It was average by Zelda standards. The visuals and art style are a mixed bag for me. At times I liked the bright colors and how it felt a bit like ALttP. But at other times the SD graphics just seemed dated by 2011, and the watercolor approach seemed like an attempt to mask the weak Wii hardware. I didn't like the motion controls - though this did improve when I got an integrated Wiimote + instead of the dongle. Motion controls were good for duels but made every battle seem the same - and I didn't like them for controlling devices such as the beetle or bombs. The various world areas had good points and bad, but overall weren't very immersive to me. The game generally felt very safe, with little groundbreaking moments. Unlike titles like the original, ALttP, OoT or even TP to some extent, you could hardly call SS "the greatest game yet made".
The game has further gone down a notch in my book after playing WWHD. That game, with it's crisp visuals and tight dual-analogue controls feels awesome, even though it's based on a title 10 years old. Further, some things that I thought were innovative in SS were actually just pulled right from WW and I didn't know it having not played the GC original.
SS with its slow pacing, same-old Zelda stereotypes with the oooohing and moaning characters and lack of gameplay innovation beyond motion controls was for me a bit of a low point in the series. Especially with other games in the genre zooming past it in certain aspects. Playing Arkham Asylum and SS back-to-back made SS seem like a dated B-level game in many ways. AA surpassed in action, presentation, story and atmosphere. After playing WWHD I have high hopes for Zelda U to be what SS was not. Good game though.
