Today is the launch date of the latest Zelda title on Switch, with Nintendo bringing the contentious Skyward Sword to its hybrid console for the first time. Even more interestingly for many Hyrule fans, Nintendo also took today as an opportunity to launch a pair of all-new Skyward Sword Joy-Cons, complete with a unique color scheme and plenty of details straight out of the series. We’re now taking a hands-on look at the latest Switch controllers, which you’ll find all of the details on down below.
Hands-on with Nintendo’s new Skyward Sword Joy-Cons
Looking to expand its catalog of already pretty diverse Switch controllers, Nintendo is today rolling out a new pair of its Joy-Cons, this time complete with Zelda theming to coincide with the Skyward Sword release. Just like all of the other releases from Nintendo since 2017, the latest pair of Joy-Cons arrive with the same two-piece form factor that allows you to click them on and off the hybrid console and much of the same $79.99 price tag.
Out of the box, you’re getting the Joy-Cons themselves as well as a pair of the grips for making sure they don’t fly off while hiyaaa-ing your way around Hyrule. But let’s get a closer look to see if they live up to the limited-edition status.
Each of the Joy-Cons are coated in some blue paint, which differs slightly from one another to give off a two-tone appearance. The left-hand controller is a bit lighter than its right-handed counterpart, which continues the trend of giving your Switch a unique color palette. It isn’t quite as noticeable as the Neon Red and Blue gamepads that were bundled at launch, or some of the other releases that have launched since then, but it delivers nonetheless.
Both of the them are complete with some different gold ornamentation to fit into the Zelda theming. Around each of the thumb sticks there are some some little details, which also surround the ABXY buttons on either side. And then at the bottom of each controller, Nintendo has stamped two different versions of the Triforce logo, one in a bright gold and the other in a more subtle dark blue.
There’s also a pair of the grips that click onto the Joy-Cons, which both come with some unique color schemes, too. These pair some off-white coats of paint with a more premium blue cord than you’ll find on the standard pairs. The combination of the blues and whites makes for a really nice contrast overall and certainly delivers a unique pretty novel look.
9to5Toys’ Take
As a big collector of Joy-Cons first, and a Zelda fan second, I was excited to have grabbed a pair of the new Skyward Sword Switch controllers on pre-order when things went up for sale at the start of the year. Now that I finally have them in-hand, there’s certainly a lot to like from the limited-edition releases.
The Zelda detailing isn’t the most in your face, which is a big plus in my book. Skyward Sword and overall Zelda enthusiasts will instantly recognize the Triforce emblem, but for those who are just looking for some slick new colors of Nintendo’s unique controllers aren’t going to find that to be a deal breaker. It’s a great balance in the design that makes these quite appealing overall. I suppose that’s why they’ve been so hard to find in stock.
So at the end of the day, even if all of the quality of life improvements in Skyward Sword itself aren’t enough to redeem the game after getting a second chance on Switch, the new themed Joy-Cons are certainly worth picking up.
Right now you can find them in stock at select retailers, though that’s likely to change as time goes on here. So act fast!
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