The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the hardest Zelda game yet. That's the word from NGamer's latest Skyward Sword preview.
It certainly sounds like it too as we learn that Stalfos can come in groups of four.
Elsewhere there are further details regarding the dungeons. We're told that Mogmas - who split and bury a key - patrol the volcanic area, the Silent Realm features guardians who can be stunned when you grab light balls while one dungeon features a mine cart.
In this mine cart area, the tracks are powered by rainbow energy and you have to hit mystical stones to light up the area and keep the cart moving.
The mag reports that the Sky Realm is the true overworld while Hyrule is made up of self-contained hubs.
You can read more about Skyward Sword in the latest issue of NGamer.
Not only could it be the hardest Zelda game yet but it could be the longest with Miyamoto suggesting that Skyward Sword could be 100 hours long.
What do you think is the hardest Zelda game so far?
Here's the latest Zelda: Skyward Sword gameplay video.
fair enough
Looks like I may need to invest in a strategy guide.
Meh, the media says every new game is the hardest game yet. While Skyward Sword is probably going to be a great game, just keep in mind they said the same thing about New Super Mario Bros Wii, and that I'm sure Nintendo made most of the same claims when talking about Twilight Princess (the length being 50 hours, the difficulty, etc).
Should this be true, then I will have even more fun with this
100 hours eh? Well I hope many of those hours consist of available minigames this time.
wasn't a fan of it when i played it last week, just too much sword swinging and shield raising for me - a shame considering I've got all the other console Zeldas
I used a strategy guide for Zelda once. Big mistake. Takes away all the mystery and the feeling of solving a puzzle yourself. Also, it'll make the game end quicker.
Yes, you're right, but for me it can make the difference between giving up on it or seeing it to the end.
This worries me. I wanted a decent linked Hyrule that is expansive and can be explored between sections. I guess as long as these 'self-contained hubs' are really big it will be fine. Guess only time will tell.
The idea of Hyrule existing only in hubs doesn't worry me. It sounds similar to the planet hopping mechanic of Metroid Prime 3, a feature I enjoyed.
Also these hubs I guessing will be the main areas of Hyrule, like (hypothetically speaking) Death Mountain, Gerudo Desert, Lost Woods etc. as explorable areas with a dungeon in each, same as most Zelda games. The difference here being that there won't necessarily be a Hyrule Field connecting them all - that's what Skyloft is for.
Regarding the difficulty level, I doubt it'll be anywhere near as hard as The Legend of Zelda on the NES.
It won't be.
Zelda 2 rules all in difficulty.
....Kinda destroys the whole exploration idea. Ive pre ordered it, but Ive been worried it was being made like this as soon as I heard skyloft was the main place. Looks like you cant travel all across hyrule. Ruins the 'adventure' aspect of it Zeldas had from the beginning, just turning into a Sword and Shield mario meets monster hunter (with the upgrades and whatnot..)
...Still getting it.
You're just not playing it right.
No grumbles here.
Surely they say that every time?
in terms of diffucultly either zelda 2 or majoras mask the toughness of the 2nd game and the 3 day cycle of majoras mask is what i think makes them so diffucult(and majoras mask was my first zelda game)
I now want this game less...
Zelda II is by far the hardest so far. It's hard... Really hard. It gets easier once you've levelled up some and gotten the hammer, but it's still incredibly hard. I see every set of 3 lives as an endurance round to see how far I can progress. Zelda II is in a nontraditional Zelda style, but as a game it's relatively addictive and very satisfying upon completion of even the tiniest of caves, which is how Zelda should be. The difficulty seems to high at the beginning and people often put it off due to this and it's unfamiliarity compared to the other Zelda's, but I seriously suggest giving this a try if you like a challenge.
After this I'd say the original Zelda. I wouldn't say the main parts of the game, like the dungeons, are too difficult, but finding your way around without any tips, maps, or guides make it near impossible for me. Every screen pretty much looks exactly the same as the screen before, for me.
3rd hardest, imo, goes to Majora's Mask for that incredibly annoying time limit. Similar to Zelda II, but instead of an endurance test it's like a speed-run of an individual section of the game. Still doesn't stop it from being one of the best, however...
Apparently it takes 45-50 hours to complete the main game without investing time in minigames or side quests to get the additional items. But one problem I have is, HWY DO ALL THE GOOD GAMES FOR THE WII AND 3DS COME AROUND MY EXAMS! Im sorry Nintendo but im afraid I wont be buying any of your games until the end of June
You do realize Zelda was made to be about sword fighting... It's about strategy and puzzles mixed with the adventure... If you don't get that then you don't know Zelda and it seems you're lazy and just want to hit buttons all the time.
Zelda 2. Nuff said. Because if they made it harder, no one would like it. Because that's what happened to Zelda 2. And to an extent to Majora's Mask, until recently, now it's pretty popular. Difficult or not, they are both good games.
I doubt it'll be hard. If it is though, that doesn't necessarily mean it will put off those new to the franchise. People assume difficulty is the barrier to new players. When you make the difficulty curve right and make it so people can learn how to play effectively however, you don't need to make the game stupidly easy.
If more people figured this out, games wouldn't have to be 'streamlined' or 'dumbed down', they would just need to be planned out better. A certain amount of difficulty is needed to make the game truly rewarding, and to keep suspense.
To be completely honest I never was too excited for Skyward Sword, but now that it's getting closer to release, I'm really getting excited. I just hope it's long, challenging, and a lot of fun, which I'm sure it will be. It'll probably also be the last Wii game I buy.
I'm not worried by the difficulty of Skyward sword. I've just now realized that it seems unlikely for there to be a Hyrule field now. As for hardest game in the series, that would be one of the two originals. I definitely know with the original Zelda, I was very relieved when I reached a dungeon for the first time.
Though I suppose that it's possible that having greater difficulty can lead to more satisfaction when it is overcome.
I hope it is the hardest Zelda!
A challenging game is a fantastic game, we don't want to breeze through it like the *cough* Lego games *cough*. A challenging game provides a great sense of accomplishment when you finally conquer it 
The hardest Zelda at the moment? I'd probably say Majoras Mask, because not only is it tough to get through but it's also a bit of a mind bender! 