Hard mode on Zelda?

A lot of us Zelda veterans thought Tp was way too easy, but Zelda still needs to be fun for those who are new to it. Do you think future zelda games should have different levels of difficulty? Like a hard mode will only allow you one row of hearts instead of two, less overworld items (hearts, rupees, etc), Enemies do more damage, and even bosses could have harder or extra stages. What do you think?

It should be much harder. I don't usually say stuff like this, but the new players can just go and play the previous games then once they're good enough come and play the hard one. Zelda games are way too easy.

I think so. Zelda is played by many kids, so it needs to be doable for them. But us veterans need a mode where enemies do more damage, hearts and rupees are rare, perhaps a couple modified puzzles, more damage taken, less total hearts, smarter enemies, etc. It would be perfect for the kids and older people who play.

Edit: I just have another question. What would be the problem with one? I would rather they just make Zelda harder than do nothing, but how would having the option to make it easier negatively impact the game? Seems like a fair compromise.

I don't like the idea of a difficulty setting because I think everyone should be playing the same dungeons and solve the same puzzles. Just up the difficulty a little, newcomers shouldn't have any problems with that, not if an entire was able to start with LoZ.

Originally Posted by lordandyofx

I think so. Zelda is played by many kids, so it needs to be doable for them. But us veterans need a mode where enemies do more damage, hearts and rupees are rare, perhaps a couple modified puzzles, more damage taken, less total hearts, smarter enemies, etc. It would be perfect for the kids and older people who play.

I'm really starting to wonder who these kids are who actually have trouble with the game's enemies. I don't mean to offend anyone, but I doubt that any child who actually finds the combat in the modern Zelda games to be difficult would be old enough to really understand what they are doing in the first place.

I really do agree with Predator, we're at the point now where there isn't any reason to care about whether or not newbies have any trouble with the game, they should and if they get upset then they have WW and TP to go back to.


I've been for a difficulty level for a while now, but recently I've been less supportive of the idea. The reason for this is that alternate difficultys are often tacked on features that add frustration more often then challenge. The 'hard' parts of WW weren't 'difficult' (I'm speaking reletive to other parts of WW here) because they challenged the player, rather is was because you had a bunch of enemies behind you where you couldn't see them lobbing attacks at you. This is the kind of thing I would rather avoid and why I would rather have a single unified difficulty level.

With a single difficulty level, you have no choice but to make that one difficulty level good else your whole game will suck. And even then there is no reason why you couldn't have additional optional challenges such as secret bosses to add more value to the game.

Originally Posted by mizuken

A lot of us Zelda veterans thought Tp was way too easy, but Zelda still needs to be fun for those who are new to it. Do you think future zelda games should have different levels of difficulty? Like a hard mode will only allow you one row of hearts instead of two, less overworld items (hearts, rupees, etc), Enemies do more damage, and even bosses could have harder or extra stages. What do you think?

For those who are new to it? Ok, my 7 year old sister just beat TP yesterday after a week of playing. I did not help her at all, she hates video games, and hates Zelda. I just said "hey if you beat this game I'll give you 5$". Guess what, she did.

If the game is so easy that in a week a 7 year old can beat it, there is a problem. Zelda is the Mature side of nintendo. It's the franchise that all the older players play. Nintendo isn't stupid, they know this which is why TP feels much darker and got a T rating. However, they need to go into it more.

Seriously, a hard mode? Fine, I don't care if there is two mods I suppose, however I feel the entire game should be hard without modes. Either way, so long as it gets hard, I am happy.

Oh and to note, I handed my sister LOZ and she couldn't even get past the first dungeon. Lets you knpw how linear and spoon fed we have become. People complain as soon as they need to actually think about what to do instead of knowing it. I on the other hand would like to use my head when I play.

just make it so you take quadruple damage and the difficulty will be about right.

The key here is to satisfy everyone. It's no secret that many people who play Zelda are veterans, but there are new gamers too(who don't have to be kids) that started with TP and had problems beating it. I agree that there should be a difficulty level.

But it would be too much work for Nintendo, after all I'd like the dungeons changed as well. The combat should be much harder, the probability of getting hearts and rupees should be decreased dramatically, the dungeons must be non-linear and the puzzles should be hard enough to get me stuck for a while. All in all, if I had to choose, I'd like it to be hard.

Originally Posted by KratosAurion

The key here is to satisfy everyone. It's no secret that many people who play Zelda are veterans, but there are new gamers too(who don't have to be kids) that started with TP and had problems beating it. I agree that there should be a difficulty level.

But it would be too much work for Nintendo, after all I'd like the dungeons changed as well. The combat should be much harder, the probability of getting hearts and rupees should be decreased dramatically, the dungeons must be non-linear and the puzzles should be hard enough to get me stuck for a while. All in all, if I had to choose, I'd like it to be hard.

by too much work I assume you mean more then 2 years of development. Please, it's not that hard to do.

And yes, newer gamers come in, amd most even admit TP is fun but is easy.

All we needed was more damage, that would of changed everything.

Absolutely, the best games are those that cause you, at one point or another, to throw your controller.

Definatly. As much as Twilight Princess was a great game, it was too easy. I think there should be the option to select your difficulty as you create a new save. THe modes should be Easy(For Newbies), Normal (For the average player), and Hard (For those who want a challenge)

I don't really care. That's what I have the 3 hearts-challenge for. I don't care if they do or don't make a hard difficulty.

YES YES YES YES!!

Nintendo has to do something to appeal to the Zelda fans that want challenge instead of always catering to the newbies. This would be the perfect solution, and everyone would end up happy!

Originally Posted by Raine

I don't really care. That's what I have the 3 hearts-challenge for. I don't care if they do or don't make a hard difficulty.

Is that even a challenge? I think the only time I ever took damage with link was the first time I hopped on a boar and ran into a wall. I mean really, you can make things do more damage, but if they can't hit me anyways....

I'd like it. I honestly haven't had any trouble with any Zelda games since A Link to the Past, so a harder difficulty would be ideal. They seem to be getting easier.

It's fine for me. I really don't care to be honest. I use the 3-hearts challenge and other little challenges. It doen't matter, all of us are gonna buy the game anyways.

Originally Posted by Nathan

Is that even a challenge? I think the only time I ever took damage with link was the first time I hopped on a boar and ran into a wall. I mean really, you can make things do more damage, but if they can't hit me anyways....

Exactly, simply increasing/decreasing a given number isn't going to do much to alter the actual challenge the game provides. I'd rather have heaps of life + enemies that are actually capable of damageing me then pathetic enemies that kill me if they hit me once.

We veterans need a challenge, so pick up your tattered masterswords, silver arrows, and magic shields, and let's storm Nintendo!!!

I other words, the first one had it, TWW sorta had it, OoT had it (although it was on the GC in America, and other countries aswell I suppose) we want more of it!

It should be like Metroid Prime: a reward for beating the game once. TWW and TP could really use that, and the Cave of Ordeals proved that TP at least had potential.

The 3-heart quest? The problem is, in many games today the enemies aren't even giving me 3-hearts worth of damage. Besides, I'd rather be able to take damage and still be challenged.