthless unless you're an avid collector.

I dunno, maybe I am cynical, but it just feels wrong to lock a feature like that under an amiibo, what's the point of playing if you can buy the extra and just skip through all the parts between every maps of the game worlds?

Hopefully there will be some clarifications, because, I have mixed feelings about this one.

i agree with this, that's why i do have amiibo cards because features locked behind an amiibo and some of them with high prices. yea with a fast travel feature i do think that should have been free as a QOL.

 

[limpbiz411]

So its like DLC, damn Nintendo always ass backwards.

 

[LightyKD]

I have a mixed feelings. I want the Amiibo because I always thought this version of Zelda was the cutest ! I have no plans to buy Skyward Sword on Switch. I still have a Wii U, I prefer to play it there. On the other hand, I don't want to give Nintendo this idea that charging people 25 dollars for a quality of life improvement is a good thing. -stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

[Deleted member 397813]

thats like selling a basic feature... like downloading an update in the background... right, sony? right?

 

[The Catboy]

I have a mixed feelings. I want the Amiibo because I always thought this version of Zelda was the cutest ! I have no plans to buy Skyward Sword on Switch. I still have a Wii U, I prefer to play it there. On the other hand, I don't want to give Nintendo this idea that charging people 25 dollars for a quality of life improvement is a good thing. -stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The last time I was in this situation I bought Super Mario 3D All-Stars used so I could own the game and not give Nintendo any additional money for their shitty practices.
I plan on pirating this Amiibo because I am not paying a dime for a basic feature. If this one ever ends up in my collection, it's either going to be from the used market or someone gives it to me.

 

[huma_dawii]

They've lost their way again ._.

 

[BlazeMasterBM]

Selling a basic feature in the form of a $25 McDonald's toy

 

[kumikochan]

Plus a 10 euro/dollar increase seeing amiibo's on launch normally cost 10 less.
Nintendo being anti consumer once more and still people white knight them despite all this anti consumer things they have done/keep on doing.

 

[MultiKoopa]

The second-worst Legend of Zelda game (behind BotW)

u w0t m8

I asked Nintendo if the fast travel in Skyward Sword HD that's ludicrously unlocked by purchasing an amiibo is at all accessible without an amiibo-- through a menu or other means--and Nintendo PR pointed me towards the website for the amiibo. So take that as you will.

— Patrick Klepek 🎃 (@patrickklepek) May 19, 2021

LMFAO

 

[alivebacon]

The second-worst Legend of Zelda game (behind BotW) has an overpriced, ugly figurine that unlocks a handy mechanic?
Not at all surprised. Screw this game.

Haven't played BOTW, but i've heard it's not bad. Maybe the Wii U version sucks?

 

[Julie_Pilgrim]

I hate Amiibos and how they look but that one is actually really cute

Anyway, ugly amiibo

The duality of man

 

[MarkDarkness]

Pathetic

 

[Ibcap]

Duuude...have you not heard of "paragraphs"? At least make your reply easy to read.

I'd call BotW not a "return to form" (because the "form" is that of a more-linear closed-world game focused on story and dungeons, not that of an open-world with typical open-world mechanics that hinder the experience, since the "form" is based on what the series has come to be over the last three decades), but a ruined "return to origin".

BotW has definitely failed to learn from the past three decades, as I stated, since what have open-world adventure games gained over that time? Fast and fluid combat, map markers to help guide the player, and no stamina. Instead of incorporating these improvements, Nintendo decided to just reimagine the first game with barely any noticeable improvements - it's only when the player finds certain monuments that they get permanently added to the map, meaning the player is as lost and stranded as they were in the NES game. However, while this might've been somewhat acceptable for that more-basic and less technologically-advanced era, it certainly is no longer acceptable now, nor was it a couple of years ago when BotW was first released.
As I've repeatedly written, Skyward Sword at the very least had the premise of a true Legend of Zelda game; as mediocre as it was, it was still passable. BotW lacks even this baseline quality.

