Why Nintendo Is Releasing Skyward Sword HD (Not Wind Waker) For Switch

It seems like nearly every major exclusive game for the Wii U has found its way onto Nintendo Switch in recent years – Mario Kart 8, Super Mario 3D World, The Wonderful 101, and more. There is, however, one notable exception: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. Nintendo is bringingThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD to Switch, but The Wind Waker is still trapped on Wii U.

With 2021 marking The Legend of Zelda‘s 35th anniversary, many fans hoped Nintendo would rerelease The Wind Waker HD, a remake of one the franchise’s most well-regarded games. Instead, a recent Nintendo Direct announced an HD remake of Skyward Sword for Nintendo Switch.

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Originally released on the Wii in 2011, Skyward Sword proved to be a controversial entry in the franchise, thanks to its motion control-only gameplay. Why, then, would Nintendo prioritize rereleasing Skyward Sword over a surefire-hit like Wind Waker HD? Here are a few possible reasons.

Why Nintendo Is Rereleasing Skyward Sword Before Wind Waker HD

For starters, Skyward Sword, unlike every other 3D Zelda game, has yet to receive a higher-resolution upgrade. Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask were remade for the Nintendo 3DS, while The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess both received HD versions on the Wii U. Rereleasing Skyward Sword on Switch provides an opportunity to sharpen up its visuals for modern televisions and audiences.

Another key reason is likely Skyward Sword’s controls. While the game was generally well-received at the time, its motion controls still left much to be desired for many players. With enemies and bosses that required players to swing their Wii Remote in a specific way, the game’s frequent failure to detect motion-based inputs properly served as a major deal-breaker for more then a few players.

Part of these motion control issues likely came down to the limitations of Wii hardware itself, as the game even required an improved motion sensor to be attached to the Wii Remote in order to play. With the new and improved technology present in the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers, it’s likely Nintendo can fine-tune the controls to be more responsive and accurate, thus fixing one of the Skyward Sword’s greatest flaws. Nintendo is also including an option to play the game entirely without motion controls, giving players who aren’t a fan of motion mechanics even more of a reason to check out the Switch rerelease.

Considering Wind Waker HD released in 2013 (and Twilight Princess HD in 2016), the simple fact that Skyward Sword has been out of the spotlight for a longer time is another compelling reason Nintendo might feel inclined to prioritize it over porting other 3D Zelda titles to Switch. It’s likely more players have played Wind Waker and Twilight Princess recently via their HD versions, so Skyward Sword HD has a theoretically larger audience.

There’s little doubt The Wind Waker HD will eventually arrive on Nintendo Switch, as nearly every other Wii U-exclusive game has done over the past few years. It just might not be any time soon.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD releases for Nintendo Switch on July 16, 2021.

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