Two swords up for new Zelda game

Gamers, get ready to raise your swords skyward for another puzzle-packed adventure.

"The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword," like every prior Zelda game, provides hours of nonstop, puzzle-solving adventure.

Unlike the others, though, "Skyward Sword" is filled with more challenges and unexpected story twists that will keep gamers on the edge of their seats for the full 40 hours it takes to beat the game — not including the 100 different side quests available.

One of the most intriguing features of "Skyward Sword" is the tactical-oriented battles. For the first time in the history of any Zelda game, fighting an enemy is more than just button-mashing the controller to death.

The monsters in "Skyward Sword" are smarter and faster than ever before, so gamers must utilize the new power Nintendo has given them — the ability to control the sword. The angle and time at which you slash with your sword will determine if your triumph success.

At first, this may seem like it would get boring rather quickly. On the contrary, it engages the player with every battle, giving a whole new meaning to combat that has never been seen in a Zelda game.

Along with the enemies getting tougher to beat, the bosses match this pattern even more. I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say there's nothing easy about defeating a saw-blade-throwing, sword-wielding, six-armed robot.

These aren't your typical, everyday bosses that Link has become accustomed to fighting. With all new weapons, every boss battle is a puzzle that will keep your mind boggled for hours.

The story behind "Skyward Sword" is one of the key features that make this game so great; it has one of the best scripts that Nintendo has ever written. For the first time in a Zelda game, I actually cared for the characters, especially near the end of the game.

Although the cartoonish graphics are nothing to brag about, the orchestral music used for the game is beautiful, creating the ideal mood for the gamer in every situation. This is definitely one soundtrack that's going on my iPod.

One element of the game I feared was the replacement of Epona with Skyloft. However, Skyloft proved its worth as a fascinating new way to travel; although it may take a while to get from one end of the map to the other, it's not nearly as daunting of a task as trying to do it by sailboat in "Wind Waker."

Playing "Skyward Sword" is well worth the time it takes to play it and though the three heart challenge cannot be accepted, "Skyward Sword" proves to be one of the best games out for the Wii. Even with all the new twists and turns, you will still feel the nostalgia from past Zelda games.