The following Four Swords Stage Guide covers basic data about each stage and how to unlock all stages, including Hero's Trial and Realm of Memories. While this guide will not tell you how to beat specific levels in each stage, due to them being somewhat randomly generated, the guide will provide several tips and tricks to help you along your journey to defeat Vaati.
Normal Stages
All the normal stages are already unlocked once the player begins the game. They are listed below with some tips and tricks you can use to make beating them easier. Most of the normal stages are required to be completed in order to unlock the secret levels.
Chambers of Insight
The Chambers of Insight is an informational stage designed to teach the player the basics of gameplay and item use, as well as techniques that require multiple Link's. As you begin the stage, you will encounter several creatures telling you about all the warp zones scattered throughout the floor. All the way north will be every item in the game with two warp zones by them. The player can take each warp zone to a part of Chambers of Insight that deals with specifics of each item and teaches the player how to use the item. This stage is relatively easy and should not take a good deal of time to complete. Once completed, your real challenge begins.
Sea of Trees
The Sea of Trees is a stage centered on a leafy or forest theme, with the stage boss being Big Manhandla. Some things to keep in mind is that there will be plenty of bushes scattered around all corners of the Sea of Trees stage and they sometimes conceal a pitfall trap beneath them, so be sure not to be too anxious when cutting them down. At times, you will find small orange balls lying around without any clear sign of what you do with them. If you continue down the path a ways, there will be some decorated holes in the side of the walls. Go back and bring the balls to these holes and knock them inside, which will cause several rupees to spew from the hole.
Talus Cave
The Talus Cave is a stage centered on an icy, wintery, or tundra-like theme, with the stage boss being Delu Zol. In this stage, there will often times be paths you need to take that are covered in ice, thus making Link slide. In order to keep from falling off side paths, just run in the opposite direction you get on the ice and this will cause Link to seemingly slide backwards but will keep you from sliding off the edge. This technique is crucial to fully exploring all areas of Talus Cave. Another tactic to keep from falling off the ice paths is to find a Gnat Hat; which, when used, will allow Link to move across ice without any sliding.
Death Mountain
Death Mountain, which has been seen in other games such as Ocarina of Time 3D, is a stage centered on fire, lava, and other volcanic themes, with the stage boss being Great Flame. During this stage, the player may find many lava pits with red tiles bordering them. Be warned that traversing onto the red tiles will cause a fire creature to jump out; which, if touched, will catch Link on fire and cause him to run around franticly. Knowing this piece of information should save your life and rupees time after time, but if you do happen to catch on fire, simply have your fellow Link swing his sword and hit you. This will extinguish the flames and save you the trouble of losing more hearts.
Secret Stages
All the secret stages have to be unlocked by completing some task concerning the normal stages or other secret stages. This stages are relatively harder to complete, with the hardest being the Hero's Trial. Every secret level consists of three doors that can be unlocked to grant access to more challenges.
Vaati's Palace
Vaati's Palace has to be unlocked by every player obtaining a set of three keys. There are three sets of keys that can be obtained – Silver Key, Golden Key, and Hero's Key – which unlock the different doors of the palace. The third door, requiring a set of Hero's Keys, is different from all other stages because it is a set of 12 levels. All other doors are merely a set of 3 levels, with the last one being the Vaati Boss Fight. Some things to remember when traveling through Vaati's Palace are to be cautious from fan's that will blow you around or off the edge. There are also weak floors that will break and cause Link to fall through.
At one point, you may be facing several wizards on a platform with fan's blowing you all around. One way to make this challenging feat easier is by having a boomerang equipped. Hitting the wizards with the boomerang will cause them to either be frozen in place or fall to their death if they are not over land. Using the boomerang to overcome this challenge will save you both time and rupees because the wizards would otherwise cause massive damage to the player.
Realm of Memories
The Realm of Memories stage is unlocked after completing Vaati's Palace for the first time. You unlock each door by completing the previous door. Each door holds a different themed set of levels with door 1 being A Link to the Past themed, door 2 being Link's Awakening themed, and door 3 being Legend of Zelda themed. After the player is able to successfully complete door 3, they will receive a sword upgrade in the form of the Master Sword. There is not much you need to take into account when playing the Realm of Memories stage. One thing, however, is when playing the Link's Awakening themed door 2, is to remember that there is a crystal in one of the levels that needs to be carried around and placed on different pedestals.
Hero's Trial
The Hero's Trial stage is unlocked by obtaining 30,000 rupees from playing other stages. The player does not need to get all 30,000 rupees from a single stage play through, but 30,000 rupees total from all stages played. The Hero's Trail is a pretty difficult challenge to complete and after the player is able to successfully finish door 3, they will gain access to a new move called the Hurricane Spin. Each door becomes unlocked by completing the previous door. Every door holds a set of 3 levels that provide a new and unique experience.
Due to the difficulty the Hero's Trial provides, the player must go as long as possible without dying. On door 3, this is more crucial than ever before as the levels are of great difficulty and you are likely to die many times during the end of the second and throughout the third levels. Remember that the boomerang is your best friend when it comes to defeating the multitude of enemies that you will have to face, due to the boomerang being able to stop the enemies in their tracks. This is crucial during door 3 but is also very helpful throughout all of the Hero's Trial doors.
Rupees will become of great importance throughout Hero's Trial and you should get in the habit of finding and collecting every rupee possible in order to ensure the greatest chance of survival. If the player is able to accomplish everything I listed, they stand the best chance of completing the Hero's Trial and gaining access to the ultimate attack, the Hurricane Spin.
