For 25 years, The Legend of Zelda series has fascinated gamers with memorable characters, visionary puzzles and rich environments with unique artistic style. It is widely regarded that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) redefined the way audiences experienced three dimensional gaming. The game remains a beloved classic not just in the series itself, but in the Nintendo Company's legacy. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, a re-release of Ocarina on the new 3DS warmed up Zelda fans for a brand new installation to the series: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Skyward Sword takes place chronologically before Ocarina and sets the stage for the relationship between the quiet protagonist Link and the eponymous princess, Zelda. Skyward Sword immediately establishes a close bond between the young characters, and their friendship captures the

essence of the series and adds quite a lot of depth to an otherwise standard plotline.

The feel of the game is extremely reminiscent of past episodes, but it is also apparent that the series is evolving and moving in a new direction.  Skyward Sword introduces as close to a one-to-one motion control as possible, so as you swing the Wii remote, Link will swing his sword in that direction. This approach opens a plethora of possibilities, and audiences will see the foundations of this new way

of gaming at its best in this adventure. Gameplay is clever and innovative, and as long as you are not frantic or sloppy, the controls are quite smooth and enjoyable.          

Skyward Sword attempts to improve upon the series with a slightly different structure and, of course, a new inventory of items. While The Legend of Zelda has always been an extremely linear set of games, Skyward Sword breaks the mold by having a limited set of areas to explore and going back and forth, opening up new sections with newly acquired items. If the environment were a bit larger, the series' new style be much more accessible and enjoyable, but with only three major areas, Skyward Sword feels a bit contained.

The unique art style also is more colorful than its predecessors but also more cartoony, taking inspiration from Wind Waker instead of the darker and more serious tones of Twilight Princess. This shift of artistic design will place the Skyward Sword in constant comparison to Ocarina of Time, and there will be gamers out there (including myself) who will always hold Ocarina close to their hearts and consider it the best in the series. Skyward Sword is a huge step in the right direction for the franchise, however, and by implementing a new control scheme, audiences should expect nothing but the best for the future of the series.

While the game is somewhat easy and sidequests are not as engaging or classic as

other installments, Skyward Sword is a must-have for all Zelda fans. The story is better than ever and the controls and environments are fluid, natural and perfect for the series. If Skyward Sword represents the catalyst for the rest of the series, it certainly is off to a fantastic start. With these controls and styles, paired with the breathtaking artistic demonstration at E3 of the upcoming Wii U installment, the Zelda series is set to retain its legendary place in gaming history.