It's the swordplay you always wanted from the Wii with a Zelda game to match.
Gameplay
The series gets something of a gameplay overhaul with Skyward Sword. No single aspect of the game is hugely different on it's own but every bit of the game has been modified to new heights with motion control. While this sounds gimmicky, how much of a gimmick could it be to have 1:1 hand motion? When you move your hand, Link's sword moves with it allowing you to cut in exactly the spot you want. And this becomes very important to how you fight. Some enemies might simply require you to cut vertically between two hard shells but others, particularly those wielding weapons of their own and you must anticipate how they will block to get past their defenses. That's the kind of motion control gameplay I've always wanted.
And all aspects of motion control show this kind of care. Controlling how your beetle flies, controlling yourself while on a spinning ball in lava, every bit of motion control is precise and operates as you would expect. Which is exceptionally important because when the tools you use to interact with the world work so perfectly, it allows you to more easily focus on the world, the puzzles, the problems, and the combat which is exactly what you're here for.
Speaking of the puzzles, they live up to the Zelda standard. They can be punishingly difficult if you don't take the time to figure it out but if you take your time, none of them are impossible, even for children. In this regard, not much has changed which is great because once you jump back into the dungeons and puzzles, you'll realize how much you miss not being led by the nose to the solution. You will feel rewarded simply for the success of completing a dungeon and moving the story along which is a surprisingly nice change of pace from the "I need phat loot" mentality of most modern games.
This is where I do need to mention the only significant draw back. You spend a large amount of time revisiting areas. As great as the areas may be in this game and the wonder with which they manage to fill a revisited area with, it is still revisited. The upside is that each visit will still be distinctly different and allow you to explore new parts of the area that you didn't know where there.
Story
The Legend of Zelda stories have never been about the story itself but rather on getting there and that's what Skyward Sword does best. Link and Zelda return for another installment with a new supporting cast of colorful characters throughout the world to interact with. The pair actually start off the game as close friends which is an unusual departure considering they've never actually known each other prior to the start of any other Zelda game but it instantly feels as if that was how it should have always been. This is an origin story after all and so it only seems to make sense that, in their most significant past lives, they were this close.
But after that, we have the same type of Princess rescue story that Link helped create alongside Mario. What really sets everything apart though is the emotion in this. Not a whole lot of people remember Wind Waker fondly but I have to admit that when Link's little sister was captured at the beginning of the game, it was probably the most emotionally significant event in the entire series. Skyward Sword manages to get you to care about the characters which is doubly impressive because the game manages to stay true to it's non-voice acting roots.
You become attached to Zelda, Link and their plight fairly quickly and you become invested in the outcome. You will find yourself wanting to complete certain aspects of the game just as much as you want to save the world. Which is saying something considering how colorful and beautiful the World is.
Presentation
The presentation of the game can be summed up pretty well with just one word. Colorful. The world is bathed in every color imaginable from amazing blues and greens to white clouds and red lava. Not a single color feels neglected but no part of the game feels overwhelmingly colorful. This is in part because of the choice of graphics in the game.
Rather than trying to push the graphics beyond those of Twilight Princess, they kept the sharp lines and put a layer of semi-cell shading on top of it. In essence, every scene in the game feels like it could be made into a poster to put on the wall. This pays off beautifully because it creates a very appropriate and intentional tone that coincides with the story in a way that the "more, more, more" mindset can destroy.
And that kind of intention is applied to the entire game. The characters are just as varied and colorful and the music suits the environment and situations very well. All of this comes together to provide something more than just the sum of it's parts. Zelda is almost more of an engrossing and engaging experience, rather than a game.
Replayability
Skyward Sword has plenty for you to do and can bring you in for well over 25 hours with ease. While this game doesn't have any way of mixing things up for you through multiplayer or the Radiant Quest system of Skyrim, it has something for more important. While the game is great fun and you will likely want to play it again in the not too distant future, it follows in the great tradition of previous Zelda games in that this strikes me as a game a lot of people will get nostalgic for.
In ten years, you should fully expect to see this game rereleased alongside the original, Link to the Past, and Ocarina of Time. I also wouldn't be surprised to see a Master Quest come down the pipeline to give me another reason to play the game again.
Conclusion
I think it's safe to say that this is the series that created that top tier of gaming where most of the greatest games reside and where those games are so great in every way that they can only be graded based on a comparison with the other games of the series. And while results may vary, Skyward Sword not only upholds that tradition but it matches or even surpasses Ocarina of Time. Only time and reflection on these games will tell us if the scale has truly been reset. Either way, it looks like the Legend of Zelda series is going to be needing a little bit more room at the head table.
Your take away from this review should come down to one simple thing. If you know what Zelda is (which you should if you are here), then you should play this game. That includes your non-gaming other half, your children, even your mom.
I can understand the problems with the controls. I have a wireless sensor and I think it's causing most of the problems. After deducting points for revisiting areas and controls that have to be readjusted constantly, I'm left a 9.0