The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword arrives on Switch in July, and as Nintendo revealed this week, the game is launching alongside an elaborate new Amiibo depicting Zelda with her trusty Loftwing. This figure is much more detailed than many of the previous ones the company has released, and it carries a much steeper price tag than usual as a result. The higher asking price normally wouldn't ruffle consumer feathers considering that Amiibo are often more appealing to core players and enthusiast collectors, but it's the functionality the figure offers that makes it feel like a particularly egregious money grab.

As Nintendo explained, the Zelda & Loftwing Amiibo effectively allows you to quick travel between the surface world and the sky. Scan the figure while you're on the surface, and you can return to the sky from anywhere, even while exploring a dungeon. Scan the figure again while in the sky, and you'll return to the same point on the surface.

As far as Amiibo functionality goes, this is an incredibly handy feature. Typically, the only way to return to the sky from the surface in the game is to interact with Loftwing statues, which are found in specific locations around the world. This means that if you need to head back to Skyloft--the floating island that Link and Zelda call home--to restock on supplies, for instance, you first need to hoof it to one of these statues to launch yourself into the air.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword arrives on Switch in July, and as Nintendo revealed this week, the game is launching alongside an elaborate new Amiibo depicting Zelda with her trusty Loftwing. This figure is much more detailed than many of the previous ones the company has released, and it carries a much steeper price tag than usual as a result. The higher asking price normally wouldn't ruffle consumer feathers considering that Amiibo are often more appealing to core players and enthusiast collectors, but it's the functionality the figure offers that makes it feel like a particularly egregious money grab.

As Nintendo explained, the Zelda & Loftwing Amiibo effectively allows you to quick travel between the surface world and the sky. Scan the figure while you're on the surface, and you can return to the sky from anywhere, even while exploring a dungeon. Scan the figure again while in the sky, and you'll return to the same point on the surface.

As far as Amiibo functionality goes, this is an incredibly handy feature. Typically, the only way to return to the sky from the surface in the game is to interact with Loftwing statues, which are found in specific locations around the world. This means that if you need to head back to Skyloft--the floating island that Link and Zelda call home--to restock on supplies, for instance, you first need to hoof it to one of these statues to launch yourself into the air.