***====THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST====***
FAQ & WALKTHROUGH
VERSION 4.2
================================================
Consult this guide's FAQ first!!
================================================
And please advise me of errors, omissions, etc!!
================================================
The most common questions I've had since posting this guide are located in
the FAQ section. And if you can't find it there, it will certainly be
somewhere else in this guide.
Also, if you spot a mistake in this guide, please tell me! I pride myself in
giving complete, accurate and easy-to-understand information in my
walkthroughs, so if you spot something wrong tell me and I'll fix it! And
you'll get credit for it!!
This guide was written by Cyber Predator, who resides at
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Chamber/1301 and can be e-mailed at
Cyber_Predator@hotmail.com -- put "SNES Zelda" in the subject line. E-mailing
Cyber Predator with questions is never a bother; I enjoy receiving feedback
about this guide. The only dumb question is the question that is never asked.
This document is copyrighted by Cyber Predator, as of its original release
date (detailed in the Version Information). Any entities used in this document
that are copyrighted by anyone else remains the property of the original owner;
Cyber Predator is simply giving information about these copyrighted entities
that the copyright owners aren't making very public.
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====CONTENTS====
INTRODUCTION
Version Information
Author's Note
It was a Dark and Stormy Night....
Event Sequence
FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS
Waterfall of Wishing
Magic Meter Mayhem
Hard-to-find Items
Clearing Dungeons
Reproducing this Guide
Throwing Bombs
Running Short on Keys
Getting to the Tower of Hera
Spectacle Rock
Entering the Dark World
Hidden Quests
HYRULE
Hyrule Castle
Out & About
Eastern Palace
Desert Palace
Tower of Hera
Hyrule Castle Tower
THE DARK WORLD
Out & About
Palace of Darkness
Flooded Palace
Skeleton Forest
Blind's Hideout
Ice Lake Cavern
Misery Mire
Turtle Rock
Tower of Ganon
Pyramid of Power
Shops and Wares
Weapons and Equipment
Pieces of Heart
Chris Houlihan's Secret Room
Credits and Taglines
====INTRODUCTION====
***VERSION INFORMATION***
VERSION 1 - 0559 GMT, 6-Jan-2000
The basic layout of this guide is the same as for all my guides, with
author's note and a credits section, but a brand new look for the paragraph
spacing and the copyright info makes its debut here and now. The guide has a
list of what to do in the game, a fictionalised introduction to the game's
story, a full listing of the landmarks and secrets to all areas of both worlds,
a complete walkthrough for each dungeon, a full guide to Link's inventory, and
the location of all Pieces of Heart. Phew!
VERSION 2 - 0602 GMT, 22-Apr-2001
Added the Frequently-Asked Questions section in response to all of the
e-mails I've received (Keep sending them please! Questions, comments,
WHATEVER!!). I asked for a specific subject line in this guide in response to
all the e-mails that come without one.
I also altered a small part of the intro story, a description of how the game
saves at the end, the location of some items, and some formatting. I also went
through a long proof-read to make sure the instructions were OK.
VERSION 3 - 2308 GMT, 13-May-2001
I spotted a few technical errors in the guide (getting east/west mixed up and
the like) and a couple of little pointers that somehow didn't get through, so
they've been cleared up in this version. I know, I know, I said I did the
proof-read in the last version, but you'll be amazed how boring it gets
proof-reading something this big. The FAQ has also gone far more in-depth,
including some more information on The Question that Needs Answering.
VERSION 4 - 0456 GMT, 19-May-2001
With special thanks to Snoborder420, we now have a far easier means of
getting through the invisible abyss room in Ganon's Tower! I can't believe I
didn't think up this one sooner....just goes to show how important feedback is
with guides like these!
I also cleaned up a bit more of the guide so that information on where to
find items gets a little clearer. Alex Green sent in an alternate order for
clearing the Dark World dungeons that should make the whole shebang a little
easier.
VERSION 4.2 - 1121 GMT, 10-Jun-2001
We've got some more information about Chris Houlihan! The information was
provided by Dragoon T and has been pretty much confirmed by all sorts of people
writing in with the same information (Dragoon got there first, so credit goes
to him; sorry guys!).
Since everyone's writing in and asking how to get the enhanced Magic Meter
and how to reach the Skeleton Forest crystal, I've added its directions to the
FAQ section.
***AUTHOR'S NOTE***
'A Link to the Past' is easily the greatest game available on the SNES, and
one which keeps me coming back again and again and again. There aren't that
many guides available this game, so I decided to divvy up one of my own in what
is easily the longest guide I will ever write!!
A very special thank you to Zelda fans around the world for all your support
for this guide: I've had e-mails from America, Canada, India, the UK, Holland,
Italy, Australia and New Zealand -- and they're just the non-Hotmail users! An
extra-special thank-you to those in South America and Germany who, despite
their less-than-fluent abilities in English, wrote to me anyway!
***IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT....***
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{ Help me....Please help me.... }
{ I am a prisoner in the dungeon of the castle. My name is Zelda. }
{ The wizard, Agahnim, has done....something...to the other missing }
{girls. Now only I remain. }
{ Agahnim has seized control of the castle and is now trying to open the}
{Seven Wise Men's Seal.... }
{ I am a prisoner in the castle.... }
{ Please help me.... }
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Link's eyes flew open but he did not stir from his bed. He knew that he'd
just heard a young girl pleading for help, but he wasn't sure if it was part of
a dream or not. The names certainly made sense; Zelda was Princess of this
country, Hyrule. Agahnim was not originally from Hyrule, but had come some
months before when Hyrule was in the grip of a horrible drought. Agahnim used
a strange, new form of magic to save the land. The King of Hyrule had named
Agahnim Chief Adviser as a reward.
The dream made Link think of the rumours that had circulated since Agahnim's
promotion. Scuttlebutt said that Agahnim had the Hylian Army under some kind
of hypnotic spell, using them to kidnap young girls from their homes for
strange magical experiments in Hyrule Castle's tower.
By now, Link's brain was too busy for sleep. He turned over in his bed, his
eyes meeting those of his aging uncle.
"Link, can't you sleep?"
"I had a strange dream, Uncle," Link explained.
Link realised now that his uncle was fully dressed and was carrying the
family sword and shield.
"Link, I'm going out for a while. I'll be back by morning. Don't leave the
house," his uncle warned as he left.
Now Link was certain the woman calling to him was more than a dream. The
woman mentioned something about the Seal of the Seven Wise Men, which protected
Hyrule from a Dark World.
According to the legends, the Great Gods created the world and departed for
the heavens, leaving behind a golden triangle called the Triforce as a symbol
of their power. This Triforce, hidden within a Golden Land, could grant the
wishes of whoever touched it. It eventually fell into the hands of a thief
named Ganondorf Dragmire, who drew the greedy and corrupt into the Golden Land
to become members of his army of evil.
In time, the army marched on Hyrule Castle to try and overthrow the King.
The Hylian Army fought them off while the Seven Wise Men, the finest magicians
in Hyrule, sealed the Golden Land from Hyrule. With the Golden Land sealed off
from Hyrule forever, Hyrule mourned its brave soldiers and the siege became
known as the Imprisoning War. No-one ever heard of Ganondorf Dragmire ever
again.
Link realised something now. The most recent rumours about Agahnim said he
had already killed the king, and the woman's voice said the wizard was trying
to open the Seven Wise Men's seal.
Now Link was certain there was more to tonight than just a strange dream and
his uncle's mysterious outing. Braving the thunderstorm outside, he set out at
once for Hyrule Castle.
***EVENT SEQUENCE***
I have a slight aversion to writing a flat walkthrough for this game, since
the game itself is not linear; certain things have to be done/obtained before
you can access other parts of the game, but generally you can choose your own
order of things. So instead I have a detailed look at each area in separate
sections, and here is where the list of things to do goes.
Clearing the game involves 19 major steps:
1 Clear Hyrule Castle and escort Zelda to Sanctuary. The game says Kakariko
Village is your next scheduled stop, but it's not essential you visit there
now.
2 Clear the Eastern Palace and visit Sahasrahla at his hideout for necessary
items.
3 Sweep Kakariko Village for any outstanding items and Pieces of Heart.
4 Clear the Desert Palace, picking up Pieces of Heart as you go.
5 Reach Death Mountain's summit, getting items and Pieces of Heart en route,
and clear the Tower of Hera.
6 Recover the Master Sword (and items and Pieces of Heart) from the Lost
Woods
and clear Hyrule Castle's Tower.
7 Search what you can of Hyrule and the Dark World for outstanding items.
8 Clear the Palace of Darkness.
9 Sweep all areas of Hyrule and the Dark World you can for items, Pieces of
Heart and other upgrades.
10 Clear the Flooded Palace, getting a Piece of Heart as you go.
11 Recover the Crystal from the Skeleton Forest.
12 Clear Blind's Hideout.
13 Collect remaining items, upgrades and Pieces of Heart from Hyrule and
the Dark World..
14 Clear the Ice Lake Cavern.
15 Clear Misery Mire.
16 Make a final sweep of the Dark World for any outstanding items.
17 Clear Turtle Rock, gaining a Piece of Heart as you go.
18 Clear the Tower of Ganon.
19 Fight Ganon at the Pyramid of Power.
20 Watch the ending: it's the finest ending of any game available!
21 Wait until the very end of the credits to see how many times you lost a
life or decided to save and quit the game at each dungeon (called TOTAL
GAMES PLAYED).
Remember that this is only a recommended order: you can chop or change stuff
as necessary. Alex Green has sent in this alternate sequence for completing
the Dark World dungeons, which should make life much easer.
