The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

The Legend of Zelda series is known for its creative use of various items and special equipment, which means lots of screens/menus and control descriptions. When you obtain items, they have to go somewhere so you can either use them or check your progress on a certain quest, so knowing how to navigate the menus and understanding the controls are essential. Skyward Sword does a really good job of explaining both its button and motion controls, but for newcomers to the series, it might be a lot to handle. The following is an overview of all the important menus and how to navigate them. Control descriptions kind of tie in with the Help Menu, which is located toward the end of this page, so make sure to check that out as well.

Main Screen

This is what you'll be seeing the majority of the time. There's a few gauges that lets you know your condition, as well as a number of controls depending on what setting you choose for the Interface Display option of the Gear Screen (described later in this guide).

• Life Gauge: Placed at the upper-left corner of the screen, this displays your current health, represented by hearts. You begin the game with six hearts; when you take damage, one or more hearts (or even a portion of a heart) will disappear, and once all of your hearts are gone, the game is over. You can restore your Life Gauge by collecting hearts dropped by defeating enemies, cutting grass, breaking pots, etc., drinking potions, sitting on benches/stools, or touching/using fairies (a caught fairy will automatically restore six hearts if you run out of health; using them beforehand only restores six). Additionally, you can increase your Life Gauge (i.e. maximum health) by collecting Heart Containers (dropped after defeating dungeon bosses), Pieces of Heart (four pieces make a container) or placing Life Medals in your Adventure Pouch, for a grand total of 20 hearts.

(If you're playing in Hero Mode, hearts won't spawn in the environment unless you have a Heart Medal in your Adventure Pouch, and enemies/hazards do twice as much damage. Be extremely careful!)

• Shield Gauge: If you have a shield equipped, you'll see this gauge right under the Life Gauge. Unlike other Zelda games, shields can break if they take enough damage. The only way to prevent the shield gauge from depleting is if you effectively use the Shield Bash to block an enemy's attack right before it hits you, stunning your opponent in the process. You can repair a damaged shield at the Skyloft Bazaar for 10 rupees or by using a Revitalizing Potion (which will automatically activate if the shield gauge runs out). However, if you don't have a Revitalizing Potion and you let the gauge deplete completely, the shield will break and you won't be able to repair it. In this case, you'll have to buy an entirely new shield from the Skyloft Bazaar and upgrade it all over again.

• Rupee Count: Appears below the Life Gauge/Shield Gauge. This displays how many rupees you're currently carrying. Rupees are the main form of currency in Zelda games. You'll find several rupees throughout the environment, usually by cutting grass and breaking pots or other fragile items; you may also find rupees in treasure chests or earn them as a prize for winning minigames. You can only carry 300 rupees initially, but can increase your carrying capacity to a maximum of 9,900 rupees by earning wallet upgrades or purchasing extra wallets.

• Stamina Gauge: The Stamina gauge (represented as a green circle partitioned into eight wedges) is also a new addition to the series. This appears next to Link when you perform a tiring action such as dashing, moving heavy objects, or using a Spin Attack. The longer you perform the action, the more the gauge will deplete; conversely, stopping the action will allow the gauge to replenish. If you let the gauge run out completely, Link will slouch around, breathless and immobile until the gauge refills completely. You can slow the rate of stamina consumption for three minutes by drinking a Stamina Potion.

Calling Fi

While on the Main Screen, you can talk to Fi by pressing down on the directional pad. Fi will give you four different options:

• Objective: Fi will give you a brief summary of your current objective and any recent events that are significant to completing your objective. Additionally, she'll tell you your current session play time and total play time (in Hero Mode, total play time carries over from your previous file).

• Advice: You can ask Fi for additional advice with this option. Fi will give you four new options:

• Summary: Fi will recount recent events leading up to your current situation. This is different from Objective in that it reiterates key plot points rather than the more specific objective details.

• Hint: If you're baffled by a puzzle or obstacle, this is what you want to choose. Fi will give you a small hint that should help you solve the puzzle.

