Skyward Sword art is OH MY GAWD HIS EYES ARE GLORIOUS

Recommended Videos

Character design in today’s “AAA hardcore” games seems to continually move away from the cartoon surrealism sensibility that was once the norm. Back then, Earthworm Jim was our Gears of WarQ-Bert was our Catherine, and Dragon’s Lair was our Heavy Rain.

One of the few successful “AAA” games to keep that style of design going is last year’s The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. It’s not just that they continued the traditional “cartoon” visuals that the series has already utilized. That would be the easy way, the Mario way. 

No, Skyward Sword went a step further. It actually took the series back from the increasingly “dark” and “for seriously not just for kids” look that it was moving towards with Twilight Princess and gave us some of the most delightfully strange, expressive, and original looking characters in the series’ history. This gallery of Skyward Sword production art shows how that process came together, giving us a look at (among many others) a sassier, more carefree Fi, a way more impressive and charming version of the Mogma, and of course, your favorite and mine, the little chubby man with the enormous eyes and the tiny mustache. 

Long may he reign.

[Thanks Linzb0t!]


Destructoid is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article Helldivers 2 players receive Quasar Cannon and Heavy Machine Gun Stratagems to support Automaton obliteration
helldivers 2 heavy machine gun HMG quasar cannon stratagems unlocked
Read Article The Witcher 4 development is forging ahead at CD Projekt Red
The Witcher 4 update
Read Article Bungie reveals Into the Light weapons are time-gated and Destiny 2 players aren’t happy
Related Content
Read Article Helldivers 2 players receive Quasar Cannon and Heavy Machine Gun Stratagems to support Automaton obliteration
helldivers 2 heavy machine gun HMG quasar cannon stratagems unlocked
Read Article The Witcher 4 development is forging ahead at CD Projekt Red
The Witcher 4 update
Read Article Bungie reveals Into the Light weapons are time-gated and Destiny 2 players aren’t happy
Author
Jonathan Holmes
Destructoid Contributor - Jonathan Holmes has been a media star since the Road Rules days, and spends his time covering oddities and indies for Destructoid, with over a decade of industry experience "Where do dreams end and reality begin? Videogames, I suppose."- Gainax, FLCL Vol. 1 "The beach, the trees, even the clouds in the sky... everything is build from little tiny pieces of stuff. Just like in a Gameboy game... a nice tight little world... and all its inhabitants... made out of little building blocks... Why can't these little pixels be the building blocks for love..? For loss... for understanding"- James Kochalka, Reinventing Everything part 1 "I wonder if James Kolchalka has played Mother 3 yet?" Jonathan Holmes