New Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword trailers, screenshots, Faron Woods details

Plus: Skyview Temple, Dashing, Dowsing, and other details.

Nintendo released new details, trailers, and screenshots for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword today. The details discuss the richly-rendered Faron Woods, where protagonist Link must complete important tasks as part of his journey to rescue Zelda. In doing so, players will utilize abilities such as Dashing and Dowsing, also detailed.

Here’s the breakdown:

Faron Woods and Skyview Temple: The forest is the first location Link visits after leaving Skyloft, an island world suspended high in the sky. The people of Skyloft have never been to the surface, so this stage marks a strange new experience for Link. Traversing the forest leads him to Skyview Temple, where Zelda may be held.
Dashing: By holding down the A Button, players can make Link run faster and grant him acrobatic abilities, such as the ability to briefly run up a sheer wall to grab onto a cliff. Dashing uses up some of Link’s endurance, which replenishes itself over time once Link stops running. Certain powerful attacks, like the spin attack, also use up endurance. When all of Link’s endurance is used up, his movement is slowed dramatically for a few moments.
Dowsing: Fi, the spirit of the powerful Goddess Sword and Link’s guide, informs Link that he can use the sword to search for things through dowsing. In dowsing mode, when Link holds out his sword, the sword will beep and provide visual feedback when pointed in the direction of the intended target. This technique can be used to search for many objects and characters in the game. In Faron Woods, Link uses it to search for Zelda, guiding him to Skyview Temple, where Zelda’s aura can be detected.
Kikwi Tribe: The Kikwis are cute, fuzzy creatures that Link encounters while exploring the forest, resembling a kiwi fruit in animal form. Link can search for the Kikwis in the forest using dowsing. In return, they will help him on his search for Zelda.
Slingshot: This is one of the first items that Link receives in the game. While it’s not very powerful, it can be used to stun enemies and activate objects in the environment. As with many items in the game, players aim the slingshot by moving the Wii Remote™ Plus.

The two new trailers give us a look at the Skyview Temple location and Dowsing ability. Watch them here.