Announced early this year in a Nintendo Direct, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is the latest entry in the beloved franchise to get a remaster. Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask got revamped with 3D support for the 3DS, and Wind Waker and Twilight Princess came to the Wii U with updated visuals. Now the motion-control-heavy Skyward Sword is making its way onto the Switch with better graphics and a new button-only control scheme. Nintendo isn't done with the upgrades to Skyward Sword just yet, though, and have made an amiibo featuring Zelda and her Loftwing for the upcoming release.
Amiibos are figurines usually featuring characters from games. They use near field communication, a kind of wireless connection, to transfer data between the figurine and a certain Nintendo software. The Wii U, 3DS, and now the Switch have all been amiibo compatible, and it was only a matter of time until the Skyward Sword-supported amiibo were revealed.
An amiibo essentially allows downloadable content to become collectible rather than digital. The figurine will give bonus content within the game, such as providing power-ups or special moves in Bowser's Fury or new costumes in Super Mario Odyssey. The Zelda and Loftwing amiibo, however, is giving buyers an exclusive improvement to Skyward Sword's design.
How The Zelda And Loftwing Amiibo Works In Skyward Sword HD
Players will be able to hold the Zelda and Loftwing amiibo near the right Joy-Con (or up to the Pro Controller) to instantly take to the skies. Skyward Sword features an overworld in the clouds in which the player flies around on the back of a massive bird known as a Loftwing. Without the amiibo, players have to find the nearest save point in order to return to the sky, but this new amiibo is creating a huge quality of life improvement in Skyward Sword HD for those that shell out the extra cash.
The Amiibo will be usable anywhere in the game, even inside of dungeons. The Nintendo announcement has a video showing off its capabilities where the player can even use it inside of buildings on one of the islands in the sky. Players simply call Fi - Link's spiritual companion in Skyward Sword - select "Use amiibo," and tap it on the controller to take off. Not only that, but using it again while outside in the sky will return the player to where they used the amiibo the first time. The marked improvement to traversal in Skyward Sword HD is quite the feature to make exclusive to an amiibo, which is available for pre-order before its release on July 16.