15 Years Ago, Zelda Told its Most Memorable Story with its Worst Gameplay

Hold the controller over your head. The Master Sword glows. Point it at the screen, hit Y to recenter, and swing. On the screen, Link swings… kind of the right way. Then, your chatty companion, Fi, chimes in with a very long and earnest explanation of something you figured out several minutes ago. Rinse and repeat for about 40 hours, and that’s Skyward Sword , one of the most cinematic, heartrending, memorable stories Zelda has ever told — and the one saddled with the most finicky gameplay. All the hallmarks of memorable storytelling are here.