Hyrule Castle

Yay. You are now in Hyrule Castle. This means you are now in the last, hardest dungeon of Twilight Princess. Give a big hoorah to yourself! You deserve it ; hard work pays off with unlocked levels and more……

Hyrule Castle has a main courtyard that carries a few visual similarities to that of its past versions, like in A Link to the Past, The Wind Waker, and Ocarina of Time, to name a few. There are neatly trimmed, green trees and grass sections as well as some elegant, cement stone statues and other floors and walls made of the same light gray material. It looks like a true castle of old, worthy of its name and calling ; fans did not show too much disappointment with Hyrule Castle and its look, noting that it brings the best of “Zelda” to a new game….the effect here, thus, was not the same as felt when many played the Temple of Time in this game.

See the difference? It’s major. And Hyrule Castle did not drastically remove elements that were vital to the heart of Zelda, otherwise this version of the Hyrule Castle might have also been a failure in the eyes of die - hard fans. That’s a good thing.

Those three Fused Shadows must be used together, in conjunction, by both Midna and Link, in order to get you to Hyrule Castle, where the showdown of showdowns is about to occur. A crystal surrounding the castle can now be destroyed, and you may enter, getting to the courtyard first. King Bulblin shows up here for his last rematch --- and believe me, it will be his last. Defeat him to get a key you need, which will increase your access in going about the castle and finding your final foe. 

There will be all kinds of puzzle challenges, not to mention enemies, in the east area of this castle. And you can not avoid going there, as much as you may try, because you need another key that so happens to be there. There will be an extra key in the graveyard nearby, too. Boy, this dungeon is filled with surprises.

Treasure chests and rupees will abound here, and that extra key, for instance, will take you to a room where you can get them. Make sure to stock up well as you go along, not forgetting to get those refreshments you need along the way. The castle’s main hall, all in all, has got a massive room within it, that include multiple chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Clawshot every one of these, aiming well, to get yourself access to different chambers throughout this final dungeon. 

Defeat a Darknut along the path, and then, you will be faced with making a hard choice (not really) : Do I go right, or do I go left, next? Choose either way. Both choices will still take you out to the balcony of the castle, where another Aeralfos (or is it the same one, but brought back to life? Who knows…..) will fight you and lose, dropping another key you need. Sucks to be him.

Watch out for other so - called ‘mini - enemies’ along the way, which you already fought dozens of times just getting to this point. But since they are stubborn, not learning their lesson, show them, once again, for demonstration purposes, what you can do with that sword, that bow and your other little toys. They’ll take a hint, at some point. What other mini - villains are here, by the way, that have not been mentioned?

Well, there’s the ever - infamous Stalchilds, which now come together in groups. What can I say? It must be more fun going out for a kill when you’re bringing a buddy with you, and that must have been what these skeletons had in mind. But they are pale and skinny, not even wearing any armor. So you can hit them in so many ways, not having to weaken them first. 

Just go straight for their flesh, or should I say, their pale bones. You get it. They should be scared. There will also be some more Bulblins, but if you took down their main leader, why should they be a threat, right? Watch out for them either way. 

There will also be some Blade Traps, that can monitor your moves, and then slice into you. Don’t step out of place or get way too close. If you hate losing heart health, being cut and thrown back, then you will be wise to heed my warning here and play things out slowly and carefully, feeling each room while taking your time. Use your intelligence here ; this is your fight, and it has almost ended. The final curtains will soon be revealed on the villain….which is Zelda, apparently?

No, not quite, but that would be one heck of a twist. It is Zelda, but possessed by Ganon, being used as his involuntary puppet. She needs to be snapped out of her trance ; defeat her in this form. Then, you will face Ganon and Ganondorf, in two other forms….this time he cannot hide behind Zelda, using her as his puppet and shield. 

This final, three - part battle, I must note, is truly one of the most epic you will encounter in any Zelda game, and it is truly well - done. The Twilight Princess game, in whole, was not bad at all. It managed to keep Zelda’s best original elements while adding some great new ones that have been received well (with the small exception of the Temple of Time, which, though not 100 % horrible, still could have been better). And getting to chase Ganondorf on horse was a first for any title ; this was well done as well. 

So finish off Ganondorf, and the game will have been won. Duel him at the end. Then, stick your blade in him. His demise will be so cruel. He will suffer and be no more, having given his all and failed…..