Now that The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD has finally released for Nintendo Switch, players fresh off of Breath of the Wild have a chance to play this Wii classic in a new light. With brand new button controls and several quality-of-life improvements, many divisive elements that drove players away have been tweaked or eliminated, allowing for a far more streamlined and enjoyable experience.
When the player has to take Link on a trip to the surface to rescue Zelda, they'll land within the Sealed Grounds, where they'll be greeted by the classic franchise enemies known as Deku Babas. These particular variants serve as tutorial enemies for the game's motion control gimmick and need to be sliced in a particular direction to be slain. After following ahead into a cutscene, jump down into the center of the spiral with the sailcloth and perform a Skyward Strike on the strange pillar below.
After a short sequence, Fi will explain the dowsing ability and how to find Zelda, leading into geysers blowing strong gusts of wind, which the player can use to fly up to the next platform quickly. Reach the top of the area and open the large door into the Temple, where Link will speak with an older woman, who gives him a Revitalizing Potion. Upon exiting the Temple, Link will encounter Bokoblins harassing a traveling Goron, who the player is forced to fight. The Bokoblins will change their sword positions to anticipate and block Link's swings, so the player must swing in the opposite position of the blocked area.
After defeating the monsters, Gorko the Goron will explain to Link the purpose of the Bird Statue save points, some of which allow Link to return to the Sky. There may also be some bugs to collect for future trading or infusion purposes when rolling into a tree nearby. Follow the pathway along and push a giant log, using it as a platform to reach the pathway towards the Faron Woods. Entering into the woods, Link is immediately met by a rope; if you are using motion controls, hold the controller upright and flick forward or backward to swing across it.
Cutting down some trees that block your path, more Bokoblins attack a strange, diminutive creature upon some grass. Take care of them with techniques learned from before and speak with the creature, known as a Kikwi. Link will then have to dash towards a steep incline, finding the Kikwi again hiding in a Mushroom that will have to be struck to get him out. Continue to use dowsing to find him; after the Kikwi calms down, he will reveal his name is Machi and that he met Zelda before.
Use dowsing to find the Kikwi Elder, defeating or running past any Deku Babas along the way. Link will encounter more Bokoblins, as well as another classic Zelda enemy: the Octorok, octopus-like creatures that spit rocks that can be deflected at them with a shield strike or a well-timed sword slash. After a bit of exploring, the player will eventually find a rope that must be cut to swing across the next platform, which houses the very large Kikwi Elder known as Bucha.
Bucha will request that Link find the three other Kikwi still missing throughout the Woods, with Fi making the Kikwi an option for dowsing to make the search easier. The first Kikwi will be found past a cave close to Bucha's position that Link can crawl through, opening up to a climbable area with a tightrope. Hold the controller upright as if it were Link himself and carefully balance him across the rope, flicking it forward to shake off the spiky critters called Myu.
Once you finally make it across the gap, Link will witness a helmeted Bokoblin Leader who uses a blowhorn to summon more Bokoblins at his side. The player must defeat the Leader first, or else he will keep summoning more and more Bokoblins to harass Link. Once the monsters are slain, roll into the nearby tree to knock the Kikwi off the branch. Grateful, the rescued Kikwi introduces themselves as Lopsa before asking you to find the other two Kikwi.
Near Lopsa, there is a rope that the player can swing on that will lead Link to a log platform. Pushing and climbing will have the player fall into an area adorned with some nearby ruins, which form the first major dungeon. There is an annoying enemy here known as a Guay, whose only real attack is dropping feces on poor Link--the smell must be eliminated via spin attack.
The northernmost wall in the area has some climbable vines, with dowsing revealing that it will be the next area to search. Climbing up the wall to reach them, Link will be able to consume a Stamina Fruit growing in the center of the vines to maintain his grip. There will be a suspicious bush in the following area that keeps moving around--very obviously another Kikwi enacting their camouflage. Slash every possible bush the Kikwi could hide in, and they will slowly calm their nerves and reveal their name is Erla.
The final Kikwi isn't too far off, with the dowsing leading Link through a small crawlspace opening into some nearby Octorocks planting themselves. Link can find a ramp leading to a higher platform, with a Piece of Heart on a northeast platform connected via tightrope. Cross the tightrope to receive the Piece of Heart and get one step closer to a brand new heart container before continuing your Kikwi search.
Dowsing will lead the player to a broken brick wall, only for the detector to suddenly go haywire as the Kikwi appears to be moving frantically nearby the man-sized hole by the tree. Jump down the hole and find the Kikwi known as Oolo pathetically hiding in a bush. With all the Kikwis found, Fi will note that it's about time for Link to return to Bucha the Elder, who rewards Link with the Slingshot.
In addition to granting you your first ranged weapon, Bucha will tell Link that Zelda was found in the Deep Woods area towards the temple. With Slingshot in hand, the player can now shoot down vines hanging off trees to swing from as they enter into the Deep Woods, populated by more Bokoblins and other monsters. There will be a series of tightropes to cross, so it is recommended that the player use the Slingshot to shoot anything stuck to each rope, such as a Hornet's nest or a Myu.
Following every tightrope in the area will bring Link to a broken ladder, forcing the player to find another way around. They'll find more tightropes to cross and more enemies to conquer before reaching a Bird Statue to save the game. The next obstacle is another rope to be swung, but it requires a running start and is followed by a new Quadro Baba enemy; this one can change its weakness at any given time. Eventually, Gorko is encountered again, discussing with Link the importance of the Goddess Cubes that can be struck with a Skyward Strike to reveal treasures in the Sky overworld. Keep following the pathway to finish Faron Woods; from here, you'll reach the first dungeon, the Skyview Temple.