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A full FAQ/Walkthrough written by kevos
Copyright (c) 2025 Kevin Hughes
Email: sentrythedestitute[at]gmail.com
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Version 1.0
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Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, corrections, or feedback about this guide and/or the game for which it is written. Kindly do not send hate mail or spam, as it will be ignored and deleted. Please ensure your question has not already been answered in the guide before emailing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dedicated to the memory of Harper, my wife's
beloved cat of six years. Thank you, Harper, for being a
loving furry companion to her, as well as for keeping me
company during so many evening gaming sessions and while
I was writing the bulk of this guide.
We'll always love and miss you, buddy. <3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
=================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------
[Z301] - Version History
[Z302] - Introduction
[Z303] - Story
[Z304] - Controls
[Z305] - Game Basics
[Z306] - Walkthrough
[Z307] - Spoiler-Free Walkthrough
[Z308] - Inventory
[Z309] - Piece of Heart Locations
[Z310] - Enemy Guide
[Z311] - Boss Guide
[Z312] - Legal Info, Acknowledgments, & Contact
NAVIGATING THE GUIDE: The bracketed codes in the Table of Contents are to help you quickly find a particular chapter. Some of the chapters are further broken out into subchapters with search codes of their own. You can search either via GameFAQs's own search bar (or use their Bookmark or Last Viewed features) or by pressing Ctrl + F on Windows or Command + F on Apple.
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[Z301] - VERSION HISTORY /--\
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Version 1.0
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Date Started: June 11, 2024
Date Finished: March 20, 2025
Description: After over nine months of intermittent work, the full FAQ/Walkthrough is complete and ready to publish. Updated versions will be published if I decide to add/change things or, more likely, because of corrections. I might add an Appendix chapter in a later version. For now, though, this guide can be considered "finished."
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[Z302] - INTRODUCTION /--\
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Welcome to my guide for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past! This is a comprehensive guide for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System classic, first released in Japan in 1991 (its English-translated Japanese name being "Triforce of the Gods") and released in North America and Europe in 1992.
After Nintendo took a different and - to some - controversial approach with Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, they returned to the gameplay style and top-down perspective used in the original Legend of Zelda. Taking advantage of the SNES's 16-bit hardware, A Link to the Past offered a far bigger adventure with richer colors, more detailed textures, and a wider range of player movement. Although the game was more linear than the first, it made up for this with fantastic side quests and challenges. Dungeons were tough and the bosses even tougher. Players were given not just one but two whole lands to explore. The music received a major upgrade, with composer Koji Kondo remastering the original game's Overworld Theme while bringing in fresh pieces like "Zelda's Lullaby," "Ganon's Theme," and "Kakariko Village." Nintendo even added more story elements, giving players greater investment in the journey.
The game was a huge success and became massively influential. Those motifs I mentioned a moment ago would go on to help create what is now the core musical identity of the series. As for gameplay, A Link to the Past established a formula that would be reused, recycled, and in some cases improved in titles like Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess. These elements can even be seen in several of the handheld 2D entries. It's a formula that stood as the definitive way to make a Zelda game until Breath of the Wild came along in 2017 to shake things up and bring new life to the series. Such is A Link to the Past's legacy that it was rereleased on several of Nintendo's later consoles, ported to the Game Boy Advance in 2002 alongside the multiplayer game Four Swords, and given a spiritual sequel in A Link Between Worlds for the Nintendo 3DS.
By today's gaming standards, A Link to the Past can certainly seem dated. Nevertheless, it remains ranked among the best games ever made. Given that it led to Ocarina of Time - a game generally regarded more highly, sometimes even revered as the greatest of all time, and which set a standard for the industry that echoes to this day - A Link to the Past will no doubt remain a significant entry in the history of video games.
This is my first guide ever and is, in many ways, 20 years in the making. A Link to the Past is my favorite game and I always wanted to write a guide for it. I first attempted one when I was a teenager and got as far as the East Palace, but life happened and I shelved the project until the original text was lost following a hard drive failure. Every so often over the years I would come back to the idea and now that I'm well into adulthood I have much more motivation to do this - even if not necessarily all the time I would like!
Writing this is, therefore, more of a pet project than anything else. That said, I believe I can make it one of if not the best guide ever written for this title. I will guide you through every aspect of the game. We're talking about collecting all Pieces of Heart, items, upgrades, and treasures, and exploring the nooks and crannies of the overworlds and dungeons. As someone who has previously used a guide or two for other games, this FAQ's structure takes inspiration from those who have come before while adhering to the way I play and the strategies I believe to be most efficient. I respect the authors who have worked passionately on their guides and I aim to show that same passion and dedication in mine.
A Link to the Past is still played around the world. There are countless videos of first-timers proudly sharing their 100% completions, seasoned gamers looking for a challenge through speedrunning, and veterans taking their mastery to the next level with randomizer mods. It is my sincere hope that this game will be played for many years to come, even as players continue to enjoy contemporary gaming. With A Link to the Past being available on the Nintendo Switch, it seems likely that Nintendo will keep porting older games on their next console(s), ensuring that these classics will not be entirely forgotten. Should the day come that a new generation is picking up A Link to the Past for the first time, perhaps curious about this relic of a bygone age they've stumbled upon, this guide - much like the little village bird who comes to aid the hero in his hour of need - will be here across time and space for those who could use a helping hand. (You'll get the reference later.)
(NOTE: As you probably know unless you're totally new to the series, the player character's official name is "Link." You can name him whatever you want up to six characters but I will refer to him as Link throughout the guide.)
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[Z303] - STORY /--\
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WARNING: The story below may contain game spoilers, especially toward the end, so skip ahead if you aren't familiar with the game and want to go in blind.
The plot of A Link to the Past is fairly typical of an action-adventure fantasy game: save the princess, defeat the bad guy, and restore peace to the land. Its story isn't as layered or thematic as its successors (such as its immediate sequel, Link's Awakening) but what is here works well enough. Like many games of its time, A Link to the Past relied on its instruction manual to give players context for their quest. Below is a copy of the story taken directly from the game's American manual, copyright 1991. Nintendo expanded the Zelda lore here by including the creation of Hyrule and the Triforce. They gave Ganon - the chief antagonist of the series - a backstory and introduced the Master Sword, Link's iconic weapon which has become as much a symbol of the series as the Triforce itself. Basically, this game's story paved the way for the Zelda timeline (convoluted as it is). If nothing else, it's a fun read. Enjoy!
THE LEGENDS OF HYRULE
---------------------
To set the stage for this adventure of the legendary Hero of Hyrule, it will be informative to delve into the Triforce myth, an ancient epic about the creation of the world that is still believed in the land of Hyrule. Every culture has such myths and theories about the creation of their worlds, and it can be beneficial and entertaining to examine them in detail, for they often affect the present-day social structure. The legends say the mythical gods of Hyrule had as their chosen people the Hylia. These ancient people left scrolls that are the primary source of the legends...
-*- The Creation of Hyrule -*-
According to the Hylian scrolls, the mythical gods descended from a distant nebula to the world that was and created order and life. The God of Power dyed the mountains red with fire and created land. The God of Wisdom created science and wizardry and brought order to nature. And the God of Courage, through justice and vigor, created life - the animals that crawl the land and the birds that soar in the sky. After the gods had finished their work, they left the world, but not before creating a symbol of their strength, a golden triangle known as the Triforce. A small but powerful portion of the essence of the gods was held in this mighty artifact, which was to guide the intelligent life on the world of Hyrule.
Although it was an inanimate object, the Triforce had the power to bestow three titles which gave the person who received them great powers: "The Forger of Strength," "The Keeper of Knowledge," and "The Juror of Courage." From its hiding place in the so-called Golden Land where the Gods placed it, the Triforce beckoned people from the outside world to seek it in the hope that someone worthy of these titles would find it.
With their magic-infused blood, the Hylian people were endowed with psychic powers and skill in wizardry. It was also said that their long, pointed ears enabled them to hear special messages from the gods, so they were held in high esteem by many people in Hyrule. Their descendants settled in various parts of the world and passed on their knowledge and magical lore to all people. But in its passing, the lore was often distorted or lost altogether...
-*- Gates to the Golden Land -*-
In Hyrule, there are many Hylian buildings which are mentioned repeatedly in the legends. These buildings, which now lie in ruin, pale shadows of their former splendor, are closely tied to the Triforce. Some were said to house the Triforce itself...
If it were only a symbol of the gods, the Triforce would be coveted by many. But a verse from the Book of Mudora (a collection of Hylian legends and lore) made the Triforce even more desirable:
In a realm beyond sight,
The sky shines gold, not blue.
There, the Triforce's might
Makes mortal dreams come true.
Many aggressively searched for the wish-granting Triforce, but no one, not even the Hylian sages, was sure of its location; the knowledge had been lost over time. Some said the Triforce lay under the desert, others said that it was in the cemetery in the shadow of Death Mountain, but no one ever found it. That yearning for the Triforce soon turned to lust for power, which in turn led to the spilling of blood. Soon the only motive left among those searching for the Triforce was pure greed.
One day, quite by accident, a gate to the Golden Land of the Triforce was opened by a gang of thieves skilled in the black arts. This land was like no other. In the gathering twilight, the Triforce shone from its resting place high above the world. In a long-running battle, the leader of the thieves fought his way past his followers in lust for the Golden Power. After vanquishing his own followers, the leader stood triumphant over the Triforce and grasped it with his blood-stained hands. He heard a whispered voice: "If thou hast a strong desire or dream, wish for it..." And in reply, the roaring laughter of the brigand leader echoed across time and space and even reached the far-off land of Hyrule. The name of this king of thieves is Ganondorf Dragmire, but he is known by his alias, Mandrag Ganon, which means Ganon of the Enchanted Thieves.
-*- The Imprisoning War -*-
I do not know what Ganon wished for from the Triforce. However, in time evil power began to flow from the Golden Land and greedy men were drawn there to become members of Ganon's army. Black clouds permanently darkened the sky, and many disasters beset Hyrule. The lord of Hyrule sent for the Seven Wise Men and the Knights of Hyrule and ordered them to seal the entrance to the Golden Land.
The Triforce, being an inanimate object, cannot judge between good and evil. Therefore, it could not know that Ganon's wishes were evil; it merely granted them. Suspecting that Ganon's power was based on the Triforce's magic, the people of Hyrule forged a sword resistant to magic which could repulse even powers granted by the Triforce. This mighty weapon became known as the blade of evil's bane, or the Master Sword. It was so powerful that only one who was pure of heart and strong of body could wield it. As the Seven Wise Men searched for a valiant person to take up the Master Sword, Ganon's evil army swarmed from the tainted Golden Land into Hyrule and attacked the castle. The wise men and the Knights of Hyrule combined forces to wage war on this evil horde.
The Knights took the full brunt of the fierce attack, and although they fought courageously, many a brave soul was lost that day. However, their lives were not lost in vain, for they bought precious time for the Seven Wise Men to magically seal Ganon in the Golden Land. All of Hyrule rejoiced at the victory that upheld peace and order over Ganon's evil and chaos. This war, which had claimed many lives, became known as the Imprisoning War in stories told in later centuries.
-*- The Coming of the Wizard -*-
Many centuries have passed since the Imprisoning War. The land of Hyrule healed its wounds and the people lived in peace for a long time. Memories of the vicious Imprisoning War faded over the generations...
So it is no surprise that no one was prepared for the new disasters that have recently struck Hyrule. Pestilence and drought, uncontrollable even by magic, ravaged the land. The king of Hyrule, after counsel with his sages, ordered an investigation of the Imprisoned Dark World (as the Golden Land had come to be known) but the wise men's seal was apparently intact. He offered rewards for anyone who could find the source of these troubles. In answer to these summons a stranger named Agahnim came and quelled the disasters with a previously unseen form of magic. As a reward, the king gave him a new position as chief advisor and heir to the Seven Wise Men. The masses proclaimed him their hero. Peace had returned to Hyrule... or had it?
Of late, rumors have traveled their whispering path with alarming frequency. Rumors saying Agahnim now rules the country with his magic... Rumors of strange magical experiments in the castle tower at night... The people of Hyrule were gripped by dread.
-*- Prologue -*-
One night, a girl's voice awakens you from your sleep.
"Help me...
My name is Zelda...
I am in the castle dungeon."
She telepathically pleads.
You jump out of bed not knowing whether the voice was part of a dream or reality. Upon leaving your bed, you find your uncle, who should be fast asleep at this time, preparing to go out, girded for battle.
"I'll be back by morning," he says as he departs. "Don't leave the house."
You watch him leave with the family sword in hand and shield on arm. This is a night like no other... Who is Zelda? Where had your uncle gone and for what reason?
And so, on an ill-fated night, a new chapter in the legend of Hyrule's hero begins - a new chapter in The Legend of Zelda!
YOUR QUEST AS THE LEGENDARY HERO
--------------------------------
The Golden Land of the Triforce has become a Dark World corrupted by Ganon's evil wishes. However, this is not enough for Ganon; he also wants to make Hyrule, the Light World, his own. To do this, he needs to break the Seal of the Seven Wise Men.
But he cannot do this with his power alone. He must also use the life force of the descendants of the Seven Wise Men. With Agahnim the wizard as his pawn, this is about to become a reality (thus the late-night experiments in the castle tower...).
You, as the legendary Hero of Hyrule, must enter the Dark World on a quest to save the maidens that Agahnim has sent there. The aim of the game is to solve the many mysteries and adventures that await you along the way to rescuing the maidens, defeating Ganon, and returning peace to Hyrule.
END
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There you have it! You have been presented with your quest and now it is time to get underway. The next two chapters offer some basic information about the game if needed. If you'd prefer to get straight to playing, skip to chapter [Z306] for the walkthrough!
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[Z304] - CONTROLS /--\
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Let's be honest, if you're a new player reading this, the chances you're playing on an SNES console are probably low. After all, this guide was written between 2024-2025! Luckily, the game is available on newer consoles with equivalent controls, not to mention that aftermarket copies of the SNES controller exist and are mostly compatible with modern systems. Thus, I will safely assume, whichever way you're playing, that you are familiar with the controller you're using and can adapt it to match the controls listed below.
The game's controls are pretty straightforward. You can pick them up very quickly and certainly long before we reach the first dungeon, but here they are all the same for reference.
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Control Pad - Movement
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Use the control pad to move Link through the game. You can move in eight directions: up, down, left, right, and diagonally by pressing two directions simultaneously. The control pad is also used to move through menus such as the Sub Screen and when saving the game.
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Select Button - Save & Quit
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This button brings up a menu with two options: Continue Game or Save and Quit. Note that this menu doesn't include a Save and Continue option; you can only choose this if you get a Game Over.
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Start Button - View the Sub Screen
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Press the Start Button to bring up the Sub Screen, which shows your Items and Equipment Upgrades. Pressing Start again takes you out of the Sub Screen. For more information about the Sub Screen, see subchapter [Z305.01].
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Y Button - Use Item
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The Y Button lets you use whatever item you selected from the Sub Screen. Various items can be used for attack and/or defense, and some may require magic power.
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X Button - View the Map
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Press the X Button to view the Overworld Map or the Dungeon Map. Various icons will flash to indicate where you are or denote places of interest. In dungeons, getting the Compass will also reveal the boss's location.
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B Button - Swing Sword
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The B button lets Link attack with his trusty blade. You can hold the button down and then release it to execute a Spin Attack. See subchapter [Z305.02] for more info on sword combat.
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A Button - Actions
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As noted, this button controls various actions including talking, picking up objects, grabbing and pulling, reading, running (once you have the Pegasus Shoes), swimming (once you have Zora's Flippers), and opening chests.
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L & R Buttons - Alternate Overworld Map
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When viewing the Overworld Map (not Dungeon Maps), you can use the L & R Buttons to quickly toggle through two modes: one which will display the Map in its entirety and a close-up version of the Map which you can scroll through with the Control Pad.
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[Z305] - GAME BASICS /--\
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This chapter provides some good-to-know info before starting the game. A lot of it is stuff you'll likely figure out as you play and you can find much of this in the game's SNES manual, digital copies of which are easy to find online. Still, this may be helpful if you're a new player and you're already here anyway so you may as well read on, right? :)
As I mentioned at the top of this guide, the subchapters below also have bracketed codes that you can use to quickly find what you're looking for. Like the story chapter, this chapter may spoil parts of the game so please read at your own risk.
[Z305.01] - Main & Sub Screens
[Z305.02] - Combat
[Z305.03] - Hyrule & the Dark World
[Z305.04] - Dungeons
[Z305.05] - Characters
[Z305.06] - Heart Containers & Pieces of Heart
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[Z305.01] - MAIN & SUB SCREENS
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Main Screen
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This is the primary screen of the game where the action takes place. At the top of the screen are several icons to be aware of. I'll describe them from left to right.
The green bar on the far left is your Magic Meter and shows how much magic power you have. Some items require magic power to use them. You can refill the Magic Meter by collecting Magic Jars, which are common items found in bushes, under pots, or dropped by defeated enemies. Small Magic Jars will refill 1/8th of the meter, while big jars will refill it completely. At some point in your adventure, you can reduce your magic consumption by 50%, effectively doubling your magic power.
The box to the right of the Magic Meter is the Item Display which, of course, shows the current item you selected from the Sub Screen. Next to the Item Display is the number of Rupees you've collected. Rupees are the currency of Hyrule (the whole Zelda universe, in fact) and come in three total colors and denominations in this game: Green = 1 Rupee; Blue = 5 Rupees; and Red = 20 Rupees. You can hold a maximum of 999 Rupees.
Next are your Bomb and Arrow counts. At the start of the game, you can carry a maximum of 10 Bombs and 30 Arrows, though you can eventually increase these limits. You will not be able to use Arrows without the Bow, though you can carry them on you until you find it.
There is one additional icon that will show on the Main Screen when inside a dungeon: Small Key. This, naturally, shows how many keys you have. Small Keys can be used to unlock doors and only in the dungeon they are found in.
The far right of the screen shows the total number of Heart Containers you've collected and is your Life Meter in the game. They deplete when you take damage and you get a Game Over when all Heart Containers are empty. Other than looking at the screen, you'll know when you're low on life energy because an annoying beeping will sound so keep that in mind. :) You can refill your life by collecting Recovery Hearts which are also commonly found in bushes, under pots, or dropped by defeated enemies. Another way to refill life is to collect Fairies. The maximum number of Heart Containers you can have is 20. For more info, see subchapter [Z305.06].
==========
Sub Screen
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As mentioned in the Controls subchapter, pressing Start will bring down the Sub Screen, which temporarily pauses the game. This screen is how you change items so it's best to get used to the layout. The Sub Screen is divided into five windows.
The top left is the ITEM window, which shows your inventory. A big letter "Y" is displayed to help you remember which button to press to use the item. The top right window displays the name and picture of the item you've chosen.
The rest of the windows are informational in function. The bottom left is the DO window which lists all the actions you can take, as well as displays various items that are used to perform some of these actions. As with the ITEM window, a big letter "A" is available to remind you which button to press.
The middle right window is more or less a Quest Item menu that tracks certain highly important items that are important to your mission. You start off collecting pendants but will move on to something else when exploring the Dark World.
Last but not least, the bottom right window shows your equipment and which upgrade level they're currently at. When inside a dungeon, this window also shows whether you've collected the Map, Compass, and Big Key. When out in the Overworld, it displays how many Pieces of Heart you've collected. For more information on dungeons or Pieces of Heart, see subchapters [Z305.04] and [Z305.06], respectively.
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[Z305.02] - COMBAT
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Combat in A Link to the Past is pretty simple, at least compared to the abilities that would be introduced in the 3D titles and some of the later 2D ones. Still, it's an improvement over the original game where Link could only stab (not to mention move) in the four cardinal directions. In this game, you still technically swing the sword in just those four, but the operative word here is "swing" - with this feature, Link's blade has a wider range. Mastering the sword and its capabilities will go a long way toward restoring peace to Hyrule.
First, there's the basic sword swing. By pressing the B button, Link can simply hack and slash his way across Hyrule. It's a tried-and-true method that will serve well in most scenarios, and yet there are other techniques that may prove useful too. For example, by holding the B button down, Link can draw power into his sword. Once it's charged, release the button to make Link perform a Spin Attack. (Known as the Whirling Blade Technique in-game, this move is more well-known as a Spin Attack throughout the series so that's what I'm calling it). The Spin Attack delivers more damage than a regular sword slash and can be used to attack enemies behind you. (TIP: While holding the B button, you can hold the sword out and move in any direction - if the sword makes contact with an object it can cut, it will do so. This is particularly great for cutting down rows of bushes.)
Another ability is the Dash Attack, which can be done after acquiring the Pegasus Shoes. Hold down the A button to build up speed and after a couple of seconds Link will take off at a fast run while holding his sword out. If there are any enemies in the way, Link will hit them as he runs past them. The last technique is the Beam Attack, a ranged attack carried over from the first Zelda game. When Link has obtained the Master Sword or a more powerful sword and all his Heart Containers are full, he can fire off a beam from his sword. This attack can be used against enemies from afar.
You will probably use the sword most often throughout your playing. However, it's to your benefit - and in some instances will be necessary - to use other weapons available in the game. Link's arsenal includes classics like Bombs and Arrows; a carefully thrown, well-timed Bomb or a bullseye shot with an Arrow can do wonders and you may find that they do *more* damage than your sword in certain situations. Also returning in this game is the Boomerang, which can kill very weak enemies in one hit and stun most other enemies. Stunning can give you an easy open to either attack or evade foes, so it's not a bad trick to utilize. There are elemental rods, magic canes, and special medallions you'll come across, all with various powers of their own, not to mention extra neat things like a Hammer and a Hookshot. The real trick to this game is to not rely on your sword alone - some enemies and bosses *will* require you to use other weapons to defeat them. It's also just good gaming strategy to know when to use the right weapon for the task at hand.
As far as defense goes, using the shield in this game is basic. If you aren't pressing any buttons (except for the Control Pad), Link will ready his shield automatically. The shield can protect Link from most frontal ranged attacks such as Arrows but it will not defend against all attacks. You can find stronger shields as you progress through the game.
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[Z305.03] - HYRULE & THE DARK WORLD
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A Link to the Past was really the first in the series to have a theme of duality. Going beyond the original overworld/dungeon concept of its predecessors, the game presented *two* whole overworlds for players to enjoy: Hyrule - aka the Light World - and the Dark World. Each land has different dungeons, enemies, and environments that make them stand out against the other.
The game begins in Hyrule, a relatively peaceful land save for its recent problems. The Light World is a lush, beautiful kingdom with fascinating locales: a crystal blue lake, a tall mountain waiting to be scaled, a vast desert full of mystery, a thick forest with secrets to uncover (if you don't get lost), and of course we can't forget to mention the tranquil Kakariko Village or the hostile but thrilling Hyrule Castle. Link lives with his uncle in a small house south of the castle. The game immediately drops you into the action as you follow Link's uncle to the castle, where you are just as suddenly thrust into the role of hero. After rescuing Zelda, Link begins a quest to find the three Pendants of Virtue. With these crests, the young would-be hero can draw the mighty and legendary Master Sword from its pedestal deep in the Lost Woods. Only this ancient weapon is powerful enough to cast down Agahnim.
But things are not over yet, not even close. Immediately after the duel with Agahnim, you'll find yourself in the Dark World, once the sacred Golden Land where the Triforce lay hidden but now a twisted, corrupted mirror of Hyrule. There's a stormy swamp in place of the desert, an abandoned town now home to thieves and vagrants, dead woods swarming with foul creatures, and a forbidden mountain lashed with an evil air. Here in the Dark World, monsters are stronger and the dungeons are deadlier. The evil power flowing through the land causes anyone who ventures here to transform into a shape that reflects their heart or personality. When Link enters the Dark World, he is turned into a pink bunny. (I'm not kidding.) By carrying the Moon Pearl, however, Link can keep his true form. So what are you doing here, exactly? Well, without wanting to give it away unless you already read the story, let's just say your quest is about to get much bigger than you might imagine.
The game's duality involves switching back and forth between the Dark World and the Light World. There are eight magical portals throughout Hyrule that can transport Link to the Dark World, nine if we count the one that opens at Hyrule Castle after defeating Agahnim. While Link can go into the Dark World via these portals, he can only return to the Light World using the Magic Mirror. Doing so leaves a special portal that can be used to return to the Dark World, although using the Magic Mirror to again go back to the Light World will erase the existing portal in favor of a new one. With the Magic Mirror, Link can reach areas in Hyrule that are otherwise inaccessible. Not only is this ultimately necessary for beating the game, but curious players may be rewarded with secrets, hidden treasure, and Pieces of Heart.
Hyrule is, in many ways, a training ground. The enemies here are weaker than most of what you'll face down the road. Most of your time in Hyrule will take you across the far reaches of the land - you'll become familiar with many notable locations before too long. This is, in truth, meant to set you up for the grander journey you'll undertake in the Dark World, as you will have to rely on your knowledge of the Light World to figure out how to manipulate the Dark World's terrain to your advantage. Certain actions you take in Hyrule can affect the Dark World, opening new paths and leading to the next destination. It can be tricky but it's a lot of fun and I have no doubt you'll catch on quickly. Of course, you also have this guide to help you out if you get stuck.
The two-world concept was simple but brilliant for its time. Instead of coding an entire land, Nintendo made the Dark World an overlay of Hyrule with different textures and colors. This saved a ton of cartridge space and was implemented into the game's story by having the Dark World act as what Hyrule could become if it met the same evil fate. From a storytelling perspective, this duality sets up the never-ending desire of the Zelda franchise's villains to reshape the world in their image. On a technical level, it foreshadowed the gameplay that Nintendo would use in future installments, such as Ocarina of Time's child and adult worlds or Twilight Princess's light and shadow themes.
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[Z305.04] - DUNGEONS
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Dungeons in Zelda have come a long way. The first two games gave players simple yet tough labyrinths and palaces. The dungeons of later games became more complex, involving grand temples, dangerous volcanos, dilapidated mansions, haunted pirate ships, mines and factories, and even living creatures, just to name a few variations. Many dungeons these days revolve around central themes or "big puzzles" to solve.
A Link to the Past kind of sits in the middle of this transition. The dungeons draw on the previous games and build on those foundations. Most are conceptually similar but several have notable unique themes and puzzles. They also vary in length and linearity; completing one dungeon may require revisiting certain rooms several times whereas it may be a straight shot to the boss in another. The puzzles are a little basic yet still satisfying and many of the monsters will put up a fight. The important thing is to be ready. Like any good dungeon, the ones in this game are there to test the player. They can be difficult if you are ill-prepared for them. Keep your wits about you when exploring these sinister places and you'll return peace to Hyrule yet.
The game begins with Hyrule Castle. Technically, this is more of a mini-dungeon but don't count it out - this won't be the only time tackling this fortress. After saving Zelda, Link's quest will take him to three mystical shrines: the East Palace, located in Hyrule's rocky canyon to, well, the east; the Desert Palace found deep within the Desert of Mystery in the southwest; and the Tower of Hera, standing high atop Death Mountain in the north. Then it's off to Hyrule Castle once more for a battle with Agahnim.
Upon reaching the Dark World, the number of dungeons doubles. Link's first destination is the foreboding Palace of Darkness. Next is the flooded Swamp Palace, the Skull Woods dungeon deep in the dark forest, and the hideout Thieves' Town buried beneath the Village of Outcasts. Further beyond is the chilling Ice Palace under the Dark World's twisted lake, Misery Mire located in the Swamp of Evil, and the dangerous caverns of Turtle Rock. Finally, the last trial is none other than Ganon's Tower, the largest and most complex dungeon in the game. In total, there are thirteen dungeons including the first trip to Hyrule Castle, giving A Link to the Past the most dungeons in any game of the series so far.
All the dungeons follow a similar path. You open treasure chests containing things like Rupees, Bombs, or Arrows, and Small Keys which can be used in that dungeon to unlock doors - note that you can only use Small Keys in the dungeon where you find them. Aside from these, there are four main treasures to collect: the Map, the Compass, the Big Key, and a special item from the Big Treasure Chest. The Map displays the layout of all the rooms in the dungeon and marks your current position. (REMINDER: Press the X button to see the Map.) The Compass shows where the boss is located. The Big Key is needed to open certain doors and the Big Treasure Chest, inside of which is one of the game's items. Hyrule Castle is the only dungeon without a Compass and a Big Treasure Chest, though it does have a special item to collect. If you find these treasures and open the Big Treasure Chest, they will be displayed on the Sub Screen to confirm you have collected them.
At the end of the dungeon is a powerful boss to defeat, frequently requiring the special item you collected from the Big Treasure Chest. Except for in Hyrule Castle and Ganon's Tower, defeating the boss gets you a Heart Container to increase your life capacity as well as either a Pendant of Virtue or a Crystal. These Quest Items can be tracked on the Sub Screen and are necessary to beat the game.
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[Z305.05] - CHARACTERS
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A Link to the Past features a cast of intriguing main and not-so-minor characters. Knowing the characters and the roles they play can really enhance the gaming experience! Note that this is not a full list, it's just giving an overview of the more important characters. You'll have to be a thorough explorer to meet everyone.
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Link
----
The protagonist and player character of all the Zelda games, that is until 2024's Echoes of Wisdom. (Seriously, how cool is it to finally play as Zelda in a mainline game?! Not including Hyrule Warriors, and *definitely* not counting Zelda's Adventure from the Phillips CD-i - no one counts those games.) Silent but heroic, Link is a skilled swordsman with unmatched courage and an iron will. Whether a young child or a full-grown adult, he is destined to be the savior Hyrule or any other land needs. Link's portrayal in this game is that of a young man descended from a long line of courageous knights, who is called upon to rescue Princess Zelda and protect Hyrule from Agahnim the wizard. To do so, he will have to embark on a quest of trials that will truly prove if he is the prophesized legendary Hero.
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Zelda
-----
The titular character of the series and princess of Hyrule. In earlier games she was portrayed as a damsel in distress needing saving; unfortunately, her role here is much the same. In more recent games she has received better character development and is shown to stand on equal footing with Link. She is known as a noble, compassionate leader with mystical powers and wisdom beyond her years. In A Link to the Past, Princess Zelda is one of the descendants of the Seven Wise Men and is in grave danger from Agahnim. She's available to give Link encouragement as he roams Hyrule on his quest to claim the Master Sword and defeat the dark wizard.
==========
Sahasrahla
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The village elder and himself a descendant of the Wise Men, Sahasrahla acts as an homage to the "Old Man" character from the original Legend of Zelda. You meet Sahasrahla fairly early in the game, where upon completing the first dungeon he will give Link a most useful item. He's also incidentally the character you'll likely talk to most often; apart from the times he'll telepathically contact Link, he also provides helpful tips in many of the dungeons. I encourage you to listen to these tips as they may be crucial to your success!
============
Link's Uncle
------------
Very little is known about this man other than he is, like his nephew, descended from the Knights of Hyrule who fought in the Imprisoning War centuries ago. He takes off at the beginning of the game to rescue Zelda himself and tells Link to stay home. Naturally, Link doesn't listen and follows his uncle into the stormy night.
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The Sage
--------
This kindly character resides at Hyrule's Sanctuary. He promises to hide Zelda here while Link is out and about doing hero-type things. Like Zelda, the sage will offer Link encouragement as he embarks on his quest.
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Old Man
-------
You will run into the Old Man when heading up Death Mountain for the first time. A lonesome fellow, this old man will tell anyone who will listen to him about the current state of Hyrule and mention that Agahnim has kidnapped his granddaughter who hasn't been seen since. Once you safely give him passage, he will hand over a most intriguing mirror. His cave serves as a loading point when starting up the game in the Hyrule Overworld.
=======================
The Witch and Assistant
-----------------------
Link can meet the witch outside her Magic Shop, stirring a cauldron of some concoction. She has a liking for forest mushrooms and will be most delighted if someone brings her one. Her assistant sells magic potions inside the shop. (NOTE: The witch and her assistant are sometimes called "Syrup" and "Maple," respectively, in other games such as the 2002 GBA port. For simplicity, I'll refer to them as the "witch" and "assistant" since the SNES game does not reveal their real names.)
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King Zora
---------
This is the leader of the river Zoras that constantly like to attack Link from bodies of water. Why the king doesn't call his subjects off is anyone's guess. I suppose he just doesn't like Hylians. King Zora will engage in business dealings though - he is the sole proprietor of the Flippers, but be warned that they are quite expensive.
=============
The Flute Boy
-------------
The mysterious Flute Boy can be found hanging out in a grove just southwest of Link's house, playing his flute for all the woodland animals. For some strange reason, if Link moves close enough, the Flute Boy will suddenly vanish. Mysterious indeed...
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Smithy
------
This blacksmith works in his shop in Kakariko Village. He is so skilled with his craft that he can temper even the already-powerful Master Sword. However, he cannot do it alone and needs his partner's help. Unfortunately, his partner has recently gone missing.
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Venus - Queen of the Fairies
----------------------------
Most Fairies in the game restore life. This queen, however, will instead give you different valuables depending on what she receives in turn. She has a lookalike somewhere in Hyrule who plays a similar role - or it might just be the same one, I dunno. In any case, this doppelganger Venus is said to like honest people.
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Agahnim
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This powerful wizard supposedly came to Hyrule in the name of peace, but he soon took over the kingdom and plunged it into another era of darkness and fear. The rumors say Agahnim has disposed of the king, brainwashed Hyrule's Soldiers, and is casting evil magic on descendants of the Seven Wise Men, with Zelda as his next victim. What is Agahnim up to? That will, of course, be up to Link to find out and stop him.
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Ganon
-----
Ganon, also known as Ganondorf in his human form, has been the primary antagonist of the Zelda series since its inception. Although Nintendo has introduced new villains in other games, Ganon tends to return to the series eventually. Power-hungry and tyrannical, Ganon stops at nothing to achieve world domination and will crush all who stand in his way. Like Link and Zelda, his character has been expanded over the years and his motivations have varied. In this game, Ganon is a war-mongering king of thieves who was defeated and sealed away many years ago. What this apparently long-forgotten evil has to do with current events is for you to discover.
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[Z305.06] - HEART CONTAINERS & PIECES OF HEART
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*This subchapter is not about where to find Pieces of Heart. For that, please see chapter [Z309].
The first game introduced Heart Containers as both overworld items and prizes for defeating dungeon bosses. In Zelda II, they were solely overworld items while defeating a boss gave Link an experience boost. In both games, their purpose was to increase Link's life capacity by one full Heart (in Zelda II's case, a Life Bar). A Link to the Past continues the tradition of giving the player a Heart Container after conquering a boss.
Like so many other things it introduced that have now become staples of the franchise, the Pieces of Heart concept originated in this game. Pieces of Heart are hidden throughout Hyrule and the Dark World. As the name implies, they are not full Heart Containers. Each Piece of Heart equals a quarter of a Heart Container - thus, collecting four of them will add one extra Heart Container. In addition to all the Heart Containers you can collect, there are 24 Pieces of Heart, accounting for six of the game's 20 total Heart Containers. You can track how many quarter Pieces of Heart you've collected on the Sub Screen.
Acquiring Pieces of Heart is one of the game's most fun side quests. Some Pieces of Heart are easily obtainable and some you'll have to come back for after getting a certain item. Some are ripe for the taking and others are well-hidden. Many of them are rewards for winning games or accomplishing tasks, and each one is satisfying to collect.
(NOTE: For some reason, if you save and quit your game and then come back to it later, Link will always start off with around half of his Life Meter regardless of how many Heart Containers were filled when you quit. This may or may not be an advantage; if you saved the game with only a few Hearts left, this could be a blessing! If you had full health, well, then it's annoying... I have no idea if this is a bug or a feature, nor do I know if the GBA version does this.)
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[Z306] - WALKTHROUGH /--\
/_\/_\
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The walkthrough is broken out into subchapters for ease of both writing and your use. Remember, you can use the bracketed codes below to search for the specific subchapter you need. As mentioned before, the guide is intended to be as thorough as possible. All Items and Pieces of Heart will be pointed out and we will explore every area. Note that it's not necessary to find absolutely everything or go everywhere to beat the game, but if you are eager for total completion then this is the guide for you. On the other hand, if you would prefer more of an outline than a complete walkthrough, skip ahead to chapter [Z307].
To help keep track of your progress, I've included a checklist at the start of each subchapter. There is also a "What's New" list so you can be aware of what to pick up and look out for.
(FULL DISCLOSURE: The format of the checklist is inspired by MrShotgun's guides for Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Twilight Princess. I have always liked that style and wanted to do something similar. Although he hasn't been on GameFAQs since 2015, I reached out to him for approval of my adopting the style. I haven't heard back and truthfully I don't really expect to after all this time. Since his last guide was submitted in 2007, I'm hoping there's no harm in moving forward. It is meant to be an homage to MrShotgun's work, but if he ever responds and requests that I use a different format, I will of course do so.)
Be sure to save frequently! Nothing is more frustrating in gaming than putting a lot of playtime into a session only to lose your hard work. As a reminder, there are two ways to save the game when pressing the Select button: Continue Game & Save and Quit. If you get a Game Over, you'll be given three options: Save and Continue, Save and Quit, & Do Not Save and Continue. If you restart the game in Hyrule, you will eventually have the choice of one of three startup locations: Link's House, Sanctuary, or the Mountain Cave. Restarting a game in the Dark World will always spawn you at the top of the Pyramid of Power. Lastly, if Link dies inside a dungeon, he can restart at the beginning of the dungeon as long as you choose the Save and Continue option - this will not be the case if you choose Save and Quit.
With all of that out of the way, let's go!
[Z306.01] - A Dark and Stormy Night...
[Z306.02] - Mini-Dungeon: Hyrule Castle
[Z306.03] - Kakariko Village
[Z306.04] - Search for the Elder
[Z306.05] - Dungeon I: East Palace
[Z306.06] - To the Desert
[Z306.07] - Dungeon II: Desert Palace
[Z306.08] - River, Lake, & Mountain
[Z306.09] - Dungeon III: Tower of Hera
[Z306.10] - The Blade of Evil's Bane
[Z306.11] - Dungeon IV: Hyrule Castle Tower
[Z306.12] - Cast into the Dark
[Z306.13] - Dungeon V: Palace of Darkness
[Z306.14] - The Great Collection
[Z306.15] - Dungeon VI: Swamp Palace
[Z306.16] - The Skeleton Forest
[Z306.17] - Dungeon VII: Skull Woods
[Z306.18] - Opening the Gargoyle
[Z306.19] - Dungeon VIII: Thieves' Town
[Z306.20] - A Sword & a Bottle
[Z306.21] - Dungeon IX: Ice Palace
[Z306.22] - The Swamp of Evil
[Z306.23] - Dungeon X: Misery Mire
[Z306.24] - Silver & Gold
[Z306.25] - Dungeon XI: Turtle Rock
[Z306.26] - The Last Journey
[Z306.27] - Dungeon XII: Ganon's Tower
[Z306.28] - The Pyramid of Power
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[Z306.01] - A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT...
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___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 03/20 Pieces of Heart: 00/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|_ Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows _ Boomerang _ Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot _ Bombs _ Magic Mushroom _ Magic Powder |
|_ Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion _ Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod _ Ice Rod _ Magic Hammer _ Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute _ Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna _ Magic Mirror _ Pegasus Shoes |
|_ Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt _ Zora's Flippers _ Moon Pearl |
|_ Bottle #1 _ Bottle #2 _ Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|_ Fighter's Sword _ Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|_ Fighter's Shield _ Red Shield _ Mirror Shield _ Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail _ Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|_ Pendant of Courage _ Pendant of Power _ Pendant of Wisdom|
|_ Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Lamp
- Fighter's Sword
- Fighter's Shield
********************
Boot up the game and let the title screen load. If you wait a few seconds, you will be treated to a fun cutscene explaining the game's backstory. It's basically a truncated version of the story found in the manual. Whether you watch it or not is up to you. Either way, once the title screen has loaded up press the Start Button to take you to the Player Select screen. (Pressing almost any other button will do this too). Choose one of the three available files and enter the name you want to use for your adventure. (As a reminder, I will be referring to the player character as "Link" - his official name.) Return to the Player Select screen and select your newly created save file to get started!
We open on a dark one-roomed house. Sounds of heavy rain pound the walls. Your player character, Link, is fast asleep in bed while his uncle sits at the table. Suddenly, an urgent message flashes across the screen - a telepathic plea for help from someone named Zelda, who is being held prisoner in the dungeon of Hyrule Castle by the wizard Agahnim. She says Agahnim has done something to several other girls, taken control of the castle, and is attempting to open the seal of the Seven Wise Men. The message is clear: She needs rescuing.
The lights go on and Link springs awake. His uncle tells him he is going out and will be back by morning, ordering Link to stay in the house and wait for him. Armed with a sword and shield, he takes off into the night. He has no doubt heard the call and is headed to the castle.
Press any button to jump out of bed. Take a few moments to play around with the controls and get a feel for the directions. You can use the A button to pick up the pots to the left of Link's bed to gain Recovery Hearts, though you don't need any right now. (REMINDER: Using the A button after lifting an object also causes Link to throw it). Once you're ready, open the treasure chest inside the house also using the A button to get your first item - the Lamp! You can use this to both light torches and see through the dark. It is one of many items in the game that requires magic power to use (though in this case, you just need some for lighting torches, not for seeing in the dark). Presently, the Magic Meter is empty so you won't be able to use the Lamp to its full effect. As the first item in the game, it is automatically selected for you.
Head south through the door to go outside into the thunderstorm. If you want, pick up the various bushes surrounding the house as they might have Rupees. Note the white rocks here; you aren't strong enough to lift these objects yet but keep them in mind. Many rocks throughout the game have items and secrets underneath them. Be watchful when picking up bushes or rocks; they may have Landmines hidden beneath!
You can climb down the hill Link's house is on by either taking the open pathway, or you can have Link jump off by pushing toward the edge; he will automatically leap off after a second or so. Walk around the area a bit and you'll notice several pairs of castle Soldiers blocking all the paths to the next areas - you're confined to this space for now. The Soldiers offer some tips on what the various buttons do, so you can speak to them if you need a refresher.
If you press the X button to bring up the Map, you will see a flashing X to the north of our current position. This is where we need to go. Just to the east of Link's house is a dirt road. Follow this road north into the next area where you'll come across a moat. Keep moving west until you come to a sign. The sign is supposedly from the king offering cash rewards for anyone who can find the descendants of the Seven Wise Men. (The sign is, in truth, a ploy of Agahnim's to further his wicked agenda.)
A little further west you'll find a bridge extending over the moat. Hyrule Castle is directly ahead, although the gate is closed and the Soldier here orders you to return home. What to do now? If you explore the outside long enough, you'll eventually receive another telepathic message from Zelda. She tells Link there is a way into the castle gardens using a secret passage from outside the walls.
From the front gate, follow the castle walls east and then north along a stone pathway. At the end of the pathway is a lone bush surrounded by smaller stones. You'll know it's the correct one when you pick it up from the ground and a special tune plays - the world-famous Zelda secret jingle! Drop down into the hole the bush was hiding.
Link will land in a shallow pool of water. Walk down the hall to find Uncle slumped against the wall. He has been mortally wounded and though he somewhat chastises Link for getting involved, he has no other choice but to have Link continue in his stead. He hands over the Fighter's Sword and Fighter's Shield and explains a "secret technique" handed down by the family. This technique is the Spin Attack, a useful sword move achieved by holding down the B button until power has been drawn into the blade. Once you have full power, release the button to unleash the Spin Attack. It deals out twice the damage and is fantastic against groups of enemies. With that, Link's uncle sadly passes. This mission is now up to you. It is Zelda's most desperate hour and you must help her - you are her only hope!
Move along the hall and through the door into the next room. Here you can do battle with two green-armored Soldiers who are patrolling rather aimlessly. These Soldiers will charge at Link if they see him but otherwise don't react much. Two sword slashes each will kill them. At the east end of this hallway is a treasure chest. Open it to get a Blue Rupee, which is worth five total Rupees. Under the pots are small Magic Jars which will fill your Magic Meter a tiny bit. If you want to try practicing with the Lamp, go up to the unlit torch in this room and press the Y button to light it.
Go back to the west end of the hall, up the steps, and out the door. Link will be outside again but this time in the castle courtyard within the walls. Use the sword to cut down the bushes in front of you. (NOTE: You can also mow down bushes with the sword if you hold the B button down to draw power and then poke at the bush with the sword tip.) Head further west to find more castle Soldiers, one of whom will attack directly upon spotting you. Either bypass or defeat these enemies, then head up the path to the front doors and enter Hyrule Castle properly.
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[Z306.02] - MINI-DUNGEON: HYRULE CASTLE
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___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 03/20 Pieces of Heart: 00/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|_ Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows _ Boomerang _ Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot _ Bombs _ Magic Mushroom _ Magic Powder |
|X Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion _ Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod _ Ice Rod _ Magic Hammer _ Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute _ Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna _ Magic Mirror _ Pegasus Shoes |
|_ Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt _ Zora's Flippers _ Moon Pearl |
|_ Bottle #1 _ Bottle #2 _ Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword _ Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield _ Red Shield _ Mirror Shield _ Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail _ Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|_ Pendant of Courage _ Pendant of Power _ Pendant of Wisdom|
|_ Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Boomerang
- Heart Container x1
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This isn't a dungeon in the truest sense since it doesn't have a boss waiting for you at the end, but as it is your first foray into battle it may yet provide a good challenge. Hyrule Castle contains many chambers and hallways, most of which are patrolled by Soldiers under Agahnim's control. Link's task is to navigate this dangerous fortress and make his way down to the holding cells deep below the castle.
You're currently standing in a large, majestic entrance chamber. Press the X button to bring up the Map and you'll see that you're not looking at the Overworld anymore. Inside dungeons, Maps instead show you all the floors. The flashing dot is Link's current position. Arrows mark entrances/exits and the small white rectangles represent stairs leading to other floors. Hyrule Castle has five floors in total. As you can see, we are currently on 1F - our destination is floor B3.
Head north a bit to see three Green Sword Soldiers. Note that most Soldiers from here on out will attack on sight and even react to noise Link makes, so if you're aiming to ignore them you'll have to be careful. This is a good opportunity to try out the Spin Attack for some practice. Either way, defeat the Soldiers. From this chamber, you have three directions to choose from. Ignore going north for now; this leads to the throne room and we can't do anything there just yet. Instead, go either west or east. Both will ultimately take us where we need to go.
Either direction has similar layouts. There are steps in these rooms that lead to upper walkways, but don't bother with them. (If you're that curious, the most notable thing is that you can go back outside and stand atop the castle walls, but there's not much of interest right now.) Follow the red carpets in these side rooms northward. You'll come across more Soldiers to either sneak by or defeat. Keep going north until you are forced to go either east or west depending on which direction you came from and enter the next room. You'll know you've come to the right room when you're in a long horizontal hallway and there's a staircase in the middle of the room flanked by four gargoyle statues. Step into these stairs to go down to B1.
This small room contains a treasure chest and a blue-armored Sword Soldier. This foe is tougher than the Green Sword Soldiers and takes three strikes from the Fighter's Sword to defeat. Pick up the Small Key the Blue Sword Soldier leaves behind, then open the chest to receive the Dungeon Map. You can now see the full dungeon layout on the Map Screen. Dark blue rooms indicate rooms you have not entered yet while bright blue ones indicate the opposite. Anyway, use the Small Key you picked up to open the locked door to the south and move on to the next room.
Go down the steps here to the lower floor and take care not to fall into the chasm. If you sneak behind the Blue Sword Soldier as he edges near the chasm and then attack with your sword, the force of the blow will send him falling. Pretty cool, huh? Continue south to the next screen, continuing to be mindful of where you step lest you fall, where two more Blue Sword Soldiers are stationed. Be cautious; these enemies can just as easily knock you into the pit which will cause Link to lose life! It also starts Link back at the beginning of the screen which is annoying.
Link can defeat the Soldiers here in a variety of ways. The pots are super helpful and can kill the Soldiers in one hit each, or they can be used to knock them into the chasm. And of course, there is always his trusty sword to get the job done. You will find there are many creative ways to defeat enemies in this game. Use whatever is comfortable for you. Just further south along the catwalk is another Blue Sword Soldier - you know what to do by now. Move west along the path to the next screen when finished.
In this next screen you come to a much wider, more open room. Head north, then west a bit and fight off the Green Sword Soldiers (probably a lot easier to deal with now that you've broken a sweat with the blue variety, eh?). You can also use the upper passageway to sneak around them. In any case, head north through the doorway.
The door you just came through will seal shut, trapping you in this room. There is a door to the north but it's locked. Where's the key? Kill the Green Sword Soldier; both the south and east doors will open, so go through the east door first.
The door behind you will seal again, this time leaving you to fight off a Blue Sword Soldier. Retrieve the Small Key he drops and open the treasure chest to get the Boomerang! The Boomerang is a nifty little item that can destroy small, weak enemies in a single hit and stun many other enemies. Stunning will in effect immobilize enemies for a short bit of time and can give you an open to either bypass or defeat them. The Boomerang can also be used to pick up Recovery Items from a distance.
After getting the Boomerang, return to the previous room. Climb up the steps to the upper floor, use the Small Key you just got to unlock the door, and go to the next room. There's nothing in this small room so just follow the passage to the stairway at the end and head down. This small hallway is B2 and there's nowhere to go but down the stairs to the west. Do so and Link will arrive at B3, the castle dungeon.
Move into the room and defeat the Green Sword Soldier. Before you go further, I want to point out the first cell here which contains three pots. Underneath each of these pots is a Recovery Heart, but if you don't need health then try not to destroy these pots. I will explain why in just a moment. Adjacent to this cell is another cell where you can see Zelda herself in plain sight. It's not as simple as going up to her though - she is guarded by a new enemy: a Ball and Chain Trooper!
*=================================*
Mini-Boss: BALL AND CHAIN TROOPER
*=================================*
As indicated, this powerful Soldier isn't technically a boss (no awesome theme music for one), but he is the most dangerous foe you've faced so far. This enemy swings a powerful mace that will deal significant damage to Link if hit. There are two ways to defeat this guy: an easy way and a hard way. Since I'm nice I'll give you the easy way first. Remember those pots I told you earlier to ignore if possible? Remember how pots were useful against some of the other enemies in this castle? *nudge nudge* Go back to the cell next to Zelda's, pick up a pot, return to the Trooper, and chuck the pot at him. The force of the pot will knock him back quite a ways, allowing Link to grab another pot and hit him again. Using this method, the Ball and Chain Trooper goes down in two hits. That's right, just two! Easy-peasy!
