You Can Play The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword In Breath Of The Wild
When it comes to a franchise with as many stellar entries as Nintendo's Zelda series, it might be hard to pick which is the best - clue, it's Ocarina of Time. Still, as Link, Hyrule, and the titular Princess Zelda prepare to celebrate their 35th anniversary, that wide world of monsters and magic is still one of Nintendo's flagship franchises.
Following in the footsteps of what Ocarina did for the Nintendo 64, we welcomed a new generation of fans with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Nintendo Switch. Now, one fan has added another fan-favourite entry to Breath of the Wild's already sprawling backdrop.
While some Zelda titles like Tri Force Heroes and Spirit Tracks are accused of missing the mark, most Zelda games have stolen a special place in all our hearts. With this in mind, one clever modder has added the lofty ambitions of 2011's The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword to Breath of the Wild. Although it's not a full version of the game within the game, there's something strange about seeing the very first game in the Zelda timeline merged with Breath of the Wild being the story's endpoint (for now).
What is The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in Breath of the Wild?
The Skyward Sword Breath of The Wild mod is the work of Waikuteru. For those who've heard that name before, they were the person who unearthed an undiscovered shrine within the game, and also turned Link's humble abode into a must-visit tourist attraction. You name it, Waikuteru can mod it in Breath of the Wild. Taking on one of their biggest challenges to date, they just added Skyloft to the realm of Hyrule. Better yet, you can visit as Link for those times you think Rito Village just isn't high enough.
In their latest video, Waikuteru explained how you can actually edit the overworld in Breath of the Wild, meaning you can add literally anything to the game. It's already led to some suggesting we add a DOOM level to the game, showing that we've only just scratched the surface of what can be done. Like a trip down memory lane, Skyloft has been recreated in all its pastel glory. From an adorable Korok running the mushroom shop instead of the usual NPC, right down to the stone pillar that boots Link back to the ground with a bump, it's all here. Despite Breath of the Wild's own distinct aesthetic, you'd be forgiven for thinking we'd been transported back to playing Skyward Sword on the Wii in 2011.
How does The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Breath of the Wild mod work?
If you want to know how Skyloft was recreated, things get a little technical. In the video, Waikutero explained, "There are 4 accessible worlds in Breath of the Wild". As well as the MainField (normal overworld), there's CDungeon (where the shrines are), MainFieldDungeon (containing Divine Beasts and the Final Trial), and the AocField (a new world added alongside the Master Trial DLC). According to Waikutero, the MainField has 80 map sections that are all in use, however, AocField has another 80 and only uses five. With 75 spaces open for use, Skyloft was simply placed in one of these free slots.
Considering Skyloft is placed in one of these random slots, it means the vast emptiness around it is just a nothingness of open plains. Showing off how everything works, Waikutero even floated around through some of these spaces to show how the music and lighting changes when you hit the DLC boundary. Interestingly, they uncovered a random patch of grass with a pool of water, which is presumably some underdeveloped part of the game that never made the final cut. With another 74 spaces left to fill, we can't wait to see what Waikutero comes up with next.
Waikutero has already asked "who wants a complete Skyward Sword recreation?", suggesting this could be the start of something big as a fullSkyward Sword mod. Sure, Skyward Sword is all well and good, but what about some of the more memorable Zelda outings? All we need now is someone to mod Majora's Mask into Breath of the WIld. We demand to see a next-gen version of Termina as a Hyrule add-on and see if Skull Kid is just as mischievous.
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