So I went back to the thunder dragon to see about getting the best shield. He offers a battle mode where you fight previous bosses again. After each battle you win, you can stop there and take the prize he offers, or keep fighting for an even better prize. The catch is that you can’t use potions or fairies. So your hearts do not refill between fights, and dying even once leaves you empty-handed and out of luck. I first tried this the other night and played it more today.
Several times, I would clear 5 or 6 bosses and then die (I think it was always on Ghirahim or the last Imprisoned fight). You have to win eight boss fights to get the best shield. So after a few hours of trying, I did it. I got the Hylian shield, which is indestructible.
At this point, I felt I had accomplished everything I wanted. Now I felt I could look at a guide to look for anything interesting I missed. There was one thing… I learned that there is now a game at the shipyard, where you can ride the roller coaster track. It’s called the Rickety Coaster. So I went back and tried it until I completed the course with an acceptable time and got the prize, a piece of heart.
Now there was just one question remaining for me: What happened in the love letter sidequest if you made the other choice? Thanks to this video I found on Youtube, I was able to see what happened. Since Cawlin didn’t find love either way, I now didn’t feel so bad about giving his love letter to the hand in the toilet. I was thinking I had made the wrong choice, but I see that both options end in the same result (5 gratitude crystals) and Cawlin ends up unhappy either way.
I’m basically done with the game now, but check back soon for one final entry.