• Rumors: This is more of a "miscellaneous information" option. It's not necessarily related to your objective, but it still might prove useful.

• Never Mind: This will end the conversation with Fi.

• Analysis: Fi will give you some notes on the environment, a percentage of how well the items in your Adventure Pouch are suited to your current location, and some final suggestions based on her analysis.

• Never Mind: This will end the conversation with Fi.

Controls

Additional controls will be described below in their respective sections.

Flight Screen

This screen is what you'll see whenever you're flying your Loftwing. The Flight Screen is practically the same as the Main Screen, but with a couple extra things.

(Note: You can't use your sword, shield, or other items while flying, but you can still take damage from enemy attacks/falling onto an island from great heights, and you can still earn rupees by charging into enemies and destroying them.)

• Altitude Meter: Located at the left side of the screen. A cloud at the bottom and sun at the top of the meter denotes the lowest and highest you can fly, respectively. The red Loftwing icon denotes your altitude, and will move up and down between the cloud and the sun as you navigate the skies.

• Wing Gauge: Represented by three red and white wings at the bottom of the screen. When you command your Loftwing to charge, one wing will disappear from the meter. When all three wings have been depleted, you won't be able to charge again until the meter refills (automatically, one wing at a time).

Additional controls will be described below in their respective sections.

Item Menu

In previous Zelda games, you had to pause to access your inventory. This time around, you can swap out weapons and important equipment on the fly by holding down the B button and pointing to your item of choice. But because the game doesn't pause and the menu takes up most of the screen, you need to make sure you're in a relatively safe position to switch items (though you can still move while the menu is up). The menu consists of eight slots which will eventually be filled up with weapons and items you find throughout the game.

Controls

Adventure Pouch

The Adventure Pouch is very similar to the Item Menu. It works in exactly the same way, except you use the - button to access it instead of the B button. Fledge gives you this pouch toward the beginning of the game; it allows you to hold several items which aren't necessarily required (shields, bottles, perk-inducing medals, etc.), but nonetheless helpful. It has only four slots to begin with, but you can find or buy expansions to increase its capacity up to a maximum of eight slots. If you find an item while your Adventure Pouch is full, that item will automatically be sent to the Item Check at the Skyloft Bazaar.

Controls

Map Screen

You can bring up the Map Screen anytime you have control over Link to observe your current location. The first thing you should notice is the icon of your face; this denotes your current position. The flashing yellow wedge extending out from your icon indicates the direction you're facing. Small green arrows will trail your recent movement around the map. Area names indicate where you will go if you exit the map in a specific direction. Darker regions on the map represent areas of lower altitude, while lighter regions represent areas of higher altitude. Moving substances such as water or sinksand will move on the map to indicate their presence.

You can use both button and motion controls to interact with the map. While zoomed out, a box will follow your cursor to indicate the area of the map you'll see if you zoom in. While zoomed in, you can press the Z Button to switch your view of the map between standard compass bearings and the direction you're currently facing. Not far into the game, you'll gain the ability to place beacons on specific locations of the map; this will create a beacon of blue light in the environment that you can use to guide yourself and keep you from getting lost.

Controls

Treasure Chest Icons

If you're inside a dungeon and you've obtained the Dungeon Map, blue chest icons will appear, indicating the location of actual treasure chests in the environment. Once a chest has been opened, its respective icon on the map will change and darken to show that it's been opened. Outside of dungeons, you won't see treasure chest icons on the map until after you've opened them.

While in the sky, you may see purple chest icons on the map; these are treasure chests that have been activated by hitting a Goddess Cube with your Skyward Strike somewhere on the surface. You can still find these chests in the environment before activating them, but you won't be able to open them until after they're activated. Activated chests glow a brilliant bluish-purple color, while unactivated chests appear dull; almost black. Their icons will disappear completely once the respective chest has been opened.