What do card games have to do with open-world adventure games...? And anyway, forcing the player to "experiment" by having their hard-won and powerful weapons and shields break is horrible game design, leading to awful player experience - they no longer have the agency to decide whether to try out something new, or just stick with a liked weapon.
Assassin's Creed Origins provided that option. If you wanted to experiment with new weapons, you can; if you wanted to stick with one weapon, that's also entirely possible. The lack of this agency, tied with the slow and clumsy combat, makes fighting an absolute chore with little, if not entirely negative, rewards - there's no reason to beat up enemies due to the fragility system, and all the reason to avoid them.
How is that "fun"?
Further, in ACr, new weapon rewards were rarely, if ever, truly "worthless" as you state; they handily and clearly kept up with your growing strength. Indeed, it's BotW with the "worthless" rewards, since the developers decided to obfuscate the power advancement and not give the player anything worthwhile to start with, bringing down the entire experience right off the bat.

The freezing cold would prevent players from being able to freely explore mountaintops and gain powerful (though fleeting, due to the moronic fragility system) gear; infinite - or non-existent, rather - stamina would be nothing but a boon for how the game feels to play, not to mention feels to explore.
I find it counterintuitive how you praise the game for being so free to explore, yet you decry against it being more free to explore...
If the developers truly wanted climbing to be limited, why not make it more natural and built into the terrain? Ghost of Tsushima (which admittedly came out years after BotW) only allowed Jin Sakai to climb up specially-marked footholds, meaning they could prevent sequence-breaking without artificially making the game feel worse to play.
Or how about Link being able to clamber over small hills, but needs to obtain actual climbing gear to scale taller mountains - all without a hint of an arbitrary gauge? That would be a good compromise, since it also wouldn't needlessly limit swimming or gliding or spin attacking or anything else.

Finally, if stamina really *must* be included - which, as I've shown, is incorrect - the shrine orbs should increase both stamina and Hearts to reflect a truly-growing Link, to reflect real advancement.

"All your arguments here come down to 'I personally dont like X thing' but you present them as 'X is inherently bad game design and makes the game bad.' If you refuse to recognize that other people dont agree with all your personal opinions then theres no point in having this conversation."

 

[SkittleDash]

Trying to nickle and dime a basic mechanic into a pretty old game? Just... Bruh. This is pretty much a $25 DLC just to fast travel. Don't care if you can just download and import it into software or a tag. That's not the point.

 

[gudenau]

Hopefully not many people buy these to prove a point.

Ehhh, who am I kidding these are going to sell like half price gold.

 

[DuoForce]

Can Nintendo stop locking features behind amiibo? I mean I'm just gonna use an NFC card to unlock it anyways but it's still a dumb practice

 

[HarveyHouston]

Let amiibos exist forever! The only toys-to-life that really matters anymore...

 

[godreborn]

The amiibo is on gamestop and best buy, but it says coming soon, so it may not go sale until the day of release. I don't plan to use the amiibo. I collect them, but I'm missing like 20 of them.

 

[AkiraKurusu]

Haven't played BOTW, but i've heard it's not bad. Maybe the Wii U version sucks?

I've tried to play the game multiple times, but each and every time I get discouraged by the crappy combat, by the lack of map markers offering guidance, by the inclusion of arbitrarily-limited stamina and fragility, by the horrendous art style.
As a result, based off my own experiences, I have to say that BotW really is awful.

"All your arguments here come down to 'I personally dont like X thing' but you present them as 'X is inherently bad game design and makes the game bad.' If you refuse to recognize that other people dont agree with all your personal opinions then theres no point in having this conversation."

That's because they kind of ARE "bad game design" - arbitrarily limiting the player for no reason whatsoever, leading to frustration and regret. Assassin's Creed Origins did it far better with pretty much none of the limits, and with a far more compelling art style to boot.

 

[Frankbel]

Nintendo deserves all the shitstorm it gets.