Tri Force Heroes: The Dunes

Madame Couture is happy that Link’s got another piece of the Lady’s Ensemble, but there’s more work to be done, so it’s off to area 6, The Dunes. The first area is the Infinity Dunes, filled with quicksand areas that suck a Link who stays still for more than a second or two. There are piles of sand that need to be blown away with the Gust Jar or washed away with the Water Rod, and rivers of sand that will sweep away anyone who sets foot in them. The second stage is the combat stage, with two Life Likes in the middle, Leevers hidden in the sand, and vultures swooping overhead. Your typical Zelda desert level. The third stage has two sets of gates between the Links and the exit that must be opened, which require scaling the nearby cliffs and activating crystal switches. The boss fight in stage four is against one giant Hokkubokku, then three more. After the lower body segments are gone, the head will try to burrow in the sand and regenerate.

Next up is the Stone Corridors. The first stage gives the Links their items – Boomerang, Gripshot, Gust Jar – then introduces the key new puzzle for the level, bringing a statue to its resting point. The second stage gives a statue near the beginning of the level that must be used to block pointy things that would otherwise hamper the Links’ progress en route to the end. The third stage brings the trickiest part of the game so far: platforms that tilt toward heavy weights. The statue weighs about the same as a single Link, so it’s all about balance as the Link try to take the statue across. There’s one part where the best solution I found is Gripshot Link holds the statue while Gust Jar Link holds Boomerang Link. Then the two Links holding something throw it across a gap, then more or less simultaneously, Boomerang Link throws his Boomerang to bring Gust Jar Link over while Gripshot Link Gripshots over to the statue. In multiplayer, I would imagine the challenge level here would strongly depend on how good the three players are at coordinating. In single player, it’s twitch reflexes and precise placement and just a bloody nightmare to get through.

And the nightmare doesn’t stop there. The boss of the level is the Vulture Vizier, which perches on ledges next to one of those tilting platforms. Over on the left side, it’s manageable because a single Link can handle it while another runs balance on the other side. The right-side perch is higher up, requiring more precarious balance and a Totem to hit. And when the platform becomes unstable and the Links fall off, a heart is lost for each one that falls. And the bird isn’t just sitting there. He tries to push the Links off the platform, whacks it so it wobbles wildly, and eventually drops statues on the platform to affect its balance. When it takes enough damage, it tries to fly over and falls on the platform, thrashing about and wobbling the platform while the Links try to finish it off. I beat it on my last heart on my last fairy and was just glad to be done with it.

Level three is the Gibdo Mausoleum. The items are Gripshot, Gust Jar, and Fire Gloves. The first stage has buried Sand Crabs, one of whom has the key needed to escape. Next up is a fight against waves of Skullropes, Stalfos, and Fire Keeleons. Stalfos have gotten an upgrade; they’re basically impossible to hit unless stunned first. The third stage has invisible floor tiles that are only become visible for a short time when a fireball hits them. The boss fight for the area should be easy to guess: three Gibdos (who turn into Stalfos when burned), then two more.

The final level for the area is the Desert Temple. Items are two Hammers and a Boomerang. The first stage, after the Links get armed, has new enemies called Switch Moles, and… they are not the first Zelda enemy to make me think of Whac-A-Mole, but they might be the purest example (except one whack kills them). Stage two has a bunch of Stalfos. Stage three is a gauntlet with the new element being platforms that need to be tilted by pounding with the Hammer.

The Desert Temple boss is Stalchampion, a giant Stalfos with its left hand turned into a mace. Like many enemies, Stalchampion is immune to attacks from the front, so the trick is to get it to attack one Link and use another to hit it from behind. The first hit makes it hop around on one leg; a second hit before it recovers collapses it into a pile and lets the Links hammer away at its rib cage/heart weak point while dodging the mace head, which rolls around trying to damage the Links during this phase. Stalchampion becomes more aggressive as it takes damage, and ultimately absorbs its weak spot into the skull for the final phase. This is Boomerang Link’s chance to shine, stunning the skull so the Links can whack at it and destroy it.

Next: …it’s taken the game this long to do color puzzles?