1 Clear the Palace of Darkness, dungeon #1.
2 Clear Blind's Hideout, dungeon #4.
3 Obtain the Tempered Sword and Magic Cape.
4 Clear the Flooded Palace, dungeon #2.
5 Clear the Skeleton Forest, dungeon #3.
6 Clear Misery Mire, dungeon #6.
7 Clear the Ice Lake Cavern, dungeon #5.
8 Clear Turtle Rock, dungeon #5.
Clearing Blind's Hideout early allows quicker access to the Titan's Mitt, and
thus many areas of the Dark World and numerous items. Clearing Misery Mire
before the Ice Lake Cavern means you get the Staff of Somaria sooner, and so
you can save on a lot of back-tracking in the Cavern.
Your game is automatically saved when you reach the very end, but only if you
have saved (by dying or pressing SELECT) at least once during the game.
Whenever you go to the Game Select Screen after clearing the game, there'll be
a number over Link on your saved-game slot. This number is the total number of
times you've died/saved and quit before reaching the very end.
You can complete the game and find everything in 7-8 hours.
In this guide, each dungeon has a list of requirements. These are items you
MUST have in order to get through the dungeon in the quickest possible way.
Note these are the MINIMUM requirements: if you have an upgraded version of a
weapon, such as the Magical Boomerang instead of the standard Boomerang, then
that'll work just as well.
====FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS====
Since publishing this guide, I've received many e-mails asking common
questions about the game. I've pooled the answers to those questions together
to try and minimise the number of e-mails that people need to send. Not that I
don't like e-mails, mind you....
***WHERE IS THE WATERFALL OF WISHING?!?***
The Waterfall of Wishing is what gets the most questions, and it took me
about six years (LITERALLY!!) to find. You need Zora's Flippers and the Power
Glove to reach it.
You know where the Magic Shop is, along the river in the north-east part of
Hyrule? Go there. Now follow these directions: proceed east past the bushes
and lift the large boulder with the Power Glove. Go north, east and south
around the plateau and you'll come to some rock piles near a ditch (use a Dash
Attack to knock them away, or jump down the ditch and climb the ladder). After
passing the rock piles, proceed east to the wall and then go north until you
come to the entrance to Zora's Waterfall (the screen will stop scrolling).
DON'T ENTER Zora's Waterfall, but go west to the river and swim across to the
wall. Around here should be a large waterfall: THAT'S IT!! THE WATERFALL OF
WISHING!! Swim through the waterfall to enter a small cavern.
Approach the pond in this small cave and a dialogue box will appear, asking
you to throw something in. You can throw the Blue Shield, Boomerang or empty
Bottles into the pond. The Faerie Princess there rewards honest travellers.
***HOW DO I ENHANCE MY MAGIC METER?***
There is a way you can make your Magic Meter reduce at half the normal rate,
effectively doubling the amount of Magic Power you have. To do so, you need
the Hammer and Magic Powder.
Travel to Smithy's Shop in Hyrule. To get there: you know Kakariko Inn? The
big rectangular house in Kakariko Village in Hyrule? Travel east from there
and keep walking until the screen refreshes. You'll come to a series of
troughs, and if you can't see it yet go slightly north for a house on a plateau
with smoke coming out of the chimney. This is Smithy's Shop.
Climb the steps to Smithy's door, but don't enter the shop. Instead go east
and knock the obstructing stake into the ground with the Hammer. The path
allows you to jump off the plateau and into Smithy's well. When you're in the
cave, go through the north door and sprinkle Magic Powder into the cauldron.
A funny-looking genie will appear, quote some quotes and zap Link. When the
ordeal is over, your Magic Meter will be enhanced. Go south through the door,
then through the west door and through the tunnels to exit the cave.
***THIS GENIE REDUCED MY MAGIC POWER BY HALF!!***
OK, so you've dived into Smithy's well and sprinkled Magic Powder on the
cauldron. This funny genie zapped you, said "I laugh at your misfortune! Now
your Magic Power will reduce by half!" and now there's this 1/2 sign on your
Magic Meter. How do you undo it?
The bad news: you can't. The good news: YOU DON'T WANT TO REVERSE IT!! The
genie did you a favour! OK, so he's a little confused, but he did a good
thing! Your Magic Power will reduce by HALF THE NORMAL RATE: in other words,
when you use Magic Power, you Meter reduces at half the rate it normally would.
This effectively doubles the amount of Magic Power you have.
***I CAN'T SEEM TO FIND THIS ITEM. CAN YOU HELP?***
Of course I can; that's what I'm here for! The locations of all the items
are listed under the WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT section, but below are the locations
of the items that have been causing the most trouble:
THE FLUTE
To obtain the Flute, you must first obtain the Shovel. To get the Shovel,
enter the Dark World and head for the Haunted Grove (that's the area enclosed
by a semi-circle of bushes on the east side of the Village of Outcasts; enter
it from the south). Perched on the log in the centre of the Grove is the
Flute-Playing Boy: remember we are in the DARK WORLD, NOT HYRULE!! Hyrule's
Flute Boy just vanishes, but the Dark World's Flute Boy is the one who'll talk
to you.
Now, once you're talking to the Flute Boy in the Dark World's Haunted Grove,
he will ask if you can recover his Flute; answer yes and he'll give you the
Shovel. Once you have the Shovel, step away from the Flute-Playing Boy and use
the Mirror to enter Hyrule's Haunted Grove. (If you didn't step far enough
away from the Flute-Playing Boy in the dark world, a cut-scene glitch in Hyrule
will mean you'll be transported back to the Dark World.) Go into the
north-west corner of the Grove, and dig along the flowers. Below is an ASCII
map showing the exact location (more or less):
NORTH-WEST SECTION OF HYRULE'S HAUNTED GROVE
Northern tree border
__________________________
| |
| |
______| |______
|xxxxxx <====The Flute is buried in the area marked by x
______|xxxxxx Little flowers are growing there
Western |
tree |
border |______
|
|
When you dig up the funny-looking blue thing, you have dug up the Flute.
Recover it and return to the Dark World and talk the Flute-Playing Boy, who
will request a final tune; press Y to play the Flute and the Flute-Playing Boy
will be transformed into a tree (sob, sob).
The Flute is used to summon a bird that will transport you to key locations
in Hyrule. However, the bird is not immediately activated; you must travel to
Kakariko Village and play the Flute to the weathercock to free the bird. Once
the bird is freed, play the Flute at any time while in Hyrule's overworld (ie;
not in houses, caves, dungeons, etc) to summon the bird for transportation.
You cannot summon a bird in the Dark World.
TITAN'S MITT
The Titan's Mitt is hidden within Blind's Hideout (the Dark World dungeon,
not the deserted building in Kakariko Village). You know the room where you
rescued the little blonde girl from prison? Exit via its west door, then keep
going through west doors until you come to the room the large chest. Knock the
obstacles away with the Hammer and open the chest, but remember to grab the
thing and escape before the collapsing floor cuts you off.
If these quick directions aren't enough, try the walkthrough for Blind's
Hideout for directions that'll take you from the entrance to the dungeon to the
chest itself (eventually).
BOMBOS MEDALLION
The Bombos Medallion is hidden within a monolith on a plateau within the
Desert of Mystery, but getting it requires some work in the Dark World.
You know where the Flooded Palace is situated in the Dark World? Travel west
from there and keep walking. As you walk, you'll go through a series of
passages reminiscent of the Desert of Mystery's entrance. Eventually you'll
come to a dead end with a series of purple stakes towards the north; stand
within the stake semi-circle and use the Magic Mirror.
You are now on a plateau in Hyrule. Travel west and north until you come to
the appropriate monolith. Use the Book of Mudora to translate the runes and
the Bombos Medallion is yours. (Aside: although the text calls for you to hold
up the Master Sword, you'll still get the medallion if you have the Tempered or
Golden Sword.)
QUAKE MEDALLION
This sucker is located in the Lake of Ill Omen in the far north-east of the
Dark World. Where is the Lake of Ill Omen, I hear you ask? Well, call up the
Map Screen and pay attention: see that river in the north-east of the Dark
World, the one that flows right next to Death Mountain? Head to that river and
follow it to its source (the same route you took when you went to meet Zora --
or get to the Waterfall of Wishing -- in Hyrule). This is the Lake of Ill
Omen.
On the lake's shores is a sign warning you not to throw anything into the
circle of stones. Be a bad boy: grab a rock or bush (or even the sign itself!)
and walk through the lake's shallow water. Make sure you walk through the
shallow water, otherwise you'll lose whatever you're carrying. Once you've
walked north-west as far as you can through the shallow water, throw your item
into the circle of stones. The annoyed little fishy there will give you the
medallion if you leave him alone.
If you throw any more objects into the stone circle, the fishy will greet you
with pre-ignited Bombs and energy beam attacks.
***HOW DO I GET THE CRYSTAL FROM THE SKELETON FOREST?***
Most questions on this front relate to how to actually enter the Skeleton
Forest, so here's how to do it:
There's a Magical Transporter to the Dark World hidden in the Lost Woods. To
find it: head for Kakariko Village and go as far west as you can. Now go north
and enter the Lost Woods; take the first east turn and keep walking. You'll
exit the Woods and have to continue south. Keep going (knock the stakes out of
the way with the Hammer) until you come to a light-coloured rock. Lift it up
and there's your transport. Once you step through, travel north and enter the
Skeleton Forest.
Further details are found in the Skeleton Forest walkthrough.
