Skyward Sword is the deeper and more challenging game, Link‘s Awakening offers casual fans a delightful portable experience
The debate between Skyward Sword and Link‘s Awakening for best Zelda game can never reach consensus, because each title shines in different ways. For players seeking an epic quest with innovative swordplay and story depth, Skyward Sword is arguably the superior game. More casual fans who prioritize accessibility and portability may prefer the bite-sized brilliance of Link‘s Awakening.
Swordplay and Combat – Precision vs Simplicity
One of Skyward Sword‘s biggest differentiators is its 1:1 motion controlled sword combat. While many players struggled initially, taking time to master pointing the remote and slicing in specific directions pays off for one of the most intricate battle systems in the franchise. Timing and accuracy is key for breaking enemy defenses. In contrast, Link‘s Awakening retains straightforward button inputs for attacking – easier to pick up but less skill-based.
| Skyward Sword | Link‘s Awakening | |
|---|---|---|
| Sword Control | Motion controls | Buttons |
| Learning Curve | Steep | Easy |
| Combat Depth | Complex | Simple |
According to Jason Schrier‘s oral history of Skyward Sword at Kotaku:
"Skyward Sword was perhaps the Zelda team’s riskiest game – a bold experiment in advancing interactive design that challenged what people expected from the series."
So for players who enjoy mastering advanced combat systems and overcoming skill-based challenges, Skyward Sword offers plenty to chew on. More casual gamers may bounce off the tricky motion controls though.
World and Exploration – Epic Scope vs Island Focused
In terms of world size and content scope, Skyward Sword again dwarfes little Link‘s Awakening. The former is spread across sky islands and several large regions across the surface world below to uncover secrets and solve puzzles in. Kotaku estimates over 90 hours for full completionist playthroughs. By comparison, Link‘s Awakening is confined to a single island, compact enough to explore every nook and cranny in around 30 hours.
Skyward Sword‘s grander scope suits players who love immersing themselves for months in an epic Zelda world. For portable gaming in shorter bursts, Link‘s Awakening‘s tight density makes it an engaging experience overall despite the smaller scale.
| Skyward Sword | Link‘s Awakening | |
|---|---|---|
| World Size | Very large | Small island |
| Scope | Epic | Compact/dense |
| Portability | None | High |
According to NintendoLife‘s Skyward Sword HD review:
"the amount of secrets hidden throughout the game‘s vast world is astonishing. You‘re rewarded for poking around off the beaten track"
So Skyward clearly wins for scope and exploration incentives. But Link‘s Awakening offers perks for portability that allow gamers to enjoy short or long sessions on the go.
Story and Characters – Origin vs Eccentricity
As the earliest game in the official Zelda timeline, Skyward Sword focuses heavily on explaining the backstories of mainstay characters like Link and Zelda as well as recurring elements like the Master Sword. Kotaku‘s feature dives deeper into Skyward‘s emphasis on lore origins:
"We learn an awful lot about the history of Hyrule, the Master Sword, and Zelda herself. At its core, Skyward Sword’s story is a romance…"
Link‘s Awakening on the other hand, sits outside the main Zelda canon with a standalone story inhabited by eccentric characters like a chain-chomp butler BowWow. Its dreamlike, fairy tale vibe and themes of fabrication arguably make it the more unusual, artistic offering. Gamers looking for emotional story payoffs may prefer Skyward Sword, but Link‘s Awakening has oodles of oddball charm.
Art Style and Music – Colorful Charm vs Darkest Dreams
Both games showcase utterly gorgeous aesthetics, albeit with wildly different visual styles. Skyward Sword pops with cell-shaded color, depicting Hyrule and its sky islands in a bright, cartoon painterly look. Kotaku discusses the impressionistic influence behind the art direction:
"inspired by Cézanne, a French Post-Impressionist painter who would depict objects from multiple perspectives at once."
Link‘s Awakening 2019 doubles down on the miniature toy-like appearance of the 1993 Game Boy original. This tilt-shift perspective fills the game with stunning detail and cuteness. In my review of Link‘s Awakening HD, I praised how this adorable style enhanced the quirky personality:
"This toy-like filter makes the entire island feel like a diorama exhibit, amplified by the depth of field blur for a cinematic effect. It’s ridiculously addictive clicking every object to watch them subtly animate."
Both games also deliver outstanding soundtracks – Skyward with a grand orchestral score, Link‘s Awakening with dreamy, emotionally piercing piano and violin melodies. Overall they showcase two pinnacle moments of Zelda magic.
Who Should Play Each Game?
While scoring highly with critics overall, Skyward Sword proved divisive among portions of the Zelda fanbase – especially over its motion control scheme. Players willing to immerse themselves and patiently adapt to the clever swordplay design will come to appreciate one of the most thematically strong Zelda stories. Gamers seeking a more relaxed adventure though may struggle with Skyward Sword‘s denser pacing and steep learning curves though.
Link‘s Awakening on the other hand, offers an easier and more immediately charming experience for casual fans, new players, or those without 100 hours to spare unravelling mysteries. Its conciseness also makes it better suited for quick handheld sessions. series veterans meanwhile may burn through faster craving something meatier.
So weighing up strengths and weaknesses – Skyward Sword for those seeking an engrossing, move-mastering adventure, Link‘s Awakening for cute, quirky portable playtimes. Both are phenomenal Zeldas!
