The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD gets a Hero Mode, gameplay enhancements

Hold tight The Legend of Zelda fans, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD will be on the receiving end of a number of enhancements and changes when it launches on March 4th for the Wii U.

Nintendo has announced that they are including a new item known as the Ghost Lantern which will make the whole soul-retrieving quest a little more straightforward for players. On the flip side, they are also adding a new, more challenging Hero Mode that makes Link take double damage (with no heart drops), and more limited access to Rupees.

Below are the fresh details from Nintendo.

Beautiful high-definition graphics aren?t the only things new in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. When this HD remake launches exclusively for the Wii U console on March 4, it will feature many upgrades that are sure to please fans playing through the adventure again, or newcomers who are experiencing the game for the first time.

A new item in the game called the ?Ghost Lantern? has been added. This mysterious item will glow when in the same area as a Poe (a kind of ghost), making the Poe soul-retrieving quest much easier to complete. Hero Mode, a challenging new mode, can also be selected when starting a new game. In this mode, Link will take double the normal damage and there are no heart drops. In addition, if Link finds Rupees in a treasure chest while his wallet is already full, Rupees will no longer be returned to that chest. Players are also less likely to reach the limit of their wallets, as they have been modified to hold more Rupees.

Iconic moments from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, like Link riding Epona across the Eldin Bridge and Wolf Link howling at the moon, look stunning in high definition, but additional upgrades to the game make it play better as well. Using the Wii U GamePad controller, players can easily access their map and inventory at all times using the intuitive touch screen, as well as quickly transform into a wolf with one easy tap. Players will also be able to use the GamePad to access Miiverse (Internet access required). Miiverse posts can be decorated with dozens of new Miiverse stamps inspired by the game hidden away throughout Hyrule. Additionally, the game can be played off-TV on the GamePad. Many more updates exist in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, but discovering them as you play through the legendary adventure is part of the fun.

As previously announced, all physical versions of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD will include an intricate Wolf Link amiibo figure. Purchasing The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD and Wolf Link amiibo bundle will currently be the only way to get this amiibo figure. Using this amiibo will allow players to gain access to the challenging Cave of Shadows. Also, some of the data stored on the Wolf Link amiibo figure can also be used with The Legend of Zelda game for Wii U, which launches this year. More details about this functionality will be revealed in the future. In addition, several amiibo in the Super Smash Bros. series (sold separately), including Link, Zelda, Sheik, Ganondorf and Toon Link, can also be tapped to the GamePad for various in-game effects.

For more information about The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, visit http://zelda.com/twilight-princess-hd/.