Tri Force Heroes: Fortress

Our next area is the Fortress, and the first level is the Sealed Gateway. Items are two Boomerangs and a Gust Jar. The first stage is populated by soldiers, who have upped their game from A Link Between Worlds; there’s basically no opening in their defense unless you make one with an item. The second stage has a flail trooper, followed by two soldiers more with more on higher ground throwing bombs and spears down at the Links. Stage 3 reintroduces the walls raised/lowered by crystals – keeping the wall form from A Link Between Worlds, which even without wall-merging allows for height puzzles. The final stage has a small puzzle with two pendulum-like weights suspended over a bridge that the Link with the Gust Jar needs to swing to allow one to pass, then a boss fight against two flail troopers.

The next level is Bomb Storage, but only one item is Bombs – the other two are Gust Jars. The first stage has a couple crystal switches in windows where the Gust Jar can reach, first from a bomb flower, then working together with the Link with the Bombs. The second stage has a set of parallel walkways the Links need to coordinate to get each other past puzzles (and the Gust Jar can be used to send Links between the walkways). Much of the third stage is an aerial cable car that the Gust Jars can propel with a couple crystal switches that need to be hit with Bombs. There’s also a bunch of rupees suspended on the rope, and it didn’t occur to me to toss a Link up there to get them. The final stage is a rematch with the Hinox Brothers; this one’s considerably easier at first because the walkway’s even bigger, the Hinox Brothers don’t move, and the Gust Jar can propel bombs right back at them. Once their down, their big brother comes in and tosses huge bombs at the Links. They’re not as big as the ones from Four Swords Adventures where the only way to survive was to get off the screen, but they do have a big boom radius so it’s helpful to lure them away from where the Link with Bombs wants to stand to throw Bombs at the Hinox. Further complicating matters, each time the Big Hinox Brother reappears, a couple Hardhat Beetles spawn; this would be fine in multiplayer with one Link handling the Beetles while the other two work on the boss, but frustrating in single player.

The third level is the Training Ground, where the puzzles revolve around Link riding on Armos. (Items: Bow, Gripshot, Gust Jar.) Key to the puzzle in the first stage is that Armos can bounce safely across lava, which took me way too long to figure out and I pretty much only did by accident. Stage two has combat that’s easy because a Link mounted on an Armos smashes anything not mounted on an Armos. The third stage has Beamos eyes; one mounted on the Armos the Links need to use, the other on a nearby pillar. There’s also a puzzle involving using Armos to block fire streams that feels right out of Spirit Tracks’ Tower of Spirits. The fourth stage seems the response to my earlier discovery and pits the mounted Links against mounted enemies for jousting. The Gust Jar can still knock enemies off their mounts, and then the Armos smash strategy is back in play. After the first wave, a second wave spawns with a mounted flail soldier, one with a shield that needs to be stolen with the Gripshot, and a bomb-throwing soldier on a two-high Armos totem.

The Lady’s Lair is the final level. The first stage gives the Links their items: Boomerang, Gripshot, and Gust Jar. The second stage pits them against three soldiers in rotating cable cars, one throwing bombs that can be thrown back. (If he goes before either of the other two, there are bomb flowers that can be used instead.) The third stage is a mostly simple climb to the end, with a couple combat encounters: one with Hardhat Beetles and a Shield Soldier, one with two Hinox and a Fire Flail Soldier. Finally, the Links come face-to-face with Lady Maud, the Lady behind all of Styla’s troubles, and… she’s everything that annoys me about her sister, plus she’s the villain so I’m going to be disinclined to like her anyway. I’m fairly certain she’s my least favorite Zelda villain, unless you count my extreme distaste for fighting the Imprisoned against Demise. (And that game had Ghirahim.)

