Pirate Ship

There isn’t a lot to do on the pirates’ ship, and Tetra isn’t very pleased having Link aboard. To cool the hotheads, head down to the door just past the mast (the pole with the sail on it) and go through it. Take the stairs directly ahead of you to meet Niko, the pirate who you replaced as the bottom of the food chain on this ship.

Head through the doorway at the bottom of the stairs and you will be greeted by Niko, the second-lowest pirate on the ship’s totem pole. Reveling in his new placement, he informs Link that he must complete the test all pirates have to take in order to earn their place on the ship. He warns Link that the test will be painful, full of bumps and bruises, and that it should take at least a year to finish it. Let’s prove him wrong, shall we?

Swinging Shenanigans

Niko’s test involves platforms that rise from the ground and lamps hanging from the ceiling. Your goal is to reach the room’s other side by jumping and swinging from platform to platform. The catch—and there is always a catch—is that you have only 60 seconds to make it across before the platforms lower back to the ground and you have to start all over.

This can be a real challenge if you’re the rushy type. The important thing here is patience and moderation. Every time you jump onto a platform, line your camera up with the lantern before trying to make the next jump. Watch the lanterns and jump when they begin to swing back toward the middle of their arc, instead of at the far left or right of it. When on a rope, don’t jump off of it when you are at the height of your swing (you will likely overshoot your jump and land smack-dab on the floor); instead, jump just before the top. If you jump onto the lantern higher than you wanted, you can hold the 0 Button to stop your swing and use the Left Stick to climb up and down the rope. You can also turn while swinging by holding the Left Stick left or right.

The path to the room’s other side is pretty straightforward; if you can reach a lantern from a platform, you know it’s the one you need to be jumping onto. If you fall, just climb back up the ladder attached to the starting platform with the switches on it and try again. When you fall, activate the switch to lower the platforms right in front of the ladder to give yourself the maximum amount of time.

Once you’ve completed Niko’s challenge (and utterly stunned him with your speed in the process), you will be awarded with the Spoils Bag, which will hold various items dropped by enemies. After you grab the Spoils Bag, Tetra will call for Link, telling him that they arrived at the Forsaken Fortress. Best not to keep the hotheaded pirate leader waiting. Jump down from the Spoils Bag treasure room, climb up the ladder at the room’s entrance, and head to the deck.