Daily Debate: What Were Some Places Where You Got Stuck in a Zelda Game?
Posted on March 15 2024 by Nick Miller
We’ve all had that moment where we’re playing through a game and, all of the sudden, progression comes to a grinding halt. Sometimes, we get lost and don’t know how to reach the next objective. Other times, a difficult boss may bar the path forward and we lack the skill or knowledge to defeat it. Regardless of the reason, the sense of accomplishment that we feel once that challenge is finally conquered can be unmatched, and it cements those moments in our minds.
Though The Legend of Zelda isn’t a series known for its difficulty, it still has the occasional odd difficulty spike or cryptic path forward. What was once a brisk, well-paced playthrough is now stopped dead in its tracks as you are unable to progress any further. Maybe you were able to overcome this challenge in a few hour or a few days. Maybe you put the game down for years. Whatever it was, I want to know where you got stuck in a Zelda game.
Despite the fact that I’ve been playing video games my entire life, maybe it’s time that I admit that I’m not the most talented gamer. There are plenty of places in the Zelda series where I’ve gotten stuck, sometimes for years. Two such cases were the final bosses on Oracle of Ages and The Minish Cap. Both had me put their games down for years until I started up new save files and charged through triumphantly to the end. Although I was stuck on these games for years, my struggle was less of a difficulty issue and more so the result of me being a dumb kid who thought the best strategy was to run in head-first, swinging my sword and spamming fairies. Thankfully I’ve learned my lesson.
However, the game and location that first comes to my mind when I think about being stuck in a Zelda game is the Ikana Well from Majora’s Mask. The Ikana Well haunted me for years, and through multiple new save files. For some reason I could not find a Big Poe for the Gibdo. Every now and then I would restart the game thinking this time would be different, but it never was. I would do everything possible up that point and then give up. No matter what I did, I just could not figure out where a Big Poe would be.
Sometime around 2006, with the help of a handy guide from Zelda Dungeon, I was finally able to find the Big Poe in the graveyard on the Final Day and muscle through Ikana Castle before the moon fell. Why I never found the one that’s actually in the well, I do not know. However, that struggle is cemented in my mind and still carries some baggage with it. Every time I come to that part of the game, I remember that struggle and a small part of me wonders if it will give me any trouble again.
So now I want to hear your story. Where is a place where you got stuck in a Zelda game? How long did it take you to overcome that challenge, if at all? Are there any Zelda games that you’ve found too difficult to finish? Tell us all about it in the comments.
Nick is a writer for Zelda Dungeon and a longtime fan of the Zelda franchise. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, archery, skateboarding, and some good ol’ fashioned family time. He’s an advocate for physical media and an avid video game collector. His favorite Zelda game is Ocarina of Time, though Breath of the Wild and the Link’s Awakening remake are close contenders.
