Oh, the sword training... The minigame itself isn't that hard and even getting the Heart Piece/Container is not a big problem. But to truly 100% the game, you have to go a little bit further. Well, at least in The Wind Waker and Spirit Tracks that is. If you score 999 hits in The Wind Waker, Orca stops the game and now keeps calling you "Master" by title, whenever you talk to him. And in Spirit Tracks scoring over 900 hits (you might as well go for the 999 maximum) makes you the commander of the guards. They will then call you captain, which is kind of funny.
While normally minigame records like this don't count torwards the 100% rating, in this case they do, because they unlock something new to the game - a title and different reactions from people. Years ago I didn't count these things as part of the 100% rating, because you didn't get an item from it (and because I hated the thought of playing these terrible minigames for so long). But since I always claim that I 100%ed all Zelda games (which is a very fishy statement to begin with), I decided to catch up on these records after all. Luckily there are tricks, which make these games easier.
The Wind Waker:
The trick is to use the shield. Hit him until you hear the counter attack sound (whenever the A-button appears on the screen), but instead of countering you simply use your shield to block his attack. Repeat until you get the 999 (might take a while...) It worked best for me by pushing him into a corner, but be careful not to hit things in the environment. Works both in the GameCube and the HD version.
Spirit Tracks:
Watch this video. You have to get the attacking guard get stuck on the wooden posts in the lower right, while you attack one of the guards in the lower left. The third guard remains passive, because he waits for the stuck guard to attack. This only works before getting 60 hits, because otherwise the other guard will attack you as well. It's hard to pull it off at first, but as soon as you get it right, you can quickly score the 999 hits in a couple of minutes by just mashing the touch screen.
It happened to me twice that like after 500 hits the captain complained about me leaving the room and put me in the center. If this happens, it's Game Over. You have to try to keep the input on the touchscreen at a steady rate, which can be hard, but don't give up.
Phantom Hourglass is probably the only of the three sword training games, where it's not a problem to get the 999 hits by playing the game as intented. However, there's no reward for scoring 999. He doesn't treat you different, you don't get a different name or title, he acts the same way as he would when you score over 200. So, there's no need to score the 999 here. One of the many reasons, why I prefer Phantom Hourglass over Spirit Tracks... less bullshit.
If you add minigames, try at least to make them fun and don't add any ridiculous unlockables for ridiculous scores. Thank you, Nintendo.
While normally minigame records like this don't count torwards the 100% rating, in this case they do, because they unlock something new to the game - a title and different reactions from people. Years ago I didn't count these things as part of the 100% rating, because you didn't get an item from it (and because I hated the thought of playing these terrible minigames for so long). But since I always claim that I 100%ed all Zelda games (which is a very fishy statement to begin with), I decided to catch up on these records after all. Luckily there are tricks, which make these games easier.
The Wind Waker:
The trick is to use the shield. Hit him until you hear the counter attack sound (whenever the A-button appears on the screen), but instead of countering you simply use your shield to block his attack. Repeat until you get the 999 (might take a while...) It worked best for me by pushing him into a corner, but be careful not to hit things in the environment. Works both in the GameCube and the HD version.
Spirit Tracks:
Watch this video. You have to get the attacking guard get stuck on the wooden posts in the lower right, while you attack one of the guards in the lower left. The third guard remains passive, because he waits for the stuck guard to attack. This only works before getting 60 hits, because otherwise the other guard will attack you as well. It's hard to pull it off at first, but as soon as you get it right, you can quickly score the 999 hits in a couple of minutes by just mashing the touch screen.
It happened to me twice that like after 500 hits the captain complained about me leaving the room and put me in the center. If this happens, it's Game Over. You have to try to keep the input on the touchscreen at a steady rate, which can be hard, but don't give up.
Phantom Hourglass is probably the only of the three sword training games, where it's not a problem to get the 999 hits by playing the game as intented. However, there's no reward for scoring 999. He doesn't treat you different, you don't get a different name or title, he acts the same way as he would when you score over 200. So, there's no need to score the 999 here. One of the many reasons, why I prefer Phantom Hourglass over Spirit Tracks... less bullshit.
If you add minigames, try at least to make them fun and don't add any ridiculous unlockables for ridiculous scores. Thank you, Nintendo.
"One of the many reasons, why I prefer Phantom Hourglass over Spirit Tracks... less bullshit."
ReplyDeleteThere are MANY reasons why I prefer ST over PH, ... but eh, it's futile to start an argument now. Today and forever. =/
Well, there are many things that are done better in ST. I won't argue with that. But overall I enjoy PH more.
ReplyDeleteI didn't mean to say that PH didn't do things better than ST, mind you. There are several highlights in the game. But some of the things I can't stand from it are fixed in ST, such as the limited soundrack (same theme for all dungeons, same theme for all bosses), the lack of new items (every tool and weapon was seen before in past games), the lack of minibosses in dungeons, and the fact that too many upgrades (Bomb Bag, Quiver, Bombchu Bag, and TWO Heart Containers) are purchased in shops rather than gained in minigames.
ReplyDeleteOn the plus side, PH does have a less restricted overworld, some puzzles are more clever (such as the one about closing the screen), there are more dungeons, some collectibles are more fun to collect (the Spirit Gems, compared to the Stamps and Rabbits), and it has LINEBECK! =)
Anyway, sorry for the off-topic. Here's some input:
When it comes to 100% completion, I can say I'm a seasoned completionist. Not just in Zelda but also in any game. I actually have mastered an optimized playthrough for OOT, MM and TWW (some things in TP and SS escape my efforts, making completion more difficult, such as the lack of control of day and night which makes Poe hunts a pain in the rear). One of the reasons why I don't like permanently missable stuff is that it forces me to do some actions earlier when it would be more confortable to do them later when you have tools that ease the process (it's a HUGE pain to have to complete the Mask sequence in OOT without warping songs just because the Deku Nut upgrade is missable due to a glitch caused by the Poacher's Saw).
I used to have a yearly marathon of Zelda playthroughs until the end of 2011, when some unfortunate incidents in regards of the Zelda community damped my enthusiasm towards the series (though you already know that, I was willing to NOT play Skyward Sword as a result), so the only games I've played since then were SS, TP and (more recently) PH, plus some good clones like Okami and Star Fox Adventures. I was considering having a 100% completion marathon for all Zelda games this year, but I think I can wait until ALBW and Zelda Wii U for that. =)
If you're interested to know, my playthroughs of MM last always 20 cycles. It's a beautiful program of events I myself designed for whenever I played the game.
spirit tracks mini-game was obnoxiousin general. it was 3 on one as opposed to 1 on 1 in the wind waker and phantom hourglass. when I completed the challenge in st, the other mini-games felt so much easier in comparison.
ReplyDelete