If you'd prefer more of a fight, classic swordplay is the second and harder option. The Trooper will swing his mace when he gets close to Link. Wait for him to swing the mace, backing up to give him a wide enough berth to do so, then rush in to slash at him with Link's sword. If you're fast you can attack him twice in between his mace swings, just don't forget to quickly back away to a safe distance once he begins to swing again. The Boomerang is helpful here; while it won't immobilize the Trooper as it does other Soldiers, it will stun him long enough to get in a quick strike. Eight sword slashes (or four Spin Attacks) will take the Ball and Chain Trooper out.
========
Grab the Big Key the Trooper drops. In dungeons, the Big Key is used to open certain locks that cannot be opened with Small Keys, and it's also used to open the dungeon's Big Treasure Chest (Hyrule Castle doesn't have one, however). Use this key to unlock Zelda's cell simply by going up to the door. Approach the princess and she'll thank you for saving her. She'll brief Link on what has been happening and urges that you both escape before the wizard finds out. She knows a secret passage out of the castle but you first need to return to the first floor.
You're back in control of Link with Zelda following behind. Feel free to open the treasure chest in this cell to get a Blue Rupee, then get out of here. You should be able to get back to the first floor on your own since it's a single path back but here's a quick guide: Go all the way west in this room and up the stairs, then up another set of stairs. Go south in the next room and south again. Back in this wide-open room, you can take a shortcut by going south, then up some steps to take you to the upper passageway. Follow this route to its very end, going east then north, jumping off the pathway down to the lower floor. Ignore the Blue Sword Soldier, climb the stairs, and go through the door. Ignore this Soldier, too, and just go up the stairs to return to 1F.
Back on 1F, go either east or west and follow the hallway south. You can make good use of the upper passageways to sneak past the Soldiers, then back around the corner to the entrance chamber. Once there, Zelda will tell Link that the secret passage to a place called Sanctuary is in the throne room, which is the room north of your current location. Get on to the upper floor of this room if you aren't already, then go up the stairs in the middle of this floor to go to 2F, the throne room.
Don't worry about the Blue Sword Soldiers here and instead just make a beeline for the thrones at the very north end, where a large ornamental shelf rests along the back wall. Zelda says you can push it from the left side and warns it's pitch-black on the other side and you'd need a lamp to see. Luckily, you already have that so we're good to go. Get on the shelf's left side and push it all the way to the right, revealing a hidden door! Go through the door to enter the passage Zelda was talking about.
The door behind you slams shut. As she warned, it is indeed dark in here. The only available light comes from your Lamp and even then it just barely illuminates a small area around you. From your position, go as far east as possible. You'll likely come across some Rats that can be killed in one hit with the Fighter's Sword, though you can also just stun them with the Boomerang. Once you've gone east you should find a torch; go ahead and light it with the Lamp which will fill the room with temporary dim light (remember to select the Lamp from the Sub Screen if you need to). With the room now lit enough that you can actually see, feel free to explore and find some goodies under the pots. At the northeast end of the room is a stairway leading down to 1F, so take it once you're good to keep going.
In this small hallway, you can once more use the Lamp to light a torch in the corner. This room contains new enemies called Ropes, which are basically just snakes. They will charge at Link upon seeing him and take a two sword slashes each to kill. They can be annoying but mashing the B button will make short work of them. At the end of this hallway is yet another set of stairs - take these down to B1.
Kill the two Ropes that come charging at you as you move north, then take a look at the Map which shows that this room is shaped like a cross. Our goal is to go down the east hall where a treasure chest lies in wait. As you head this way you'll encounter some bat enemies called Keese. They're pesky but they generally avoid attacking directly, and they are so weak that they can be taken out with the Boomerang. Defeat them if desired, then open the chest to get a Small Key. Now, take the Small Key and go up the north hallway where you can unlock a door and advance to the next area.
Link and Zelda have entered the sewers deep under Hyrule Castle. She will tell you that you'll be near Sanctuary once you pass through here. This room contains nothing of value, so just head through the west doorway, ignoring any enemies you come across. The benefit of all the water is that the Rats will ignore you; use this to your advantage. In the larger room to the west, continue to wade through the water, hugging the north wall until you come to dry land. Kill the Keese you see here and go through the north door.
This room contains a few more Rats, and I advise lighting the torches in the south corners to make it easier for you to see. Kill all the Rats in here and one of them will drop a Small Key. Grab it, then defeat the Keese and go through the locked door in the northeast corner.
Hooray! You're finally out of the darkness and back in a fully lit room. Begin heading north and take note of the two sections of wall on the left that have cracks running along them. These types of walls can be destroyed either with Bombs or by running into them with the Pegasus Shoes. Unfortunately, we have neither of those so we can't explore what's beyond the wall yet. Defeat more Rats and Keese as you move across this room. When you get to a group of four blocks, simply push the middle block up to open a path forward, then go up the stairs back to 1F.
The architecture of this room is distinctly different from the last few rooms. Here you can either defeat or ignore more Rats (make use of the pots to kill them), then go south through the door.
This room contains two switch levers Link can grab and pull. Zelda tells Link that Sanctuary is just beyond the door ahead and asks him to pull the switch lever "over there" to open the door. Of course, she's not pointing where so you'll have to choose the correct one. The lever you want to pull is the one on the right (direction-wise it's the easternmost one). The left lever is a trap and will rain down a bunch of Ropes for you to fight. If you're daring, this might net you some extra Rupees. In any case, have Link go over to the lever on the right and press the A button to grab it. Then, pull back on the control pad to make him pull the lever. Once it's been pulled far enough the secret jingle will sound and the south door will open, allowing you to pass through.
An ornamental shelf slides open to reveal Sanctuary! It's similar to a church, though not explicitly so. The kind Sage here asks if you're responsible for rescuing Zelda, who confirms so. The pair urge you to stop Agahnim before he breaks the seal of the Seven Wise Men and tell you the only weapon strong enough to defeat him is the legendary Master Sword lying deep in the northwestern Lost Woods. Your next task is to seek out the village elder who knows more about this powerful blade. The Sage marks the elder's house on your Map for reference and warns you that with Zelda freed the castle Soldiers will now be hunting you both.
Once you're able to move again, go ahead and open the treasure chest to find a Heart Container - your prize for delivering Princess Zelda to safety! This brings your total Heart Containers up to four. Leave Sanctuary through its south door.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.03] - KAKARIKO VILLAGE
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 04/20 Pieces of Heart: 00/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|_ Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang _ Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot _ Bombs _ Magic Mushroom _ Magic Powder |
|X Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion _ Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod _ Ice Rod _ Magic Hammer _ Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute _ Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna _ Magic Mirror _ Pegasus Shoes |
|_ Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt _ Zora's Flippers _ Moon Pearl |
|_ Bottle #1 _ Bottle #2 _ Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword _ Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield _ Red Shield _ Mirror Shield _ Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail _ Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|_ Pendant of Courage _ Pendant of Power _ Pendant of Wisdom|
|_ Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Piece of Heart x4
- Heart Container x1
- Magic Mushroom
- Bombs
- Bottle #1
- Bug-Catching Net
- Bottle #2
********************
You probably didn't realize it, but as you trekked through the sewers the sounds of the rainfall stopped. It's just a cool little detail the game designers added to indicate the passing of time. Now, it's a bright, glorious day in Hyrule (the looming threat from a nefarious wizard notwithstanding) and the classic Overworld theme blasts in the background. Onward to adventure!
As the "What's New" list indicates, we're picking up several new items and a handful of Pieces of Heart in this subchapter. Begin by heading down the dirt road past the Sanctuary gates and coming to a fork where you can head east or west; let's go west.
Kill or ignore the Green Sword Soldier here and move on to the next screen, where you can fight off two more Green Sword Soldiers. If you read the nearby sign it will say Kakariko Village is further west. That is our major place of interest for this subchapter, but we're not going there just yet. Instead, break off from the dirt road and start heading north, passing by a small body of water. Take note of the whirlpool you see in the water - this particular whirlpool is one of several magical waterways throughout Hyrule. They can transport you between certain bodies of water, acting as a form of fast-travel. You'll be able to use these once you have Zora's Flippers. Anyway, continue going north until you scroll to the next screen.
Keep going north past groups of trees and bushes. Watch out for the Crows hanging in the trees - they will swoop in and attack you if you get too close. Two sword swipes will take them out. There are also some strange, gooey green enemies hanging around called Buzz Blobs. If Link attacks these directly with his sword he will receive a painful electric shock and lose life. The key to these annoying buggers is to first stun them with the Boomerang, then attack with the sword. (You can also toss bushes at them.) As you go north you'll pass by a cave opening blocked by a massive white rock. This is the entrance to Death Mountain, but we need the Power Glove to remove that rock before we can enter the cave so keep it in mind for later. Go north to the next screen.
On this screen are a pair of Lumberjacks - A. Bumpkin and B. Bumpkin - currently in the process of cutting a tree. One of them gives Link a warning about mysterious fog covering the nearby forest and the other mentions that the tree they're cutting feels strange... how curious. You can explore their house just northeast of them if you want but there's nothing of value. Behind the house is a cave. The cave just leads to a pool of water, but you can see a Piece of Heart sitting on a high, inaccessible ledge with an opening next to it. This doorway is how you'll eventually get this Piece of Heart but you will have to skip it for the time being.
Back outside, go slightly west of the Lumberjacks, then north along a narrow pathway through the trees to enter the Lost Woods. This deep, dense forest with awesome music holds a few valuable treasures including the Master Sword itself, but we can't get that for now. Sprinkled throughout the forest are small copycat swords intended to throw you off. You can't equip any of these imposter swords, but you can chuck them at enemies! Also, be aware that the forest is teeming with Thieves who will charge at Link if he gets close. The Thief doesn't hurt you, but nor can you hurt it. If a Thief manages to ram into Link he will drop things like Bombs, Arrows, and Rupees which the Thief will try to steal if you don't get them back first. It's best to just avoid Thieves altogether, though if they do try to attack just swing the sword at them to bat them away.
Journey westward into the forest a bit and kill the Crow and Buzz Blob you see here. Just to the north is a hollowed-out log. If Link enters it, he can play a minigame. For a rather steep price of 100 Rupees, Link can open one chest and keep the treasure inside. The prizes are 1 Rupee, 20 Rupees, or 300 Rupees. It may sound tempting but I honestly don't think the odds are worth it, so I recommend skipping this minigame entirely. Besides, Rupees are rather plentiful in A Link to the Past and you can easily collect a lot without having to spend money to make money. It's up to you, however.
Back in the Lost Woods, walk south a bit until you come across a pair of hollowed-out logs, one of which you can currently enter while the other is blocked off. You may also notice a lone bush here; if you approach it, a weird creature will crawl around underneath. This thing is called a Spiny Beetle, or a Hoarder. These are easily defeated with the sword but they also serve a unique function: If Link can pick up the bush that the Spiny Beetle is hiding under, it will drop Rupees. (NOTE: Spiny Beetles may also hide under rocks.) It won't hurt you other than knocking you back if it touches you, so if you want to collect some spare Rupees this is a fun way to do so. Eventually, the Spiny Beetle will die and leave behind a single Rupee. It's your choice to kill it, ignore it, or let it drop Rupees but either way, go south through the east hollowed-out log (it's the only one you can enter from your current position).
As soon as you come out the other end, immediately swing around and go north through the log just next to it. When you come out the other side, hang a left and you should spot an oddly shaped and oddly moving red and white thing sitting on the ground. Cut the bushes here and pick up the odd-looking object to get a Magic Mushroom! The only use this item has is as an ingredient for Magic Powder, which we will get in the next subchapter.
Go back through the same log you just came through but don't go back through the log next to it. Instead, move east a few paces. Here you should see a small hollowed-out tree stump. Just above this stump is a square of nine bushes. Cut them down and the middle bush will reveal a hole. Drop into this hole and you'll land in a cave. Sitting here ripe for the taking is your very first Piece of Heart [POH01]! If you read the chapter on Game Basics you'll know that collecting four Pieces of Heart grants you one additional Heart Container. If you didn't read that chapter, well, now you know!
Jump down from here and go out the door. On the other side is a Friendly Thief. You will encounter a few of these during the game, and instead of taking things from you, Friendly Thieves might drop some fun lore and even share their treasure with you. This particular Friendly Thief just says that this cave is a hideout for thieves and that an ex-member is hanging out at the entrance to the desert. Walk south out of this cave to head back to the Lost Woods.
We've done all we can in the Lost Woods for now, so let's get out of here and get over to the village. Follow the forest path to the southeast. Watch for the Crow sitting in one of the trees here and continue onward until the screen dissolves and you return to the regular Overworld. Continue going south on this screen and defeat some Green Sword Soldiers. The building you can see here is home to one of two Fortune Tellers in Hyrule (the other is near Lake Hylia). Link can pay a fee to the fortune teller who will provide a clue as to what Link should do next. Since you're reading this guide the Fortune Teller is a bit unnecessary, though feel free to use their services if you're interested. When you're ready to go on, take the dirt road further south and pass under the wooden arch to the next screen to reach Kakariko Village.
Ahhhh... such calming music, isn't it? Kakariko Village offers some tranquility not found elsewhere in Hyrule. Take a look at the Map and you will see a flashing X very close to your position. This is the place the Sage at Sanctuary told you about - the home of the village elder. The house in question is the first building you'll come across, a large dwelling with a red roof and two doors. The sign just outside the house is intriguing; it says Link is wanted for kidnapping Princess Zelda and demands he be turned over to the Soldiers. What outrageous propaganda! Anyway, go inside the house and speak with the old woman who lives here. She gives some brief lore about the Master Sword but notes the elder has gone into hiding ever since Agahnim began rounding up descendants of the Wise Men. She has no idea where he is but believes someone in the village should know. Exit the house; don't bother checking the other room as there's nothing to collect or see.
Right next to the elder's house is a small stone building with a green, leafy-looking roof. Remember this - we will be coming back here momentarily. Go as far west as you can go on this screen, walking past a lone tree, alongside a dirt path near some small pink trees. At the far end is a hill with a cave opening below it. Ignore the cave and instead climb onto the hill. Much of the edge is blocked off, but the very end of it has a fence post with a small opening that Link can squeeze through. Right below this opening is a hole in the ground - a well. These are inaccessible to Link from ground level and must be accessed from a higher point. Have Link jump from this opening and fall into the well.
Inside this cave are four treasure chests and two pots. Open the chest beside you to acquire three Bombs. BE CAREFUL when you use these! You have exactly three and we are going to use each one in a specific way, starting right here in this cave. If you look along the north wall, just to the left of the three remaining treasure chests, you should notice that part of the wall looks oddly shaped and colored, like some of the edges are cut deeper. This is a bombable wall. Go ahead and switch to Bombs if you haven't already done so. Get near the crack in the wall, press the Y button to lay a Bomb down, then back away to a safe distance so you aren't hurt by the blast. The Bomb will go off in a few seconds and reveal a secret opening. Go through this opening and pick up the pots to receive two Blue Rupees and some Recovery Hearts. The treasure chest at the very end contains a Piece of Heart [POH02]! Return to the previous room.
Open the remaining chests and pick up the pots to receive three Red Rupees and two Blue Rupees, respectively, for a total of 70 Rupees. Jump down to the lower level behind you, wade through the pools of water over to the right, and climb up the steps. Destroy the pots here for Recovery Hearts and exit the cave.
We're now going to return to that stone building with the green roof I mentioned earlier. Walk eastward, passing by the lone tree, and enter the green-roof dwelling. The dude inside tells Link that this place used to be a hideout for a group of thieves whose leader, a guy named Blind, apparently really hated bright light. At the back of the hideout is a staircase; go down it to the basement.
In this room are four treasure chests all blocked by, well, blocks. This is a classic Zelda block-puzzle and requires strategic movements to get to the treasure chests, each of which contains a Red Rupee for a total of 80 Rupees. For a frame of reference, I am going to label the treasure chests from left to right as chest #1, chest, #2, chest #3, and chest #4. If you mess up, just go back upstairs to reset the blocks and return downstairs.
To start, push the block northwest of chest #3 down, then push the block just left of Link to the left so that it sits right above chest #2. From here, push the block southeast of chest #2 down. Next, walk around chest #2 to the block sitting to its southwest and push that block down as well. Push the block right below chest #2 to the right, which will give you access to chests #2, #1, and #4! Open them to collect the Rupees inside. To get to the last remaining chest (#3), first push the block southeast of it north. Finally, push the block just left of Link to the left to access the last treasure chest and claim the prize.
With all four treasure chests opened, turn your attention to the north wall. There is another noticeable dark line indicating a spot you can destroy with a Bomb. With the *second* of three Bombs, blast this open (again making sure to be far enough away to avoid damage). Beyond this wall are six pots each containing a Blue Rupee. Open the treasure chest in this room to receive yet another Piece of Heart [POH03]. We are on a roll! You can now go back outside to the village. By the way, the six pots in this room will respawn with Rupees every time you leave the house and return to the basement. It's a great way to stock up on money if you need some, but make sure to leave the house completely - this trick doesn't work if you only go upstairs.
Back outside, it's time to collect a few more items. You should have well over 100 Rupees at this point if you've been following along with me. If you don't, perform that Rupee trick I just mentioned until you have enough. Climb down the steps just in front of the green-roof house and you'll come across a weather vane on the right and a man in a turban sitting on a carpet to the left. This man is a Street Merchant and he sells one and only one item: a Magic Bottle. You can purchase it for 100 Rupees, which you should absolutely have. Buy the Magic Bottle, which will be the first of four you can collect in the game. It sounds pricey, but these Bottles are seriously awesome. They are used to store captured Fairies which can automatically heal you up to eight Hearts if you get a Game Over, or hold magic potions that can restore life and/or magic depending on which potion you have. Having such items on hand will be crucial as you face the game's more difficult challenges.
On either side of the Street Merchant are houses with women walking around outside them - one woman is wearing a blue dress and the other is donning yellow. These women sadly believe the falsehood that you have captured Zelda and will call for a Soldier if you approach them. The Soldier will chase after you until you defeat it, go inside a house, or leave the village. The women will also run inside their houses and lock the door, preventing you from going inside until you leave the area. If you can access the eastern woman's house, on the back wall you can find a picture of a familiar-looking figure - some guy with a big nose, mustache, and a red cap with the letter M on it. What a fun-looking fellow! If you grab onto this picture and pull back on it, four Blue Rupees will pop out. Good way to make back just a little bit of money spent on the Magic Bottle.
Just south of the eastern informant woman is a house with several bushes blocking the front door. Cut them down and go inside, where the man there will tell you about the Zoras that live in far northeast Hyrule. It is said that they have a treasure that can turn people into fish and he's eager to see that... okay, moving on... Leave this house and go into the house directly west. A boy is lying in bed here; this is the Bug-Catching Kid. As his nickname implies, he loves catching bugs. Get closer to him and he will wake up saying he got sick. Since he can't partake in any bug-catching fun right now he decides to lend his Bug-Catching Net to Link! Hooray! With this, Link can collect Fairies to store in empty Bottles as well as catch Bees. You may have come across a Bee or two at this point if you've been cutting bushes. Bees start off attacking you but if you catch one in a Bottle and release it later, it will be on your side and help attack enemies. Somewhere in Hyrule is a particular "Good Bee" that's said to be even more friendly and powerful.
(NOTE: To select a Bottle, you first have to select the Magic Bottle icon on the Sub Screen. Doing so brings up a special menu on the right side of the Sub Screen and allows you to select the Bottle you want. To get out of this menu, press either right or left on the Control Pad. It's a little confusing, I know. In the GBA version, each Bottle is its own separate icon on the Sub Screen.)
Leave this house and go south across the stone path to the bigger building. There's a hidden door on this building's north side so go through it. You've entered a tavern, behind its bar. You can't act as a bartender here, but you can remove the pot blocking the treasure chest here, then open said treasure chest to receive a second Magic Bottle! Honestly, that's better than serving up drinks anyway.
Exit the tavern through the way you came and keep heading west. You'll find a man with a fashionable pink hat. As soon as you get near him though, he takes off running in the opposite direction. You won't be able to catch up to him until Link has the Pegasus Boots so ignore him for now. From here you can see two people: an old woman sweeping in front of her house and a blue-haired boy to your south standing right next to a water trough. Talk to the boy first. It so happens he is the very person who knows where the village elder is hiding - or as he calls him, the "grandpa." He marks the hideout on your Map, a place far to the east on the other side of Hyrule. We'll make our way there in the next subchapter.
Ignore the wooden hut for the moment and go west past the blue-haired boy until you come across several rows of bushes and another small wood hut with seemingly no way inside. This hut is interesting because it's one of if not the only place in A Link to the Past to have a bombable wall with no visible crack. We're now going to use the last of the three Bombs we got earlier. Go to the hut's south side and plant the Bomb in the middle of the wall. Viola! A hidden room! Inside this hut are a pair of Rats and some pots with little goodies. You can get four Bombs, five Arrows, and some Rupees. This is why I recommended saving that last Bomb - this way you can collect more of them without actually spending money to do so. Neat, huh? If you leave the hut and reenter, the goods under the pots will respawn (as will the Rats), allowing you to max out your Bombs and Arrows to 10 and 30, respectively. Link will need the Bow before he can use Arrows, but you may as well collect them while you're here.
If you did not save that last Bomb (*tsk tsk*) and/or really don't want to save some cash collecting Bombs this way, then the alternative option is to go buy some. Go back to the blue-haired boy and head inside the wood hut next to him. This is an Item Shop, one of several in the game. The keeper inside sells three things: Life Medicine for 150 Rupees, Recovery Hearts for 10 Rupees each, and 10 Bombs for 50 Rupees. In addition to the Bombs, should you have the money and would like to buy it to store in your empty Bottle, go ahead and purchase the Life Medicine. This potion fully restores all your Heart Containers, but do note that you have to consume it *before* you lose all life and get a Game Over.
Back outside, go north to the old woman sweeping in front of her house. She doesn't have much to say other than that she trusts you despite Agahnim's lies. Inside her house is a flock of Cuccos. Cuccos are peculiar creatures in the Zelda franchise that are without a doubt immortal beings with powers far beyond mortal understanding. It is possible to attack Cuccos with the sword. They don't ever die, but if Link keeps attacking them they will eventually summon a horde of Cuccos to wreak their fowl vengeance upon the young hero for daring to smite one of their kin. It's honestly a hilarious bit of Zelda lore and you're welcome to do it if you want to have a bit of fun. But given that they will hurt Link and make him lose life, I don't actually advise it. Anyway, I'm sure you didn't care to hear me talk about Cuccos. Now that you have more Bombs, you could use one to blast open the patched wall on this house's east side. On the other side is a small room with a treasure chest containing some more Arrows, though you probably don't need this if you're already filled to capacity. Exit the house.
Follow the stone path east and then head south at the corner where the Running Man is. You should be back at the tavern; enter it through its south door. Talk to the old man sitting on the carpet in the corner here and he'll mention his flute-playing son, who has gone to look for something called the Golden Power and hasn't returned. The other man sitting at the bar tells Link about a beautiful woman he met at some place called the Waterfall of Wishing. Essentially, both of these men are sharing some bits about the game that will be important later.
Leave the tavern and go east again until you come across a wooden arch. There is another area of Kakariko Village that you can explore if you head one screen east. The only thing to note on this screen is that it's the location of Smithy's Shop. The blacksmith, Smithy, is a master of his craft and offers to temper your sword, but he can't do it without his partner, who has disappeared. For now, just keep to the main area of the village and go south under the wooden arch to enter another area of Kakariko.
Go south past the first cliff and immediately head west at the lone bush (don't jump down the second cliff). You'll pass two buildings along this path: one to Link's southeast on a lower level and the other to the northwest on a higher level with steps you can climb to access it. The northwest building is the village Library (known as the House of Books in the game), though there's nothing to see here for the moment. The southeast building houses a treasure chest minigame very similar to the one back in the Lost Woods. At only 20 Rupees it is cheaper to play but the prizes are also less rewarding (1 Rupee, 20 Rupees, or 50 Rupees). Your odds are only just slightly better here as you have a chance to make money or break even. Still, like with the Lost Woods location I don't advise playing this game, but it's your call.
Go to the southwest portion of the screen where you'll come across a long red-roofed house that looks like it's cut off at the screen's edge - the other half of the house is simply on the other side. Enter this house through the only door you can access. Talk to the young man here (this guy makes me think of Elvis for some reason... I think it's the hair). He says he has been fighting with his younger brother and sealed the entrance to his room. I know brothers fight and all but that's a bit much, isn't it? There is a very obvious crack in the house's left wall, so we're just gonna tell this guy to kick rocks. Blow open the wall with a Bomb and free his brother. You can talk to each brother if you like but neither of them says anything important. The real reason we're here is for something much cooler than settling sibling disputes. Leave the house through the younger brother's room on the other side of the wall you blew up.
On the other side of this house is a maze, which the woman here will challenge Link to complete within 15 seconds upon which he'll receive a prize. As soon as the woman tells you to go, start cutting the bushes going north, then take the second left. Follow this path as far west as you can go, cut down three more bushes going north, and turn immediately west again toward the sign. Turn south at the sign and go to the edge of the fence where you'll see two bumps on the ground. This is a shortcut! Push against these bumps and Link will leap over the fence like he does when jumping off a cliff. This leaves your way to the goal clear, where a blue-haired man and a Piece of Heart await. Getting through the maze this way should take about eight or nine seconds, plenty of time to snag the Piece of Heart [POH04]. With this in hand, you should have earned yourself another full Heart Container, bringing your total up to five.
At this point, it's time to leave Kakariko Village and find the elder. Jump off this bluff to the ground below and go east to the next screen. Continue moving east across the screen until it scrolls again and you've left the village - noted by the return of the classic Overworld theme.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.04] - SEARCH FOR THE ELDER
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 05/20 Pieces of Heart: 04/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|_ Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang _ Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom _ Magic Powder |
|X Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion _ Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod _ Ice Rod _ Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute _ Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna _ Magic Mirror _ Pegasus Shoes |
|_ Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt _ Zora's Flippers _ Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 _ Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword _ Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield _ Red Shield _ Mirror Shield _ Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail _ Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|_ Pendant of Courage _ Pendant of Power _ Pendant of Wisdom|
|_ Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Piece of Heart x1
- Ice Rod
- Magic Powder
********************
Although we're now looking for the village elder, there are additional treasures we can collect so we're going to do that first. Follow the dirt path south until you see a couple of Blue Sword Soldiers. Defeat them if you wish, then take note of the group of bushes blocking a path heading north here. Cut down these bushes and proceed north into a grove. At the far end of this grove (called the Haunted Grove in-game) is a boy sitting on a tree stump, playing a flute to a flock of woodland animals. This is, in fact, the son the old man back in Kakariko Village told Link about. If Link gets too close, the animals will flee and the Flute Boy disappears. Where has he gone? You'll find out much later, but for now, return to the previous screen. Continue going east, defeating the Blue Sword Soldiers along the way and transitioning to a new screen.
On this screen is a Blue Soldier carrying a set of Bow & Arrows. Link can block Arrows with his shield if you don't press any buttons (except for the Control Pad). Kill or move past the Blue Bow Soldier, going north to the next screen. Keep going north and then east while fighting or sneaking by a trio of Green Sword Soldiers until you scroll to yet another screen. Does this area look familiar? It's Link's house! It might look a bit different without the rainstorm. Should you need some Recovery Hearts, you can collect some from the pots inside the house. Defeat the Blue Sword Soldier walking around south of the house, then continue south to the next screen to an area known as the Great Swamp (although it doesn't look much like one).
(NOTE: If you save & quit your game and return to it later, Link's House will act as one of three possible locations you can spawn when in the Light World. Sanctuary is the second location, while the third location is somewhere on Death Mountain - we'll talk about that later.)
Follow the edge of the eastern cliff until you find a crack in the wall. Bomb this section, then go inside to find a Fairy Fountain. These fountains can be found in various places and are helpful for fully restoring your life. Just walk up to the Fairy and she'll automatically heal you.
Back outside in the Great Swamp, march along the grass here toward the southwest. This swamp is flooded with all sorts of enemies: Blue Bow Soldiers on patrol, Crows waiting to ambush you, Green Bow Soldiers hiding under the grass ready to surprise attack you, and a new enemy called a Toppo. This blue rabbit-looking animal will jump out of the grass at random spots. You can defeat it normally, but if you cut the patch of grass underneath its jumping-out spot, it will fall back to the ground and lie there helplessly. Walk up to it and it will call you a thief before dissipating in a puff of smoke and leaving behind a Recovery Heart, Bombs, Arrows, a large Magic Jar, a Fairy, or Red Rupees. Nifty!
Continue southwest until you come to a large stone building surrounded by water. If you check the Map it's in the southcentral part of the swamp - you really can't miss it. Go inside this building, which is actually a kind of reservoir called the Swamp Ruins. A treasure chest sits behind three blocks and a wide trench can be seen below. At the other end is a door. The block puzzle is designed to give you access to either the treasure chest or the door but not both at the same time. You will have to exit and reenter to reset the blocks. If you're after the treasure chest, push the left and right blocks up, then the center block either right or left. The chest contains three Bombs.
To get to the door, make sure the blocks are reset, then push the center block up so it blocks the treasure chest and push either of the side blocks further to the left or right. Go up and through the door. In this room is what appears to be some kind of flying skull with red orbs circling it. This is called an Anti-Fairy. They are very irritating little buggers that will take both life *and* magic if they touch Link. The only way to defeat them is with Magic Powder which you don't have yet, so try to just ignore it. On the north wall are two levers. The lever you want is the east one (the west lever will cause Bombs to fall from the ceiling). Pull back on the east lever and the dam holding back the water will open, causing the trench to flood. You're done here so go back outside. You will see that by opening the floodgates inside and allowing water to flow, the entire pool of water surrounding the reservoir has nearly emptied. Sitting in the shallows is a Piece of Heart [POH05] waiting for you to collect.
Fun fact: You can pick up the fish jumping around here. If you take the fish one screen north and throw it into the deep, dark blue water, it will throw some Rupees your way as thanks. However, if you take it to the Street Merchant all the way back in Kakariko Village (the one who sold you the first Magic Bottle), he will give you a variety of Recovery Items including Hearts, Arrows, and Bombs. It's a neat secret, but it's also out of the way of our next destination so I'd consider skipping it.
From the Swamp Ruins, head one screen east. Link will meet two new enemies: a Sand Crab and an Octorok. Sand Crabs move peculiarly; they move slowly going up and down, yet quickly when going side to side. Be careful not to let a Sand Crab touch you, as it can take off two Hearts. Octoroks are less predictable thanks to their quick movements. Their main attack is firing rocks in four directions but the rocks can be easily blocked with the shield. Sneak past or kill these enemies (each takes one sword slash) and go on to the next screen.
Immediately look along the north wall to find a cracked spot you can destroy with a Bomb, behind which is a cave. Inside are several fast-moving worm-like enemies called Mini-Moldorms. You need to kill all four of them to open the locked door at the end of the room, so begin by dealing with the one right in front of you. As for the ones hanging on the sides of the room across the bottomless pits, you can actually get to these by tightly hugging the south wall and walking across to the other sides. (This only works with the south wall, so don't attempt it with the north wall.) Defeat the rest of the Mini-Moldorms and the door will open. On the other side is a Friendly Thief and four treasure chests. Talk to the Thief and he'll give you a whopping 300 Rupees! Friendly indeed! Open the chests to receive some Bombs, Rupees, and Arrows. Leave the cave and continue heading east along the shore of a large body of water - Lake Hylia.
Keep following the shoreline east, watching out for various enemies along the way. You may also notice some monsters pop out from the lake and spit fireballs at you - these are Zoras. Link can't do much about them from way up here, so just avoid their attacks. When you get to the next screen you'll encounter a floating enemy called an Octoballoon. Its gimmick is to explode into numerous versions of itself, which it will do after it flies around for a bit or if you attack it. It's best to just bypass it and continue on your journey. Turn north and walk along the wall until you come to the end of the coast. Take down the Sand Crabs here and enter the cave opening you can see here.
In this ice cave, use a Bomb on the north wall. The other side contains a couple of Fairies flying about. If you have a spare Bottle or two, go ahead and capture one or both Fairies. If you come back here later with the Pegasus Shoes and run into the Fairy statue, the Good Bee that I mentioned in the last subchapter will pop out. You can capture this Bee later on if you want, but I don't personally think having it on hand is worth all that much so I recommend just sticking with Fairies.
There's a door leading to another room of the Ice Cave, but it's blocked off on the other side so go back outside. Set a Bomb at the cracked wall to the left to blast open a hidden entrance to the Ice Cave, then go inside and progress through the first room to the room beyond. Open the treasure chest to get the Ice Rod! The Ice Rod shoots a powerful blast of frost which can instantly freeze most enemies, but it also uses quite a bit of magic power. It will come in handy later but for the time being, just stick with the Boomerang for stunning. Now, leave the Ice Cave.
From here, return all the way to Link's house, using the Map to guide you if needed. Once you're there, start heading east, then north across the white bridge and into another screen, defeating Soldiers along the way. Quickly navigate north through this rocky terrain swarming with Octoroks. In the next area, defeat the Blue Bow Soldiers as you continue going north, cutting the bushes around the rocks to get through.
Keep following the path north and east to the next screen until you come across a Buzz Blob. Just beyond is a small hut with a Witch standing just outside mixing something in a cauldron. Go up to her, pull out the Magic Mushroom you picked up in the Lost Woods, and press the Y button to hand it over to her so she can finish her brew. She tells you to come back later; all you have to do is simply leave the screen and return. Go inside her Magic Shop and pick up the bag sitting next to her Assistant - you have now acquired Magic Powder! (Note that this permanently replaces the Magic Mushroom on the Sub Screen.) Earlier I mentioned that you can use this on Anti-Fairies; it can be used on other enemies for certain effects but bear in mind that it uses small bits of magic power.
Notice the three potions available for sale here: You've already seen Life Medicine in Kakariko Village but the other two are useful as well. The green potion is Magic Medicine which will fully refill the Magic Meter and the blue potion is Cure-All Medicine to replenish both life and magic to full capacity. You can talk to the Assistant to receive a sample of the Life Medicine - handy if you need a quick restore!
Leave the Magic Shop and head back west. If you use some of your new Magic Powder on the Buzz Blob here, it will turn into a goggle-eyed thing called a Cukeman. You can talk to it, though it tends to speak in a kind of riddle. It can still shock Link if he touches it, so make sure to stun it with the Boomerang first.
Retrace your steps back south through the rocky Octorok-filled area. Once you get back to the white bridge, don't go south across it. Instead, go east. On the east side of the next screen is a cave housing a Great Fairy; visit her if you need life, then head north to enter the grounds of the East Palace. Keep going north, passing under archways and up some stairs, taking out Octoroks as you go, until you find a building sitting on a lower area of the grounds. Check the Map and you will see this is the spot the blue-haired boy back in Kakariko Village marked. Drop down and enter this building.
Talk to the old man here to be introduced to Sahasrahla, the village elder! Sahasrahla will tell you that to claim the Master Sword one must first collect the three Pendants of Virtue. As a test of heroism, he wants Link to retrieve the Pendant of Courage in the nearby East Palace. He'll also provide the locations of the other Pendants and the Master Sword.
When you're back in control of Link, pick up the pots at the north end of the room and destroy the wall with a Bomb. On the other side are three treasure chests. The middle chest contains three Bombs and the two on either side of it carry 50 Rupees each. With these acquired, leave the hideout.
Bring up the Map again - as you can see, the Pendant of Courage is indeed to the east, not that far from here. On the way there, you'll encounter new enemies called Armos, armored statues that come to life when you get near them and attack by hopping toward you. You can try slipping around them but if they come alive you can safely outrun them. They take four sword slashes - or two Spin Attacks - to defeat.
From the elder's hideout, go up the stairs, east, then south, until you come to a fork in the road blocked by an Armos. Defeat it and continue southeast, coming to another Armos blocking a set of stairs going down. Near this is a break in the wall you can jump off from. Do so before the Armos has a chance to hit you. Now, climb the set of stairs here and keep climbing, dodging around one more Armos and a Blue Soldier, until you meet two Armos guarding a final set of stairs. This is the entrance to the East Palace, so head on up and through the door to begin your first real dungeon.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.05] - DUNGEON I: EAST PALACE
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 05/20 Pieces of Heart: 05/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|_ Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang _ Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion _ Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod X Ice Rod _ Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute _ Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna _ Magic Mirror _ Pegasus Shoes |
|_ Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt _ Zora's Flippers _ Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 _ Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword _ Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield _ Red Shield _ Mirror Shield _ Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail _ Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|_ Pendant of Courage _ Pendant of Power _ Pendant of Wisdom|
|_ Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Bow & Arrows
- Heart Container x1
- Pendant of Courage
********************
(A quick note - if you have been following the guide, you should already have some Arrows. Since Arrows are useless without the Bow, it just made more sense not to check them off until you acquired the Bow itself, which we're getting in this dungeon.)
As the game's first true dungeon, the East Palace is simple in its design as is proper for any first level so to speak. It contains a central hub from which most other rooms branch out and getting through the dungeon requires looping this hub a couple of times. After getting the Big Key and the Bow, it's off to the second floor where the dungeon boss awaits. It's fairly straightforward, so it's a nice way to ease players into the game's dungeon concepts.
In this first room, you are presented with three doors to choose from. The east and west doors lead to dead-ends so ignore them (unless you want the Green Rupee each pot here contains). Approach the sealed center door; lift the pot to find a gold circle under it. This is a Floor Switch and you'll come across many of these during the game. Have Link step on the Floor Switch and the door will open. Go on through to the next room.
Proceed into the room and both doors will seal shut. The tentacled enemies here are called Popos. They are slow, easy-to-kill creatures that go down with one sword slash each. After disposing of them, notice the circular tile that appears to be raised a bit? This is another Floor Switch, so step on it to open the north door and head on through.
This large room has a trap similar to something one might find in Indiana Jones. Swishing noises announce the arrival of Cannonballs gliding down a narrow pathway from north to south. Go down the steps and carefully enter this passage. Link can stay safe from the small Cannonballs by navigating around them as they pass by or by hiding into one of the side areas off the main path. Occasionally a giant Cannonball will come down and take up the entire path, requiring you to take cover on the side until it passes. When you've safely made it across to the north end, don't go up the steps just yet and instead go west and turn south. Go up the steps at the end of this passage, then cross the bridge to the east to find a treasure chest and some pots. The chest has 100 Rupees and the pots contain additional Rupees for the taking. Now, return to the north side of this room, go up the steps, and enter the next room.
We've reached the hub of this dungeon. Advance forward and then take the east path to find a closed door and two pots sitting nearby, guarding a Floor Switch. Pick up one of the pots, step on the Floor Switch, and go through the east door. Fight off some Popos and skeleton enemies called Stalfos, who take two slashes to defeat. They will try to jump away from sword attacks, so you'll have to get in a bit close and be timely with your attacks to kill them. Go through the northeast door.
This room contains an Anti-Fairy. Sprinkle some Magic Powder on it and it will turn into a regular Fairy. The Magic Powder is the only way to defeat Anti-Fairies and it comes with that neat trick, so if you need a Fairy then try using the Powder on these annoying buggers. Under the center pot is a Floor Switch; press it and go through the south door.
Open the treasure chest in this empty room to get the Dungeon Map. Jump down, head up the steps, and go out the west door, then west once more to get back to the Hub Room. This time, take the west path. Repeat what you did previously by stepping on the Floor Switch in the corner and going through the now-open west door. Four Stalfos await you here, so take them out as you go through the southwest door.
The doors seal shut in this room filled with bones. Pick up the middle pot and four more Stalfos will materialize. You can use the pots in here to quickly destroy them; unlike sword attacks, they won't try to dodge objects thrown at them. When the Stalfos are defeated, head through the north door, then open the chest in this room to obtain the Compass. With this, you can view the location of the dungeon boss. Walk down the steps and go east through the door.
Ignore the path going south here. The gray box on the wall is a telepathic tile that you can use to hear messages from Sahasrahla. Read his message about using the item in this dungeon against armored foes, then go through the east door. You're now on the lower level of the Hub Room, but there isn't much to do here since you don't have the Big Key. Try to not get too close to the north wall or you will wake up the Green Eyegores. Just go across the room through the east door.
You were in this room earlier but on the upper level. Walk south under the upper walkways, take the steps up, and go through the door here. The next room is shrouded in darkness save for the light from Link's Lamp. Quickly circle the room clockwise to avoid the Anti-Fairies pursuing you. On the east side of the room is a Popo and a Floor Switch; defeat the Popo and step on the switch. If you're fast you can go through the east door that opens before the Anti-Fairies touch you, or just circle the room again if you don't want to risk that. The room to the east is dark as well and houses several Stalfos. Take them out if you can, then find your way to the northeast pot and remove it to find a Small Key. Return to the previous dark room and continue following the path to the west, killing another Popo, until you come to a locked door. Use the Small Key you acquired and go through it.
You're out of the darkened rooms for now and are standing on the upper level of the Cannonball room. Head west along the path and through the door at the other end. This room has a number of Popos and Stalfos, one sleeping Green Eyegore, and four Anti-Fairies circling a pot. So that's obviously important. The puzzle here is to defeat all the other enemies which will cause the Anti-Fairies to fly away from the pot. Don't bother trying to use Magic Powder on them, as these are some of the only Anti-Fairies where this won't work. Start with the Popos, then the Stalfos - but try not to use any of the pots here to do so.
With the other enemies defeated, let's turn our attention to the Green Eyegore. When you get close to it, the Green Eyegore will open its eye and chase after you for a bit before closing its eye and becoming stationary again. They are tough enemies that will take a total of eight slashes from your sword to kill... or you can just chuck a single pot at it and kill it instantly. Either way, once the enemies are dead and the Anti-Fairies disperse, remove the pot they were guarding and step on the Floor Switch under it to make a treasure chest appear on the altar in front of you. Open it to receive the dungeon's Big Key. Proceed through the north door.
Go down the steps and push the right block north, then go up the path and hang a right, going through the door to return to the Hub Room. With the Big Key in hand, go up to the Big Treasure Chest and open it to receive the Bow! At last we can use those Arrows we've collected. Don't celebrate just yet though; immediately, Stalfos will drop from the ceiling! These unique Stalfos will send their heads flying at you, which are totally invincible to any attack but will go away after a few seconds. You can try just navigating around them until they do, or retreat to another room and then reenter. Once they're gone, go up the north steps to the locked door. Link can hop off the platform here to the large vases on either side; both will drop him to a basement level where two Fairies are flying about. To get out of this small room, step on either of the orange Teleportation Tiles to take you back to the Hub Room. There's a likely chance that this will alert one of the nearby Green Eyegores; try out your new toy on them - a single Arrow fired from the Bow will defeat them. When ready, open the locked north door to enter another dark room.
If you check the southwest and southeast corners you will find some torches. I recommend lighting one or both of these to give you room to see. Kill the Popos here, then take out both Green Eyegores using your Bow & Arrows. One of them will drop a Small Key. Don't use this on the locked door yet; first, pick up the northeast pot and go through the door. Jump off the platform in this room to a lower level where you can collect 18 Blue Rupees (90 Rupees total) while dodging the Anti-Fairies or turning them into regular Fairies. Go up the steps and return to the previous room, then walk over to the west, pick up the pot, and use the Small Key on the locked door to go upstairs to 2F.
Defeat or ignore the Anti-Fairies. Lift the southwest pot and step on the Floor Switch, then go through the door. You can kill all three Green Eyegores in this room if you like, but we really only need to worry about the bottom two. Kill the bottommost one first and step on the Floor Switch it was guarding to open the door ahead. Kill the middle Eyegore and go to the next room (the other indented tiles are fake switches). In the room beyond, Link will be bombarded with Cannonballs flying from every direction! There are four indented tiles here too. The northeast tile is the one you need to move forward, so weave cautiously around the Cannonballs, step on the Floor Switch, and get through the door as fast as possible.
Slay the Stalfos, then face the new Red Eyegore blocking the north door. Unlike their green brethren, Red Eyegores are impervious to pots and sword strikes, so only Arrows will do. Get its attention and quickly shoot it with two Arrows to defeat it. Head through the door and take out the six Popos here before they scatter. Hold off on the pots for the moment unless you really need more Arrows or Recovery Hearts. Slowly approach the Red Eyegores - you will inevitably wake both of them up, so back away quickly when you do and take them out one at a time with Arrows. Upon defeat the north door opens, allowing you to face the dungeon boss. Grab anything from the pots if you need them, then head on through.
*===========================================*
Boss: Stone Guardian Sextet - ARMOS KNIGHTS
*===========================================*
(Ocarina of Time introduced cool titles for its bosses, a tradition that continued in many games that followed. I always liked that concept so for fun I came up with some of my own for the bosses of this game.)
As soon as you enter the room, the door will slam shut, and six huge Armos Knights wait to do battle with you. They are basically more monstrous versions of the Armos you saw outside. As soon as the fight starts, the Knights come to life and bounce around the room in a pattern. The pattern starts with them jumping in a wide circle, then moving in to form a smaller circle before expanding out again. They end things by lining up along the north wall and bouncing southward, then returning to their circle and repeating the pattern all over. The best way to avoid getting hurt is to stay in either of the south corners and pick them off one at a time.
Recall what Sahasrahla said about using the treasure in this dungeon to defeat armored foes. Have the Bow handy and fire off Arrows at the Armos Knights. Each one takes three Arrows to destroy. You can also use your sword, just note that each Knight will require 12 slashes. Should you run out of Arrows, you'll have to resort to the sword anyway. Once you have defeated five of them, the last Armos Knight will literally turn red with rage and attack by leaping into the air and trying to crush Link. This continues for the rest of the fight. If you can, try to stay south of the Knight and pelt it with Arrows; the force will send it flying back a bit and help you evade damage. Dodge it as much as possible while shooting Arrows. Like its brethren, three Arrows will defeat it.
========
Once the final Armos Knight has fallen, grab the Heart Container it leaves behind. A green pendant will fall from the ceiling - the Pendant of Courage! Pick it up and the dungeon officially ends. As a bonus, your Life and Magic Meters will fill to capacity, preparing you for your next task. Now that we have the Pendant of Courage, let's take it to the elder!
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.06] - TO THE DESERT
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 06/20 Pieces of Heart: 05/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang _ Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion _ Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod X Ice Rod _ Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute _ Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna _ Magic Mirror _ Pegasus Shoes |
|_ Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt _ Zora's Flippers _ Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 _ Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword _ Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield _ Red Shield _ Mirror Shield _ Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail _ Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage _ Pendant of Power _ Pendant of Wisdom|
|_ Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Pegasus Shoes
- Piece of Heart x2
- Book of Mudora
********************
Return to the elder's hideout by going down the steps of the East Palace and heading west, ignoring the Armos and hopping down from the ledge. Jump down twice more and keep heading west until you're back at the hideout - enter and speak with Sahasrahla. With the Pendant of Courage in hand, Sahasrahla recognizes you as the hero who will save Hyrule and shares some lore with you. In addition, he hands over a most valuable prize - the Pegasus Shoes! By holding down the A button and building up speed, Link can take off at a fast run in whatever direction he's facing. He'll keep going until he either changes direction or runs into an immovable object such as a tree or wall. Note that some trees may drop prizes like Rupees, Fairies, or Apples (which restore life) but others may send out a swarm of Bees so be cautious! Link will also have his sword drawn as he runs, allowing him to mow down enemies in his path. And there's one more cool trick - if he runs into certain cracked walls they will break apart, saving you from using a Bomb. As you can see, there is much you can do with the Pegasus Shoes!
Before you go, Sahasrahla has one last bit of advice about an item in the cave east of Lake Hylia. He is referring to the Ice Rod, which you already have, so you can just move on with your journey. (Gosh, it's like Link has precognition or something.)
We're now going to head back toward Sanctuary. It's not really our next true destination but trust me. It's a little bit of a trek, so now is a great time to break in your new running shoes! Leave the East Palace grounds through the south, then go one screen west and one screen north to return to the rocky-terrain screen. Continue north, then west across the wooden bridge, and north again. At the north end of this screen is a lone bush; underneath it is a hole leading to another Fairy Fountain, the exit of which will take you back to the Overworld. Anyway, keep going west, passing by a cemetery, and you'll return to the screen where Sanctuary is located.
From here, go west one more screen and curve around to the north so that Link is on the bluff just above the dirt road, then head back east to the Sanctuary screen. You'll see a pile of five white rocks. Dash into the pile to reveal a secret cave underneath, then open the treasure chest inside to find a Piece of Heart [POH06]. Leave the cave, then jump down from the bluff and return to Kakariko Village in the west.
(Optional fun: Once you've arrived at the village, go inside the house of the blue dress-wearing informant to the west. You can find a Cucco underneath a pot. If you sprinkle Magic Powder on this particular Cucco, it turns into a woman! She'll lament her human form and tell you off for bothering her Cucco friends. Additionally, if you would like, you can use the Pegasus Shoes to try catching the Running Man (the guy in the funny pink hat outside the Sweeping Lady's house). There isn't anything integral to either of these things, they just provide some amusement.)
Head to Kakariko's southern section (make sure the screen transitions) and go inside the northwest building with a book and quill above the door. If you recall the last time you were here, this is the Library, or House of Books. Go inside, then notice the green book lying on top of the left bookcase. Dash into the bookcase to knock the book to the floor, then walk around and grab it. This is the Book of Mudora, which can be used to translate ancient Hylian language. We need this to access the next dungeon, so it's a good thing you picked it up now.
