Miscellaneous Info and Tips

Skipping Cutscenes

Unlike most games where it's fastest to mash the button which skips cutscenes, the optimal way of skipping cutscenes in Skyward Sword is to simply hold the 2 button.

Text

Scrolling

When scrolling through text, it is fastest to hold A to scroll through until the end, and tap A to clear the text box

Dialogue

For dialogue options in the first trip to Faron, the left option is always faster (ESPECIALLY for the Kikwi Elder text). For dialogue options everywhere else, the right option is usually faster. The one exception to this is the mogma in Earth Temple after getting the Bomb Bag, where it is fastest to choose the top option

However, This rule only applies to text sequences that are mandatory to go through for the completion of the game. For instance, in 100%, when talking to people for minigames or sidequests, there may be variations in the options we choose in these cases. In these cases, the correct option is somewhat unique

For choosing dialogue options, it is always faster to use the nunchuck control stick to choose an option, rather than pointing the Wii Remote at it

Ledges

In Skyward Sword, a ledge will prevent you from jumping off of it if they believes you weren't attempting to jump off of it. If you're running up to a ledge with an angle less than 45 degrees perpendicular to the ledge, Link will follow the ledge instead of jumping off. If you want to jump off of a ledge, then be sure to run at it greater than 45 degrees perpendicular to the edge. Ledges will not perform this check if you are rolling.

Combat

Damage Values

In Hero Mode, the starting Skyward Strike does more damage than a sword slash or spin attack, but ONLY if your actual sword doesn't hit the enemy as well.

SwordSlash damageSpin-attack damageSkyward Strike damage
Practice Sword 2 3 (single hit) or 6 (double hit) -
Goddess Sword 4 6 (single hit) or 12 (double hit) 4 (normal mode) or 16 (hero mode)
Goddess Longsword 8 12 (single hit) or 24 (double hit) 4 (normal mode) or 16 (hero mode)
Goddess White Sword 8 12 (single hit) or 24 (double hit) 4 (normal mode) or 16 (hero mode)
Master Sword 16 24 (single hit) or 48 (double hit) 16
True Master Sword 16 24 (single hit) or 48 (double hit) 16

Contrarely to most other Zelda games, a jumpslash deals the same amount of damage as any other type of slashes. The True Master Sword also has the capacity of breaking enemy guard with its slashes, and all enemy knockback velocities are also higher compared to the other swords.

Slash Cancelling

Some slashes are faster than others. The fastest slash is the up-right to down-left slash. Most slashes also have some lag at the end of them. That lag can be cancelled however by either:

  • Holding a direction on the control stick to walk
  • Slashing
  • Forward Hopping
  • Sidehopping
  • Backflipping
  • Shield Bashing

That last one is interesting because it can be done even without a shield. This is called a fake shield bash.

Calibration Tips

When calibrating at the start, it works best to have the Wii Remote on a flat surface pointing towards the sensor bar with the buttons facing down

Smaller movements with Wii Remote when swinging sword help maintain relative calibration during fight sequences or any time when using the sword is necessary

When in BiT, you can press down on the D-Pad to center the cursor, which sets the direction you want to point the Wii Remote, and may or may not help with calibration (this isn't confirmed, but some runners do it out of habit)

The Wii Remote will attempt to calibrate itself when you're going through loading zones, so holding it relatively still during loading helps to keep calibration stable

At any time, if you point the Wii Remote at the sensor bar, it recenters the calibration, making the sensor bar become 'forward.' In addition to this, keeping the sensor bar close to level with where you hold the Wii Remote will make this recalibration happen more often, thus keeping the calibration more stable over longer periods of time, so it is best to keep the sensor bar directly in front of you, and close to level

Importing Hero Mode Save Files

Using a save file you've downloaded isn't too hard once you get used to it, but it takes a few steps to do. You'll need an SD card compatible with your console.

  1. Download (and extract) the save file(s) you want to use.

  2. Insert your SD card into your computer.

  3. On your SD card, there should be a folder called private/wii/title/SOU_. The blank depends on your version: E for NTSC-U, J for NTSC-J, and P for PAL. So the folder for NTSC-J would be private/wii/title/SOUJ. If you have never saved Skyward Sword before, you'll need to create this folder.

  4. Place the save file you want to use into the folder from above. You can move many save files into this folder, but only one will be active.

  5. Rename the file you want to use data.bin. This will allow the Wii to recognize it on the SD card.

  6. Remove the SD card from your computer and insert it into your Wii.

  7. Go to Save Data Management on your Wii and select SD card. You should see a Skyward Sword save file on the SD card. If you do not, it's either in the wrong folder or not named correctly.

  8. Copy the file over to the Wii System Memory. Keep in mind this will overwrite your existing save files, so you may want to back them up first.

  9. Start up Skyward Sword and enjoy your save files!

Last updated 05/19/2024 – azer67