***HOW DO I CLEAR BLIND'S HIDEOUT (or this other dungeon I'm stuck on)?***
I have a complete and total walkthrough for every last dungeon of the game
posted in this guide. Consult that walkthrough to see how to go from start to
finish through that dungeon. If you're still stuck, e-mail me and I'll offer
more complete advice.
***CAN I PUT THIS GUIDE ON MY SITE?***
The golden rule: ask permission first! Sites who put a copy up without
asking break international laws. If you're worried, check the guidelines at
the top of the document.
The silver rules: send me your site's URL and a contact e-mail address when
you ask permission. I never grant permission without seeing your website
first. I need a contact e-mail to put on the list to receive updates of the
guide. If the contact e-mail changes or you close your site, make sure you
tell me!
Don't be afraid if your site's in a language other than English. But make
sure your e-mail's in English (doesn't have to be perfect, just legible)
because that's the only non-computer language I speak!
You'll note that on the Copyright Info at the top of this document says you
can't HTML-icise this document. However, I have been known to make exceptions;
tell me why you want it in HTML and we'll see how we go.
***HOW DO I THROW BOMBS?***
Plant a Bomb, then grab it with A and throw it by pressing A again. Remember
that the fuse is still lit as you throw the Bomb!
***I'VE RUN OUT OF KEYS IN THE PALACE OF DARKNESS (or Ganon's Tower)!***
Don't panic! Zelda games are always designed so that you won't get stranded
if you use keys in the wrong place. I've had several people miss keys in the
Dark Palace, so check its walkthrough to make sure you've grabbed every key.
One bloke has written in saying that, in Ganon's Tower, you may run out of
keys and not be able to proceed. This is the only time I've heard of this, and
I haven't run any experiments to try and check if this it's a true glitch. Can
anyone say "yay" or "nay" on this matter?
***HOW DO I REACH THE TOWER OF HERA?***
The Tower of Hera holds the red Pendant of Wisdom and is located atop
Hyrule's Death Mountain. Entering it, however, is not so easy.
By now, I imagine that you have the Magic Mirror: if you do, skip this block
and go to the next lot of paragraphs. OK, you know where Sanctuary is? Where
Princess Zelda is hiding? Well, from there travel west until you're able to
travel north. Follow the east wall north until you come to a sign saying you
need the King's permission to enter Death Mountain. With the Power Glove, toss
the boulder away and enter the cave. Work your way east: there's a VERY narrow
passage that looks like a wall, but it's not. Look carefully and you'll see a
fine gap; go through that gap to keep going east and meet with a lost old man.
The old man will ask you to take him to the top of the mountain. Go through
the east door, then keep going east until you hit the end, then go south and
through the door. You're now out and about on Death Mountain; follow the path
to the first cave entrance and the Old Man will give you the Magic Mirror
before going into the cave.
With the Magic Mirror in-hand, go into the cave the Lost Old Man is inside
(when you re-start a saved game and select START FROM THE MOUNTAIN CAVE, you'll
start there). Talk to the Old Man for full health, then go north and through
the door. Now go south and through the door to a dark cave, then south again
to the exit.
You're on Death Mountain again. Turn west and execute a Dash Attack until
you hit a solid wall; pointing north should be a long ladder. Climb it to the
top, then turn east and keep walking until you reach a little blue tile. This
is a Magical Transporter: enter it.
Once inside the Dark World, go east slightly until you see the bully playing
around. You see the pattern in the ground that looks sorta like a pair of eyes
staring at you? Stand on one of the eye pupils and use the Magic Mirror. You
should now be standing on top of Spectacle Rock; jump off to the north and head
north-east for the Tower of Hera
***WHAT'S THIS 'SPECTACLE ROCK' I KEEP HEARING ABOUT?***
Spectacle Rock is a landmark on Hyrule's Death Mountain. After you climb the
large staircase on the extreme left of the mountain, travel right and you'll
see it forming the north barrier of the track you're currently on. Spectacle
Rock looks something like this:
____ ____
/ \ / \
/ \__/ \
| |
| __ |
\ / \ /
\____/ \____/
***HOW DO I ENTER THE DARK WORLD?***
There are nine points where Link can enter the Dark World throughout Hyrule.
Their locations (and a quick description) are given in the MAGICAL TRANSPORTERS
section of the HYRULE guide.
***I'VE TRIED TO ENTER THE DARK WORLD, BUT I CAN'T GET OFF DEATH MOUNTAIN!***
The Dark World's Death Mountain is tricky; you can only enter or leave it via
Magical Transporters. If you want to access other areas of the Dark World, you
need to use the other warp points (see MAGICAL TRANSPORTERS in the HYRULE
guide).
A hint: after defeating Agahnim at Hyrule Castle Tower, you can enter the
Dark World via the main entrance to Hyrule Castle's grounds.
***IS THERE A HIDDEN QUEST?***
When the original Zelda came out back in 1988, there was a hidden quest you
could access by entering your name as "Zelda". I've tried replicating that
but, as far as I can tell, nothing in the game changes in relation to the name
you enter when you start the game.
The only programmer-hidden thing in the game is the Houlihan Room, but its
presence doesn't depend on what name you enter (as far as I can tell).
***THE QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERING***
Back in Version 2, this heading was where I requested information on a
mysterious Rupee room. With REALLY BIG AND SPECIAL THANKS!! to aldorug and
Nicholas Harvey (more info in the Credits section), that mystery has been
solved! Read all about it in the section marked CHRIS HOULIHAN'S SECRET ROOM.
However, that doesn't mean there are still outstanding questions about the
game. They may be trivial questions, but they still need answers!!
1. Is there really an out-of-keys glitch in the design of Ganon's Tower?
Someone wrote in saying he'd run out of keys in the Tower of Ganon, but
I'm not sure if that was just because he missed keys or if it's really
possible to take the wrong route, run out of keys and be unable to proceed.
2. How do we access the Houlihan Room from the Pyramid of Power? That's how
Cyber Predator first found the thing a many year ago, but the only way we
can
get there is via Hyrule Castle.
====HYRULE====
***HYRULE CASTLE***
At the very start of the game you will be woken from your sleep by Zelda's
telepathic plea, only to find your uncle leaving with a sword and shield. He
will warn you not to leave the house, but obeying him would spoil the entire
game! The chest inside your house holds the Lamp (if you don't pick it up
right away, the other chests within Hyrule Castle that usually hold blue Rupees
will have it instead).
Outside, you will find yourself in the midst of a raging storm. All routes
going around Hyrule are blocked by guards, as is the main entrance to the
castle. If you find yourself wandering for too long, Zelda will send another
telepathic message advising you of a secret passage leading into the castle
grounds. To find this passage, head for the stone bridge over the river.
There's a cobblestone path leading east; follow it until it ends with a bush,
which you can pull up to reveal the hidden passage.
Inside the passage you'll find your uncle, who has apparently been badly
injured from the fall into the passage. Your uncle will die from his injuries,
but you can take the family weapons. Proceed into the next room; go straight
up the steps and out the door to proceed, but by heading east you'll to come to
a chest and some pots (and a couple of enemies) holding bonuses.
When you go through the next door, you will find yourself inside the castle
grounds. You can now head for the north to reach the entrance to Hyrule
Castle. Inside the castle, remember the following: soldiers with narrow,
broken swords won't harm you unless you touch them, but soldiers with large
swords will give chase if they see you. Green soldiers take two basic sword
strokes to fall, while blue ones take three strokes to bite the dust.
From the first room, go through the east (or west) door and proceed north.
Follow the red carpet around a corner and you'll come to a deserted room
leading to the basement. Go down them, destroy the blue soldier for a Key and
open the chest to get the MAP. This next room involves crossing an unfenced
bridge over a bottomless chasm. Sneak up behind guards and hit them with the
sword or pots to force them to fall, minimising the fighting you have to do.
There are three screens to this chasm room.
After passing the chasm room, you'll come to a passage with a number of
fences and two green soldiers. Head right along for a pub brawl if you like,
but look along the north wall and you'll see some steps; climb up them and
backtrack slightly to reach a gantry going south, then follow the path. When
you reach the next steps, keep heading north for the door and you'll have
avoided any fighting.
Anyway, after go through the door you'll come to a room with both a locked
door and a sealed door, guarded by a green guard. Kill the guard and the
sealed door will open; enter it and kill the blue guard, grab the Key and the
BOOMERANG from the small chest. Go back to the previous room and through the
locked door.
The next couple of rooms are all but deserted, and serve only for taking you
to the bottom level of the castle.
You will now have reached the prisons. Soon enough you'll encounter a green
guard; bump him off and go into the open cell and pick up a pot. Carry the pot
out of the cell and to the east, and you'll encounter the Ball and Chain
Trooper in black armour. Toss your pot at the B&C Trooper, then backtrack and
grab another pot and a second hit will defeat him. Aiming is fairly easy, but
if you miss one shot there's a third pot. If you run out of pots, charge a
Spin Attack at a distance, then stun B&C with the Boomerang and strike him,
retreat and repeat until he's down.
When the B&C Trooper is dust, he'll drop the BIG KEY. Grab it and open the
locked cell and approach Zelda (inside her cell is a chest with Rupees). Zelda
will tell you to return to the first floor: specifically, you must return to
Hyrule Castle's first room.
To repeat: from Zelda's cell go west to the stairs, then go up through three
empty rooms until you can walk south through the castle. In the room with
green guards, ignore them and walk south and up the steps; head east and north
along the gantries to quickly and safely get through the abyss room. Ignore
the blue guards as you keep heading north through the last of the abyss room
and the room where you got the map until you reach the stairs leading up.
You're now on the first floor, with amber walls and the pouring rain audible.
