The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was a wildly successful sequel to one of the Nintendo Switch’s most popular games, so an upgraded version on Nintendo Switch 2 was a no-brainer. The upgrade promises improved visuals, performance, HDR support, and more; arguably, there is no better way to experience this gorgeous open-world adventure. But how does the original version run on new hardware without the upgrade? Let’s discuss. We’ll also get into some helpful tips for getting started in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Is the upgrade worth it?
Say you’ve got a copy of Tears of the Kingdom on hand, but are short the $10 needed for the upgrade. Fortunately, the first Switch edition of TotK is the same, incredible game many of us fell in love with in 2023. Yes, the resolution is lower, the load times are slower, but it remains one of Link’s greatest adventures yet.
Without the upgrade, TotK will still only run at 30 frames-per-second on Switch 2. That said, the framerate is more stable, so you’ll have a slightly better experience than what you’d get on aging, OG Switch hardware.
As has been well documented by this point, the Switch 2 upgrade is a dramatic improvement. The game looks sharper, it runs at double the framerate, and load times have been cut in half. Also, the Zelda Notes are an excellent dose of extra lore.
Unless you’re running on a super tight budget, we wholeheartedly recommend spending the extra 10 bucks to enjoy this masterpiece. Now, let’s get to some helpful tips for those jumping off a Sky Island for the very first time.
Tips for Tears of the Kingdom newcomers
Make a beeline for the paraglider
Anyone who has played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will remember the paraglider being an immensely important part of Link’s kit, helping him glide around and reach new spots. It’s only more vital in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom due to the game’s heavier focus on sky exploration, so don’t accidentally start exploring too much of Hyrule before getting your hands on it. Luckily, you just need to follow the first few hours of the main quest to score the paraglider, so you’ll be gliding in no time at all.
Level stamina before hearts
Enemies in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom hit hard as hell, with some baddies being able to one-shot you handily during the first half of the game even if you have a few extra hearts. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to prioritize leveling your stamina as much as possible early on. This will let you do a lot more climbing and gliding, which is very important for reaching new areas or shrines with exciting loot.
You can always cook and eat meals that give you extra hearts if you really need them. And after making a little more progress in the game, you’ll be able to respec your hearts and stamina for 120 rupees at a particular statue in Lookout Landing, so you’ll be able to change things up as you see fit.
Fuse a lot of makeshift hammers and keep them handy
This may seem like a niche tip, but keeping makeshift hammers around is one of the most helpful things you can do for yourself in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. You’ll find yourself exploring numerous deep caves in Hyrule, and you’ll be shocked at how many contain multiple pathways blocked by breakable rocks.
Though you may be able to use bomb plants or other methods to clear rock blockages, hammer weapons, which you can make by fusing a normal weapon with a rock/boulder (or certain other hard materials), allow you to attack specific pieces of the blockage to carve a path just big enough for you to fit through. Even better, breaking the blockage will sometimes spawn new rocks you can use to fuse a brand-new makeshift hammer!
You’ll find a more efficient way to break these walls later in the game–but until then, keep fusing!
Trust your own ingenuity
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom goes big on the Ultrahand ability, which lets you combine various items in the world to create everything from simple platforms to intricate machines. And if you’re going to solve every puzzle and reach every well-hidden secret in Hyrule, you’ll need to master this ability.
While you may encounter some puzzles or hard-to-reach-items here and there that have only one or two building solutions, a significant portion of these scenarios can benefit from your ingenuity. So, feel free to opt for a complex device or even a sloppy, half-assed solution of your own choosing. You’d be surprised at how often your own random building ideas can get the job done–sometimes even easier than the solutions the developers intended for you to use.
Ultrahand doesn’t control you—you control Ultrahand.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
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