Skyward Sword

Yesterday was the day I had been waiting almost 2yrs for. Skyward Sword, the next game in the Zelda series, finally came out. My brother and I were promptly at the mall by like 1130am, just after opening, to get our copies. I lucked out quite a bit with mine, as I had a pile of trade in games and my newly acquired employee discount. I managed to get about $50 in trade in value from a pile of old ass games, and then my discount on top of that. So for a $70 game and a $40 guide book, I only paid $9 out of pocket. I call that an epic win. 

Other than that, how has the game been so far? Pretty damn good. I'm only as far as the boss door in the first temple, and have a loooong way to go before the game is beat, but everything I've seen so far has been wonderful. This game seems to move more fluidly than past games. And even though the graphics aren't as shiny as say CoD MW3 or the like, I think it looks pretty good. The whole world is very colorful, and there are tons of things to look at. I spent a good chunk of the 12hrs I played yesterday just looking around Skyloft. I wandered around just checking things out, going into houses and looking at all the towns people. 

The controls took a bit to get used to. You spend most of your life with a joy stick and buttons, and then leap into having to actually swing your arms and block with a shield. It's a little tedious at first, but once you get the hang of it, you don't even think about what you're doing. Flying the giant Loftwings took a few tries before I was able to move them around the skies more gracefully. I almost got the feeling of waving a conductor's baton while making it fly around. 

The equipment screens will take some getting used to. They're completely different from any other Zelda game I've played. But once you get the hang of it, it too gets very easy to use. I think the only thing I'm not a fan of are the shields. Usually you get a wooden shield which is quickly upgraded to the awesome Hylian Shield. But because this game is the "beginning", there is no Hyrule to make said shield. So all through the game you get a basic shield that you have to upgrade. I've spent about 300rupees buying brand new shields as mine keep getting destroyed. There IS a way to get the Hylian Shield, but its not until the very end of the game, and is, apparently very hard to get at all. So I better get used to these other ones. The swords work the same way. You start with a basic sword, and use that until you get the Goddess Sword. And from there it keeps upgrading through out the game until you finally see the Master Sword created for the "first time". But that too is far into the game. 

The cast of characters have been great. They're all new, not reincarnations of the old ones. Even Link and Zelda look a bit different, but still recognizable. I have to say that I think I know who my least favorites are though already. Groose, this big, jerky, ass from the Knight Academy Link goes to, and Girahime, the main villain. Groose makes me nuts because hes just so... Stupid. He's your typical big, muscle headed, oaf who wants the girl all to himself and will bully everyone around him to get it (even if the girl doesn't want him). Also, his hair style makes me want to shake him. Girahime, the big bad guy in this one, has since been renamed "Emo-Lord". He has the worlds most epic of Em-overs, and talks about how he feels in the most epic of emo ways possible. He dresses in a leotard, and wears what I'm assuming is 45lbs of mascara on his eyes. He sort of gives off this Marilyn Manson sort of vibe, only in spandex. I really can't wait for the end of the game when I can shove the Master Sword through his body.

As for characters I like, Fi stands out the best. She is the guardian soul of the Goddess Sword, and the one to get Link moving on his adventure. I think what I like about her is the way she talks. She's incredibly intelligent, and talks almost like C-3PO. She's so damn blunt with everything that sometimes, it's actually pretty damn funny. Where Navi (in OoT) was obnoxious and really should of ran into a giant bug zapper 30seconds into the game, and Midna (in Twilight Princess) was cocky and self serving, Fi refers to Link as Master. She is always helpful, and doesn't constantly demand things. She will offer help only when you ask it of her, or if it is seriously needed. Otherwise, she hides in the sword and waits to help. I've added pictures at the end of this of post of the bigger things I've mentioned.

As I said up there, I'm only nearing the end of the first temple. So when I've gotten much farther in, or beaten it, I'll give a much better review of the game. As for now, I'm loving every minuet and it was well worth waiting for.

Fi, the spirit of the Goddess Sword who helps you though the game

Girahime, the Emo-Lord. I don't think his mommy loved him very much...

Groose is the red haired twit. I think he has a "my head is too small for my body" anger complex.

The Loftwings you fly around in the game. Link in the only one who has a "Crimson Loftwing", as they were thought to be extinct.