Leave Kakariko through the east and follow the path back to Link's house, defeating Soldiers along the way. Go south to return to the Great Swamp and head to the southwest until you reach a narrow passageway, near a sign that points to the Desert of Mystery. Take this path one screen west. Kill the Spiny Beetle/Hoarder under the rock here. At the north end is a man sitting next to a sign, which kindly asks you to ignore the man. Back in the Lost Woods, you met a Thief who mentioned that an ex-member was hanging out by the entrance to the desert - this is him. (For a bit of fun, you can pick up his sign and throw it. He'll berate you for destroying his sign and follow you until you leave the screen.) Along the northern wall on the other side of this man is a cave leading to a Fairy Fountain. Restore your life if you need it, then continue southwest to enter the Desert of Mystery.
As you enter the vast desert, a Vulture will likely swoop from its nesting place atop a cactus and fly around you. You can defeat it with sword strikes, but it takes precise timing and movement. Begin heading north, passing a large green monolith perched atop the cliff and moving around cacti and Landmines until you reach a cave entrance. Head inside.
Go through the first room of the cave. In the second room is an old man similar in look to Sahasrahla but dressed in green robes. This is Sahasrahla's brother, Aginah (though not mentioned in-game). If you spoke with him before obtaining the Book of Mudora, he would have provided some very interesting game lore. However, for the sake of efficiency, I had you pick up the Book of Mudora before coming here. For your interest, he would have told Link about something called the Great Cataclysm, an event foretold in an ancient prophecy. Part of the prophecy dictates that the hero would "stand in the desert holding the Book of Mudora." Aginah would say that this book allows you to read the language of the ancient Hylian people and so advises you to get it. Well, we already did! Link truly has some amazing psychic abilities, eh?
Lay a Bomb down in the very middle of this room's south wall. In the room on the other side is a treasure chest containing another Piece of Heart [POH07]. We're done in this cave, so leave it the way you came in to return to the desert.
Back outside, start heading west and be on guard for cacti, Landmines, and Vultures. Along the way, you will likely meet some Geldmen, sand creatures that will pop out of the ground and instantly charge toward you. Take them out with two sword slashes, and you'll eventually come to a platform on a raised bluff. Upon the platform are three massive green statues that either look like turtle shells or faces depending on your point of view. In the middle of the platform is a stone tablet. If Link tries to read it, the language is indecipherable. Pull out the Book of Mudora and, while standing in front of the tablet, press the Y button to translate the language. It says to make a wish to open the way forward. A short cutscene takes place showing Link doing just that. Press a button to get out of the cutscene and the statues will move, opening the north path forward. Take it and climb the steps to reach the next dungeon, the Desert Palace.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.07] - DUNGEON II: DESERT PALACE
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 06/20 Pieces of Heart: 07/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang _ Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion _ Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod X Ice Rod _ Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute X Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna _ Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|_ Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt _ Zora's Flippers _ Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 _ Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword _ Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield _ Red Shield _ Mirror Shield _ Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail _ Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage _ Pendant of Power _ Pendant of Wisdom|
|_ Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Power Glove
- Piece of Heart x1
- Heart Container x2
- Pendant of Power
********************
The Desert Palace is unique among the Light World dungeons in that it has multiple entry points. The main entrance is the one you just came through, while the east and west exits lead to different areas of the desert. Furthering its special layout, you actually have to exit at some point to access the remaining portion of the dungeon. Overall, the Desert Palace is more difficult thanks to some new enemies and traps so be on guard.
Before we move on, I should note that once you have entered the Desert Palace you are basically stuck until you find one of the other exits; the three statues outside will have reverted to their original positions, trapping you.
As soon as you enter this vast entrance room, four Green Leevers will rise from the sand-covered floor and slither toward you. They're slow-moving and take two hits to defeat. They may burrow underground after a short period, only to try to surface directly underneath Link and ambush him, so don't let them stick around.
Begin heading north, but be wary. At the center-north of this room is a green statue with a single eye circling it - a Beamos. If you are in this eye's line of sight, it will fire a powerful and unblockable laser at you which will knock out one whole Heart. You can't defeat Beamos statues so avoid it at all costs. Sneak around the Beamos to the northwest hallway. Quickly pick up the pots here and run around the corner before the deadly eye spots you, then head north to the next room.
You'll meet a new foe called a Devalant, in this case a red version that will shoot three fireballs at you. Devalants create small pits of quicksand around them when they pop out. Getting too close to the quicksand will pull Link toward the Devalant, so attack it from a slight distance but still close enough to kill it with the sword. With the Devalant out of the way, enter the door ahead.
In this room, kill both a Green Leever and a Red Leever (they move slightly faster than the green ones but are easily defeated just the same), then use some of the pots in this room to defeat the Eyegores after you wake them up. Under the north central pot is a Floor Switch; step on it and open the treasure chest that appears to get the Dungeon Map. Leave this room the way you came, then head west to the next screen.
Defeat the Red Devalant and Leevers, then enter the north doorway. Another Beamos is in this room, so quickly hide behind one of the southern lanterns. On the northwestern lantern you'll spot a Small Key. Wait until you have a clear shot then dash into the lantern to knock the Small Key down and grab it. Should you wish, you can check out the Telepathy Tile on the wall to listen to Sahasrahla's advice about collecting all the treasures in a dungeon. Go back through the south door.
Use the Pegasus Shoes to dash to the east end of the dungeon. In this corner are three pots as well as two Leevers and another Red Devalant. Defeat them if you would like. Do you hear a familiar "swishing" noise? This sound was heard in the East Palace, in rooms where Cannonballs flew across the screen. The sound is coming from the other side of the east wall, which we'll get to in just a moment. The north door in this corner room leads to a trap room - the door will seal shut when you enter and you'll be forced to fight off four Red Leevers and a Red Devalant. The door will not reopen until you defeat them. There's nothing of value in this room, so I advise against entering it except for filling out the Map. Instead, go south.
There's a locked door just ahead; use the Small Key you retrieved to go through it. In the next room, take cover from the Beamos using the gargoyle statues, then defeat the Popos to open the north door - just be sure to grab the Compass from the treasure chest before you move on. Here is where those swishing noises are coming from; moving along both sides of the room are Cannons firing off Cannonballs. Be nimble as you head north through this trap. On the other side is a treasure chest containing this dungeon's Big Key. Collect it, then carefully return to the previous room, sneak around the Beamos, and go west.
~~~~OPTIONAL EXPLORATION~~~~
This next part is only if you want to fill out your entire Dungeon Map, so skip to the next paragraph if you'd prefer. Otherwise, as you come out of the Beamos room, start heading south. You'll find more Leevers, a Red Devalant, and a Blue Devalant - these don't shoot fire like their red cousins and so are much weaker. Go through the southeast door to find a room with a single Beamos and one of the dungeon's secret exits. This particular one leads only to a dead-end. If you choose to go outside, note that it is possible for Link to jump off the ledge here, but it puts him at a lower level of the Desert of Mystery. Getting back inside the dungeon requires returning to the platform with the stone tablet and using the Book of Mudora to open the entrance again so you know, maybe don't do that and just go back inside. :) Leave the room with the Beamos through its west exit.
~~~~~~~~
We're now going to return to the northwesternmost corner of this giant room. For reference, it's the corner room that was just south of the room where you knocked the Small Key from a lantern. From this northwest corner, go through the west door. A Beamos stands in the center, surrounded by pots. Unlike statues and lanterns, pots will not keep you safe from the Beamos' attack, so you'll have to act fast here. Quickly pick up the northwest pot to uncover a Floor Switch. Press it and immediately dive through the north door before the Beamos sees you.
Go up onto the altar and open the Big Treasure Chest to obtain the Power Glove! With this mighty gauntlet, Link now has the ability to pick up heavy objects that he couldn't before! Return south and once more press the Floor Switch under the northwest pot, then go back through the east door before the Beamos has a chance to blast you.
Go all the way south here, sidestepping or defeating a horde of Leevers and Blue Devalants, and enter the southwest door. Yet another lone Beamos guards this room. The south door takes you outside the dungeon, while the north door is sealed. The only thing in that room are some Fairies. Our destination takes us outside, but if you want to get those Fairies then you will again have to move quickly here. Stay out of the Beamos' sight as best as you can, then focus your attention on the west set of blocks. Counting from left to right, push the third block north. The north door unseals, allowing you to access to the room on the other side to get those Fairies. Once your business is concluded, leave the dungeon through the exit to the south.
You're back in the Overworld for now. Go down the steps and head south along the bluff. Don't jump down from here or you'll have to go back inside the dungeon through its main entrance and return all the way back here. At the southern end of this bluff is a Vulture guarding a Piece of Heart [POH08]. Kill or ignore the Vulture and grab the Piece of Heart, which should reward you with another full Heart Container and bring your total to seven, then return north. Go past the dungeon exit you came out of and toward the wall, heading east. You'll come to a cave entrance blocked by four white rocks. Now that you have the Power Glove, you can pick these up. Do so on one of the rocks, toss it away, and enter the cave to enter the second and final phase of this dungeon.
A Beamos waits for you in this room. Move swiftly to the east part of the room and push the lower of the three blocks either right or left, then hurry through the door. This next room introduces a special kind of enemy: Flying Tiles, which, as described, will rise up from the floor and hurl themselves at Link. Try to keep Link standing in the doorway. If he stays here, the tiles can't reach him. 22 tiles in total will fly by. When they're gone, pick up the southwest pot to find a Small Key and use it to unlock the north door, heading upstairs to 2F.
Head south along this empty room to the next room. Defeat the Popos while hiding from yet another Beamos and go through the door to the east. This long room contains more Popos and THREE Beamos! (Yeah, the developers really oversaturated the Desert Palace with these wretched things.) Fight off the Popos as you cautiously head north until you come to a row of pots. The second from the right pot hides a Small Key; collect it and charge through the locked door ahead.
You encounter another set of Flying Tiles. Repeat the same doorway trick from before until they go away, then go pick up the pot in the northeast corner to find another Small Key and go through the next locked door. The room beyond houses a single Red Eyegore, so wake it up and take it out with two Arrows. After that... well, now what? There doesn't appear to be anywhere else to go. What to do? Whip out the Lamp and light the four torches. The west wall will begin sliding backward, revealing a locked door - the door to the boss. Once you can move again, grab some Recovery Items from under the pots and go through the door to begin the boss battle.
*========================================*
Boss: Subterranean Centipedes - LANMOLAS
*========================================*
You'll have to fight three of these creatures. They will surface from under the sand and hurl bits of dirt in four diagonal directions. Getting hit with the dirt will knock off one-half a Heart. If you are hit by one of the Lanmolas themselves, they'll cost Link a full Heart of damage. That said, they are very easy to avoid so the dirt debris is their only real attack. Each Lanmola will briefly glide through the air before diving back into the sand and popping up again in different spots. To defeat them, you must attack their heads. It's best to concentrate on one Lanmola at a time. Be warned, after defeating two of them, the third Lanmola will get nasty by moving faster and sending chunks of dirt flying in all eight directions.
Link can use several items to defeat the boss. You might be tempted to try Bombs but I wouldn't bother; the centipedes emerge from the sand faster than the Bomb's timer and their movements are so random that throwing a Bomb is unlikely to help either. Arrows are slightly better, although you still need to time your shots perfectly. Each Lanmola will perish after four Arrows. If you opt to use the sword, aggressively attack the Lanmolas when they surface. You could wait for them to fly toward you but you're unlikely to be that lucky. Instead, chase them down. You can snag two or even three sword slashes before they dive. With the sword, each Lanmola can endure eight hits. However, the best weapon against the Lanmolas is the Ice Rod. While the Ice Rod's chilling blast moves slowly and uses considerable magic, each Lanmola can be defeated with just two shots. Talk about a brain freeze! Whichever method you use, keep up the assault until all three are toast.
========
Pick up the Heart Container and the blue Pendant of Power that falls to the floor. Congratulations on acquiring your second Pendant! We're well on our way to getting the final one and ever closer to the Master Sword. Link's Life and Magic Meters will refill and he'll be transported outside to the entrance of this phase of the Desert Palace.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.08] - RIVER, LAKE, & MOUNTAIN
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 08/20 Pieces of Heart: 08/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang _ Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion _ Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod X Ice Rod _ Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute X Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna _ Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt _ Zora's Flippers _ Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 _ Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword _ Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield _ Red Shield _ Mirror Shield _ Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail _ Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power _ Pendant of Wisdom|
|_ Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Zora's Flippers
- Piece of Heart x3
- Magical Boomerang
- Red Shield
- Bottle #3
- Max Bomb Upgrade
- Max Arrow Upgrade
- Magic Mirror
********************
Before we go for the last pendant high atop Death Mountain, there are a number of items and upgrades that are now available to you. Our first destination is Zora's Waterfall located in far northeast Hyrule. Make sure you have 500 Rupees at this point; if you have been following this guide to the letter, you ought to have plenty. Should you need some extra cash, there is a place nearby you can use to easily stock up.
Leave the Desert of Mystery through the narrow canyon to its southeast, then go north and immediately curve to the first south you can take. With the Power Glove, Link can remove these two large white rocks just as he can the small ones (You may have seen some black/dark-colored rocks in your travels; Link needs a stronger glove to lift these). Pick up the southern large rock to reveal a hidden cave. Inside it is a Friendly Thief circled by 10 pots, each containing a Blue Rupee underneath for a total of 50 Rupees. The Friendly Thief mentions something about a cave east of Lake Hylia but you've already been there before - it's the Ice Cave. His message is really informing you about the Good Bee. Anyway, the best thing about this cave is the Rupees will respawn if you exit and go back inside, so repeat this until you have at least 500 Rupees. You can also use the Power Glove to remove the rocks the Spiny Beetles/Hoarders in this area are hiding under; do so and collect the Green Rupees they drop. If you collect them quickly enough, the Spiny Beetle will toss out a Red Rupee before disappearing.
With 500 Rupees in hand, it's time to visit a new area of Hyrule; let's start by heading to the Magic Shop (we picked up the Magic Powder there). By now you should be fairly familiar with Hyrule's geography and comfortable with the Map, so I'm going to be giving out fewer directions except for when reaching new areas, but here are a few friendly handouts: Go northeast through the Great Swamp and pass Link's house going further east, then go north across the white bridge and through the rocky-terrain area, and northeast again to arrive at the Magic Shop. Continue east beyond it, remove the large rock, and follow the path to the next screen.
Ignore the Buzz Blob and dash into the rock pile to create an opening for you to climb onto the bluff here and head north. Sneak by or kill the enemies on this screen, including some Sand Crabs, and jump down to the shallow water. Keep going north until the screen dissolves and you enter a brand-new area of the world - this is Zora's Waterfall. You'll know you're in the right spot if you're standing in a river and the sound of rushing water partially drowns out the background music (heh, see what I did there? I'll see myself out...)
Zora's Waterfall is home to, well, the Zoras, an aquatic race of fish-people who are hostile to outsiders. You have likely seen a few here and there around Lake Hylia - here they are abundant. Several Zoras will pop out from the water, indicated by the whirlpools they generate when they appear. A Zora emerging from deep water will shoot fireballs at you before diving back underneath, while a Zora that surfaces in shallow water will chase you down. Take down any Zora that comes between you; each one takes four sword slashes and the first one will always stun them. Stay on the shallow path as you navigate this area. You won't lose any life if you jump into the deeper water and will just be sent back to the spot from which you jumped.
Follow the shallow water path as far north as you can go. Along the way you'll see a Piece of Heart sitting on an inaccessible ledge - we'll get that momentarily. Once you've gone as far north as possible, head east and turn at the first south. You'll encounter several forks in the path; the one you need is the southernmost fork. Take this path all the way east and turn north. At the very end is a waterfall. When you approach it, a giant Zora, known as King Zora, will surface. He'll ask what you want, so say that you are here for the flippers. He will offer them up... for 500 Rupees! (You *do* have enough to buy them, right?!) Go ahead and make the purchase; it seems awfully expensive but the Flippers are worth it, not to mention necessary. With Zora's Flippers acquired, Link can now swim in the deep waters of Hyrule and has access to the magical waterways King Zora mentioned.
Head south and into the deep water to begin swimming. The controls are basic yet a bit janky. You can move Link in any direction, and pressing the Y, B, and A buttons will make him swim faster. Have Link jump off the small waterfall to the lower river. Follow the shallow path west to dry land and keep going until you reach the Piece of Heart [POH09] we passed by earlier. We're all wrapped up here, so go back east and into the water, hop down the waterfall, then head west along the shallow water path to return to the entrance to Zora's Waterfall. Leave through the south of the screen to return to the regular Hyrule Overworld.
Stay in the water and circle around the cliff here. On the other side is a waterfall. Swim into it and you'll discover a hidden cave! Inside the cave is a small pool of water. This is the Waterfall of Wishing, which one of the old men at the Kakariko Village tavern first told you about, and we are here to gain ourselves two cool upgrades. Walk up to the pool and you'll be asked to throw something in. You'll then be allowed to cycle through your various items using the Control Pad. If you toss something into the pool, a Fairy Queen even more grand than those found at Fairy Fountains will appear and usually return the thrown item to you. However, there are two items in particular she will upgrade.
Start by throwing in the Boomerang, then tell the Fairy Queen truthfully that you dropped it. She says she likes honest people and rewards you with the Magical Boomerang - a red-colored, improved Boomerang that will fly twice as fast and twice as far. Groovy! Note that this completely replaces your original Boomerang. Now, wait until you are prompted to throw an item again, and this time toss the Fighter's Shield. Answer honestly again and she gives you the Red Shield! Remember all those pesky fireballs the Zoras were hurling at you? This shield is capable of absorbing those so hooray for you! (TIP: If you throw in an empty Bottle and answer truthfully, the Fairy Queen will fill it with Magic Medicine.) With these acquired, leave the Waterfall of Wishing.
Now, since this walkthrough is based on how I play, I should tell you that this is the point in the game where I begin working on upgrading my Bomb and Arrow capacities. This side quest costs a lot of money... 1,400 Rupees to be exact! It's expensive for sure but this is a completionist guide so I'm going to be talking about it. Besides, it's also just a good idea to do this; Bombs and Arrows are common weapons so having extras of them on hand may be vital. You don't have to max them out right now - in fact, doing it in batches might be easier as you collect more Rupees.
First, we need to head to Lake Hylia. Normally you would have to travel there on foot, but with the Flippers we can get there much faster. From your current position, swim south. You'll notice two whirlpools around here, one of which a Zora emerges from. The other whirlpool, however, is different in that it neither disappears nor does a Zora pop out of it. This is one of the magical waterways Kind Zora told you about. (I also briefly talked about these back in subchapter [Z306.03] before our first visit to Kakariko Village.) By swimming into one of these special whirlpools, Link can quickly transport to different bodies of water around Hyrule. This one just so happens to take Link all the way down to Lake Hylia, so swim into it to be taken there.
When you reappear in Lake Hylia, swim northeast. You'll pass by an island - ignore this for now and keep swimming northeast and into a river just off the lake. Keep following the river until you come to the white bridge just east of Link's house. Swim toward the bridge and you'll see the screen transition; you're now underneath the bridge. Climb onto the small landmass here and talk to the snoozing man. He will give you Bottle #3! Leave this area and swim back to the island in the middle of the lake that we bypassed a few moments ago. Climb onto the island and go inside the cave here.
Walk up the long hallway to arrive at a pool flanked by Fairy statues. Before approaching the pool, look along the east wall to find a spot you can destroy with a Bomb. On the other side are four Fairies - capture one in your new Bottle if you want. This is one of the most accessible areas to catch Fairies, so you can always return here to fill your Bottles if needed. Now, return to the pool of water in the previous room.
This is the Pond of Happiness. It claims that by tossing in some Rupees you can increase your happiness. You have the option of throwing in 5 or 20; throw in 20 (trust me, it's better to toss in as many Rupees as you can every time). You'll get a message that measures your happiness level and one of four possible "luck" descriptors: Big Trouble, A Little Luck, Good Luck, and Great Luck. This refers to a somewhat obscure luck statistic built into the game. Big Trouble means that the next 10 enemies Link defeats will not drop any items, whereas Great Luck means the next 10 enemies Link defeats will all drop items. Interestingly, A Little Luck and Good Luck apparently don't do anything.
Anyway, keep throwing in Rupees until you've tossed in 100. Another Fairy Queen just like the one you met at the Waterfall of Wishing will materialize. This is Venus, Queen of the Fairies, who offers you a choice between carrying more Bombs or Arrows. The choice is ultimately yours to make. For every 100 Rupees you throw, Venus will increase your Bomb or Arrow capacity by 5. Once you've made your first choice, you'll be asked going forward to throw either 25 or 50 Rupees, making it much less tedious to reach 100 each time (although the overall process is still tedious...). The highest maximum Venus will upgrade your Bombs and Arrows is 50 and 70, respectively. Also, once you reach 40 Bombs or 60 Arrows, Venus will graciously increase your total by 10 instead of 5. If you do the math, that means maxing out the totals is 700 Rupees each (1,400 total).
If you have the Rupees to spare at this time, then contribute as many as you can and increase the maximum total of the item you want. As I said before, you will not be able to do this all at once since you can only carry up to 999 Rupees, so unless you really want to grind for Rupees and knock this out of the way now, I recommend that you instead just come back here when you have an extra load of Rupees to part with. For your convenience, after we finish the next dungeon I will start including reminders at the beginning of each non-dungeon walkthrough subchapter. Also, to prevent confusion for the sake of the Adventure Checklist, the Max Bomb Upgrade and Max Arrow Upgrade will be marked as complete from here on out. Please keep that in mind when regarding your own gaming experience.
(NOTE: If you try increasing your Bombs or Arrows beyond their max totals of 50 and 70, respectively, Venus will return your Rupees and suggest you visit her friend at the Waterfall of Wishing, which you just came from. In fact, I am absolutely convinced the developers placed that Whirlpool Waterway outside the Waterfall of Wishing for the express purpose of hinting to players to come to this location and find the Pond of Happiness. That the two Fairy Queens look exactly alike and are friends just reinforce that belief. It's a small but appreciated example of how to reward players for their curiosity and willingness to explore.)
When you're done upgrading all you can (or want) at the Pond of Happiness, go back outside. There is a hidden Rupee cache not far from here that we haven't uncovered yet, so now is a good time to mention it since it could be useful for collecting more Rupees. In fact, the cache is right outside the Ice Cave. Jump into the lake and swim southeast. Follow the river around to the east until you come to a dock just north of the Octoballoon. Continue north until you return to the entrance to the Ice Cave. Pick up the giant rock here to reveal the hidden cache. A Friendly Thief lives here, and under the four pots are Blue Rupees. It's not much, but just like the cave near the desert, the Rupees respawn if you exit and go back in, so you can use this spot to grind for Rupees if you sorely wish.
Once you've taken all you want, let's continue with our adventure. The next stop is the cemetery east of Sanctuary. From Link's current position outside the Ice Cave, jump down into the water to the south. Take the left path and hop off the waterfall, then swim into the stationary whirlpool you see here. It's another Whirlpool Waterway, and this one drops you off at the small pond west of Sanctuary. What amazing shortcuts! Return to land and go east two screens until you arrive at the cemetery. Go inside, though be wary of the Red Spear Soldier here and the graves themselves. If you push a grave, a ghost called a Poe may rise out and fly around. Poes can seriously hurt Link and take a good beating, so if you accidentally push a grave and make a Poe appear, just dodge it. Make your way to the northwest grave, lift the rocks guarding it, and push it to reveal a hole. Drop down into it.
Look familiar? This is one of the secret passage rooms in Hyrule Castle. Last time we were here I mentioned the two cracked walls along the west side. You couldn't do anything about those before, but now with Bombs and the Pegasus Shoes, these walls are no problem. Destroy one of the cracked walls, it doesn't matter which. On the other side is a hidden room with three treasure chests and several pots. The treasure chests on the sides contain extra Bombs and Arrows, while the middle chest holds 300 Rupees! If you don't need to spend these on anything, I suggest using them at the Pond of Happiness. Four of the pots contain Recovery Hearts should you need them. Once you're done here, leave the room through the way you came or destroy the other cracked wall, then proceed to very last room where the two levers are. Remember to pull the one on the right, then pass through Sanctuary and back to the Overworld. (NOTE: If you talk to either Zelda or the Sage, they will restore you to full health.)
At last, it is time to head up Death Mountain. Go west one screen, then north another. Toward the north end behind a group of trees arranged in a V-shaped formation are a pair of Buzz Blobs, a sign, and a giant rock blocking a cave entrance. (I pointed this rock out when we were last here, making our way to the Lost Woods.) The sign says not to enter Death Mountain without the King's permission but we're gonna go ahead and ignore that. Pick up the rock - a Spiny Beetle/Hoarder may or may not appear under here - and enter the cave. It's dark in here, so use the light of the Lamp to navigate through the tight passageways. Jump down from the ledge and begin heading north, then immediately east at the first fork. At the next fork, continue going southeast and turn north at the next fork. Turn east again and you'll run into an old man blocking the way forward. He'll request to follow you, so go through the door to the next room.
As you move forward in this room, the Old Man asks Link to turn right but this is incorrect. Instead, loop around the bottomless pit here and continue going east. The Old Man also shares lore about the Golden Power, advising Link against searching for it. When you've gone as far east as possible, the Old Man asks you to turn right again (and shares information about his granddaughter whom Agahnim kidnapped). This time listen to him and turn right at the fork so that you're going south. Fight off any Keese that get in the way and head out of the cave to arrive on Death Mountain proper.
Be on alert as you progress here; you'll encounter massive falling Boulders and Deadrocks, fast-moving and erratic enemies that will knock off one whole Heart if they touch Link. You cannot defeat a Deadrock with just the sword; it will just turn to stone for a brief time, allowing you to sneak by it before it unfreezes and resumes its running about. The only way to defeat a Deadrock is to sprinkle Magic Powder on it to turn it into a Slime, at which point Link can slay it with a single sword hit. Lead the Old Man to the southeast until you reach a cave entrance. The Old Man thanks you for your help and hands over the Magic Mirror, which we'll talk about shortly. Follow the Old Man inside.
This dwelling is the Mountain Cave, which becomes the third and final point you can respawn from when restarting your game in Hyrule. Like Zelda and the Sage, the Old Man will restore Link's health if he talks to him. (He'll also refer to an object called the Moon Pearl - keep this in mind). Go north through the first room of the cave and go east into the next one. Go south and around the passage here and through the doorway, then just simply hug along the south wall of the dark room until you exit the cave.
You're back outside Death Mountain on a higher peak. Weave around the falling rocks, heading west until you come to a ladder. Ignore the cave at its base (it just leads you back to the main part of the Overworld, near the first cave you used to get here) and instead climb the ladder. When you've reached the top, go east until you come to a cave entrance; south of this entrance is a break in the mountain ledge where you can drop down. Position Link along this edge directly opposite the cave and jump down - you should land on a small ledge right in front of another cave. (If you fall past this ledge, then you were standing too far east.)
Head inside the cave before you, then go north and up the stairs where you can find a Piece of Heart [POH10]. You can check out the Telepathy Tile; Sahasrahla tells you to find a way to the top of Spectacle Rock in order to get to the Tower of Hera. This cave is, in fact, the inside of Spectacle Rock - named so because the twin peaks resemble the shape of a pair of spectacles. Now, drop down into the hole on this floor. When you land, you can go east to find a small Fairy Fountain. Capture the Fairies here or use them to restore your life should you need it, then go northwest to the next screen. Defeat or run by the Mini-Moldorms in this passage and go back outside.
Jump down from the ledge Link is standing on and head back west while dodging the falling Boulders. Climb up the tall ladder again to return to the higher peaks of Death Mountain. Head east past Spectacle Rock until you come across a strange blue tile. This is certainly unlike anything you've seen yet. Step onto the tile and watch as the world around you dissolves in a whist mist.
When everything settles, you'll appear somewhere new, somewhere that doesn't quite feel right. Ominous music plays in the background and a foreboding wind strikes the air - you have been transported to the Dark World! This twisted, tainted realm was once the sacred Golden Land where the almighty power of the Gods was kept hidden, the relic known as the Golden Power, or better known - the Triforce. What's more, Link has been transformed into a pink bunny! You are utterly powerless in this form, as you can't use any items or your sword. Luckily, this area of the Dark World contains no enemies.
Feel free to check out the Map if you'd like. As you can see, the Dark World looks almost exactly like Hyrule save for some notable differences. You're confined to this particular area of the Dark World for now and there isn't a whole lot to do or see. That said, there are a couple of areas to note. Just south of where Link appears in this land is a break in the edge of the cliff. If you were to jump down from here you would find a cave, but there isn't anything that you can do there yet. At the far southwest of this area, on the lower peaks, is a cave hiding a Fairy Fountain if you need it. Once you're done exploring what you can or wish to, be sure to come back to this starting point.
Do you hear a funny sound? Head west and you'll encounter a pair of odd creatures: an angry orange pumpkin-headed demon-looking character kicking around what looks to be a pink ball, who is much more friendly. Both characters basically tell Link the same thing; you need the Moon Pearl from the Tower of Hera to keep your original form in this world.
Notice the ground these two characters are standing on. The shape of the dirt here looks a bit familiar, doesn't it? It actually looks a lot like Spectacle Rock back in Hyrule. Have Link stand along the north side this dirt formation and use the Magic Mirror. You'll be transported back to Hyrule and returned to human form. If you return in the right spot, you'll be standing atop Spectacle Rock, with another Piece of Heart [POH11] waiting for you to claim it! Take note of the shimmering glow you left behind; this is a portal which can return you to the Dark World, but it disappears if you use the Magic Mirror to go back to Hyrule from a different location. This portal will be marked on your Map as well so you can always refer to where you left it.
Leap down from Spectacle Rock's north side and head east to the tall, massive structure, ignoring the Deadrock on the way. Climb the steps to begin the game's next dungeon, the Tower of Hera.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.09] - DUNGEON III: TOWER OF HERA
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 08/20 Pieces of Heart: 11/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion _ Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod X Ice Rod _ Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute X Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers _ Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword _ Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power _ Pendant of Wisdom|
|_ Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Moon Pearl
- Heart Container x1
- Pendant of Wisdom
********************
In terms of linearity, the Tower of Hera is pretty basic. You briefly explore its "basement" (which is actually just the ground floor), but the rest of the time is spent climbing level after level to reach the boss on 6F. The dungeon's creativity lies in two new puzzle mechanics: Star Switches that shift floor pits around, and Crystal Switches which either raise or lower certain barriers depending on the color of the switch. To get through this dungeon, you will have to use these two Switches to manipulate the rooms around you.
The dungeon begins on 2F. The way forward is blocked off by a series of blue blocks, and sitting right in front of you is a Crystal Switch. The Crystal Switch is currently red; strike it with your sword to turn it blue and the blue blocks will lower. Notice in doing so that the orange blocks in this room are now raised. This is the function of the Crystal Switch: Whichever color the switch is, the blocks matching that color will be lowered while the opposite-colored blocks are raised.
There are stairways to the east and west. The east stairway is currently blocked by orange blocks, so go down the west stairway to 1F. There are two Stalfos in here and one of them has a red-tinged skull. Like regular Stalfos, this one will jump away from your sword slashes, but it also fights back by chucking a bone at you in retaliation. Take out both Stalfos, then turn your attention to the Small Key on the floor guarded by the Mini-Moldorm. Instead of turning the Crystal Switch red to lower the orange blocks, just use the Boomerang to retrieve the key. You need the blue blocks to stay lowered for now and it's more efficient to get the key this way. Go back upstairs.
Back on 2F, go north to the row of orange blocks, then turn around to face the Crystal Switch near the dungeon entrance and throw the Boomerang at it to lower the orange blocks. On the other side is a statue with a Telepathy Tile on it; here, Sahasrahla says the Magic Mirror can be used to return to the dungeon entrance at any time. That's convenient! Go north and open the chest on the altar here to receive the Dungeon Map. Watch out for the Mini-Moldorm around here, as well as the fire-breathing, dinosaur-looking enemies. These are Kodongos, and although they're enclosed in their pens, the fireballs they spit can seriously hurt. Thankfully the fireballs aren't difficult to dodge and the Kodongos can be killed with a single sword strike each, so do so and then go northwest. Unlock the door here and go downstairs.
This room contains Flying Tiles, just like those in the Desert Palace. You won't be able to avoid them by standing in the stairway this time, so either take them out one by one or try to dodge them and let them smash into the wall. Once they're all gone and the east door opens, throw one of the pots at the Crystal Switch in the corner to lower the blue blocks guarding the door and go through. Slay the Mini-Moldorm and strike the Crystal Switch to lower the orange blocks. Kill or ignore the other Mini-Moldorms and go south. Get rid of the Red Stalfos in this room. Don't lift the pots just yet; instead, take out the Lamp and light the four torches. Doing so will make a treasure chest appear. Open it to get this dungeon's Big Key! Now, remove the pots in the corners to get some recovery Magic Jars.
Your next goal is to go up the east stairway on 2F. It would be nice to get there quickly... remember what Sahasrahla said? Pull out the Magic Mirror and use it to return to the dungeon entrance. Awesome, right?! This is a useful trick if you need a quick getaway or need to leave the dungeon and don't want to walk all the way back to the entrance, though be warned that the opposite is true - to get back to where you were in the dungeon, you'll have to progress on foot. Anyway, once you're back at the entrance, hit the Crystal Switch to lower the blue blocks and go to the east stairway. Hit the switch again to lower the orange blocks and head upstairs to 3F.
You encounter more new enemies known as Hardhat Beetles. They come in two colors: blue and red. The blue ones take three strikes from the Fighter's Sword to defeat, while the red ones take a whopping eight. Don't bother with anything other than the sword, as they are impervious to all other weapons. Striking the Beetles will cause both them and Link to bounce back. You'll want to take care when doing this as it may cause you to fall into one of the pits and back down to the floor below. If your angle is good, you can knock the Hardhat Beetles into the pits as well. Whichever method you choose, defeat all three of them to open the door. Regarding the Crystal Switch here, it should be red if you've been following along. If it isn't red, make it so. In fact, at this point we will not be hitting any more Crystal Switches for the rest of the dungeon. I'll explain why in a short while. Proceed through the west door.
Kill three more Hardhat Beetles in this room. The door ahead is blocked by a raised blue block on one side. The orange block on the other side is lowered, but there's a pit in the way. Take a look at the tile with a star engraved on it over by the east door. If you step on this Star Switch, the two pits in the room will move from west to east, giving you access to the lowered orange block and the locked door. The Star Switch also moves, except from east to west. Step around it and go through the north door.
Navigate east through this next room as you kill more Hardhat Beetles. Don't step on the Star Switch here just yet. Once you make it to the east side of the room, you should see the stairway blocked by a pit and some blue blocks. Again, don't hit the Crystal Switch here to lower the blocks. Instead, step on the Star Switch on the north side of the room so that the pits move instead. With the pit out of the way, go upstairs to 4F.
This large room is teeming with Mini-Moldorms and Red Kodongos. Head west through the room, making use of the pots to slay the Mini-Moldorms. Many of the pots in this room are hiding Rupees, so feel free to check under all of them to collect some extra money. Collect the Compass from the treasure chest in the center of this room, then check the Telepathy Tile on the Eyegore statue behind the chest. Sahasrahla tells you to make sure you don't forget the Moon Pearl from this dungeon. If you recall, both the Old Man who gave you the Magic Mirror as well as the odd-looking characters you met in the Dark World mentioned the Moon Pearl. This enchanted orb is the only way to keep Link in his human form while in the Dark World, so it's absolutely critical that you get it. You can actually see the Big Treasure Chest sitting on the north end of the room but we can't get to it from this floor. To get to it, we need to first go up to 5F. Head to the stairway in the northwest, being mindful of the Kodongos, and head upstairs.
Start heading south in this expansive room, watching out for the spinning bar of fireballs rotating around a block. This is known as a Guruguru Bar and was first featured in the Super Mario series. Step on the Star Switch sitting next to the Guruguru Bar to shift the pits in this room. You'll notice this room also contains some round blue objects. These are Bumpers, named such because if you touch it you'll be bounced backward. Getting caught in a series of these Bumpers can be a nightmare, so do your best to get around them. You'll also encounter your first Red Hardhat Beetle here. Remember that this sucker needs eight sword blows to defeat. If you can, try knocking it and the Blue Hardhat Beetles into the pits, possibly even making use of the Bumpers yourself.
Now, see the three pits in the northwest corner of the room? Jump into the northernmost one; you'll fall through a series of jars, floor after floor, until you land in an unmapped room on 1F containing Fairies for you to collect. Capture them in Bottles if needed, then use the orange Teleportation Tile to return to 5F.
It's now time to collect the Moon Pearl. Go back to the west side of the Guruguru Bar and step on the Star Switch. In doing so, a small pit will appear in the north-center of the room. If you stand near this pit and check your Map, you'll see that your position on 5F is actually directly above the Big Treasure Chest on 4F (indicated by the red rectangle). This next part is important: Be sure to drop into the pit from its *north* side. When you land you will be right in front of the Big Treasure Chest. Let the Spark pass by, then open the Big Treasure Chest to get the Moon Pearl! Go south across the pair of Star Switches - you can see why you needed to drop from the pit on its north side; the switches cause a pit to appear in front of the chest and block it off. Go back to 5F and head to the east side of the room.
Remember when I said not to hit any Crystal Switches for the remainder of this dungeon? On the east side of 5F is a group of pots surrounded by orange blocks which are presently lowered. DO NOT pick these pots up unless you need life. Each one has a Recovery Heart under it and trust me when I say you will probably need to save these. At the northeast corner is the final stairway of the dungeon and it leads to 6F - the lair of the dungeon boss. When you're good to go, head up the stairs to duel with one of the most maddening bosses in all of Zelda history.
*=====================================*
Boss: Giant Erratic Annelid - MOLDORM
*=====================================*
Rage has a name, and that name is Moldorm. This boss has been a source of Zelda players' frustration and annoyance for years. The fight's difficulty has little to do with Moldorm's actual strength and more to do with how hard it is to attack it. Although the boss has no direct attacks of its own, it will charge unpredictably around the floor it slithers on, and getting hit will send Link flying. Its hide is so thick that hitting it with the sword also causes you to bounce backward, similar to Hardhat Beetles or Bumpers. Compounding this is that the battlefield is on a balcony suspended over a large pit. If Link gets knocked into the pit, he'll be sent back to 5F and will have to climb back up to continue the fight. Worse yet, falling to the floor below resets the entire battle, meaning all damage to Moldorm is undone while Link has to nurse any wounds he receives. If Moldorm knocks Link into the arena's central pit, he'll drop two floors to 4F. It's easy to get knocked off so players must be quick and agile.
Moldorm has one weak point: its twirling red tail tip. You need to hit the tail six times, but the worm's quick movements make doing so tough. Stay light on your feet - this is, after all, a battle of precise movement. Be alert as you dodge and weave around Moldorm, then attack its tail when you have an opening. You can try Spin Attacks, or just hack and slash regularly. You may find it easier to stay near the south wall where you at least have some cushion in case you get knocked back.
Once you've hit Moldorm five times, it will scurry even faster around the room! This is the boss at its most dangerous, but also its most vulnerable. Remain patient and wait for the right moment to strike its tail a final time, bringing this chaotic worm to rest.
========
Grab your Heart Container and the red Pendant of Wisdom. Well done on acquiring all three Pendants of Virtue! At last, it is time to take up the Master Sword, which we'll cover in the next subchapter. The Life and Magic Meters refill as usual and you're dropped off outside the tower. Give yourself a pat on the pack for making it this far; you've especially earned it after the fight with Moldorm. :)
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.10] - THE BLADE OF EVIL'S BANE
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 09/20 Pieces of Heart: 11/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion _ Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod X Ice Rod _ Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute X Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword _ Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|_ Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Master Sword
********************
REMINDER: If you have Rupees to spare, consider throwing them into the Pond of Happiness to increase your Bomb & Arrow carrying capacities.
This is a short subchapter. Start heading west from the tower; take note of the bridge extending over a chasm on the north side - we'll come back to this much later (there is something on the other side that requires the Master Sword to get). Keep heading west, hopping down from the ledge, then either climb down the tall ladder or just jump off for a faster route. Enter the cave here (the sign near it says this will take you back near Kakariko Village) and follow the passage westward, fighting off Keese and dodging around bottomless pits as you do. In the cave's next room, hug the west wall until you come to the exit. When you exit the cave, you'll be standing just above the cave entrance you used to first enter Death Mountain. Hop off the ledge and head north, pass by the twin Lumberjacks, and go northwest to return to the Lost Woods.
Check the Map and look for the flashing sword icon in the northwest corner of the Lost Woods. This is your goal; work your way through the Lost Woods until you come across a hollowed-out log just south of the Master Sword's location. You'll know you've come to the right one when going through it makes the screen dissolve and you enter a clearing: the Sacred Grove. Harmless woodland creatures will dash across the screen as you head north. At the very end is the one true Master Sword - the mythical and powerful blade of evil's bane. If you like, you can use the Book of Mudora to read the inscription on the pedestal's south side. Then, step up around to the north side and lift the Master Sword! It has almost twice the power of the Fighter's Sword, a longer reach, and comes with a new feature: the Beam Attack. As long as Link has full life, he can fire off beams from the tip of the Master Sword. This ranged attack has about as much strength as the Fighter's Sword, though it's still a nifty attack to use against enemies from a distance.
The fog clears from the Lost Woods and Sahasrahla contacts you telepathically to congratulate you on obtaining the Master Sword, firmly believing you can take Agahnim down. When you have control of Link again, leave the Sacred Grove through the hollowed-out log to the south... but just as you come out the other side, Zelda contacts you with a desperate cry for help - the Soldiers are coming for her at Sanctuary! There's no time to lose; make haste to Sanctuary!
When you get there, you'll spot the Sage lying on the floor. He'll say you arrived too late and that Zelda has been taken to the castle, where Agahnim intends to sacrifice her to open the final seal of the Seven Wise Men. (In actuality, it doesn't matter how quick you are getting here, this is intended to happen.) The time has come to face the evil magician, so let's get over to Hyrule Castle. With the castle gates open, you can march directly into the castle grounds. Enter the castle through the same front door you used at the start of the game.
Not much has changed since you were last here; the same Soldiers still wander the halls. But you are much stronger and many of these enemies are no match for the Master Sword. You can go either east or west here. Whichever way you go, get onto the upper floor, then head out the south door to reach the castle rooftop. Walk over to the central door which is guarded by a barrier of energy. With the power of the Master Sword in your hand, strike the barrier to remove it from your path. Go through the door to begin our next dungeon.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.11] - DUNGEON IV: HYRULE CASTLE TOWER
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 09/20 Pieces of Heart: 11/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion _ Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod X Ice Rod _ Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute X Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|_ Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
(Nothing)
********************
When we last visited Hyrule Castle, it served as an introduction to the game's dungeon design. Things have changed now; you've grown in experience and claimed the Master Sword, but the stakes are higher than before. Unlike the other dungeons you've played through, Hyrule Castle Tower doesn't have a complicated layout. Instead, you power through each room, fighting off wave after wave of Soldiers as you storm up the tower to reach Agahnim on 7F. It's a fitting concept for the intensity of the moment. Stay focused on the task at hand - Zelda needs you now more than ever.
Head to the next room where you'll meet two Gold Ball and Chain Troopers. If your Life Meter is full, make good use of the Master Sword's Beam Attack on these enemies. The beams will knock them back, keeping you safe from their maces. It takes longer than striking them directly with the sword, but it'll help keep your life intact. (I also recommend making heavy use of the Boomerang's stunning capabilities.) Once they're dead, go east into the next room. Take out the Blue Sword Soldiers that rush at you, then collect the Small Key from the treasure chest that appears. Use it to open the locked door and go upstairs to 3F.
The next couple of floors are shrouded in darkness so proceed with caution. Defeat the Blue Sword Soldier as well as the winged creature hanging around here (called a Chasupa), then go west. This next room is a maze containing a few Blue Sword Soldiers and Chasupas. You need to reach a small treasure chest on the west side of the room; use the Lamp to light some of the torches to illuminate the path. Grab the Small Key from this treasure chest, then go back through the maze and use the Small Key on the southeast locked door. In the next room, defeat or avoid the Blue Sword Soldiers and head up the stairs to reach the 4th floor.
Follow the red carpet and go west, taking down or running past the Blue Sword Soldier and Blue Bow Soldier. In the room beyond, move delicately across the narrow walkways; remember, you can knock the Soldiers into the bottomless pit for a quick defeat. Go through the northeast door which will immediately shut behind you, leaving you to fight off two Blue Bow Soldiers and one Blue Sword Soldier. One of the Bow Soldiers drops a Small Key for you to use on the locked door to go up to the next floor.
You're done with the dark rooms from here on out. Defeat the Red Spear Soldiers and Chasupas to unlock the west door. The Telepathy Tile in the northwest corner warns that you cannot attack Agahnim directly with the Master Sword; you must instead return his power back at him. We'll go over that momentarily. In the next room, kill a pair of more Red Spear Soldiers, and then even more Red Spear Soldiers and Chasupas in the following room. Snag the Small Key that one of the Soldiers drops and go through the east door. Either fight off or dodge the swarm of Soldiers in this room and go through the stairway to 6F.
Push the west statue to open a path and once again either defeat or ignore the trio of Soldiers as you progress to the next room. Head north along another narrow path, using a sword and Boomerang combo to knock the Soldiers into the bottomless pit. Go up the north steps, through a final stairway, and north one more time to finally meet Agahnim. Unfortunately, there is nothing Link can do but watch as the evil wizard successfully casts his spell on Princess Zelda. After the cutscene ends, cut down the middle curtain which Agahnim retreated behind to reveal a hidden chamber. Go through to begin your fight with the wizard.
*========================================*
Boss: Priest of the Dark Order - AGAHNIM
*========================================*
(In the original Japanese text of the game, Agahnim is a priest. Nintendo of America recharacterized him as a wizard to avoid overt religious references. "Priest of the Dark Order" is the name of Agahnim's theme music on the soundtrack and it's a cool title so I decided to use it here. :))
Agahnim will teleport around the room for most of the battle. The first thing to note is that you cannot physically harm the wizard with the Master Sword; if Link touches him with the sword, he will be treated to a nasty electric shock. The way to defeat Agahnim is to turn his magical energy against him.
Agahnim has three attacks to choose from. The first is a glowing fireball projectile - the *only* magic attack Agahnim is vulnerable to. You must strike the projectile with your sword to send it back at Agahnim to damage him. Interestingly, you can also use the Bug-Catching Net to reflect the projectile. The second attack is a ring of blue fireballs which will split into six smaller projectiles if struck - be mindful of this. His third and most devastating attack is obvious: When Agahnim teleports to the north-center of the room he will unleash a blast of lightning. To evade this, simply stand on the north side of the room. (There's a small chance he may fire a different attack, though I do not recommend playing the odds.) Successfully land six hits on Agahnim to defeat him.
========
Once you've delivered the final blow, another cutscene takes place. The world dissolves around you in a blinding flash of light as Agahnim delivers on a promise to draw you into the Dark World...
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.12] - CAST INTO THE DARK
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 09/20 Pieces of Heart: 11/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion _ Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod X Ice Rod _ Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute X Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|_ Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Piece of Heart x2
- Heart Container x1
- Quake Medallion
********************
REMINDER: If you have more than 110 Rupees to spare, consider throwing them into the Pond of Happiness to increase your Bomb & Arrow carrying capacities. Why specifically 110 Rupees? You'll see in a little while.
Welcome to the Dark World! You stand atop a massive structure known as the Pyramid of Power. Sahasrahla contacts you telepathically to give some brief lore on this twisted world and urges you to rescue the missing Maidens - the ones Agahnim sent here to break the Seal of the Seven Wise Men - and win back the Golden Power. Only then will you truly restore peace to Hyrule. In a lot of ways, this is what the game was preparing you for. Hyrule was basically child's play while the Dark World presents more difficult challenges to overcome. With twice the number of dungeons to explore, your quest has really only just begun.
Before we press on, I want to quickly mention that my directions through this overworld will be less specific than they were when getting around Hyrule. I will, of course, be thorough with the dungeons, however you should be familiar enough with Hyrule's geography at this point that if I direct you to an area in the Dark World then you should have an idea of how to get there. After all, the Dark World may be a "new" land but it mirrors the Light World's geography. You got this!
Remember, you can use the Magic Mirror to return to Hyrule. There will be times we will be moving back and forth between the Dark World and Hyrule so you'll have plenty of opportunity to get used to the Mirror. If you return to a spot in Hyrule that you otherwise should not be able to access (think inside a wall or standing on top of an object) you'll be forced back into the Dark World. Using the mirror around this area will take you back to Hyrule Castle. You won't be able to enter the castle anymore and the grounds are now guarded by stronger Red Spear Soldiers. Additionally, a new portal has opened up right under the castle gate. Whenever Link crosses Hyrule Castle gate, he will be immediately transported to the Dark World. With all that out of the way, let's move on.
Begin heading down the steps in front of you, then take the east steps at the fork. There are two breaks in the wall here; drop down from the east opening and circle the perimeter of the Pyramid to the north to pick up your first Dark World Piece of Heart [POH12]! Your total Heart Containers should now be up to 10. Continue climbing down to the base of the Pyramid and beware of the enemies walking around here. The spear-throwing, pig-like Moblins are easy enough, but the Snap Dragon (a Venus flytrap-looking monster) and the Hinoxes (Bomb-throwing cyclops creatures) will give you a run for your money. If you're strapped for Bombs, Hinoxes will typically drop some upon defeat. At the very base of the Pyramid are two trees; you can dash into the west one for a Fairy. Additionally, you can pull on the westernmost Agahnim statue along the wall of the Pyramid for four Blue Rupees.
Head one screen east and go north, fighting off the enemies here. You're basically going to where the Magic Shop is usually located in the Light World. Along the way, note that the rocks here look like skulls. Most are ordinary, but some of these skulls are actually enemies called Stal, which remain as motionless as the skull rocks they imitate until Link brushes against them. If you encounter one, take it out with two sword slashes. As you get closer to where the Magic Shop would be you'll meet a tentacled creature known as a Ropa. They kind of look like a cross between Popos and Leevers, but Ropas are of course much stronger. Link loses two whole Hearts if they touch him so, y'know, don't let them do that... You can go inside the shop here if desired, however it's just a standard Item Shop. Keep progressing northeast past the shop - we're making our way to the same spot where the Waterfall of Wishing is located in Hyrule.
