Over the last few days, the Nintendo community has been bubbling with excitement (or in some cases, mild indifference) over the idea of an HD re-release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on Nintendo Switch. Unfortunately for those who wanted to see it happen, however, it would appear that no such project is in the works.
Rumours for a Switch port of the game started to circulate after series producer Eiji Aonuma reportedly teased the possibility at a recent Zelda concert in Japan. Since then, though, Eurogamer has been in contact with a Nintendo representative for more information, sadly confirming that any dreams of seeing Groose in glorious HD are now in tatters.
Here's the clear, to-the-point response they received:
"At this time we have no plans to release The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on Nintendo Switch"
The Zelda franchise has seen a healthy number of remakes in recent years, with Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess all being treated to HD or 3D overhauls, so an eventual release of the Wii-exclusive doesn't seem completely out of the question. While we don't want to get your hopes up, we'd expect Nintendo to deny a Switch port of the game until nearer release even if it was in development; it's definitely worth keeping an eye out over the coming months for any more Zelda-related announcements.
For now, though, the official word is that no Skyward Sword HD is coming. Let us know how you feel about the news with a comment below.
[source eurogamer.net]
Comments 129
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I’d much rather have Mario galaxy HD collection come out first. Or Metroid prime trilogy HD collection.
I prefer a new IP. Retro... we're still waiting...
Oh.
Oh well.
Wind Waker and Twilight Princess asap please.
This would be their answer since they haven't officially confirmed anything. They said the same thing about the wiiu Twilight Princess weeks before it's reveal.
@AG_Awesome,
I think a Metroid HD collection is far more likley,it would be a good idea considering the fourth game in the series is possibly out next year.
Nintendo denying this doesn't actually mean much of anything. They've denied things before, then done them.
With that said, I can imagine much better candidates for a remaster or remake than a relatively recent game whose big stand-out feature was its complex motion controls. While I didn't care for Link's Awakening in its original incarnation, I think it'd be a much better candidate for a full HD rework (or full 3D, if they use the ALBW engine and release it on 3DS).
Let Groose loose! At very least make hima dlc fighter in smash 😍
"At this time we have no plans to release The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on Nintendo Switch"
... means they can announce it tomorrow and THEN they will have plans to release it. It's just PR usual use of words. Happens often. So no, the dream is not over Nintendolife
@smashboy2000 Yeah, this. I remember Blizzard saying they didn't have any plans for Diablo 3 on Switch.
@Saego Exactly !
Blizzard saying there's no plan for Diablo 3 on Switch
Nintendo saying there's no plan for Twilight Princess on Wii U
Nintendo saying there's no plan for Bayonetta on Switch
etcetera etcetera
I wish they would at least mention HIS comments in the statement though. Like are they just pretending he didn't say anything now?
Come on, it's not like they're going to say "yeah, sure, it's true. Please wait for an announcement".
After seeing the response he said “at this time we have no plans” Doesn’t say they won’t make it in the future.
Translation: "At this time we have no plans to ANNOUNCE The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on Nintendo Switch".
This is just the usual PR speak. They will just keep saying they have no plans until the moment they actually announce it...
Im relieved to be honest would much prefer twilight princess or wind waker but would prefer a new Zelda
@AG_Awesome I’d love a Mario Galaxy HD collection. That series was the best, I’d love to see it on the switch. It’d work too as the Joy-Con have motion in it too.
if they do release a re-mastered version, i would hope they would remove the motion controls, they killed the game for me and because of them I never completed the game
I would love to see thsi release using the BOTW engine and motion controls being optional.
"At this time" and "to release" still leaves us with plenty of (blind) hope...!!
Booooooooooo...
@AG_Awesome Same, maybe just an HD 3D Mario collection with Sunshine included.
I honestly think this is bad decision on Nintendo's part. I think an HD port of Skyward Sword with a few tweaks here and there could be really amazing on Switch.
Good. Sick of Nintendo remastering/porting every sodding Zelda game all the time. Give us Mario Sunshine HD already!!!
Welp, at least, Nintendo does communicate. Not like a certain someone. Sony cough cough
To me, the original quote wasn’t even all that convincing that they were actually working on this, so I’m not surprised about this denial.
However, anything can happen, and the “no plans at this time” thing is a total non-answer, as it always is. I guess we’ll see...
This is going to sound REALLY bitter, but GOOD. Those who passed in it the first time for a variety of reasons - none of them good - missed an epic Zelda adventure with some of the best dungeon designs in the series to date.
@frabbit Well, they come before SS, so maybe
I want 4 Swords HD on Switch.
