Too many useless items in TP

WARNING-- SPOILERS AHEAD












As I've progressed through the game I've noticed that several items don't get used a whole lot.

Slingshot: I've only used this at the very beginning of the game in the forest temple to kill some spiders on vines. Haven't used it since.

Gale Boomerang: Could have been used more outside the forest temple. The only times I've had to use it outside the temple was for picking up a heart piece and to put out the fire on the wagon.

Spinner: Again not used much outside of Arbiters Grounds except for that one part in Hyrule Field to get a heart piece and for one little part in Temple of Time.

Ball and Chain: I only used this once so far outside of Snowpeak Ruins to access the ice cavern near Zora's domain. I've only made to the Temple of Time so far- does it get used later in the game?

Hawkeye: What a waste of 100 rupees. You're told to buy a Hawkeye so you can aim at a distant post in Kakariko Village and then Malo won't give you a heart piece if you use it. I did use it one other time in the game to view something close up but that was it.

Fishing Rod: The only time I used it was in the very beginning where you have to feed the cat and before entering Snowpeak where you have to catch a reekfish.

Healing potions: I've only used such a thing once in the game. In the Snowpeak Ruins I drank Yeto's soup because I wasn't getting hearts from destroying enemies and the enemies in that dungeon did quite a bit of damage. Aside from that, I've never had to drink milk, use chu jelly, fairy tears, etc.

Bomblings: Probably the most useless item in the whole game. I've never used them even once.

Magic Armor: I went and bought it just to say I have everything but like the healing potions, I haven't had a need yet to use it.


There were also some items that weren't exactly useless but could have been used more like the lantern, the heros bow, and water bombs.

The most useful items were the sword (duh), the clawshot, and the iron boots. The clawshot has been used in every dungeon from Lakebed Temple on and also in several spots in the overworld. The iron boots have several uses- walking on magnetic walls, help with sumo wrestling, walking against strong winds, sinking to the bottom of the lake, and help in avoiding getting swallowed by Morpheel.

Why can't the game have more items like these that are used consistently throughout?

Also why is it that you get all these chests with rupees but what you buy in a store is mostly useless? Arrows and bombs are certainly useful but you can get arrows from killing enemies and there are various places where bombs are found in chests so I see no point in buying them. Getting the quiver and bomb bag upgrades seems totally unnecessary as well.

Some of those items do get more usage e.g. ball and chain, magic armour. I used the fishing rod a bunch... for the mere joy of fishing and hitting new records in my fishing book. Pointless activity yes (but then again, if it's fun, can anything be pointless).

I agree that there are items you don't use very much; I love collecting items however (need... need... need.. mmm, stuff) so I didn't mind.

In times of great need, in times of great sorrow; Only a mighty Fishing Rod can be used to defeat the mighty evil.

In a mild panic while fighting Ganon in TP, I inadvertently whipped out my..... lamp. I will singe him.... SINGE him to death.

"It buruuurns!"

I've always said that this is the reason I dislike Twilight Princess. (I said dislike, not hate.) Anyway, no, the Ball of Chain isn't used at any other points in the game other than destroying suits of armour in Hyrule Castle.

I hate the Slingshot, the Gale Boomerang and most of all, the Spinner. I noticed some tracks in Hyrule Field, and I thought; "ooohh, what's up there?" I had to jump from track to track, increasing height. When I eventually got there, I found a Heart Piece. In my opinion, the amount of tries it took was not worth it.

okay, Seriously nintendo, this could've easily been averted.

Boomerang: make it stun enemies again.

Spinner: give it bunny ears speed.

Dominion rod: allow me to control enemies movement slightly (Kage Mane no Jutsu!), lead them off cliffs and the such.

But some of these are just unnecessary to put on this list.

Magic armor: so your rupees can be put to use.

Potions: in case you run out of health. Some people do in this game. especially in this one section of the desert that you may or may not know of.

Fishing rod: for sidequests and fun.

Hawkeye: for fun.

Bomblings: for fun.

ball and chain: this, like the item it blatently ripped off, is used in combat.

Originally Posted by Lord Ghirahim

In times of great need, in times of great sorrow; Only a mighty Fishing Rod can be used to defeat the mighty evil.

Originally Posted by WildFoxSpirit

In a mild panic while fighting Ganon in TP, I inadvertently whipped out my..... lamp. I will singe him.... SINGE him to death.

Originally Posted by Lord Ghirahim

"It buruuurns!"

All of the items in TP were awesome, but Nintendo didn't do it right. I hope the items in SS actually have out of dungeon use.

---------- Post added at 09:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:16 PM ----------

Originally Posted by pyrotechnic

Ball and Chain: I only used this once so far outside of Snowpeak Ruins to access the ice cavern near Zora's domain. I've only made to the Temple of Time so far- does it get used later in the game?

Cave of Ordeals. You can also use it to break boulders and such. Not great for combat, though.

Too true, the items were a bit under used. But more under used items is better than less under used items.

Originally Posted by Blake G

But more under used items is better than less under used items.

Originally Posted by Cereal Bawks

(..)
Cave of Ordeals. You can also use it to break boulders and such. Not great for combat, though.

The Ball and Chain is wickedly powerful though, pretty much every enemy dies in one blow. Also, it shields you from a lot of attacks when you hold it in your hands.

@ thread;
I don't find the Boomerang to be useless, surely it's not used everywhere, but it doesn't need to be. It's used enough. Besides the Forest Temple and the cart it's also used in the Sacred Grove, for some sidequesting, several other dungeons; most notably City in the Sky and Hyrule Castle.