Anyway, we’re on Area 5, not 8, so we’re only fighting the Tri Furies, the Lady’s Pets right now. These are based on the first three area bosses in order. First up is the Margoma pet that looks like an evil wedding cake. Strategy’s still the same, only difference is the bombs have to come from the flowers on the islands just off the main boss platform. Next up is the Moldorm pet, and this is my favorite Moldorm ever [1]. One of the Links can be tossed over to the bomb island, and sit there out of Moldorm’s grasp and chuck bombs at it. For the last phase when it’s bouncing around the platform with no pattern and its tail up where it takes a full totem to hit, I had to come back to the main platform, but that was no big deal. Finally, there’s Arrghus, protected by two fiery eyes and two icy eyes. They can be stunned and killed safely, or just ignored to hit the main eye with the Gripshot and finish it off when it’s down. Lady Maud throws a tantrum at the defeat of her pets and teleports out. The treasure chest at the end has the second piece of the Lady’s Ensemble, the Lady’s Collar.

Next: I’m starting to think I don’t like this game very much.

[1] Of the version known in Japan as Tail.

Tri Force Heroes: Ice Cavern

There’s nothing new in town, so it’s on to the next area of the Drablands [1], the Ice Cavern. Icy variants of enemies, low traction, maybe some sliding block puzzles. The first level is the Frozen Plateau, and the first stage is different: the Links have to navigate the first level to get to the blocks where the items are kept. The items are three Fire Bracelets [2], which let the Links throw fireballs like they’re a turtle-stomping plumber. Fireballs melt ice, destroy enemies (including icy enemies without risk of damage to Link), and light torches. They can be charged as a frontal shield, and bounce around for a bit before disappearing. The second level takes advantage of the bouncing with puzzles involving throwing fireballs at walls to bounce them around a corner, plus has Freezards spewing icy air. The third level has icy tiles that crack under the Links’ weight (and hitting them with fireballs is less than ideal). The final stage pits the Links against Ice Wizzrobes on the icy tiles.

Next up is Snowball Ravine, with giant snowballs rolling down from… somewhere. Only, instead of snowballs, sometimes it’s giant rocks that are immune to melting. The Links also get a boomerang in this level, to let them cross gaps. The second stage largely consists of finding torches to light, with one guarded by a block that needs to be hit by a bomb that’s hard to do accurately because of the perspective. The third stage is a long gauntlet of snowball dodging. The level’s boss is a giant Freezard. At first it sits in the middle until the Links can melt the ice off its back and arms, and spins around with its breath going. Once reduced to its core, it jumps around the area and uses the breath as a jet to send it flying backward. More fireballs kill it.

The third area is the Silver Shrine, and it features the last of the game’s items: the Hammer. The pedestals with the hammers are surrounded by pegs that need to be hammered, and it took me much longer than it should have to realize that one Link needs to be tossed into the center. The hammer-loaded spring vaults from A Link Between Worlds make their return here. The next stage features Terrorpins (which I had forgotten were coming when I made the Mario joke above); the first fight is relatively easy with one new twist: The Terrorpins stack in a totem of their own. The second takes place on the fragile icy tiles, so in addition to the ground being slippery, there’s also the fact that hammering the ice causes it to break faster. The third stage introduces timing puzzles with the spring vaults. Finally, the final stage has Deadrocks, which turn to stone when they take damage and can be smashed before they revert. This works like the Terrorpin fights, only the icy stage isn’t fragile, just slippery, which is bad enough (it’s easiest to lure the Deadrocks to where Link can stand on non-slippery ground to strike).

The final area is the Ice Temple. The first stage gives two of the Links Hammers and has a series of puzzles to get through before the third Link can get the Fire Gloves needed to get out of the stage. The second stage pits the Link against Deadrocks; the ice is fragile this time, but there’s a lot of solid ground to stand on, so it’s actually easier. Stage three has puzzles involving snowballs rolling past jets of arctic air and timing passage to when the snowball’s blocking the jet to get past safely.

The area boss is Blizzagia, an ice worm dragon. For the first phase of this fight, the perspective changes to focus on five caves at the area’s north end where Blizzagia emerges from, breathing icy and then fully slithering out. Blizzagia has a stone mask that can be damaged with the hammer; after a few hits, the mask cracks, Blizzagia freezes the area, perspective switches back to normal, and Blizzagia remains out of the caves for most of the fight. At this point, I got a little swept up trying to destroy the icy scales on its back and tail with fire, but they’d regrow when Blizzagia went back into the caves. The solution turns out to be keep pounding the mask; the scales exist to give the Fire Gloves Link's player something to keep them entertained. After a few more hits, the mask fully cracks revealing the giant weak point on Blizzagia’s head, and hitting that a bunch finishes it off.