Go west (or east) and follow the red carpet through the next two rooms to
arrive in the castle's very first room. Zelda will tell you about a secret
passage; travel north and you'll come to steps leading to a staircase going to
the second floor. Ignore the two blue guards here and proceed north up the
steps and to the thrones. The large mantle behind the two thrones can be
pushed aside from the west, revealing the secret passage through the castle's
sewer system.
The door will close behind you, leaving you with no choice but to go forward.
Go north along the dark room and take the first west for a torch you can
ignite with the Lamp to shine some light on the subject. Continue north along
the central area of the room for another torch, then go along the east passage
for another torch and then go north and straight to the door.
Ignite the torch in the next room to see just how many serpents dominate the
room; kill your foes with Spin Attacks. Proceed west for the stairs in the
north wall and, in the following room, go east and ignite the torch to see your
way. Kill the rats in this room for Rupees, but you can proceed straight to
the west door to proceed.
Proceed west along the south wall in the next room, taking out the rats as
they come, and ignite the torches in the west corners so you can reach the door
in the north wall while avoiding the bats and rats. In the next room, keep the
torches in the west and east extremes of the room alight so you can kill one of
the rats to gain the necessary Key.
The next room has its own lighting, but you won't be able to knock out the
weak west walls just yet (come back later with the Pegasus Boots -- see OUT &
ABOUT IN HYRULE). Proceed north to the passage obstructed by blocks, pushing
the west block of the north row to reach the stairs and proceed. The following
contains rats and empty pots; just head straight for the south-west area for
the door.
In the final room you have two rats that are easily disposed of, but you must
pull the correct switch in order to open the door. Stand next to the east
switch, hold A and press Down on the Control Pad to open the south door to
Sanctuary (pulling the west switch will release a horde of serpents).
Once inside Sanctuary, Zelda and the Sage will explain the immediate story.
Be sure to get the Heart Container from the chest near the Sage.
Now comes the non-linear element of the game; you're scheduled to head for
Kakariko Village, but you can head straight for the Eastern Palace (your next
dungeon) if you like, or take a walk around Hyrule and see the sights. I've
leave the exact decision up to you and simply provide information about
everything there is to know.
***OUT AND ABOUT***
STORY
Reaching Hyrule's church, Sanctuary, the old sage there agrees to hide Zelda
there. Zelda warns that the source of Agahnim's magic is something so powerful
that only the Master Sword, forged during the War of Imprisonment against
Ganondorf Dragmire, can defeat him. The elder of Kakariko Village, Sahasrahla,
is a descendant of one of the Seven Wise Men and is most likely to know where
the legendary blade is. In order to destroy Agahnim before he destroys Hyrule,
Link must recover the Master Sword.
GENERAL
The main enemies you must contend with in Hyrule are the soldiers. Green
soldiers require two hits with a basic stroke from the Fighter's Sword to bite
the dust; they always carry swords and are often hidden in bushes or long
grass. Blue soldiers require three strokes from the Fighter's Sword and
usually carry swords, but may carry a crossbow instead (kill them for Arrows).
Red soldiers require five Fighter's Sword strokes to fall and usually carry a
trident, but some red soldiers throw spears at Link. Red soldiers playing
sedentary at Hyrule Castle also throw Bombs.
Other hostiles commonly found here are the Cucumbers; tall limbless green
things that'll zap Link if he tries to attack them with the Fighter's or Master
Sword, so use the Boomerang first (or Arrows or just ignore them). Octoroks,
little red things who run around and spit rocks every now and again, are
another common foe. Crabs, whose movement is impossible to predict, will take
off a fair amount of life. Crows will fly at Link if he gets close, but will
fly off after a short amount of time.
Lift rocks and boulders with the Power Glove or Titan's Mitt to find Bombs.
Cut down bushes for green Rupees, Healing Hearts, Faeries and Bees; Dash Attack
trees for Magic Decanters, Faeries, apples (same as Healing Hearts, but look
like the berries from 'Super Mario World'), Bombs (some may already be set to
explode!) or Bees. You can also destroy hostiles to help stock up on items.
Incidentally: stunned/frozen enemies killed with the Sword always give green
Rupees; frozen enemies killed with the Hammer usually give a Magic Decanter,
but may also yield a Healing Heart or blue Rupee.
WHIRLPOOL WARPS
If you have Zora's Flippers, you will be able to dive into one of the six
whirlpools around Hyrule to transport to another area. There are two
whirlpools to each teleport route, giving a total of three teleport routes.
FROM TO
Centre of Lake Hylia South of Zora's Waterfall
East of Magic Shop Pond at Swamp's north
Mouth of stream at Lake Hylia's south-east Pond south-east of Lost Woods
FROM TO
Pond at Swamp's north East of Magic Shop
Pond south-east of Lost Woods Mouth of stream at Lake Hylia's south-east
South of Zora's Waterfall Centre of Lake Hylia
MAGICAL TRANSPORTERS
To get through this adventure you must travel between Hyrule and the Dark
World. You can always exit the Dark World and return to Hyrule with the Magic
Mirror, but going in the opposite direction is harder since the Seven Wise Men
have sealed the Dark World up like a drum.
Two of the easiest ways to enter the Dark World are at Hyrule Castle and with
the Magic Mirror. After you use the Magic Mirror, a sparkle point indicates
where you landed in Hyrule; use that sparkle to return to the Dark World.
After you clear Hyrule Castle Tower, the main entrance to Hyrule Castle's
grounds can also be used to enter the Dark World.
However, to enter some of the Dark World dungeons you need to use the eight
Magical Transporters located at key points throughout Hyrule. They are
located:
Under a rock north of a lone tree in Kakariko Village, near an entrance to the
Lost Woods. To reach it, go to the west-most point of Kakariko Village and
head north. Once in the woods, take the first east turn and then go south.
Use the Hammer to knock the stakes out of the way. If you have the Titan's
Mitt, you can reach it just by going north from Kakariko Village.
In the south-west corner of the Desert of Mystery, but you need to play the
Flute and fly to location 6 to get onto the plateau. You also need the Titan's
Mitt to lift the rock that hides the Transporter.
In the Swamp's north-west corner are some statues just north of the pond with
the Whirlpool Warp. Next to the east-most statue are some stakes. Hammer the
stakes down and walk to the rock and lift it with the Power Glove to reveal the
Transporter.
On the island large island in the centre of Lake Hylia is a rock hiding a
Transporter. You need to Titan's Mitt to lift it, though, and you can only use
it to enter the Ice Lake Cavern.
Just south of the East Hill, against Hyrule's eastern border, is a small area
with a circle of stakes. Hammer the stakes down and lift the rock with the
Power Glove.
East of Spectacle Rock, on the summit of Death Mountain, is a Magical
Transporter lying out in the open.
At the southernmost tip of the west part of Death Mountain, a Transporter is
hidden under a rock that requires the Titan's Mitt to lift.
At the north-west most part of Death Mountain is a small hill with three stakes
on it -- (just remember to have the Titan's Mitt so you can toss the boulder
out of the way and climb onto the darned thing!). To reveal the Transporter,
Hammer the stakes down in a counter-clockwise order (ie; right, middle, left).
DEATH MOUNTAIN
EXTENSION: The rugged terrain in the far north of Hyrule, including its
caves and its bisect by part of Zora's River.
DARK WORLD EQUAL: Death Mountain
There are three Pieces of Heart and three Magical Transporters hidden on
Death Mountain.
Death Mountain is divided by Zora's River into two parts, the eastern and
western parts. The two parts are connected by two bridges but one is blocked
by wooden stakes and another is broken; use the Hammer to knock down the wooden
stakes and the Hookshot to cross the broken bridge. The main hostile on Death
Mountain is a little chipmunk-type enemy who, if attacked, will become stone
for a while and remain harmless but will start moving again eventually. After
clearing Hyrule Castle Tower, one-eyed jumping spiders will start appearing;
just Spin Attack them for Rupees.
The way to reach the Death Mountain area is to enter the specific cave in the
mountain's Foothills (requires the Power Glove). The cave leading there is
dark, but you'll only encounter resistance from bottomless pits and the odd
bat, and there's only two fairly straightforward rooms to the cave. The first
time you climb Death Mountain, you will have to escort an old man to the top.
When you emerge from the entrance cave of Death Mountain, travel east to
reach the old man's cave. If you talk to him here, he'll give you a clue and
refill your Life Meter. Follow this passage to emerge on the eastern-most cave
of Death Mountain's west side. Go east from this cave to reach the broken
bridge, or west to reach the large stairway and the cave leading back to the
mountain's foothills.
Climb the large stairway and travel east to reach Spectacle Rock. Enter the
cave where Spectacle Rock is and jump down the hole and travel east for a
Faerie Fountain. When you emerge from the cave, jump down and you'll be on the
path towards the large stairway.
The south-western most part of Death Mountain is a maze of caves, several of
them being one-way exits. Here is a list of all the cave entrances and what
they contain:
WEST-MOST CAVE: Several blue Birri and worms, but you can't reach any of the
other goodies in this chamber from this entrance.
SECOND-WEST CAVE, NEED TITAN'S MITT TO REACH: Get through the worms and Birri
and go up the stairs at the far north of the room. After reaching the upper
floor, go to the far east and jump down the pit to reach some pots you can't
reach any other way (you'll exit at the far-west cave in this area).
WEST TWIN CAVE: Dead end.
EAST TWIN CAVE: Proceed along the west passage and Bomb the weak north wall for
a Shop.
ISOLATED IN THE SOUTH-EAST CORNER: You can choose to go up the stairs or down
the pit, either way will lead you somewhere.
