What Zelda dungeon is truly hardest of all time?

[MarrionetteMaster]

I've recently begun to replay Zelda OoT on my N64 and am now at the most hated dungeon of all, yes the Water Temple. Oddly enough I argue against that though, I find the Water Temple to be easy. Time consuming yet easy, the thing is about the Water Temple is that it's not truly hard it's just a bit sneaky. It doesn't kick your rear up and down, it's a matter of missing that one key that I was lucky enough to never miss my first ever play through because I have a thing for always exploring so when I raised the water I looked around for changes and saw the platform had risen. Though the Water Temple has the most memorable mini boss battle ever, Dark Link who did take me a few milk swigs to beat. Anywho the question is, out of all the Zelda games, which dungeon truly beat you senseless the most?

Personally it was probably the Forest Temple of OoT for me, my first ever play through was a nightmare dying at least 4 times. Nowadays it's cake walk and I don't find any of them truly challenging anymore so I have to use my past to pick.

 

[scorptatious]

I personally found the Shadow Temple to be the hardest dungeon for me in OoT. Of course I've only played through OoT and Majora's Mask all the way through, and only made it halfway through Twilight Princess. So I can't really say if it's the absolute hardest dungeon of all time.

We'll just have to see what kind of dungeons Skyward Sword offers. Maybe there will be a dungeon which rivals the Water Temple in infamy and difficulty.

 

[Mauso88]

Spectacle Rock on the original Legend of Zelda on the NES is the hardest dungeon I've ever played in a Zelda game. I still get lost, 20 years after playing it for the first time. As for the dark link encounter in the water temple on OoT, that is just broken not technically difficult.

 

[CulixCupric]

Spectacle Rock on the original Legend of Zelda on the NES is the hardest dungeon I've ever played in a Zelda game. I still get lost, 20 years after playing it for the first time. As for the dark link encounter in the water temple on OoT, that is just broken not technically difficult.

use the megaton hammer. 2 hits = win!

 

[Dethenger]

Well, let's see...

Stone Tower Temple is a right pain in the ass if you're going for all the Stray Fairies.

You're right in saying that the Water Temple is easy enough, provided you don't miss that one key; if you do, be prepared to spend the next few hours dungeon crawling. Also, Dark Link was the best mini-boss not only because the concept was awesome, but also because he was hard to beat, so there's that.
The Great Bay Temple is also pretty annoying, with the changing direction of the water and Fire/Ice Arrow swapping. The same principle applies to the Lakebed Temple...
Come to think about it, all the Water Temples have an annoying water-manipulating gimmick which only seeks to annoy. Given that, I find the Lakebed Temple to be the greatest offender. It frustrates me every goddamn time.

In the end, I'm going to have to cop-out and say the Temple of the Ocean King from Phantom Hourglass, over and over and over. I didn't even finish the game because fuck that temple.

 

[chaosyoshimage]

Great Bay Temple, but mostly because I can't beat the damn boss. It was also really annoying. I would go with an old school dungeon from the first game if I was to be honest.

 

[BishopofAges]

Spectacle Rock on the original Legend of Zelda on the NES is the hardest dungeon I've ever played in a Zelda game. I still get lost, 20 years after playing it for the first time. As for the dark link encounter in the water temple on OoT, that is just broken not technically difficult.

I have to agree with you, if there was ever a dungeon set that kicked your butt up and down it was the original Zelda, however, I do have to shine a light on THE final dungeon in Zelda II The Adventures of Link. This particular bastard was literally a maze to get lost in and never return. That dungeon kicked my butt up down left right and sideways and I am sad to say that through my own map making I only mapped 1/4 of it which was actually the wrong way when I found a map online!

 

[2xDouble]

Try Death Mountain in Zelda II, the Adventure of Link. Dark Link was truly boss back then, his cameo in the water temple is nothing compared to his first appearance. Tell us about it, Brentalfloss (NSFW):

 

[Why do I care]

My god it was the last temple in Zelda 2.

You have to endure a maze, tons of creatures, and two bosses.
Chirst that temple took me at least 10 deaths to do.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Level 6 in the first Zelda. At least 4 rooms where you are forced to fight a combo of Wizrobes (Blue and Yellow), Like Likes and Bubbles to advance, WITHOUT the Magic Wand. The worst is when you're in such a room, locked in until you kill all the enemies, and hit by a Bubble directly into a Like Like. No sword, no shield. You are DEAD.

As for modern Zeldas, none of them really place your life in as much danger as the first two games, but quite a few of them have collections of extremely hard puzzles, with the biggest standouts for me being the Revisited Hero's Cave in the Oracle Games and the Explorer's Crypt in Oracle of Seasons.

