Can the people shitting on this solely for its plot just accept that Zelda games never had good stories to begin with?
'That outfit is a bit.... Erm.'
Played with BertKnot – and joined by Ranirinn –, in preparation for our Zelda Marathon podcast.
In the early 2010s, during the development of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2013), Hiromasa Shikata, who had worked as a planner on Spirit Tracks (2009), wanted to explore the idea of a multiplayer Zelda. The inspiration came from the asymmetrical gameplay of the DS title, where the player could control the Phantoms along with the Princess. A symbiosis was needed to progress through the various puzzles, and the touch screen was used to make the experience as readable and intuitive as possible. Based on this experience, Shikata decided to create a title that would take full advantage of this mechanic by having players work together with various items to progress. By focusing solely on multiplayer, Shikata's project was structurally flawed because it ignored critical elements. In particular, his desire to amputate the title's single-player mode, which was only curtailed by Aonuma, foreshadowed the game design blunders that would plague the title.
Something is rotten in the kingdom of Hytopia
The player assumes the role of Link – a few years after A Link Between Worlds – as he travels to the kingdom of Hytopia. The latter has been cursed, forcing Princess Styla to wear a rather hideous grey full-bodysuit that makes her look vaguely like Tingle or a Super Sentai henchman. Full of altruism, the hero decides to help the young woman by battling the witch, The Lady, through thirty-two levels in order to obtain her accessories and craft an outfit capable of lifting the exorcism. The player is immediately struck by the silliness of the title, which stands in stark contrast to the traditional tone of the franchise; while the DS instalments may have been lighter, playing on more prosaic and stereotypical personalities such as the tsundere Zelda, they were nonetheless imbued with a degree of gravitas that has historically inhabited the series. Tri Force Heroes eschews these considerations and is particularly verbose for nothing, stringing together insipid gags and more or less conservative clichés.
Aside from Styla, whose post-curse appearance serves to mock a deviation from the expected feminine norm in traditional fantasy – long, silky blonde hair framing a sweet face – the rest of the cast is unpleasantly odd. The saleswoman, for example, is a fat-phobic cliché not uncommon in Japan, with a false air of bon vivant. Throughout the adventure, there seems to be something rotten in Hytopia. The small town looks like a replica of a typical Zelda game village, but there is something hypocritical about the personality of the various characters: this is probably because the characters say nothing about the world around them, unlike the archetypes of previous titles, whose discomfort allows an eschatological atmosphere to be conveyed, as in Ocarina of Time (1998) or Majora's Mask (2000), to name but two.
Coordination issues: an unpleasant and turbulent cooperation
In its main gameplay loop, Tri Force Heroes requires the player to complete the levels alone or with the help of two companions. If they choose to go solo, all puzzles remain the same, and they must solve them using the two provided doppelgangers, switching between characters as the puzzles unfold. Each level begins with the distribution of three items, which are split between the three characters – whether they are doppelgangers or real players. Structural differences with Four Swords Adventures (2004) and Spirit Tracks are immediately apparent, suggesting the erratic ways in which the game plunges in for long hours. First and foremost, the competitive aspect of the title has disappeared completely: unlike previous multiplayer titles, where players could compete to be the hero with the most Rupees at the end of a level, here all resources are shared, including hearts. In Four Swords Adventures, death was not a problem, as the player was instantly resurrected in exchange for a fairy. Because they were so easy to collect, players were never penalised for getting involved in the game and getting in each other's way, with cooperation naturally resurfacing during the more intense sequences.
In Tri Force Heroes, hearts are shared between the three players, making it particularly easy to lose three hearts in a single attack or get stunned in a death cycle. In single-player mode, doppelgangers take no damage unless they fall into the void, so it is possible to use Totem Time, a mechanic that involves grabbing another character to lift them up and solve certain puzzles, without ever risking anything. With other companions, each attack on the Totem multiplies the damage taken by its height, which quickly becomes disastrous. As players only have three lives per level, there is a constant tension that damages the overall atmosphere and is frustrating at the slightest miscommunication or wrong move by a companion. This problem is compounded by the online functionality, which does not allow for any form of communication beyond a few primitive emotes, making it a constant struggle to coordinate effectively: external communication is necessary, but is only partially helpful in certain puzzles, where the timing is already particularly tight.