Next: Meeting by appointment only. And remember, dress to impress.

[1] While to me the game’s obsession with fashion ranges from “annoying and overdone” to “please make it stop,” I like the name Drablands for a wilderness area. Maybe not these wilderness areas, which are far too exciting for the name to work, but… say, Twilight Princess. (Too easy?)

Tri Force Heroes: Volcano

A clown has appeared in town, and he tells Link about a new area of the Drablands that’s just been discovered: the Den of Trials. This is apparently a marathon challenge dungeon like we’ve been seeing since Wind Waker’s Savage Labyrinth, and there’s a special outfit reward for those who make it through and prove they don’t need it. (I may have extrapolated that last part.)

The third area is the Volcano, and the first level is Blazing Trail. The first stage introduces the new item, the Boomerang. Like the Water Rod and Gripshot, the Boomerang has a function that serves as an alternate way to get a Link across a barrier: it grabs the Link and brings him to the thrower. The second stage has a puzzle involving volcanic rocks that break apart under the Links’ weight (but regrow if they do sink into the lava) and Boomeranging to get to the combat encounter: Fire Keese and Hinox. The Hinox aren’t as tough as they were in A Link Between Worlds, but the fire in the area adds a bit of challenge, especially with the “Link who takes fire damage runs around uncontrollably with his buns on fire” mechanic from Four Swords making its return. Stage three has falling boulders to avoid while navigating the path. The final stage has rising and falling levels of lava, with a few safe high points for the Links to stand while battling Kodongos and Fire Keese. It’s funny how a little change can affect things; if this were water, I’d have hated it, but with fire/lava it’s actually fun.

Next up is the Hinox Mine, which gives the Links a Bow and two Boomerangs. (In situations like this, I try to give Green Link the item there’s only one of.) The first stage is short and mainly exists to sell the idea that Link can grab bombs from bomb flowers with the boomerang. Then the real fun starts with the second stage, which puts the Link in a minecart and they have to use their items to open the way to the gate. The third level is more of the same, with three crystal switches that must be activated (thankfully, not linked). Then the fourth level has the miniboss: Hinox Brothers. At first, there’s just one, throwing bombs into the Links’ minecart that the Links need to toss back and the timing makes it tricky. Then there’s two of them and it’s easy to fill up the cart; the trick I found to staying alive was keeping active Links toward the edges of the cart and exploiting the fact that Doppels don’t take damage.

Third is the Den of Flames, which has another new item, returning from Minish Cap: the Gust Jar. It can blast Links across gaps, put out flames, and accelerate swinging platforms. The second stage has a bunch of Fire Hardhat Beetles, because if there’s one enemy that had to be made more annoying, this was it. The third stage has swinging platforms to manipulate and firebars to avoid. The boss room is simple but annoying: Fire Keeleons that spit bombs, followed by a couple more with Fire Hardhat Beetles.

Finally, there’s the Fire Temple. For the first time, there’s three separate items: Bow, Boomerang, and Gust Jar. All three are required to get through the first stage’s puzzles. The second stage pits the Links against more minecart-riding Hinox; one at first, then two more once the first one’s defeated. This fight is much easier than the Hinox Brothers for four reasons: First, the Links’ platform is stationary, so they only have to account for the enemy carts’ movement. Second, the platform is bigger, giving more room to get away from bombs. Third, the bombs don’t come as fast. Fourth, there are bomb flowers the Links can use to get their own bombs, so they don’t need the Hinox’ bombs to win the fight. The third stage has puzzles involving a big block and lava geysers that can lift the block.

And we come to the boss of this very tiresome area, and they top it off by bringing back our old friend Moldorm. (It’s wearing armor, so it looks less like a chain of leafy hamburgers.) Fire geysers scattered around the platform add a bit of challenge, but it’s the multiplayer mechanic that makes it really frustrating. Moldorm will focus on the active Link and only reveal its tail weak point periodically. And once the active Link is switched, there’s a fraction of a second before the tail becomes invulnerable again. Also, the reason Moldorm in general is so annoying is its tendency to push Link off of platforms, and Doppels are neither immune to being pushed around nor falling damage. As the fight goes on, Moldorm raises its tail so it requires a Totem to hit. For the final phase, the tail requires a full Totem to hit, but Moldorm loses the ability to focus and bounces erratically around the platform. Also, the tail’s up so high the Totem Link can shoot over Moldorm’s body and hit the tail, which feels like a mercy.