Two more enemies debut around here: the Slarok and the Ku, which are the Dark World equivalents of the Octorok and the Zora, respectively. When you've gone as northeast as the land will take you, you'll arrive at a place called the Lake of Ill Omen. You should see a sign around here cursing anyone who throws something into a circle of stones. Isn't that curious? Well, we're obviously going to throw something in, right? Grab something - a skull rock, a bush, or even the sign itself - and go down the steps and into the shallow water where you'll see the very circle of stones the sign mentioned. Chuck the object you picked up into this circle.
An irritated Catfish will jump out of the water and throw something at you in exchange for leaving him alone - the Quake Medallion! This is one of three medallions that can be found in the game, and each one imbues the Master Sword with special powers. If Link uses the Quake Medallion, he will jump into the air and stab the Master Sword into the ground, setting off a powerful earthquake and killing smaller, weaker enemies while having interesting effects on others. It uses quite a bit of magic power though so use it sparingly. Don't bother throwing another object into the circle of stones; if you do, the even more annoyed Catfish will blast a fireball at you.
Return southwest to the screen directly east of the Pyramid of Power. (For reference, this would be the rocky-terrain screen swarming with Octoroks in the Light World, east of Hyrule Castle. In the Dark World, this area is patrolled by Moblins and a Hinox.) Then go one screen south to encounter two Blue Taros, a Ropa, and a Hinox. Defeat them and jump into the river using the nearby dock. Follow the river east and south to reach Ice Lake, the Dark World's version of Lake Hylia.
Several Ku appear in Ice Lake, as do new flying mushroom-type enemies called Zirro. Blue Zirros like to swarm upon Link and are quick to fly away if you attack with your sword (you can damage them if you're close and fast enough). Green Zirros are more dangerous; they drop small explosives that will detonate upon hitting the ground. They are, however, easier to kill than their blue cousins.
In the middle of the lake is an icy building (it's actually another dungeon which we can't access just yet). Just to the west of this are two oval-shaped patches of shallow water; the northern one is surrounded by a circle of stones. Stand roughly in the middle of this particular shallow water and use the Magic Mirror to return to Hyrule. You should be standing on top of an island in Lake Hylia, with a Piece of Heart [POH13] just ripe for the taking! Grab it, minding the Buzz Blob, and go back to the Dark World. (If you fall off the island and into Lake Hylia, you'll have to return to the Dark World via another portal to get back on track with the walkthrough. For ease of reference, I recommend using the portal at Hyrule Castle Gate.)
~~~~OPTIONAL EXPLORATION~~~~
At the far east end of Ice Lake are a series of caves. (It's where the Ice Cave is located in Hyrule, the place where you got the Ice Rod.) In the Dark World, one of these caves leads to a strange hand-looking creature. This is a storyteller, one of several to be found in the Dark World. For a fee, you can listen to the storyteller give you a tip about the game. Honestly, most of these tales are superfluous when following a guide. This particular "profitable story" is about a middle-aged man who used to be a Thief. You've already heard about this guy so there's nothing new here.
Right next to this cave is a cracked wall, inside of which is a Fairy Fountain. And just outside these two caves is a giant boulder you can lift. Inside is a Spike Floor trap, with a Telepathy Tile on the other side. Crossing Spike Floors causes damage unless you use the Magic Cape, which we don't have right now. The Telepathy Tile isn't that great either; Sahasrahla just mentions that if you use the Magic Hammer on a frozen enemy you may be rewarded a Magic Jar. While that *is* useful to know, this advice is not worth going out of the way for it, especially getting hurt by a Spike Floor in the process. Lastly, south of this screen is a stationary whirlpool - the Dark World's only Whirlpool Waterway. This one takes you far to the north, near the base of the Dark World's Death Mountain.
~~~~~~~~
With Piece of Heart #13 acquired (and if you're done exploring Ice Lake), it's time to check out the Palace of Darkness Sahasrahla mentioned. If you check your Map, you'll see a flashing crystal icon in the eastern reaches of the Dark World, right in the spot where the East Palace in Hyrule is located. Before you go for the next dungeon though, do you have 110 Rupees to spare? If you don't, return to the Light World and hit up some of those Rupee caches I talked about in earlier subchapters. When you have the Rupees you need, return to the land north of Ice Lake and head to the area surrounding the Palace of Darkness.
When you enter the area that is normally the Eastern Canyon in Hyrule, you'll be met instead with an impressive set of hedge mazes. Defeat or dive around more Ropas and Snap Dragons here as you follow the dirt path east. A side path heading north guarded by six demon-headed statues leads to a temple of sorts, where inside is a character that looks a lot like a small tree. This sentient tree provides a little more info on the Golden Power and the man who took it for his own, causing the Golden Land to transform into the Dark World. This is also the first time the game mentions the Golden Power by its true name - the Triforce. Anyway, if you need some Recovery Hearts you can find some under skull-shaped pots on the other side of the cracked wall here. When you're done, go back outside and continue following the dirt path east and north.
A Ropa waits to ambush you at the entrance to the hedge maze, indicated by a large arrow on the ground. Sitting in the golden trees around here is a bird enemy called a Dacto. The Dark World equivalent of Crows, Dactos are much more persistent. They will dive-bomb you and keep on attacking until you take them out or leave the screen, and they can take out a whopping three Hearts. I recommend just trying to dodge them since they're so annoying to defeat. Follow the arrow sign into the hedge maze. At first, this seems difficult to navigate. However, take a close look at the roof of the maze; you can see spots where the roof is transparent. This indicates the pathway forward. Follow these transparent spots to get through this first part of the hedge, then continue north and west. Kill the Ropa here and continue going west through the hedge opening, north again, slay another Ropa, go east under the northern hedge opening, then southeast into the very large hedge maze. Follow the pathway east. As you do, you may notice that something begins following Link.
When you come out the other side, you'll see you've been joined by a monkey! The monkey introduces itself as Kiki and it loves Rupees beyond anything else in the world. Give him the 10 Rupees he requests and he'll accompany you. Start leading Kiki east, but be mindful of the enemies around here; if you get hit, Kiki will run away and you'll have to go back and get him. Trust me, you need him with you for now.
Keep going east as far as you can, taking out or ignoring a Moblin and Hinox, before arriving just south of a building with a Ropa waiting to attack you. Kill the Ropa, and if you check the Map you can see this is where Sahasrahla told you to go. Go north under the hedge maze and up the steps to reach a building whose entrance is completely sealed. Kiki offers to open it for you for 100 Rupees. It sounds ridiculous, but it's the only way to get inside so hand them over. Kiki thanks you, jumps to the roof of the structure, and presses a button allowing you to enter your very first Dark World dungeon.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.13] - DUNGEON V: PALACE OF DARKNESS
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 10/20 Pieces of Heart: 13/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod X Ice Rod _ Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute X Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|_ Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Magic Hammer
- Heart Container x1
- Crystal #1
********************
Like the evil land they reside in, the Dark World dungeons are a step up from those in Hyrule. As the first, the Palace of Darkness gives you a small taste of the dangers to come. Puzzles and traps are more complex and there is a significant increase in backtracking to finish the dungeon. True to its name, the palace has quite a number of dark rooms where enemies hide in the shadows eagerly awaiting to ambush you. Lastly, the dungeon showcases the Dark World's major upgrade in bosses, featuring one of the game's most deadly boss battles.
The first room is similar to the East Palace in that you have three doors to choose from. Unlike the East Palace though, each door leads you somewhere (just to highlight how much bigger and more complicated the dungeons are moving forward). Start by choosing the west door, stepping on the Floor Switch in the corner to open it. The next room contains four pots and a Helmasaur, a small masked dinosaur that immediately charges at you and will continue until defeated. Its mask protects it from any frontal attacks, although its backside is vulnerable to sword slashes. You can also easily defeat it with one of the skull pots. When it's vanquished, go down the stairs to B1. In this room, a pair of statues called Medusas will shoot fire at Link. (I have no idea why they're called that but it is the official name.) They can't be destroyed so just dodge the blasts. Under the southwest skull pot is a Floor Switch; press it, then collect the Small Key from the treasure chest that appears.
Now, use the Magic Mirror to return to the dungeon entrance. This time go through the east door, then slay the Helmasaur and head downstairs once more. If you could use a Fairy, sprinkle Magic Powder on the Anti-Fairy to receive one, then step onto the orange Teleportation Tile to be taken to a new room in the dungeon. Turn the Anti-Fairies into regular Fairies if you wish, and if you inspect the Telepathy Tile on the north wall you'll get a message not from Sahasrahla, but Princess Zelda! She urges you to hurry, though we're in no position to rescue her right now. For now, destroy the south wall either by dashing into it or using a Bomb and go to the next room.
A trio of Bari lurks in this hallway. They will periodically pulse with electricity, making them invincible to sword attacks. Wait until they stop, then take them out with the Master Sword - each Bari takes one hit. Alternatively, you can fire an Arrow while they're pulsing to kill them. At the west end of the hallway are a series of cracked walls and a cracked floor. Don't bother blowing up the leftmost cracked wall or the floor; this only creates a bottomless pit. Instead, destroy the rightmost cracked wall and proceed through.
You'll encounter new enemies in this room. Known as Goriyas, they mimic your movements. The Green Goriyas will move east and west in the same direction as Link, yet in the opposite direction when going north or south. They are also susceptible to sword attacks. On the other hand, the Red Goriya moves in the opposite direction no matter which way Link goes and is immune to the sword. Only arrows will take this fellow out. Further, if you directly face the Red Goriya, it fires an unblockable energy blast at you. Focus on the Green Goriyas first by slashing repeatedly at them until they die. To defeat the Red Goriya, you'll have to trick it. Stand a good distance away, then turn to face the Goriya while positioned a bit off-center so that it doesn't attack you. Shoot an Arrow in the Goriya's direction, then quickly move just enough so that the Goriya walks right into the line of fire. Two Arrows will destroy the Red Goriya, opening the north door for you to go through.
A conveyor belt extends across this long hallway, slightly hindering your progress as you head north. Complicating this are silver Blade Traps sliding from side to side. Before you get on the conveyor belt, destroy the Blue Bari from afar with either an Arrow or the Beam Attack if your Hearts are full. Then start walking across the conveyor belt, weaving around the Blade Traps. If you stop moving the floor will push you back, so keep that in mind as you pause to defeat enemies. Take note that the direction of the conveyor belt switches halfway through, pushing you faster to the north end.
On the other side of the room is a Red Bari, a stronger variant of its blue cousin, which will split into two smaller versions of itself called Biri when struck. Defeat it, then go up the stairs to 1F. Defeat a trio of Red Bari and retrieve the Dungeon Map from the treasure chest. Now, blow open both cracked walls on the sides; Fairies can be found in the east room, while the west room holds a treasure chest containing a Small Key. Collect the Fairies and the Small Key, then use the Magic Mirror to return to the dungeon entrance.
With two Small Keys in hand, it's time to go through the central door. Lift the skull-shaped pots to get some Bombs, then use one of the Small Keys on the north door. Up ahead are turtle enemies called Terrorpins. Their impenetrable shells make them immune to sword attacks so just ignore them for now. Walk along the west pathway while watching out for the Blue Bari and Medusa. Halfway across the bridge the floor is cracked; place a Bomb here to blow it apart, then drop into the pit.
When you land, go around the corner of this upper landing to reach a locked door. Unlock it and go upstairs, take the Big Key from the treasure chest, and jump off this ledge using the gap to the right. Evade the Terrorpins as best as you can, and as you walk around in this room Stalfos will drop from the ceiling to send their heads flying in your direction. Swipe them away from you until they leave, then lift the lone skull pot sitting at the end of the long line of blocks. Step on the Floor Switch to make another treasure chest with yet another Small Key appear. Retrieve it, then either use the Magic Mirror to once again go back to the dungeon entrance, or step onto the Teleportation Tile in the northwest corner which will take you to one of the B1 rooms. Either way, your goal is to return to the central chamber where you got the Big Key. (If you opt for the Teleportation Tile, you can quickly get back to the central chamber by going upstairs to 1F and pushing the gargoyle statue out of the way - just remember to defeat the Helmasaur.)
Once you're back at the central chamber, take the east path this time. You'll see two blocks; push the south block off the gap in the bridge and go through the north door. Grab another Small Key from the treasure chest, then position Link at the north end of this platform. The arrow sign is actually here to tell you that you can leap across the gap to the platform on the other side. Do so, then head up the steps, go west and defeat the Blue Hardhat Beetle, and advance north through the locked door.
Immediately get rid of the skull pots and book it across the walkway, which begins to fall away into the chasm below. Two Helmasaurs will try to cut you off but you should be able to get around them. If you fall into the chasm, you'll start back at the south doorway and will have to leave the room and come back to reset the bridge. You'll see the Big Treasure Chest on the left as you cross; we're about to get to that. When you've made it to the other side of the bridge, open the locked door to the west.
You'll enter a dark room populated with Green Kodongos. You can't see them in the dark but you will be able to spot the fire they spit. Watch your step as you navigate this maze. The northwest corner has a treasure chest with some Bombs, but the real destination is the southeast corner. Open the treasure chest there to receive another Small Key, then make your way north along the east wall. You should spot a crack in the wall - blow it open and go through to find yourself on a small platform with the Big Treasure Chest. Open it to get the Magic Hammer! With this, you can now take care of those pesky Terrorpins. Go back through the dark maze room and return through the northeast doorway back to the falling walkway room, then go through the east door.
Pull out the Magic Hammer and strike the ground surrounding the Terrorpins. If they're close enough, the force sends them flipping onto their backsides and exposes their weak underbelly, giving you the chance to slay them. Just be sure not to use the Hammer again if you're standing too close to them when they're turned over. If you do, they will flip back onto their legs and pursue you more aggressively. Take the Compass from this room's treasure chest and go downstairs using either staircase. In this dark basement room, dodge the Anti-Fairies (or turn them into regular Fairies) and collect the horde of Blue Rupees (270 total). Be sure to also collect the rewards from the two treasure chests; one holds a single Arrow and the other has a Small Key. When you've collected all the treasures, go upstairs to return to the room where you got the Compass and head through the locked door to the south.
Remove the west skull pot and take the Blue Rupee from this room's treasure chest. Don't use Bombs on any of the cracked walls or floor as there's nothing here. Now, go to the west gargoyle statue and push it east out of your way, trapping the Blade Trap and opening the way to the south door. Go on through.
You'll find yourself back in a familiar room where a number of Hardhat Beetles lie in wait. Get them grouped around the corner of the suspended platform - you don't want them hovering near the north middle edge. While they're hanging out in the corner, quickly head west and leap off from the break to get to the platform in the center of the room. Complicating matters here is a Bumper ready to send you flying into the abyss. Kill the Hardhat Beetles or knock them into the pit, then focus your attention on the Crystal Switch to the south. You can't reach it with the sword, so use the Boomerang or one of the pots to strike it, turning it blue and lowering the blue blocks to the east so you can move on.
Go to the north end of the room where you'll find six skull pots, three on either side of the upper ledge. Get rid of the east line of skull pots and you'll find a Floor Switch under the last one. If you step on it, the north door will open, although it closes as soon as you step off the switch. The key to this puzzle is to have something heavy stand on the switch in your place. Go to the northeast gargoyle statue and push it into the corner over the switch. The skull pots on the west side have Recovery Hearts so grab them if needed and head through to the next room to meet another set of Goriyas. Defeat these in the same way you defeated the last group (remember to trick the red one into getting hit with Arrows), then move on to the next room.
Wait until the Blade Trap is out of the way before running over to the Crystal Switch up ahead. Turn it red so that the orange blocks are lowered, then head east to come to a green Eyegore statue. This seems to be a dead-end; if you shoot an Arrow into the Eyegore's eye, the wall will shift and reveal a staircase. Take it down to B1.
The next series of rooms are covered in darkness. You'll find your way blocked by a group of weird-looking laughing faces called Moles. They are harmless and their only purpose in the game is to be barriers. They are also aptly named, as you must use the Magic Hammer and play Whack-A-Mole to get them out of your way. Do so, and you may also find that the Hammer knocked a couple of Terrorpins onto their backs. Defeat them quickly, then position yourself between the lowered orange blocks and the raised blue ones. Strike the Crystal Switch to lower the blue blocks and go through the west door.
Defeat the lone Terrorpin in this room and move into the next one. This room is swarming with a whopping six Terrorpins. I recommend trying to take out no more than two at a time, and light the torches if you need them. Once they're all defeated, go through the east door. In the center of this room is a Teleportation Tile surrounded by blocks. Push the northeast block south and step into the tile to go to another room in the dungeon.
You might recognize this room; it's where we collected a bunch of Rupees, but this time you are within an inner section of the room you couldn't access before. Head north, slaying four Terrorpins, until you reach the boss door. When you're ready, go through the door to face your first Dark World boss.
*============================================*
Boss: Infernal Masked Beast - HELMASAUR KING
*============================================*
This boss has largely enjoyed much praise from Zelda veterans. For one, it has a fantastic design and looks exactly like the sort of menacing fiend you'd expect to encounter in an evil land. Beyond that, it's a terrific fight and, frankly, the first truly challenging boss battle. At the very least, the boss has more of a chance of actually killing you.
Stay south of the boss at all times. The north wall is littered with Blade Traps so you won't want to go there anyway. The boss has two main attacks. First, it will spit out a fireball which splits into three fireballs, and each of those will further divide into four fireballs. The fireballs all shoot off diagonally, so stand at right angles of the fireballs so they can't hurt you. Helmasaur King's second attack is its tail; it will periodically swing it at Link like a whip. You'll get a few seconds heads-up when it's about to swing its tail, as it will begin swinging faster to build up power. Avoid the tail by staying close to the boss's face or just keep your distance.
Before you can damage Helmasaur King, you must remove the giant blue mask covering its face. You can break off pieces of the mask with either the Magic Hammer or Bombs. The Magic Hammer method is technically faster but it requires 16 total smacks to its face to break the mask. It also means having to get up close enough to hit it. On the other hand, just five Bombs will destroy the mask, and you can chuck Bombs at Helmasaur King from a distance, though it does mean having good timing. Since the Bombs take a few seconds to go off and the boss constantly moves about, this method ends up being a slower tactic versus using the Hammer. Either way, once the mask breaks off, the monster's face is shown. Its weak point is the obvious emerald on its forehead. At this point, Helmasaur King also becomes more dangerous; it moves faster and attacks more frequently. You can use Arrows or the Master sword on the emerald - eight blows from either weapon will put this beast down.
========
Well done on conquering the first Dark World dungeon! Snag the Heart Container and the Crystal that drops from the ceiling. The Crystal holds one of the missing Maidens; listen well to her lore about Ganon and the Triforce. After she's done, your Life and Magic Meters refill and you'll return outside.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.14] - THE GREAT COLLECTION
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 11/20 Pieces of Heart: 13/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp _ Bombos Medallion _ Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|_ Shovel _ Flute X Book of Mudora _ Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria _ Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| _ "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Piece of Heart x6
- Heart Container x1
- Bombos Medallion
- Shovel
- Flute
- "1/2" Magic Meter
- Magic Cape
- Cane of Byrna
- Ether Medallion
********************
REMINDER: If you have Rupees to spare, consider throwing them into the Pond of Happiness to increase your Bomb & Arrow carrying capacities.
Now that we have the Magic Hammer, nearly the entire rest of the Dark World is open to us. We could head off to the next dungeon now, but why hurry? There are many goodies we can collect at this point! The dungeons continue to get more difficult, so arming ourselves with more equipment and extra life isn't a bad idea. And thus, the reason behind the name of this subchapter.
Go back through the hedge maze where you met Kiki the monkey, then head around the corners and to the south to get out of the hedge mazes.
~~~~OPTIONAL EXPLORATION~~~~
If you really want to explore every nook and cranny, you could head east from the hedge maze entrance and then south to another screen. The only significant thing around here is a cave where you can find a storyteller (this one looks like a bird creature of sorts). He will give you a game tip for 20 Rupees - the tip is about the Lake of Ill Omen where we got the Quake Medallion, so this story is useless to us at this point.
~~~~~~~~
Go south a screen from the entrance to the hedge maze, then go west to reach the screen with a Ropa, a Hinox, and two Blue Taros. Defeat them and walk south to the land bridge extending over the river. Blocking your way is a group of purple stakes; pound them into the ground with the Magic Hammer so you can move on. If you go south one more screen you can find another of the Dark World's Item Shops, which sells Life Medicine and Bombs like the Light World, however instead of Recovery Hearts, it sells a Fighter's Shield. This is good to note, because right outside the Item Shop is a plant-like enemy known as a Pikit. The Pikit has a long tongue that it'll extend toward Link in an attempt to steal Bombs, Rupees, Arrows, and even his shield! The Pikit will drop the last item it eats upon defeat, so if it steals your shield and you act quickly you can recover it. Should you lose the Red Shield, you could come to this shop, buy a Fighter's Shield, then go to the Waterfall of Wishing in Hyrule and throw it in to receive a new Red Shield. Other Item Shops sell replacement Red Shields so you don't have to use this one, but it's nevertheless good to keep it in mind.
Anyway, back one screen north, head west one screen. You will find yourself in the place where Link's house would be in the Light World. Occupying this space in the Dark World is the Bomb Shop. The shopkeeper sells 30 standard Bombs for 100 Rupees, which isn't too bad if you're running low but it's waste of money if you haven't increased your Bomb-carrying capacity to at least 30. Buy some Bombs here if you need them and don't forget about this place - it'll be really important much later. Go south from the Bomb Shop to enter a new area called the Plains of Ruin.
Immediately sidle east along the wall here to find a crack. Bomb it, then talk to the creature here to receive 300 Rupees! (As you might have guessed, this is the Dark World equivalent of a Friendly Thief. In this land, Thieves are called Pikku. You'll encounter less friendly Pikku later on.) Lay a Bomb on the center wall behind him to reveal a hidden room with four treasure chests, each containing a Red Rupee. With 380 Rupees in your pocket, this would be a great time to donate some to the Pond of Happiness and continue increasing your Bomb- and Arrow-carrying capacities.
Back outside in the Plains of Ruin, go as far southwest as you can go until you go to a new screen. This is where you would enter the Desert of Mystery in the Light World. Defeat some Ropas here and head all the way west (defeating the nearby Hinox if you must). You'll come to a wall surrounded by some purple stakes. Stand on the inside of the stakes near the wall and return to Hyrule via the Magic Mirror.
When you return, Link will be atop a plateau. Go west to the next screen, where a green monolith stands at the end. We passed by this when we first entered the Desert, and now that we can access it, pull out the Book of Mudora and use it to read the ancient Hylian script on the monolith. Link will hold up the Master Sword and be rewarded with the Bombos Medallion. When cast, Link will swing the Master Sword to set off an immensely powerful firestorm which will kill almost any enemy on screen. Like the Quake Medallion, it uses a considerable chunk of magic so keep your eyes on the Magic Meter when you use it.
Be careful not to fall off the plateau as you head back into the magic portal. Once back in the Dark World, return to the Plains of Ruin by going east one screen, then move along the west wall as you head north to the next screen. Remove the giant rock here to open the path forward and continue westward. Fight off some enemies here, then take a look at the two easternmost trees. They are following you with their eyes. If you approach what looks to be some kind of mouth at the trunk, you will be knocked back and they'll each spit out a Bomb. After the Bombs explode, you can safely go up and talk to each of them. The northern tree is friendly and offers some lore about the magical Warp Tiles between Hyrule and the Dark World. The southern tree is far less approachable and chastises you for bumping into it. These Talking Trees are scattered around the Dark World and come in the two types I mentioned: the curious storyteller and the irritated one who just wants to be left alone. None of the trees have items or Heart Pieces to give you or anything like that, they're just fascinating world-building.
Next, tuck yourself into the southwest corner of the screen where you should find a circle of bushes. You don't have to stand right in the center of the bushes but at least be near them; once more, go back to Hyrule via the Mirror. Link is once again standing on a higher ledge. Avoid the Landmine and go inside the cave. There's a Piece of Heart [POH14] sitting behind some pots in here; run on over and snag it!
Leave the cave and go back to the Dark World using the portal. Once there, go north to the large group of bushes. Cut them down and go north into a grove. (In Hyrule, this is the Haunted Grove.) In the center of the Dark World grove is a peculiar character sitting on a tree stump. If you remember, we visited a flute-playing boy very briefly early on in our journey. He was the one playing his Flute to some woodland animals in Hyrule's Haunted Grove, only to mysteriously disappear if we got too close to him. This is that very same character. Talk to him and he'll ask you to find his Flute for him. He says it was buried near some flowers in the grove in Hyrule and lends you his Shovel to dig it up for him.
A quick note: The Shovel is not a permanent item in the SNES version of the game (this was changed in the GBA port). Once you find the Flute, it replaces the Shovel for the rest of your adventure. It's a bit of a shame because the Shovel would be really handy for digging up hidden Rupees and Recovery Items. Then again, many of these items are plentiful. The point is, you lose the Shovel once you get the Flute. You cannot skip getting the Flute as it's mandatory for beating the game. Feel free to hold on to the Shovel for a while if you'd prefer, just make sure you get the Flute before too long because we're going to be using it regularly from now on.
All of that out of the way, go to the northwest part of the grove to find several patches of flowers. Whip out the Magic Mirror to return to the Light World, then use the Shovel to dig up one of the flower patches here to uncover the Flute. The Flute Boy vanishes once more so now it's time to go back to the Dark World. Approach the cursed Flute Boy and he'll tell you to give the Flute to "a tired old man" in Kakariko Village. As his final request, he will ask to hear the Flute one last time. Play it for him, and the boy will turn into a tree, effectively kicking the bucket. Oof... that's dark.
Let's fulfill the Flute Boy's dying wish by taking the Flute to Kakariko Village (while also partaking in some sidequests along the way). Don't go back to the Light World just yet; instead, leave the grove and follow the dirt path to the northwest to reach the southern section of an area known as the Village of Outcasts. As soon as you enter, you can see a building with a target and arrow hanging above the door. This is the Shooting Gallery and it costs 20 Rupees to play a round. The goal here is to shoot five arrows at the octopus targets moving along the back wall from right to left, while hand-shaped objects move in the opposite direction to impede your shots. Each successful shot nets you some Rupees as a prize and if you can hit the octopus targets without missing a single shot, you will earn double the amount of Rupees. Here's a breakdown:
1 target = 4 Rupees
2 targets = 8 Rupees
3 targets = 16 Rupees
4 targets = 32 Rupees
5 targets = 64 Rupees
This means you can potentially earn a total of 124 Rupees. Again, to compound your prize you must hit the targets all in a row without missing. If you do miss, your prize resets to 4 Rupees. It's not a bad minigame to practice your archery with and earn a little profit, though remember that Rupees are the only thing you can win here. And as I mentioned previously in the guide, Rupees are not hard to come by in this game.
On the screen to the west of the Shooting Gallery is the Treasure Field and a fun activity called the Digging Game. The gamemaster will loan you a shovel for 80 Rupees and your goal is to dig as many spots as you can in 30 seconds. You get to keep whatever treasure you dig up including Green Rupees, Blue Rupees, Red Rupees, and Magic Jars. Hidden somewhere randomly in the field is the best reward: a Piece of Heart. This prize changes spots each time you come back and play the game. My advice is to just keep digging the same spots every round until you dig up the Piece of Heart [POH15]. It's pretty easy to find a lot of Rupees in this minigame, so you're more likely to break even or make a profit, but sometimes it's just bad luck and you may walk away with a net loss. Once you have the Piece of Heart, leave the Digging Game screen and use the Magic Mirror to return to Kakariko Village.
Things have changed since you defeated Agahnim; the peaceful village tune has been replaced by the regular Overworld theme and Soldiers now patrol the area. Go to the tavern where you found the second Bottle (make sure you enter from the south side) and approach the tired old man sitting on the rug in the corner. Play the Flute in front of him to deliver news of the passing of his son. Speak to him again and he'll suggest playing the Flute for the "bird in the village square." He's referring to the weather vane in the center of the town, just to the east of the Street Merchant.
Head to the weather vane and stand in front of it, then play the Flute. In doing so, the bird statue here will shatter and reveal a living white bird. This special companion comes with the ability to fly you to one of eight locations around Hyrule, making getting around much easier. All you have to do to summon the Bird is play the Flute and your new friend will pick Link up and deliver him to the location of your choice. We'll be making use of this throughout the rest of the game. For now, let's head to the screen where Smithy's Shop is located. This is the screen directly east of the main area of Kakariko Village and contains just the one shop.
We still can't do anything with Smithy right now. Instead, take a look at the cave entrance just south of his shop, as well as the hole in the ground right next to the entrance. Right above the hole is a gap in the ledge you can jump down from. Said gap is blocked by a wooden stake, so use the Magic Hammer to pound it into the ground, then jump from the gap and into the hole. When you land in the cave below, head north to the next room to find an ornate statue with a chalice in the center. Approach it and sprinkle some Magic Powder on it. An annoyed purple bat will rise from the statue and condemn you for waking it up. As punishment, the bat casts a curse on you... but what he really does is make it so that all your magic items consume half as much magic power! Effectively, this doubles the Magic Meter and this is a great upgrade to have since you'll likely be using magic items more regularly in the upcoming dungeons. Leave this room, then head west to the next room and out of the cave to return to the village.
We now need to return to the Dark World. However, instead of using the portal left by the Magic Mirror, we're going to use one of the special Warp Tiles found throughout Hyrule. From Smithy's Shop, head to the far northwest section of Kakariko Village. You'll see two paths leading north to the Lost Woods - take the westernmost path. Fight off the Blue Sword Soldiers and enter the Lost Woods. Ignore the Blue Sword Soldier here and just follow the forest path leading east, then south back out of the Woods. Continue south; if you dash into the lone tree you'll receive a large Magic Jar to fully restore the Magic Meter. Pound the stakes into the ground, then pick up the small white rock to reveal a Warp Tile and go back to the Dark World.
From where you warp in, head slightly north to the lone tree, ignoring the ghostly Hyu (the Dark World version of the Poe), and cut down the horizontal row of bushes heading west. You'll find another Talking Tree here, though this one wants to be left alone. Defeat or dodge the Moblins and head south to reach the main area of the Village of Outcasts. This part of town is crawling with Moblins, Hyus, Taros, and Pikku (the Dark World counterpart to Thieves). Begin heading south, passing by a Talking Tree, and check out the northwest building with a treasure chest sign above the door, marking the spot of another minigame. Go inside.
The object of this minigame is to open two treasure chests of your choosing for 30 Rupees. Most of the prizes are really just junk like a single Bomb or Arrow. The best and most rare prizes are 50 Rupees, 100 Rupees, and a Piece of Heart, which as you can probably guess is what we're really here for. The odds here are probably better compared to the treasure chest games found in the Light World and it's not that expensive to play. Like the Digging Game, the prizes shift with each round and so I recommend you just keep opening the same two treasure chests each game until you get the Piece of Heart [POH16], which will earn you a new Heart Container (you should now have 12 total). With the Piece of Heart acquired, return to the village.
Continue south from the Treasure Chest House, staying outside the wall of the field of bushes so the Pikku can't bother you, then slay a nearby Moblin. In the south-central area of the village is a shack surrounded by skeletal Cuccos; you can see obvious cracks in the shack's south wall. Blow it up and open the treasure chest inside to receive 300 Rupees, perfect reimbursement if you spent a lot of money on the Treasure Chest and/or Digging Games.
Stay in the Dark World and travel to the screen where the cemetery is located in Hyrule. (There are two places to note along the way: a Fortune Teller on the screen directly north of the Village of Outcasts; and an Item Shop one screen east and one screen south of the Fortune Teller. You'll have to hop over the fences on the Item Shop's west side to get to its door. This particular Item Shop sells a Red Shield, a Good Bee, and Arrows.) When you have arrived on the screen I directed you to, kill or sneak by the enemies in this area and head toward the rock pile in the northeast corner. It seems to be blocked off by skull rocks that Link can't lift yet, but if you look just to the left side of the rock pile you can see a lone bush; you can get to it by going around the statue. Cut this bush and enter this small caged area. Position Link in either of the south corners of this pen, then return to Hyrule via the Magic Mirror.
Watch out for the Poes flying around when you return to the cemetery, then stand in front of the grave you see here and dash into it to reveal a hidden room. (If Link grabs the grave instead of running into it, you're standing too close. Hold down the B button to draw power in your sword, then press down on the Control Pad to back Link up a smidge until he's right up against the rocks, then release the B button.) Go down into the chamber and open the treasure chest at the end of the hallway to find the Magic Cape! This garment turns Link invisible at the cost of magic power. While wearing the Magic Cape, he is totally invulnerable to damage except for falling into bottomless pits. Interestingly, the Cape also allows Link to walk through Bumpers (those annoying traps we first saw in the Tower of Hera). Apart from being a cool item to have on hand, the Magic Cape will be used a couple of times in this subchapter alone. For now, let's head back into the Dark World.
Dash into the rock pile here for a Red Rupee should you want it, then cut down the northernmost lone bush and go up the nearby steps to a small ledge. Use the Magic Mirror to once again return to Hyrule and go inside the cave seen before you. The pots inside all contain Recovery Hearts or Bombs; what we're here for is a Piece of Heart on the other side of the wall. Blow open the north wall with a Bomb and grab the Piece of Heart [POH17], then return to the Dark World.
~~~~OPTIONAL EXPLORATION~~~~
On the screen where Sanctuary is normally found in the Light World - that is, the screen directly west of your current location - you can find a cave where another storyteller dwells. For 20 Rupees, the octopus creature in this cave will share that there is "great beauty" inside the Pyramid of Power, but the entrance has been sealed shut and no standard Bomb can open it. Unlike the other storytellers you may have met so far, this one actually shares something we haven't encountered yet so that's something at least.
~~~~~~~~
Our next place of interest is exactly two screens west and two screens north from where you picked up Piece of Heart #17. Dash on over there, minding the various enemies along the way. You should somewhat recognize this area once you arrive; in the Light World, this is where you met the twin Lumberjacks, A. Bumpkin and B. Bumpkin. The building nearby is yet another Item Shop (this one sells Life Medicine, a Fighter's Shield, and Bombs), but that's not why we're here. Return to the Light World yet again with the Magic Mirror; when you rematerialize, notice the tree with a different shade of green leaves compared to the rest of the surrounding trees. This is the very same tree the Bumpkins were cutting through earlier. Dash into the tree and watch as the leaves collapse to reveal a hole in the trunk that you can drop down into. When you land in the cave below, go up the steps. On the other side are some Fairies if you need them, then go through the east door to pick up another Piece of Heart [POH18]! Jump down into the water and leave the cave through the south door.
Head back into the Dark World using the portal you created and return one screen south. Approach the mountain to the east, where you'll for sure spot a Piece of Heart sitting atop a high ledge. There's a sign here that says one who wears the Cape will receive a Piece of Heart. Directly east of the sign is a large rock. As you approach the rock, defeat the Dactos that will likely swoop down at you, then pick up the rock and enter the cave.
Defeat the Hardhat Beetles in this room and try not to touch the Bumper, then go upstairs to the next floor. There is a pit here leading down to the bottom floor that seems impassable; you can cross it using the Hookshot, however we don't have that and nor do we need it. If you tightly press against the wall along the northwest corner of the pit, Link can cross the narrow space. Quickly lift the skull pots before you lose your footing, then continue down the south hallway. (If you have difficulty crossing the gap this way, just come back here later when you have the Hookshot.) Now, pull out the Magic Cape, activate it to turn invisible, and simply walk through the Bumper. Remember to turn off the Cape so you don't waste magic power, then go outside to claim the Piece of Heart [POH19].
Next on our agenda is Death Mountain, where we shall be picking up a couple of more items to add to our collection. First, warp to the Light World. For this next part, I strongly recommend you pick up at least two Bottles of Magic Medicine either from the Magic Shop or by tossing Empty Bottles into the Waterfall of Wishing. (You can save time getting to either location by calling the Bird with the Flute and having it drop you off at location #2.)
When you have the two Bottles of Magic Medicine, fly to location #1 on Death Mountain. This will conveniently put you close to the Mountain Cave where the Lost Old Man is hiding. Go through the cave the same way you did before. When you get back outside, continue the climb by going up the tall ladder to the west. You'll find new enemies populating this area of Death Mountain known as Tektites. These monsters get around by jumping and are quick to evade attacks. They're a little annoying, but well-timed sword swings will take them out. (The Magic Hammer will also make short work of them). Step into the Warp Tile at the far east end of the path to return to the Dark World. Directly south of where you warp in is a break in the edge of the mountain; have Link jump down from this ledge to the cave entrance below, then go inside.
You'll discover a deep tunnel where the majority of the floor is covered with dangerous spikes. Normally, walking across these causes severe damage to Link, but with the Magic Cape, he can safely cross these dangerous spikes unharmed until he runs out of magic power. First, use the Magic Hammer to slam down one of the Moles blocking the way, then pull out the Magic Cape and put it on again to become invisible. Head through this cave as quickly as you can, making use of the Pegasus Boots where possible. At the end of the Spike Floor is a very large block. Lift it, throw it away, and get onto safe ground before your Magic Meter empties. Open the treasure chest to get the Cane of Byrna! This staff creates a magic force field around Link at the cost of magic power. The force field protects Link for as long as it remains active and has an added bonus of damaging enemies upon contact. While the Cane of Bryna isn't needed to beat the game, you might find its powers incredibly helpful against hordes of enemies.
You'll no doubt have used up most of your magic power getting through here, so consume one of the Bottles of Magic Medicine to restore your Magic Meter. If you didn't use the Cape or didn't pick up Magic Medicine, then I admire your daring! You can collect Recovery Hearts from the skull pots if you need them. Don the Magic Cape again and begin the walk back to the cave entrance. Since you'll once again be short on magic power, use your second Magic Medicine. You see why I recommended getting two Bottles? Anyway, head back outside, then jump down from the ledge. Go west to find a tall ladder that allows you to return to the area where you warped in from Hyrule. Get to the top of Spectacle Rock by returning to Hyrule while standing in its Dark World silhouette (if you talk to the NPCs, they'll commend you for retaining your true form thanks to the Moon Pearl).
Back in Hyrule, hop off Spectacle Rock and go north along the Tower of Hera's west facade, then cross the bridge to the western plateau. You'll find another green monolith here similar to the one atop the Desert of Mystery. Take out the Book of Mudora to translate its message and you'll receive the Ether Medallion, the game's final magic medallion. With the Ether Medallion, Link can summon a powerful polar storm that will instantly freeze most enemies on the screen. As with its companions, it uses a considerable amount of magic power so remember to keep your eyes on your Magic Meter.
~~~~OPTIONAL EXPLORATION~~~~
This next part deals with checking out the as-of-yet unexplored eastern caves of Death Mountain, where several treasure chests can be found. The prizes in these chests are just Rupees or Recovery Items and I'm only including them in the guide for the completionist's sake. If you aren't interested, skip the next six (6) paragraphs to continue the main journey.
Head back east from where you got the Ether Medallion, going past the Tower of Hera to the next screen. Defeat the Blue Tektite and avoid the Deadrock. Go across the bridge, where on the other side you'll find another Deadrock and a Red Tektite, a stronger and faster variation of its blue cousin. Pound a stake into the ground to move forward while minding the enemies. Along the south edge of the mountain are four breaks to jump off from; leap from the westernmost break to land on a small ledge, then enter the cave. Simply follow the path of this tunnel - known as Spiral Cave - while fending off Mini-Moldorms and Blue Bari until you come to a pit at the very end. Drop down to the floor below and open the chest to get 50 Rupees. Jump to the lower floor and defeat the batch of enemies, then head south out the exit.
Start traveling east as you come out of the cave. This area is swarming with Tektites and Deadrocks so be watchful. (A note for your Hyrulean lore collection: At the southernmost end of this area is a single black rock, underneath which is another magical Warp Tile to the Dark World. You can't lift it without the Titan's Mitt, but we'll be back way later to use this portal.)
Keep going east until you come to a pair of cave entrances. The west cave appears to lead nowhere, but if you wade into the pool of water you can see a pot sitting on a high ledge. If we had the Hookshot we could latch onto this pot to access a Fairy Fountain. To be honest, this Fairy Fountain isn't all that accessible all things considered so I don't think it's worth coming here after we get the Hookshot, but I wanted to point it out to you all the same. Since we can't do anything here, let's go back outside and check out the east cave entrance. When you enter, you're not able to get past the block and reach the staircase on the other side just yet, but if you follow the path to the west and blow up the north wall at the end you can find an Item Shop. Feel free to buy anything you need, then leave the cave and head to the southeast corner of Death Mountain where you can find another cave entrance. Go inside.
Proceed into the cave, dropping into the east pit to the floor below (The staircase to the west will take you back to the top of Death Mountain but we're not heading back there yet.) When you land, notice that you are now standing on the other side of that room with the block and the staircase from the previous cave. You may have also observed something peculiar... in order to reach this room, you had to drop from a higher elevation, which you accessed from a cave that was on a lower level of Death Mountain, geographically speaking, than the very cave you are currently standing in... welcome to Paradox Cave! Named as such since the internal cave layout doesn't align with the external geography. No idea if this was intentional or an error on Nintendo's part, although it's kind of cool. Anyway, from where you are standing you can spot not just a staircase going up, but a cracked section of the north wall. Blow it open; snag some Recovery Hearts from the pots in the next room, retrieve three Bombs and 10 Arrows from the chests, then return to the previous room and go upstairs.
Swing around through the door directly west as you come upstairs. The door will slam shut behind you and trap you in a fight with three Mini-Moldorms. Take them out, then use the Boomerang on the Crystal Switch - it will soar over the barrier here - to lower the blue blocks and provide access. Open all five chests to receive 20 Rupees each for a total of 100. Return to the previous room, jump into the pit, push down the lone block, and go out the south exit.
Return to the southeasternmost cave entrance and go up the west stairway this time. Slay the Mini-Moldorms and go outside to return to Death Mountain's peak. There's one last cave I want to point out before we leave. Go west along the south edge; counting the breaks in the edge from right to left, jump off the third break. (It's the one directly to the right of the first break you used to access the lower part of the mountain). Enter the cave before you and go down the stairway at the north end to find a small room containing some Fairies. Feel free to have your fill if you need them. This completes all there is to see on eastern Death Mountain, so I hope you enjoyed yourself because we won't be back here for a while.
~~~~~~~~
At long last, it's time to continue our quest and hit up the next dungeon. Call the Bird using the Flute and this time fly to location #7 to be taken just outside the Swamp Ruins building. Ignore the Ruins for a moment and go one screen north. We haven't quite talked about this screen before; in the water is Hyrule's third and final Whirlpool Waterway - this one takes Link to the river northwest of the Magic Shop. Go north past the Waterway and up against the north wall, then pound the stakes you see here into the ground. Defeat the Octorok and remove the rock to reveal another Warp Tile. Return to the Dark world by stepping onto it. Get out of this closed-off area by pounding down the purple stakes, then head south one screen while going around a Pikit and several Zirros.
This screen contains a building very similar to the Swamp Ruins. Defeat the enemies here if you need to, then return to the Light World while on this screen. Go inside the Swamp Ruins and head to the back room, then pull back on the east lever to open the floodgate and drain the water outside. Return outside and go back to the Dark World via the portal. You will see that the water around here has also been drained. Now, climb the steps of the building before you to begin the next dungeon - the Swamp Palace.
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[Z306.15] - DUNGEON VI: SWAMP PALACE
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___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 12/20 Pieces of Heart: 19/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|_ Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 _ Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Hookshot
- Heart Container x1
- Crystal #2
********************
Water dungeons tend to get an understandably bad rap within the Zelda fan community. They're often considered tedious, confusing, and/or just way more difficult than they ought to be. At least, this is the case with many of the 3D games. The concept makes its debut in this game, and in my view, it isn't so bad here in the 2D world. Your task in the Swamp Palace is to manipulate the water's flow by pressing special levers. Doing so opens up pathways allowing you to progress further into the dungeon. It can be puzzling at first, but just stick with me and you'll get through it with no problem.
If you followed the guide to the letter, we've never set foot here before. This first room contains a flooded canal you can swim in, which is only made possible because we opened the floodgate in the Hyrule Swamp Ruins and drained the marsh. Across this canal to the northeast is a Telepathy Tile where Sahasrahla explains this concept by describing how objects in one world can affect their corresponding twin in the other world.
Swim to the northwest ledge, go past the Blade Trap, and defeat the trio of Water Tektites. Head across the room and a bubble-like foe known as a Kyameron makes an appearance. Once it fully generates out of the water it will zoom around the room until it either hits Link or just disappears, upon which it regenerates. To prevent it from doing so, you can freeze it with the Ice Rod and then smash it with the Magic Hammer. Take the Small Key from the treasure chest and go through the north door down to B1.
You're almost instantly accosted by Water Tektites, a Kyameron, and a fireball from a distant Medusa. Dodge around or kill the Tektites, then use a Bomb to destroy the cracked wall at the end of the northwest alcove. Go through to the room on the other side and take the Dungeon Map from the treasure chest. You may have noticed some new enemies popping up from the shadows when you walked by; these are Zols and they are extremely weak creatures that can be defeated in one hit each. The only thing they really have going for them is that they can sneak up on you if you stay still, so just keep your eyes on the floor and you'll be fine. With the Map in hand, return to the previous room, wade south through the shallow pool, and pick up the southernmost skull pot to find a Small Key. Use it to unlock the southwest door and go on through.
This room houses a Red Stalfos, a Blue Bari, a Red Bari, and two new traps: a string of fireballs called a Winder, which moves unpredictably and changes direction each time it encounters a solid object such as a wall; and a Yomo Medusa, which shoots fireballs in your direction whenever you swing the sword. With these traps in mind, defeat the Stalfos and Bari, then head down the steps into the canal and go through the north door. Pick up the skull pot to find a Small Key, return to the previous room, then go up the north steps and unlock the north door to go into to the next room.
Take out the Blue and Red Stalfos, then pound any of the Moles to give you access to the lever in the northeast corner. Stand on its east side and push the lever west. This will cause water to flow into the canal behind Link. If you want, you can blow up the west wall, behind which you can find a Blue Rupee and a single Bomb under a pair of skull pots. Go back to the previous room and jump into the now-filled canal, then swim west and climb back onto dry land using the short ladder. Go through the west door.
This large room acts as the dungeon's hub. Yet another new enemy makes its entrance here: the Pirogusu. These tadpole-like monsters fall out of holes along the walls and will swim fast in straight lines. They take out two Hearts if they touch Link, so if you encounter one take it out quickly. They also keep coming, so don't bother with trying to defeat each one you encounter. Head through the south door as fast as you can. In this room, notice the two blocks to the west. We need to get to the other side of those; follow the water clockwise while defeating more Water Tektites and Pirogusu. When you get back to the blocks, push the south one east to make a treasure chest appear. Open it to receive the Compass, then return to the Hub Room.
Go up the steps in the southwest corner and into the next room. Take advantage of the skull pots in this room to defeat the enemies and prevent the Yomo Medusa from shooting fireballs. Go down the steps into the canal and through the north door to find a skull pot, underneath which is another Small Key. Now, retrace your steps back to the Hub Room. Once there, head across to the northwest corner (watch out for the Pirogusu) and unlock the door you see here.
In the next room, defeat the Red Bari and Blue Stalfos, then strike the Crystal Switch from its east side to lower the blue blocks (your sword can reach the Switch from here). Push the lever to fill the lower canal with water. Now, get back on the Crystal Switch's east side and strike it again to turn it back to red. Our next destination is the room just south of here, although if you were to go there now you'll find the way blocked off by raised orange blocks. We need the Crystal Switch to stay red for something important very soon, so get back to the south room by retracing your steps through the Hub Room and going through the southwest door.
Jump into the water and swim west, then hop out of the water. The lone skull pot at the north end has a Recovery Heart if you need it (you'll also pass over a hidden Zol so defeat it), then go through the west door. Defeat or bypass the enemies and go down into the shallow water. Watch out for the Water Tektite and Kyameron, then take a look at the Y-formation set of blocks to the west. Push the south block west and the middle block north to open a way forward, then go up the steps and make your way to the stairway up to 1F (you can defeat the Zol if you're so inclined).
Push the block away and mind your surroundings as you wade northward in this room, dodging the multiple enemies and traps. At the room's north end you'll find a pit on both the west and east sides, each guarded by a block that you can push aside. Optionally, dropping into the west pit leads to a treasure chest containing a Red Rupee. If you choose this first, just simply hop down from the ledge after grabbing the Rupee, then head south and go back upstairs to return to the upper room. The real goal is the east pit. Push the block away and drop into it. When you land, you can pick up the skull pots to receive some Blue Rupees should you want them. Otherwise head west, passing over the recessed orange blocks (see why we left that Crystal Switch red earlier?). You can snag even more Blue Rupees under all the skull pots in the next room, then open the treasure chest to obtain the dungeon's Big Key! Now, return to the Hub Room, making use of the Map if needed.
When you arrive at the Hub Room, climb onto the large central platform. With the Big Key in hand, open the Big Treasure Chest to get possibly the most fun and versatile tool in the game, the Hookshot! This weapon fires a chain that will latch onto certain stationary objects such as pots, rocks, blocks, bushes, and chests and pull Link toward them. Similar to the Boomerang, the Hookshot can be used to pick up Recovery Items from a distance and can be used against enemies - although the Hookshot can only move in one of four directions, not diagonally. You'll find the Hookshot is even stronger than the Boomerang in many cases, being able to one-shot a lot of various enemies including Water Tektites and Pirogusu. Take out the Hookshot and use it to latch onto the skull pot you can see sitting on the east ledge. Link will shoot across the gap over to this ledge. Pick up the skull pot further east to find a Small Key, then head back up to the central platform. Go to its north edge and use the Hookshot to reach this room's north side where you'll find a locked door. Go through it.
Start by going west in this room. Try out the Hookshot on the Red Bari here; you can harm it even when it's pulsing with electricity, and it can be used on the smaller Biri as well. Once it's defeated, lift the north skull pot to reveal a Floor Switch. This one won't stay down by itself, so push the nearby gargoyle statue onto it. Ignore the door here unless you want to fill out your Map - the subsequent rooms lead to a dead-end. Instead, with the Floor Switch pressed down, go to the east side of the room where you'll find a stairway going down and a doorway leading north; go through the doorway. Defeat the Red Bari and proceed down the stairway at the end to go to B2.