If you choose the pit, you'll fall to the sectioned-off area you saw in the
east twin cave. Bomb the weak north wall for Arrows, Bombs and Healing Hearts
or go up the stairs to reach a door, entering a room with a Crystal Switch and
several worms. Kill all the worms (opening the exit door) and then toss a Bomb
at the Crystal Switch to reach the chests (all contain Red Rupees). Exit the
tunnels by dropping down the pit and pushing the south block away and you'll
exit via the east twin cave.
If you climb the stairs to the west, you'll encounter resistance only from
two worms before you can exit via the south door (up the steps) and reach the
summit of Death Mountain's western part.
ON PLATFORM, JUMP OFF WESTERN-MOST GAP FROM SUMMIT: Follow the spiral passage
through this room and you'll come to a hole; jump down it and you'll come to a
chest with 50 Rupees. You'll emerge from the west-most cave at the foot of the
mountain.
ON PLATFORM, JUMP OFF SECOND-WEST GAP FROM SUMMIT: Jump down the pits here to
reach the otherwise inaccessible pots in the Titan' Mitt cave at the mountain's
foot.
DEATH MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS
EXTENSION: The area of land between Death Mountain and the Lost Woods to the
west, the land and small lake between Death Mountain and the
Woodlands to the south and south-west. The remaining border is
Hyrule River along the south and east.
DARK WORLD EQUAL: Death Mountain Foothills
There are three Pieces of Heart in the Foothills.
At the far north of the Foothills (also the far north of Hyrule) is the
Lumberjack's House. Before you defeat Agahnim at Hyrule Castle, the
Lumberjacks will be trying to hack down a tree. Further south, there is a sign
marking the cave that allows you to reach Death Mountain -- ignore the
bureaucratic requirements, you just need the Power Glove to remove the
obstructing boulder.
East of the little pond is Sanctuary, where the Sage hides Zelda for the
first third of the game. While they are there, talk to them for a clue about
your main objective of the game and to have your Life Meter fully refilled.
Travel further east to reach Hyrule's Graveyard. The north-westerly-most grave
is blocked by rocks; lift them up with the Power Glove and push the headstone
north to reveal a way into the secret passage between Hyrule Castle and
Sanctuary; you'll land in the room with the weak walls you couldn't demolish
earlier.
On the shore of Zora's River is a cave that, if entered, leads to a dead end.
Cut down the bush just south of here for another entrance leading to a Great
Faerie's Fountain.
DESERT OF MYSTERY
EXTENSION: Hyrule's south-west corner, enclosed by plateaux. The south-east
border is marked by the screen break right on a narrow passage
between a plateau and hill.
DARK WORLD EQUAL: Swamp of Evil
There are three Pieces of Heart and one Magical Transporter in the Desert.
Your main troubles in the desert are cacti (the green plants will cause
damage if you touch them) and Geldmen (living sand-men who leap out of the
sands and attack). The vultures that fly around will just circle you without
causing any real damage; ignore them. The Desert Palace lies in the north-west
corner, while in the north-east corner of the desert is the Desert Sanctuary.
Aginah, a descendant of the Seven Wise Men, has taken refuge at the Desert
Sanctuary and will give Link a clue about your next objectives.
Near the entrance to the desert is a cave entrance, which leads to a Great
Faerie's Fountain. The large boulder near here also hides a cave with pots
containing a total of 50 Rupees; grab the gold, exit and come in again to
easily max-out your cash.
EAST HILL
EXTENSION: Enclosed by a plateau on the north, west and much of the south.
East wall is the end of Hyrule. The south-east portion extend a
little further south than the south-west portion.
DARK WORLD EQUAL: Eastern Brush
There isn't really much to the East Hill; a few guards and Octoroks patrol
it, but the main danger comes from Armos Statues who will come to life if Link
gets near them. Use basic Sword strokes or Spin Attacks to take out Armos
Knights, the same going for the other enemies in this area.
The Eastern Palace lies in the north-east corner of the East Hill; navigating
it is pretty easy after a while. Sahasrahla's hideout is in the north-west
quadrant, and once you're inside you can Dash Attack the north wall for three
Bombs and a total of 100 Rupees.
HYRULE PLAINS
EXTENSION: Between Hyrule Castle, the Swamp and Woodlands. Extends past
Lake Hylia and between the west side of the East Hill and Zora's
River. Includes area south-east of East Hill.
DARK WORLD EQUAL: Dark Plains
The Hyrule Plains starts with Link's House, which has three Healing Hearts in
the pots. The area is patrolled by the Hylian Army and, along the dirt track,
Octoroks. South of East Hill, along Hyrule River's shores, are four trees and
a cave hiding a Great Faerie's Fountain. Along Hyrule's east border, again
south of East Hill, is another cave leading to a Faerie Fountain.
KAKARIKO VILLAGE
EXTENSION: The main city to the east of Hyrule, between the Lost Woods and
Desert of Mystery. Includes some houses to the south of the
paved area.
DARK WORLD EQUAL: Village of Outcasts
There are three Pieces of Heart and one Magical Transporter in Kakariko
Village. After clearing Hyrule Castle Tower, all the citizens vanish and the
Hylian Army moves in.
Throughout Kakariko Village there are chickens here, there and everywhere --
even indoors! The chooks are pretty docile, but if you injure them in any way
they'll get afraid and start running for it. Beware: if you abuse the chooks
too much (as in about 30 Fighter's Sword strokes, which is only possible if
you're doing this deliberately), every chook in Hyrule will come down on you
like the title characters in Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds'. In other words,
you'll be swarmed by every chook on the planet and be pecked to death unless
you can get indoors! (Once indoors, when you go out again the chooks will have
calmed down and forgiven you.)
The north-east corner of Kakariko Village has a well you can jump into for
some Bombs and Rupees. West of this well is an old shack formerly used by
Blind and his gang of thieves; downstairs are four chests each containing a red
Rupee, but you need to push the blocks out of the way in order to reach them.
West of Blind's house is Sahasrahla's house.
South-west of Sahasrahla's house is a woman's house, inside being a painting
that will yield four blue Rupees if you pull it. The woman, who patrols
outside the house, will call a guard if you try to talk to her. Travel west of
this house and you'll come to Kakariko's weathercock and later a merchant, who
buys and sells various items. West of the merchant is another woman who will
summon a guard if you talk to her, but there is nothing of value in her house.
South of the second woman's house is a large garden, east of which is the
home of a woman who still trusts Link. Inside her house is a weak east wall,
which if bombed leads to a chest with some Arrows. The man just outside is
afraid of Link and will run away; if you catch him with a Dash Attack, he'll
give you a hint about dashing into trees for goodies. East of the trusting
woman's house is a house where a sick young boy is, and further east is a house
with an overgrown lawn; the man inside will offer advice on where to find
items.
South-west of the house with the overgrown lawn is Kakariko Inn, where the
two alcohol-impaired gentlemen will give you hints about Hyrule's special
landmarks. West of the inn is a Goods Shop, and further west is a bonus hut:
Bomb the south wall to gain entry and inside are a couple of rats and pots
containing Bombs, Arrows and Rupees.
South of the main area of Kakariko Village is its House of Books. South-east
of the House of Books is a Treasure Chest Game, where for 20 Rupees you can
open one treasure chest and win some money. Further west of this area is the
home of two brothers who are having a bit of a quarrel. Use a Dash Attack on
the west wall of the older brother's room to reach the 15-second game, so named
because the challenge is to clear a maze in 15 seconds.
LAKE HYLIA
EXTENSION: The body of water in Hyrule's south-east and its shores.
DARK WORLD EQUAL: Ice Lake
There is one Piece of Heart and one Magical Transporter at Lake Hylia.
The large island in the centre of Lake Hylia is the Pond of Happiness; enter
and throw in 100 Rupees total to talk with the Faerie Queen, Venus. (At first
you have the option throwing 5 or 20 Rupees into the Pond, but after you first
meet Venus this will change to 25 or 50 Rupees.) Also, plant a Bomb on the
wall east of the pond for a standard Faerie Fountain.
Along Lake Hylia's east shore is a small ice cavern with a Faerie Fountain.
Lift the boulder near here for another hidden cave. To reach this shore
without Zora's Flippers, you can walk from the Swamp along Lake Hylia's
southern shore and continue until you reach here.
The north-west shore of the lake has a Fortune Teller's House and a shop.
LOST WOODS
EXTENSION: Large forest in Hyrule's north-west corner.
DARK WORLD EQUAL: Skeleton Forest
There is one Piece of Heart in the Lost Woods.
You can enter the Lost Woods from one of four places; the far west of Hyrule,
from the north-west corner of Kakariko Village, or another entrance slightly
east of there. Another entrance is located near a Fortune Teller's House and
the fourth entrance is located north-west of the Lumberjack's House. Scattered
throughout the Lost Woods are several swords in pedestals; if you grab one,
Link will realise it's a fake Master Sword that you can throw at enemies.
The Lost Woods are structured somewhat like a maze, but its layout isn't too
difficult to grasp. The eastern part of the forest has an underground thieves'
hideout, which gives you a clue on how to obtain one of the Bottles, and
towards the north you can find a Magic Mushroom. If you enter the Woods from
the entrance near the Lumberjack's House, look along the north part of the
woods as you travel west for a log; this leads to a Treasure Chest Game where
you'll be charged 100 Rupees by a thief so you can open one chest. The game is
expensive, but it has bigger prizes than the one at Kakariko Village. The
western part of the Woods again holds few redeeming features.
In the large, open areas in the east and west part of the Woods is a thief,
and more thieves will appear after you clear Hyrule Castle Tower. Each thief
will try to ram Link, causing him to drop Arrows, Bombs and Rupees; you must
quickly grab your gear back before the thief does!