"At this time we have no plans to release The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on Nintendo Switch"
b/c if we did it would cut into sales of "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword DELUXE" on Nintendo Switch, which is an entirely different game b/c it has amiibo support. If you simultaneously touch all 11 Link amiibo to your Joycon you'll get to play as 8 bit Link in the game. And if you touch 5 Mario amiibo Link will wear Mario's hat.
So look for TLoZ:SSD holiday 2019.
Problem with this is I plan to crack open the Wii u for winter (less sunshine interfering with my wiimote) and play this. Not going to re-invest if it comes out shortly after that!
Well, they're still charging full price for the game on Wii, which I still don't get why they never really reduce the prices on their games after a year or two out, but also, the response said 'right now'. There's always the possibility, but it could come on their next console. The Switch is in it's 2nd year (I believe) and after the PS5 and XBONE 2 come out, besides indies and nintendo themselves, the game drought will start except for the 2 that I stated. Nintendo will by that time of those console releases, be working on their next console, and just like all of their consoles out at that time period (there's always a year before the next console, that there is always a big drought on the current), nintendo will be working on their next one, creating games for it, and bringing more remasters (since all of the companies are doing that) would be a plus for them on the next console. I see Wii games being remade for the Switch 2 system, rather than for the current one. As for right now, it should be the Gamecube remasters arriving on their current (and it could happen since they re-released Luigi's Mansion for 3DS). Again, this is just my opinion, but that's what I see...hold off on Wii releases until their next console, keep re-releasing the Wii U titles that didn't get much chance on the current, Wii greats (like Mario Galaxy, the Zelda's and some other goodies...Battalion Wars 2 maybe) get a 2nd chance on their next.
It's coming. They're just annoyed that Aonuma popped what was supposed to be a big reveal.
Honestly, that comment doesn't mean much of anything, it still could be very possible.
@itsthomasagain Its because they are Nintendo and that means they never do anything what fans really want and they will never listen what we are saying.
Meh. Switch has enough ports already. Also, you guys really thought the Switch's rudimentary motion controls could emulate the Wii Motion Plus or that they could easily remake the game without motion controls?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ((((((((((((( I guess i will never play The Skyward Sword
@Euler yes they can
So it was just another reminder for us: they know what audiences want. It just doesn't guarantee they'll want to comply.
Then again, it's an admirable and enviable policy to be able to maintain in commercial fiction, especially the audience-driven epicentre of that hell. Although being Japan's richest company in cash terms and estimated capable of weathering several underselling console generations in a row may have something to do with it.😏
How would they know what the audience wants based on internet comments? The vast majority of Skyward Sword comments that I read are about how bad the game is. Also they did the "give the fans everything they asked for" bit with Smash Ultimate.
I’m going on a hunch here, but I’d guess we are less likely to see remasters on the Switch for Zelda due to the total reinvention that was BOTW. To release Skyward Sword may be seen as a backward move in a series that they tried hard to rebuild from scratch. I’d say the same for Mario as well. I’d doubt we would see Galaxy or 3D World after Odyssey. The 2D Mario games are fair game but not the 3D ones.
What about 3ds then? Or the switch pro? BOOM!
@rjejr That will look great on the new Nintendo Switch Pro Ultimate Edition (same console with slightly less flimsy kick-stand).
@Retupmocnin I'd take that (for a £10-15). I really liked that game on GC. Although if I remember right it was one I imported and had to play with that annoying Freeloader disk - that and Animal Crossing.
@NotTelevision Hopefully you’re right, but they are porting over New Super Mario Bros. I.
Well this literally just ruined my day.
@Bunkerneath if this was just a standard response from some Nintendo low level rep I’d say chances are good we’ll still see Skyward Sword HD.
If this were being announced this year it would probably be at the game awards, and they would not just reply oh yeah it's in the works when fielded questions about it lol. Though I think it's more likely we are seeing metroid prime trilogy HD announced at the game awards.
No plans at "this" time as in at the present time the rumor was spread. Down the line, who knows what Nintendo may decide? That's why I only wait for official news before reacting.
Good,there are so many other better games to port on the Switch then Skyward Sword
Doesn't necessarily mean it's not happening. Could possibly be they're denying and waiting to announce it on their own terms.
@rjejr The sad thing is I'm still only 60% sure you made that blurb up....
I would settle for Wind Waker. In fact I would prefer it. That or the Metroid Prime Trilogy. Or Super Mario Galaxy 2.
At this time. I can wait.
It was way too soon anyway. For more reasons than one.
