Zelda: Skyward Sword - The Great Graphics Debate

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword marks a huge leap forward for the series in a number of ways. But to some, this excellent adventure will never quite stack up simply because it wasn't developed for an HD system. HD snobs will not only be missing out on one of the greatest games of the year - and possibly the best Zelda title to date - but they're also failing to give due credit to the game's true graphical ingenuity, and to the genius of its unique art style.

To start, it should be clarified that SD is not synonymous with terrible. It simply means the image resolution is in standard definition rather than high definition - it has fewer pixels per frame, in other words, resulting in a less crisp image than HD. What does this really mean when applied to a visual medium, such as videogames? To be honest, it means nothing. The old, classic, black and white movies (like Orson Welles' Citizen Kane or Federico Fellini's 8 1/2) are no less captivating and memorable now that HD cameras are the standard. If a piece of art was once brilliant and stirring - if it truly was such - no technical advancement or passing of time can take that from it. Claude Monet's impressionistic oil paintings are no less stunning now that digital art allows for more detailed, controlled lines - he simply employed a different and no less valid form of artistic expression.

In other words, regardless of the changes in technology a medium experiences, the true worth of a visual art form is in the care and detail that went into it, and in how well those visuals communicate whatever themes or emotions the artist was trying to get across.

This same logic applies to video games. Chrono Trigger is still a stunning achievement in pixel art, even though the use of spritework has all but died out, replaced with three-dimensional graphics instead. The painterly look of Skyward Sword is as gorgeous now as it will be 10 years from now, much like the timeless cel-shading of The Wind Waker. It will remain so even when the realism of games like Uncharted 3 and Skyrim are no longer quite as impressive, as they've been replaced by far superior game engines that can more accurately recreate the real world. Does this mean those games will be bad in a decade's time? Of course not. If their gameplay was solid and their graphics were effective at what they were trying to achieve, they will be no less valuable when compared to future games than Skyward Sword is compared to them. A game simply should not be faulted for the technology used to create it.

But debating the worth of SD games in terms of graphics is only one small part of the argument. Faulting Skyward Sword - and other well-made Wii games, for that matter - for not looking like a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 game is nothing short of ignorant. It's like faulting an apple for not tasting like an orange. Sure, both are fruit, but they come from a very different tree. To expect a game created for an SD system to achieve the level of realism and detail that an HD system can is absurd, and to fault that game for as much is criminal. The gist? A game's graphical achievements or short-fallings can only logically be judged based on the specifications of the system it was designed for.

Skyward Sword, for example, offers up a vast world - far grander than anything we've seen before on the system. Considering the sheer scope of the adventure, and the amount of content it packs in, the Wii's graphical capabilities are actually used to their fullest. Skyward's brilliant use of the hardware, paired with its timeless and highly emotive art style and animation - make for a fully realized game that is actually a masterful display of Wii graphics.

As for the art style, it is not only perfectly suited for the Wii's level of graphics, but also for the world of Zelda. Having a less realistic style allows for the inclusion of the abstract and creative characters, enemies and worlds the franchise is known for. By relying on highly detailed and expressive character animations rather than realism, the world of Hyrule is more fully realized and expressed than any Zelda game to date - easily stacking up visually to most any game on the market. Needless to say - visuals are the last place Skyward Sword should ever be faulted.

By shutting yourself off from non-HD experiences, you're not only discounting the old gems that make up gaming's rich history, but also denying yourself the pleasure of experiencing certain modern masterpieces, like Skyward Sword. And no gaming sin is more deadly than unjustly ignoring a kickass game because of some trivial quibble.

In fact, the quickest way to sound like a total noob is to insist that only HD graphics can look good. Don't let that happen to you.

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