The development of the sword beam in Skyward Sword, game’s title explained
A new Iwata Asks focusing on The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword provides insight to the development of the sword beam as well as an elaboration of the meaning behind the game’s title.
Shigeru Miyamoto came up with the idea of holding your sword still to be used for other things. He also thought of releasing a sword beam once you’ve held the Wii Remote Plus in the air, allowing it to charge up.
This gameplay idea contributed to Skyward Sword’s title – holding the sword in the air. But there’s another meaning as well. Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma explained:
“From what I heard from the NOA (Nintendo of America) localization team, the word ‘ward’ also means to protect and guard something, so ‘skyward’ can also mean ‘protector of the sky’, and ‘one who is protected by the sky’.”
Here’s the relevant excerpt from the Iwata Asks interview:
Aonuma: Speaking of sword movements, before all this there was an idea about being able to stop the sword mid-air
Iwata: You mean the sword is something you use to swing to defeat enemies, but now you’re able to hold it still mid-air, and use it for other things. Who’s idea was it that you could be able to hold the sword still?
Aonuma: Miyamoto-san, right?
Fujibayashi: I remember it clearly. All of a sudden, in the middle of the night, Miyamoto-san called us in and said, “Have it stop.” I was like, “Have what stop?” and he said, “The sword.” When I first heard “stop,” I didn’t think it was possible, but a moment later, I understood and was like, “Stop…? Oh, stop… I get it!”
And there was more to that late-night conversation. After he suggested stopping the sword, he said, “Then you raise up the Wii Remote and while you’re in that pose, energy builds up, and then you release a sword beam.”
Iwata: Stopping the sword led to the sword beam?
Fujibayashi: Yes. At first, the two ideas were separate in Miyamoto-san’s head, but I could tell as I listened that when he suggested stopping the sword, then he hit on the sword beam, and the two joined together at that moment.
Iwata: The ideas combined right then and there.
Aonuma: And his face lit up, right? (laughs)
Fujibayashi: He made a face like, “Pretty good, huh?” (laughs)
Everyone: (laughs)
Iwata: It’s a perfect example of one idea solving multiple problems.
Aonuma: Yes. And once we adopted the sword beam, something like a ring would shoot out, making clearly visible which direction you had swung.
Iwata: Ah, I see.
Aonuma: And once we could hold the sword up high, we hit on the title of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
Iwata: “Skyward” because you hold it up toward the sky, but I hear that there is a deeper meaning to it as well.
Aonuma: That’s right. From what I heard from the NOA (Nintendo of America) localization team, the word “ward” also means to protect and guard something, so “skyward” can also mean “protector of the sky”, and “one who is protected by the sky”.
Iwata: That’s very interesting. Using Wii MotionPlus, a device that can detect rapid movements to use it for fast-moving gameplay is one thing. I thought the person who thought up of stopping the sword as a form of play was incredible, and it was Miyamoto-san who suggested it.
Fujibayashi: Yes.
Iwata: That’s a bit galling, I suppose. (laughs)
Fujibayashi, Kobayashi and Tanaka: Oh, yes.
Aonuma: Argh… I wish I thought of it! Everyone: (laughs)
