Nintendo has really figured out the right rhythm and style for its Legend of Zelda HD remakes, especially the console ones. I say that because of the latest news about Twilight Princess HD, namely that, like Wind Waker HD before it, the game is going to include a harder Hero Mode… and it’ll be playable right from the outset. That, Nintendo, is the way to do it right. This news isn’t totally official yet, but it comes from the same source as the Wolf Link Amiibo dungeon news that everyone is taking as gospel already. And if it is true, it’s another great reason for us veterans to pick up Twilight Princess HD on March 4.
Twilight Princess Hero Mode Confirmed
The news about Twilight Princess HD receiving a Hero Mode comes to us via Amazon France, as spotted by innumerable websites, perhaps initially by Perfectly Nintendo. The Hero Mode was mentioned in the game’s listing, along with the much more widely reported news about the extra dungeon unlocked by the Wolf Link Amiibo. Unsurprisingly, both details have since been removed, probably following a sharply worded email from Nintendo brass. Amazon France has leaked big pieces of news like this before, so it isn’t necessarily nonsense.
The real key is that Hero Mode is unlocked right from the beginning. According to the removed listing, the game’s Hero Mode makes enemies do double damage, but doesn’t seem to affect in-game healing. Wind Waker HD’s Hero Mode did affect healing by preventing hearts from dropping from regular ol’ pots and bushes and such, which made the game… really, really hard, especially from the outset. Too hard for this veteran Zelda man. By comparison, Twilight Princess HD’s Hard Mode is going to be more like Link Between Worlds, which just included fiercer, more damaging enemies. I think that’s the way to do it.
Twilight Princess was disappointingly, glaringly easy for veteran Zelda gamers. While the game was very inventive and had lots of cool features, it was not challenging from a combat perspective, with a very few exceptions. Making all enemies twice as damaging fixes that problem pretty neatly.
The inclusion of Hero Mode right from the beginning moves Twilight Princess HD straight to the “must buy” column for me. If you’re worried about the extra difficulty, don’t be: You can switch in and out of Hero Mode at any time. So you won’t get stuck in a game that’s too hard for you halfway through. Of course, that won’t be a problem for real Heroes, like me. I’ll storm my way through Twilight Princess HD once it comes out on March 4, Hero Mode all the way.