Skyward Sword is the worst console Zelda game next to Zelda 2 (NES). No big loss.
@NEStalgia I got it from leaked The Game Awards notes.
@frabbit Pro console with a clear shell, those Pro players love their clear shells.
@Euler #42 "Also, you guys really thought the Switch's rudimentary motion controls could emulate the Wii Motion Plus?"
I believe you are wrong. I would need to find technical sources to prove it, but I'm almost certain that the motion control tech in the Switch controllers is practically identical to what's in the Wii U GamePad, and that was already a bit more advanced than the Wii MotionPlus tech.
The only weakness that the Joy-Con have against the Wiimotes is the lack of infrared aiming and centering. But since Skyward Sword didn't use the IR sensor anyway in-game, the likely eventual Switch version wouldn't suffer in any significant way.
@Medic_alert I've lost all hope in them giving me the retro content I want. Which is why last January I bought a 2ds (not xl). It scratches my retro itch as there's quite a bit of content. Only problem is i realized you cant purchase snes games on a standard 2ds. So a Bit of a bummer there for me. But I almost purchased a Wii u on black Friday for $100 at gamestop,used obviously. I'm kinda kicking myself now that I didn't. I just don't want to buy last generations console for retro content when i have Nintendos latest and greatest. That's pretty bogus when you think about it. The new system should offer everything the last one did but more. Especially almost 2 years into it's life.
@Euler Yeah that is one of the 2D Mario games and it was from the WiiU. But to port a Zelda game from the Wii which apparently caused the whole team to go back to the drawing board, seems less likely. Rightfully or not, at the time BOTW was released the whole games media made Skyward Sword their whipping boy, remarking how they couldn’t imagine going back to the limited linear progression the game presented. Perhaps Nintendo does not want those introduced to Zelda through BOTW to associate the series with that style of gameplay. Again, I could be wrong but that is my feeling right now.
Dangnabbit! Nintendo won't let me give them more money😭
BOOOO! - A lot of us missed those games.
It seems Switch owners expect Nintendo to give them a remaster or port of all their favorite games or titles. And for this they have a reason: “we want to play it on the go”.
Remember guys, Twilight Princess isn't getting a Wii version. You can play it on the Wii through the GameCube backwards compatibility mode.
What a lost of opportunity!! Open your eyes and your ears Nintendo!
It is likely going to be an all new Zelda possibly top down like old school ones.
What a lousy announcement. So they started the hype and then killed it in just under a week? I could understand if it was another of those lame leaky rumor but this is from one of their creator who started this and now you mean to tell us you ain't making it? So disappointing, should had been included on my top 10 disappointment list.
Honestly, part of me is glad to hear this. In the past few years there’s been a near obsession among parts of the gaming communities clamouring for rereleases rather than new games.
Yes, we look at some of the new stuff coming out and feel things were better back then. Still, its not loke the original game and hardware is difficult to come by. Plus its only been 7 years since its release; give it at least till its 10 years old.
@rjejr 2/10 Not enough LEDs. Not 1337 enough.
@NEStalgia Just think of it as the Kickstarter prototype, it will be solid brown when it's done.
....This is Nintendo, you guys I'm pretty sure we're getting an announcement at some point, just not right now. Maybe at E3.
@rjejr And a "dock cable" with bare leads hanging out.
@Joeynator3000 I heard so from my friend's brother's uncle who works at Nintendo!
"At this time we have no plans to release The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on Nintendo Switch."
"At this time".
Which means it could still very well happen. Flawed though the game is, it's still quite excellent IMHO. Besides, who doesn't want to see Groose in glorious HD?
@NEStalgia ....You know I'm being serious, right? lol
@Medic_alert yea man good for you. Lots of great retro content on both of those. The main reason I want a Wii u is to play minish cap. Ive never played minish cap always wanted to. I could always go get a gba , but id rather not dish out 50-75$ for used console and the cart.. I have a Wii and a gc.. So i can play wind waker and twilight pricess and even skyward sword on that. But I'd much rather play off the tv as i don't get alot of tv time anymore. It usually taken up by others in my house. That's where the Wii u would come in. Oh well maybe next year well get some re releases of some zelda games.
@Pazuzu666 Am I glad I can just emulate the game FOR FREE instead of giving Nintendo money for it!
Generic Spokesperson #43 somehow doesn't really seem as trustworthy as Aonuma himself hinting at it. Saying "the dream's over" cuz of some generic PR statement is funny, cuz it's about as reliable as the forum "leaks" from people who swear they know when the next direct is
@Euler rudimentary? You’re incorrect. Joy cons would be much more accurate
Take Nintendo's PR statements with a grain of salt. They said practically the same thing about Breath of the Wild not coming to Switch.