From gameplay asymmetry to exclusion from the action
Apart from creating a generally abysmal multiplayer experience that does not lend itself to blind exploration, as it is particularly frustrating to have to restart an entire level after a boss has repeatedly killed the team, Tri Force Heroes, for all its inspiration, seems to have completely overlooked what made Spirit Tracks stand out. In the latter, the player controls Link and Zelda at the same time, as it was possible to buffer the actions of the Phantom controlled by the Princess to coordinate attacks: the armour can smash the enemy from the front, while Link goes around it to attack from behind. Planning Zelda's movements and then adjusting Link's actions was a strong mechanic, made possible by the ingenious use of the stylus, which allowed actions to be chained together organically. In Tri Force Heroes, the asymmetry of gameplay is more or less mimicked by the different items at the players' disposal, but the puzzles rarely require a complex sequence of actions. On more than one occasion, certain items seem distinctly underused: the bow feels like an inferior version of the boomerang, especially when the latter is upgraded to deal massive damage in addition to stun.
Progression in Tri Force Heroes is indeed both sluggish and chaotic. There is rarely a sense of accomplishment, as the puzzles feel more like obstacles, easy to understand, but difficult to execute due to the multiplayer mechanics, abusive inclusion of enemies, or deliberately cruel elements (wind, precariously balanced platforms, ice, etc.). Totem's mechanics quickly become tiresome, and by the second world all the possibilities have been explored: all that remains is tedious manipulation to get everyone in the right spot, which is not helped by the button mapping, with the A button overloaded with various actions, while Y and X are generally useless. Why a three-player experience? According to Shikata, the idea was to force full cooperation, as a group of four could split into two groups of two autonomous people, especially with the Totem mechanic being boring for players who would be in the middle of the formation. [1]
The economics of grinding and the player dichotomy
This justification is a confession of failure: the cooperation emphasised in Four Swords Adventures was based on organic puzzles that required everyone to be in a specific place and perform a specific action. The same puzzles could be solved with a reduced number of players, but they would require some inelegant back and forth. Collaboration in Four Swords Adventures worked because it was enjoyable, natural and seamless. Too often, Tri Force Heroes allows one player to brute force an entire level with the right outfit. Each level gives the player a chance to collect an item that can be used to craft new outfits with varying effects. It is possible to start a level with more hearts, increase Link's power, enhance an item or neutralise level hazards such as lava, ice or wind. The Boomeranger, for example, adds damage to the Boomerang, as well as extending its range and size, making it one of the most effective weapons in the game: the player can chain stun bosses and obliterate large numbers of enemies who are usually able to parry conventional strikes. A well-prepared player can easily render the other two heroes obsolete and solve all the puzzles in an emergent manner.
However, in order to obtain these outfits, the player will have to spend time repeatedly going through the different levels in search of the necessary materials. They are invited to complete bonus challenges, which are variations of the standard levels with unique objectives (time limit, reduced health, no items, etc.). These challenges are generally an example of poor level design, and tend to make the levels unnecessarily protracted; yet they are essential in order to obtain rare materials. The issue is that these outfits will always be more or less obsolete, should a group of players just try to get to the end of the game as quickly as possible, as they enhance items found in previous levels. Only towards the endgame will they become useful again, if the players have bothered to craft them. If not, they will be forced to go through a grind phase or try to compensate for the levels' cruel design with personal skill, something they are unlikely to achieve when discovering a level for the first time.
