Nintendo has responded via email to players upset and baffled by a late-game glitch that's been preventing them from progressing in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The specific circumstances under which the glitch can be triggered were previously unknown, so Nintendo's given us a detailed description of what not to do if you want to finish the game. But just in case you haven't gotten very far in the game yet, we're going to tell you how to avoid the bug without spoiling any story events.
Ready? Basically, you'll eventually embark on a quest to obtain a song. You'll know it when you get to it. To complete it, you must travel to a desert, a forest and a volcano, in any order. This is the important part: head to the desert last, after completing the other two branches of the quest, or there's a chance you won't be able to progress. That's it!
Nintendo's email didn't mention a patch—only that they're "documenting all feedback" on the issue. We give them an approving nod for taking responsibility and addressing this issue, unlike some other big publisher whose new blockbuster has experienced game-ruining bugs recently (coughBETHESDAahem). Yet the problem of glitchy, incomplete games being released to the public seems to be only getting worse. Will they ever learn? Drop your opinion in the comments or on Twitter or Facebook.
The Sound Defense December 6th, 2011 at 05:34 PM
Due to the way the Wii's firmware works, Wii games are not patchable. They would have to do a massive game replacement.
Mike Rougeau December 6th, 2011 at 07:12 PM
From what I understand, if Nintendo were to release a patch on their website then players could transfer it to the system via an SD card. I don't think this has ever been done before, but with a game this huge and an issue so game-breaking I wouldn't call it impossible.