The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD includes rotating camera and improved tutorial

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Nintendo has implemented a bunch of improvements for Skyward Sword HD

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
(Image credit: Nintendo)

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD version will be getting several major changes, Nintendo has announced.

In a tweet from Nintendo of America, followers got a look at some of the gameplay changes that have been implemented in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for the upcoming re-release. Firstly, you might notice that direct control of the camera by the player is now apparently an option, as the clip below shows the player rotating the camera around Link.

For those unaware, rotating the camera wasn't possible in the original Skyward Sword, due to the fact that it was played with the Wii's Remote and Nunchuk controllers. Through this, there was only one analog stick, dedicated to moving Link around, but because the Nintendo Switch now has two analog sticks, one is apparently devoted to the camera.

Additionally, the small gameplay clip in the tweet just above shows how Skyward Sword's tutorial section has been streamlined. This time, there's a lot less running around Skyloft during the opening hours of the game, so you'll spend less time hearing advice from Horwell, and more time advancing the story so you can reach the mysterious land below.

Elsewhere, you'll even be able to skip out the tutorial dialog presented to Link entirely in Skyward Sword HD, as well as fast-forward dialog by holding down the B button. There's also the option to summon Fi, the mystical adviser who helps Link on his quest, manually via a button, and certain item information only appears the first time you collect the item in question. All of this was actually outlined last month by Nintendo in a product listing for the game.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD launches this Friday, July 16, for the Nintendo Switch. There's plenty of improvements and changes that have been made to the original Wii game, even outside of the ones outlined here, for the re-release, including more intuitive controls through the Switch's Pro controller and Joy-Cons, as well as a stable 60 frames per second gameplay.

If you're looking to reserve your copy of Nintendo's game ahead of Friday, head over to our guide on the best The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD pre-order deals for more.

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.