Tri Force Heroes, like Four Swords Adventures, is full of references to some of the franchise's iconic game design elements. The final levels of every world are reminiscent of A Link to the Past (1991), but without any character, while the bosses are sometimes well-known enemies. But the reference for the sake of the reference never manages to match the title's gameplay. Tri Force Heroes remains a perpetual chore, a kind of Zelda-game-as-a-service, designed to keep the player's attention for several weeks, with daily micro-sessions, encouraged by the Daily Rewards system. By focusing exclusively on structurally flawed elements, the title has denied itself the chance to create a coherent and cohesive multiplayer adventure. The single-player experience is no better, as it is uncomfortable to switch characters with the stylus while moving and performing actions with the other buttons: the option to skip a section in exchange for a fairy and a lesser reward – welcome as it is for accessibility – feels like an easy expedient to remedy the overall mediocrity of the levels. This lack of identity and clear horizon is evident in the various puzzles, which are extremely difficult in either multiplayer or single player. In the end, it is difficult to understand who Tri Force Heroes is really intended for.
__________
[1] GameSpot, « The Story Behind Triforce Heroes: An Interview With Aonuma and Shikata », 25th October 2015, consulted on 20th March 2023.
Played with BertKnot – and joined by Ranirinn –, in preparation for our Zelda Marathon podcast.
In the early 2010s, during the development of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2013), Hiromasa Shikata, who had worked as a planner on Spirit Tracks (2009), wanted to explore the idea of a multiplayer Zelda. The inspiration came from the asymmetrical gameplay of the DS title, where the player could control the Phantoms along with the Princess. A symbiosis was needed to progress through the various puzzles, and the touch screen was used to make the experience as readable and intuitive as possible. Based on this experience, Shikata decided to create a title that would take full advantage of this mechanic by having players work together with various items to progress. By focusing solely on multiplayer, Shikata's project was structurally flawed because it ignored critical elements. In particular, his desire to amputate the title's single-player mode, which was only curtailed by Aonuma, foreshadowed the game design blunders that would plague the title.
Something is rotten in the kingdom of Hytopia
The player assumes the role of Link – a few years after A Link Between Worlds – as he travels to the kingdom of Hytopia. The latter has been cursed, forcing Princess Styla to wear a rather hideous grey full-bodysuit that makes her look vaguely like Tingle or a Super Sentai henchman. Full of altruism, the hero decides to help the young woman by battling the witch, The Lady, through thirty-two levels in order to obtain her accessories and craft an outfit capable of lifting the exorcism. The player is immediately struck by the silliness of the title, which stands in stark contrast to the traditional tone of the franchise; while the DS instalments may have been lighter, playing on more prosaic and stereotypical personalities such as the tsundere Zelda, they were nonetheless imbued with a degree of gravitas that has historically inhabited the series. Tri Force Heroes eschews these considerations and is particularly verbose for nothing, stringing together insipid gags and more or less conservative clichés.
Aside from Styla, whose post-curse appearance serves to mock a deviation from the expected feminine norm in traditional fantasy – long, silky blonde hair framing a sweet face – the rest of the cast is unpleasantly odd. The saleswoman, for example, is a fat-phobic cliché not uncommon in Japan, with a false air of bon vivant. Throughout the adventure, there seems to be something rotten in Hytopia. The small town looks like a replica of a typical Zelda game village, but there is something hypocritical about the personality of the various characters: this is probably because the characters say nothing about the world around them, unlike the archetypes of previous titles, whose discomfort allows an eschatological atmosphere to be conveyed, as in Ocarina of Time (1998) or Majora's Mask (2000), to name but two.
Coordination issues: an unpleasant and turbulent cooperation
In its main gameplay loop, Tri Force Heroes requires the player to complete the levels alone or with the help of two companions. If they choose to go solo, all puzzles remain the same, and they must solve them using the two provided doppelgangers, switching between characters as the puzzles unfold. Each level begins with the distribution of three items, which are split between the three characters – whether they are doppelgangers or real players. Structural differences with Four Swords Adventures (2004) and Spirit Tracks are immediately apparent, suggesting the erratic ways in which the game plunges in for long hours. First and foremost, the competitive aspect of the title has disappeared completely: unlike previous multiplayer titles, where players could compete to be the hero with the most Rupees at the end of a level, here all resources are shared, including hearts. In Four Swords Adventures, death was not a problem, as the player was instantly resurrected in exchange for a fairy. Because they were so easy to collect, players were never penalised for getting involved in the game and getting in each other's way, with cooperation naturally resurfacing during the more intense sequences.