Hawkeye, Fishing Rod and Magic Armor are more like 'extra' items (except the Fishing Rod's use in he very beginning), used for fun, sidequests or leisure. These items shouldn't count in a 'useless items list'.

I agree the Spinner, the Slingshot and the Ball and Chain are underused. I also agree the Bomblings are pointless. However, all items (except the 'extra' items of-course) are used in the final dungeon.

On a side note, this is not unique to TP. All Zelda games suffer from the under usage of items. ALttP can be excused for the fact that a lot of items are optional and you don't necessarily get some of them.
OoT has a slightly used Deku Nut, Nayru's Love, Ice Arrow (especially, a Gossip Stone even admits it), Bombchu and Hover Boots which have to be used only once at the start of the Shadow Temple, other items can used for everywhere else.
MM again has the little used Bombchu, Lens of Truth, Powder Keg and Deku Nuts, I'll ignore the masks .
WW has little use in both Fire and Ice Arrows and the Iron Boots (only for the Wind Temple).

To be clear, I don't mind all the extra items, even if they are little used!

EDIT: Forgot Lens of Truth in MM, thx hyrulexmel below.

Well, we never used the Spinner anywhere else apart from Arbiters Grounds, Cave of Ordeals and once in Hyurle Field to get a piece of heart. But yeah, same with the Lense of Truth in MM, only used it about 3 times in the whole game.

Originally Posted by hyrulexmel

Well, we never used the Spinner anywhere else apart from Arbiters Grounds, Cave of Ordeals and once in Hyurle Field to get a piece of heart. But yeah, same with the Lense of Truth in MM, only used it about 3 times in the whole game.

Well, actually the Spinner is used at least 4 times in Hyrule Field to find secrets.... Of course, a mere 4 times isn't very much anyways.

My biggest problem was that the secrets weren't very rewarding. Because enemies didn't deal much damage and recovery hearts were abundant, collecting heart pieces was largely unnecessary. If you found a chest with a rupee, 9 times out of 10 it didn't fit in your wallet, so you had to put it back. Poe collecting was interesting, but by the time you collect them all, there's nothing left to buy and there's a good chance that you're wallet's full, so Jovani's rupees are pretty much no good.

Bombs are the useless weapon, not the ball and chain.
What use the bomb have? To bomb things? Well the "Ball and Chain" can do this as well but doesn't cost you any bomb use.

Slingshot isn't even needed ever. Throw a rock at them on the vines and you can sneak by.
Fishing Rod isn't needed either with some glitching, unless if you like catching fish.

Spinner is required multiple times, even in Sky Temple. However otherwise it's got no real advantages.


I do agree, there were too many useless items in TP.
Even the Clawshot was useless if it was not so required. The Super Claw shot(AR) is a lot of fun though.

I guess that's why Nintendo prefers to limit the number of items to 7 or 8 lately in the Zelda games. The Nintendo DS Zeldas put all their items into good use (maybe the Sand Staff came a little short, but otherwise all items were very useful) and I guess it will be the same for Skyward Sword.

And they stated, that in SS you will get all items more early in the game, so that something like the Sand Staff will be avoided and every item gets used frequently. Instead of getting new items you will then upgrade your items later in the game.

Sand Rod got plenty of use considering you got it in the last normal dungeon. It had that dungeon, the Tower of Spirits, and a 3-tiered puzzle grotto entirely dedicated to it. It was also usable to hunt for rupees in any sandy area at all and, unlike most modern Zeldas, there were actually some ♥♥♥♥ing uses for those rupees. That's a bigger focus than Spinner or Boomerang or Hawk Grass or Slingshot or Bomblings or the Dominion Rod ever got. General tools like the Lantern and Ball & Chain and Hawkeye were fairly unneeded as well but at least those were things that could help out when the game didn't actively call for them.

Originally Posted by DH-010

Also, it shields you from a lot of attacks

Ha. No it doesn't, I've tried using it a lot. I always end up getting hurt.

Originally Posted by TheGhostOfMandrag

Sand Rod got plenty of use considering you got it in the last normal dungeon. It had that dungeon, the Tower of Spirits, and a 3-tiered puzzle grotto entirely dedicated to it. It was also usable to hunt for rupees in any sandy area at all and, unlike most modern Zeldas, there were actually some ♥♥♥♥ing uses for those rupees. That's a bigger focus than Spinner or Boomerang or Hawk Grass or Slingshot or Bomblings or the Dominion Rod ever got. General tools like the Lantern and Ball & Chain and Hawkeye were fairly unneeded as well but at least those were things that could help out when the game didn't actively call for them.

You're right, the Sand Staff got a lot of uses, especially for an item received in one of the final dungeons. However, it's not an item that is useful everywhere, it's restricted to areas with sand. Elsewhere it's completely useless. I can always chose to use the Ball & Chain as my weapon or the Hawkeye to scout and snipe. Actually I used both items a lot in TP and I like having some optional play toys.

Whatever, my point was that the Nintendo DS Zeldas put all their items to good use, but you only get so few items. TP has three times as many items, but a lot of them only catched dust...

Originally Posted by Cereal Bawks

Ha. No it doesn't, I've tried using it a lot. I always end up getting hurt.

Depends on what your defending against.
Slow moving enemies can't get through.
Also if you watch some speed runs, it does great on some mini-bosses for Ball&Chain.