Zelda: Skyward Sword features, item upgrades detailed

Nintendo has revealed details about the Skyward Sword's length, extra modes, and item upgrade system.

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Despite its focus on the 3DS, Nintendo opened its pre-TGS press conference with plenty of talk about the Wii game The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Though the Japanese presentation wasn't translated at the time, details are starting to come out about the new revelations.

A series of tweets from Nintendo of America, and a new video detailing item upgrades, give a better idea of what to expect from this expansive Zelda sequel.

For one, Skyward Sword promises to be the longest Zelda game, as Shigeru Miyamoto mentioned it could take users 50-100 hours. That's a pretty wide gap, but even 50 hours is tens of hours longer than previous Zelda titles. The game will also sport hint movies akin to Ocarina of Time 3D, and second play-through (presumably a Master Quest) and boss rush mode.

This Zelda title will also sport item upgrades, as detailed by a new gameplay video. In it, we see Link collect a few items like amber and a skull, and then head to a sky blacksmith to make his shield stronger. Nintendo has dabbled in Zelda item upgrades before, mostly from tossing things into ponds and getting better versions from a fairy, but this system looks much more robust.

Skyward Sword is due November 20. Check out the shield upgrade video below:

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  • reply
    September 15, 2011 11:00 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Zelda: Skyward Sword features, item upgrades detailed.

    Nintendo has revealed details about the Skyward Sword's length, extra modes, and item upgrade system.

    • reply
      September 15, 2011 11:22 AM

      Is there a video that shows more of the overworld? (not the sky, the land) We've seen plenty of sky and dungeons,but very little overworld. :(

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      September 15, 2011 12:01 PM

      I hope the 50-100 hours is including the New Game+ type thing or at the very least it is more interesting and better paced than Twilight Princess as it realy seemed that one could lose a few hours of that and it wouldn't have done any harm to the game.

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      September 15, 2011 12:06 PM

      Nintendo has revealed details about the Skyward Sword's length

      ;)

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      September 15, 2011 1:54 PM

      Hmmm, not sure how I feel about upgrading stuff in a Zelda game outside of bomb bags, quivers and wallets...

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        September 15, 2011 1:56 PM

        Yeah, that made me go hmmm ...

        Especially since I tend to shy away from full-on RPGs ... but I'm guessing it won't be very complex stuff

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          September 16, 2011 9:29 PM

          I was a big fan of Zelda 2 myself, I really wish they'd do up another game in similar fashion in the Zelda series. I know the newer Castlevania games have been in similar vain, but Zelda beat them to the punch of a side scrolling action rpg.
          Also, upgrading items isn't exactly a mechanic exclusive to an rpg. The average modern fps has that. From the looks of things, it won't be much more complicated then that.
          It'll be:
          1:Kill enemies
          2:Loot for upgradable parts
          3:???
          4:Profit
          I expect high end upgrades will probably require something unique, like Orichalcum+ in Kingdom Hearts. Either way, it's probably just a less repetitive looking collectable added to the series.

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      September 15, 2011 2:18 PM

      Man I hope they bring this out on the 3DS... I really want to play this game but there is no way in hell I'm going to buy a Wii now if I've gone this long without one.

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        September 15, 2011 2:20 PM

        Ok... now having watched the whole video... this game looks like Zelda meets Oblivion... and now I want it even more!!!

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          September 15, 2011 3:29 PM

          Wait.. what? Is this an accurate comparison...? If so, I may just explode.

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        September 15, 2011 4:03 PM

        Just buy a used Wii for $80 or less and sell it for the same price when you're done playing the game (just make sure it has a motion+ wiimote). You could even get a new Wii with Mario Kart and 2 wiimotes for like $130 now.

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