In Tri Force Heroes, hearts are shared between the three players, making it particularly easy to lose three hearts in a single attack or get stunned in a death cycle. In single-player mode, doppelgangers take no damage unless they fall into the void, so it is possible to use Totem Time, a mechanic that involves grabbing another character to lift them up and solve certain puzzles, without ever risking anything. With other companions, each attack on the Totem multiplies the damage taken by its height, which quickly becomes disastrous. As players only have three lives per level, there is a constant tension that damages the overall atmosphere and is frustrating at the slightest miscommunication or wrong move by a companion. This problem is compounded by the online functionality, which does not allow for any form of communication beyond a few primitive emotes, making it a constant struggle to coordinate effectively: external communication is necessary, but is only partially helpful in certain puzzles, where the timing is already particularly tight.
From gameplay asymmetry to exclusion from the action
Apart from creating a generally abysmal multiplayer experience that does not lend itself to blind exploration, as it is particularly frustrating to have to restart an entire level after a boss has repeatedly killed the team, Tri Force Heroes, for all its inspiration, seems to have completely overlooked what made Spirit Tracks stand out. In the latter, the player controls Link and Zelda at the same time, as it was possible to buffer the actions of the Phantom controlled by the Princess to coordinate attacks: the armour can smash the enemy from the front, while Link goes around it to attack from behind. Planning Zelda's movements and then adjusting Link's actions was a strong mechanic, made possible by the ingenious use of the stylus, which allowed actions to be chained together organically. In Tri Force Heroes, the asymmetry of gameplay is more or less mimicked by the different items at the players' disposal, but the puzzles rarely require a complex sequence of actions. On more than one occasion, certain items seem distinctly underused: the bow feels like an inferior version of the boomerang, especially when the latter is upgraded to deal massive damage in addition to stun.
Progression in Tri Force Heroes is indeed both sluggish and chaotic. There is rarely a sense of accomplishment, as the puzzles feel more like obstacles, easy to understand, but difficult to execute due to the multiplayer mechanics, abusive inclusion of enemies, or deliberately cruel elements (wind, precariously balanced platforms, ice, etc.). Totem's mechanics quickly become tiresome, and by the second world all the possibilities have been explored: all that remains is tedious manipulation to get everyone in the right spot, which is not helped by the button mapping, with the A button overloaded with various actions, while Y and X are generally useless. Why a three-player experience? According to Shikata, the idea was to force full cooperation, as a group of four could split into two groups of two autonomous people, especially with the Totem mechanic being boring for players who would be in the middle of the formation. [1]
The economics of grinding and the player dichotomy
This justification is a confession of failure: the cooperation emphasised in Four Swords Adventures was based on organic puzzles that required everyone to be in a specific place and perform a specific action. The same puzzles could be solved with a reduced number of players, but they would require some inelegant back and forth. Collaboration in Four Swords Adventures worked because it was enjoyable, natural and seamless. Too often, Tri Force Heroes allows one player to brute force an entire level with the right outfit. Each level gives the player a chance to collect an item that can be used to craft new outfits with varying effects. It is possible to start a level with more hearts, increase Link's power, enhance an item or neutralise level hazards such as lava, ice or wind. The Boomeranger, for example, adds damage to the Boomerang, as well as extending its range and size, making it one of the most effective weapons in the game: the player can chain stun bosses and obliterate large numbers of enemies who are usually able to parry conventional strikes. A well-prepared player can easily render the other two heroes obsolete and solve all the puzzles in an emergent manner.