If you'd like, you can pick up the skull pot to the south to find a Recovery Heart. Push the lever to drain the pool of water, then go down the steps and through the west door. From here, you can immediately head north to the next room, but if you'd like some goodies head south first. Go through the door here to find a room with two treasure chests and some skull pots. Each treasure chest holds a Red Rupee and the skull pots contain Recovery Hearts. Grab what you want, then return to the previous room and north into the following room.
There's a door to the north although this also leads to a dead-end so just ignore it. Wade eastward through the water and take out the Water Tektites. Now, start counting the blocks in this room from left to right; push the third one east to make a treasure chest containing a Red Rupee appear. Next, look at the waterfalls lining the north wall. Approach the one that is second-to-last from the east wall and you'll find you can walk through it. Defeat the Blue Bari in the next room, grab the various Recovery Items from the skull pots, and go up the stairs.
Defeat another Blue Bari as well as the Zols that appear - these, too, can be defeated with the Hookshot - and go south. The large body of water up ahead is slowly moving from east to west. It will make swimming with the current a breeze while naturally making it difficult to do the opposite. And yet, swimming against the current is what we need to do for now. Don't try to take out the Water Tektites as this is the only area where they can't be defeated and are merely here to hinder your progress. Jump into the current and swim against it to reach the northeast corner ledge. Hop out of the water and grab the Small Key from under the skull pot.
Go back in the water and swim west to the central ledge. Blow open the cracked wall to reveal a small corridor with skull pots containing lots of Recovery Items, then head back. Once more, swim with the current to the west and jump out onto the westernmost ledge. Unlock the door and go through the next room to encounter the boss.
*====================================*
Boss: Gargantuan Scyphozoa - ARRGHUS
*====================================*
Similar to Helmasaur King, the battle with Arrghus features two phases. The boss surrounds itself with small polyps called Arrgi and as long as these creatures are around, you cannot harm Arrghus. In the first phase of the fight, you must use the Hookshot to pull the Arrgi toward you and defeat them. Two sword slashes each will destroy them and since you can only latch onto them one by one this will take some time. (NOTE: If you try pulling on an Arrgi while facing north, you will likely get hurt. It's weird, I know, it's just due to how hitboxes work in the 2D gaming space. Just try not attacking from this position and you'll be fine.) In the meantime, Arrghus will slowly float around the room toward you. It has one attack during this phase; it will send its minion Arrgi swirling around it in two rings. The safest way to avoid this attack is to stand in the corner furthest away from the boss.
When all the Arrgi are gone, the second phase begins and Arrghus goes on a rampage. It will retreat to the ceiling and attempt to crash right on top of you, so get out of the way fast! For the remainder of the battle it will speed around the water; this is your chance to attack. Deliver either a regular sword slash or a Spin Attack if you can. Each time you land a blow, Arrghus will take to the ceiling and repeat the process of trying to squash you. A total of eight regular sword slashes or four Spin Attacks will silence it.
========
Pick up the Heart Container and the Crystal. After a cutscene in which the Maiden gives more backstory on Ganon and the Triforce, your Life and Magic Meters will refill and you'll be returned to the dungeon entrance.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.16] - THE SKELETON FOREST
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 13/20 Pieces of Heart: 19/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|X Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 X Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
(Nothing)
********************
REMINDER: If you have Rupees to spare, consider throwing them into the Pond of Happiness to increase your Bomb & Arrow carrying capacities.
I strongly recommend from here on out to have at least one Bottle or more of Blue Cure-All Medicine if you don't already have some on hand, because the game takes things up a notch in the next dungeon and beyond. The best place to get this potion is naturally the Magic Shop. It costs 160 Rupees per Bottle but it is well worth the price. If you have maxed out your Bomb and Arrow capacities and collected most if not all the Rupees I pointed out in subchapter [Z306.14] - The Great Collection, *and* the Rupees from the Swamp Palace, you should have more than enough to get one Bottle of Blue Medicine.
This subchapter is short because we're going straight to the next dungeon. First, we need to get over to the northeast section of the Dark World, just outside its version of the Lost Woods, a place known as Skeleton Forest. If you're outside the Swamp Palace, the quickest way is to return to the Light World and go through the Warp Tile just north of Kakariko Village - you can call the Bird to get you to the village (choose location #4), then go through the Lost Woods to get to the portal. Should you like to take the long way and get more familiar with the Dark World's layout, you can head to the river east of the Pyramid of Power. Along the north end of the river is a break where you can latch onto some skull rocks with the Hookshot (the rocks are just beyond your field of view, however the Hookshot can reach them), and that will take you to the north section of the Dark World where you can then head west to Skeleton Forest.
However you choose to get to the area surrounding Skeleton Forest, there are several entry points into the forest that you can utilize: one entrance at its northeast edge, and three entrances along its southern edge. This guide recommends taking the central-south entrance - if you came into the Dark World using the Warp Tile north of Kakariko Village, the forest entrance is directly north of where you warped in. Head that way to enter Skeleton Forest.
Now, in spite of the name of this subchapter, we'll actually be exploring Skeleton Forest itself in the next subchapter. Why is that, you may ask? Well, it's because the next dungeon is just beyond and because of its unique design and structure, it will make much more sense to tackle both the dungeon and its outside environment together.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.17] - DUNGEON VII: SKULL WOODS
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 13/20 Pieces of Heart: 19/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|X Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|_ Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 X Crystal #2 _ Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Fire Rod
- Heart Container x1
- Crystal #3
********************
(NOTE: The dark forest where the dungeon is located is known as Skeleton Forest, while the dungeon itself is called Skull Woods. Clever naming, I know... It's a bit of confusing nomenclature, but as these are the official names that's what I'll be using. I'll try to be as clear as I can.)
If you thought the Desert Palace was special with its multiple entry points, Skull Woods takes this idea and thrusts it into overdrive. The dungeon's many entrances are scattered throughout Skeleton Forest - some are standard doorways and others are pits in the forest floor which Link can drop from. Completing Skull Woods requires traversing in and out of the dungeon and through the forest outside, collecting treasures and Small Keys to progress. A couple of tough enemies and a new kind of trap are introduced here, and at the end of the dungeon lies what is arguably the most difficult boss battle yet.
You'll know you entered the correct section of Skeleton Forest if there is a Ropa right in front of you and the only direction you can go is east. Defeat the Ropa and start walking; you'll come across a Pikit - it's been a while since we've seen one, but don't let its long tongue snatch any of your hard-earned items, especially not the shield! Defeat or ignore the Pikit, then head north from its location. You'll come across a pit in the ground; this is actually one of the several entrances to the next dungeon and this is the one we want to start with. Go ahead and drop into the pit to officially begin the dungeon.
You should land in a room with some Blue Bari - take them out and start heading south, defeating several Blue Hardhat Beetles and dodging the Bumper trap. Slip by the Guruguru Bar when it's safe to do so and go through the southeast door. Ignore the Hardhat Beetles and keep moving east into the next room.
This large room contains many Blade Traps and Bumpers, making it difficult to move around. You also get to meet two new enemies here: Gibdos and Wallmasters. The mummified Gibdos have high offense and defense, so defeating them while evading their attacks will take some work. Try making use of the skull pots to knock the Gibdos into the Blade Traps to deal damage. Wallmasters are disembodied hand beings and will provide a brief warning; if you hear a falling sound and see a shadow under Link, this is the sign that a Wallmaster is about to fall from the ceiling and try to grab you. They don't deal damage if you're caught, but they will take you back to whatever entrance you used to enter the dungeon (similar to the Magic Mirror), so try to dodge them at all costs. You can slay Wallmasters, though note that they usually respawn. With all that enemy lore out of the way, get to the treasure chest in the center of the room and grab the Small Key from inside, then go through the locked door in the northeast.
Take out the Red Hardhat Beetle and step on the Star Switches to the north which will move the floor pits and give you access to the treasure chest in the corner. Open it to receive the Dungeon Map, then use the Magic Mirror to return to the point where you entered the dungeon. Return to the east room.
Fight off the Hardhat Beetles and head north. Open the treasure chest to pick up the Compass; doing so will cause a hidden Star Switch to activate and numerous floor pits to appear all over the room. Move around the pits and go through the north door, where you'll find three Gibdos and a Red Stalfos trapped between barriers blocked off by skull pots; use this to your advantage and execute Spin Attacks to defeat the enemies. Be wary of the falling Wallmaster in this room too. With all enemies out of the way, head to the treasure chest in the northwest corner to obtain another Small Key, then go through the east door. This room holds the Big Treasure Chest but we'll have to come back for it later. Kill or ignore the Red Bari, then go outside to return to Skeleton Forest.
You'll come out of the mouth of a large skull; there are several more of these entrances lying about in the forest. Ignore both pits to the south, as each one just takes you back to rooms we've already explored. Instead, circle the cluster of nine bushes and go past the Ropa. (Keep that cluster of bushes in mind for something shortly.) Go through the skeletal tunnel here, defeat the Ropa, and swing around south through the second tunnel where you'll come across another dungeon entrance at the end of the path. Go back inside the dungeon through this entrance.
Defeat the Blue Bari and Gibdos upon entering this room; you don't want them bothering you while trying to work. Beware the presence of a Wallmaster as well. Under the central skull pot is a Floor Switch which will open the north door, but you'll need to push the easternmost gargoyle statue on top of the switch to keep the door open. Once you've maneuvered the statue south of the switch, you'll then have to get behind it and pull it backward over the switch. Bear in mind that the Wallmaster will continue to come after you as you do this, so you may have to accomplish this puzzle in short bursts. Once the door is open and you can reach it, go on through.
This next room houses a Gibdo, a Red Stalfos, a Blue Stalfos, a Red Bari, a Blade Trap, *and* a Wallmaster. Take down all the enemies (minus the Blade Trap), and don't lift the skull pot at the north wall - underneath it is a Rabbit Beam, which will stay put for a second or so before charging at Link. This trap can transform Link back into his Bunny form if it touches him, rendering him helpless. The transformation wears off after a few seconds or if Link takes damage. The only way to destroy Rabbit Beams is by using one of the Magic Medallions, but since those use a considerable bit of magic it's best to just dodge the Beams altogether.
Open the treasure chest in the center of the room to get the Big Key! If you're low on magic for any reason, you can Bomb the east wall, behind which is a small room with a skull pot containing a large Magic Jar. Just be on the lookout for yet another Wallmaster. With the Big Key obtained, return to the previous room. Push the gargoyle statue out of the way and exit the dungeon.
Head back through the pair of skeletal tunnels and return to the bush cluster I referred to a few paragraphs ago. Start cutting them down and the middle bush will reveal a hidden entryway to the dungeon. Drop down into the pit.
When you land, take one of the skull pots and chuck it at the nearby Helmasaur for a quick kill. You can use another pot on the Blue Hardhat Beetle. If the nearby Star Switches aren't activated (meaning they're *not* grayed out), step on them. Next, place a Bomb on the west wall and then go through the newly formed doorway. Approach the lever and pull back on it, destroying the south wall. Proceed south, taking out the Mini-Moldorms in the process, and open the Big Treasure Chest to acquire the magical Fire Rod! As the companion to the Ice Rod, the Fire Rod acts similarly but shoots a blast of fire instead of ice and is powerful enough to defeat some enemies in a single hit. As usual, watch out for your Magic Meter when you use it. Now, return to the previous room. Go south across the Star Switches, ignore the Red Hardhat Beetle, head through the west door, and go out through the south exit to once more return to Skeleton Forest.
Retrace your steps through the pair of skeletal tunnels again and go back inside the dungeon using the entrance at the end of the path.
From the room with the Blue Bari and Gibdos, go west. Just ignore the Blue Hardhat Beetle and Winder here as you continue west to the next room. In this small room, head to the northwest corner, taking care of the Blue Hardhat Beetle and Wallmaster as you do. Under the skull pot is a Small Key so grab it. Don't worry about the locked door for the moment; for now, exit the dungeon yet again through the south.
From here, you have a couple of options. An easier path is to take the Small Key you just picked up and get on with the rest of the dungeon. But if you are interested in filling in all the rooms on the Dungeon Map and seeing what lies beyond that locked door we ignored just a moment ago, go to the next paragraph. Should you want to advance forward, skip the next three (3) paragraphs.
~~~~OPTIONAL EXPLORATION~~~~
You're here because you chose to explore the rest of the dungeon. From your position, head directly north through the easternmost skeletal tunnel. Follow the path to its very end, defeating Ropas along the way. At the end of the path you'll come to a pit; drop into it to get back inside the dungeon.
Once inside, slay the Blue Hardhat Beetles and watch for yet another friggin' Wallmaster, then step onto the Star Switches in the center of the room. The pits will move such that you can reach the south section of the room (look familiar?). Avoid the Blue Hardhat Beetle and Winder and go west.
This room is where we got the previous Small Key and you can now access the north door. Quite frankly, there's nothing really of value in this room except for some small Recovery Items, but if you wish to explore it then go ahead and use the Small Key on the door. Three Helmasaurs guard this room, which is also littered with numerous skull pots. You can remove these to gather Recovery Items; as you do, pieces of the floor will begin to fall away. If you get stuck in the center of the room, just let Link fall into the pit and be taken back to the door. Once you're done here, return to the previous room and head back outside.
~~~~~~~~
From the dungeon exit you just came out of, defeat the Ropas and go north through the westernmost skeletal tunnel. At the end of the path, you'll come to the largest skull in the entire forest with some kind of appendage/snout extending from its face. Use the Fire Rod on the appendage to burn it away and open the entrance to the final phase of the dungeon, then enter. (Whatever this thing is, its eyes open after you blast it with the Fire Rod so I assume it's alive... creepy...)
Now, if you skipped over the "OPTIONAL EXPLORATION" paragraphs above and still have the Small Key from earlier, you can just head north right across the room to the locked door and proceed through. If this is the case for you, then defeat the Mini-Moldorms, head across the bridge, go around the Winder, and go through the north door. Skip the next paragraph to continue the dungeon.
On the other hand, if you do *not* have a Small Key available, go down the steps to the lower floor. Under this bridge is a hidden maze that you can't see from this angle (although the Spark up ahead isn't impeded by the barriers). Once you're under the bridge, go north past the first barrier, take the east pathway, north beyond the next barrier, take the east pathway again, go north again, and this time take the west pathway to reach the doorway. In the next room, save yourself some trouble and go up the steps to the upper floor, then south across the bridge. You'll have to fight off one Gibdo, though it's better than the horde of enemies and traps waiting for you on the lower floor. When you reach the south end, quickly hop off the ledge and go through the southwest door before the Rabbit Beam can touch you. Grab the Small Key from the treasure chest here, then use the Magic Mirror to return to the dungeon entrance. Defeat the Mini-Moldorms, head across the bridge, avoid the Winder, and go through the north door.
In this room, you must cross several Star Switches while evading the falling Wallmaster and a trio of Bari. Start with the switches in front of you, then step on the central Star Switches. This gives you access to a lone Star Switch in the southwest corner. Activate it, then go north to the two skull pots and get them out of the way. Don't step on the central Star Switches again; instead, step on the collection of switches directly northeast of those which will let you reach the lone northeasternmost Star Switch. Step on that, lift the skull pot out of your way, and go through the east door.
Once more you'll have to contend with a Wallmaster and several Gibdos. This room also contains four unlit torches, all of which must be lit at the same time to open the northwest doorway. If a single torch remains unlit or goes out, you won't be able to go on. So, you'll need to act fast. First, take out the Gibdos. If you have a full Magic Meter and some Green or Blue Medicine, I recommend using the Fire Rod, which can defeat Gibdos with one hit each. That said, it may be best to conserve your magic power as much as possible. It's ultimately up to you.
With the Gibdos of the way, study the location of the four unlit torches (one of them is behind two skull pots which you will have to remove before you can light the torch). When you're ready, quickly start lighting the torches with either the Lamp or Fire Rod as you head north, and be mindful of the Wallmaster. The Lamp uses less magic power but the Fire Rod has the advantage of distance. You will definitely have to use the Fire Rod on the north torch since it sits across a pair of bottomless pits. Successfully light the four torches, then dive through the northwest door before it slams shut.
Several enemies and a Rabbit Beam await you here, along with yet another blasted Wallmaster. (Just like the Desert Palace's overabundance of Beamos, the game developers littered this dungeon with an unreasonable number of Wallmasters in my opinion.) Try to get the Rabbit Beam to hit one of the blocks so it disperses. If you're hit, just step around the enemies as best as you can until Link transforms back into his Hylian form. Tackle the Mini-Moldorms and the Gibdo, then cut down the centermost curtain along the north wall to find a hidden doorway. Go to the next room.
Another batch of enemies including a Wallmaster are to be found here. Take them all down - the Gibdo carries a Small Key so you can go through the east door. The skull pots in the corners have some Recovery Items so feel free to grab them, and then go through the door.
In this small room is another Wallmaster (thankfully the last one) and some Blade Traps sliding back and forth near a pit - notice this pit looks to have a floor beneath it. Dodge the Wallmaster and pick up any of the skull pots to gain access to the pit. Watch out for the Blade Traps and drop into the pit to begin the next boss battle.
*=================================*
Boss: Dark Insect Queen - MOTHULA
*=================================*
Mothula gives Moldorm a run for its money in terms of how utterly chaotic the fight is. The battle arena is, quite frankly, absurd. The entire floor is a mechanical conveyor belt that moves in all directions throughout the whole fight. Making things more challenging are the Blade Traps lining the walls. The Blade Traps will slide across the room and in some cases stop in the center before returning to their starting positions. Mothula itself will try ramming into you, delivering some significant damage when it does. Additionally, it has an attack where it will blast energy beams in three directions. Expect to bear some damage during this battle and be ready to restore your Life Meter before you're taken out.
Like the previous Dark World dungeons, Mothula is particularly weak against its dungeon's special item - in this case, the Fire Rod. (Not surprising though since it is, after all, a bug boss.) Pull it out if you don't already have it equipped and begin blasting Mothula. The Blade Traps' constant movements may impede some of the Fire Rod's magic, but if your aim is on point you can circumvent this problem. If you have the 1/2 Magic Meter Upgrade and you don't miss too many shots, Mothula can be defeated before you lose all of your magic power. Should you run out of magic and don't have any Green or Blue Medicine, just hack away at the boss with the Master Sword. After enough of a beating, this giant bug will eventually meets its demise.
========
Congratulations on conquering another Dark World dungeon! (And honestly, it's one of the tougher dungeons in the game.) Grab the Heart Container and the next Crystal to be treated to some additional lore. As usual, you get all your Life and Magic restored and are returned to the Overworld.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.18] - OPENING THE GARGOYLE
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 14/20 Pieces of Heart: 19/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|X Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|X Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 X Crystal #2 X Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
(Nothing)
********************
REMINDER: If you have Rupees to spare, consider throwing them into the Pond of Happiness to increase your Bomb & Arrow carrying capacities.
Before we move forward, I will once more recommend you have some potions on hand, particularly either Life Medicine or Cure-All Medicine.
This is another short subchapter of the walkthrough since we just need to leave the forest and head south to the Village of Outcasts. You can see on the Overworld Map that the next dungeon lies near the center of the village.
Link emerges from the large skull of the previous dungeon. This makes returning to the Village of Outcasts a bit tricky since you'd have to head back through a few rooms of the dungeon so that you can leave Skeleton Forest. Alternatively, you can use the Magic Mirror to return to the Light World. This takes you to the Lost Woods where you can then navigate to the central-south exit, pound the stakes into the ground with the Magic Hammer, and use the Warp Tile under the rock to return to the Dark World.
Whichever way you choose, once you have arrived at the Village of Outcasts, use the Map to guide yourself to the village square where you'll find a large gargoyle statue. This is, of course, the same spot in Hyrule where you awakened the Bird with the Flute. Stand on the statue's south side where its trident rests. Grab the trident and pull on it; Link will stumble backward and the entrance to the next dungeon will be revealed. Go down inside to begin.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.19] - DUNGEON VIII: THIEVES' TOWN
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 14/20 Pieces of Heart: 19/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|X Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|X Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove _ Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 X Crystal #2 X Crystal #3 |
|_ Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Titan's Mitt
- Heart Container x1
- Crystal #4
********************
Similar to the previous dungeon, Thieves' Town has an interesting naming convention given that its name and the village it's located in are similar-sounding. But again, these are the official names so that's what I'm using. Conceptually, Thieves' Town is more linear than Skull Woods. You start by navigating four large rooms on a quest for the Big Key. Once you have that the rest of the dungeon is basically open for you to explore. In addition to even more new enemies to meet, Thieves' Town hosts several hidden Rabbit Beam traps so watch your step.
Begin heading north from the entrance and stay on the catwalks. Patrolling the lower floors are armored crocodile-type enemies called Zazaks. The blue ones here take just two hits from the Master Sword to defeat and they are all susceptible to stunning by the Boomerang or Hookshot. As you reach the north end of this room you'll spot a treasure chest lying on the floor in the northwest corner (you might have also attracted the attention of a Zol or two so take them out). Don't bother with the skull pot in the northwest corner as it hides a Rabbit Beam, and jump down from the upper ledge. Open the treasure chest to get the Dungeon Map, then go through the north corridor here until you move to a new screen.
This screen contains a Red Zazak. They are stronger and can endure more than the Blue ones, plus they will fire energy blasts at Link if they see him. Go up the steps to the north here to get to the upper floor, then follow the catwalks clockwise to the treasure chest (kill the Zol that appear). Grab 20 Rupees from the treasure chest, then head to the north side of the room here and jump down from the ledge. Go all the way east past the Winder and Spark, then up the steps back to the upper ledge. Walk along the east wall and either dash into or blow up the cracked wall, then go through to the next room.
Walk along this catwalk to the north wall and turn east. You can lay a Bomb on the north wall here to blow open the small crack, leading to a new room in the dungeon; this particular entry point leads to a small barricaded area containing skull pots hiding Blue Rupees. Back in the previous large room, jump down from the north ledge to the lower floor. A hidden Rabbit Beam will instantly home in on you; if it touches you, just walk in circles until the effect wears off. Head south through the room, defeating more Zazaks and watching for another Rabbit Beam and Spark trap. There are two corridors going south here - take the westernmost one.
Immediately make for the steps to the south to get onto the catwalks and evade the onslaught of enemies. Go counterclockwise around the catwalks to the treasure chest you can see here and open it to obtain the Compass. Jump west off the ledge to the lower floor. A Rabbit Beam will make a beeline for you so ignore both it and the nearby Zazak, and head west under the catwalk to the next room. You're back in the entrance chamber right next to a treasure chest; open it to get this dungeon's Big Key.
Now, of these four large rooms we've explored so far, we need to return to the northeast one. To get there, go back one room east. The Rabbit Beam is still here; dodge it and make your way north to the next room while staying on the lower floor. When you arrive in the next room, get to the upper floor and navigate to the northeast corner where you can find a locked door. Open it with the Big Key and head on through.
You'll encounter three Stalfos in this hallway, two Blue and one Red. Defeat them as you head north. Under the east skull pot is a Small Key so be sure to pick it up. If you were to explore the room to the north you'll find it entirely empty. Not a single thing in here... how strange. Back in the previous room, unlock the south door with the Small Key you just got and proceed to the next room.
In here, defeat some Zazaks and continue west. The next room contains an Anti-Fairy and an interesting enemy called a Gibo. It has what appears to be an outer gelatin-like body and a pink core. The core will separate from its body and move to a new location, with the body soon following. As long as both the body and core are together, the Gibo is invincible. Wait for the core to separate itself, then attack it. Destroying the core destroys the Gibo entirely. Once the Gibos and the Anti-Fairy are out of the way, move cautiously across the moving floors to the west door and go on through.
This room can be a little tough. With the floor constantly moving north to south and several Blade Traps littered throughout, you must get to the north side of the room while taking out or ignoring more Gibos and also being wary of a Winder and an Anti-Fairy. Safely get Link to the other side and through the north door.
Some Blade Traps are stuck behind raised blocks in this room. Head to the skull pot (slay the Zol that appears as you near it) and pick it up to find another Small Key. Now, from the north side of the room, either throw the skull pot or the Boomerang at the Crystal Switch so that the blue blocks are lowered, then go upstairs to 1F.
You'll meet a green insect known as a Buzz running around this room. It's basically a stronger Dark World version of the Rat. In the northwest corner are some Chasupas hanging out by a Telepathy Tile. Take out the Chasupas - if the blue blocks are currently lowered, you won't be able to access the Telepathy Tile, but the message is from Zelda warning you to beware the magic of Blind the Thief, the dungeon boss. Anyway, ignore the lever in the northeast; pulling on it just causes a bunch of Skullropes - the Dark World version of Ropes - to drop from the ceiling. The way through this room is instead in the southeast corner. Lift the skull pot to find a Floor Switch, step on it, and go east to the next room.
Simply dash across the hallway on this screen and the next, taking out the Buzz enemies on each, until you get to the room at the very end. In this room, defeat the three Buzz, then turn to face north. A window shines some light onto a cracked section of the floor. Lay a Bomb down, then quickly pick it up and throw it onto the cracked floor. It will blow open and send the light from the window shining down to the floor below - if you check the Map, you'll see that we're right above the strange empty room from earlier. Collect the Bombs from the treasure chest, then backtrack to the westernmost room of this floor and return downstairs.
Move across the room to the south door, keeping the blue blocks lowered. You can temporarily turn the Crytal Switch red to raise the blue blocks if it makes things easier, just be sure to turn the Switch back to blue before you go through the door. Back in the conveyor belt hallway, head through the northeast doorway, crossing over the lowered blue block.
Defeat the Red Zazaks and Gibo and continue east to the next room. This room has many conveyor belts all attempting to pull Link to the bottomless pit in the center. Evade the enemies and fight against the floor to reach the north stairway. Go down it to reach B2.
Kill the Zazaks and Red Stalfos here but don't go through the west door that opens in response. Instead, remove the giant block and go through the south door. Defeat or bypass the Red Zazak and proceed east to the next room to find a bunch of locked prison cells, all of which can be opened with the Big Key. Defeat a Red Zol and hammer away at the Zazaks in these cells as you head to the very back, and watch out for the Rabbit Beam hiding under one of the skull pots in the second cell. In the very last cell you'll find... one of the missing Maidens! Er... why isn't she trapped in a Crystal? Well, she thanks you anyway for rescuing her and requests that you take her outside. Grab the Small Key from the treasure chest next to her, then return to the previous room and continue west into the following room.
Run across the conveyor belt in this room to the locked door on the other side. Go through it to find yourself in a room with the Big Treasure Chest surrounded by Moles. Work quickly in this room, for as soon as you begin pounding the Moles to gain access to the Big Treasure Chest pieces of the floor will begin to fall away. Inside the Big Treasure Chest is the Titan's Mitt, a stronger version of the Power Glove. This upgraded mitt allows you to lift even heavier objects such as the black/dark-colored rocks we've seen throughout our travels. Quickly return to the previous room before the floor completely falls away.
Head north across the conveyor belts, taking out a couple of enemies on the way. Now, if you want to fill in every room on the Map, you can remove the giant block to the west here and check out the room on the other side, although it's just a trap room where you'll have to defeat three Blue Bari while sidestepping Bumpers and trying not to fall into bottomless pits. Whatever you choose to do, eventually go through the northeast doorway, then take the stairway back to B1.
The Maiden asked you to take her outside. You could use the Magic Mirror to return to the dungeon entrance, but if you do she will change her mind and ask you not to go that way. (Do *not* actually go outside because she will stop following you and you'll have to return to the lower levels of the dungeon to rescue her again.) The Maiden will say the same thing if you try taking her upstairs to 1F. So what else can you do?
Assuming you didn't use the Magic Mirror and just came upstairs from B2, then walk against the conveyor belt to the skull pot in the northeast corner. You'll find a Floor Switch underneath so step on it to open the east door. Go through this door to return to the hallway which lies south of the empty room. (If you did use the Magic Mirror to return to the dungeon entrance, make sure to get back to this room.)
Go north into the empty room, which now has a large patch of sunlight courtesy of us blowing up the cracked floor on 1F. With nothing else to do with the Maiden, take her with you into the patch of sunlight.
*============================================*
Boss: Demonic Shapeshifter - BLIND THE THIEF
*============================================*
Surprise! (Unless you already guessed it.) The Maiden was, of course, the boss trying to trick you. Blind the Thief spends the fight floating about on one side of the room. His primary attack is firing a powerful, unblockable laser beam from his eyes; stay away from this beam at all costs. At some point, Blind will sweep from one end of the room to the other and repeat the same floating and attacking patterns before returning to the other side again.
The boss's only weak point is his head. There's really no advice to give here other than to just get in close and hack away at Blind's head over and over. Each time you successfully hit Blind's head he will unleash a wild flurry of fireballs just to complicate matters. After enough hits his head severs and his body collapses, but this isn't over. The body will rise and his head will regrow, while the head you cut off will now fly rapidly around the room while shooting fireballs at you. Repeat the attack on the second head until it, too, comes off. Blind isn't finished, however! He will grow yet a third head, and with two severed heads now joining the onslaught and firing off blasts every which way, on top of the third head continuing to fire laser beams, this battle gets tough indeed. Continue slashing away at Blind's head until the third one is defeated and the boss will finally croak. Each head needs three strikes from the Master Sword to sever, totaling nine that you need to land on Blind to defeat him.
========
Retrieve the Heart Container and the Crystal containing the true Maiden. Enjoy another slice of game lore and your Life and Magic Meter refills. You're taken outside to the Village of Outcasts, so I'll see you in the next subchapter!
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.20] - A SWORD & A BOTTLE
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 15/20 Pieces of Heart: 19/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|X Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|X Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove X Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 _ Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword _ Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 X Crystal #2 X Crystal #3 |
|X Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Tempered Sword
- Piece of Heart x1
- Heart Container x1
- Bottle #4
********************
REMINDER: If you have Rupees to spare, consider throwing them into the Pond of Happiness to increase your Bomb & Arrow carrying capacities.
A few goodies are up for grabs now that you have the Titan's Mitt. Begin by heading into the southern area of the Village of Outcasts - this is where the House of Books/Library is located in the Light World. Head west along the ledge until you find a frog-like critter trapped behind some dark-colored skull rocks. Remove them using the Titan's Mitt and speak to the frog. He'll request you to return him to his partner in Kakariko Village. This is actually Smithy the Blacksmith's missing partner! While staying in the Dark World, take him to the screen where Smithy's Shop is located in the Light World. You'll know you're on the right screen if you see two large black rocks blocking the path forward as well as a ton of purple stakes on the ground (more on those in a moment). In place of Smithy's Shop is a broken-down abandoned house.
Lift the two large black rocks away first and move east beyond them. Now, go ahead and return to the Light World. The frog-man will turn back into his Hylian form. Go inside Smithy's Shop to reunite the pair of Blacksmiths. Return outside, then go back inside again and speak to either of the Blacksmiths. They'll offer to temper your sword for just 10 Rupees, so of course you should agree to this. The only catch is that you will have to leave your sword with them "for a while." In reality, you only need to transition off the screen and come back to it for the sword to be ready. So let's do that - leave the screen by going west to the main area of Kakariko, then turn immediately back around and go inside Smithy's Shop. Talk to one of the Blacksmiths to receive your newest upgrade: the Tempered Sword! This blade is stronger than the Master Sword; enemies will now take one less hit to defeat. The only downside is that it doesn't strengthen your Beam Attack. With your sword back in your possession, leave the shop and return to the Dark World via the portal you created.
Back in the Dark World, let's first turn our attention to all the purple stakes around here. Take out the Magic Hammer and pound every single one of them into the ground - yes, all 22 stakes. Upon striking the last one, you'll hear the famous Zelda secret jingle and a tree stump to the south will transform into a secret cave you can enter. Do so and you'll find another Piece of Heart [POH20]! With this, your Life Meter should now be at 16 Heart Containers.
Head back outside and go north to the dilapidated house (known as the Gossip Shop for whatever reason). Inside is a mysterious purple treasure chest that you cannot open since its key is locked within it. All you can do is take the chest with you. So, what do we do with this thing? Well, during the course of our adventure you probably heard once or twice about an ex-thief who now hangs out near the Desert of Mystery in Hyrule. In fact, you may remember that we met this man in person when we first visited the desert; he was sitting next to a sign. Take this locked treasure chest back to that man in the Light World, but be sure not to dash there with the Pegasus Shoes or you'll end up leaving the treasure chest behind.
When you have arrived at the man, approach him and he'll offer to open the chest for you as long as you keep his secret. Agree with this and he'll retrieve the contents of the chest for you: the game's fourth and final Magic Bottle! If you can, I once more advise filling this Bottle with Cure-All Medicine from the Magic Shop.
We've got all we can for now so it's time to head to the next dungeon. Call the Bird with the Flute and have it drop you at location #8 in southeast Hyrule. From here, go west and hop into the waters of Lake Hylia. Swim to the island in the middle of the lake. While you're here, it would be a good idea to pay a visit to the Pond of Happiness and drop more Rupees if you still need to max out your Bombs and Arrows. You can also grab Fairies from the room to the east, capturing them in any of your Bottles if you prefer them over potions. Once you're ready to continue, pick up the black rock situated in the center of this island to find another Warp Tile. Step onto it to be taken to Ice Lake in the Dark World.
Previously we could only swim through the waters of Ice Lake but could not access the massive structure sitting in its center. By stepping through the Warp Tile, you'll find yourself on the inside of this structure in an enclosed space. A Pikit hops around nearby so kill it before it snags an item from you, then head down the steps before you to enter the game's next dungeon: the Ice Palace.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.21] - DUNGEON IX: ICE PALACE
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 16/20 Pieces of Heart: 20/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|X Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|X Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove X Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 X Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword X Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic _ Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 X Crystal #2 X Crystal #3 |
|X Crystal #4 _ Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Blue Mail
- Heart Container x1
- Crystal #5
********************
I think I'm in the minority regarding the Ice Palace as many folks don't seem to like this dungeon. The slippery floors and sprawling layout tend to be among the chief gripes. Personally, this is one of my favorites in the game because it's a good brain-teaser thanks to the puzzles to solve and the way the dungeon is structured. You'll need to be prepared for a bit of a trek; not only does the dungeon feature seven floors to explore, you'll have to go back and forth between them a few times to properly complete it. The Ice Palace truly challenges the player to understand its design before you can reach the boss far below.
As you probably expected given the dungeon's name, you're going to use *a lot* of fire-based magic as you descend its depths, so if you don't have any magic-refilling potions I suggest you turn back now and get some. Along the north wall is a Telepathy Tile that pretty much confirms this. As you approach it, one of the ice sculptures will come to life and rush at you. This is a Freezor and it can only be defeated by fire, so equip the Fire Rod and shoot a fire blast at the Freezor to take it out with one hit. There are many of these throughout the dungeon and if you have a sharp eye you can actually tell if a Freezor is hiding because it has just a bit more detailed texture compared to the non-animated sculptures.
Go through the east door after defeating the Freezor to encounter three Blue Bari floating over an icy floor. Use the Hookshot to take the Bari out (you'll notice that using the Hookshot keeps Link from sliding around the floor). Grab the Small Key that drops and head down through the locked door to B1. In the following room, head to the southwest corner and step on a Floor Switch. You'll attract the attention of a couple of Green Zol, so get rid of them and proceed through the east door.
Move forward and push the central block, then go into the south room where you'll meet enemies called Pengators that like to slip n' slide across the icy floor as their form of attack. They are easily dispatched with the Hookshot, although a very quick way to clear them out without sliding around the room is the Bombos Medallion (one of the Pengators should drop a Magic Jar so you'll regain some magic). Open the treasure chest that appears to get the Compass, then return to the previous room. This time, push the central block north, then step on the Floor Switch to the east to open the locked doors. Go through the east door.
Defeat all the Pengators first, then get rid of the Anti-Fairy. Lift the south skull pot to find a Floor Switch that will unlock both doors. Although it seems like you should go east, that way just leads to a dead-end for now. So, go back through the west door instead, step on the Floor Switch, and push the central block west so that you can get through the north door.
Defeat the Red Bari before you, then strike the Crystal Switch so that it is blue (if it isn't already). Now, lay a Bomb right next to the Crystal Switch and quickly get to the north side of the room before it explodes. It will turn the Crystal Switch red, lowering the orange blocks and giving you access to the cracked floor in the center of the room. Blow it open with a Bomb, then drop into the hole to land on B2.
Don't bother planting a Bomb on the cracked floor here as it won't do anything. Start walking around this room and you should attract the attention of a Stalfos Knight, a more powerful variant of the Stalfos, but this one carries a large sword it will attempt to use on you. The Telepathy Tile on the north wall tells you that you cannot defeat the Stalfos Knight with your sword alone. If you strike it with the sword, the Stalfos Knight will collapse into a pile of bones. It will soon revive, so the way to defeat the Stalfos Knight is to drop a Bomb on the pile and blow it up before it recovers (it will also likely leave some Bombs behind). A second Stalfos Knight is in this room so defeat it as well and head through the south door.
In this rather daunting room, a moving floor stretches from one side to the other and will randomly change directions. Scattered across the floor are arrangements of Blade Traps and two swarms of enemies lie in wait - some Blue Bari and shadow-type monsters known as Babusu that will emerge from holes in the walls and speed across the room to holes on the other side, a pattern they'll keep repeating until defeated. Cross the moving floor with care and take out any enemies in your path. Like with icy floors, using the Hookshot here can momentarily pause your movements and make getting through this room a bit less hectic. One of the Blue Bari drops a Small Key so be sure to grab that. At the west end of the room is a Crystal Switch. Make sure it's red before going through the south door.
Move slowly across the catwalks here and dodge the Guruguru Bar (the Magic Cape or the Cane of Byrna are useful here). Get to the southwest corner and step on the Floor Switch under the skull pot to open the east door. If you're quick, you can use the Hookshot to latch onto the skull pot near the door and fling yourself across the room before the Guruguru Bar can hit you. Head to the next room. As you head down this hallway several Green Zols will pop up; defeat them if you'd like, then head down the stairs to get to B3.
You'll meet a small battalion of Pengators all in a row; use the Hookshot to make quick work of them and go through the north door. Watch out when you enter this room as a massive Blade Trap will fly at you from the other side. Wait for it to return to position, then hide in either the east or west corridors for safety. Move just enough to attract the Giant Blade Trap's attention, causing it to slide south again, then go behind it and through the north door before it returns. This room contains Medusa traps and skull pots. As you walk around, the tiles will begin to fall away. Grab the various items as quickly as possible, then fall through the pit to the floor below.
You'll land in a large room covered by an icy floor. The Telepathy Tile along the north wall warns you about conserving magic power. Head through the northeast door and take out the Red Bari in this room, then use the Hookshot to get across the bottomless pit. Go through the south door. The next room contains four Giant Blade Traps. Advance delicately through this room to the stairway in the northwest corner and head back upstairs to B3.
Take out the Blue Bari in this room, then Hookshot your way to the skull pot on the east side. There is a Floor Switch under this skull pot, but ignore it for the moment and go upstairs to B2. (Also ignore the cracked wall here; it can't be blown open.) Back on B2, move around until you attract the attention of a Stalfos Knight and destroy it. Smash the Moles into the ground with the Magic Hammer and remove the large block, underneath which is a Small Key and a Rabbit Beam. Toss the block aside and hide behind a wall to avoid the Rabbit Beam, then grab the Small Key. Smash two more Moles, then walk around the other side of the room to get another Stalfos Knight to drop from the ceiling. Defeat it, then pick up the skull pots here and step on the Floor Switch you find under one of them which will cause a treasure chest to appear. Now, approach the statue in the northwest corner. Grab onto its tongue and pull back to open the east door. Head back that way, open the treasure chest to get the Dungeon Map, and go through the east door.
Simply go up the steps in this room to return to B1. When you arrive, move the skull pots out of the way and grab the Big Key from the treasure chest. We now need to retrace our steps to B3. Head back down the steps to B2 and pull back on the statue's tongue to reopen the west door. Go back downstairs to return to B3.
Remember the skull pot here that I said to ignore? Go ahead and remove it, then step on the Floor Switch to make a treasure chest appear across the pit of spikes. Take the Small Key from the treasure chest and use it to get through the locked door. You'll find yourself back in the cross-shaped room with the Giant Blade Trap. Dash across the room and go through the west door. Be cautious as you slide across the icy floor while staying safe from the Guruguru Bar and head down the steps to get to B4. (You'll have to line Link up correctly in order to go down.)
A pair of Freezors await to ambush you in this room; get their attention and take them out with the Fire Rod to make a treasure chest appear. Hold off on it momentarily, and take a look at all the cracked floors. Lay a Bomb near the center of the west wall to make a pit appear. Snag some extra Bombs from the treasure chest, then drop into the pit you just created. You'll land right in front of the dungeon's Big Treasure Chest - open it to receive the Blue Mail! This handy armor doubles your defenses, meaning enemies will now deliver half the damage, although note that this doesn't apply to traps. Push the blocks out of the way to get through the east door.
Take down the Freezor that tries to attack you when you enter. This room contains a particularly intriguing puzzle, one which seems to be another reason why this dungeon is disliked. Notice that the blue blocks are raised while the orange ones are lowered, allowing you to access both the north and east doors. We eventually need to lower the blue blocks, but we'll get to that in a bit.
Even though you have the Big Key, skip the north door for now and go through the east one. Start lifting the northwest skull pots and find a Small Key under one of them. Watch out for the Babusu and the Anti-Fairy as you go to the east side of the room. Under the lone northeast skull pot is a Floor Switch; step on it to open the south door and head on through. In this room, you must walk across a narrow icy catwalk above a bottomless pit while a Guruguru Bar blocks your way. Line yourself up, then walk as straight as you can and try not to accidentally swivel side to side or you'll impede your progress. Using the Hookshot to pause your movement may prove helpful here. Get to the west side and go on to the next room.
Defeat the Blue Bari, then pick up the single skull pot and step on the Floor Switch to make a treasure chest containing a Small Key appear. Grab it and go upstairs to return to B4. If you need some Arrows you can get some under the north skull pot, but don't remove the south skull pot as it hides a Rabbit Beam. Get to the east side of the room and take out the Freezor that pops out of the wall. You'll also have attracted some Green Zol so defeat them if you want, then go through the north door using one of your Small Keys.
You're back in the large room with the icy floor. Approach the two skull pots to the east and step on the Floor Switch underneath one of them to open the southwest door. Head on through and drop into the pit directly in front of you. You'll land back in the room with the Big Treasure Chest, so head east to the next room. Defeat the Freezor again and use the Big Key to go through the north door. Dispatch the trio of Red Bari and a Stalfos Knight who will drop from the ceiling as you approach the center of the room, then use another Small Key to go downstairs to B6. Get rid of the Anti-Fairy here if needed and head to the next room.
Several Blue Bari, a Stalfos Knight, and a Freezor are in this room so defeat them all. Note the skull pot; it hides a Floor Switch that opens the door ahead but the switch requires constant force to keep it open. Currently, there is nothing in this room that can help. If you're following this guide to the letter, we do not yet have the Cane of Somaria. This magic staff is found in the next dungeon, Misery Mire, and has the ability to create special blocks. All you need to do is create a block with the Cane, push it onto the Floor Switch, and you can head on through. Since this guide assumes you do not have the Cane of Somaria, we'll have to conquer this puzzle the longer way.
(NOTE: If you are playing the GBA version of the game, that version has heavily altered this puzzle such that the steps outlined here may not match what you see in-game. Proceed with caution.)
Use another Small Key to open the east door and go through it. Strike the Crystal Switch from afar so the blue blocks lower to the ground - this will also cause a Rabbit Beam to appear. Stay far enough away so that it hits the wall and dissipates. Grab any Recovery Items from the skull pots as you wish, then backtrack two rooms and go up the stairs to B5. Defeat any enemies that may have reappeared. (TIP: With the blue blocks lowered, the two pits on either side of the room are available. You can drop down into them which will take you to a secret room containing Fairies, and the Transportation Tile will return you to B6. Go back upstairs to get back to B5.)
Go south to the next room. The blue blocks are lowered here, providing access to the regular blocks guarding the pit in the center. From this side of the room, you can push only the northeast block. Although we would think this is the block we need to push down the Floor Switch in the room below, the block lands too far away from the switch that it's useless (since, for some reason, regular blocks in this game can only be pushed once). The block we need to solve this puzzle is the southwest one on the other side of the pit, yet that side is currently cut off from you by the raised orange blocks. We need to circle back through the dungeon to get to the other side.
Let's try to make this quick: Go east to the next room and step on the Floor Switch under the lone northeast skull pot, then go south. Cross the icy catwalk while avoiding the Guruguru Bar and go through the west door. Go upstairs in the next room to reach B4, then north through the next room to get back to the large room with the icy floor. Step on the Floor Switch under one of the skull pots to the east, then get through the west door. Drop down through the pit, and go east to the next room to find yourself back in the puzzle block room and this time on the western side where you need to be. Push the southwest block down the pit and jump in after it. The block we just pushed will be sitting directly north of the skull pot. Defeat any enemies that may have respawned so you can work undisturbed in here. Remove the skull pot and push the block onto it to open the south door, then go on through.
Get rid of the Red Bari in this room. Our final destination is to get to the large block in the southwest corner. Don't bother exploring the east side of this room; apart from the large block here hiding four Blue Bari waiting to ambush you, the skull pots at the south wall contain junk items. Along the west wall, remove the skull pots, then grab the easternmost gargoyle statue and pull back on it to gain access to the Moles. Smash them into the ground with the Magic Hammer. Now, lift the large block out of the way to reveal a pit. If your Magic Meter isn't currently full, I suggest consuming some Magic Medicine. When you're ready, jump into the pit to meet the dungeon boss.
*=====================================*
Boss: Cryogenic Cyclopes - KHOLDSTARE
*=====================================*
Kholdstare is quite honestly one of the coolest-sounding boss names in any Zelda game (no pun intended). It starts off the battle encased in an armor of ice and its only attack during this first phase is ice chunks that continuously fall from the ceiling. When they hit the ground the ice chunks will shatter in four directions. The ice will knock off a couple of Hearts if you're hit, but it's also easy to avoid. To get at the boss, you first have to melt the ice block with either the Fire Rod or the Bombos Medallion. The Fire Rod can melt the ice in eight shots while the Bombos Medallion will do the job in just one go. Should you run out of magic power for whatever reason, the ice chunks will leave behind Magic Jars to help you continue the fight.
Once it's freed, Kholdstare will split into three replicas, each of which will soar about the room and try to slam into Link. The ice chunks continue to rain down on you so you'll just need to be nimble. If you have enough magic power then continue using the Fire Rod on the targets, each of which can be defeated with four successful fire blasts. You can also use the Tempered Sword, though each Kholdstare replica will require eight regular sword slashes or four Spin Attacks this way. Like the fight with the Lanmolas, it's best to try to tackle one at a time. Keep hammering away until the last one is taken out.
========
Claim your new Heart Container and the next Crystal. As usual, you'll be given some additional Hyrulean history from the Maiden within, your Life and Magic Meters will be refilled, and you'll be returned to just outside the dungeon to continue your quest. See you in the next subchapter!
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.22] - THE SWAMP OF EVIL
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 17/20 Pieces of Heart: 20/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|X Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|X Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove X Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 X Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword X Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic X Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 X Crystal #2 X Crystal #3 |
|X Crystal #4 X Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Piece of Heart x2
********************
REMINDER: If you have Rupees to spare, consider throwing them into the Pond of Happiness to increase your Bomb & Arrow carrying capacities.
The Overworld Map shows that the next dungeon is located west in the same spot where the Desert Palace resides in the Light World. We can't get there entirely on foot, though. Return to the Light World via the Magic Mirror, then call the Bird with the Flute and fly to location #6. You'll land on a small grassy plateau with a couple of black rocks. Under the east rock is a Warp Tile, so step into it to once more return to the Dark World. When you arrive, you'll be standing in the Swamp of Evil, a foreboding area - a true counterpart to Hyrule's Desert of Mystery.
Hop off the bluff you're standing on and start making your way north. Along the way you'll likely encounter a Dacto, a Ku or two, and new enemies called Swamola, which are basically smaller versions of the Lanmolas found in the Desert Palace. Keep heading northwest until you come to what looks like a head made of thorns. (It's definitely got what looks like eyes on its roof and its "mouth" acts as a doorway.) Enter this shelter to find a long corridor with two Sparks wandering the room. Dodge them and head to the back of the room where you'll find two treasure chests surrounded by blocks. From left to right, let's call these chests #1 and #2, respectively. First, push the bottom left block further left, then the block directly above that further up. Now, go to the bottom right block and push it further right, and finally push the block directly in front of chest #1 to the left. If you did it right, both treasure chests should be free to open. Chest #1 has a Piece of Heart [POH21] and chest #2 holds a Red Rupee. Your prizes collected, head back outside.
Start heading east and take note of the central platform as you walk by; we'll come back here in a minute. On the other side of the central platform is a dwelling similar to where we just picked up the Piece of Heart; inside this one is a Fairy Fountain if you need one. Continue heading to the very northeast end of the Swamp to come to a patch of dry land. Position Link along the north wall at roughly the midpoint between the east wall and the water's edge, then go back to the Light World.
You should be standing atop a bluff in the Desert of Mystery that's completely inaccessible from ground level. Remove the giant rock here and go inside the cave. You can see a Piece of Heart in the corner, but you'll have to get through a checkered block puzzle. There are a couple of ways to get through this and the puzzle is designed such that you won't accidentally block off the Piece of Heart, so I'll refrain from giving you the solution and let you work this one out (it's easy enough). Grab the Piece of Heart [POH22] when you gain access to it, then return outside and head back to the Dark World.
~~~~OPTIONAL EXPLORATION~~~~
If you follow the edge of the east wall you'll eventually come to a cave. Inside is another storyteller (this one in the form of a flying insect) who for 20 Rupees will share that the way to stop the storm outside is to use powerful magic. Behind the cracked wall in this cave are some junk Recovery Items like Hearts, Arrows, and Bombs. Return outside when you're done exploring.
