Nintendo has locked a major The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD improvement behind its Loftwing amiibo figure. The company revealed the new amiibo figurine this week, which will be compatible with the upcoming Skyward Sword remaster. However, fans have criticized its functionality, with it set to exclusively provide access to a feature that improves a problem many had with the original game.
Skyward Sword HD and Loftwing amiibo controversy explained
The Loftwing amiibo will allow players to “travel between the surface and the sky” in Skyward Sword HD, Nintendo has revealed. In a trailer outlining the new figurine, Nintendo explains how in the base game, players can go from the ground to the sky by venturing to specific locations in the game. However, with the addition of the Loftwing amiibo, players can launch into the sky from anywhere on the surface.
As shown in the trailer, players can select the “Use amiibo” option to hop onto Link’s Loftwing from anywhere in the world:
This resolves an issue many players had with the original game, as they would have to venture to specific locations in order to hop back on the Loftwing. Given that Nintendo has resolved this problem, fans are criticizing the company for only making this change work with the amiibo, which will be sold separately.
Fans called the move from Nintendo “anti-consumer,” criticizing its decision to lock a key change behind an addition purchase when it should be a standard improvement brought to the game:
Normally I’m a huge Nintendo guy, but I have to call it like I see it
This is a $60 port of a game, with a great feature that improves the game… locked behind buying a figure
That seems pretty anti-consumer when this should just be a standard improvement https://t.co/B6zkjk3Xqo
— Saltydkdan (@saltydkdan) May 19, 2021
Others noted how companies such as Capcom have been criticized in the past for locking content away on retail discs, and that Nintendo should be held to the same standard given that this improvement is being locked behind a “piece of plastic”:
Y’all rioted when Capcom shipped DLC character onto retail discs. But here’s Nintendo gating a HUGE improvement for Skyward Sword behind the fucking piece of plastic. Don’t let Nintendo do this! pic.twitter.com/fM3iipAltH
— Stop Skeletons From Fighting | ➕🔥🔥 (@stopskeletons) May 19, 2021
Nintendo has been criticized for other perceived anti-consumer practices in recent months, such as it making Super Mario 3D All-Stars a limited-time purchase, and the scarcity of stock for its amiibo, NES Mini, and SNES Mini consoles which inevitably led to profiteering from scalpers. However, despite pushback from its community, the company has always stood behind some of its more controversial decisions, so it’s arguably unlikely the Loftwing amiibo will be changed ahead of release.
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