Zelda: Skyward Sword HD’s list of improvements includes auto saves and dialogue skips

Nintendo has released a new The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD trailer showcasing various quality of life improvements made to the original for its upcoming Switch release.

Revealed during a Nintendo Direct live stream in February and set for release on July 16, Skyward Sword for Switch features “smoother and more intuitive” controls, in addition to a 60fps framerate and improved graphics.

The original Wii game, which was released in November 2011, was reliant on the Wii Motion Plus peripheral for sword combat and puzzles.

On Switch, controls have been redesigned for the console’s Joy-Cons, or by using the right analog stick to direct sword swings while in handheld mode, on Switch Lite or with a Pro Controller.

On Friday, Nintendo confirmed several other quality of life improvements coming to the Switch version, including:

• Optional help from Fi: Fi only appears in cut-scenes or when necessary and can otherwise be summoned manually to provide advice or guidance.
• Enhanced framerate: The game runs at 60 frames per second, resulting in smoother gameplay
• Fast-forward dialogue: Text shown on-screen can be fast-forwarded by pressing the B Button
• Streamlined item information: Explanations for collectable items, such as insects and materials, only appear the first time the item is collected
• Skippable cutscenes: Cutscenes can be skipped by pressing the – Button
• Autosave: Game progress will be saved automatically, in addition to the existing manual save option
• Skippable tutorial dialogues: The introductory player tutorials have been refined to be less intrusive

One of the game’s most requested new features, which allows players to travel between the surface world and the sky at any point rather than by having to visit certain locations, is locked behind new Zelda and Loftwing amiibo, which will be released alongside the title.