~~~~~~~~
Back in the Swamp of Evil, head to the central platform that we passed by earlier. You'll have to approach it from the south to get onto it properly. It seems to lead nowhere, but if you check the ground you'll notice a lightning bolt insignia. This is the symbol of the Ether Medallion, and if you explored the storyteller's cave to the east, this is the magic it was referring to. Stand on the insignia, equip the Ether Medallion, and use it. Its intense power will cause the rainfall to cease and, before your eyes, a dwelling larger than the others will rise from the marsh. Pass through the "mouth" of this "head" to enter Misery Mire, the sixth Dark World dungeon.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.23] - DUNGEON X: MISERY MIRE
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 17/20 Pieces of Heart: 22/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|X Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|X Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|_ Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove X Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 X Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword X Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic X Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 X Crystal #2 X Crystal #3 |
|X Crystal #4 X Crystal #5 _ Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Cane of Somaria
- Heart Container x1
- Crystal #6
********************
If you weren't a fan of the previous dungeon, this one might be more to your liking. Misery Mire is a complex of rooms that branch off each other and loop back around. Compared to many of the previous dungeons which more or less had defined routes to take, there's a bit more openness with this dungeon. Some backtracking is involved but it's not too bad. On the whole, it's a nice change of pace compared to the Ice Palace.
Begin walking down the hallway and defeat the Yellow Zols that pop up. After dispatching them, use the Hookshot to get across the pit, then go downstairs to B1. You'll immediately encounter some Popos, which we haven't seen in some time, and as you head north a new enemy greets you: a Wizzrobe. This magician's attack pattern is to materialize, fire a blast of energy, and disappear, just to repeat the pattern. You can only defeat Wizzrobes when they're fully materialized but they go down pretty easily with the Tempered Sword. At the very north end of the room are three more Wizzrobes and a Beamos (we also haven't seen these guys in a while). Stay away from the Beamos and take out the remaining enemies to open the north door and go through.
This expansive room has many doorways along its upper walkway, while the lower level is home to several barriers that form a kind of mini-maze. On the west side of the room is a mesh flooring; ignore that for now and start by heading down the steps to the lower floor. Watch out for the Winder and the Sparks in the area and make your way north. The north wall has three steps leading to the upper floor to choose from; pick the central one for now. Then, follow the path to the only doorway you can access and proceed through. In the following room, defeat some Popos and beware the lanterns - each of them will blast fireballs at you! Push the lone block in this room to either side, then go through the north door that opens.
Just march straight across this catwalk, then go all the way north in the next room to find a treasure chest at the end of the broken bridge. Open the chest to obtain a Small Key, then backtrack two rooms so that you're back in the room with the pair of fire-spitting lanterns. Push the block out of the way and go east. (The west room contains nothing of interest, though you can explore it to fill out your Dungeon Map.)
In this somewhat treacherous room lies a Beamos, three Red Stalfos, and a Yomo Medusa sitting on a floor of spikes. Remember that the Yomo Medusa will shoot fireballs if you swing your sword. Remove the northwest skull pot to find a Small Key, then try to chuck the pot at one of the Red Stalfos. Once you've taken out the other two, notice the skull pot sitting in the southwest corner on the Spike Floor. This is clearly important, so don the Magic Cape or use the Cane of Byrna to create a magic shield, then walk over to the skull pot, lift it, and step on the Floor Switch underneath. A treasure chest appears on the Spike Floor so head over to that and open it to gain another Small Key. Get off the Spike Floor and deactivate your magic item, then use a Small Key to go through the north door.
Go north to the next room, then follow the catwalk leading west into the following room. We're now overlooking the giant bottomless pit where we previously acquired a Small Key. Dash across the catwalk and move into the next room. Next, defeat a Wizzrobe and head to the west end of the room while avoiding the Sparks. Grab the Small Key from under the skull pot over here, then slash at the Crystal Switch so it turns blue. Head back east and cross over the lowered blue blocks. Mind the Medusas as you defeat some Red Stalfos, and ignore the skull pots - they offer nothing of value and one of them hides a Rabbit Beam. Go through the locked south door.
Ignore two more Medusas and get either the Magic Cape or Cane of Byrna back out, using one of them as you cross another field of spikes to the south. The magic of these items will protect you from the Blade Traps around here as well. On the other side of the room is an Anti-Fairy should you want to transform it into a Fairy, and also a Giant Blade Trap to dodge around. Go through the south door where two Medusas and a Red Stalfos await. The west door is inaccessible and the cracks along the south wall can't be blown up, so just go through the east door.
You're back in the large room with the mesh pathway. You can see the blue blocks in the distance have been lowered, so head south (note the locked door) and swing back north onto the mesh. Cross it to the north and pick up the lone skull pot sitting between the lowered blue blocks. Step on the Floor Switch and open the nearby treasure chest that appears to get another Small Key. Return to the locked door we just passed and go through it.
This room contains floating Green Stalfos Heads, a Blue Bari, an Anti-Fairy, and a Yomo Medusa along with conveyor belts circling the perimeter of the room. The Stalfos Heads will slowly float toward you making it easier to defeat them, but be mindful of the Yomo Medusa's fireballs when using your sword. Take out the Anti-Fairy as well as the Bari if you want to, then grab the Small Key it drops. Make sure the Crystal Switch is blue, then head west. (There's nothing to see in the south room so only explore it to fill it out on the Map.)
Another old friend is back: Flying Tiles! Complicating this room is a Medusa, although if you remember the trick we used back in the Desert Palace you can just simply stand in the doorway and let the Tiles smash themselves against the wall. Just be sure to be facing into the room so the Medusa's shots are absorbed by your Red Shield. When all the Tiles are gone, light the four torches in the corners with either the Lamp or Fire Rod, then go through the north door. Open the treasure chest for this dungeon's Compass, then return to the south room and go south once more.
Defeat the Wizzrobe and take note of the new enemies here known as Sluggulas. (You may have met these if you explored one of the optional rooms from earlier.) Sluggulas like to drop green Bombs that explode after a few seconds. Like Hinoxes, they will sometimes leave behind standard Bombs for you to collect after defeating them. Cross the conveyor belts, slay the Red Bari in the northeast corner, and be sure to pick up the skull pot here to find (usually) a large Magic Jar. Go upstairs to 1F.
The following two rooms act as twins and have a special puzzle linking them. Each room contains two torches - located in the south corners of this room and the north corners of the following room, for a total of four torches. The key to these rooms is to light all four torches without one of them going out. Slightly hindering things is a swarm of Wizzrobes that will constantly materialize in and out of both rooms and respawn no matter how many you defeat.
Prepare yourself by pushing the blocks guarding each torch in both rooms out of the way so you have access to them. When you're ready, first light the torches in the north room with either the Lamp or Fire Rod, then quickly go to the south room and repeat with the other pair of torches. You should have plenty of time to light all four, but be watchful for any Wizzrobes that may impede your progress. When you're successful you'll immediately hear a rumbling noise and the game screen pauses the action. After a somewhat long rumbling, go into the east room.
Since we didn't visit this room before lighting the torches, what you probably weren't aware of unless you explored it on your own is that the rumbling we heard was the east wall of this room moving backward. Just ahead is what looks to be a bottomless pit, but you can safely drop through it so go ahead and do so. (If you're curious, the north wall of this room has a Telepathy Tile, from which Sahasrahla explains the four torch puzzle.)
When you land, open the treasure chest to get the Big Key! Now, head west and step onto the Teleportation Tile to be taken to a previously unexplored room on B1. Three Wizzrobes appear so take them down. (Watch for the Yomo Medusa!) Use the Big Key to unlock the north door and step onto the Teleportation Tile in the room beyond to be taken to another area. We've been in this room before but from a higher level. Get rid of the Anti-Fairies and Wizzrobes as you progress through here, passing by a locked door to the north - we will be back here in a moment. Don't remove the southern skull pots as they both contain Rabbit Beams, and go east to the next room.
Circle this room to get through the south door, then go south again to the next room. You should be able to get through this room since the blue blocks are lowered, so open the nearby treasure chest to get the Dungeon Map. Kinda pointless at this stage since we've explored much of the dungeon on our own, but oh well. Ignore the locked door right here since it just leads back to the large central room. (NOTE: If the blue blocks are *not* lowered, then you'll have to take the long way around by returning north, then west, then south to get back to the large central room, and finally heading to the locked door in the northeast corner to get back to the room with the Map. This being said, if you followed along with me and didn't have to take this alternative route, you'll end the dungeon with one unused Small Key.) From the treasure chest containing the Map, head south, jumping down to the lower area, go back up some steps where a Medusa and an Anti-Fairy are hanging out, then go east.
You need to act quickly here. Use the Hookshot to latch onto the block that you can see across the pit and start booking it across the catwalk; apart from the catwalk collapsing from under you, dangerous traps known as Laser Eyes line the walls in this room. As their name implies, they will blast lasers at Link as he walks by. Unlike Beamos, these lasers can be blocked but we need a more powerful shield to do so. Getting hit by these lasers will for sure send Link falling into the pit, which puts him back at the start of the room and unable to progress. Should this happen, you'll have to leave both this room *and* the adjacent room, then return here to reset the catwalk. However, as long as you keep moving you should have no problem getting across safely.
Get to the other side of the crumbling catwalk to come to the dungeon's Big Treasure Chest. Inside is the Cane of Somaria! This highly intriguing magic staff has several powers. The first thing to note is that it can create a special orange block that you can both throw and push. (And a lot further than just the one space every standard block in the game is limited to. If you recall, I mentioned this item can be used to get around that tricky block puzzle in the Ice Palace.) If Link uses the Cane of Somaria again after creating a block it will burst into energy beams that fire in four directions, acting as projectile weapons against enemies. Lastly, the Cane can be used to create unique platforms, a power we will be using extensively in the next dungeon.
Anyway, with the Cane of Somaria in hand, go through door to the west. Go two rooms north, then one room west. Defeat the Wizzrobes and Anti-Fairies if you need to, then go up the steps to the north door and unlock it with the Big Key. In the next room, cross the wooden bridge to the very end and go down the steps to B2.
The next several rooms are shrouded in darkness. This first room is home to several Medusas that will all blast fire at you. If you're interested, you can use a Small Key on the optional southeast door to find a small room with nine Blue Rupees. Back in the previous room, make your way to the west side to find a single skull pot; pick it up to reveal a Floor Switch. Pressing down on it opens the southwest door and the way forward, though the switch needs something to keep it activated. There are no statues here to help with that, so it's time to test out the Cane of Somaria. It's admittedly a bit painful trying to cast a block and maneuver it into position while the Medusas are constantly firing at you so just be as cautious as possible. When the magical block is on the switch, get through the southwest door. The next room first appears as if you need to remove a giant block to proceed but you can just waltz right on through the west door to the next room. (Turn the Anti-Fairy into a Fairy if you need it.)
Start heading north in this maze room, watching out for a Blade Trap. Wait for it to go all the way west, then quickly swing around the barrier and turn south the first chance you get, staying safely out of the Blade Trap's path. Now, when the Blade Trap is all the way east, move fast and go west until you hit a wall, then go south. Next, head toward the west wall and turn north, ignoring the southwest doorway for now. At the north end of the room is a Yomo Medusa and some conveyor belts circling a bottomless pit, across from which is a Crystal Switch sitting on a platform. A hidden Medusa attempts to fire at you and an Anti-Fairy circles the perimeter of the room. Tackle the Anti-Fairy if you must, then use one of your long-ranged weapons to strike the Crystal Switch. Make sure it is red, then go through the southwest door.
(NOTE: Along the west wall of the conveyor belts is a crack you can blow open. On the other side are more Blue Rupees, totaling 90. Unless really want or need the extra money, I advise just ignoring this as they're not worth the hassle.)
With the orange blocks in this room lowered to the ground, defeat the Blue Stalfos. Inspect the north wall to find a place where you can lay a Bomb. Do so and after the wall blows apart, note that you may see some very tiny black enemies known as Zoros crawl out from the opening. They don't cause much harm, although they can be a pest. Head through the entry you created. Another Crystal Switch is here; strike it so that it is blue and return to the previous room, then go west to the next room.
At last, the darkness has dissipated! Yellow Zols will fall from the ceiling as you progress through this room. Elude the Rabbit Beam, making sure it runs into a solid object so that it disappears, and watch out for the Anti-Fairy. At the north end of the room, behind the central stairway, is a narrow corridor with yet another Crystal Switch. Walk up to it and hit it so that it's red, then go up the stairway in the center of the room to get back to B1.
As soon as you arrive, dodge the Winder and Anti-Fairy and carefully head west across the lowered orange blocks. At the very end is the door leading to the boss as well as one more Medusa. Avoid its fireballs and go through the locked door to begin the boss battle.
*============================*
Boss: Toxic Oculi - VITREOUS
*============================*
Vitreous is a huge eyeball submerged beneath a pool of slime and shielded by numerous smaller eyeballs. Stay away from the slime as it's poisonous. Indeed, this fight is all about letting the boss come to you instead of directly attacking it. The small eyeballs will swarm at you in twos or threes so attack them quickly. Vitreous itself will rise from the acid at regular intervals and shoot a blast of lightning at Link; stick to one of the south corners and you should be safe. The Cane of Byrna is extremely useful here to help pick off the eyeballs one by one. If you run out of magic you can just fall back on trusty sword slashes and Spin Attacks. Although each eyeball can withstand considerable damage, eventually they will all fall. Note that as you defeat the eyeballs, the time between Vitreous' lightning attack gets shorter, so be sure to keep your eyes on the boss while removing its defenses.
After only four eyeballs are left, Vitreous will leave the acid and bounce at Link in a furious rage. At this point you've pretty much won because instead of using any attacks, the boss just constantly bounces toward you, perfect for you to launch attack after attack on it. Your best weapons in this phase are the Tempered Sword or Arrows, which do more damage, and each blow sends the boss flying back a few paces. Rinse and repeat until it's defeated. Honestly, Vitreous is a bit of a joke for one of the game's final bosses. Don't get me wrong - it can deal significant damage if you're not careful, but its attacks are easy to evade and since it constantly flies into your own it makes the fight rather easy.
========
Collect the Heart Container left behind by Vitreous and pick up Crystal #6. (The slime loses its toxicity after the fight.) Once more you are treated to a short tale and your Life and Magic Meters are refilled. You'll be returned outside to the Swamp of Evil.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.24] - SILVER & GOLD
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 18/20 Pieces of Heart: 22/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows _ Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|X Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|X Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|X Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove X Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 X Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword X Tempered Sword _ Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic X Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 X Crystal #2 X Crystal #3 |
|X Crystal #4 X Crystal #5 X Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Silver Arrows
- Golden Sword
- Piece of Heart x1
********************
REMINDER: If you have Rupees to spare, consider throwing them into the Pond of Happiness to increase your Bomb & Arrow carrying capacities.
As the maiden said, your next destination is Turtle Rock where Princess Zelda herself is being held. Before we head there, now that you've acquired both Crystals #5 and #6, a special item is available for purchase at the Dark World Bomb Shop. If you've followed this guide, we haven't really set foot in there since there was no real point in doing so unless you needed to stock up on standard Bombs. It is located on the same screen where Link's house is in the Light World.
Since we cannot leave the Swamp of Evil by foot, warp to the Light World first, then get back to the Dark World using either the hidden warp point at Hyrule Castle Gate or the Warp Tile just south of Link's house in the Great Swamp. (Note that this second way is faster, for if you warp to the Dark World from Hyrule Castle Gate you'll have to traverse several screens to get to the Bomb Shop.) Once you're at the Bomb Shop, go inside.
If you were here previously, the shopkeeper sold only a pack of 30 Bombs for 100 Rupees. Like most things in the game, Bombs were plentiful so this place wasn't super crucial. Now, the shop carries a giant Super Bomb, also for 100 Rupees. Purchase it and the Bomb will follow behind you similar to the locked chest that held Bottle #4. Be sure not to press the A button or jump off ledges during this time or you'll initiate the Bomb's three-second countdown sequence. If this happens, just walk back over the Bomb to defuse it, otherwise you'll have to fork over another 100 Rupees to buy a new one.
We're going to take this Super Bomb to the Pyramid of Power just to the north. Now, you might think you have to take the long way, but all you actually need to do is first warp to the Light World. Go north one screen from Link's house and take out the castle Soldiers, then go under the Castle Gate and use the warp point there to return to the Dark World, right at the base of the Pyramid. Go up the first set of steps and then head west. You'll notice a dark slab of the Pyramid wall with a crack in it. Position the Super Bomb right in front of this crack, then press the A button and back away. After a few seconds, the Super Bomb will detonate and blow the wall open. Go inside.
Something may look familiar about this place. It is, in fact, just like Hyrule's Waterfall of Wishing, the place near Zora's Waterfall where we got the Magical Boomerang and Red Shield. Just like we did way back then, this one offers Link an opportunity to toss in two items in exchange for upgrades if he's honest, and one of them is necessary to beat the game. Approach the "mysterious pond" and when prompted to throw an item in, start with your Bow & Arrows. After a few moments, a cursed Fairy Queen will appear. Answer truthfully and she will reward Link with the Silver Arrows. These are the only weapons that can fully defeat Ganon once you face him. The Silver Arrows replace your regular Arrows and they are considerably more powerful, so even though you don't need them until the final battle they will likely be helpful in the upcoming dungeon.
Let's throw in the second item; cycle through your items until you come to the Tempered Sword. After the Cursed Great Fairy returns, once again answer honestly to receive the Golden Sword! As the most powerful blade in the game, the Golden Sword is about twice as powerful as the Master Sword, if not a bit more so. Most standard enemies can now be defeated in one hit, and stronger within two. Sadly, however, your Beam Attack is still not improved.
One final note before we go: Just like Hyrule's Waterfall of Wishing, if you throw an Empty Bottle in, the Cursed Great Fairy will fill it with Magic Medicine. The next dungeon uses a lot of magic, so it might be wise to do this while you're here and can get it for free.
With our new toys in hand, it's time to get over to the next dungeon. Turtle Rock is located high atop the Dark World's Death Mountain and we've got a bit of a hike to get there. Return to Hyrule and call the Bird, then have it take you to location #1. From here, head east past the entrance of the Mountain Cave, then go up the ladder to the next ledge. Now, stay along this ledge and continue going east while trying to sidestep the falling Boulders and a few Deadrocks. Keep going until you reach a group of stones and transition to a new screen.
You'll know you're in the right area if you've come to a broken bridge. Use the Hookshot to latch onto the northern posts on the other side to and continue east, passing by a Blue Tektite until you encounter some Deadrocks. Turn south at this point, where at the very end is a black rock you can lift with the Titan's Mitt. Do so to find a Warp Tile and use it to go back to the Dark World. (I briefly mentioned this Warp Tile back in subchapter [Z306.14].)
From your entry point, head northeast until you come to a pair of caves (very similar to those in Hyrule). The east cave is just an Item Shop so go inside the west cave. Walk west as you enter this cave and go up the stairway to 2F. Go north and defeat a Blue Hardhat Beetle, then fall through the pit in front of you. Continue north and push the westernmost block out of the way to access another stairway leading back up. Defeat another Blue Hardhat Beetle and drop through the pit to the east.
When you land, head east and take one more stairway up. Take out a couple of Blue Hardhat Beetles and fall through any of the three pits you see here. You'll land in a hallway with two treasure chests along the east wall. You can push the blocks out of the way to get to them - the south chest contains a Red Rupee and the north chest holds Bombs. Once you have those, take the stairway to the west, then follow this cave out to arrive at the mountain summit.
When you come outside, you should see a giant rock directly west. Don't go too far west or you'll encounter powerful enemies called Lynels that like to spit fireballs at you. Stay back here and remove the giant rock to reveal a hidden cave. Go down inside it, and be sure not to pick up the skull pot you see directly ahead. This large cave contains several platforms suspended over a bottomless pit. Scattered throughout the cave are treasure chests all containing 50 Rupees. If you desire to get all of them, follow the steps in the next two (2) paragraphs, otherwise just skip ahead.
To access the treasure chests, you're going to be making use of the Hookshot. This is also why I said not to touch the skull pot directly in front of you, and make sure not to remove any of the others in this room either. To start, turn west from the skull pot and use the Hookshot to defeat the Blue Bari floating over a square platform with two skull pots on it. With it gone, pull yourself to the platform by hooking onto either of the skull pots. Look south to see another platform with a treasure chest on it; latch onto the skull pot to get over there, then open the treasure chest for your first 50 Rupees. Return to the previous platform, then hook on to the platform to the north to find another chest with 50 Rupees. Directly west of this platform's south tip is a third treasure chest you can get to with the Hookshot so do so for another set of Rupees. To get to the final treasure chest on the south side of this platform, latch onto the skull pot on the platform to the west, then onto the treasure chest back to the east (take out the Blue Bari first). Open the chest for the final set of Rupees.
Now, to get back to the cave entrance, if you're okay with losing one Heart you can always just fall into the bottomless pit. This is the super quick way, however if you don't want to do that then you'll first have to hook onto the skull pot on the west platform, then turn north. You'll likely have to take out the Blue Hardhat Beetle first - one of your new Silver Arrows will do nicely - before pulling yourself over to that platform. Latch onto the empty treasure chest to the east, then get over to the south platform by latching on to the southwest skull pot. If you're not lined up just right, Link will latch onto the wrong skull pot and fall into the pit. Once you're on that platform, use the Hookshot on the skull pot in the east to get yourself back to the entrance platform.
Once you're back at the entrance (or if you skipped the previous two paragraphs), walk north. You'll seemingly arrive at the edge of a massive pit. Whip out the Ether Medallion and cast its magic; an invisible platform will be temporarily illuminated. Take note of the safe places to step, then walk slowly along the platform to the other side. Place a Bomb on the north wall and go through to the other side.
In this cross-shaped room, you can Bomb the north and west walls. The north wall leads to a Fairy Fountain and the west wall takes you to another room. This room has another wall to the north which you can blow up to access a small pool of Fairies. Grab then if you want, then head south to leave this cave.
You'll be back out in the Overworld on top of a lonesome mountain peak. At first there seems to be no reason to be here, but use the Magic Mirror to go back to Hyrule. When you arrive, you'll see a Piece of Heart [POH23] waiting for you. Grab it and return through the portal to the Dark World. Approach the break in the south wall of this peak and Link will use it to jump clear across the gap to the other side. Go east to the next screen and head to the south to find a stone turtle structure. At last, we've arrived at Turtle Rock. But the front door seems to be blocked by the turtle's head. How do we get in?
Return to the Light World via the Magic Mirror once more, and beware of the Deadrocks that will likely ambush you when you arrive. Remove the giant black rock guarding the ladder here and climb it. You'll see three wooden stakes here that you can smash with the Magic Hammer, though you have to pound them in the correct order to open the way forward. The order is to strike the east stake first, then the north one, and finally the west one. You'll hear a chime for each correct step and a buzzer if you mess up. Should this happen, just leave the screen and return to reset the stakes. Once the stakes are pounded correctly, a final Warp Tile will appear. Step onto it and Link will arrive in the Dark World standing atop Turtle Rock.
Just above the turtle head, directly to your south, is an insignia of the Quake Medallion. This is a similar puzzle to what we did to open the way to Misery Mire, so stand on this platform, pull out the Quake Medallion, and cast its magic. The turtle head will fade away, leaving the entrance to the dungeon available. (If you accidentally fell off this platform before doing this, just simply return to the Light World and go back through the Warp Tile.) When you're ready, go on through the doorway.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.25] - DUNGEON XI: TURTLE ROCK
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 18/20 Pieces of Heart: 23/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows X Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|X Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|X Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|X Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove X Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 X Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword X Tempered Sword X Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield _ Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic X Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 X Crystal #2 X Crystal #3 |
|X Crystal #4 X Crystal #5 X Crystal #6 |
| _ Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Mirror Shield
- Crystal #7
- Piece of Heart x1
- Heart Container x2
********************
Turtle Rock is themed to look like the inside of a cave. Thus, many rooms contain vast bottomless pits. Hovering above these pits are cable-like tracks that require the Cane of Somaria to utilize. You'll need a lot of magic in this dungeon, so if you do not have Magic Medicine or Cure-All Medicine then I strongly recommend getting some (and preferably the latter). Although you have been outfitted with the Silver Arrows and the Golden Sword, don't get too complacent. The enemies will put up a fight and this place has some of the game's most infuriating traps. Be vigilant and trust your skills - Zelda is waiting for you!
The Telepathy Tile to Link's left warns you against going further if you don't have magic-refilling potions. Under one of the skull pots is a large Magic Jar just to emphasize magic's importance. Hanging over the vast pit up ahead is one of those cable tracks I mentioned. Stand at the edge, just near the question mark symbol, and use the Cane of Somaria. Instead of a block, a platform large enough for Link to stand on will form. These platforms can move in any direction you choose with the Control Pad, so get on it, ride it north across the pit, and go on to the next room.
Create another platform with the Cane of Somaria and have it take you west. Along the way, you'll probably attract the attention of some Blue Bari and floating Stalfos Heads; take them out if needed. Get off at the first stop you come to and go through the southwest door. Head to the very south end of this room to find a treasure chest containing the Compass, and watch out for the fireballs from the Medusas in the corners. On your way out of this room, you'll find the door sealed shut and guarded by a Laser Eye. If you face the Laser Eye directly it will continuously shoot laser after laser at you while the doorway remains firmly closed. The trick is to turn Link south so that the doorway remains open and the Laser Eye stops firing, then charge up a Spin Attack and walk backward out the door.
The enemies in the previous room may have respawned so be wary of them. Create another Cane of Somaria platform and this time head to the east side of the room. There are two ledges with doorways along the east wall; ignore the southern door - it just leads to some skull pots containing miscellaneous Recovery Items. Get off at the ledge leading you through the northeast door.
Don't pick up the skull pots here just yet unless you desperately need magic. There are four torches in this room that must all be lit up in order to open the north door and you can only reach all four torches by riding a Cane of Somaria platform. The torches are also on a timer so you must be fast.
This may take a few tries to get down; I advise studying the path a bit before you try lighting the torches. Begin by creating your platform and ride it south, letting it take you around the room. Equip the Fire Rod, and when you start moving north between the two southernmost torches, light the southeast torch and then the northeast torch as you pass by it. Next, immediately face south, and when the platform takes you back west, line up your shot and ignite the two westernmost torches simultaneously. If you run low on magic, you can get a large Magic Jar from one of the skull pots I pointed out just a bit ago. Anyway, once the north door is open, quickly get off the platform and go through before any of the torches go out.
In this room you'll have to weave around some Rolling Spike traps. Use the gaps along the walls to take cover. At the north end are two treasure chests; one holds a Small Key and the other the Dungeon Map. Grab the small Magic Jar from the skull pot if you need it, then backtrack two rooms to the large bottomless pit room.
~~~~OPTIONAL EXPLORATION~~~~
If you either a) want to fill in all the rooms on the Map and/or b) still need more health and magic, create a platform and take it to the ledge immediately to your north, then go to the next room. Hang out inside the doorway to keep safe from a horde of Flying Tiles, then proceed to the next room where you can find a Fairy and a large Magic Jar under the skull pot. Return to the bottomless pit room.
~~~~~~~~
Back in the large bottomless pit room, make a platform and ride it over to the very northwest ledge to find a locked door. Go through it to find a new enemy known as a Hokkubokku. These creatures like to bounce around the room and can be difficult to attack. When you attack it, its segmented body pieces will detach and fly about the room while the remaining pieces will move faster. Destroying its head will defeat the enemy properly and leave a Small Key behind. You might have also attracted the attention of some Green Zols. Defeat them and then use the Small Key to go through the north door.
If you've played any games in the Mario franchise, you'll be familiar with the Chain Chomps in this room. These things are completely invincible and their only purpose is to make getting around this room a pain. The Chain Chomps will try lunging at you as far as their chains allow them. Do your best to stay out of range.
Use a ranged weapon on one of the Crystal Switches to lower the blue blocks. Now, notice the set of five blocks on either side of the doorway you came through. The northernmost block of each set can be pushed toward the center of the room to make a treasure chest appear, so pick one side while avoiding the Chain Chomps. Once the chest appears, strike one of the Crystal Switches again to lower the orange blocks and open the chest to get another Small Key to use on the north door. Head down the stairs to reach B1.
Go down the steps to the lower floor and transform the Anti-Fairy into a Fairy if you need life. Should you want them, you can find various Recovery Items under skull pots in the northeast corner of the room. Then, make your way to the southeast area where you'll find another Anti-Fairy and a Hokkubokku. (REMINDER: You can insta-kill a Hokkubokku if you attack its head directly.) Go up the steps seen here and enter the tunnel. You'll automatically be taken to its other side to an upper ledge in the northwest corner. Grab Rupees and Arrows from the skull pots if desired, then go through the door.
The next room contains a series of tunnels all twisting and turning around each other over a giant pit of lava. Luckily there's no way to get hurt by the lava, so from your current position just enter the easternmost tunnel to be taken to the northwest side of the room, then head through the door. A whopping four Anti-Fairies await you in the next room to make your life a nightmare; get rid of them with Magic Powder. Walk south to find a Crystal Switch and a row of blue blocks; make the Switch blue if it isn't already so you can get by, but stay back just enough so the Rabbit Beam up ahead flies into a wall and dissipates. Next, take out the Stalfos Heads and Hokkubokku and grab the Small Key the Hokkubokku drops. You'll see a Laser Eye just above the locked east door; quickly pass through it before the Laser Eye has a chance to hit you.
Go through the tunnel to come out onto an island in the middle of the lava pit, then open the treasure to obtain the Big Key. Now, go through the south tunnel and through the doorway you arrive at to return one room east. Go through one more tunnel to be taken to a ledge in the center of the room. Pick up the skull pot to find a large Magic Jar, then hop down to the floor below and return to the tunnel in the southeast corner. Back on the northwest side, go through the door once more to return to the lava pit room. This time take the westernmost tunnel; it will take you to the southwest corner of the room. Proceed into the room beyond.
Two Hokkubokku and a Medusa hang out in here. Avoid the Medusa's fireballs as best as possible as you take down the Hokkubokku, upon which the south and east doors will open. Ignore the bottom right skull pot which hides a Rabbit Beam, but feel free to grab the items from the other skull pots. Go through the south door, then through the west doorway.
This room has five Laser Eyes along the north wall, three of which will fire at you only if you face them while the other two will constantly barrage you with attacks no matter what direction you face. You can see a crack in the south wall, so be quick and remove one of the skull pots, lay a Bomb down, and back away from both it and the Laser Eyes (the skull pots will not protect you from their beams). A doorway leading outside the dungeon will appear so hurry on through.
You'll be standing on a long, narrow ledge outside Turtle Rock. Head east to a cave entrance leading back inside the dungeon, but don't go inside just yet! Pull out the Magic Mirror as you stand in front of this entrance and return to the Light World. You'll materialize right outside a cave on Death Mountain. This is the only way to reach this particular cave so go inside it.
Four Green Goriyas await you in here, two of which are trapped behind a barrier. Equip your Arrows, then use the Goriyas' mimicry against them by letting them walk into an Arrow as you fire it. Once those two are gone, smash the Moles to the north with the Magic Hammer and defeat the other Goriyas however way you want. Go through the door that opens upon their defeat, then open the treasure chest in this room to get the game's final (and best hidden) Piece of Heart [POH24]! With this collected, you should now have 19 Heart Containers. Return outside, go back into the Dark World, and head inside Turtle Rock using the cave entrance you appear in front of.
Create a platform to get across this small pit. Open the Big Treasure Chest to receive the Mirror Shield! With this, you can now block the attacks of those annoying Laser Eyes (although strangely this doesn't work on Beamos statues). Go north to the next room. Dodge the Rolling Spike trap and Medusas here and continue north through the locked door to get back to the lava pit room. Go through the tunnel to be taken to the northwest corner and pass through the doorway. In this small room, defeat a Hokkubokku, using the skull pots to do so if you'd prefer.
~~~~OPTIONAL EXPLORATION~~~~
Now, notice the cracks in the north and east walls. To continue the dungeon, we want to blow up the north wall. However, if you're looking to fill in all the rooms on your Map, then first blow open the east wall - otherwise, skip to the next paragraph. In the east room, walk around to attract some Green Zols and defeat them (there should be a total of 3). Upon defeating them, you'll hear a chime. You can then push the northernmost block out of the way - note that this is impossible to do until you defeat the Zols. Pull back on the tongue of the west statue here to open the north door; pulling on the east statue causes Bombs to drop from the ceiling. On the other side is a crazy room of three Rolling Spikes guarding a ton of Blue Rupees - 54 for a grand total of 270 Rupees. Frankly, if you don't have a need for cash this room isn't all that worth it. Whatever you choose to do, eventually retrace your steps to the room with the Hokkubokku.
~~~~~~~~
Bomb the north wall, being on the lookout for any Zoros that may crawl out of the rubble, and go through. If the Crystal Switch in the distance isn't orange, use a ranged weapon to hit it from your current position. Stand atop the receded orange blocks and after the Rolling Spike passes by, hit the Crystal Switch again to make the blue blocks to the west recede. (When you do this while standing on the orange tiles, Link will briefly flicker; this is normal and actually makes you invulnerable for a moment.) Wait for the Rolling Spike to reach its apex at the east wall, then run over to the treasure chest and grab the Small Key from inside. Now, wait until you get another opening, then hit the Crystal Switch one more time to turn it back to red and book it to the locked door to the north. Go through it to go down to B2.
You'll arrive in a pitch-black room and be challenged with the most complicated platform puzzle in the dungeon. The track contains numerous pathways all crisscrossing and looping over each other. Three Guruguru Bars are hiding around this room as well, making your navigation that much harder. You can use the Magic Cape or Cane of Byrna to protect you from them, or you can use the Hookshot to temporarily pause the platform's movement and allow the Guruguru Bars to safely pass through you.
Your first goal is to reach an island in the center of the room, where a Floor Switch will open a door in the southwest corner. I'll try my best to make the directions as clear as I can. The following is the quickest way to get to the island: Get on your Cane of Somaria platform and head south, then immediately east. Turn at the first south and let the platform curve eastward, then turn south again at the first opportunity. The platform will turn east and deliver you to the island.
Once there, remove the skull pot and step on the Floor Switch to open the southwest door. Luckily there's no timer or special Cane of Somaria block needed to keep the door open. Now, get back on your platform and ride it back west and north, then push it east at the first chance you get so that it turns northward, then turn east again at your earliest opportunity. As you come near one of the Guruguru Bars, take the first south that you can and ride it all the way down until you come close to another Guruguru Bar, at which point turn west. The path will eventually take you to a four-way cross-section; be sure to continue west from this section and the platform should drop you off at the ledge with the door you need. The controls can be a bit funky and it may take some trial and error to get this right. In any case, once you arrive at the southwest door, head on through.
You're out of the dark room, but the danger isn't letting up just yet. Cross the narrow path as quickly as possible as you dodge the Laser Eyes lining the walls, and be sure to knock the Helmasaur into the pit. You could try dashing, which might give you enough force to mow the Helmasaur down, just be sure not to fall into the pit yourself. Go through the south door on the other side.
Four treasure chests are in this room, each guarded by a Laser Eye. The prizes in each chest from north to south are a Green Rupee, a Blue Rupee, a Red Rupee, and a Small Key. Of course, the Small Key is the only necessity, though you can try for the Rupees if you'd like. The catch is that these Laser Eyes will shoot at you no matter which direction you're facing. You'll have no problems blocking their beams with the Mirror Shield as you approach them to get to the treasure chests; it's retreating from them that requires some trickery. The key is to charge a Spin Attack while facing either north or south depending on which wall the Laser Eye is mounted on. While charging the Spin Attack, Link will use his shield to guard his right side - this is the side you want facing the Laser Eyes as you back away from them. Make your way through this room grabbing what you want and make sure to get the Small Key. A Red Hardhat Beetle hangs out near the Small Key chest; a quick strike with the Hookshot should knock it into the pit.
(NOTE: Before you go back to the previous room, you can plant a Bomb on the south wall here to open another exit from the dungeon. From here, you can use the Magic Mirror to return to Hyrule and explore another cave on Death Mountain. We already explored it back in subchapter [Z306.14], though if you could use some Fairies, go down the stairs at the north end of this cave to find a couple. Just be sure not to fall through the pits near the cave's entrance, nor jump down from the ledge outside, or you'll have to climb Death Mountain and drop down to this ledge to get back to your magic portal.)
With the Small Key acquired, return to the previous room and unlock the southwest door. In the following room, you'll need to maneuver through maze of orange and blue blocks, changing the Crystal Switches scattered about the room to do so. Various enemies will attempt to attack so defeat them as needed. The skull pots in the room hide an assortment of Recovery Items should you want them. At any rate, travel north through this puzzle and pass through the stairway on the other side.
The skull pots here contain a Recovery Heart and a large Magic Jar. Use the Cane of Somaria to create one more platform and ride it across, then hop off and enter the boss's chamber.
*==================================*
Boss: Elemental Colossus - TRINEXX
*==================================*
This massive stone monster resembles a turtle and is accompanied by two heads protruding from its shell - one spouts fire and the other blasts ice. The fire head is weak against the Ice Rod while the ice head is, naturally, vulnerable to the Fire Rod. The rods are the only way to defeat these heads so remain watchful of your Magic Meter. Meanwhile, the central head is entirely invincible. Trinexx will frequently thrust its long-necked central head toward Link. This attack will cause extensive damage if it makes contact, but like the Helmasaur King you have a warning sign: Trinexx will quickly swish its tail back and forth, so use this as your sign to get out of the way.
Focus your attention first on the ice-blasting head as its frost will leave a permanent floor of ice and you'll want to minimize traction in this battle. A single blast from the Fire Rod will stun the head and give you an opening to attack. You can continue using the Fire Rod until it's defeated, though if you're trying to conserve magic then just use the sword. In fact, the Golden Sword's strength is such that only a few swipes are needed to destroy each head. Once the ice head is gone, repeat the process on the fire head using the Ice Rod. When both heads are destroyed, Trinexx's outer shell explodes and its body becomes more like a snake, which it will use to pursue you around the arena. Trinexx moves very fast during this stage so be prepared to heal at a moment's notice. As its body stretches, notice the obvious weak point indicated by the flashing segment; this is where you want to attack. Keep dodging around the boss, slashing at this spot whenever you get a chance. After a few successful blows to this weak point the boss will be vanquished.
========
Pick up your well-deserved Heart Container, bringing your total to the game's maximum of 20! Grab the crystal to be reunited at long last with Princess Zelda, who reaffirms her belief in you as the legendary Hero of Hyrule. You're given your final task of taking the fight to Ganon himself. The Life and Magic Meters refill once again and you're returned to outside Turtle Rock.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.26] - THE LAST JOURNEY
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 20/20 Pieces of Heart: 24/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows X Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|X Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|X Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|X Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove X Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 X Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword X Tempered Sword X Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield X Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic X Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 X Crystal #2 X Crystal #3 |
|X Crystal #4 X Crystal #5 X Crystal #6 |
| X Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
(Nothing)
********************
I'm skipping the reminder about throwing Rupees into the Pond of Happiness this time; Ganon's Tower is directly west of Turtle Rock and since getting back here is a bit of a walk there's no reason to take any side trips (unless it's for replenishing your stock of Cure-All Medicine). Besides, I assume you have likely maxed out as much as you want by now.
Just follow the path west until you come across the Lynels I mentioned before we started Turtle Rock. You can simply block their energy blasts with the Mirror Shield but don't slash at them when they are attacking or their blasts will hurt Link. Cross the bridge and defeat another Lynel on the other side, then go to the next screen to arrive at Ganon's Tower. There's nothing else to do or explore, so approach the stronghold and watch as the Seven Maidens combine their powers to dispel the protective barrier. Climb the steps to begin the final dungeon.
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.27] - DUNGEON XII: GANON'S TOWER
*******************************************************************************
___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 20/20 Pieces of Heart: 24/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows X Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|X Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|X Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|X Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove X Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 X Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword X Tempered Sword X Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield X Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic X Blue Mail _ Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 X Crystal #2 X Crystal #3 |
|X Crystal #4 X Crystal #5 X Crystal #6 |
| X Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
- Red Mail
********************
Ganon's Tower is the longest and most challenging dungeon in the entire game, as it should be since it's the last one. It's similar to the Tower of Hera in that your journey begins in the tower's basement floors. Most of the rooms are truly skippable but as has been my goal throughout this guide, I will share how to explore every inch. After acquiring the Red Mail, the rest of the dungeon is dedicated to climbing floor after floor. The monsters are as tough as they've ever been, maybe more so now, and the puzzles just get more complicated. You'll be surprised to meet some old enemies here too. It can be a tough undertaking, but you've come so far and it's time to finish this!
The entrance chamber is entirely devoid of enemies, so simply head north to find three staircases - one leading up and two heading down. Take the west stairway down to 1F. Dash into the lantern on the right to knock a Small Key down and grab it while dodging the Spark, then defeat the two Red Stalfos. Ignore the locked door to the east for now and proceed west instead.
Pick up the skull pot in the southeast corner for another Small Key, then defeat the Blue Bari. Be wary of the Bumper as you get on the conveyor belt, then start smashing the Moles into the ground with the Magic Hammer. You really only need to pound two of them so that you can access the central block and push it; doing so opens the west door, while underneath the block is a Star Switch that will remove the bottomless pit blocking the door. Head through to the next room.
Latch onto the block sitting atop the platform to the west; be sure to align with the block or Link will instead hook onto the skull pot and fall into the pit. Once atop this island, you can go either north or south.
~~~~OPTIONAL EXPLORATION~~~~
The room to the north is optional - should you want to explore it you can use the Hookshot on the block to pull yourself over to the platform. The room beyond traps you in a fight with three Red Stalfos, accompanied by four Yomo Medusas. Keep their fire blasts in mind as you take out the Stalfos, then collect the various treasures and return to the previous room. Once there, get over to the platform to the south by hooking onto the skull pot.
~~~~~~~~
Use the Hookshot to make your way south across the bottomless pit, minding the Blade Trap halfway through. When you reach a platform with a Red Stalfos, defeat it and go through the locked door to the east. In the next room, weave around the Guruguru Bars as you reach the treasure chest containing the Dungeon Map, then return to the previous room.
Hit one of the Crystal Switches to lower the blue blocks. Next, plant a Bomb against the Crystal Switch and quickly run past the blue blocks before the Bomb explodes, turning the Switch red and raising the blue blocks again. (NOTE: You can perform a similar trick with the Cane of Somaria by creating a block, then breaking it apart and sending its energy flying once you're beyond the barrier. Just remember that this will cost a bit of magic power.) Go south.
You can find a small Magic Jar under the skull pot in the northeast corner. To get through this room, you'll have to lower the blue blocks while simultaneously standing behind the currently lowered orange blocks. Repeat the trick you did in the previous room with either a Bomb or the Cane of Somaria. Retrieve a Small Key from under the southeast skull pot before going through the east door. In the following room, hit the Crystal Switch to turn it orange and make a mad dash over to the Teleportation Tile on the other side of the room.
Travel west across this long room while avoiding the Winders as best as you can, although the narrow pathways do make this rather tricky. At the other end you'll find a lone block; push it to make a treasure chest appear across the pit. Grab onto the chest with the Hookshot, open it to get a Small Key, and unlock the south door.
The next couple of rooms involve a series of Teleportation Tiles, creating a kind of maze between them. Each flashing orange Teleportation Tile in this room will transport Link to another room somewhere on this floor, while the orange Tiles in that room will bring him back to this one. Make sense? The goal is to reach the Teleportation Tile located in the southwest corner of the room you're currently in. We'll also pick up a few goodies along the way.
From your position, start by taking the westernmost Teleportation Tile. When you appear in a different room, take the Teleportation Tile directly next to you (not that there's any other one to use). Back in the previous room, blow open the west wall with a Bomb. Take out the Mini-Moldorm and Blue Bari in the room beyond, which seems to be empty. Walk over the raised step in the northwest corner - this is actually a Floor Switch that will cause the entire north wall to blow apart. On the other side are four treasure chests: the south chests each contain Bombs and the north chests hold 10 Arrows each. Go back to the previous room. (I know, I know - these might be junk things to get at this point but I did say we would explore every room!)
Step onto the south Teleportation Tile, then onto either of the flashing Teleportation Tiles directly east. Next, watch out for the Winder as you head southwest and step on the Teleportation Tile there. When you appear in the other room, this time you'll be able to head eastward. Do so while winding around the numerous pits and taking out a duo of Hardhat Beetles. Step onto another Teleportation Tile, then another, and finally go through the east door.
A narrow catwalk extends over a giant bottomless pit in this room. As you head north to fight off some Blue Hardhat Beetles and a Helmasaur, notice that some of the Beetles seem to be floating over this pit - there's an invisible path! If you go to the very north end of this room and then head east a little bit, you should spot an unlit torch. Lighting it with the Fire Rod will make the path visible until the torch goes out. If you're fast you should be able to cross the majority of the path before the torch goes out; if not, just use the Ether Medallion to briefly light your way. Once the torch is lit, quickly move to the south over to where the two skull pots are. Chuck them out of the way and get onto the now visible path. Follow it to the northeast ledge while taking down the Hardhat Beetles. Once safely at the northeast ledge, go through the door.
Get rid of the Anti-Fairies in this room and turn your attention to the cracked floor in the southeast corner. Grab 10 Arrows from the treasure chest here, then place a Bomb on the cracked floor. Fall through to B1 to partake in a boss rematch!
*========================*
Mini-Boss: ARMOS KNIGHTS
*========================*
The Armos Knights from the East Palace are here for a second go! Fortunately, you've become a lot stronger since then and they haven't changed up their fight pattern, nor are they themselves any stronger so you should have no trouble making short work of them. The only thing complicating this fight is the slippery ice floor, but if you stick to a corner and let the Knights do their thing then picking them off will be no trouble. Your new Silver Arrows can destroy each Knight in a single blow, though if you'd prefer more of a challenge you can use your mighty Golden Sword to give them a few more hit points. Just as before, the last Knight will turn red and try to crush you, so bear this in mind as you slide around the floor.
========
Both doors will open upon the Knights' defeat. Start with the north door; the central treasure chest contains the Big Key, while the other chests contain more Bombs and Arrows. Go back to the previous room and go through the west door. Ram into or blow open the cracked north wall to find a hidden room with some Fairies if you need them, but otherwise go upstairs to return to 1F.
You'll arrive right by the Big Treasure Chest. Push the east block out of the way and open the Big Treasure Chest to receive the Red Mail! This armor provides double the protection of the Blue Mail and gives you a stylish purple cap to boot. As with the Blue Mail, this defense bonus applies only to standard enemies and doesn't include traps. Also, this is the final obtainable item in the game, so if you've been following along in the guide, congratulations on getting everything!
With the Red Mail acquired, you can now continue the rest of Ganon's Tower. That said, there are still plenty more rooms to explore and treasure chests to find down here, including the Compass. If you're itching for the completionist's route then read on. On the other hand, should you wish to move on, use the Magic Mirror to return to the dungeon entrance and skip the next seven (7) paragraphs.
~~~~OPTIONAL EXPLORATION~~~~
From the Big Treasure Chest room, head north and go east through the locked door. Open the treasure chests in the next room for even more Bombs and Arrows. Ignore the stairway going up as this just takes you back to the entrance chamber, and also don't pull the lever you see here lest you'd like Bombs to fall on you. A Floor Switch is under the southwest skull pot, although you'll need to press it down with a block from the Cane of Somaria. Do so to open the east door and head on through.
You'll encounter an Anti-Fairy, a Rabbit Team, two Yomo Medusas, and Flying Tiles. While you can hide under the doorway to stay safe from the Rabbit Beam, unfortunately you shouldn't do this to evade the Flying Tiles because a Wallmaster also hangs out in this room. This forces you to run around trying to avoid the remaining traps. Remember that the Yomo Medusas will fire at you if you use your sword on the Tiles or Wallmaster, so you'll have to contend with that too. Once the Flying Tiles have all been destroyed and you've killed the Wallmaster, a treasure chest containing a Small Key will appear. Take it and go east through the locked door.
The bad news: another dang Wallmaster! The good news: the last Wallmaster you'll ever encounter! Don't bother checking out the room to the north - you already explored it via the Teleportation Tiles from earlier and there's nothing of value. First, focus on taking out the enemies to the south including a Gibdo, a Red Stalfos, and two Blue Bari. Along the way, note the two blocks in the east; push the southernmost block further south. As you get to the south side of the room you'll find the Blue Bari and a Medusa. You can go through the southeast door if you wish to fill it out on the Map but it also has nothing of value in there. Anyway, once you've defeated the enemies in here your next goal is to light the four torches. Start from the north end first, then whip out the Fire Rod and quickly light all four torches (be sure to light torch #2 by going through the path we opened by pushing that block earlier). When all four torches have been lit, quickly get through the south door before any of them go out.
Defeat the Gibdo before you, then take out the others by letting them walk up to the raised blue blocks so they are within reach of your sword. Look east to see the Crystal Switch at the end of a conveyor belt. Here you must again use the Bomb/Cane of Somaria trick by either tossing a Bomb onto the conveyor belt and letting it ride toward the Crystal Switch, or creating a Cane of Somaria block and throwing it instead. In this particular case, the Cane of Somaria might be best since you can control the timing of when to blow the block into energy blasts. Regardless of which item you choose, you'll have to turn the Crystal Switch blue so that the blue blocks lower. Once that's done, repeat the puzzle to lower the orange blocks, making sure to stand behind the lowered blue blocks when the Crystal Switch changes color so that you can proceed west to the next room.
In this room, defeat the Blue and Red Hardhat Beetles. You're now free to take the contents of the four treasure chests, but be sure to save the northwest treasure chest for last. It contains the Compass and when you open that chest a bunch of bottomless pits materialize in the room, making it more difficult (but not impossible) to access the other chests. When you've collected your spoils, step onto the Teleportation Tile.
Slowly walk east along the conveyor belt, taking out a Blue Bari. When you touch the Star Switches, the long pit to the south moves directly in front of you. Move along the south conveyor belt to another set of Star Switches which will move the pit back to its original position. This gives you access to the skull pots sitting in the alcove to the north. One of them holds a Small Key, so grab it and continue going east while defeating another Blue Bari. Use the Small Key on the east door.