Next: I’d try to keep the song theme going, but if a song’s got a snowflake in it, it automatically becomes a Christmas song.

Tri Force Heroes: Riverside

Madame Couture recognizes the Lady’s Glasses in Link’s possession, and now that Link has proven himself, she tells him the full story of the witch, starting with the fact that she’s her older sister. Their people have powers to create magical outfits. Couture feels bad about helping hunt down her sister, but something has to be done after what she did to Princess Styla. But she’s come up with an alternate plan: create a facsimile of The Lady’s outfit, and whoever wears it will be able to break the curse on Styla, without needing to defeat The Lady herself. Also in town, a street merchant has set up selling random treasure items. The next area is the Riverside, and the first level is the Secret Fortress. The name suggests a watery area, which is borne out not just by the terrain, but by the item in that level: the Water Rod. (I don’t think we’ve had Water Rods before. Fire, ice, sand, and tornado… but not water.) It creates a pillar of water that the Links can ride to reach higher places without Toteming, and the first stage has a bunch of cliffs to navigate, and some enemies near the end on high platforms to fight, to get familiar with its use. The pattern I noted in the Woodlands doesn’t hold here: the second stage is combat-free, with puzzles on chaining pillars together and using the water to extinguish fire. The third stage has a tricky puzzle involving moving fast enough with the pillars and a bomb to break a wall, and the final stage has enemies hovering over water or standing on island pillars that require the Water Rod to get to. Next up is the Abyss of Agony. One Link gets a bow here, the other two stick with their Water Rods. The main new obstacle in this area is rapids which can sweep the Links along, including right off a cliff, if they fall in. The second stage here is the simple combat encounter stage, and – as is typical for these encounters – it won’t activate until all three Links are in the combat area, and it took me forever to figure out what I needed to do. I was constantly exploring with one, and then two Links, but there was nothing that seemed to require the full Totem, so I never felt the need to try bringing all three down… I was stuck for quite a while. Octoroks are among the enemies here, looking more like the terrestrial version but aquatic. The third stage has a long climb up cliffs to the gate, aided by platforms controlled by wheels that can be spun by the Water Rod’s pillar of water. The final stage has another Giant Buzz Blob, with three differences from the first one: it has four stages instead of three, requiring the Links to raise themselves up to hit the weak point for the final stage; it goes underwater between stages and must be forced to surface with the Water Rod; and it has three feet instead of four, so its electric attack goes out in a Y instead of an X. The Cove of Transition has another new item; as is traditional, the water level has a Hookshot variant, this time the Gripshot. As the first Hookshot or variant to appear in a multiplayer Zelda game, the Gripshot embraces that novelty and can pull the Link to another Link/Doppel. The second stage has a combat area with water going up and down. In the third stage, using the Gripshot to guide a raft around returns (with one Link having to stand in as a guidepost). The final stage features Gyorms, shelled enemies that need to be pulled out of their shells to be vulnerable to the sword (and quickly get back in, which is frustrating for a single-player campaign). The Water Temple gives two Gripshots and one Water Rod and reintroduces the familiar element of using the Gripshot to spin wheels to raise/lower the water level. The second stage features combat in an area with few places to stand, and here came the ultimate frustration with the shared life bar and the heads-up messages every time something happens: When the Links get down to three or fewer (out of a base nine) hearts, messages start scrolling across the screen warning you you’re in the danger zone YES I KNOW I can hear it beeping and am keeping a close eye on my life bar I DO NOT WANT OR NEED THESE at least it’s better than Fi at least it’s better than Fi at least it’s better than Fi… Sorry. I’m fine now. The third stage is mostly a puzzle involving getting to a raft, then using that raft to bring the key to the door. Then the final stage has the area boss, Arrghus. The first part of this fight is the same as always: Link pulls the eyes that circle Arrghus off with the Gripshot and whacks them with his sword. When all the eyes are gone, the water drains and the Links go to the bottom of the area. Pulling the second ring of eyes requires a full Totem, which leaves little time for a Link to jump off the Totem so they can attack the eye. It’s easier to wait for Arrghus to send one out to attack, pull it closer with the Gripshot or stun it with the Water Wand, and attack. The last phase is the easiest: Arrghus’ core body has an eye, and Gripshotting it stuns it, allowing many free shots before it recovers. Next: Ground she’s moving under me / Tidal waves out on the sea…