However, in order to obtain these outfits, the player will have to spend time repeatedly going through the different levels in search of the necessary materials. They are invited to complete bonus challenges, which are variations of the standard levels with unique objectives (time limit, reduced health, no items, etc.). These challenges are generally an example of poor level design, and tend to make the levels unnecessarily protracted; yet they are essential in order to obtain rare materials. The issue is that these outfits will always be more or less obsolete, should a group of players just try to get to the end of the game as quickly as possible, as they enhance items found in previous levels. Only towards the endgame will they become useful again, if the players have bothered to craft them. If not, they will be forced to go through a grind phase or try to compensate for the levels' cruel design with personal skill, something they are unlikely to achieve when discovering a level for the first time.
Tri Force Heroes, like Four Swords Adventures, is full of references to some of the franchise's iconic game design elements. The final levels of every world are reminiscent of A Link to the Past (1991), but without any character, while the bosses are sometimes well-known enemies. But the reference for the sake of the reference never manages to match the title's gameplay. Tri Force Heroes remains a perpetual chore, a kind of Zelda-game-as-a-service, designed to keep the player's attention for several weeks, with daily micro-sessions, encouraged by the Daily Rewards system. By focusing exclusively on structurally flawed elements, the title has denied itself the chance to create a coherent and cohesive multiplayer adventure. The single-player experience is no better, as it is uncomfortable to switch characters with the stylus while moving and performing actions with the other buttons: the option to skip a section in exchange for a fairy and a lesser reward – welcome as it is for accessibility – feels like an easy expedient to remedy the overall mediocrity of the levels. This lack of identity and clear horizon is evident in the various puzzles, which are extremely difficult in either multiplayer or single player. In the end, it is difficult to understand who Tri Force Heroes is really intended for.
__________
[1] GameSpot, « The Story Behind Triforce Heroes: An Interview With Aonuma and Shikata », 25th October 2015, consulted on 20th March 2023.
between this and the crew, this really is the year of playing midass games under the motivation of "ah fuck, guess i gotta finish this before i can't anymore". at least me and the homies were able to finish a playthrough of this with roughly 72 hours left on the clock baby
the game itself is okay, pretty unremarkable tbh. The game uses small levels instead of large dungeons to not only make things quick and snappy for portable play with friends/randos but also to add some weird element of grindiness to it. The big gimmick of this game are the various different costumes that you and your companions can wear to get various perks, which on one hand, yeah it certainly makes it a bit more personalized, but on the other you need to make the costumes with materials and you only get ONE mfin material per level at random which means time to hit that grindhouse if you want that tingle outfit, pig. I can't imagine how mind-numbing it would be to 100% this, doing the same dungeon levels over and over with randos of varying levels of cooperation just to try and get that 1/3 rare item. blegh
the real memorable moments really aren't from the game itself, but just from fucking about with the boys ngl. you'd think that 3 minds working to finish a zelda dungeon would mean we'd be 3 times as smart, but it really ended up being 3 links each taking one third of the singular collective braincell as we all bumbledumped our way through the levels. Shenanigans can and will ensue, as it's really easy to just be a little shit in this game. Picking up other players without their consent, trying to nab or use items in dubiously humorous ways, wearing some dumbass outfit that can actively hinder progress (shoutouts to the bomb suit baby), theres just a lot of ways to make this game either really funny or hair-rippingly irritating depending on your groups sense of humor. I can't really imagine it would be that fun if you tried to play this alone or with randos online, your friends definitely make or break the experience for sure.
It's not like this game is going anywhere when the servers get shut down, as there's still local play that's an option (you even get exclusive friendship token items when you play locally vs online), but unless you are in the particularly lucky situation where you live around or with people that still use a member of the Nintendo 3DS Family of Systems™ you are going to be shit out of luck playing this on stock hardware. Luckily, I believe the priitendo fan servers already have this games online functioning so hacked 3DS havers won't need to worry much in the future. I think you can also play this online through emulation, but me and my gang have still never been able to figure out citra netplay tbh. I def want to try out the four swords games for more multiplayer zelda shenanigans (those games have a whole extra link to share the same braincell with!), but alas it was already a herculean effort for me and the gang to schedule our busy adult lives effectively enough to play this and that was just with three people...