I recommend using the Cane of Byrna or the Magic Cape as you move through this room. The various traps and enemies are bad enough to deal with, and as you approach the southern end the center catwalk begins to crumble so you can't afford to delay. Go through the door in the southwest. In the small room beyond, circle to the west side and pull back on the gargoyle statute to reveal a Star Switch. Step on it to make a small bridge appear, giving you access to the central island. Defeat the Blue Hardhat beetle and step onto the Teleportation Tile. When you reappear elsewhere in the dungeon, you will have explored the very last room on 1F. To continue with the rest of the dungeon, just use the Magic Mirror to get back to the entrance since it's way faster.
~~~~~~~~
Back in the entrance chamber, it's now time to power through to the top of the tower for your fated confrontation. This time, take the central stairway to reach 3F.
Get rid of the Anti-Fairy first; you don't want it bothering you while trying to get through in this precarious room. Keep your Silver Arrows handy as you work the Crystal Switches and shift the orange and blue block barriers around. When you can, kill the Green Goriya with sword slashes and the Red Goriya with a Silver Arrow. After you've accessed the regular blocks to the west, push the north one down to open the door, then go through it. In the following room, manipulate the gargoyle statue so that you corner the first Blade Trap between the statue and the east wall. Take down the Red Goriyas with Silver Arrows to open the door, then free the Blade Trap and move on to the next room.
You'll meet two more Red Goriyas flanked by a pair of Beamos statues. Remember, your Mirror Shield can't block the Beamos' lasers, so stay light on your fight as you shoot the Red Goriyas. The north door opens upon their defeat; go through it and then north again using the Big Key.
You're standing atop an upper level in the next room while several Blade Traps slide around below. Stay on the upper level for the moment and go north until you come to the northernmost Crystal Switch, then hop down to the lower level and hit this particular Switch. All the Blade Traps will be freed and the orange blocks will lower to the ground. You can just make out a Green and Red Eyegore hiding here so take them out when they awaken. Go north to the trio of skull pots; the Floor Switch under the middle one opens the door back on the upper level. Now, hit the Crystal Switch again to trap as many of the Blade Traps as possible - you can trap all of them if you have impeccable timing. Head back up the steps and go through the door you just opened.
Cannons can be found lining the north and south walls here, blasting volley after volley of Cannonballs at Link. Thankfully their predictable pattern makes them not too difficult to dodge, so just carefully get over to the east side of the room. Once there, notice the small ledge to the south with a cracked wall. Position Link just barely south of the two blocks here and then turn to face them. If you have enough space, you can dash into the blocks, the force of which will send Link flying back over the pit and onto that ledge. Bomb the wall to reach a hidden room with some Fairies, a large Magic Jar under the southernmost skull pot, and various miscellaneous items. Return to the previous room, use the Hookshot on one of the blocks to get back across the pit, and head upstairs to 4F.
The next several rooms get increasingly difficult. Start with defeating some Red Stalfos, a Blue Zazak, and a Red Zazak as you navigate the conveyor belts, then head west. Next, a Beamos stands atop a set of conveyor belts while three Red Stalfos wander about. Take down the Stalfos using the skull pots to make things easier and go through the south door. In the next room, two Beamos Statues circle around more conveyor belts while three Blue Zazaks patrol about. Make use of the skull pots again to defeat the Zazaks and continue south.
Things are getting really ridiculous with the addition of icy floors to the mix! Dodge around the Beamos' deadly beams as you tackle the Red Zazaks. With the Golden Sword, each one is dispatched with a single hit. After they're gone, keep going south, where the room beyond has replaced conveyor belts with a single sheet of ice. The Beamos and Medusa will constantly bombard you with fire, so defeat the Red Stalfos and Red Zazak as quickly as you can before running through the west door. (The skull pots contain Recovery Hearts but with the various traps hanging around it's best just to forget about these.)
Dash past the Rabbit Beam before it can turn you into a Bunny and pass through the west door to come face to face with another old enemy.
*===================*
Mini-Boss: LANMOLAS
*===================*
The battle with the Lanmola trio is the same as it was in the Desert Palace, but this time a Medusa lurks in the corner to make things more interesting. Still, with your armor and sword upgrades this should be a piece of cake. Follow the same strategy as your previous battle with these guys by waiting for them to surface and taking them out one at a time. The Ice Rod and Silver Arrows are helpful as always, though the Golden Sword can take out each Lanmola very easily too. Remember that once you're down to the last Lanmola it hurls dirt in eight directions instead of just four.
========
Once you've defeated the Lanmolas the doors reopen so head north. This room is empty save for some skull pots with Recovery Items; grab what you want and go upstairs to 5F.
As soon as you enter the room, three skull-faced Purple Wizzrobes look to be floating over a bottomless pit. Cast the Ether Medallion to reveal the hidden pathway, and if the Wizzrobes are fully materialized they will be obliterated by the Ether Medallion's magic, causing the south door to open. Carefully cross the path and move on to the next room. Next, run across the suspended pathway to evade the Laser Eyes on the north wall and defeat the Blue and Red Taros on the other side, then go north. Defeat four Purple Wizzrobes on the conveyor belts as you dodge around the Blade Trap. Pass through the north door after you defeat the Wizzrobes.
This room contains a collapsible walkway so dash north across it. You'll pass through a small battalion of Red Taros along the way but don't stop to take them all out, just advance through the east door. In the next room, carefully walk across the narrow paths as you avoid the Guruguru Bar. Remove all the skull pots blocking the unlit torches. With those out of the way, use the Fire Rod and light all four torches to open the southeast door. (I recommend starting with the north torch and working clockwise.) This is another time-themed puzzle, so be sure not to linger as you get through the door in the southeast.
Laser Eyes dot the east wall of this room; only the south and north areas are safe. The west skull pot holds a Recovery Heart while the east skull pot hides a large Magic Jar; you can grab both of these as long as you are quick. Head up the stairs in the middle of the room to reach 6F.
Immediately equip the Lamp or Fire Rod; the floor starts to crumble and you need to light the four torches to get through the north door. The floor falls away starting from the northeast, so try to light the torch there first and work clockwise. Alternatively, start with the southeast torch and go clockwise; after lighting the northwest torch, turn around and blast the northeast torch with the Fire Rod. With all four torches ablaze, go through the north door. (If you fall to the room below, just return upstairs to reset the puzzle.)
Watch out for the Medusas and Spike Floor traps as you take down the two Helmasaurs. One of them drops a Small Key for you to grab. The skull pots and treasure chests in this room all contain Bombs if you need more, then go through the west door using the Small Key you picked up.
In the next room, you have to place a Bomb along the southern wall to go forward but the presence of conveyor belts, a small Blade Trap, and a large Blade Trap all make this a tad challenging. You could tackle this in one of two ways. The first is safer but it requires good timing; stand just a little away from the east wall and just north of the conveyor belts, then chuck a Bomb so it lands on the southern belt. It should explode just as it reaches the cracked wall. (If the Bomb lands too close to the south wall it won't move; be sure to back up a bit further.) The second method is more dangerous but a lot faster; just weave around the Blade Traps and march right up to the cracked wall to plant the Bomb - if you choose this method, be sure to set the Bomb right up against the wall so that the conveyor belt can't move it. Whichever method you decide, blow open the wall and continue on.
Let the Rabbit Beam run into the raised orange blocks as you enter this room. You can also try taking out the Anti-Fairy with a precise sprinkle of Magic Powder. You can't do anything about the Spark, but it's the least annoying trap anyway. In any case, your goal is to reach the treasure chest in the center of the room, so manipulate the Crystal Switches as needed to raise and lower the blocks. Retrieve the Small Key from the chest, then back out of this mini-maze and go through the locked door to the south.
*==================*
Mini-Boss: MOLDORM
*==================*
Another rematch! Once again, Moldorm has no difference in attack pattern or strategy with this second fight. If there's any hindrance, it's that the platform is smaller, so it's a little easier to get knocked off. As with the prior battle, if you do get knocked down to the floor below you'll have to climb back up using the stairs in the northeast corner, resetting the fight. This happens to be the only way to reach the room below if you're trying to fill out your Map, just do note that there are Spike Floor traps down there as well as Purple Wizzrobes and an Anti-Fairy. The nice thing about this fight is that it only takes two blows with the Golden Sword to defeat Moldorm. Due to the difference between the sword's attack power and the boss's hit points, there is also no danger of the giant worm going on a rampage like he does when you previously fought.
========
Upon Moldorm's defeat, a treasure chest will appear on a platform south of the battlefield. Launch yourself over to it with the Hookshot and open it to receive a Red Rupee, then go up the steps and push the three westernmost blocks aside to open up a path, allowing you to go through the west door.
This room is insanely tough! The floor is covered in spikes, ice, and conveyor belts while Bumpers and Blade Traps litter the area. Even more annoyingly, an army of Helmasaurs try to assault you. If you have a full bar of magic, I suggest just wearing the Magic Cape and running straight on through this room. (REMINDER: The Magic Cape allows you to pass through Bumpers, although it doesn't help with traction against the ice or conveyor belts). If you are out of magic power or will run out, then you'll have to fight your way through this madhouse. Once you get to the stairs at the north end, take off the Magic Cape and head up to 7F.
You can probably guess what's coming based on the look of this room. There are no enemies and a long, carpeted pathway lined with lanterns leads you west to a large locked door - the entrance to the boss room.
*========================================*
Boss: Priest of the Dark Order - AGAHNIM
*========================================*
Did you think you had seen the end of this foul wizard? Agahnim is back for one more clash and he has a new trick up his sleeve this round. The fight is much the same as the duel in Hyrule Castle except Agahnim will create two clones to aid him. All three of them teleport around the room shooting magic at you. The clones can still hurt Link so you'll have to dodge around multiple attacks while simultaneously trying to deflect magic back at the real Agahnim. It's easy to know which one that is because he appears solid while the clones are slightly transparent.
For this fight, Agahnim ditches his lightning attack and only uses his glowing fireball projectile and his ring of blue fire, while the clones will solely shoot glowing fireballs. Just as it was last time, the glowing fireball projectile is what you want to deflect with the sword (or the Bug-Catching Net) to do damage. Not even the Golden Sword is powerful enough to damage him directly. Deflecting the magic back at the clones does nothing, though if you're fortunate you might be able to deflect more than one projectile back at Agahnim. As with your last fight with him, six successful hits will take the dark sorcerer down - for good this time.
========
A short cutscene takes place following Agahnim's demise. The evil magician crumples to the floor, and out of his body rises a ghostly apparition - Ganon himself! The King of Darkness transforms into a bat and quickly flies away. Link plays the Flute and the Bird somehow finds its way to the Dark World to pick the hero up and give chase...
*******************************************************************************
[Z306.28] - THE PYRAMID OF POWER
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___________________
/ADVENTURE CHECKLIST\
*============================================================================*
| Life |
| ---- |
| Heart Containers: 20/20 Pieces of Heart: 24/24 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Items |
| ----- |
|X Bow & Arrows X Silver Arrows X Boomerang X Magical Boomerang|
|X Hookshot X Bombs X Magic Mushroom X Magic Powder |
|X Lamp X Bombos Medallion X Ether Medallion X Quake Medallion |
|X Fire Rod X Ice Rod X Magic Hammer X Bug-Catching Net |
|X Shovel X Flute X Book of Mudora X Magic Cape |
|X Cane of Somaria X Cane of Byrna X Magic Mirror X Pegasus Shoes |
|X Power Glove X Titan's Mitt X Zora's Flippers X Moon Pearl |
|X Bottle #1 X Bottle #2 X Bottle #3 X Bottle #4 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Equipment & Upgrades |
| -------------------- |
|X Fighter's Sword X Master Sword X Tempered Sword X Golden Sword |
|X Fighter's Shield X Red Shield X Mirror Shield X Max Bomb Upgrade |
|X Green Tunic X Blue Mail X Red Mail X Max Arrow Upgrade|
| X "1/2" Magic Meter |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Quest Items |
| ----------- |
|X Pendant of Courage X Pendant of Power X Pendant of Wisdom|
|X Crystal #1 X Crystal #2 X Crystal #3 |
|X Crystal #4 X Crystal #5 X Crystal #6 |
| X Crystal #7 |
| |
*============================================================================*
What's New:
-----------
(Nothing! We're done!)
********************
You'll land on top of the Pyramid of Power, which Ganon has just smashed a giant hole through. Let me quickly catch you up on what's just happened lore-wise: Agahnim was, in truth, an alter ego of Ganon all along (which the Evil King himself will confirm shortly). With the Seven Wise Men's seal broken, Ganon has escaped to the Pyramid of Power to make his wish on the Triforce, a wish that would see him become the absolute ruler of all known creation. While the game implies urgency in stopping him, there's no actual time limit, so let's pause and take a few moments to appreciate how far we've come.
This is it... the final showdown. After so much playing, we've reached the end. Feel free to take a look back on your journey. Was this just a game for you, or was it an experience? Were the dungeons challenging enough? Do you think this game from 1991 holds up today? Does it have replay value for you, or are you content with a one-time adventure? Did you ultimately have fun and are you looking forward to one last trial to conquer? Regardless of your answers to these questions, which are probably best saved until Ganon is destroyed, I hope you are proud of what you have achieved by getting to this point.
As the final boss, Ganon will naturally be the hardest fight of all and it's crucial to be well-equipped for him. You have one last opportunity to explore the Light and Dark Worlds for anything you're missing, so here's a quick list of things to consider before confronting Ganon:
First and most importantly, do you have the Silver Arrows? You cannot, I repeat, you CANNOT defeat Ganon without them. If you don't have the Silver Arrows, make sure to pick up the Super Bomb from the Bomb Shop to the south and blow open the wall at the Pyramid of Power.
Do you have all weapon, shield, and armor upgrades? If not, see subchapter [Z308.02] for details on where to get these.
Do you have all 24 Pieces of Heart? If not, check out chapter [Z309] for a guide on where to locate each one.
Have you found every item, including all four Bottles and the 1/2 Magic Meter Upgrade? If anything's missing, please see subchapters [Z308.01] and [Z308.02], respectively, for details.
Are all of your Bottles filled? I suggest having a full stock of Fairies - or, even better, Cure-All Medicine; be sure to visit the Magic Shop in northeast Hyrule to pick some up.
Lastly, have you fully maxed out your Bomb and Arrow limits? If you still want to do this and you have the Rupees, now's the time to do so at the Pond of Happiness. (This isn't really a big deal now since you won't need Bombs for the final battle, although extra Arrows could come in handy. It's really just a reminder in case you're trying to fully complete the game.)
Once you've collected all that you want, be sure to save your game one more time so you don't lose any of your progress. Then, return to the top of the Pyramid of Power and drop into the bat-shaped hole for the time of destiny...
*==============================*
Boss: Great Demon King - GANON
*==============================*
(TIP: If you're quick enough, you can land a single sword strike on Ganon before the battle officially begins. Neat!)
As soon as you land, the dark room with be bathed in light. The boar-like Demon King stands mere feet from Link and will say a few menacing words. Once he's done running his mouth, the fight for Hyrule's future is on. There are four phases in this duel. In the first phase, Ganon will throw his mighty Trident around while teleporting to a new spot in the room and catching the Trident before repeating the attack. Both Ganon and the Trident can knock out several Hearts at once, so do your best to evade them. Try to attack Ganon whenever he rematerializes.
After enough hits, Ganon enters his second phase. Instead of throwing his Trident, he will create a ring of small fireballs as he spins the Trident. The fireballs start close to his body, then expand outward in a giant circle before returning inward. One by one, each fireball will turn into a Blazing Bat and swarm upon Link. These fiery bats are difficult to avoid and you'll probably take some damage. It's during their onslaught that Ganon will teleport and the attack will begin again. Continue pounding away at him with your sword until the next phase begins.
In the third phase, Ganon ditches his Trident. This time, whenever he finishes teleporting, he will fire a Blazing Bat from his mouth which will circle the battlefield in an outward spiral. Try to slash him as soon as he stops moving, which will prevent him from creating the Blazing Bat. When you hit him, he will jump into the air and crash to the floor. This shakes the room and causes the floor tiles along the north edge of the room to crumble away. Be extremely careful not to fall into the pit; if this happens, you'll land in a hidden room inside the Pyramid. You'll then have to exit to the Overworld (you can find a Telepathy Tile along the way which emphasizes the necessity of the Silver Arrows), climb back up the Pyramid of Power, and drop into the hole, resetting the entire fight. Anyway, slash Ganon three more times during this phase so that the tiles along the remaining sides of the room fall away. Upon the fourth set of crumbling tiles, the final phase starts.
Ganon will compliment your efforts and introduce his "secret technique of Darkness." The two torches in the room will be extinguished and Ganon becomes both invisible and invulnerable. While in this state, he will continue to teleport around and project fire at you, giving away his location. Pull out the Fire Rod (trust me on this, don't use the Lamp here) and relight both torches to make Ganon fully reappear. He'll shield himself from the bright light for a moment, giving you just enough time to land a hit. As long as you strike him while he's visible, he'll turn a bright blue. This is your moment: Equip your Silver Arrows and pelt him with one. He'll quickly recover and the phase pattern repeats. Continue to light the torches as quickly as possible - you may even be able to get off two shots with the Silver Arrows before the torches go out again. Once you've hit Ganon with four Silver Arrows, the Great Demon King will be defeated at long last.
========
Victory! A door along the north wall opens. All that is left now is to walk through. I won't spoil what comes next; you have earned every bit of this ending and deserve to appreciate it through your own eyes and ears!
After the staff credits roll, you'll see a "Total Games Played" counter. This number tallies up how many times you either saved & quit or died and had to start over (so being revived by Fairies doesn't count toward this number). The only way to get 000 is to never die or save & quit, meaning you have to finish the game in a single session. This is much easier these days since many systems allow for save points outside the game's internal save system, and is even more easily done if you are using emulation. If you enjoyed this game and want to play it again, see if you can get a lower number - maybe even 000 this time!
Congratulations on beating The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past! You can continue playing from your saved file which will let you battle Ganon again. This also gives you the chance to collect anything you didn't get before, so please check out the appropriate chapters/subchapters for more info on anything you've missed.
Thank you for letting me accompany you on your adventure!
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[Z307] - SPOILER-FREE WALKTHROUGH /--\
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Not interested in a full guide? No worries! This short chapter is for anyone who doesn't want step-by-step instructions on how to beat the game but could still use a gentle nudge in the right direction. The directions below follow the same path as my in-depth walkthrough. Except for what's mandatory to beat the game, this walkthrough doesn't call out Pieces of Heart or non-essential items, nor does it provide explicit details about dungeons, enemies, or bosses. In short, it's as bare bones as I can make it.
01 - Get the Lamp and find the hidden entrance into Hyrule Castle
02 - Receive the Fighter's Sword and Fighter's Shield
03 - Go to the castle dungeon and rescue Princess Zelda
04 - Escape the castle using the secret passageway to Sanctuary
05 - Seek the elder of Kakariko Village
06 - Enter the East Palace, find the Bow, and defeat the boss
07 - Get the Pegasus Shoes and the Ice Rod
08 - Return to Kakariko Village and obtain the Book of Mudora
09 - Venture into the Desert of Mystery
10 - Enter the Desert Palace, find the Power Glove, and defeat the boss
11 - Acquire Zora's Flippers
12 - Climb Death Mountain and get the Magic Mirror
13 - Find a way to the top of Spectacle Rock
14 - Enter the Tower of Hera, find the Moon Pearl, and defeat the boss
15 - Go to the Lost Woods and obtain the Master Sword
16 - Return to Hyrule Castle and defeat Agahnim
17 - Obtain the Quake Medallion
18 - Enter the Palace of Darkness, find the Magic Hammer, and defeat the boss
19 - Obtain the Shovel, Flute, and Ether Medallion
20 - Enter the Swamp Palace, find the Hookshot, and defeat the boss
21 - Enter Skull Woods, find the Fire Rod, and defeat the boss
22 - Enter Thieves' Town, find the Titan's Mitt, and defeat the boss
23 - Discover how to reach the Ice Palace
24 - Enter the Ice Palace and defeat the boss
25 - Explore the Swamp of Evil
26 - Enter Misery Mire, find the Cane of Somaria, and defeat the boss
27 - Acquire the Silver Arrows
28 - Enter Turtle Rock and defeat the boss
29 - Conquer Ganon's Tower
30 - Defeat Ganon
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[Z308] - INVENTORY /--\
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A Link to the Past features a variety of nifty items, boasting one of the largest inventories of the franchise. This chapter details the purpose of these items and where to find them.
[Z308.01] - Items
[Z308.02] - Equipment & Upgrades
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[Z308.01] - ITEMS
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These are the primary items on the Sub Screen that are used with either the Y Button or the A Button. Each item is listed in the order it is arranged on the Sub Screen, starting with the Y Button items and going from left to right.
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Bow & Arrows
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Found: East Palace (Bow), Common Collectible (Arrows)
You'll likely find Arrows early on as prizes dropped by enemies, underneath bushes, or inside treasure chests, however you won't be able to use them until you acquire the Bow from the East Palace. As the most powerful ranged weapon in the game, Arrows may at times prove stronger than your sword and have devastating effects on enemies and bosses. (NOTE: It is possible to increase your Arrow-carrying limit; see subchapter [Z308.02].)
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Silver Arrows
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Found: Pyramid of Power
This special weapon is one of two items you can get from the Pyramid of Power and becomes available after conquering both the Ice Palace and Misery Mire. Once you've done that, purchase a Super Bomb at the Dark World's Bomb Shop and take it to the Pyramid. Use the Super Bomb to blow up a cracked wall on its second floor; inside is a mysterious pond where you can exchange your regular Arrows for the Silver Arrows. These weapons aren't just more powerful - they are necessary to give Ganon the coup de grace!
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Boomerang
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Found: Hyrule Castle
The Boomerang is a handy item you can use as both a weapon and a tool. If Link throws the Boomerang at an enemy, it will typically stun the foe before returning. It can instantly defeat weaker enemies such as Keese and Rats, although its effects are minimal on stronger opponents. You can also use the Boomerang to retrieve small pick-up items like Recovery Hearts, Fairies, Magic Jars, Rupees, etc.
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Magical Boomerang
-----------------
Found: Waterfall of Wishing
You can get this upgrade after acquiring Zora's Flippers. Near the entrance to Zora's Waterfall is a secret cave that is accessible only by swimming. Inside is a mysterious pond similar to the one used to get the Silver Arrows in the Dark World; you can exchange your Boomerang for the Magical Boomerang at this location. In addition to a sweet color change, the Magical Boomerang can be thrown both faster and farther, although it doesn't come with a power increase. This is one of two upgraded items you can get from this pond.
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Hookshot
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Found: Swamp Palace
Perhaps the most adaptable item in the game, the Hookshot shoots out a long chain that can latch onto certain objects such as pots, blocks, and treasure chests, then pull Link over. This is especially useful for getting across pits. The Hookshot also functions similarly to the Boomerang in that it can attack enemies and retrieve pick-up items for you. Its power actually outclasses the Boomerang, with the only drawback being that you can't fire the Hookshot diagonally.
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Bomb
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Found: Common Collectible
These explosive items are pretty abundant, usually collected from defeated enemies, under pots or bushes, and inside chests (which always provide a set of three). You can also buy them in Item Shops. The earliest you'll likely find Bombs is from a chest inside the cave in the northwest area of Kakariko Village. You can set a Bomb with the Y Button and then pick it up with the A Button. Just remember to also throw it with the A Button before it explodes over Link's head! Note that you can lay down only two Bombs at a time.) Bombs can be used to blow up certain cracked and discolored walls to reveal secret entrances. They're also effective against enemies and for triggering Crystal Switches. (NOTE: It is possible to increase your Bomb-carrying limit; see subchapter [Z308.02].)
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Magic Mushroom
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Found: Lost Woods
A sweet-smelling fungus found only in Hyrule's Lost Woods, this item serves one and only one purpose: to be used as an ingredient for Magic Powder. Give it to the Witch at the Magic Shop, then return later and go inside to get the Magic Powder, which will permanently replace the Magic Mushroom's slot on the Sub Screen.
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Magic Powder
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Found: Magic Shop
As mentioned above, you can acquire the Magic Powder after giving the Magic Mushroom to the Witch at the Magic Shop and coming back later (you can do this by just leaving the screen and returning). Magic Powder has some interesting effects on enemies. Its best use is on Anti-Fairies, which will be transformed into regular Fairies when the Powder is sprinkled on them. Try using the Powder on other enemies to see what it can do. Magic Powder uses a little bit of magic power; keep your eyes on your Magic Meter.
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Fire Rod
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Found: Skull Woods
The Fire Rod is the main dungeon item found in the Dark World's Skull Woods dungeon. When used, this weapon shoots powerful fireballs capable of defeating some enemies in one hit - it's especially useful against Gibdos. As a projectile item, it also allows Link to light torches from a distance that the Lamp can't reach. Consequently, it means the Fire Rod uses more magic power.
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Ice Rod
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Found: Hyrule's Ice Cave
The Ice Cave is located northeast of Lake Hylia, and to get the Ice Rod you need to blow open an alternative entrance into the cave. The companion to the Fire Rod, this magic rod shoots chilling blasts of ice. Its magic moves slower compared to the Fire Rod, but it is nevertheless able to instantly freeze most enemies. A neat trick to know is that if you freeze an enemy and then use the Magic Hammer on it, you'll usually receive a Magic Jar as a reward.
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Bombos Medallion
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Found: Desert of Mystery
The Bombos Medallion is one of three special powers granted to the Master Sword. With it, Link can summon a series of explosions that can easily destroy most enemies on screen. It basically works like a widespread Fire Rod. Watch your Magic Meter! To get this, you'll need to find a way to the top of a high plateau overlooking the Desert of Mystery. Once there, go west to find a monolith; translate the Hylian language and you'll receive the Bombos Medallion.
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Ether Medallion
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Found: Death Mountain (Hyrule)
The second of three special Master Sword powers, the Ether Medallion summons a powerful storm that instantly freezes any enemy on screen (so like a stronger Ice Rod). It's a necessary item too, as it's the only way to open the entrance to Misery Mire, the sixth Dark World dungeon. Like the Bombos Medallion, the Ether Medallion requires a lot of magic to cast. To get it, you'll need to translate the ancient Hylian text on a monolith west of the Tower of Hera.
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Quake Medallion
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Found: Lake of Ill Omen
An irate catfish will give Link this final magic medallion if he disturbs his precious circle of stones. With this power, Link will jump into the air and thrust the Master Sword into the ground, sending seismic shockwaves through the earth. Any on-screen enemies will be transformed into Slimes - the Quake Medallion, therefore in a way, acts like Magic Powder. It's also used to open the seventh Dark World dungeon, Turtle Rock. Like the other medallions, it uses considerable magic power.
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Lamp
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Found: Various Locations
The Lamp will most likely be the first item you acquire in the game and can be found in one of three locations: Link's house; the hidden passageway leading into Hyrule Castle; or Zelda's prison cell. The Lamp has two purposes - to light torches and act as a flashlight in dark rooms. Unfortunately, it can't harm any enemies no matter how close they are to the flame so don't try it. While the Fire Rod is more useful overall for lighting torches, you may find the Lamp's smaller magic consumption to be worth it for those torches you can reach.
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Magic Hammer
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Found: Palace of Darkness
Despite the name, this item doesn't use magic power at all. Located deep in the first Dark World dungeon, the Magic Hammer is primarily used to pound stakes and Moles into the ground. You can use it on enemies, too, many of which can be killed in one hit. Terrorpins or Helmasaurs in particular become easier to defeat if you take the Hammer to them first.
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Shovel
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Found: Haunted Grove (Dark World)
The transfigured Flute Boy will loan you the Shovel so you can find his missing instrument. Its purpose is self-explanatory: You can use it to dig for things. It's a temporary item, although you can technically hang onto it for as long as you want until you get the Flute. After that, the Flute replaces the Shovel's slot on the Sub Screen. (This was changed in the GBA port, which made the Shovel a permanent item.) Don't worry if you don't have the Shovel when playing the Digging Game - the shopkeeper will lend you one.
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Flute
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Found: Haunted Grove (Light World)
As mentioned, you can dig for the Flute once you've received the Shovel. Simply return to the Light World's Haunted Grove and dig around some flowers to find the Flute. Once the Flute Boy passes its possession onto you, you can play it in front of the village weather vane to awaken a mysterious bird. From then on, the Flute can be used to summon the Bird and fly Link to one of 8 locations in Hyrule:
1. Death Mountain
2. Magic Shop
3. Kakariko Village
4. Link's House
5. South of the East Palace
6. Desert of Mystery
7. Great Swamp
8. Lake Hylia
(NOTE: In the GBA port, a 9th location is added in the eastern peaks of Death Mountain, near the Warp Tile that transports Link outside Turtle Rock.)
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Bug-Catching Net
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Found: Kakariko Village
You can get this once you have at least one Bottle in your inventory. Then, go to the Bug-Catching Kid's house in Kakariko Village; he will automatically "lend" you his Bug-Catching Net, though you won't ever have to return it. With this item, you can capture Bees and/or Fairies and store them in empty Bottles. Most amusingly, the Bug-Catching Net can be used against a certain wizard's magic...
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Book of Mudora
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Found: Kakariko Village's House of Books
The Book of Mudora is a collection of Hylian texts and is used to translate the ancient Hylian language. It is required to open the way to the Desert Palace and to acquire a couple of items.
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Bottle
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Found: Various Locations
Bottles are used to store Bees, Fairies, and Medicine. You can obtain up to four Bottles and below is a brief description of how to get each one:
1. Kakariko Village - purchased from the Street Merchant
2. Kakariko Village - enter the tavern using its rear entrance
3. Lake Hylia - swim under the bridge north of the lake
4. Gossip Shop - after rescuing Smithy's partner, a locked chest appears inside the Dark World Gossip Shop; take the chest to the man sitting next to a sign near the entrance to the Light World's Desert of Mystery
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Cane of Somaria
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Found: Misery Mire
This is the main dungeon item from the sixth Dark World dungeon. Using the Cane of Somaria, you can materialize a block to push in any direction as far as you want. The block is useful for keeping stubborn Floor Switches pressed down. Swinging the Cane again causes the block to burst into energy in four directions. The Cane of Somaria's secondary use is creating magical platforms, a feature needed to get through Turtle Rock. Each use of this item depletes magic power.
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Cane of Byrna
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Found: Death Mountain (Dark World)
The Cane of Byrna is found at the end of a particularly nasty cave filled with a large Spike Floor trap; I highly recommend having the Magic Cape and some potions before attempting to get it. You'll also need the Magic Hammer and Power Glove/Titan's Mitt. When used, the Cane of Byrna creates a magical shield around Link. In addition to protecting him, the energy beam will deal damage to any enemy it touches. The major downside is that it drains your Magic Meter until you turn it off.
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Magic Cape
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Found: Cemetery (Light World)
This cloak rests beneath the northeast grave in Hyrule's cemetery. It is somewhat similar to the Cane of Bryna; by wearing it, Link is rendered invisible and invincible to enemy damage at the cost of magic power. He can even walk through those annoying Bumper traps! It doesn't offer any offensive capabilities though, and it depletes the Magic Meter even faster than the Cane of Byrna.
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Magic Mirror
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Found: Death Mountain (Light World)
You get this item automatically when you first climb Death Mountain; at some point you'll come across an Old Man who asks to be escorted to safety. He'll give you the Magic Mirror once you do. The Magic Mirror allows Link to transport himself from the Dark World to the Light World (but not the reverse; you'll still need Warp Tiles for that). If you try to return to the Light World in an inaccessible spot - such as a rock, bush, mountain, or other object - you'll be forced back into the Dark World. Also, whenever you return to Hyrule using the mirror, a sparkling portal will be left behind which you can use to go back to the Dark World, though just note that it disappears once you use it.
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Pegasus Shoes
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Found: Sahasrahla's Hideout
The Pegasus Shoes are a gift to Link from the village elder, Sahasrahla, after he has won the Pendant of Courage from the East Palace. A treasure handed down by one of the families of the Seven Wise Men, these boots allow Link to dash when you hold down the A Button. You'll start off building up speed before running in the direction you're facing. While running, Link will hold his sword out and effectively stab any enemy within range of his blade as he runs by. Dashing into trees may cause hidden objects to fall, such as Rupees or Apples or even a swarm of Bees! You can also dash into certain cracked walls to open secret entrances.
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Power Glove
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Found: Desert Palace
The main item from the Light World's Desert Palace, the Power Glove allows Link to lift the light-colored stones found throughout the game, both small and large. He will not be able to lift the dark-colored stones, however. The Power Glove is needed to complete the rest of the Desert Palace and to access Death Mountain.
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Titan's Mitt
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Found: Thieves' Town
The Titan's Mitt provides the same use as the Power Glove, except that you can now lift the dark-colored rocks that were too heavy to lift before.
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Zora's Flippers
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Found: Zora's Waterfall
For the steep price of 500 Rupees, you can purchase these from King Zora in his domain located in northeast Hyrule. The Flippers allow you to swim in deep water. Certain items and locations are only accessible this way so you may as well get your feet wet. You can move using the Control Pad, and using the A Button (and the Y & B buttons too) will allow you to swim faster. (NOTE: In the GBA port, a diving option is available.)
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Moon Pearl
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Found: Tower of Hera
Interestingly, the Moon Pearl is the only item in this list that doesn't require a button to use it. Instead, its effects are completely automatic. The Moon Pearl lets Link keep his true Hylian form whenever he is in the Dark World. If a Rabbit Beam trap touches him, this protection will be temporarily negated and he'll transform into a pink bunny, though the effect wears off after a few seconds.
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[Z308.02] - EQUIPMENT & UPGRADES
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This subchapter covers all the swords, shields, and clothing/armor in the game, as well as some special item upgrades. You don't have to select these from the Sub Screen; they are automatically equipped.
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Fighter's Sword
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Found: Hyrule Castle Secret Passage
Link's uncle will hand over this sword near the start of your adventure after following him to Hyrule Castle. As the most basic sword in the game, its power is minimal, with most enemies requiring two or more strikes to take down. Still, you'll be able to hack your way through Hyrule with this blade at your side.
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Master Sword
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Found: Lost Woods
The mighty blade of evil's bane itself, forged by the ancients and blessed with sacred power, the Master Sword can only be won by the legendary Hero who has claimed three Pendants of Virtue. You'll need this to access the castle tower to do battle with Agahnim. This sword has higher attack power than the Fighter's Sword and comes with a nifty bonus: If Link is at full health, the Master Sword can fire a ranged Beam Attack, a handy tactic for striking enemies from a distance, though it's only about as strong as the Fighter's Sword.
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Tempered Sword
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Found: Smithy's Shop
After acquiring the Titan's Mitt, you can rescue Smithy the blacksmith's missing partner from the Village of Outcasts (look for a frog-like creature). Once both blacksmiths have been reunited, you can return to the shop and they will offer to temper even the powerful Master Sword. When you pick up your sword later you'll be given the Tempered Sword! It's stronger than the Master Sword, with enemies taking one less hit. Beam Attacks aren't any better, however.
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Golden Sword
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Found: Pyramid of Power
The Golden Sword is the most powerful blade in the game and is one of two items you can get from inside the Pyramid of Power. Purchase a Super Bomb at the Dark World's Bomb Shop and take it to the Pyramid, then blow up a cracked wall on its second floor. Throw the Tempered Sword into the mysterious pond and answer the Cursed Great Fairy honestly to receive the Golden Sword. Regular sword slashes will now be so powerful that many enemies can be defeated with a single strike and bosses can go down in as few as two hits. Sadly, Beam Attacks still aren't any stronger.
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Fighter's Shield
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Found: Hyrule Castle Secret Passage
Like its companion, the Fighter's Sword, Link's uncle will give him this shield near the beginning of the game. The shield will work automatically as long as no action is taken to negate it, such as using an item or swinging the sword. It can defend you against the simplest of projectiles like Arrows or rocks, although it's powerless against fireballs and laser beams. Should an item-stealing Pikit manage to snag it, a replacement costs 50 Rupees.
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Red Shield
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Found: Waterfall of Wishing
This is one of two items you can get from Hyrule's Waterfall of Wishing. When you have Zora's Flippers, swim into the waterfall cave located just outside Zora's Waterfall. Throw your Fighter's Shield into the mysterious pond to receive the Red Shield. Functionally this works just like your previous shield, except it can now block fireballs. You still can't defend against laser beams though. You'll have this shield for most of the game and it costs 500 Rupees to replace if a Pikit manages to steal it.
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Mirror Shield
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Found: Turtle Rock
The primary dungeon item of Turtle Rock, the Mirror Shield is the strongest and most durable shield in the game. Not only can Pikits not steal it from you, it can also block the laser beams fired by Laser Eye enemies. For whatever reason, however, it cannot block the lasers from Beamos statues. Go figure.
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Green Tunic
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Found: Start of the Game
Link is already wearing this tunic when you begin the game. As mere cloth, the Green Tunic offers very basic protection against enemies. Still, combined with Link's green hat it is his signature outfit and you'll be wearing it for the vast majority of the game, so you may as well enjoy the look!
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Blue Mail
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Found: Ice Palace
This is the first armor upgrade you can receive and is the main dungeon item from the Ice Palace. In addition to changing Link's tunic to blue, he also receives a yellow hat. The Blue Mail doubles Link's defenses but only against enemy attacks; traps still cause the same amount of damage.
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Red Mail
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Found: Ganon's Tower
The Red Mail is the second and strongest set of armor available to Link, found deep within Ganon's Tower. With a red tunic and a cool-looking purple hat, these clothes provide double the protection of the Blue Mail - meaning your defenses are quadruple what they were at the beginning of the game! The damage taken from traps remains the same, however.
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Max Bomb & Arrow Upgrades
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Found: Pond of Happiness
I suppose these aren't technically upgrades, yet I'm calling them that all the same. Anyway, in the center of Lake Hylia is an island, inside of which is the Pond of Happiness. You can throw a handful of Rupees into this pond, and for every 100 you throw in a Great Fairy will appear to increase either your Bomb or Arrow counts by 5. The exception to this is when your Bombs and Arrows are at 40 and 60, respectively, at which point the Great Fairy will increase your total by 10. Bombs fully cap at 50 and Arrows at 70. Maxing out each item costs 700 Rupees (or 1,400 total), so be prepared to spend a lot of money if this is something you want.
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"1/2" Magic Meter Upgrade
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Found: Kakariko Village
Outside Smithy's Shop is a well in the ground you can jump into from above. Within the cave beneath the well is a decorative statute. Sprinkle Magic Powder on it and an angry purple bat will awaken. Angry at you for disturbing its slumber, the bat places a curse on you. The "curse" is actually a blessing, for with this upgrade all of your magic items will now consume half as much magic power as they did before! It's extremely handy during the second leg of the game when you'll be using a lot more magic power.
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[Z309] - PIECE OF HEART LOCATIONS /--\
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Here you will find detailed information about the game's 24 Pieces of Heart. Four Pieces of Heart equal one full Heart Container, which means acquiring all of them amounts to 6 Heart Containers total. Add in the 11 Heart Containers you can receive during your quest - 10 from defeating the dungeon bosses, excluding Agahnim and Ganon, and 1 after delivering Zelda to Sanctuary - plus the 3 Link starts out with, and you get the full set of 20 possible Heart Containers.
Throughout the main walkthrough, I noted each Piece of Heart with a [POHXX] search code. These codes are also used here and are listed in the same order as they are in the walkthrough. You can therefore use the code to go back and forth between both chapters. The walkthrough is generally more contextual than this chapter, so feel free to switch over if you need more guidance.
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[POH01] - Piece of Heart #01
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Location: Lost Woods - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: None
In the center-east section of the Lost Woods is a thicket of nine bushes, just north of a hollowed-out tree stump and east of a pair of hollowed-out logs. Slash the middle bush to reveal a secret hole you can drop into. The cave you land in has the Piece of Heart sitting in plain view.
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[POH02] - Piece of Heart #02
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Location: Kakariko Village - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Bombs
Go to the northwest corner of the village where you'll find a cave entrance and a well that Link can't access from ground level. Climb to the ridge directly above the well, then jump down into it to land in a cave. Inside the cave are various treasures including Bombs. Along the north wall is a slightly discolored spot - a weak point in the wall's structure. Lay a Bomb in this spot to blow it open, then go through the newly created doorway to the room on the other side. Open the treasure chest to claim the Piece of Heart.
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[POH03] - Piece of Heart #03
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Location: Kakariko Village - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Bombs
East of Piece of Heart #2 is a stone building with a green roof. Head inside this dwelling and go downstairs to the basement. Check the north wall for a spot you can destroy with a Bomb and go to the next room. The Piece of Heart can be found in the treasure chest.
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[POH04] - Piece of Heart #04
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Location: Kakariko Village - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Bombs
At the far south end of the village is a long two-roomed house, half of which stretches west into the next screen. Enter this house using the easternmost door, then Bomb the west wall. Go into the next room and head outside to find a woman who challenges you to complete the maze ahead in 15 seconds. This is the quickest path: Cut down the bushes going north, then take the second left. Follow this path as far west as you can go, cut down three more bushes going north, and turn immediately west again toward the sign. Turn south at the sign and go to the edge of the fence where you'll see two bumps on the ground. This is a shortcut! Press against these bumps and Link will leap over the fence. Sprint to the goal where a blue-haired man and a Piece of Heart await. If you make it within the time limit the man gives you your reward.
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[POH05] - Piece of Heart #05
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Location: Great Swamp - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: None
South of Link's house is a large swamp area. At its south end - east of the entrance to the Desert of Mystery - is a building surrounded by water known as the Swamp Ruins. Go inside and push the blocks out of the way to access the door ahead. In the room beyond, pull back on the east lever to open the floodgates and let the water flow. Go back outside to find a Piece of Heart in the mud.
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[POH06] - Piece of Heart #06
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Location: Outside Sanctuary - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Pegasus Shoes
On the west side of the screen where Sanctuary is there is a cliff, upon which is a lone tree, a couple of tree stumps, and a pile of rocks. To get up there, go west one screen, then curve around north so that you're up on the cliff and return east to the Sanctuary screen. Dash into the pile of rocks with the Pegasus Shoes to reveal a hidden cave. Inside is a treasure chest containing the Piece of Heart.
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[POH07] - Piece of Heart #07
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Location: Desert of Mystery - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Bombs
Travel to the northeast corner of the desert to find a cave. At the end of the cave is an old man dressed in green robes named Aginah. Inspect the south wall of Aginah's hideout; you should barely notice a discolored spot indicating a place you can blow open with a Bomb. Do so, then claim the Piece of Heart from the treasure chest on the other side.
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[POH08] - Piece of Heart #08
----------------------------
Location: Desert of Mystery - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Book of Mudora
I'm only calling the Book of Mudora a requirement because to get this Piece of Heart you need to first enter the Desert Palace, and to do that you need the book. Anyway, when you've entered the Desert Palace, eventually you'll have to leave it through its westernmost exit. You'll be on a bluff overlooking the desert; the Piece of Heart is located on the southern tip.
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[POH09] - Piece of Heart #09
----------------------------
Location: Zora's Waterfall - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Power Glove, Zora's Flippers
You'll first need the Power Glove from the Desert Palace to access Zora's Waterfall. When you have it, go to the Magic Shop in northeast Hyrule - it's a small hut exactly three screens east of Sanctuary and across the river - then use the Power Glove to remove the giant rock just east of the shop. Follow the path until you reach Zora's Waterfall. You'll next need to acquire Zora's Flippers for 500 Rupees if you haven't already, so make sure to get them while you're here. Once you've received them, swim south from King Zora and leap off the waterfall. Continue going south at first, then head west to dry land; keep going until you come to your prize.
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[POH10] - Piece of Heart #10
----------------------------
Location: Death Mountain - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Power Glove
Like the previous piece, I'm only really saying the Power Glove is a requirement because you need it to access Death Mountain. Use the Power Glove to lift the rock blocking the entrance into the mountain. Follow the caves until you meet the Old Man and receive the Magic Mirror, then continue climbing outside the mountain until you come to a tall ladder and a cave entrance, next to which is a sign saying the cave will take you back to Kakariko Village. Climb the ladder to take you to a higher peak of Death Mountain. Go east until you come to a cave entrance; south of this entrance is a break in the mountain ledge where you can drop down. Position Link along this edge directly opposite the cave and jump off - you should land on a small ledge right in front of another cave. (If you fall past this ledge, then you were standing too far east.) Head inside the cave before you, then go north and up the stairs to find the Piece of Heart.
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[POH11] - Piece of Heart #11
----------------------------
Location: Death Mountain - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Magic Mirror
I'm not calling the Power Glove a requirement for this one since you need to have gained access to Death Mountain to get the Magic Mirror. In fact, it's very easy to get this one right after Piece of Heart #10; return to the peak you dropped from to get the previous Piece of Heart and this time keep heading east. Notice the mountain range directly north of you here; this is known as Spectacle Rock. At the east end of the path you're on is a Warp Tile that takes you to the Dark World. Step into it, then walk back west a bit until you see a couple of strange characters. Pay attention to the way the ground is shaped; it's in the same image as Spectacle Rock back in the Light World. Stand around the north side of this formation and use the Magic Mirror to return to Hyrule. If you return to an accessible spot, you'll be standing on top of Spectacle Rock with the Piece of Heart sitting in plain sight.
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[POH12] - Piece of Heart #12
----------------------------
Location: Pyramid of Power - DARK WORLD
Requirements: Access to the Pyramid of Power
You can get this Piece of Heart at any point after reaching the Dark World, with the most convenient time being right after defeating Agahnim at Hyrule Castle. Climb down two sets of steps as you head to the east side of the Pyramid. At the east end is a break in the wall; jump down from it to the lower level, then follow the narrow path to find the Piece of Heart at the end. If you're coming here from the base of the Pyramid, simply climb up two sets of steps until you reach the second level of the building, then go all the way east and hop off the gap in the wall.
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[POH13] - Piece of Heart #13
----------------------------
Location: Lake Hylia - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Magic Mirror
This is one of several Light World Pieces of Heart that require you to warp from the Dark World to obtain it. Begin by traveling to the Dark World's Ice Lake in the southeast. Once there, go to the northwest section of the lake where you'll find a patch of shallow water surrounded by a circle of stones. Stand in the middle of the shallow water and use the Magic Mirror. When you return to Hyrule you should be standing on an island in Lake Hylia; the Piece of Heart sits here.
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[POH14] - Piece of Heart #14
----------------------------
Location: South of the Haunted Grove - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Magic Mirror
You acquire this Piece of Heart similarly to the previous one. While in the Dark World, head to the screen directly south of where the Haunted Grove would be if you were in Hyrule. (As an alternative point of reference, you need to be exactly one screen east and one screen south of the southern area of Kakariko Village, but in the Dark World. Hope that makes sense!) Tucked away in the southwest corner of this screen is a ring of purple bushes; stand near these bushes and use the Magic Mirror to return to the Light World. You'll be standing atop a cliff with a cave entrance just to the north. Go inside the cave to get this Piece of Heart.
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[POH15] - Piece of Heart #15
----------------------------
Location: Village of Outcasts - DARK WORLD
Requirements: Plenty of Rupees
In the southwest corner of the Village of Outcasts is the Digging Game - in fact, it's the same screen where the Racing Game and Piece of Heart #4 are in the Light World. For 80 Rupees, you will have 30 seconds to dig as many spots as possible. (The gamemaster will lend you a shovel if you don't have one in your inventory.) Any treasure you dig up is yours to keep, and hidden somewhere in the field is the Piece of Heart. Its location is random and changes each time you leave and return to the screen. Personally, I would just dig the same spots each time since you're more likely to find it that way than if you keep changing things up, but it's up to you. Should you run out of time, just leave the screen and return to play again. It's easy to dig up enough Rupees to break even or make a profit so you shouldn't run low on cash. Patience and persistence are the keys here.
============================
[POH16] - Piece of Heart #16
----------------------------
Location: Village of Outcasts - DARK WORLD
Requirements: Plenty of Rupees
In the northwest area of the village is a building with a treasure chest sign above the door, inside of which is a minigame. There are 16 treasure chests and for 30 Rupees you can open two of your choosing. A Piece of Heart is randomly hidden inside one of the treasure chests - like the previous one, it changes spots each time you reenter, so my advice is to pick two chests and just stick with those until you get the Piece of Heart. Other good prizes in this game include 50 Rupees and 100 Rupees which can come in handy if you need some reimbursement to keep playing.
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[POH17] - Piece of Heart #17
----------------------------
Location: Cemetery - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Magic Mirror
This is another one where you need to be in the Dark World first. Make your way to the Dark World's equivalent of the Light World's cemetery. At the north end of it is a small, empty outcrop of mountain you can climb up to. Stand on this ledge and use the Magic Mirror, then enter the cave before you. Bomb the wall at the back of the cave to reveal a hidden room with the Piece of Heart.
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[POH18] - Piece of Heart #18
----------------------------
Location: Outside the Lumberjacks' House - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Defeated Agahnim, Pegasus Shoes
You can get this Piece of Heart at any point after defeating Agahnim. Return to the house of the twin Lumberjacks, located in the northwest area of Hyrule between the Lost Woods and Death Mountain. Near their house is a tree with an odd shade of green. (If you were here before, you'll notice this is the tree the Lumberjacks were sawing through earlier in the game.) Dash into this tree to reveal a hole in the trunk and then drop into it. Go up the steps in the cave below, then through the east door to get the Piece of Heart.
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[POH19] - Piece of Heart #19
----------------------------
Location: East of Skull Woods - DARK WORLD
Requirements: Power Glove, Magic Cape (Hookshot optional)
Directly south of the previous Piece of Heart is the screen with the cave entrance to Death Mountain. If you stand on this screen while in the Dark World, you can see a Piece of Heart sitting atop a high plateau. A nearby sign says that one who wears the Cape will receive the Piece of Heart. Remove the giant rock blocking the cave entrance, then proceed through the cave and up the stairs. You can use the Hookshot to cross the pit ahead, but if you don't have it you can actually have Link cross the narrow space in the northwest corner of the pit. You just need to tightly press against the wall to do so. Once you're past the pit, use the Magic Cape to pass through the Bumper to the south, then go outside to snag your reward.
