Just beat Skyward Sword, my thoughts (and SPOILERS)

[Helios]

Those are some fine impressions Mr Khan - I agree with most of them.

I think the swordplay really is one of the strongest aspects of the game. It simplifies the control scheme (through the concept of direct manipulation) without removing the depth of the combat mechanics themselves. It also made for a for more direct connection with Link as an avatar, which is (for a lack of a better term) immersive, to say the least. (I should note that I never cared about motion controls in any other game.)

I also believe one of the most overlooked innovations of Skyward Sword is the Bird Statue save points. They not only serve a structurally delimitative function, but are also helpful tools in terms of pacing, difficulty curve, and fast-travel mechanics. This design scheme is particularly useful in the dungeons, and represents one other way in which the boundaries of the dungeons/overworld are subverted, yet maintained. It is "dense" economic design at its finest.

In fact, Skyward Sword actually helped me realize that "density" is one of the primary things I look for in a good game - that is why I do not care for games like Skyrim (which is extremely limited in terms of meaningful content, not to mention polish).

I felt the game's weaknesses were centered around certain minigames. The cart-riding and harp-playing were the worst offenders - the latter seemed to suffer from the same issues as the flute in Spirit Tracks in that it was intriguing in concept, but terribly implemented in practice - but in general the sidequests did not live up to the standards of the main game.

Still, such blemishes does little to nothing to lessen my enjoyment of the game as such. I have found that the best games are often far from perfect, technically. My subjective appreciation is based on other things, such as ambition, creativity, and a subversion of dogma. Skyward Sword, I believe, shows proof of all of these things.