rest in pepperoni 3DS and wii U online servers, the nintendo netcode honestly wasn't that great and it died before 360 xbox live or PS3 PSN did despite releasing 5-6 years later, but it brought a lot of smiles and good memories regardless. From the premier titles like smash 4, mario kart 7/8, and splatoon to dumpy spinoffs like this game, its shutdown will make it a great deal harder to thoroughly experience this period of Nintendo's history.
the game itself is okay, pretty unremarkable tbh. The game uses small levels instead of large dungeons to not only make things quick and snappy for portable play with friends/randos but also to add some weird element of grindiness to it. The big gimmick of this game are the various different costumes that you and your companions can wear to get various perks, which on one hand, yeah it certainly makes it a bit more personalized, but on the other you need to make the costumes with materials and you only get ONE mfin material per level at random which means time to hit that grindhouse if you want that tingle outfit, pig. I can't imagine how mind-numbing it would be to 100% this, doing the same dungeon levels over and over with randos of varying levels of cooperation just to try and get that 1/3 rare item. blegh
the real memorable moments really aren't from the game itself, but just from fucking about with the boys ngl. you'd think that 3 minds working to finish a zelda dungeon would mean we'd be 3 times as smart, but it really ended up being 3 links each taking one third of the singular collective braincell as we all bumbledumped our way through the levels. Shenanigans can and will ensue, as it's really easy to just be a little shit in this game. Picking up other players without their consent, trying to nab or use items in dubiously humorous ways, wearing some dumbass outfit that can actively hinder progress (shoutouts to the bomb suit baby), theres just a lot of ways to make this game either really funny or hair-rippingly irritating depending on your groups sense of humor. I can't really imagine it would be that fun if you tried to play this alone or with randos online, your friends definitely make or break the experience for sure.
It's not like this game is going anywhere when the servers get shut down, as there's still local play that's an option (you even get exclusive friendship token items when you play locally vs online), but unless you are in the particularly lucky situation where you live around or with people that still use a member of the Nintendo 3DS Family of Systems™ you are going to be shit out of luck playing this on stock hardware. Luckily, I believe the priitendo fan servers already have this games online functioning so hacked 3DS havers won't need to worry much in the future. I think you can also play this online through emulation, but me and my gang have still never been able to figure out citra netplay tbh. I def want to try out the four swords games for more multiplayer zelda shenanigans (those games have a whole extra link to share the same braincell with!), but alas it was already a herculean effort for me and the gang to schedule our busy adult lives effectively enough to play this and that was just with three people...
rest in pepperoni 3DS and wii U online servers, the nintendo netcode honestly wasn't that great and it died before 360 xbox live or PS3 PSN did despite releasing 5-6 years later, but it brought a lot of smiles and good memories regardless. From the premier titles like smash 4, mario kart 7/8, and splatoon to dumpy spinoffs like this game, its shutdown will make it a great deal harder to thoroughly experience this period of Nintendo's history.
POV: you got this game instead of a link between worlds
Sonic Heroes but its a good game
Beating every Zelda in timeline order 16/20:
If you're playing single player like I was, Tri Force Heroes is rough. The game simply isn't built for a single player, and honestly, why isn't it? Four Swords Adventures created a wonderful 4-player co-op game that could also be equally as enjoyable in a single player setting and Tri Force Heroes seems to just not want to try. Instead of controlling all the links at once, you have to switch to each of them one at a time. Some of the puzzles and combat encounters are damn near impossible playing like this. Your timing has to be PERFECT. Instead of leading to a challenging but fun experience, it's extremely frustrating and feels like you're fighting the game as it throws borderline unfair challenges at you towards the end. In multiplayer, I can imagine the timing of some of the puzzles being more lenient or the combat encounters being a bit more forgiving since enemies will go after all three players instead of just me. The story and characters are goofy and fun, but they're so far removed from the Zelda universe that this may as well not even be a Zelda game. Some of the puzzles and bosses can be fun (I especially enjoyed Prismantus). I also adore the music in this game, it's chock full of bangers.