 

[targren]

Try Death Mountain in Zelda II, the Adventure of Link. Dark Link was truly boss back then, his cameo in the water temple is nothing compared to his first appearance.

Bah, Dark Link was a cakewalk in that one. Sure, it was cheap (crouch against the wall and stab him in the knees) but no cheaper than him being able to move his shield independently of his sword, while you couldn't.

But yeah, Death Mountain was BRUTAL. It was way too early in the damn game for those dark red mace buggers.

Still, Always hated Level 8 and 9 of the original Zelda far worse. Damn Blue Darknuts... (Level 6, like above poster said, is a very close second...)

 

[TheGreatAndPowerfulZOG]

Anything from Zelda II > all others. But whatever Temple from the first Zelda that introduced the Wizrobes also got me. Fuckin hated those guys.

 

[tacotrainwreck]

Level 6 in the first Zelda. At least 4 rooms where you are forced to fight a combo of Wizrobes (Blue and Yellow), Like Likes and Bubbles to advance, WITHOUT the Magic Wand. The worst is when you're in such a room, locked in until you kill all the enemies, and hit by a Bubble directly into a Like Like. No sword, no shield. You are DEAD.

As for modern Zeldas, none of them really place your life in as much danger as the first two games, but quite a few of them have collections of extremely hard puzzles, with the biggest standouts for me being the Revisited Hero's Cave in the Oracle Games and the Explorer's Crypt in Oracle of Seasons.

I totally agree. I remember always skipping level 6 and would hit level 7 first to ensure I had enough hearts to get the magic sword before I took it on. Made those wizrobes a little easier.

 

[Veylon]

Zelda II's last temple was brutal. It had bizarre geometry, deathtraps, hidden doors you needed to go through, a whole cast of tough enemies you hadn't met yet, and a penultimate boss you'd better have saved your magic for.

 

[War Penguin]

But whatever Temple from the first Zelda that introduced the Wizrobes also got me. Fuckin hated those guys.

Well, you beat me to the punch, there. I was recently replaying the first Zelda and got to that dungeon and thought, "Screw OoT's water temple, this is the hardest shit!" My god... those Wizrobes... no mercy...

 

[blizzaradragon]

I'm one of those people who complain about the Water Temple in Ocarina of Time, but that's mainly because even after all these years I still get lost in that temple. It comes with having a piss poor sense of direction I suppose ^^;

As far as hardest dungeon though, it really depends on if you're talking about 2D or 3D. For 2D, I'd say it's the final dungeon of Zelda II. For 3D, I'm gonna give it to either Lakebed Temple from Twilight Princess or Great Bay Temple from Majora's Mask, for the same reasons as the Water Temple in Ocarina but turned up to 11. That and Gyorg can kiss my ass for how much of a cheap bastard he is, especially if you decide to be ballsy and fight him as normal Link instead of Zora Link.

 

[WeAreStevo]

I agree with the OP and the 2nd poster:

Whereas the Water Temple pissed me off because I'd always miss ONE key somewhere and be hunting for hours, the Shadow Temple in OoT has to be the hardest temple of them all.

Either that or the Temple thats in the Shadow world version of the village in Link to the Past (Can't think of the name, but you had to keep transporting through various sections...got confusing).

 

[MajorTomServo]

No Zelda dungeons have ever struck me as "hard" honestly. Great Bay Temple is a colossal pain in the ass though, and has halted many a playthrough.

Oh, and I can never remember/figure out how to get in to that one dungeon in A Link Between Worlds. The one that's in the middle of a lake and you need the Tornado Rod or something...

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Never played one but I hear the Water Dungeon is supposed to be the an all-time sunovabitch.

 

[Joccaren]

Only played 3D, and am looking to getting 2D at some point, but in my experience probably the Ocarina of Time Forest temple, for only one reason.
I keep neglecting to get the fucking Biggoron sword before doing it [I think that's possible?], and thus the fucking Stalphos get me. That room with 2 of them. Just fuck them. Its the jump attacks that get me, and I have enough health for three hits from the jump attack [Die on the third by overkill XP].
Weird thing is, later in the game I just plough through them, even with the Master sword, without taking damage. Its just something about that bloody dungeon that does it to me. Otherwise its not too bad, just a little confusing.

Water temple is cakewalk. 100%ed it first run. In Master Quest its a bit harder and more confusing, but still very doable. Dark Link is a joke. Just don't Z target him and spam the attack button whilst not stabbing. He's dead pretty quick. Additionally, Megaton Hammer or Biggoron sword also just devastate him. He's just a pathetic boss, though he is the coolest of them.