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[POH20] - Piece of Heart #20
----------------------------
Location: Outside the Gossip Shop - DARK WORLD
Requirements: Titan's Mitt, Magic Hammer
The Gossip Shop is the Dark World equivalent of Smithy's Shop in Hyrule. Go to the Village of Outcasts and head one screen east. You'll need to remove the giant black rocks here with the Titan's Mitt. Then, start pounding all the purple stakes into the ground with the Magic Hammer. Once you've hammered all of them the Zelda secret jingle will ring out and a tree stump to the south will turn into a secret cave. The Piece of Heart is inside.
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[POH21] - Piece of Heart #21
----------------------------
Location: Swamp of Evil - DARK WORLD
Requirements: Flute, Titan's Mitt
To enter the Swamp of Evil you'll need to first use the Flute to fly to location #6, then use the Titan's Mitt to remove one of the black rocks and step into the Warp Tile. Once you've entered the Swamp, head to the northwest and enter the building seen here. At the very back of the room are two treasure chests surrounded by blocks. Maneuver the blocks so you can get to the chests; the east chest contains a red Rupee while the other chest holds the Piece of Heart.
============================
[POH22] - Piece of Heart #22
----------------------------
Location: Desert of Mystery - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Access to the Swamp of Evil, Magic Mirror, Titan's Mitt
You'll need to start in the Swamp of Evil to get this Piece of Heart and it's easy to pick it up right after the previous one. Go to the very northeast area of the Swamp of Evil where you'll find some dry land and a dead-end. Position Link along the north edge where the land and the mountain meet, in roughly the middle of the east wall and the water's edge, then go back to the Light World. You should be standing atop a bluff in the Desert of Mystery that you can't get to from ground level. Remove the giant rock, go inside the cave, and push the blocks aside to nab the Piece of Heart.
============================
[POH23] - Piece of Heart #23
----------------------------
Location: Death Mountain - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Hookshot, Titan's Mitt, Magic Mirror
This Piece of Heart takes a bit of work. First, you need to reach the eastern peaks of Hyrule's Death Mountain. To get there, head east from the Mountain Cave where the Old Man hides out. Stay along the lower ledges of the mountain until you reach a new screen. Hookshot across the broken bridge, then find a Warp Tile under a black rock to the south. Once in the Dark World, head northeast to find a pair of cave entrances. Take the westernmost entrance and follow a series of tunnels until you exit and reach the mountain summit. (NOTE: You can also get to this screen by first reaching Turtle Rock in the Dark World, then going west one screen.) Remove the giant rock on this screen to reveal a cave entrance. Inside are numerous platforms you can reach with the Hookshot, but to get to the Piece of Heart just cross the invisible bridge to the north (use the Ether Medallion to reveal the path if you need help). Bomb the wall on the other side, then blow up the west wall in the cross-shaped room beyond, and then go through the cave exit in the next room. You'll be standing on a lone mountain peak; return to Hyrule using the Magic Mirror and snatch up the nearby Piece of Heart.
============================
[POH24] - Piece of Heart #24
----------------------------
Location: Death Mountain - LIGHT WORLD
Requirements: Quake Medallion, Magic Mirror, Arrows, Magic Hammer
For the final Piece of Heart, you'll first need to access Turtle Rock using the Quake Medallion. Get through the dungeon until you reach a point where you have to go outside and travel east along a narrow ledge. Stand before the easternmost cave entrance leading back into Turtle Rock and use the Magic Mirror to warp to Hyrule. Go inside the cave before you and defeat the Green Goriyas (you'll need to use Arrows on two of them). The north door opens when all of them are defeated. Smash the Moles with the Magic Hammer, go to the next room, and open the treasure chest to receive your hard-earned prize.
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[Z310] - ENEMY GUIDE /--\
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You'll face plenty of foes on your quest to save Hyrule and restore the Dark World to its former glory. This chapter provides an extensive alphabetical list of the game's many enemies, including traps such as Beamos, Medusas, and Rabbit Beams. MAJOR thanks goes to Zelda Wiki for the comprehensive list of enemies!
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Anti-Fairy
----------
Also known as "Bubbles" in other games of the series, Anti-Fairies resemble floating skulls with four fiery red orbs surrounding them. They fly in diagonal directions and are regularly found in small, cramped rooms or tight corridors that make getting around them difficult. If they touch Link, they will deal damage and take a bit of magic power away. Sprinkling Magic Powder on an Anti-Fairy turns it into a helpful regular Fairy!
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Armos
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Armos are found on the grounds near the East Palace. They appear as dormant gray statues, but if Link gets too close the Armos will turn orange and hop after him as a form of attack.
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Arrgi
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Serving as protective polyps for Arrghus, the boss of the Swamp Palace, the miniature Arrgi are simultaneously used as weapons against Link. All Arrgi must be defeated before Link can begin the assault on the boss itself.
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Babusu
------
Babusu are exclusive to the Ice Palace. They pop out of their hiding place at fast speeds before burrowing into a hole on the other side. You can get a quick warning they're about to appear by watching for their glinting eyes. Be warned that they tend to reside in rooms with treacherous terrain.
====
Bari
----
Bari look like jellyfish. They slowly float about and sporadically pulse with electricity, during which they are invincible against sword attacks and will shock Link if he tries to attack with his blade. They come in two colors: blue and red. Red Bari are stronger than the blue versions and will split into two smaller versions of themselves called Biri when attacked.
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Beamos
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These irritating statues are first seen in the Desert Palace and are a source of frustration from then on. A single eye rotates around the statue; if it spots Link, the eye will shoot a powerful, unblockable laser beam. Not even the Mirror Shield can block it, so just stay out of the Beamos' gaze at all costs.
===
Bee
---
It might seem odd to include this here but Bees can hurt Link so I'm including them anyway. Commonly found under bushes or grass, and at times as a whole colony in trees, these pests will swarm at you if disturbed, though they soon fly away. Link can capture a Bee in an Empty Bottle and later use it on enemies; the Bee will then join Link in attacking his foes, which is pretty fun! A stronger, more friendly variation called the Good Bee (Golden Bee in the GBA version) can be found in the Ice Cave in Hyrule.
====
Biri
----
As said before, Biri are smaller versions of Red Bari. Their small size can make attacking Biri more difficult than their progenitors, especially if they float too close to a wall. Each Biri comes with the same electric attack/defense as Bari.
==========
Blade Trap
----------
These sharp obstacles can be seen moving back and forth from side to side and are recognizable by the clinking sound they make. Massive yellow versions reside in the Ice Palace and Ganon's Tower, where they remain completely stationary unless Link crosses their path. Use caution when sneaking by Blade Traps.
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Blazing Bat
-----------
Encountered only during the final battle with Ganon, Blazing Bats are completely invincible and unstoppable. They can deal a good bit of damage even with the Blue or Red Mails so do your best to weave around them.
=======
Boulder
-------
Less an enemy and more a force of nature, Boulders are found in the western area of Hyrule's Death Mountain and constantly bear down on Link as he scales its peaks. Where possible, it's best to use caves to climb the mountain to evade these falling rocks.
======
Bumper
------
Bumpers are traps that, when touched, cause Link to ricochet off them. These contraptions are most frequently placed near bottomless pits or enemies, making the knockback effect quite treacherous. However, you can use them to your advantage against enemies if you push them into the Bumper. The only way to safely pass through a Bumper is by wearing the Magic Cape.
====
Buzz
----
These bug-like creatures like to scamper around the top floor of the Thieves' Town dungeon. Their movements are similar to Rats except they are stronger and more durable. Buzz may come in groups, attempting to wear you down with sheer numbers.
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Buzz Blob
---------
Found in only a few select areas of the Light World, Buzz Blobs are some sort of green goo (as a kid I thought of them as fish without side fins). For the most part they just wander idly, but if Link makes contact with them directly, such as by touching them or striking with his sword, he'll receive a nasty electric shock. To take Buzz Blobs down, use the Bow & Arrows, or stun or freeze them first. If you have the Golden Sword, it's powerful enough to defeat them without hurting Link. Sprinkling Magic Powder on a Buzz Blob turns it into a Cukeman.
===================
Cannon & Cannonball
-------------------
While Cannons themselves are seen only in the Desert Palace and Ganon's Tower, Cannonballs can be found in a few other places. In certain dungeon rooms, you'll find Cannons moving back and forth along the walls, firing off flurries of Cannonballs. They fly only in the direction they are launched, though in some cases, you'll have to deal with these weapons coming at you from multiple directions. The East Palace is home to a large Cannonball in one of its first rooms.
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Chain Chomp
-----------
A carryover from the Mario franchise, you'll meet exactly two Chain Chomps in the entire game within Turtle Rock. They'll launch themselves at Link as far as their chains will allow them and deal significant damage if they manage to touch him.
=======
Chasupa
-------
Chasupa look like single eyeballs with wings. Their behavior is similar to Keese in that they will only swoop upon Link if he gets close. Otherwise, they tend to keep their distance.
====
Crow
----
Crows are easy to spot from afar as you'll often see them hanging out in treetops, waiting to ambush you if you get near them. Once airborne, Crows like to circle until they hit you before flying away.
=======
Cukeman
-------
As I said above, this strange creature is the result of a Buzz Blob when sprinkled with Magic Powder. Its body changes color and its eyes become comically massive. Attack- and behavior-wise, Cukemen are similar to Buzz Blobs and can still shock you if not stunned or frozen beforehand. Intriguingly, you can talk to Cukemen if you approach them carefully and press the A button.
=====
Dacto
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The Dark World version of Crows, Dactos operate in much the same way. Naturally, of course, they are much stronger and more annoying; where Crows usually fly off after hitting you, Dactos will often continue their pursuit until you either defeat them or leave the screen.
========
Deadrock
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Deadrocks are quick-moving, nearly indestructible enemies found on Death Mountain in Hyrule. Their speed makes it hard to get around them and they can deal a good bit of damage. When struck with a weapon, they will turn into statues and remain immobilized for a few seconds, allowing you to get past them. The only way to defeat a Deadrock is to transform it into a Slime by way of Magic Powder or the Quake Medallion. As a Slime, it is then easily beaten.
========
Devalant
--------
Devalants like to make their homes within the sands of the Desert Palace. When encountered, they will rise out of the earth and create a small pool of quicksand around them which can pull Link in close if he's caught and allow the Devalant to attack with its sharp pincers. Look out for the fireballs the Red Devalants spit.
=======
Eyegore
-------
These durable enemies are similar to Armos in that they look to be still as statues until you approach them; they'll then open their single eye and briefly give chase. They can only be defeated when the eye is open. Green Eyegores can take a substantial beating, though a single pot or Arrow will kill them instantly. Red Eyegores, on the other hand, can only be defeated with Arrows.
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Flying Tile
-----------
You'll find this trap within certain dungeon rooms, sometimes acting as a barrier to getting through a door. You can destroy all 22 tiles with your sword or just sidestep them and let them collide with a wall. TIP: Standing under a doorway offers good protection against this trap!
=======
Freezor
-------
A cunning enemy, Freezors disguise themselves as statues within the walls of the Ice Palace. They look similar to some real statues in the dungeon, making actual Freezors hard to spot, although an astute observer may be able to distinguish them. When Link gets close to a Freezor, it will detach itself from the wall and make a beeline for him. They move slowly horizontally but quickly vertically and are susceptible only to - you guessed it - fire.
=======
Geldman
-------
Geldmen are sand creatures hiding beneath the Desert of Mystery. You can get a quick warning of an approaching Geldman as you'll briefly see its eyes before its entire body rises out and gives chase. Unlike a lot of enemies, they can move diagonally.
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Gibdo
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Gibdos are basically mummies, first appearing in the Skull Woods dungeon. They are surprisingly hard to put down and can take up to 10 slashes from the Master Sword to defeat. They are weak to fire-based weapons.
====
Gibo
----
Resembling a gas cloud of sorts with a jelly-like nucleus, the Gibo is only vulnerable when the nucleus is separated from its outer shell. You'll meet these creatures in the dungeon beneath the Village of Outcasts.
======
Goriya
------
Goriyas are curious enemies who like to mimic Link's movements. They come in green and red varieties. Green Goriyas are weaker and can be defeated with the sword, while Red Goriyas are capable of blasting energy at you and must be defeated with Arrows.
============
Guruguru Bar
------------
Another familiar face from the Mario games, Guruguru Bars are also known as Fire Bars and look like, well, bars of fire. They are commonly found spinning around blocks and are designed to make navigating tight spaces harder. You can safely pass through these traps using the Magic Cape or Cane of Byrna. Firing the Hookshot as the Guruguru Bar passes by can also give you a temporary bit of protection.
==============
Hardhat Beetle
--------------
These tough insects are like living Bumpers; striking a Hardhat Beetle with something like the sword or Magic Hammer will cause Link to be knocked back. They generally hang out near bottomless bits in groupings. Like other enemies in the game, blue ones are weaker while the red ones can take a good beating. You'll likely find it easier to just knock these beetles into a nearby pit instead of trying to take them out.
=========
Helmasaur
---------
A small dinosaur enemy, Helmasaurs wear green masks that completely protect their frontside from most direct attacks. Defeating them means attacking them from behind or at an angle, a feat made somewhat difficult by their ferocious charging.
=====
Hinox
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Hinoxes are slow but dangerous Cyclops monsters. Not only are they tough to fight, they can dish out a good amount of hurt. Further, they have a proclivity for Bombs and love throwing them all over the place. Most of the time, Hinoxes will drop extra Bombs upon defeat.
==========
Hokkubokku
----------
Native to Turtle Rock, Hokkubokku are segmented, cactus-like creatures. If you attack its segments, they will detach and bounce around the room before dissipating. The quickest way to defeat this monster is to go for its head.
===
Hyu
---
You'll encounter these ghosts in haunted areas. They're the Dark World counterpart of Poes and thus behave similarly.
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Keese
-----
These bats inhabit dark places so expect to see them in caves and dungeons. Often found in small colonies, Keese will flap away if you get near them and don't generally attack head-on.
=======
Kodongo
-------
Looking similar to Helmasaurs, Kodongos are fire-breathing dinosaurs. They typically appear behind or within fenced-off areas, rendering them some protection. Although Kodongos are weak, their fireballs can pack a punch. Be careful when running into one!
==
Ku
--
Ku are found in the waters of the Dark World and function similarly to Zoras. They'll pop their heads out of the water to shoot fireballs at Link.
========
Kyameron
--------
These are bubble enemies that form in shallow water. Once formed, they'll soar around the room until they hit you or disappear before regenerating all over again. You can prevent this by first blasting the Kyameron with ice magic and then smashing it with the Magic Hammer.
========
Landmine
--------
These are explosive devices that reside in the ground. Several are scattered around the desert, making them easy to sidestep. Occasionally, you may get a nasty surprise under a random bush or rock. Watch your step!
=========
Laser Eye
---------
A ferocious trap, the Laser Eye is pretty much what it sounds like. They are quick to fire lasers when they spot you, but unlike Beamos you can actually block these beams with the Mirror Shield. In certain cases, facing a Laser Eye may cause a doorway to seal. You'll have to find a way to get through the door without triggering the trap.
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Leever
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Leevers dwell beneath the sand and like to attack in groups. While purple Leevers are slightly faster, they're no stronger than their green cousins.
=====
Lynel
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A rare but powerful monster, the Lynel makes its home on the Dark World's Death Mountain and is impervious to all but the mightiest weapons. Lynels are crafty and will keep their distance while blasting fireballs that you can block with the Mirror Shield.
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Medusa
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These are stone-face traps that regularly shoot fireballs. Medusas can be particularly annoying especially when assembled with hordes of enemies and they'll keep shooting fireballs even after all other on-screen enemies have been defeated. Use the Red Shield to block their attacks.
============
Mini-Moldorm
------------
These segmented worms are full of chaotic energy. Mini-Moldorms move really fast in sporadic circular motions and are infuriating to take down. Getting around them is also sometimes problematic, so you're probably still best off trying to defeat them where possible.
======
Moblin
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Moblins are pig-like spear-carrying warriors. As the primary foot soldiers of Ganon's army, they are functionally similar to the basic castle soldiers seen at the start of the game. Moblins aimlessly roam the Dark World but they will chuck their spears at Link if they see him.
====
Mole
----
This trap's name comes from its resemblance to a Whack-A-Mole game. It's absolutely innocuous and serves no purpose other than to impede your progress. Simply smash a Mole with the Magic Hammer to get by.
===========
Octoballoon
-----------
You'll encounter just one of these throughout the whole game near Lake Hylia. It hovers above the ground, gradually moving toward Link, and bursts into smaller versions of itself when touched.
=======
Octorok
-------
Octoroks appear to be miniature land-based octopuses. They have large snouts with which they fire small but painful rocks. At times, they may rapidly shoot their projectiles in all four directions.
========
Pengator
--------
A cross between penguins and alligators, these hybrid enemies live in the frozen depths of the Ice Palace. They're commonly found on floors of ice, which they use to slide around and rush at Link.
=====
Pikit
-----
Pikits are hopping orange plant enemies native to the Dark World. Their primary weapon is their long, vine-like tongue which they use to normally steal Recovery Items, but it can also steal your shield! The good news is that if you defeat it you can recover the last item a Pikit steals from you. The bad news is that this means if it steals an item after already taking your shield, it's gone and you'll have to buy a new one. Their tongue can even reach over barriers, so don't think hiding behind a wall will save your precious items!
========
Pirogusu
--------
These fish creatures roam the Swamp Palace. They'll come out of holes along the walls before dropping into the shallow water below and quickly skimming around. Pirogusu are tougher than they look and can cause quite a bit of pain. Mind your step around them.
===
Poe
---
Poes are the Zelda Universe's version of ghosts, and as indicated earlier are the Hyrule version of Hyu. They look slightly different from Hyu but are similar in behavior. Defeating a Poe may net you some Recovery Items.
====
Popo
----
Popos appear as bodies of blue and orange tentacles. They're slow and are more of an irritating pest than a dangerous enemy. You can take them out with a single attack.
===========
Rabbit Beam
-----------
First encountered in the Dark World dungeons, Rabbit Beams have the power to temporarily negate the powers of the Moon Pearl and revert Link to his bunny form. These traps are usually hidden under walkways or objects and often in rooms with numerous enemies, which means getting hit by one may leave you defenseless against an onslaught.
===
Rat
---
Rats are some of the game's earliest foes, so they're fairly weak compared to later enemies. That said, they move fast and may steal Rupees if they bump into you. They like to hide in the shadows of dark and dank places like sewers and caves.
=============
Rolling Spike
-------------
It's pretty self-explanatory what this trap is. Thankfully you don't encounter many of them in the game, but when you do, prepare to be light on your feet as you dodge around them.
====
Ropa
----
Appearance-wise, I think of Ropas as somewhat of a cross between Leevers and Popos, just with a far more aggressive nature. Don't be fooled by their simple looks; they jump around pretty quickly and can take off a couple of Hearts.
====
Rope
----
These are snakes - there's no other way to describe them. Ropes typically like to meander, though they'll rush at you if you get in their way. One Rope is easy to handle but a group of them can become a bit overwhelming if you're not careful.
=========
Sand Crab
---------
Found near bodies of water, Sand Crabs have an interesting pattern of movement; they move slowly vertically and very fast side-to-side. While they can deal a hefty amount of damage with their claws, they have low defense and can be defeated with a single sword slash.
=========
Skullrope
---------
There's a chance you'll never encounter these enemies because they only appear if you trigger a false lever in the Thieves' Town dungeon. Apart from their skull-faced appearance, they are no different from regular Ropes.
======
Slarok
------
Slaroks are the Dark World counterpart to Octoroks and look more like slugs. They are stronger compared to their Light World versions but they can only shoot one rock at a time.
=====
Slime
-----
Slimes can only be encountered when certain enemies - such as Deadrocks - are transformed either by Magic Powder or the Quake Medallion. They're dull creatures and hardly a threat.
========
Sluggula
--------
You'll encounter these Bomb-dropping enemies in Misery Mire. Instead of slime, they leave a trail of green Bombs behind which will explode after a few seconds.
===========
Snap Dragon
-----------
The result of a mad scientist's experiments (at least according to the American game manual), Snap Dragons look like Venus flytraps on legs. They'll swiftly hop around trying to take a bite out of Link. They're not hard to get around, though without stronger armor they can knock out several Hearts.
=======
Soldier
-------
The soldiers of Hyrule have all been brainwashed by Agahnim and are out to get both you and Zelda. As such, many of them are scattered all over the land. They come with a range of weapons and tactics including swords, bows & arrows, spears, and Bombs. By far the most powerful and dangerous type is the Ball and Chain Trooper, one of which features as a mini-boss when rescuing Zelda at the start of the game. I distinguish all of these types throughout the guide based on their weapon of choice.
=====
Spark
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This trap is an unstoppable flashing fireball. It winds around whatever solid object it's attached to, such as walls or groups of pots. If a Spark is circling pots and you remove them all from its path, it will have nowhere to go and just spin in place. Just dodge around them if you can.
============
Spiny Beetle
------------
Also known as a Hoarder, these little critters are harmless but they still technically count as an enemy. Spiny Beetles like to hide under rocks or bushes and will try running away if you get close to them. They get their secondary name because of the Rupees they drop if you remove whatever they're hiding under.
====
Stal
----
Stal look like green skulls and this simple appearance is their greatest weapon; they are found all over the Dark World and look indistinguishable from inanimate skulls (basically rocks in the Dark World). They like to hide under grass or next to other skulls to blend into the environment. Should Link brush against them, Stals will come to life and give chase. TIP: Defeating a Stal with the Magic Hammer tends to reward you with a Recovery Heart.
=======
Stalfos
-------
Stalfos are skeleton enemies found in many dungeons. They try to flee from sword attacks by jumping away, though red-headed Stalfos will fight back by chucking bones at you. Other Stalfos colors include yellow and green, both of which have various characteristics.
==============
Stalfos Knight
--------------
A larger and more powerful version of the regular Stalfos, these undead knights hang out in the Ice Palace. They come equipped with swords and take more work to defeat. Even if you manage to collapse a Stalfos Knight's body, you'll need a more powerful weapon to completely destroy it.
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Swamola
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Appearing as smaller versions of Lanmolas, Swamolas lurk in the marshes of the Swamp of Evil. They'll attack as they surface.
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Taros
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These bull-like monsters behave similarly to the Light World's castle soldiers. Blue Taros carry spears with blunt ends while Red Taros carry tridents. As with other enemies in the game, the Red Taros are the strongest kind.
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Tektite
-------
Tektites are jumping spider-like enemies with single eyes. They appear on Death Mountain after Link has defeated Agahnim. Tektites will jump away from you if you try to slash at them. You'll either have to stun them first or back them into a corner where they can't dodge your attacks.
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Terrorpin
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Terrorpins look like red-shelled turtles. They slowly move toward Link and are impenetrable against most attacks. With a swing of the Magic Hammer, however, they can be flipped over, revealing their helpless underbellies. If they're not swiftly defeated at this point, they'll flip back over and chase Link down more quickly.
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Thief/Pikku
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Several of these bandits roam the Lost Woods in northwest Hyrule. Upon spotting Link, a Thief will try ramming into him, causing him to drop various Recovery Items which the Thief will then attempt to steal. You can't kill Thieves, but you can get your items back if you bash into them in turn. Pikku are simply the Dark World versions of Thieves and look like foxes. They don't have any other attributes that make them different from the Light World Thieves.
You can also meet Friendly Thieves and Pikku during your journey. These allies offer tips and advice to Link and may even share their hoard of Rupees.
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Toppo
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The Toppo is a blue rabbit with sharp claws that appears solely in the Great Swamp south of Link's house. It's easily recognized due to its penchant for jumping out of the grass. Toppos are weak and can be defeated in one hit, and they also come with a curious feature: If you cut the grass beneath the Toppo before it returns to the ground, it will flail about. You can then approach it, at which point it will call you a thief and leave behind potentially valuable Recovery Items such as Arrows, Bombs, or Magic Jars.
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Vulture
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The Vultures of the desert behave like giant Crows in that they'll start off stationary, only to swoop upon Link if he passes by. Their constant circling about makes hitting them a tad tricky, though if you quickly change direction you can surprise them with a sneak attack.
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Wallmaster
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Wallmasters are among the most annoying enemies in the game. They are giant severed hands that will drop from dungeon ceilings and attempt to grab Link. If they succeed, he'll be sent all the way back to the dungeon entrance. Trying to work in a room with a Wallmaster around can be a real pain. Should you hear the sound of something falling and see a shadow appear beneath Link, get out of the way! You can kill Wallmasters, however they almost always respawn.
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Water Tektite
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An aquatic variation of the standard Tektite, they appear in the Swamp Palace. Instead of evading Link's attacks by jumping, Water Tektites will go on the offensive by skimming the surface of the water toward him.
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Winder
------
This trap is basically just a line of fireballs, not unlike a Guruguru Bar, except Winders are more unpredictable. A Winder will move in any of the four cardinal directions until meeting a wall or object, at which point it will switch to a new, random direction.
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Wizzrobe
--------
These mages materialize in random spots around dungeon rooms, shooting powerful blasts of magic at Link before disappearing again. Their attacks are relatively simple to dodge and they can be defeated in one or two sword strikes. Purple-robed skeletal versions of Wizzrobes appear exclusively in Ganon's Tower.
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Yomo Medusa
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A cousin to the regular Medusa, this trap is a small cannon-like structure with four holes pointing in each direction. It is only harmful if Link swings his sword, upon which the Yomo Medusa will shoot a fireball in Link's direction depending on which hole he's closest to. Since they usually appear in rooms with swarms of enemies, preventing a firepower assault from Yomo Medusas is tough unless you can dispatch the enemies with weapons other than the sword.
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Zazak
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These guys look like muscular alligators. Blue Zazaks are simple creatures, patrolling purposelessly, and can be defeated with one swipe of the Master Sword. Red Zazaks, on the other hand, require two to defeat. Moreover, they will shoot energy beams at Link when he's within sight. These blasts cannot be blocked; you must simply sidestep them.
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Zirro
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Zirros resemble mushrooms with wings. The blue versions enjoy flying at Link to hurt him and can easily avoid sword attacks. You'll need to time your strikes accurately to beat them. Green Zirros drop small explosives that will detonate upon hitting the ground. They are, however, easier to kill.
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Zol
---
Zols appear to be small gelatinous creatures and come in red, green, and yellow varieties. Unlike other enemies, red Zols are actually slightly weaker than green and yellow ones, although that isn't saying much since all three variations are simple to defeat. Zols appear by popping up from the ground right beneath Link's feet - watch for shadows.
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Zora
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The Zoras can be found in the waters surrounding Lake Hylia in the southeast as well as their hidden domain in the northeast. They'll first appear as swirling whirlpools before breaking the surface and blasting a fireball at you, which only the Red Shield and above can block. In shallow water, Zoras will surface completely and attack head-on. The only friendly Zora is their king, who does business as a merchant of Flippers.
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Zoro
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These tiny, formless, shadowy enemies are rare and may appear after destroying a wall with a Bomb. If they do appear, a group of Zoro will scamper from the opening. It's best to be careful when passing through the doorway lest you get caught up in a small group, but they aren't strong by any measure so they won't pose much of a problem.
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[Z311] - BOSS GUIDE /--\
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This chapter provides in-depth information about the game's bosses and strategies to defeat them. You'll likely find this most useful if you're following the spoiler-free walkthrough or just playing blindly.
*=================================*
Mini-Boss: BALL AND CHAIN TROOPER
*=================================*
Location: Hyrule Castle Dungeon
While not technically a boss (no awesome theme music for one), this Soldier is the most dangerous foe you'll have faced so far. This enemy swings a powerful mace that will deal significant damage to Link if hit. There are two ways to defeat this guy: an easy way and a hard way. Since I'm nice I'll give you the easy way first. Go to the cell next to Zelda's, pick up a pot, then return to the Trooper and chuck it at him. The force of the pot will knock him back quite a ways, allowing Link to grab another pot and hit him again. Using this method, the Ball and Chain Trooper goes down in two hits. That's right, just two! Easy-peasy!
If you'd prefer more of a fight, classic swordplay is the second and harder option. The Trooper will swing his mace when he gets close to Link. Wait for him to swing the mace, backing up to give him a wide enough berth to do so, then rush in to slash at him with Link's sword. If you're fast you can attack him twice in between his mace swings, just don't forget to quickly back away to a safe distance once he begins to swing again. The Boomerang is helpful here; while it won't immobilize the Trooper as it does other Soldiers, it will stun him long enough to get in a quick strike. Eight sword slashes (or four Spin Attacks) will take the Ball and Chain Trooper out.
*===========================================*
Boss: Stone Guardian Sextet - ARMOS KNIGHTS
*===========================================*
Location: East Palace
(Ocarina of Time introduced cool titles for its bosses, a tradition that continued in many games that followed. I always liked that concept so for fun I came up with some of my own for the bosses of this game.)
Six huge Armos Knights are waiting to do battle with you. They are basically more monstrous versions of the Armos statues outside the dungeon. As soon as the fight starts, the Knights come to life and bounce around the room in a pattern. The pattern starts with them jumping in a wide circle, then moving in to form a smaller circle before expanding out again. They end things by lining up along the north wall and bouncing southward, then returning to their circle and repeating the pattern all over. Your best way to avoid getting hurt is to stay in either of the south corners and pick them off one at a time.
If you inspected the Telepathy Tile earlier, recall what Sahasrahla said about using the treasure in this dungeon to defeat armored foes. Have your Bow handy and fire off Arrows at the Armos Knights. Each one takes three Arrows to destroy. You can also use your sword, just note that each Knight will require 12 slashes. Should you run out of Arrows, you'll have to resort to the sword anyway. Once you have defeated five of them, the last Armos Knight will literally turn red with rage and attack by leaping into the air and trying to crush Link. This continues for the rest of the fight. If you can, try to stay south of the Knight and pelt it with Arrows; the force will send it flying back a bit and help you evade damage. Dodge it as much as possible while shooting Arrows. Like its brethren, three Arrows will defeat it.
*========================================*
Boss: Subterranean Centipedes - LANMOLAS
*========================================*
Location: Desert Palace
You'll have to fight three of these creatures. They will surface from under the sand and hurl bits of dirt in four diagonal directions. Getting hit with the dirt will knock off one-half a Heart. If you are hit by one of the Lanmolas themselves, they'll cost Link a full Heart of damage. That said, they are very easy to avoid so the dirt debris is their only real attack. Each Lanmola will briefly glide through the air before diving back into the sand and popping up again in different spots. To defeat them, you must attack their heads. It's best to concentrate on one Lanmola at a time. Be warned, after defeating two of them, the third Lanmola will get nasty by moving faster and sending chunks of dirt flying in all eight directions.
Link can use several items to defeat the boss. You might be tempted to try Bombs but I wouldn't bother; the centipedes emerge from the sand faster than the Bomb's timer and their movements are so random that throwing a Bomb is unlikely to help either. Arrows are slightly better, although you still need to time your shots perfectly. Each Lanmola will perish after four Arrows. If you opt to use the sword, aggressively attack the Lanmolas when they surface. You could wait for them to fly toward you but you're unlikely to be that lucky. Instead, chase them down. You can snag two or even three sword slashes before they dive. With the sword, each Lanmola can endure eight hits. However, the best weapon against the Lanmolas is the Ice Rod. While the Ice Rod's chilling blast moves slowly and uses considerable magic, each Lanmola can be defeated with just two shots. Talk about a brain freeze! Whichever method you use, keep up the assault until all three are toast.
*=====================================*
Boss: Giant Erratic Annelid - MOLDORM
*=====================================*
Location: Tower of Hera
Rage has a name, and that name is Moldorm. This boss has been a source of Zelda players' frustration and annoyance for years. The fight's difficulty has little to do with Moldorm's actual strength and more to do with how hard it is to attack it. Although the boss has no direct attacks of its own, it will charge unpredictably around the floor it slithers on, and getting hit will send Link flying. Its hide is so thick that hitting it with the sword also causes you to bounce backward, similar to Hardhat Beetles or Bumpers. Compounding this is that the battlefield is on a balcony suspended over a large pit. If Link gets knocked into the pit, he'll be sent back to 5F and will have to climb back up to continue the fight. Worse yet, falling to the floor below resets the entire battle, meaning all damage to Moldorm is undone while Link has to nurse any wounds he receives. If Moldorm knocks Link into the arena's central pit, he'll drop two floors to 4F. It's easy to get knocked off so players must be quick and agile.
Moldorm has one weak point: its twirling red tail tip. You need to hit the tail six times, but the worm's quick movements make doing so tough. Stay light on your feet - this is, after all, a battle of precise movement. Be alert as you dodge and weave around Moldorm, then attack its tail when you have an opening. You can try Spin Attacks, or just hack and slash regularly. You may find it easier to stay near the south wall where you at least have some cushion in case you get knocked back.
Once you've hit Moldorm five times, it will scurry even faster around the room! This is the boss at its most dangerous, but also its most vulnerable. Remain patient and wait for the right moment to strike its tail a final time, bringing this chaotic worm to rest.
*========================================*
Boss: Priest of the Dark Order - AGAHNIM
*========================================*
Location: Hyrule Castle Tower
(In the original Japanese text of the game, Agahnim is a priest. Nintendo of America recharacterized him as a wizard to avoid overt religious references. "Priest of the Dark Order" is the name of Agahnim's theme music on the soundtrack and it's a cool title so I decided to use it here. :))
Agahnim will teleport around the room for most of the battle. The first thing to note is that you cannot physically harm the wizard with the Master Sword; if Link touches him with the sword, he will be treated to a nasty electric shock. The way to defeat Agahnim is to turn his magical energy against him.
Agahnim has three attacks to choose from. The first is a glowing fireball projectile - the *only* magic attack Agahnim is vulnerable to. You must strike the projectile with your sword to send it back at Agahnim to damage him. Interestingly, you can also use the Bug-Catching Net to reflect the projectile. The second attack is a ring of blue fireballs which will split into six smaller projectiles if struck - be mindful of this. His third and most devastating attack is obvious: When Agahnim teleports to the north-center of the room he will unleash a blast of lightning. To evade this, simply stand on the north side of the room. (There's a small chance he may fire a different attack, though I do not recommend playing the odds.) Successfully land six hits on Agahnim to defeat him.
*============================================*
Boss: Infernal Masked Beast - HELMASAUR KING
*============================================*
Location: Palace of Darkness
This boss has largely enjoyed much praise from Zelda veterans. For one, it has a fantastic design and looks exactly like the sort of menacing fiend you'd expect to encounter in an evil land. Beyond that, it's a terrific fight and, frankly, the first truly challenging boss battle. At the very least, the boss has more of a chance of actually killing you.
Stay south of the boss at all times. The north wall is littered with Blade Traps so you won't want to go there anyway. The boss has two main attacks. First, it will spit out a fireball which splits into three fireballs, and each of those will further divide into four fireballs. The fireballs all shoot off diagonally, so stand at right angles of the fireballs so they can't hurt you. Helmasaur King's second attack is its tail; it will periodically swing it at Link like a whip. You'll get a few seconds heads-up when it's about to swing its tail, as it will begin swinging faster to build up power. Avoid the tail by staying close to the boss's face or just keep your distance.
Before you can damage Helmasaur King, you must remove the giant blue mask covering its face. You can break off pieces of the mask with either the Magic Hammer or Bombs. The Magic Hammer method is technically faster but it requires 16 total smacks to its face to break the mask. It also means having to get up close enough to hit it. On the other hand, just five Bombs will destroy the mask, and you can chuck Bombs at Helmasaur King from a distance, though it does mean having good timing. Since the Bombs take a few seconds to go off and the boss constantly moves about, this method ends up being a slower tactic versus using the Hammer. Either way, once the mask breaks off, the monster's face is shown. Its weak point is the obvious emerald on its forehead. At this point, Helmasaur King also becomes more dangerous; it moves faster and attacks more frequently. You can use Arrows or the Master sword on the emerald - eight blows from either weapon will put this beast down.
*====================================*
Boss: Gargantuan Scyphozoa - ARRGHUS
*====================================*
Location: Swamp Palace
Similar to Helmasaur King, the battle with Arrghus features two phases. The boss surrounds itself with small polyps called Arrgi and as long as these creatures are around, you cannot harm Arrghus. In the first phase of the fight, you must use the Hookshot to pull the Arrgi toward you and defeat them. Two sword slashes each will destroy them and since you can only latch onto them one by one this will take some time. (NOTE: If you try pulling on an Arrgi while facing north, you will likely get hurt. It's weird, I know, it's just due to how hitboxes work in the 2D gaming space. Just try not attacking from this position and you'll be fine.) In the meantime, Arrghus will slowly float around the room toward you. It has one attack during this phase; it will send its minion Arrgi swirling around it in two rings. The safest way to avoid this attack is to stand in the corner furthest away from the boss.
When all the Arrgi are gone, the second phase begins and Arrghus goes on a rampage. It will retreat to the ceiling and attempt to crash right on top of you, so get out of the way fast! For the remainder of the battle it will speed around the water; this is your chance to attack. Deliver either a regular sword slash or a Spin Attack if you can. Each time you land a blow, Arrghus will take to the ceiling and repeat the process of trying to squash you. A total of eight regular sword slashes or four Spin Attacks will silence it.
*=================================*
Boss: Dark Insect Queen - MOTHULA
*=================================*
Location: Skull Woods
Mothula gives Moldorm a run for its money in terms of how utterly chaotic the fight is. The battle arena is, quite frankly, absurd. The entire floor is a mechanical conveyor belt that moves in all directions throughout the whole fight. Making things more challenging are the Blade Traps lining the walls. The Blade Traps will slide across the room and in some cases stop in the center before returning to their starting positions. Mothula itself will try ramming into you, delivering some significant damage when it does. Additionally, it has an attack where it will blast energy beams in three directions. Expect to bear some damage during this battle and be ready to restore your Life Meter before you're taken out.
Like the previous Dark World dungeons, Mothula is particularly weak against its dungeon's special item - in this case, the Fire Rod. (Not surprising though since it is, after all, a bug boss.) Pull it out if you don't already have it equipped and begin blasting Mothula. The Blade Traps' constant movements may impede some of the Fire Rod's magic, but if your aim is on point you can circumvent this problem. If you have the 1/2 Magic Meter Upgrade and you don't miss too many shots, Mothula can be defeated before you lose all of your magic power. Should you run out of magic and don't have any Green or Blue Medicine, just hack away at the boss with the Master Sword. After enough of a beating, this giant bug will eventually meets its demise.
*============================================*
Boss: Demonic Shapeshifter - BLIND THE THIEF
*============================================*
Location: Thieves' Town
Blind the Thief spends the fight floating about on one side of the room. His primary attack is firing a powerful, unblockable laser beam from his eyes; stay away from this beam at all costs. At some point, Blind will sweep from one end of the room to the other and repeat the same floating and attacking patterns before returning to the other side again.
The boss's only weak point is his head. There's really no advice to give here other than to just get in close and hack away at Blind's head over and over. Each time you successfully hit Blind's head he will unleash a wild flurry of fireballs just to complicate matters. After enough hits his head severs and his body collapses, but this isn't over. The body will rise and his head will regrow, while the head you cut off will now fly rapidly around the room while shooting fireballs at you. Repeat the attack on the second head until it, too, comes off. Blind isn't finished, however! He will grow yet a third head, and with two severed heads now joining the onslaught and firing off blasts every which way, on top of the third head continuing to fire laser beams, this battle gets tough indeed. Continue slashing away at Blind's head until the third one is defeated and the boss will finally croak. Each head needs three strikes from the Master Sword to sever, totaling nine that you need to land on Blind to defeat him.
*=====================================*
Boss: Cryogenic Cyclopes - KHOLDSTARE
*=====================================*
Location: Ice Palace
Kholdstare is quite honestly one of the coolest-sounding names in any Zelda game (no pun intended). It starts off the battle encased in an armor of ice and its only attack during this first phase is ice chunks that continuously fall from the ceiling. When they hit the ground the ice chunks will shatter in four directions. The ice will knock off a couple of Hearts if you're hit, but it's also easy to avoid. To get at the boss, you have to melt the ice block with either the Fire Rod or the Bombos Medallion. The Fire Rod can melt the ice in eight shots while the Bombos Medallion will do the job in just one go. Should you run out of magic power for whatever reason, the ice chunks will leave behind Magic Jars to help you continue the fight.
Once it's freed, Kholdstare will split into three replicas, each of which will soar about the room and try to slam into Link. The ice chunks continue to fall, so you'll just need to be nimble. If you have enough magic power, then continue using the Fire Rod on the targets, each of which can be defeated with four successful fire blasts. You can also use the Tempered Sword, though each Kholdstare replica will require eight regular sword slashes or four Spin Attacks. Like the fight with the Lanmolas, it's best to try to tackle one at a time. Keep hammering away until the last one is taken out.
*============================*
Boss: Toxic Oculi - VITREOUS
*============================*
Location: Misery Mire
Vitreous is a huge eyeball submerged beneath a pool of slime and shielded by numerous smaller eyeballs. Stay away from the slime as it's poisonous. Indeed, this fight is all about letting the boss come to you instead of directly attacking it. The small eyeballs will swarm at you in twos or threes so attack them quickly. Vitreous itself will rise from the acid at regular intervals and shoot a blast of lightning at Link; stick to one of the south corners and you should be safe. The Cane of Byrna is extremely useful here to help pick off the eyeballs one by one. If you run out of magic you can just fall back on trusty sword slashes and Spin Attacks. Although each eyeball can withstand considerable damage, eventually they will all fall. Note that as you defeat the eyeballs, the time between Vitreous' lightning attack gets shorter, so be sure to keep your eyes on the boss while removing its defenses.
After only four eyeballs are left, Vitreous will leave the acid and bounce at Link in a furious rage. At this point you've pretty much won because instead of using any attacks, the boss just constantly bounces toward you, perfect for you to launch attack after attack on it. Your best weapons in this phase are the Tempered Sword or Arrows, which do more damage, and each blow sends the boss flying back a few paces. Rinse and repeat until it's defeated. Honestly, Vitreous is a bit of a joke for one of the game's final bosses. Don't get me wrong - it can deal significant damage if you're not careful, but its attacks are easy to evade and since it constantly flies into your own it makes the fight rather easy.
*==================================*
Boss: Elemental Colossus - TRINEXX
*==================================*
Location: Turtle Rock
This massive stone monster resembles a turtle and is accompanied by two heads protruding from its shell - one spouts fire and the other blasts ice. The fire head is weak against the Ice Rod while the ice head is, naturally, vulnerable to the Fire Rod. The rods are the only way to defeat these heads so remain watchful of your Magic Meter. Meanwhile, the central head is entirely invincible. Trinexx will frequently thrust its long-necked central head toward Link. This attack will cause extensive damage if it makes contact, but like the Helmasaur King you have a warning sign: Trinexx will quickly swish its tail back and forth, so use this as your sign to get out of the way.
Focus your attention first on the ice-blasting head as its frost will leave a permanent floor of ice and you'll want to minimize traction in this battle. A single blast from the Fire Rod will stun the head and give you an opening to attack. You can continue using the Fire Rod until it's defeated, though if you're trying to conserve magic then just use the sword. In fact, the Golden Sword's strength is such that only a few swipes are needed to destroy each head. Once the ice head is gone, repeat the process on the fire head using the Ice Rod. When both heads are destroyed, Trinexx's outer shell explodes and its body becomes more like a snake, which it will use to pursue you around the arena. Trinexx moves very fast during this stage so be prepared to heal at a moment's notice. As its body stretches, notice the obvious weak point indicated by the flashing segment; this is where you want to attack. Keep dodging around the boss, slashing at this spot whenever you get a chance. After a few successful blows to this weak point the boss will be vanquished.
*========================================*
Boss: Priest of the Dark Order - AGAHNIM
*========================================*
Location: Ganon's Tower
Agahnim is back for one more clash and he has a new trick up his sleeve this round. The fight is much the same as the duel in Hyrule Castle except Agahnim will create two clones to aid him. All three of them teleport around the room shooting magic at you. The clones can still hurt Link so you'll have to dodge around multiple attacks while simultaneously trying to deflect magic back at the real Agahnim. It's easy to know which one that is because he appears solid while the clones are slightly transparent.
For this fight, Agahnim ditches his lightning attack and only uses his glowing fireball projectile and his ring of blue fire, while the clones will solely shoot glowing fireballs. Just as it was last time, the glowing fireball projectile is what you want to deflect with the sword (or the Bug-Catching Net) to do damage. Not even the Golden Sword is powerful enough to damage him directly. Deflecting the magic back at the clones does nothing, though if you're fortunate you might be able to deflect more than one projectile back at Agahnim. As with your last fight with him, six successful hits will take the dark sorcerer down - for good this time.
*==============================*
Boss: Great Demon King - GANON
*==============================*
Location: Pyramid of Power
(TIP: If you're quick enough, you can land a single sword strike on Ganon before the battle officially begins. Neat!)
As soon as you land inside the Pyramid, you'll see the boar-like Demon King standing mere feet away. He'll say a few menacing words, then the fight for Hyrule's future is on. There are four phases in this duel. In the first phase, Ganon will throw his mighty Trident around while teleporting to a new spot in the room and catching the Trident before repeating the attack. Both Ganon and the Trident can knock out several Hearts at once, so do your best to evade them. Try to attack Ganon whenever he rematerializes.
After enough hits, Ganon enters his second phase. Instead of throwing his Trident, he will create a ring of small fireballs as he spins the Trident. The fireballs start close to his body, then expand outward in a giant circle before returning inward. One by one, each fireball will turn into a Blazing Bat and swarm upon Link. These fiery bats are difficult to avoid and you'll probably take some damage. It's during their onslaught that Ganon will teleport and the attack will begin again. Continue pounding away at him with your sword until the next phase begins.
In the third phase, Ganon ditches his Trident. This time, whenever he finishes teleporting, he will fire a Blazing Bat from his mouth which will circle the battlefield in an outward spiral. Try to slash him as soon as he stops moving, which will prevent him from creating the Blazing Bat. When you hit him, he will jump into the air and crash to the floor. This shakes the room and causes the floor tiles along the north edge of the room to crumble away. Be extremely careful not to fall into the pit; if this happens, you'll land in a hidden room inside the Pyramid. You'll then have to exit to the Overworld (you can find a Telepathy Tile along the way which emphasizes the importance of the Silver Arrows), climb back up the Pyramid of Power, and drop into the hole, resetting the entire fight. Anyway, slash Ganon three more times during this phase so that the tiles along the remaining sides of the room fall away. Upon the fourth set of crumbling tiles, the final phase starts.
Ganon will compliment your efforts and introduce his "secret technique of Darkness." The two torches in the room will be extinguished and Ganon becomes both invisible and invulnerable. While in this state, he will continue to teleport around and project fire at you, giving away his location. Pull out the Fire Rod (trust me on this, don't use the Lamp here) and relight both torches to make Ganon fully reappear. He'll shield himself from the bright light for a moment, giving you just enough time to land a hit. As long as you strike him while he's visible, he'll turn a bright blue. This is your moment: Equip your Silver Arrows and pelt him with one. He'll quickly recover and the phase pattern repeats. Continue to light the torches as quickly as possible - you may even be able to get off two shots with the Silver Arrows before the torches go out again. Once you've hit Ganon with four Silver Arrows, the Great Demon King will be defeated at long last.
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[Z312] - LEGAL INFO, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, & CONTACT /--\
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LEGAL INFO
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This guide is copyrighted (c) 2025 by Kevin Hughes (aka kevos). The story as written in the American version of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past instruction manual is copyrighted (c) 1991 by Nintendo and is, to the best of my knowledge, being used under fair use laws. All rights reserved.
This guide is intended for free, non-commercial use and is not affiliated with Nintendo or any of its subsidiaries. The Legend of Zelda is a registered trademark of Nintendo and its games belong to the company.
As of April 13, 2025, this guide has been submitted to the following websites:
GameFAQs
Super Cheats
NeoSeeker
If you would like to host my guide on your website, please send me a request email at sentrythedestitute[at]gmail.com. Kindly do not redistribute my guide as your own nor host it on your site without my written consent. If you see this guide posted anywhere outside the above websites, please email me so that I may take appropriate action.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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First and foremost, my deep gratitude goes to Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka, Eiji Aonuma, and the rest of Nintendo for creating and developing The Legend of Zelda series. The influence it's had on me cannot be overstated.
Thank you deeply to my wife, whose endless love and support have greatly encouraged me throughout our years together. Her interest, however mild, in my working on something so insanely nerdy honestly made this even more worthwhile.
Thank you to the countless authors who have contributed guides over many years. Your work inspired me to create my own.
Many thanks to composers David Wise, Eveline Novakovic, and Robin Beanland, whose incredible compositions for the Donkey Kong Country trilogy were the perfect soundtrack throughout much of my time writing this.
Special shoutout to some old friends who used to hang out at the Zelda Legends Fan Art Community and the Anime Artists Forums in 2004: Imazeldagirl, obsessedzeldafreak, sailorz360, Linkmaster, Link Jr, and others whose usernames I have regretfully forgotten over time. You know, that was a fun period in my life. You were the folks with whom I shared my very first attempt at guide-writing, and I had so much fun chatting with you. I hope you all are well and have gone on to do great and wonderful things. If any of you somehow stumble upon and read this, Ganondorf and IronKnuckle say hello!
And to you, dear reader, thank you again for using my guide to help you along your adventure. If you found this guide beneficial, I would deeply appreciate it if you would recommend it to others.
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CONTACT
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As a final note, you can always feel free to contact me via email at sentrythedestitute[at]gmail.com if you have questions, comments, corrections, or general feedback. I usually respond within a day, although depending on my schedule it could take up to a few days or longer. Be warned, however, that I will ignore any spam, hate mail, or terribly written messages. Please try to make sure your question hasn't been answered in the guide before emailing.
Thank you!
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