Tri Force Heroes: Woodlands

The second level of the Woodlands is Buzz Blob Cave. In the first stage, the Links start out separate, each needing to claim their bow and use it to pop a balloon to reach the central area. There’s one other new trick to this stage: the gate is locked. The key is in a balloon near the gate; one of the Links needs to pop the balloon, and then the key must be carried to the lock. The second stage has a switch all three Links must stand on to activate, activating two waves of Blobs (mostly buzzless, but it would be weird to have Buzz Blob Cave with no Buzz Blobs) to fight. The first wave comes in a circle, but that one Buzz Blob keeps it from being easy to spin attack and be done.

The third stage has the Links riding a set of platforms and needing to shoot two Totem Dekus and two switches to open the way forward. The boss of the level is a Giant Buzz Blob. It starts mostly unformed with the giant red orb that’s its weak spot at ground level, so a single Link can shoot it. After a couple hits, it forms up a little so that it takes a two-Link Totem to hit the orb. Then, of course, it stands up to full height, and a full Totem is required. In between phases, the Giant Buzz Blob sends out four lines of electricity in an X, rotating around the area. This is tricky to avoid, although less so in single player because inactive Doppels don’t take damage (except from falling.)

The third level is the Moblin Base, and it mixes up the item selection by giving one Link bombs. The first stage has some simple bomb and bow puzzles to show the player(s) know how to use the items. The second stage has a bunch of enemies: Totem Dekus for the bow, Life Likes for the bombs, and Buzz Blobs for either (but easier with bows). The Moblins show up in the third stage as the Links try to enter the actual Moblin Base; the highlight of the stage is a set of six crystal switches, one that needs to be hit with a bomb, then five at varying heights that need arrows. The final stage is a battle against a bunch of Moblins, including three mounted on Armos.

After three levels, a clear pattern is emerging: The first stage has some basic puzzles to solve with the items, the second stage has a stronger combat focus, the third stage is a longer series of puzzles, and then a boss (or boss-like) fight. The next level, the Forest Temple, follows the pattern fairly well. The items are two bombs and one bow. The first stage brings back shooting through torches to light unlit torches, and adds Mini-Margos, spiked enemies that move around in a pattern and can be destroyed by tossing a bomb into their back. The second stage has a bunch of Mini-Margos and some Tektites hopping around between pillars. The third stage has a series of long, narrow pathways with arrow traps continually firing along the paths.

The Forest Temple concludes with a boss fight against Margoma, a cross between the Mini-Margos (themselves based on Margomill from A Link Between Worlds) and Gohma. It spins around the room until it charges. Charging into a wall stuns it, allowing a Link to toss a bomb into its hole, further stunning it and revealing the eye. At this point, a Link needs to toss another on top of Margoma to hit the eye. After the first few hits, Margoma grows a second layer, requiring a Totem to get bombs into the hole and the Link on top to hit the eye. Eventually all that’s left is the eye, which hops erratically around the room; an arrow will stun it, and a few more sword hits kill it. In addition to the normal reward, Link finds the Lady’s Glasses in the chosen treasure chest.

As Link prepares to return to town, Sir Combsly calls him over to tell him he’s got a summons from King Tuft. Tuft tells Link that clearing an area unlocks extra challenges in that area (three per level). For the first level, these are to complete the level within a (very tight!) time limit, to carry an orb from start to finish of each stage (the orb lights a portion of the stage, any active Link outside the lighted portion takes damage), and to play with half as many hearts. Like with outfit collecting, I’m still deciding if this is something I want to bother with. Frankly, I don’t know that I’m enjoying the game enough to play it four times.

