Nintendo Switch users are buzzing over an Amazon UK listing for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the portable console, while stoking discussions on what holds the company back from releasing other fan-favourite classics.
In a now-removed page and saved screenshot by industry observer Wario64, the listing showed the game’s title and a price tag for £69.99 pounds and contained Nintendo’s product tag. Despite the apparent hype from social media and wish-listers, it’s not the first time such listings have been spotted across the online retailer. In May 2020, users also got their hopes up from similar listings for a Metroid Prime Trilogy for Nintendo Switch port on multiple retailers, while another came for Persona 5 on April 2019.
For Zelda fans, Skyward Sword on the Switch would play exactly as it did on the Wii in 2011 – if not better through graphical enhancements and refined controls (including gyroscope). The largest benefit also comes from taking one of the series’ last full-length adventure to-go, with an original story before Breath of the Wild was released six years later. Stoking the hype includes Nintendo’s habits of delivering fan-favourite Zelda remasters across its latest systems, including The Wind Waker HD, Twilight Princess HD and a highly-requested Majora’s Mask 3D which came out for the 3DS in 2015.
It’s worth noting that Skyward Sword was also the last Zelda game to use a linear design. Compared to the open-ended variety of Breath of the Wild, players were given a straightforward story-driven adventure with Link as he took to the skies to save Skyloft. Its story also takes place as a prequel to the entire series, with a new version of our green-dressed hero navigating through different (higher) versions of Hyrule locations and characters. The game also featured am emphasis on flying, platforming and combat over its puzzle-based dungeons while side quests could also be taken on in two different land and sky worlds.
Tweaking on Twilight Princess, the game also featured more motion-based swordplay. But a Switch port would focus less on this feature and stick to a more button-based approach to controls. It would also give players a new itch to scratch following their playthrough of the latest and greatest Zelda title released with the console in 2017.
But the Amazon listing should be taken as a grain of salt, and hopefully not as a pipe dream along Nintendo’s tendencies of keeping fans periodically happy with demanded releases. Fans also pre-ordering the game from its listing were also sent their money back with cancellations.