Gear Screen

Pressing the 1 button during gameplay will bring up the Gear Screen; it displays your current equipment, as well as key items and upgrades you've obtained throughout the game. Initially, the screen will look like a random mess of shapes and figures, but it will fill up as you progress. You can view a brief description of any item on this screen by selecting it with the Nunchuk's analog stick or pointing at it with the Wii Remote and pressing the A button. There are a few things you should take note of:

Center Circle

This circle gives you an overview of all the weapons and items you're carrying and the targets you can dowse for with your sword. You can switch between sub-menus by utilizing the colored tabs above the circle. You can't swap out items or switch dowsing targets on the Gear Screen.

• Items: Switch to this by pressing the B button or the yellow tab above the circle. This sub-menu shows the weapons you currently possess.

• Pouch: Switch to this by pressing the - button or the tan tab above the circle. This sub-menu shows the items you're carrying in your Adventure Pouch.

• Dowsing: Switch to this by pressing the C button or the purple tab above the circle. This sub-menu shows the people/objects you can search for with your sword's dowsing ability. Dowsing targets have descriptions as well.

Left "Diamond"

The only two spots you should pay attention to are the two at the bottom of the diamond.

• Piece of Heart: The heart-shaped spot displays how many Pieces of Heart you need to collect in order to complete an entire Heart Container (four pieces per container); the heart will remain filled in once you've found all the Pieces of Heart in the game, and the description will also change to say that you found all of them.

• Wallet Upgrades/Extra Wallets: The bottom-right circle is where any wallet upgrades you've acquired will appear. Initially, this spot will be empty. You'll earn bigger wallets by finding Gratitude Crystals for Batreaux; an illustration of the wallet will then appear in the circle. You can also buy up to three Extra Wallets from Beedle, which increase your carrying capacity by 300 rupees each. Extra Wallets are accounted for by a little green number below the main wallet (+300, +600, or +900 depending on how many Extra Wallets you have).

Bottom-Left "Octagon"

Again, two things are of importance here.

• Interface Display: Pressing this allows you to switch between HUD settings on the main screen.

• Standard: Displays life gauge, shield gauge, rupee count, currently-equipped item, and all Nunchuk and Wii Remote controls, including outlines of the controllers themselves. Use this if you don't mind clutter or you need to familiarize yourself with the controls.

• Light: Displays life gauge, shield gauge, rupee count, currently-equipped item, and most Wii Remote controls (Nunchuk controls and Gear Screen/Help Menu buttons aren't displayed); also gets rid of controller outlines. Useful if you don't like clutter, but aren't used to the controls yet.

• Pro: Displays heart gauge, shield gauge, rupee count, currently-equipped item, and few Wii Remote controls (Adventure Pouch/Map Screen buttons are taken out as well); no controller outlines. Least amount of clutter onscreen; use if you're used to the controls and want more of a "cinematic" experience.

• Calibrate Wii MotionPlus: If you ever find your Wii MotionPlus controls going wonky, you can recalibrate the controller by selecting this option. This takes you through the start-up process of placing the remote on a flat surface, then pointing the remote at the center of the screen and pressing the A button.

Controls

Collection Screen

The Collection Screen is accessed by opening the Gear Screen and flicking the Wii Remote or pressing left/right on the directional pad to "turn pages". This screen consists of three rectangles of different color; they each hold a specific type of collectible.

• Green Rectangle: This rectangle displays the types and number of insects you've caught. Insects are used to upgrade potions at the Skyloft Bazaar. There are 12 insects in all.

• Tan Rectangle: This rectangle displays the types and number of raw materials you've found. Raw materials are used to upgrade your weapons and equipment at the Skyloft Bazaar. There are 16 different materials in all.

• Purple Rectangle: This rectangle holds key sidequest items you may find or receive during your journey. A red check mark will appear at the bottom right of a box when the item has been given/returned to the person needed in order to finish the sidequest.

Controls

Help Instructions

Pressing the 2 button during gameplay will bring up three tiny windows that each contain a tip; the tips will change depending on the situation. Like the Item Menu and Adventure Pouch, the game doesn't pause when you access these instructions. Additionally, they obscure practically the top half of the screen, though in most cases you still should be able to see what you're doing. Nevertheless, you might want to be careful about when you call them up.

