17 replies to this topic

[ganonlord6000]

I was playing a few of the Zelda games recently and had very little trouble getting through games like TMC, FSA, and TP. Even PH and ST were to easy. I went back to play games like AOL and ALTTP and those games are still as hard as ever. Has anyone else noticed this?

[GuardianNinja]

Yes. Still can't play AoL long. And the original is a bore.

I don't know what you mean by LttP being hard? I can blaze through the game in a day.

[Sir Deimos]

The 3D Zelda games are ridiculously easier than the old 2D games. I die like crazy in the older ones, but I've never gotten a game over in any 3D Zelda game made yet.

[Alastair]

I was playing a few of the Zelda games recently and had very little trouble getting through games like TMC, FSA, and TP. Even PH and ST were to easy. I went back to play games like AOL and ALTTP and those games are still as hard as ever. Has anyone else noticed this?

To a large extent you are right, but part of the reason for the games becoming easier can be put down to improvements in game design. An obvious example would be the introduction of warp points between dungeon entrances and the boss room. I consider this refinement to be a massive improvement (aLttP can be infuriating when you die during a boss fight), though it has undeniably made the games easier.

The games have also become more puzzle, and less action based. On second playthroughs of more recent games (or even the first time, if you are familiar with Zelda style puzzles) there will be little challenge if you know the solution to the puzzles. In the case of the more action oriented games repeat playthroughs do not as significantly reduce the difficulty.

I would add that I consider TP to be more challenging than either OoT, or WW. Whilst the most difficult dungeons in TP are no harder than those in Oot or WW, there is no real learning curve (no easy Deku Tree dungeon for you to get to grips with the game).

[Person]

ST was also considerably harder than PH, it's just that it didn't seem hard because most of its difficulty was do to actual hardness, rather than the game being cheap like it was back in the NES days. The black ore sidequest alone makes that game harder than PH, and PH was pretty hard on its own (MAZE ISLAND!).

[Wolf O'Donnell]

Actually, I found that Spirit Tracks had its own cheap moments... specifically the ones where you controlled Zelda. And the Slippery Station mini-dungeon where for no apparent reason, I'd end up drawing a sword and chopping forward instead of rolling forwards.

Earlier installments had little in the way of storyline, so they were designed to be rather difficult in order to give players an incentive to play. Bragging rights, mainly. I'd also say that the difficulty was a throwback to the days when games were designed to be difficult because they were played on arcade machines, where difficulty meant loss of lives and more money fed into the slots.

[Person]

Actually, I found that Spirit Tracks had its own cheap moments... specifically the ones where you controlled Zelda. And the Slippery Station mini-dungeon where for no apparent reason, I'd end up drawing a sword and chopping forward instead of rolling forwards.

Earlier installments had little in the way of storyline, so they were designed to be rather difficult in order to give players an incentive to play. Bragging rights, mainly. I'd also say that the difficulty was a throwback to the days when games were designed to be difficult because they were played on arcade machines, where difficulty meant loss of lives and more money fed into the slots.

The Slippery Station thing might be because you were drawing lines to roll instead of double tapping.

[Wolf O'Donnell]

Actually, I found that Spirit Tracks had its own cheap moments... specifically the ones where you controlled Zelda. And the Slippery Station mini-dungeon where for no apparent reason, I'd end up drawing a sword and chopping forward instead of rolling forwards.

Earlier installments had little in the way of storyline, so they were designed to be rather difficult in order to give players an incentive to play. Bragging rights, mainly. I'd also say that the difficulty was a throwback to the days when games were designed to be difficult because they were played on arcade machines, where difficulty meant loss of lives and more money fed into the slots.

The Slippery Station thing might be because you were drawing lines to roll instead of double tapping.

There were instances of that, but there were also instances where I ended up doing the lunging slash upon double-tapping.

[Hana-Nezumi]

For me the 3D games are a good difficulty. I'm able to beat them with only getting frustrated a few times... The old 2D games are too hard for me, I start getting frustrated easily by them about halfway through and I haven't ever beaten one by myself. Which is probably why the games are made easier now, because if they were still as hard as back them, people like me wouldn't buy them. But I think it's more of something where they've been easier for a while now, rather than it being that they're gradually getting easier and easier. Because TP to me seems to be about the same difficulty as OoT and WW.

[ganonlord6000]

For me the 3D games are a good difficulty. I'm able to beat them with only getting frustrated a few times... The old 2D games are too hard for me, I start getting frustrated easily by them about halfway through and I haven't ever beaten one by myself. Which is probably why the games are made easier now, because if they were still as hard as back them, people like me wouldn't buy them. But I think it's more of something where they've been easier for a while now, rather than it being that they're gradually getting easier and easier. Because TP to me seems to be about the same difficulty as OoT and WW.

My point exactly. I can go through the 3d games without any trouble, but the 2d games (minus LOZ) are still very hard for me.

Edited by ganonlord6000, 26 July 2010 - 10:21 AM.

[natsumerio]

The 3-D versions aren't overly difficult over-all, but one big fat exception are the shooting galleries. Ever since the series became 3-D, they have felt the need to make the shooting galleries waaaaay too difficult. Not ALL of them, but definitely some of them. This wouldn't be a problem for me if the shooting galleries' prizes were just money, but they are usually IMPORTANT items (heart pieces & other things), & even more evil, you can ONLY get them from the shooting galleries. Some days those shooting galleries make me almost wish that I had never even heard of any of the 3-D Zelda games.

Edited by natsumerio, 10 August 2010 - 12:30 AM.

[Doopliss]

Yes, they have been getting easier. TWW is a complete JOKE, and I was somewhat disappointed by TP. I'd say the hardest ones are ALttP from the point of view of gameplay (is that the word?) and particularly Master Quest. Now, that's a real Zelda game. IMO MQ's dungeons are the epitome of 3D video game puzzles.

MM was also difficult. Some sidequests where absolutely mind breaking. And you get no nice and easy introduction to the game, you begin immediately immersed into the real thing.

[Fin]

I'd say the hardest ones are ALttP from the point of view of gameplay (is that the word?) and particularly Master Quest.

Adventure of Link is the hardest, surely. The last temple is a bitch. Hell, the path to the last level is a bitch.

[Doopliss]

Ha, I haven't even gotten farther than the second temple. I'm not used to those 2D games, I began playing on Nintendo 64.

[Sir Turtlelot]

I would have to agree, the 3D games really seem to be a lot less challenging then the old 2D ones. Although I will say that the 3D games do require more time than the 3D ones, but overall they are easier.

AoL is easily the hardest Zelda game. I have the remake for the GBA, and I used to have a Gameshark for the GBA. Even with cheating, that game is a bitch.

[zeldaartist]

oooooooot.
phantom hooooourglassss.

[ganonlord6000]

I'd say the hardest ones are ALttP from the point of view of gameplay (is that the word?) and particularly Master Quest.

Adventure of Link is the hardest, surely. The last temple is a bitch. Hell, the path to the last level is a bitch.

Oh, it is. The path is even worse than the Great Palace even at max level.

[Fin]

Yeah. My strategy is to save up all the extra lives dotted around the overworld until I've finished the six main temples, then collect them all in preparation for the journey to the Great Temple. I think last time I did this I wound up on my last life before I made it.

And yet three lives is enough for me to beat the temple itself.