But the button controls aren't quite what I had hoped for. Game devices you hold in your hand still retain a touch of magic, of dazzle, and there is something pretty special about sitting on a bus while simultaneously exploring a volcanic mountaintop with a glossy talking sword. Partly, this was down to the perverse joy of having a whole Zelda world squeezed down onto a handheld.
So one of the things I was most excited about with the HD remaster was the option to play the game using button controls. These controls never really clicked for me - and quite a lot of other people, reading around the internet. The original Skyward Sword was a Wii game to the hilt - literally, as you had to negotiate with your surroundings every time you wanted to swing your Wii Remote sword, while enemies lined up to block attacks if you opted for the wrong angle. This is a remaster based around generous tweaks and 'quality-of-life' updates, so it feels right to talk about the controls from the off.
Because this is the point I switched from handheld mode to playing on the big TV. But in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, a rerelease of the Wii original from 2011, it was doubly special for me. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD review
