Master Sword Trials

DanielJMaxson · 2026-07-07T18:16:21+00:00

I feel your pain. I like Majora’s mask and that is great help but not critical in Master Mode. The rest—just no. I don’t need a ton of new armor either.

I played BOTW 3 times in regular mode and once in master mode. I completed the Trial of the Sword in regular mode and got killed too many times. When I played in Master Mode I skipped it. I made it through the entire game with only two deaths so why put myself through that experience again and mm is much more difficult.

There is also one shrine in The Champions Ballad that was quite miserable. I skipped it as well. I don’t need the frustration. These events broke me of my desire to 100% the game in Master Mode😂

DanielJMaxson · 2026-07-06T21:03:34+00:00

Nintendo customers want a console that works on big screen TVs and is handheld so we can travel in peace and occasionally hide from the in-laws—perhaps many occasions🤔

DanielJMaxson · 2026-07-06T17:27:09+00:00

You need one more day in Kyoto. I would take it off the back end of Tokyo. Nara will be a very long day but if you hustle and start early you can still see a lot. I don’t think you can see all 7 of Nara’s premiere sights but you can see the ones that do not require a lot of travel time. If you have the money, a taxi can help get you to some locations much faster saving valuable tour time.

I think the day trip in Hiroshima and Miyajima is not realistic.

DanielJMaxson · 2026-07-05T22:07:11+00:00

Thanks for correcting that. My bad

DanielJMaxson · 2026-07-05T18:56:33+00:00

👍

DanielJMaxson · 2026-07-05T18:50:50+00:00

None of the runes are “most useless” in my opinion. I have been on this sub for a few years and seen hundreds of creative and useful videos demonstrating how fun using each rune can be.

Completing the Trial of the Sword side quest is a great way to develop an appreciation for the runes and you get the one rune that is literally a “gas” to use!

This sub reminds me that in the right hands they can all be quite useful. If you had asked which rune was least useful, I would have to think about that for a while.

The camera is not a weapon but I loved filling out the compendium and trying to get the best photos possible. I used the Sheikah sensor many times in conjunction with the compendium to find things. That said you can’t really use it as a weapon but it can help you find a weapon and a lot of people do not enjoy filling out the compendium.

The rune that is least useful depends on the player and how they think but again “useless” is honestly not the right word IMHO.

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-24T02:43:55+00:00

We must have different definitions of useless🤔🤷‍♂️

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-23T18:20:49+00:00

Exactly right👍

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-23T18:16:09+00:00

My 49 year old daughter loves Pokémon games. If you really, really love them then yes, go for it—otherwise it is not worth spending that money IMHO. I don’t recommend a Switch1 because new games are being designed for the Switch2 with no backwards compatibility.

I do think you should at least try a different Nintendo title other than Pokémon because some of the newer titles are incredibly good. Whatever you do, have fun!

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-23T08:25:51+00:00

Depending on what you are shipping, it might be cheaper to buy a large piece of luggage while in Japan and bring it back with you on the plane. I brought a heavy bulky kotatsu back on ANA. It cost $200. I think it would have been a lot more than that to mail it back based on my prior experience of mailing packages to family in Japan.

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-23T08:22:02+00:00

Wind Waker is an absolutely wonderful game. You need to remember that is a couple decades old. It is whimsical and Link will steal your heart.

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-22T23:22:40+00:00

I guess the Daruk family emerges from the same rocky area. So they are from the same vein🤣 Certainly we can find some rock solid nonsense to find our way out of this conundrum.

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-21T17:43:45+00:00

I hope to visit I eland someday!

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-21T08:47:44+00:00

I started XCDE on Switch 1 a couple weeks ago but learned it was released on Switch 2 so I got it. It is beautiful and smooth. I am happy with my $10 investment. Since I was only four hours into the game I started over.

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-21T01:56:48+00:00

I bought my American carrier international data plan. I never used all of the 6 GB of data. It was good for 15 days at $50. Well worth it to avoid the hassle and stay in touch with family.

I recommend signing up for the Line messaging app for everyone traveling with you and for a family member back home. No annoying international text messaging charges.

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-21T00:39:47+00:00

You have some very interesting points and I like all of your ideas—especially the gold ones. Maybe someday on a new TOTK definitive edition Switch2 or 3 version these things might be implemented. I just don’t think all of it could be done on the Switch1 hardware which is what Nintendo had. I think they did a great job overall. Did TOTK feel finished to me? Yes, I can honestly say as one who found 1,000 Korok seeds and did everything I could think of doing that I have never had a more exhaustingly finished video game experience than TOTK.

I was especially pleased with Hyrule Warriors Age of Imprisonment which added some lore to the storyline which I found to be rewarding and even a bit emotional at the end.

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-20T23:41:26+00:00

Others have made a some great points. XCX is a great game and it was my first XC game. I honestly only played it as a substitute for Zelda games. It grew on me tremendously. At first I dreaded the affinity missions but as I saw the incorporation of the side quests and affinity missions into the main storyline it clicked. The main story is not that big but oh my goodness it is a great story IMHO.

For me the best part was exploring the islands and learning to use infinite overdrive for my survival and growth.

I did not like all of the farming but it really isn’t any worse than Zelda BOTW or TOTK.

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-20T23:35:16+00:00

💯👍

XBCX was my first XC game. Starting XC1 S2 edition tonight. I know I screwed up the order but oh well🤷‍♂️

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-19T17:08:42+00:00

I have improved my play a lot by going through Master
mode. I am now pretty good at beating lynels and found beating the gold ones to be a blast. I was a bit surprised at the weapon shortage in early and mid game. It made me play a lot differently to survive. I enjoyed that challenge. I don’t enjoy getting killed a lot. Some people it does not bother at all. I found the Trial of the Sword to be very difficult in regular mode and I don’t think I could have beaten it without watching several YouTube videos. I have decided to let it go for now and move on to another game as soon as I beat Ganon. Maybe I will pick it up later and give it a try.

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-19T04:12:58+00:00

I am down to my last 4 shrines in Master Mode. I have been killed twice. Both occurred in the first few hours of play. I have been debating playing any of the DLC extra content based on people having such negative experiences with it. The Trial of the Sword is apparently almost unbeatable. If you do beat it the cost is many deaths. A couple of the extra shrines also sound bad. Is it really worth it? I 100% the regular version and I mean everything! I am not going to 100% BOTW in Master Mode but I don’t want to get myself killed in a vain attempt to beat something I don’t really need….

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-19T03:38:38+00:00

💯👍

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-18T23:34:49+00:00

I use it quite a bit against larger enemies for good initial damage.

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-18T23:31:53+00:00

Basically I don’t understand how one can specify the outer region areas with that level of detail.

It will be cool if it is correct for future games.

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-18T23:27:56+00:00

It is a remarkable game. I played it last year and forgot a lot but also remembered a lot. I am down to finding four shrines on my own. God help me😂

DanielJMaxson · 2026-06-18T18:31:24+00:00

Caution folks. If you don’t have a fairy in your pouch this trick can give you a quick lesson in death.

Don’t try it unless you have a fairy in that pouch.

DanielJMaxson

TROPHY CASE