Controls

The following is a list of tips in the game and the controls they describe. The tips use controller icons in their descriptions, which will be represented in parentheses here. For instance, (analog up) and (directional down) mean up on the analog stick and down on the directional pad, respectively.

General Actions/Movement

Moving

• Move: Move with (analog stick). Press (Z button) to reset the camera position right behind you.

• Dash: Hold (A button) while moving to dash. This also allows you to scurry up walls.

• Roll: Shake the Nunchuk while dashing to do a forward roll.

Interact with Objects/Animals

• Drop: Press (A button) to put the item down.

• Throw: Point the Wii Remote up and swing it forward to throw the item.

• Roll: Point the Wii Remote down and swing it forward to roll. Heavy items can't be rolled.

Z Button

• Move: While pressing (Z button), push left and right (analog left/right) or up and down (analog up/down) to move.

• Dodge:While moving, you can dodge by pressing (A button). Press (A button) while moving backward to do a backflip.

• Lock On: Hold (Z button) near an object of interest to lock on to it.

Climbing Vines/Hanging From Ledges

• Move: Press (analog stick) to move.

• Leap: While moving, whip the Wii Remote to leap.

• Let Go: Press (A button) to let go. While falling, press (A button) or (analog up) to grab back on.

Swinging From Vines/Ropes

• Swing: Swing the Wii Remote to sing on the rope. Press (B button) to stop swinging.

• Change Direction: Push (analog left/right) to change the direction you're facing while on the rope.

• Climb: Push (analog up/down) to climb up and down. Press (A button) to let go.

• Jump Off: Press (A button) to jump off the rope.

Balancing on Tightropes

• Move (1): Push (analog up) and (analog down) to move backward and forward along the rope.

• Move (2): Press (analog up) to pull yourself up onto the rope. Press (analog left/right) to move along the rope. (Replaces Move (1) when you're hanging from the rope.)

• Balance: To maintain balance, tilt the Wii Remote in the opposite direction of your body movement.

• Let Go: Press (A button) to let go. (Replaces Balance when you're hanging from the rope.)

• Jostle: Shake the Wii Remote vertically to jostle the rope.

Looking Around

• Look: Point the Wii Remote at the screen and move the cursor to look around.

• Center Cursor: You can press (directional down) to return the cursor to the center of the screen.

• Switch to Dowsing: Hold (C button) and use the Wii Remote to select the type of target you want to use dowsing to detect.

Dowsing

• Direction: Point the cursor in the direction you want to search. Center your aim with (directional down).

• Distance: The shorter the interval between alerts and the larger the cursor size, the closer the target is.

• Switch Dowsing: Hold (C button) and use the Wii Remote to select the type of target you want to use dowsing to detect.

Modes of Travel

Flying

• Steer Your Bird: Tilt the Wii Remote to turn. Swing the Wii Remote to gain altitude. To speed up, glide down at a sharp angle.

• Charge: Press (A button) to charge forward with a burst of speed. You can't do this move when your wing gauge is empty.

• Spiral Charge: Press (A button) to perform a Spiral Charge. You can't do this move when your wing gauge is empty. (Replaces Charge after learning the Spiral Charge)

• Slow Down: Press (B button) to slow down. If you have no speed, you'll stop in midair.

Skydiving

• Skydive: Balance and tilt the Wii Remote to control your movement as you skydive through the air.

• Sailcloth: Press (B button) just before landing to open your Sailcloth and slowly descend.

• Call Your Loftwing: Press (directional down) to call your Loftwing.

Swimming

• Move: While in the water, push (analog stick) to swim.

• Swim: While pressing (A button), aim the Wii Remote at the screen and tilt it to swim.

• Spin: Shake the Nunchuk to spin. While spinning, swim to the surface to leap out of the water.

Skipper's Boat

• Steer: Steer the ship with (analog stick).

• Fire the Cannon: Ready the cannon with (B button). Press (A button) to fire. You can press (directional down) to center your aim.