I think there would be a problem implementing the motion controls. The Wii Motion Plus wouldn't work on Switch and I can't see them taking motion controls out of the game.
Nintendo is not going to announce a Switch game via random spokesman PR.
Even if Skyward Sword was coming to the Switch, Nintendo would deny its existence up until the day they actually announce it.
See the DS Lite, 3DS XL, etc.
I was really excited because i never got around to getting the add on for wii so i missed out. Its only zelda ive never played.
They should release all game boy zeldas in a pack. Links awakening and oracles were some of my favorite in series
Don’t parse every word. If they were going to release it but didn’t want to officially announce it they would’ve blown off the question or given some non-answer, not said “we have no plans right now”. No means no.
Interesting how they let the rumour float around for a few days before denying it.
@Euler Why say for 'right now' though. Implying they may in the future.
They say that now. Six months down the line....BOOM!
Absolutely heartbroken. It's the only remaster I've wanted since the Wii U.... I hope they're just batting away speculation to retain their surprise plans. Eiji would be in so much trouble if he weren't a Nintendo god.
@LegendofCreed It gives them wiggle room on the off chance they make one five years from now. Bet against it.
I'm glad. not that I don't want a Skyward Sword HD remaster, BUT, I don't want dev time on such a game to take away from dev time on BOTW's successor. Then again, I know at this point there are different Zelda teams, it is clear that Twilight Princess HD was worked on by another team while the main team worked on BOTW. So... blah. I'm sure we'll eventually get SS HD, but for now, I'm happy to believe the next Zelda game is the true follow up to BOTW.
@Euler True. I'm not particularly thinking it'll happen anyway.
I knew this was bogus immediately. I just couldn't picture Nintendo publishing a game that wasn't compatible with handheld mode (it was built from the ground up for Wii MotionPlus.... assuming a workable button-based control setup were even possible, it would cost too much development resources to retool).
Game Awards announcement, calling it
I honestly don’t think a SS remaster would be a smart move to follow after the huge success of BOTW. Those are very different zelda titles, people who loved the open world feel of the later game will really dislike SS, which is probably the more linear game of the franchise. It might even drive away some new fans. That being said, SS does have much better dungeons and storytelling than BOTW, being one of the best games in that regard.
This would have been cool, but since I wasn't that big of a Skyward Sword fan myself I don't really care. Feel bad about the people that were looking forward to it though.
I’ll hold out for Wind Waker, that’s a much more fun game.
@LegendofCreed It’s a marketing tactic to keep your attention on them. You never outright say “no.” That will make people forget you existed. Lol
honestly, this is okay. skyward sword has the worst case of recycling areas from the game in my opinion. it had WAY too much backtracking. that and the motion controls were forced and not really fun at all. it didnt add to the experience so much as lessen it and make it probably impossible to port to future consoles since we will probably never get another motion control console again because everyone recognizes it for the gimmick it is.
I really wish it would happen
@Medic_alert ugh now I REALLLLLY want to play it. And unfortunately I don't know anyone with one. I'd probabaly grab a gba with a cart since I own a 2ds and that can already play ds games. I'm sure the gba would would be cheaper too
Well, obviously. Nintendo says we all want NES games, so we all want that. If you don't... Well, then you're wrong, you want NES.
I don't play on home consoles, so I won't get to play these games unless they come to switch.
Cya
Raziel-chan
Why is Nintendo releasing their next Legend of Zelda game, i'm wondering..... they did it in N64 time releasing 2 games. On Gamecube even more than that.... They should stop with DLC on breath of the wild and focus on new game. Would love to see them going back to old style. Just come up with a new story with amazing music that keeps haunting
Thank goodness. That'd be a waste of resources. Did anyone legit wanted it ported? I love the game, I just can't see any benefit being on the Switch. On the other hand, I would love Wind Waker HD on the Switch but I also can't justify the need except for the fact that more people can play it (in contrast to the Wii U userbase).
"No but here's Zelda II coming to the subscription service soon!"
@Alucard83 True, N64 had two Zeldas, and GameCube had three if you count Four Swords Adventures. I agree that's overkill and they should probably only focus on one per console... But what you seem to be overlooking, is the fact that Switch hasn't actually gotten its first Zelda yet. Don't forget that Breath of the Wild was designed for Wii U, meaning the Switch version is just a port of a previous gen game. Not counting ports or spinoffs, Nintendo's past two consoles each got a single Zelda installment-- Skyward Sword for Wii, and BotW for Wii U. It's currently Switch's turn for an installment.
