10 Triple-A Video Game Paywalls That Came Out Of Nowhere

When the high-definition remaster of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was released for Nintendo Switch in 2021, it launched with a vastly improved fast travel system, which no longer required players to slog their way to specific points in order to use the feature, but now do it from anywhere.

However, because we can't just have nice things, Nintendo made the grossly unpopular decision to gate this newfangled fast travel functionality behind a Zelda & Loftwing Amiibo figurine, which cost a whopping $25 at launch.

While improved fast travel isn't a must-have feature in Skyward Sword, it is absolutely a welcome quality-of-life addition, and yet not something which Nintendo should've felt emboldened to lock behind a sizable paywall.

Despite the Internet kicking off about the decision, however, Nintendo seemed to hold firm and largely ignore the controversy, so enhanced fast travel remains sealed behind a plastic toy.