• Look: Press (C button) to look around and dowse for objects.

Mine Cart

• Balance: Tilt the Wii Remote to avoid flying off the rails.

• Slow Down: Press (B button) to slow down.

• Jump: When approaching the end of a set of tracks, shake the Wii Remote up to jump.

Digging with Mogma Mitts

• Move: Move with (analog stick). While you are moving, you can press (A button) to dash.

• Attack: Shake the Wii Remote to attack with the gloves.

• Look Aboveground: Hold (Z button) to peer up and see what's aboveground.

Equipment/Weapon Use

Sword

• Swing Sword: Swing the Wii Remote just how you want to swing your sword. Jab it forward to thrust.

• Spin Attack: Swing the Nunchuk and Wii Remote at the same time to do a spin attack.

• Skyward Strike: Point your sword toward the sky to charge it up, then swing it to release a blast of energy.

Shield

• Ready Shield: Shake the Nunchuk forward to ready your shield. Swing the Wii Remote to return to a normal stance.

• Shield Bash: Shake the Nunchuk again to bash your shield forward. Time it just right for the full effect.

• Shield Gauge: Your shield will break when your shield gauge drops to zero.

Slingshot

• Aim: Hold the Wii Remote horizontally, and aim with the cursor. Center your aim with (directional down).

• Shoot: Press (A button) to shoot. Hold down and release (A button) for a wide-area shot. (Scattershot only)

• Replenish: Keep an eye on your ammo, and be sure to replenish your seeds when needed.

Bug Net

• Lock On: Lock on to an insect with (Z button), and approach it quietly.

• Aim: Slowly move the net toward the insect. Take aim.

• Swing Net: Quickly wave the Wii Remote to catch the insect.

Beetle

• Launch: Take aim, and press (A button) to release the Beetle. Center your aim with (directional down).

• Pilot: Aim the Wii Remote at the screen and tilt to steer. Aim up or down to climb or descend.

• Recall: While piloting the Beetle, press (B button) to recall it.

Bomb

• Throw: Point the Wii Remote up and swing it forward to throw.

• Roll: Point the Wii Remote down and swing it forward to roll. Twist the Wii Remote to add spin.

• Store: Press (B button) to store a bomb. Make sure to replenish your bomb supply from Bomb Flowers.

Gust Bellows

• Create Wind: Unleash the wind from the Gust Bellows by pointing the cursor and pressing (A button).

• Blowing Things: Aim the gust of wind at things to blow them back.

• Center: Center your aim with (directional down).

Whip

• Whip: Whip the Wii Remote in the direction you want to whip.

• Aim: Press (Z button) to lock on, and whip your target.

• Pull: Objects you have latched on to with your whip can often be pulled back toward you.

Clawshots

• Shoot: Take aim, and press (A button) to release the claw. Center your aim with (directional down).

• Move: Once the claw latches on to something, you will be pulled toward it by the chain.

• Shoot Again: Then, while you're hanging, you can aim and shoot at the next target you want to latch on to.

Bow

• Take Aim: Tilt the Wii Remote to move the cursor. Press (directional down) to center your aim.

• Shoot Arrow: Press (A button to shoot an arrow. Hold (A button) to charge a more powerful shot.

• Quick Draw: Press (C button) and draw back the Nunchuk to charge a shot to full power quickly. Release (C button) to shoot.

Bottle

• Drink: Press (A button) to drink the contents of a bottle.

• Scoop: You can scoop things into an Empty Bottle by holding it and pressing (A button).

• Use: Press (A button) to use whatever is in the bottle.

Harp

• Ready the Harp: Press (directional up) to ready your harp.

• Strum the Harp: While pressing (A button), gently swing the Wii Remote to strum the harp.

• Musical Technique: Swing the Wii Remote left and right in time with the movement.

Miscellaneous

Playing Thrill Digger

• Dig: To collect Rupees, press (A button) over the hole you want to dig.

• Hints: Be careful. The more valuable Rupees are usually buried near bombs.

• Bombs: If you dig up a bomb, it's game over.