SWAMP
EXTENSION: Large patch of green overgrowth between Desert of Mystery, Lake
Hylia and Hyrule Plains
DARK WORLD EQUAL: Swamplands
There is one Piece of Heart and one Magical Transporter in the Swamp.
The swamp is basically one large area of long grass and the Hylian Army's
archers (some of whom take advantage of the long grass and hide in it). You
can enter the Swamp via a passage just south of Link's House, or another
entrance south-east of the Haunted Grove that requires the Power Glove. If you
take the entrance near Link's House, travel east and Bomb the weak plateau for
a Great Faerie's Fountain.
In the southern parts of the swamp, near the ruins, there's this funny little
purple character who'll come jumping out from time to time. Kill him if you
like, but he's fairly harmless. If you cut down the short grass the purple guy
jumps out of before he can hide again, he'll be stuck out in the open. You can
go up and talk to him, but he'll just vaporise and leave you one of the
following: a Faerie, large Magic Decanter, Healing Hearts, Bombs, Arrows or
Rupees.
Towards the south of the Swamp is a set of ruins perched over a small pool,
inside being a chest containing Bombs if you push the blocks out of the way.
The Swamp Ruins' second room contains two switches and a Bubble: pull the east
switch to redirect the swamp water into the ruins, but the west switch drops
ignited Bombs.
After flooding the ruins, the surrounding pond will be drained and there'll
be a little fishy who's now without a home. You can pick this fish up and
throw him into deep water for a red Rupee, or throw him to Kakariko Village's
merchant for 21 Rupees, eight Bombs, 10 Arrows and a large Magic Decanter.
WOODLANDS
EXTENSION: Column between Kakariko Village and Hyrule Castle; includes
forest around the Blacksmith's Shop and Haunted Grove.
DARK WORLD EQUAL: Woodlands
There is little to be found in the northern Woodlands, save several trees
containing goodies, a Fortune Teller's House and entrances to the Lost Woods.
There is the Blacksmith's Shop where you can have your sword tempered, but the
blacksmith won't be able to do so unless his lost partner returns. (If you
want to mount a rescue operation, you'll have to wait until you have the
Titan's Mitt.)
In the southern area of the Woodlands is the Haunted Grove, where a
Flute-Playing Boy often plays his tunes to the animals who live there (if you
approach him, he'll enter the Dark World). After clearing Hyrule Castle Tower,
you can use a Dash Attack to knock a red Rupee from the south and south-east
lone trees there.
Just north-west of the plateau where Link's House stands, but still in the
Woodlands, is a pile of five rocks. Use a Dash Attack to destroy them and
reveal the entrance to a Faerie Fountain.
ZORA'S RIVER
EXTENSION: The long river travelling from Hyrule's north-east.
DARK WORLD EQUAL: Lake of Ill Omen and Dark River
Zora's River holds few landmarks. The most obvious one is the Magic Shop,
which sells all kinds of Medicines, north and east past the river's stone
bridge.
At the very north of Zora's River is the entrance to Zora's Waterfall. To
the west of this entrance is a prominent waterfall; this is the Waterfall of
Wishing and if you have Zora's Flippers, swim through this waterfall to reach a
pond watched over by the Faerie Princess, who rewards honest people with item
upgrades.
ZORA'S WATERFALL
EXTENSION: Area just north of Zora's River, beyond the Waterfall of Wishing.
DARK WORLD EQUAL: none
There is one Piece of Heart found here.
The area around Zora's Waterfall is essentially one long walk through shallow
water, looking out for attack by Zora Spawn. Zora himself is located right up
the back; a conversation with him may bring you happiness.
***EASTERN PALACE***
REQUIREMENTS: Sword and Shield, Lamp
STORY
Locating Sahasrahla hiding in a ruined palace, Link explains his quest.
Sahasrahla warns that since the Master Sword repels evil in all its forms, only
a hero who has won the Three Pendants of Virtue can use it. As a test,
Sahasrahla challenges Link to recover the green Pendant of Courage from the
Eastern Palace.
GETTING THERE
From Sahasrahla's hut, go north to escape the ditch, then go around to the
east until you come to an Armos Statue; activate and kill them, then proceed
(beware Octoroks). Keep heading east and go around the raised plateau to the
south, then head east along it until you come to some steps (guarded by Armos
Statues and a blue Hylian Army soldier) that lead north; keep heading north to
the entrance of the Eastern Palace.
PALACE INTERIOR
Enter the first room and lift up the middle pot to reveal the switch. Go
through the nearby door, take out the three enemy Leevers, then step on the
raised part of the floor to open the door.
In the next room, there are two large arches built into the walls, the one to
the north firing cannonballs and the one to the south receiving them. Usually
small balls are fired down one part of a narrow corridor, but big ones require
you to take refuge behind the fences to avoid damage. When you reach the
launch arch and get out of the line of fire you can climb the steps to the
north and proceed, but if you proceed west and follow the passage you'll get
312 Rupees from a chest and some pots.
After going through the door above the north launching arch, you'll be in the
main room; turn right and go through the door. Exit this room by the
north-east entrance and you'll come to a room with a bouncing Bubble enemy
(who's not only invincible, he'll drain your Magic Meter if you're already
invincible from an injury!) and five pots. The centre pot hides the switch; go
through the opened door and you'll be within reach of the chest containing the
MAP. Jump down from the ledge to reach the stairs taking you back to the long
room, then exit through the west entrance to return to the main room.
Exit the main room using the doorway to the far west. The door leading out
of this next room is in the south-west corner. In this next room, lift up the
centre pot and grab its contents to make the four Stalfos appear, then kill
them all to open the door (it's most effective to toss pots at them, but you
can also round them into corners and/or use Spin Attacks). The next room has
the chest containing the COMPASS and the exit is on the east side; reach it by
going down the steps first. The room you're now in is nothing more than a
T-junction; walk straight through it from west to east and you'll come to
another part of the main room. Again, walk straight to the east side and
through the door. Don't mind the enemies. The next room is deserted so head
straight to the south door.
The next room is dark and contains two Bubbles; start your walk by turning
east until you step on the switch in the floor, then backtrack slightly to
enter the adjoining room, which is also dark and guarded by Stalfos. The north
pot against the east wall contains a necessary Key. Return to the previous
room, then start walking south and follow the path (taking out the Leever) to
the locked door. Go through the door and across the bridge in the next room,
and then you'll come to a long room guarded by a Rocklops (one-eyed statue),
some Leevers and Stalfos. Destroy all of the Leevers and Stalfos (don't use
pots on them! They're need for later!), then walk near the Rocklops to bring
him to life and toss some pots at him. If you don't have any pots handy use
the Sword, but you'll be there for a week. Once all your enemies are vapour,
head towards the north of this room: the Bubbles have now flown away from the
pot near the blue altar. Lift up the pot to reveal a switch that will make the
chest containing the BIG KEY appear upon the altar to the north. Exit this
room via the north door, push the east block forward to proceed, then exit the
room using the north-east door.
You'll return to the main room and will be able to recover the BOW from the
large chest in the centre of the room. Four Stalfos will appear, whose heads
will detach and follow you around. Hit each of these new Stalfos twice with
the sword before the head detaches to make them collapse and abort their
attack. Ransack the pots near the east and west doors for Arrows. Head for
the north of the room and climb the stairs. If you want a hidden area with two
faeries, jump into the large jars (step on the warp tiles to return to the main
room). Go through the locked door (opens with the Big Key) to proceed.
The next room is dark and contains a swarm of Leevers and two Rocklops.
Ignite the three torches with the Lamp (two in each south corner, one against
the middle of the north wall) to make the room more visible for a time, then
massacre the Leevers with the Sword and the Rocklops with Arrows. One of the
Rocklops has a Key for the west door, which is the way to proceed to the second
floor. If you go through the east door you will come to a room whose light
mirrors that of your current room, guarded by a Bubble but contains several
blue Rupees.
The first room of the second floor contains pots and is guarded by a Bubble.
Lift the south-east pot to reveal the switch to the next room. Here, defeat
the three Rocklops with Arrows and step on the south switch. The next room is
pretty much overrun with cannonballs (like the ones you saw in the palace's
third room), but by walking straight to the north-west switch and then to the
west door WITHOUT PAUSING FOR BREATH you can avoid damage. The next room
contains some Stalfos and red Rocklops, who are vulnerable only to Arrows;
defeat them all to enter the next room, but charge a Spin Attack before you go
through the door.
In the final room before the Keeper, step into the semi-circle of Leevers and
release the Spin Attack to take them all out in one sweep. After grabbing
whatever the Leevers drop (probably Rupees) move close to the two red Rocklops
to start them moving and take at least one of them out with Arrows before they
stop again. Take the other one out at your leisure to make the final door
open. Before entering the Keeper's lair, ransack the pots for Arrows.
ARMOS KNIGHTS
The Keeper of the Eastern Palace is a section of six Armos Knights. The
Knights will start moving soon after you enter the room; they will first form a
large circle taking up most of the room and move clockwise, change direction to
counter-clockwise, then move to the north part of the room to sweep down the
entire room. The Knights always move slowly and make easy pickings with the
Bow.
The least dangerous means of attack is to hide in one of the south corners of
the room until the Knights start their sweep, at which point you should pick
off the Knights with your Bow. If you can't wait that long, you can still
attack the Knights while they're in circular formation; it's just a bit harder
to hit a moving target. Each Knight takes three Arrows to fall, but you can
also use Spin Attacks.
