Best Ice Dungeon

[Makarthekorok]

Ice Dungeons in Zelda are sometimes among my favorites. Ice dungeons are known for tricky puzzles, lack of available health, and annoying enemies. But mostly puzzles. And, of course, ice. Ice dungeons typically appear late game as a puzzling and odd dungeon: a mini cavern, a ruined mansion, a little island. and sometimes, ice is paired with its opposite, fire, as in Sword and Shield Maze and Snowhead Temple. For me, an ice dungeon was one of the most disappointing absences in Skyward Sword.

 

[A Link In Time]

Ice Palace from A Link to the Past is definitely my favorite. I could go at lengths to detail why, however, I'll simply maintain that it's design is impeccable and confusing and this makes it one of the hardest dungeons in not only that specific game but franchise history.

My two runner-ups are the Ice Cavern from Ocarina of time-for the creepily soothing music as well as one of the only three White Wolfos in the entire game-as well as the Snowpeak Ruins from Twilight Princess. Darkhammers and the Ball and Chain still amaze me to this day. Ice dungeons have traditionally been some of my favorite throughout the franchise and it's a shame Skyward Sword lacked one (but rather redundantly had two fire dungeons instead).

 

[Terminus]

Snowpeak. Its really interesting, but the doors slow it down a LOT.

 

[JuicieJ]

Temple of Droplets, hands-down. That's the best 2D dungeon in existence.

 

[triq267]

Minish Cap is my 2nd favorite game, and Temple of Droplets is my favorite dungeon in the game. Easy choice.

 

[RHhylian]

Minish Cap is my favorite Zelda game and the Temple of Droplets is one of my favorite dungeons (maybe even my favorite) in it. I really like the music and atmosphere in it. the sunshine/melt ice mechanic was a very fun and clever mechanic in my opinion. Also, I love how the game fools you into thinking the dungeon is very short, because you get the boss key very early and the boss door is right at the entrance.

The Snowpeak Ruins is a close second to me. It has a beautiful setting and interesting dungeon design. It really gives you the feeling you're in an old abandoned mansion/army base. But it was just a way to annoying dungeon for me. The White Wolfos that attack you all the time on the courtyard and respawn FREAKING INFINITE times, the tiny freezard thingys that bounce around the room, the Chilfos with their spears, ice bloxk puzzles etc.

 

[triforce_power]

I liked the Snow Temple from Spirit Tracks the best
The whole thing with the bells where you have to put them in place, and then play a song with them to open new areas in the dungeon. It put a good use to the boomarang with were you have to us the ice fire to make a path for you to walk across the water. I don't really like the boss that much though, Phantom Hourglass's Ice temple bos was better.

Snowpeak Ruins is second, I liked how it was different where you had to go around looking for the key, but ended up with ingredients that made you a soup to replenish your hearts. Hated the boss though...

 

[octorok74]

I really enjoyed Snowpeak Ruins. Just the whole idea of a mansion that has enemies everywhere is awesome. And also you could kill Link with a cannonball. I actually enjoyed the boss too, since you had to use the reflection on the ground to avoid attacks. The only hard part was sliding on the ice.

 

[tetrafan]

Temple of Droplets for me! I love the music and puzzles and I always look forward to completing it whenever I'm playing MC. I agree it is the best Temple in the game.:yes:

 

[Mrflamexd3]

I have to go with Snowpeak, it's not because Twilight Princess is new, it's because Zelda has gone a long way since 1986-7 and I think they did really well on everything Twilight Princess. Yes Wind Waker is still my favorite, but The Wind Waker ice dungeon is kind of like a mini dungeon.

 

[SNOlink]

I really liked the Snowpeak Ruins. I felt it had great exploration and good designs throughout the dungeon.

 

[MW7]

The best fire dungeon was like asking me to choose between pieces of trash (from my perspective, I don't want to offend anyone but it's rare for me to like a fire dungeon), and this is like asking me to choose between children. The Ice Palace, Snowhead, Temple of Droplets, and Snowpeak are all among my favorite dungeons ever, and IMO they are all very well-designed. I'll just go with my slight favorite of Snowpeak even though the thread title says "best."

Ice Palace from A Link to the Past is definitely my favorite. I could go at lengths to detail why, however, I'll simply maintain that it's design is impeccable and confusing and this makes it one of the hardest dungeons in not only that specific game but franchise history.

I agree so much. It is incredibly well-designed and challenging. As far as I know there have been two instances of Nintendo actually making a dungeon easier in remakes- the Water Temple in OOT 3d with the lines leading you to the water switches and the Ice Palace in the GBA version of ALTTP. However, they really must have felt bad for how hard they made the block puzzle in the original ALTTP because they actually changed that puzzle significantly. One thing that's incredible about this dungeon is how there are alternative paths through it and a few items can be substituted/skipped. For instance it's possible to find a way through the dungeon without the hookshot, and I've heard that you can actually use the Bombos instead of the Fire Rod. Not to mention that the dungeon item is very useful but entirely optional.

 

[octorok74]

I also really enjoyed the Ice Palace in ALTTP. The main reason is obviously the penguins. Even if they are trying to kill you, you still gotta love them. I also liked those ice sculptures in the walls that would break free and try to kill you.

 

[Dio]

Ice Dungeons in Zelda are sometimes among my favorites. Ice dungeons are known for tricky puzzles, lack of available health, and annoying enemies. But mostly puzzles. And, of course, ice.

I pretty much hate all ice dungeons in games. From the slippy floors to getting frozen by a freezards breath, these are things that annoy the heck out of me. There is one ice dungeon I actually like and that is the snowhead temple in Majoras mask. I enjoyed being a Goron, smashing the blocks to lower the platform and the boss at the end of it was fun too. Like the game itself I felt this dungeon really had a good atmosphere.
I feel like playing Majoras mask now.

 

[Charmanda66]

My favorite is definitely the temple of droplets. it was fun to beat and solve its tricky puzzles. My second favorite would be the snow temple in Spirit Tracks. I liked the whole bell puzzle