| Original | GameCube and Wii, 2006 (the Wii version is mirrored) |
|---|---|
| HD remaster | Wii U, March 2016, made by Tantalus Media for Nintendo |
| Based on | The GameCube version; Hero Mode adds the mirrored layout |
| This guide | The Wii U HD version |
Twilight Princess HD is a remaster of the GameCube game with sharper visuals, a few quality-of-life changes and some Wii U extras. Normal Mode keeps the GameCube world layout, with Link left-handed, while Hero Mode flips the world as the Wii release did. The dungeons, bosses and main collectibles are the same whichever version you know.
Table of Contents
What changed in HD
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Hero Mode | Available from the start but fixed once you create the file. Enemies deal double damage and hearts no longer drop. The world is mirrored as in the Wii release. |
| Ghost Lantern | A new item from Jovani at 20 Poe Souls. It lights up, day or night, when an Imp Poe is nearby, which makes the Poe Soul hunt easier. |
| Tears of Light | The number needed in each twilight area was cut from 16 to 12, and the task was made less repetitive. |
| Cutscenes | Some overly long scenes were sped up and some chores trimmed. |
| Wallets | Capacity was raised: Wallet 500, Big Wallet 1,000, Giant Wallet 2,000 (originally 300, 600 and 1,000). A Rupee that does not fit in your wallet is lost. |
| Colossal Wallet | Clearing the Cave of Shadows while holding the Giant Wallet gives a wallet that holds 9,999 Rupees. |
| Cave of Shadows | A Wii U-only optional dungeon of 40 floors, played as a wolf. |
| Miiverse stamps | 50 hidden stamps, often found in place of Rupee chests; posting to Miiverse from the game was also possible. |
| GamePad | Touchscreen map and inventory, gyro aiming and off-TV play. |
| Frame rate | Stays at 30 frames per second. |
Mirroring and Hero Mode
The GameCube original has Link left-handed and the world in its first orientation. The Wii release mirrored everything so that Link became right-handed, so left and right in older Wii guides are reversed. HD follows the GameCube layout in Normal Mode and uses the mirrored layout only in Hero Mode, so directions must match the mode you picked. The Wii’s pointer controls are not in the HD release.
Hero Mode can be chosen when you start a file. It doubles the damage you take and removes heart drops.
Tears of Light and Poes
In each twilight province you defeat Twilight Insects to recover Tears of Light for a Light Spirit. HD lowers the count to 12 per area, which makes Tears of Light quicker than in the original.
The Ghost Lantern is the biggest help for a 100% file. It lights up when an Imp Poe is in the area or dungeon, so you can tell whether an area still holds one of the Poe Souls before you search every corner blind.
Rupees and wallets
Wallet capacity is larger than before. If you hold the Giant Wallet when you clear the Cave of Shadows you receive the 9,999-Rupee Colossal Wallet; its wallet sizes are 500, 1,000 and 2,000 below it. Because overflow Rupees are lost rather than left in a chest, spend big finds before you collect more.
Wii U extras
The Cave of Shadows is a 40-floor challenge that must be cleared as a wolf.
The 50 Miiverse stamps are hidden in dungeons and fields, often instead of Rupee chests, while others are received or bought. Miiverse itself has since closed, but the stamps in the game can still be found.
What stays the same
The story, the walkthrough route, the dungeon order and the main item totals match the original. If you used a Wii or GameCube guide, only mirrored directions, the Tears of Light counts and the extras above need adjusting.