When only one Knight is left, he turns red and comes at Link trying to stomp
on him. The red Knight, no matter what damage he's already sustained, will
take three Arrows or several Spin Attacks to end the fight.
***DESERT PALACE***
REQUIREMENTS: Bow and Arrows, Lamp, Book of Mudora
STORY
Successfully obtaining the Pendant of Courage, Link returns to Sahasrahla,
who gives the boy a gift and explains more of the legends surrounding the
Master Sword: several generations ago, a brethren called the Knights of Hyrule
protected the Hylian nobility. Most of the order was killed during the
Imprisoning War, but prophecies say one who is descended from the Knights will
become the greatest hero the land has ever known.
Link must recover two more pendants in order to be worthy of the Master
Sword. The blue Pendant of Power lies in the Desert of Mystery, at the palace
ruins there.
GETTING THERE
Enter the Desert of Mystery and head for the platform marked with the blue
Pendant on the map. The stone monolith contains instructions on how to enter
the palace, but is written in ancient Hylian script; use the Book of Mudora to
translate the instructions. Your wish to enter shall be granted, and in you
go.
PALACE INTERIOR
If you're in a room where the ground is sand rather than paved, crab enemies
will surface. They will either be small and surface to pursue Link (take them
out with regular sword strokes) or large. The large sand crabs are either blue
(sit around trying to trap Link) or red (fires three energy beams before
returning to the sand), and when they begin to surface the moving sand can pull
you towards them.
Travel north through the first room until you're to the west (or east) of the
blue floor with the green Beamos statue (an invincible enemy who will fire a
laser beam if he sees you). Head in the direction of the pots, get them out of
the way and continue north.
Go through the north door directly in line with the passage you've just left
and you'll come to a wide room. In the centre of this room are two unlit
torches guarded by green Rocklops. Slightly north of these torches is a pot
hiding a switch; step on it to reveal the chest containing the MAP. Exit this
room, then travel west along the passage until you come to a room with a north
door and west door. Go through the north door and you'll come to a Beamos
statue guarding four torches, upon one is a Key. Use a Dash Attack to dislodge
the Key and grab it, then exit the room and travel east.
When you reach the room with three pots, the north door leads to a room where
your only objective is to destroy the sand crabs inside to open the door back
to the rest of the palace. In the three-pot room, travel south until you reach
the locked door and go through it to access the room with the COMPASS (the
south door leads to a room containing to the palace's east exit). Destroy all
the Leevers in the Compass room, being wary of the Beamos, and you'll be able
to enter the long room to the north. Being wary of the mobile cannonball
launches on the east and west walls (a Dash Attack may or may not be useful),
head north for the chest containing the BIG KEY.
Backtrack out of the Compass room and travel north until you come to the
three-pot room, then travel west until you come to the room with the north and
west door. Go through the west door and lift the north-east pot from the pot
circle to reveal the switch (beware of Beamos!). Go through the north door and
get the POWER GLOVE from the chest. Backtrack to the room with the north and
west doors, then travel to the very south of the palace and go through the west
door near the two pots.
The south door in this room is the Desert Palace's south-west exit, but if
you'd like a Faerie Fountain follow my lead: note the two groups of blocks in
this room. Focus on the west group of blocks. Take particular note of the
second block from the right (the third block from the wall). Push the block
and the north door will open, allowing access to the Faerie Fountain. Just
remember that Beamos may catch sight of you.
Anyway, in the aforesaid Beamos/Faerie Fountain room, you go through the
south door to exit the Desert Palace. You are now in Hyrule's overworld, on a
plateau. Travel north from here and look around for a cave with an eye and
claw pattern above it, blocked by light green boulders. With the Power Glove
you can lift these boulders and enter the next part of the Desert Palace.
In the first room, look out for Beamos and push the middle block of the east
group in-line with the others to open the door. As the game animates the room
change, STOP ALL MOVEMENT! DON'T DO ANYTHING because magic tiles will fly from
the floor, and if you've stopped in the doorway they'll hit the walls and won't
be able to harm you. All you have to do is wait until the last tile shatters
against the wall. The Key needed to unlock the stairs to the next floor is in
the south-west pot and there's a Healing Heart in the middle east pot if you
need it.
The first room on the top floor is devoid of any features, but to get through
the second room you must destroy all the Leevers while avoiding Beamos. The
next room is tricky because it's got three Beamos and several Leevers. Head
east until you can go north, getting past the unlit torches and statues, until
you come to the four pots blocking your way. The second pot from the east wall
contains the Key needed to get through the door. Remember there are three
Beamos statues forming a cross-fire at this point, so move quickly.
When you go through the locked door, stop moving immediately and wait for the
magic tiles to do their business before you get the Key from the north-east
pot. In the next room, destroy the red Rocklops with Arrows and get some extra
items from the pots, then ignite the four torches in this room to make the wall
move back and reveal the final door.
LAMOLAS
You must face off three sand worms who burrow their way out of the sand,
float about in a random direction for a random amount of time, then hide again.
When a Lamola emerges it throws four rocks, one in each north, south, east and
west direction; if there is only one Lamola left, he'll throw rocks along the
diagonals as well. You must hit the Lamolas in the head to injure them.
One important point is to make sure you're carrying as much Life Medicine or
Faeries as you can. You can use Arrows or the Ice Rod (the latter making them
fall in about two blows!), but aiming is a bitch and you may run out of
ammo/Magic Power quite quickly without actually hitting anything. I prefer
using the sword; stand just next to where a Lamola is emerging and charge a
Spin Attack. When Lamola emerges, release the attack and go after him with
basic strokes. Remember not to stand in a place where you could be hit by the
rocks they throw; if you're on your last Lamola, stand a little further away
from where the worm is emerging to help prevent damage.
***TOWER OF HERA***
REQUIREMENTS: Sword and Shield, Power Glove, Boomerang, Lamp, Magic Mirror
STORY
The third and final pendant is the red Pendant of Wisdom from the Tower of
Hera, which stands upon Death Mountain's highest peak. While climbing the
mountain Link meets a lost old man, who mutters that he suspects Agahnim of
kidnapping the missing women so he may use the life-force of the Seven Wise
Men's descendants to open a gate to the Dark World. Link must recover the
Master Sword and stop the wizard before it is too late.
GETTING THERE
Climb Death Mountain to Spectacle Rock. East of here is a Magical
Transporter to the Dark World, which you should enter. Travel west until you
reach the point where Spectacle Rock would be in Hyrule....and you'll find that
this landmark isn't in the Dark World, but instead there's a discolouring of
the ground. Stand where Spectacle Rock would be in Hyrule and use the Magic
Mirror; you will appear atop Spectacle Rock and can jump off it to the north,
from which it's a short walk to the Tower of Hera.
TOWER INTERIOR
Much of this tower involves creative use of the Crystal Switches to go along
the necessary passages. If you trip a Crystal Switch causing the blocks below
you to rise, Link will become invincible for a few seconds and you'll need to
get him away from the raised blocks to proceed. Another process, not mentioned
in the game's manual, is stepping on the Star Tiles to change the positions of
holes in the floor. No holes here will cause you to lose life energy, but will
cause you to end up at the floor below. Remember that when you first enter the
Tower, you will be on the second floor, not the first.
The main enemies here are walking crystal balls. Hit these enemies with the
sword to kill them (it takes four basic strokes for blue crystal balls, but red
balls take so long to kill they're almost invincible!), but remember that Link
will be forced backwards when he hits them. Small worms also dominate the
tower, and because of their unpredictable movement it can be difficult to land
a blow; use a Spin Attack to take out worms. The triceratops-type enemies here
breathe fireballs periodically but can easily be defeated with basic sword
strokes, and Stalfos also make a cameo appearance. If a Pink Stalfos
successfully jumps away from you, he'll toss a bone in your direction.
When you first enter, hit the nearby Crystal Switch and travel west to the
next Crystal Switch, hitting it. Go down the nearby stairs to reach a room
that's well-guarded and with a Key inside retractable blocks. You simply need
to toss the Boomerang to recover the Key, minimising your combat and getting
back to the second floor as quickly as possible.
Upon returning to the second floor, hit the nearest Crystal Switch and move
north. On the blue altar towards the very north of the room is the chest with
the MAP. To the east of here is a locked door leading down; go through it and
you'll come to a room with magic tiles, but you won't be able to use the
doorway for protection. Instead you'll need to hit the incoming tiles with the
sword; time your basic strokes just right, but ensure your Life Meter's strong
just in case. Once the last tile has been shattered the door will open; hit
the Crystal Switch to enter the next room.
Here, try to defeat the worms by hitting them with Spin Attacks as they near
their retracting block barriers, since this allows you to attack while they
remain defenceless. Hit the Crystal Switch to enter the next room and ignite
the four torches with the Lamp to make the chest containing the BIG KEY appear.
Backtrack to the second floor, making sure you set the Crystal Switch to
orange before taking the stairs up.
Head for the south-west part of the second floor, which has a set of stairs
leading up. In the next room, kill all the walking orbs or drive them into the
pits to make the door open. The next room also has crystal orbs guarding it,
but your priority is to use the Star Tile to clear a path to the locked door
and go through it (the door opens with the Big Key).
In the next room, simply work your way to the east while avoiding/destroying
the walking crystal balls and manipulating Star Tiles and Crystal Switches.
Though it's not necessary, it's best to leave this floor with the Crystal
Switch set to retract orange blocks.
This next floor is heavily guarded by worms so keep your guard up. All the
pots here contain Rupees, and the small chest towards the middle of the room
contains the COMPASS. You can find the large treasure chest at the far north
of the room, but you won't be able to reach it just yet. Continue to the west
of this room, watching out for a triceratops monster, and going through the
north door.
