You don't have to drag down. You just have to drag parallel to your character.

For Example, if my character is this 0. The lines represent different ways I can perform a side slash:

_
l0l
-

Sorry the small bottom line didn't work, but you get the idea. You just have to drag the stylus parallel to the character as opposed to directly away from him. At least that's the way I understood it, and it works every time so that's all that matters lol.

Btw, I have now completed the first full dungeon.  It was fairly easy but lots of fun.  I just wish that damn fairy would shut up.  *has Navi flashbacks* 

1up is rating the game as a little bit better than Brain Age, an 8. I disagree.

Game Informer - 9.5

Gamespot - 9.0 

Thanks for the first impressions.
My American friend is flying into the UK on Friday and bringing me a copy :)
Am so looking forward to playing it.......and seeing my friend for the first time in a year obviously.

I'm pretty sure people have given up completely on 1UP ever writing anything fair or unbiased about a Nintendo game fkusumont. Don't let it worry you. Good news is they are going bankrupt and should be gone within a year.

Hahaha...aw...two weeks isn't that long. I will tell you all the spoilers. Besides, I've already been eliminated.

 Maybe there is a god?

Alas 1UP will live on, even if it does go bung some other corporation will buy them. Well at least the reincarnation might be somewhat less retarded.

The reviews are something like: "It would be a 10 but as a Zelda game it didn't completely reinvent the video game genre and become the benchmark for all to come after it... so it gets an 8."

I think the touch controls make this a far more accessible game than any Zelda every made. It is more "pick up and play" than any other RPG I can think of.

 wow, and people complain about CKMLB being an outspoken biased mod. That was a perfectly valid question, Ben, and one I personally was interested in. Controls are pretty important to the joy you derive from a game. Naz, thanks for providing a legitimate response to this question.

I also got the game earlier today, and I have to say that the controls are amazing and simple. The graphics are also outstanding and I am happy that they made sequel to the Wind Waker. I haven't gotten through much of the game yet, but I already love it!