It's coming, Nintendo just isn't ready to officially announce it yet.
@nintendobynature Not ideal or totally legal but consider going with VisualBoy emulator for playing GBA games on TV. Laptop with HDMI hookup and you are good to go.
I really want to try this game, but still need a DKC Trilogy collection (please)
@NotTelevision thanks for the info but I only would buy The cart and the system to play it on. Ill weigh out my options between gba used with an original cart or a Wii u with the download. Both will be costly unfortunately.
That's not a denial. There's two equivocations in the statement: "at this time" and "we have no plans". At another time (like next year) they might change their mind, and plans can easily change. "No plans" is classic politician's speak for "we'll likely change our minds after the next election".
PS: I'd prefer Metroid trilogy or even Wind Waker.
Thank GOD. It was a subpar game, to begin with; add in the shoddy motion controls, endless item descriptions, and Fi, and it was nearly unplayable.
This is for me very sad news, I think this is one of the most underated Zelda games, I love the lore the story the locations, everything about it.
Didn't want it. I would rather have more BOTW to be honest. Best Zelda ever!
Well, I certainly hope they're just trying to suppress the rumor and maintain their typical Nintendo secrecy, and that it actually IS coming in the near future. Because it seems really odd that someone as "in the know" as Aonuma would give such a blatant tease if it wasn't true. I guess time will tell.
At this time we have no plans to release it.
Were we expecting it now, this year?
Maybe next year Nintendo will make plans to release it and that could be 2020.
I cant say i am sad about this.I played it on wii when it came out and i didnt like it.It would be ten times better to publish a botw 2,majoras mask, and have a new experience.Or just ww or twil princ again from wiiu.
It's a shame, Skyward Sword is the one mainline Zelda game I haven't played apart from a few awkward hours struggling with the clunky controls. To have it on another console with, hopefully, normal controls would be great. Then again, LGPE shows Nintendo still love forcing bad, gimmicky controls into their games and taking away player choice over the issue.
Played a few hours of this and lost interest.
It's probably for the best this isn't released again, I guess.
They'd better keep promoting the excellent BoTW to all those new Christmas customers who're getting a Switch.
Aonuma wouldn't have hinted if it wasn't happening.
@AG_Awesome Yeah, Mario Galaxy should be introduced to the newer generation of Switch players. Those two games are great, even today.
@Matroska Feels like Nintendo's doing it to show third-party developers that their controllers have extra functionality aside from the usual sticks and buttons. Agreed on the lack of choice at times, though. To be fair, many Nintendo games can be played with conventional controls, still.
This is good because they would basically have to remake the whole game for it to even work in handheld mode, they'd also have to do that anyway as the controls were basically broken before.
Remasters are much harder than ports.
@Euler If I can gyro aim in Splatoon, I can swing a sword in Zelda.
Yeah, because Nintendo's PR team is totally going to confirm something like this.
Aonuma mentioned it, so it's either happening or they're looking into it.
I really don't trust this "confirmation" that it's dead, but I actually hope it's true. I know it's blasphemy to say this, but I think a lot of these old games that the hardcore fans cry about wanting remasters don't actually hold up well without the hitting the fanboy "I BELIEVE" button. After almost, but never getting around to buying Twilight Princess when it was originally released in 2006, I finally played the Wii U remaster last year. Honestly, by todays standards, I thought it was a so-so game with to many pauses to load, questionable controls when you were normal Link, bad controls when you were Wolf Link, and camera controls that weren't great when you were in confined spaces. And that was the Wii era Zelda everyone loves. I'm not sure I even want to try a remaster of the game only loved by the Zelda religious zealots.
We really should be getting Mario Galaxy 1&2 ports, that game was my childhood
I want to Point out, we talk about a Company which did nothing let slip to troll us at the SSBU Anouncements and even go that far, to deliever an plant over waluigi, geno and so on... and also a Company (atleast how i remember) never would agree to an leak anyway, because they don't want to give away their Anouncement so easily. I don't say Skyward Sword will happen, but i will wait for the VGA or E3 before i truly take "no plans for skyward sword" seriously... until that for me it is "No Plans to announce / reveal skyward sword".
This is the only LOZ I’ve never played. Too bad.
Wha- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Of course. Told ya!
I would prefer full HD remake of Ocarina of Time. Skyward Sword looked and played just fine. Please Nintendo, do Ocarina of Time on Switch, full HD remake. Let us relive our childhood in HD glory!
Tap here to load 129 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...