Now, though, I've got Skyward Sword and a nice shiny black Wiimote Plus to play it with.
And I'm pleased to find that the Zelda formula I've become so fond of over the years is still very much intact. It's definitely tweaked, but to my very pleasant surprise the tweaks are almost universally beneficial.
My biggest concern, the motion controls, is also the biggest surprise. Not only does the 1:1 Motion Plus sword control genuinely add to combat, but it also means you no longer need to use the IR/Sensorbar functionality of the Wiimote to make onscreen selections. The real boon of this second part is that you can now use pointer-centric UI features without having to always ensure that the Wiimote can see the sensorbar. Games like Metroid: Corruption showed that the pointer functionality of the Wiimote could add a lot of precision to controls, but keeping the pointer in range of the sensorbar often made holding the controller awkward. Skyward Sword has superior accuracy to Corruption while allowing you to orient the Wiimote however you want, even allowing for dynamic recalibration (re-centering the cursor) so you can get comfortable on the couch and still get all the benefits of 1:1 sword combat and accurate motion-controlled aiming.
I was also very worried that we'd get a dumbed-down, feature-stripped take on Zelda, as we saw with Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. Happily, I was wrong here, too. We've still got heart pieces, various item collection subquests, upgradeable wallet and gear, and a variety of toys to help us through dungeons.
It's pretty clear that while Nintendo was vocal about wanting to attract new players to Zelda, they still understand what loyal long-timers like myself want. The cutesy onscreen UI shown in screenshots is an example of the former, but Nintendo enabled 3 degrees of GUI, with "light" and "pro" modes removing progressively more of the unneeded elements (you can get rid of the Wiimote graphic, or you can get rid of ALL the button hints altogether, leaving you just the very basics*). That kind of attention to detail is what I'd love to see more of in the future.
Back to the 1:1 sword control, though...
Prior Zelda games (ignoring the Wii version of Twilight Princess) were very much button mashers. There were multiple sword-strikes available, initiated through various button/attack combos, and Nintendo's expertise left this very much a smooth, natural thing. But here, in Skyward Sword, we see combat get even more fluid. Monsters like Moblins will block directionally, forcing you to attack smartly and intelligently, and react quickly. Other monsters, like Babas (the carniverous plants that are ubiquitous as sources of sticks in prior 3D Zeldas) have directionally-specific weaknesses. But what's great is that Link's sword strikes respond so quickly and blend so smoothly. You can flail the Wiimote around like an amateur sport fencer, and Link will follow up with an array of sword strikes. So combat gets very fast.
Fighting multiple enemies feels so much more natural, too, since it's so easy to flow from one to the other, switching lock-on targets as you go, and adapting to their specific weaknesses in the process. It's more involving, more thoughtful, and more rewarding. It's also a lot more fun.
Another of changes to the formula is the addition of a Stamina meter. As a gameplay mechanic I think it's well-done, and a benefit rather than a hindrance. But I do think Nintendo attached it to too many things. For instances, I don't see why climbing vines drains stamina. Well-placed Stamina-replenishing fruit pickups on vines can allow you to climb long distances without falling, but it seems unnecessary. Maybe something later in the game will turn this into a useful feature, though.
Other than vines, sprinting is now possible, using Stamina at a pretty fast rate. But while sprinting, Link is cabable of some (very basic) Ezio-style parkour. Running up walls to grab ledges or vines, climbing taller objects, or leaping off edges to jump farther. I'm a "roll masher" in older 3D Zelda games, because it gives the illusion of speeding up Link's leisurely pace. So the ability to run, even for short bursts, is a great addition in my eyes. Rolling is still possible, and can only be initiated while running.
The Stamina gauge itself recharges quickly, and most actions drain at a rate that seems well-tuned: not so fast as too frustrate but no so slow as to undermine its presence entirely. It gives you a sense of urgency and challenge without becoming tedious.
I like Skyward Sword's art-style, though not as much as that of Windwaker. It's hybridized, somewhere between Twilight Princess's realism and Windwaker's cartoonishness. Bright colors meet lifelike proportions and forms.
I'm still not sold on the whole sound-effect-through-the-Wiimote thing, though. Wiimote speakers are kinda tinny and I don't see how my controller (rather than the TV speakers) "shinging" when I draw my sword was ever supposed to add anything worthwhile to the experience anyway.
Overall, I'm very much enjoying Skyward Sword.
*Here's the full, default onscreen GUI:
"Light" mode removes the controller overlay graphics for both nunchuck and Wiimote, but leaves the button hints:
Meanwhile "Pro" mode removes everything below the top of the screen (leaving only health, rupees, shield, and equipped item showing):
I'm playing with the Pro setting and enjoying the very uncluttered display.