In multiplayer, I could see Tri Force Heroes being a fair bit of fun. In single player, its an exercise in frustration and is certainly not worth playing.
If you're playing single player like I was, Tri Force Heroes is rough. The game simply isn't built for a single player, and honestly, why isn't it? Four Swords Adventures created a wonderful 4-player co-op game that could also be equally as enjoyable in a single player setting and Tri Force Heroes seems to just not want to try. Instead of controlling all the links at once, you have to switch to each of them one at a time. Some of the puzzles and combat encounters are damn near impossible playing like this. Your timing has to be PERFECT. Instead of leading to a challenging but fun experience, it's extremely frustrating and feels like you're fighting the game as it throws borderline unfair challenges at you towards the end. In multiplayer, I can imagine the timing of some of the puzzles being more lenient or the combat encounters being a bit more forgiving since enemies will go after all three players instead of just me. The story and characters are goofy and fun, but they're so far removed from the Zelda universe that this may as well not even be a Zelda game. Some of the puzzles and bosses can be fun (I especially enjoyed Prismantus). I also adore the music in this game, it's chock full of bangers.
In multiplayer, I could see Tri Force Heroes being a fair bit of fun. In single player, its an exercise in frustration and is certainly not worth playing.
this game gets way too much hate, it's more of a spinoff than an actual mainline zelda and should be treated that way, the multiplayer mechanics were super fun
I enjoyed this game but MICHAEL didn't have good internet so we don't get to HAVE nice things. Couldn't beat it because of MICHAEL
You start each level as a group of 3 idiots throwing each other off cliffs, and you end each level as a coordinated team with designated roles in the boss fight.
It's satisfying, it's clever, but where are the damn outfits?! Those were a main draw of the game, yet upon completion I could only afford to unlock like 4.
With friends, I had a blast. Couldn't imagine playing with strangers w/o voice chat. Or, god forbid, by myself.
> Beaten just in time for Nintendo 3DS online shutting down in April 2024; I'd like to think we were the last ever group of 3 to finish a playthru :)
It's satisfying, it's clever, but where are the damn outfits?! Those were a main draw of the game, yet upon completion I could only afford to unlock like 4.
With friends, I had a blast. Couldn't imagine playing with strangers w/o voice chat. Or, god forbid, by myself.
> Beaten just in time for Nintendo 3DS online shutting down in April 2024; I'd like to think we were the last ever group of 3 to finish a playthru :)
This game banks unbelievably hard on multiplayer and even then, you MUST have 3 people to play multiplayer.(the people that I played with had a tiny bit of fun so 0.5+ for that lol) The stacking mechanic unintentionally stabs the single-player experience, it makes the gameplay tedious and shallow. The puzzles and combat are just like any other 2.5D Zelda game but more simplified, it's basically impossible to die. There's basically no story as-well lmfao.
link kills fashion in this one
What if Four Swords required really annoying backtracking for item drops?
i remember i often wore female dresses cus i was 8/9 (idk) and once had two goron guys simping over my link and carrying him around
The level design in this game, is at best boring, and at worst, borderline unplayable.
It's clear the multiplayer was the only focus of this game. Single player was tacked on, with absolutely no changes to the levels to complement the change in control style.
In single player, you have to control all 3 characters by yourself, swapping control between them. However, there are numerous times that you essentially have to do a bunch of maneuvers in quick succession with different characters. In multiplayer, this is trivial. In single player, it becomes unnaturally hard. This mode feels like one of those challenge runs people do. "Can you beat Tri Force Heroes with only one player?"
If you leave the room for single player, the next time you come in you have to talk to the wizard and wait an extra 10 seconds to be able to control the rest of the players. Why? Why did they do this? It's just needless tedium.
And that's it, that's the game. It's exhausting, frustrating, and extremely boring.
Not to mention that the writing in this game is just plain embarrassing. Half the lines are either cringey or just plain unnecessary.
