PixlBit

What do you get when you merge the controls of Wii Sports Resort with the presentation and gameplay of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess?

I'm not sure why it has taken me this long to write about Zelda, but now's the time to spill the beans. In short, it's really awesome. Players take control of Link in a totally new way, this time with full MotionPlus support. Players familiar with Wii Sports Resort will have a fairly clear idea of what's available in Skyward Sword.

Controlling the various items available is as easy as moving the Wii Remote and Nunchuk around. Players can easily swing their sword in any desired direction with a simple slash through the air. Shooting Link's bow, again, is very similar to archery in Wii Sports Resort. Players aim, pull back and fire. Rolling bombs is like rolling a bowling ball. Again, anyone familiar with Zelda and Wii Sports Resort should have a grasp on the game's construction.

Pulling up all of the tools in the game, as well as the sword, is extremely seamless. Though Miyamoto's on-stage presentation went horribly wrong, it's clear that it wasn't in part to a poorly implemented system, just some odd uncontrollable glitch (no pun intended).

In addition to seamless controls, the world pictured in the game is extremely beautiful, merging the graphical presentation of Twilight Princess with the cel-shading found in Wind Waker. The colors are bright and vibrant, and make for a world that you are eager to explore. Enemy designs also look updated and modified from prior iterations. Everything has a half-realistic, half-comic book style presentation.

Some new additions, like the run button, are much appreciated and long overdue. The new items like the whip and the flying beetle control well and seem as if in the real game they will have a more interesting application. The demo wasn't much more than a playground to use Link's new abilities, but it conveyed the point that the game will be far more interactive and complex than prior titles in the series.

I wish there was a lot more to say about the game, but honestly it's Zelda with some Wii Sports Resort style controls built-in.

Of course, the game has been delayed to 2011, so it will likely be a while before any finalized version of the game is available for the mass market. A number of other staff members had a chance to play the game and will be posting their impressions later today.