The Wii has always been a console with enormous potential, but rarely has a game that exists for more than novelty truly used its strengths to its advantage.
“Skyward Sword,” the best installment in the “Legend of Zelda” series since the quintessential “Ocarina of Time,” may be the best use of the technology in a thoughtful, deep video game yet.
Whether on the floating cloud city of Skyloft, on the ground in Hyrule or on the back of a giant bird called a Loftwing in the sky between, the controls are slicker than we’ve come to expect from a Wii game, with the analog stick on the nunchuk moving Link around and the Wiimote itself serving as his sword.
The use of the Wiimote as a sword isn’t a gimmick, though. Enemies must be defeated by discovering their weaknesses and swinging the controller in the precise way that will exploit them. It’s all very clever, and it makes the combat element of a game that could have become too concerned with puzzle-solving and dialog boxes a lot of fun.
The graphics and sound are also at the typical level of excellence that makes the “Zelda” games famous. Link is young here, but unlike the polarizing “Wind Waker,” the game is no less mature for it. Finding Zelda has rarely felt this exhilarating in the history of the series.
Ultimately, “Skyward Sword” is a game that doesn’t quite top “Ocarina of Time,” but in a series that has spent more than a decade trying to do just that, it’s the closest they’re likely to come, and that’s commendable.