So yeah, as a single player experience, this is miserable. I can see this being okay as a multiplayer game; you might be able to have some fun, if you can manage to find two other friends with 3DSes and this game, but that's just cause you're doing it as friends. Like, you may as well just go watch a movie or play a board game or something. I promise you it'll be more fun.
You know your game is awful when you have to put in a mechanic that lets you skip up to 75% of it if you want, including bosses.
It's clear the multiplayer was the only focus of this game. Single player was tacked on, with absolutely no changes to the levels to complement the change in control style.
In single player, you have to control all 3 characters by yourself, swapping control between them. However, there are numerous times that you essentially have to do a bunch of maneuvers in quick succession with different characters. In multiplayer, this is trivial. In single player, it becomes unnaturally hard. This mode feels like one of those challenge runs people do. "Can you beat Tri Force Heroes with only one player?"
If you leave the room for single player, the next time you come in you have to talk to the wizard and wait an extra 10 seconds to be able to control the rest of the players. Why? Why did they do this? It's just needless tedium.
And that's it, that's the game. It's exhausting, frustrating, and extremely boring.
Not to mention that the writing in this game is just plain embarrassing. Half the lines are either cringey or just plain unnecessary.
So yeah, as a single player experience, this is miserable. I can see this being okay as a multiplayer game; you might be able to have some fun, if you can manage to find two other friends with 3DSes and this game, but that's just cause you're doing it as friends. Like, you may as well just go watch a movie or play a board game or something. I promise you it'll be more fun.
You know your game is awful when you have to put in a mechanic that lets you skip up to 75% of it if you want, including bosses.
played 10 minutes
Link could dress as a cheerleader in this one and it made me really flustered as a kid
ANYOIO🎐💀
HYRULE: We must keep the Triforce safe by any means necessary. If anyone with an evil heart gets their hands on it, the world will fall into darkness. You, young hero, must embark on a journey to defeat the evil threatening our kingdom.
HYTOPIA: A witch took our princess' drip. Kick her ass
HYTOPIA: A witch took our princess' drip. Kick her ass
None of my friends were emotionally available. You could say they werent game ahahah xD ok let's get serious'd it's very rare for Nintendo's studios to craft games that are boring in singleplayer so, kudos I suppose. 3DS wasnt built for easy co-op I'm afraid...
Bruh if anyone wanna play this with me please let me know I wanna beat it but online is dead lol
Think of a really good zelda game. Think about why you love it so much and what makes it so good. Good? Yeah now this is the opposite of that. If you aren't playing with 2 or more players, don't even bother. The stacking thing is a cool idea, but when in single player you have to keep switching between them and stacking in different orders, and you can avoid taking damage by switching to another link right before taking the damage, which shouldn't be possible. The gameplay is basic zelda stuff, nothing too special, and everything new they tried, seemed to just backfire in my opinion. The only reason you should get it is for multiplayer, and that's not even very good. Go play a different game
massively underrated
I cried because I beat it I've never been so happy to turn off a game
When I was working at gamestop, this was one of the free copies the company gave me, and my other coworkers also got the game, so the three of us would always play. After getting through halfway through the game, I was so bored and annoyed over the game that I just dipped out our sessions and completely gave up on it. It's not a great zelda game in terms of presentation...it doesn't do much in that. And the dungeons are borderline horrible. The only good takeaway for this game is that the outfits were pretty awesome.
I'll never play this game again ..lol
I'll never play this game again ..lol
Not as good as four swords
I have no friends
imagine assembling 3 friends to play this properly
You need friends to play this. I don't have any friends.
It's fun sometimes and frustrating others. There's some cool puzzles here, but there are also a lot of combat challenge rooms where enemies can easily overwhelm you and rapidly deplete your hearts. It's also annoying how much grinding is required to get most of the outfits. Regardless, it's still an enjoyable experience with friends.
singleplayer sucks but there's also no one to play multiplayer with. that said multiplayer is pretty fun