Zelda: Skyward Sword getting gold controller bundle

Nintendo today confirmed Zelda: Skyward Sword is going gold, but not in the way companies usually mean. Rather than announcing the completion of the game's development, Nintendo was revealing a limited-edition bundle for the game that will include a gold-colored Wii Remote Plus.

Set for release November 20 alongside the standard edition of the game, the limited-edition controller bundle will sell for $70 instead of the standard version's $50. The gold controller was originally unveiled at Nintendo's E3 2011 press briefing, but it did not say at the time how gamers would be able to get their hands on one.

Regardless of which version gamers buy, they will still be getting an extra at launch. Nintendo has said every copy of the initial run of Skyward Sword will include a CD featuring orchestral arrangements of music pulled from the series' 25-year history.

Designed around Nintendo's Wii Remote Plus (or Wii Remote with MotionPlus accessory), Skyward Sword features a new combat system that approximates one-to-one controller-to-sword motion. Beyond giving Link new ways to cut up the usual assortment of carnivorous plants, disembodied eyeballs, and orcish monsters, the game features new gadgets and abilities for the lithe protagonist to employ.

Link can now roll bombs like bowling balls, channel his inner Indiana Jones with a whip attack, or retrieve hard-to-reach items with a remote-control flying beetle. Players will also get a new form of transportation, as Link will be able to ride a bird through the clouds to get from place to place.

Despite those tweaks, Skyward Sword will retain many of the distinctive traits of the series, including its standard breakdown between puzzle-laden dungeons and a sprawling overworld. Nintendo is touting Skyward Sword as "the biggest game in the series yet," with a story that serves as a prequel of sorts to the Nintendo 64 classic The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time (recently remade for the 3DS).

For more on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.