Twilight Princess Is It Possible to Beat TP Only Learning the Fatal Strike?

[Sir Quaffler]

As I've come to understand it, the special moves Link learns in Twilight Princess overpower Link, making would-be difficult enemies such as Darknut pretty simple. I know you absolutely have to learn Fatal Strike to even progress (and to eventually kill Ganondorf) but can you go through the game with only learning those that the game absolutely forces you to learn?

Also, can I do this during a 3-heart run, or am I just being masochistic?

 

[JuicieJ]

The only mandatory Hidden Skill in TP is the Ending Blow, yes. All the others are completely optional.

 

[SavageWizzrobe]

Also, as someone who has 3-hearted TP, the only strict requirements are you must finish the game without collecting any Heart Containers or Heart Pieces. Other than that though there are no restrictions. In low% runs, of course, you are required to skip all unnecessary skills.

 

[Sir Quaffler]

Yeah I'm thinking of doing a low% 3-heart run of TP soon. Turn this pretty easy game into a balls-breaking hard one.

 

[SavageWizzrobe]

Good luck! Just remember that low% without glitches involves not only skipping 6 of 7 hidden skills, but also all capacity upgrades (bomb bag and quiver stuff) and Dungeon Maps and Compasses. I know that in Snowpeak Ruins, the Dungeon Map is required to progress, but that's an exception to the rule. Also, you can't get the Hylian Shield or the Magic Armour. Maybe I'm missing something, but that more or less covers the stuff you have to skip.

 

[Sir Quaffler]

Damn. I didn't even think about the Hylian Shield. That's gonna be tough going through the entire game with the wooden shield and without upgrades. What about the sword? Do I have to use the Ordon sword all throughout or is the Master Sword exempt from the low% since it's mandatory?

 

[Ventus]

Master Sword is only required for certain enemies (Ganondorf comes to mind), so if you encounter an enemy or a dungeon that requires the [Light] Master Sword, you have to use it but in all other cases, you must use the Ordon Sword. Good luck!

 

[Linknerd09]

I guess you can beat TP if wanting to learn only one sword attack. I don't think it would be possible beating TP with only one move, but it's your decision. Unless you want to beat Ganondorf, then it's a requirement getting the moves you need.

 

[Dragoncat]

Wow who makes these rules for these low% 3 heart runs? No hylian shield, use ordon sword most of the time, no hidden skills...AND no compass or dungeon map? Crazy.

 

[Ventus]

Wow who makes these rules for these low% 3 heart runs? No hylian shield, use ordon sword most of the time, no hidden skills...AND no compass or dungeon map? Crazy.

It's usually people at bigtime speedrunning sites like ZSR (Zelda Speed Runs) who invent these challenges, and other players who go for high scores. Minimalist runs in Twilight Princess aren't really hard by themselves in my opinion, it's doing them quickly and efficiently that is the most challenging (again IMO). Although, sometimes I have a tendency to forgo the minimalist restriction and just equip Bomb Arrows wherever I go. xD

 

[Kupsacker]

Master Sword is only required for certain enemies (Ganondorf comes to mind), so if you encounter an enemy or a dungeon that requires the [Light] Master Sword, you have to use it but in all other cases, you must use the Ordon Sword. Good luck!

I think the Master Sword is required for Argorok too.

Sir Quaffler: Minimalist run on TP is really not that hard. You shouldn't have a problem. The only thing I have to do yet is minimalist + no shield.

 

[Kupsacker]

I'm running off rusty memory here, but I don't recall the Master Sword being a requirement to defeat Argorok. The Ordon Sword and even the Wooden Sword, if the MS is NOT required, just take so much longer to best that devilish dragon than the Blade of Evil's Bane does. MUCH longer. Again, running off rusty memory so don't take my word for it. ^^

Yeah I'm pretty sure you can't because when I did my minimalist run I tried using the Ordon Sword on Argorok, and I was stabbing at his back for like 15 minutes and it did nothing, then I had to use the master sword and it took 3 rounds of stabbings to kill him, as if the Ordon Sword did nothing at all.

 

[SavageWizzrobe]

For a TP low% run, I disagree with the restriction "use Ordon sword most of the time." Such a restriction seems like an uber challenge restriction, much like the uber challenge in OoT where must use the Broken Giant's Knife as much as possible. Strictly speaking, the goal of low% is to beat the game with as few items as possible. You can do self-imposed restrictions, but that's the barebones of low%.

 

[Ventus]

For a TP low% run, I disagree with the restriction "use Ordon sword most of the time." Such a restriction seems like an uber challenge restriction, much like the uber challenge in OoT where must use the Broken Giant's Knife as much as possible. Strictly speaking, the goal of low% is to beat the game with as few items as possible. You can do self-imposed restrictions, but that's the barebones of low%.

Well, it depends on what you're doing. Are you doing a Minimalist low% run or just any ol' run of the mill low% run? Minimalist would require you to use the Ordon Sword as much as possible in addition to skipping skippable items, whereas low% just requires you to skip anything that is skippable, via glitches or otherwise. Either way, you're still skipping things, and the HIdden Skills are definitely skippable -- all except Ending Blow.

 

[Kupsacker]

For a TP low% run, I disagree with the restriction "use Ordon sword most of the time." Such a restriction seems like an uber challenge restriction, much like the uber challenge in OoT where must use the Broken Giant's Knife as much as possible. Strictly speaking, the goal of low% is to beat the game with as few items as possible. You can do self-imposed restrictions, but that's the barebones of low%.

Either way, using the Ordon Sword isn't much harder. It's pretty much the best starter-sword in a Zelda game.