Next: Gonna lay down my sword and shield [1]…

[1] Does this Link even have a shield?

Tri Force Heroes: Doppels

At the gate to the castle, the guard stops Link for inspection, and determines he’s got the ear, hair, and sideburns to be a Tri Force Hero, and allows him to enter the castle, to the consternation of another would-be hero (dressed in green, with pink hair like Link’s sprite from A Link to the Past, heh). Inside, Sir Combsly also inspects Link and declares after several who didn’t measure up, he’s finally found someone with the attributes to be a Tri Force Hero. He gives Link the necessary materials for a Hero’s Tunic and sends him to Madame Couture. On the way, Link talks to the pink-haired guy again; something about Friendly Tokens which are earned through multiplayer play and unlock exclusive outfits and wow am I even more likely to not bother.

Link takes the materials to Madame Couture, who agrees if Sir Combsly vouches for Link, she’ll work her magic. She makes the Hero’s Tunic and directs Link to the changing room to put it on. Outside, the Bearded Baron directs Link to give thanks to the Tri Force Hero statue (i.e., save his game). Link returns to Combsly, who welcomes him back and explains the rules: “It’s literally too dangerous to go alone, so you’ll need a team of three.” However, for those who insist on going it alone, there’s another option through a smaller door to the right of the main door. (It doesn’t matter to me, but there doesn’t seem to be an option for two players. Weird.)

Through that door, Link finds a wizard and two wooden dolls. The dolls are Doppels, which can serve as vessels for a lone hero’s spirit, transferring among them so one hero can solve puzzles meant to be solved by three. There’s also a skip button which lets the hero sacrifice a resurrection fairy to empower the Doppels to skip a section of a level, which also means one of the treasure chests at the end of the level will be empty. The other core mechanic is that the Links can carry each other in a stack like the statue in the city, referred to as a totem. (During this, the music mix changes depending on which position Link is in.) Link can use the topmost Doppel’s sword and item from any position in the stack. Finally, Link and the Doppels share a life meter and energy meter. (Doppels can’t wear different outfits, but Link can; Link can wear his original outfit, but it has one less heart and causes him to take double damage. So, for challenge seekers.)

There are eight areas in the game, and each has four levels. The first area is the Woodlands, and its first level is Deku Forest. It’s divided into four stages. In the first stage, each of the Links can take an item – in this case, all three get bows. The objective of each stage is to activate the portal at the end and reach it. There’s no true need to collect rupees, unlike in Four Swords where more rupees means better keys, or Four Swords Adventures where the Force Gems are the required collectible to make it out of the stage, but you can probably spend them on stuff in town. In the first stage, Link and the Doppels must strike orbs on platforms of varying heights, mastering totem tricks to get there. The second stage is full of buzzless Blobs, and the portal appears when they’re all defeated. The third stage has a string of platforms and orbs Link needs to manipulate to make it to the end. Near the end of the third stage is a Squiddy, a creature that Link can juggle with his sword and drops items as long as he keeps juggling.

And then the final stage is another fighting stage, this time against four Totem Dekus, Deku Scrubs that rise to different heights to be attacked by Link in various totem sizes. Overall this is very fast-paced; each stage can be done in a couple minutes; probably even under a minute if rushing. Of course, this is the first level, so they may get longer. One annoyance is that every time Link picks up a heart or rupee or opens a treasure chest, a little banner scrolls across the screen declaring what Link has just done. This is probably useful for multiplayer where the other players need to know what one is doing, but for single player it’s grating. After leaving the final stage, Link returns to the castle, and the Doppels disappear. Link gets to choose one of three chests, each of which has a treasure item.

Back in town, people recognize that Link’s accomplished stuff. More interestingly, two new shops are open. Daily Riches is a chest game with a prize in one of four chests. It’s free to play, and playing each day increases the odds of winning until the fourth day when winning is guaranteed. The other location is the Miiverse gallery, and while the Miiverse is no more, the Photo Bro still gives Link a camera so he can take pictures while exploring the Drablands.

Next: The rest of the first area.