The games in The Legend of Zelda series are iconic, from the nostalgic favorite Ocarina of Time to the new classic Breath of the Wild. These titles have a long history of excellence and stand as some of the best examples of good video games that have ever been made.
One element from the Zelda series that has remained largely unchanged across its lifetime is the Heart Piece - collectibles that raise Link’s health pool, and are always a little tricky to obtain. That’s especially true in A Link Between Worlds, and today, we’ll be going over the 10 hardest to find Heart Pieces in that game.
10 Fortune’s Choice
First up is the Fortune’s Choice minigame which isn’t hard so much as it is time consuming and costly. This diversion costs Link 200 rupees a play and lets you three chests from a wide array, each of which has a chance of containing a prize.
There is a chance that one of the chests you open will contain a Heart Piece, but it’s not guaranteed. In order to get this collectible, you need to keep at the game until your luck turns, so be sure to bring a full wallet!
9 Pegasus Race
The next Heart Piece requires you to seek out the Racing Bro, a character on the eastern edge of the overworld. He’ll challenge you to a race for 20 rupees, which at first Link can win without needing any special items.
The second race has a shorter clock, making it impossible to complete unaided. Link needs to first obtain the Pegasus Boots, which allow him to dash forward quickly. This extra burst of speed turns him into the Flash of Hyrule and lets you claim victory and another Heart Piece.
8 Blacksmith’s House
This third Heart Piece is actually located nearby the Blacksmith’s House, but it won’t be until later in the game that you’ll be able to access it. You’ll need to get the Titan’s Mitt from the Desert Palace, which will let you move the large rock blocking entrance to the Heart Piece.
This particular Heart Piece isn’t that difficult to acquire, but since it does ask you to backtrack, it can be overlooked. It can help to keep notes of places to explore once you find new items, which can lead to rewards such as these.
7 Rupee Rush
The Rupee Rush minigame is located south of Kakariko Village and can reward you with a Heart Piece in addition to the rupees it normally awards. Players will need to obtain a total of at least 100 rupees in the game to receive the Heart Piece.
It can be a challenge to grab enough rupees to meet the goal, but it helps if remember that the game will multiply your score if you finish with less time on the clock. Less than three seconds give a 2x multiplier, while less than one grants 3x.
6 Dark Palace Maze
This next Heart Piece is obtain outside the Dark Palace. You need to avoid the patrolling guards, making a stealthy approach a necessity here, which can be challenging given that Zelda games aren’t typically stealth titles in the vein of Thief.
The Heart Piece is located on a ledge above the patrolling guards, making sneakiness vital here if you want to nab the collectible. Alternatively, you can also just finish the Dark Palace, which will get rid of the guards and make this Heart Piece much easier to obtain.
5 Treacherous Tower
The Treacherous Tower minigame is located in Lorule, where the Tower of Hera is found in Hyrule. This gauntlet style game sees Link ascending the eponymous tower, fending off enemies on each floor. It also has three difficulty modes, with each one increasing the number of floors and the strength of the enemies.
To earn the Heart Piece, the Tower must be completed on the Intermediate difficulty level. This means Link has to face 15 floors of foes, all of which must be defeated without dying, on order to claim his reward.
4 Turtle Rock Lava Room
Turtle Rock conceals a Heart Piece that can be a bit of a challenge to navigate your way towards. It requires using a see-saw to reach a warp pad, then going through another warp pad to reach a room full of lava.
Link needs to have the Ice Rod here to make a path through the lava area, which can be a bit tricky given the slippery nature of the ice. Once you make it to the exit of the room, however, you’ll be rewarded for your efforts with a Heart Piece.
3 Death Mountain
This is another Heart Piece that requires some footwork from the player, and can take some time to find. Nearby Rosso’s Ore Mine, head through the fissure to Lorule and head towards the Ice Ruins - but don’t actually enter that area.
Instead, hop onto a nearby platform to the west, then use the Thunder Rod to access the higher platform above. Continue to hop between platforms this way using the Thunder Rod, and eventually to make it out of the area and onto a small cliff with a pillar. Merge onto the pillar to leave Lorule, and find the Heart Piece there waiting for you.
2 Cucco Rush
The Cucco Rush is another minigame that grants you a Heart Piece when completed with a high enough score. The game sees you being bombarded with Cuccos (in grand Zelda tradition) and asks you to avoid them for a certain amount of time.
To earn your Heart Piece, you need to finish the game on Rooster difficulty. This sees Link getting attacked by both large and small Cuccos for 30 seconds. If you can manage to avoid being hit by any of them, you’ll receive 150 rupees and the Heart Piece.
1 Octoball Derby
Finally, the hardest Heart Piece to acquire is A Link Between Worlds is the one awarded from the Octoball Derby. This minigame is basically a simplified version of baseball, granted by a friendly Octorok wearing a baseball cap.
The goal of the game is to hit 30 pitches into pots around the field, earning a rupee for each pot hit. There are also special targets that grant more rupees or reset the pots on the field. To get the Heart Piece, Link needs to score 100 rupees. The precision aiming required makes it a special challenge, and one of the most difficult collectibles to achieve in the game.
NEXT: Well Excuse Me, Princess: The 10 Biggest Problems With The Legend Of Zelda Cartoon
