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The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is finally out, and we can reveal the very best control scheme to play with – depending on your preferences, that is. As you probably already know, Skyward Sword on the Wii was only playable with the Wii Motion Plus controller – an upgraded Wii Remote with more accurate sensors, similar to those found in the JoyCon now. This makes the Nintendo Switch the ideal system for a conversion of this game – but wait, there are plenty of people that derided the fact that they were forced to use motion controls, and wanted them removed. Well, that's an option too.
Related: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword – How To Complete The Missing Sister Side Quest
If you're playing with a Pro Controller, or in Handheld Mode, you can instead swipe with your sword using the right stick. Just tap it in the direction that you wish Link to swing. It works well, and is arguably more accurate for combat, but it also comes with some downsides, and options you can tweak. In this guide we're going to breakdown the Pros (Controller) and (Joy)Cons of these two control options. I'm sorry, I know that pun was terrible, but I had to use it somewhere. Kirk can't stop me.
Using Motion Controls In Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
Motion controls are accessed by using the left and right JoyCon without the grip – those wrist-strap rails are recommended. While in this configuration, your sword swipes will mimic the motions of your right hand, and you shield can be accessed by flicking your left – this set up is similar to the original Wii control scheme, with a few key differences.
The biggest difference is that the Nintendo Switch JoyCon have many more buttons than a Wii Remote and Nunchuk set-up, and the biggest difference is the second stick. That's right, the right analog stick is free here, and can be used to actually move the camera in the game – camera movement is brand new to Skyward Sword HD, and is a wonderful quality of life adjustment.
The only other difference between this and the Wii original is that the Y button is now used only to recentre your pointer – which you will be doing very, very often.
Using Button Controls In Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
Button controls are mostly what you'd expect from a 3D Zelda, but the second stick is in use. Instead of slashing at enemies with your sword by pressing a button, you'll be tapping the right stick in one of the eight cardinal directions. Your tap will mirror Link's slash, and you can use this to fight enemies more accurately than with Motion Controls.
Though there are limitations. For example, Link's Spin Attack is executed by flicking the stick from one side to the other – a vertical spin can also be performed by tapping down and up rapidly. This sounds nice, but also means attempting to quickly slash side to side will result in attacks you didn't want.
Plus, there's the big negative. No camera controls on the right stick- at least not by default. You'll need to hold the L button whenever you decide to rotate the camera, which is certainly going to cause a misplaced sword swipes as you adjust. You do also gain access to the option to rotate your controller and use the gyro sensors to move the camera, but you're here to avoid button controls, right? So just hold L, and hopefully, you don't get it mixed up for your ZL targeting button during combat.
Next: Skyward Sword Boss Guide: Demise