On the fifth floor, beware of the large number of walking orbs in the room.
Travel slightly south of the entrance and step on the Star Tile near the
pivoting bar of energy balls. Now travel to the very middle of the north wall
(where the false cracks are) and travel south, jumping down the first hole
coming reasonably close to your location. This will allow you to fall down to
the fourth floor and, if you avoid the moving energy ball, you can open the
large chest and recover the MOON PEARL. Return to the fifth floor by just
walking south (the Star Tiles take care of everything) and taking the stairs up
as you did before.
Now, so more information on Floor 5: near the northernmost wall are three
permanent holes in the floor, in the west corner. The second-north-most hole
allows you to fall down and down to a Faerie Fountain (Warp Tile returns you to
Floor 5). The series of pots towards the east of the floor all contain Healing
Hearts. Just north of these pots are the stairs leading to the floor with the
Keeper. To reach the battlefield, travel south along the wall until you can go
north and jump into the battlefield.
MOULDRUM
Link must face a giant version of the worm enemies in order to recover the
final pendant. The main danger during the battle is being pushed off the
battlefield and down to the previous floor; though you can climb back up,
Mouldrum will have recovered from his injuries and you'll have to restart the
battle from the top. Falling off the battlefield means returning to the fifth
floor, but falling through the hole in the battlefield means returning to level
four.
Mouldrum can only be injured by hitting him in the tip of his tail (it's
white, unlike the rest of him). When you hit Mouldrum (preferably with a Spin
Attack) his tail will retract for a few seconds, so get behind him and charge
another Spin Attack to inflict continuous damage. When Mouldrum has two or
three hits to go, he'll speed up and make your challenge even more difficult.
If you keep getting knocked off, remember the Faerie Fountain you can access
from the fifth floor, or the Healing Hearts in the pots on the same level.
***HYRULE CASTLE TOWER***
REQUIREMENTS: Master Sword, Lamp
STORY
Link succeeds in recovering the Master Sword, but soldiers find Princess
Zelda at Sanctuary. The loyal sage is badly injured during the attack and with
his dying breath the sage urges Link to rescue Zelda from Agahnim's clutches
before the wizard works his magic....
GETTING THERE
Entering the castle requires obtaining the Master Sword from the Lost Woods,
so get it and then enter Hyrule Castle. From the first room, go east (or west)
through the door and climb the stairs. There will be another door along the
south that'll allow you to exit the castle along the battlements, where the
Bomb-throwing sedentaries are. At the centre of the far north there is the
door to the Tower: strike the energy barrier with the Master Sword and barge on
in.
TOWER INTERIOR
Your only enemies in this tower are the Hylian Army and the occasional bat
(who are in the shape of an eyeball, oddly enough). There are lots of dark
rooms so make sure you enter the Tower with a fully-powered Magic Meter. The
Tower has no Map, Compass, Big Key or special treasure, and strangely enough
you start on the second floor but there's no way to reach the first floor.
The first room contains nothing of note, but the second room contains two
Ball and Chain Troopers you need to defeat to open the door. Stun them with
the Boomerang and use two Spin Attacks to kill them, taking out one at a time.
Try to keep the Trooper you're not attacking away by getting him trapped
against one of the fences.
The third room contains two soldiers wearing B&C Trooper armour, but they
will simply charge at Link with their swords. Use Sword Beam attacks if you
can, or stun them with the Boomerang. Once they're both down a chest
containing the Key will appear. The next (dark) room contains one soldier and
a bat, but you simply need to head for the west wall and go straight through
the door.
The next room is dark and has fences making it a maze. First, head south and
destroy all the guards and bats that you can. Backtrack to the door, then go
to the far north of the room, then walk west to the maze fence. Go south, then
east and ignite the three torches (don't worry if a fence is in the way; the
flame will still reach the torch). You should now be able to see the route to
the chest containing a Key (the nearby block opens this room's entrance); after
getting it, backtrack to the first torch and go down the fence opening just
south-east of the second torch. Now go south and take the second east turn-off
to reach the door. The next room contains two guards, but just walk straight
for the middle of the north wall to reach the stairs.
After you emerge from the stairs, turn west and follow the wall to the door
(ignore the guards). The next room takes place over a chasm; take the middle
junction from the start, get rid of the guard and ignite the torch, head north
and light another torch and take out a second guard, then head for the exit
(push the block to re-open the entrance). The next room contains two archers
and a blue guard; use the two torches here to see where they are, and the
archer who starts furthest south has the Key.
The next room requires you to take out the two bats and pair of trident-armed
guards to open the door. In the subsequent room are some bats, two red guards
and lots of pots, blocks and fences; take out all the enemies to re-open the
entrance, but the guard in the very centre of the room has the Key. Keep him
trapped in the middle and use pots to take him out.
There's a B&C Trooper, spear-throwing guard and a charging guard in the next
room, but just ignore them and bolt straight for the door. When you emerge in
the next room you must push the easternmost statue to proceed, but beware the
archers and other guards. The final room takes place over a bottomless chasm
and has two blue guards; just send them bungee jumping. Climb up the stairs to
a blank room, but here the music changes; in the second room of the top floor,
Agahnim will banish Zelda to the Dark World before retreating to another room.
Cut down the centre curtain in the north wall with your Sword to reveal the
final door.
AGAHNIM
The wicked wizard has three attacks: orange energy bolts (flashing sphere
with a tail), blue energy bolts (six small blue energy balls in a Star of David
formation) and lightning bolts. Agahnim becomes invisible between attacks, but
you can tell where he'll appear by watching his shadow. The only weapon you
need for this fight is the Master Sword, but strangely enough the Bug-Catching
Net works just as well!
When Agahnim appears, make sure you're at the opposite end of the room facing
him UNLESS Agahnim appears in the middle of the room's far north. This almost
always means he'll be firing a lightning bolt; stand next to Agahnim and if
he's facing down the room's centre, that means he'll fire lightning. Stand
beside or behind Agahnim to avoid the shot.
At other times, Agahnim will fire either orange or blue energy bolts. If
Agahnim fires a blue bolt, strike it from the east or west with the VERY TIP of
the Sword to avoid taking damage. If Agahnim fires an orange bolt, hit the
bolt with the Master Sword to reflect it back towards Agahnim. More often than
not the bolt will hit him and cause Agahnim damage. When 5-6 orange bolts hit
Agahnim, he'll draw Link into the Dark World.
====THE DARK WORLD====
***OUT AND ABOUT***
STORY
Battling with Agahnim the wizard, the evil magician becomes badly wounded.
Not willing to admit defeat, Agahnim draws Link into the Dark World before
disappearing.
A telepathic message from Sahasrahla explains much: when the Gods created the
Triforce, they hid it within the Golden Land. Ganondorf 'Ganon' Dragmire found
a way to enter that Land and, after killing his own gang of thieves, touched
the Triforce and wished for the world. To fulfil that wish, the Triforce
turned the Golden Land into a version of Hyrule that reflected Ganon's dark
heart.
Agahnim has now succeeded in opening a gate linking Hyrule and this Dark
World. The seven maidens Agahnim has sent to the Dark World, as descendants of
the Seven Wise Men, will surely help Link in his quest and so he must find
them.
GENERAL
Those who enter the Dark World are changed into a shape which reflects what
is in their hearts and minds. If Link hasn't recovered the Moon Pearl from the
Tower of Hera, he will transform into a rabbit and won't be able to use most of
his weapons. You'll need the Moon Pearl to clear the Dark World, so head back
to the Tower and get it!
You can return to Hyrule at any time using the Magic Mirror, but you will
only be able to enter the Dark World again using the eight Magical Transporters
or the entrance to Hyrule Castle. The sparkling portal created with the Magic
Mirror can also be used to re-enter the Dark World.
The main hostiles in the Dark World are basically the same as those in
Hyrule, only they look different. New enemies are the one-eyed Bomb-throwing
super-strong giants called Hinox, who are especially vulnerable to Bombs.
There are also airborne enemies who'll either just fly around Link or drop
explosives on him; both breeds will avoid Sword blows, so use the Hookshot or
some other projectile weapon to take them out.
There are several story-tellers in the Dark World. If you pay 20 Rupees to
hear their story, you'll not only get a clue about what to do next but they'll
also heal your wounds. Also, if you see a tree whose eyes follow Link, touch
their 'mouth' and a dangerous Bomb will come out. You can then talk to the
tree for a clue; usually they'll just give you a hint about using a Dash Attack
to get items from trees, but other times they'll give you other information.
WHIRLPOOL WARPS
There is only one Whirlpool Warp route in the Dark World; it goes from the
turn in the Dark River to just east of the Ice Lake.
DARK PLAINS
EXTENSION: South of the Pyramid of Power, Swamplands and Woodlands. Extends
past Ice Lake and between the west side of the Eastern Brush and
the Dark River.
HYRULE EQUAL: Hyrule Plains
There's bridge crossing the Ice Lake's river but stakes blocks it, so you
need the Hammer to cross it. There is a Great Faerie's Fountain in the cave
near the four trees south of the Eastern Brush. The cave south-east of the
Eastern Brush, against the Dark World's east border, has a story-teller that
will drop a hint about the Lake of Ill Omen.
DARK RIVER
EXTENSION: The long river travelling from the Dark World's north-east.
HYRULE EQUAL: Zora's River
As the river runs west, there is a Goods Shop. Further along past this Shop
is the Lake of Ill Omen. The area along the Dark River contains several
enemies, but they are all easy to contend with.
The river's source is the Lake of Ill Omen in the far north. This Lake's
only real landmark is a circle of stones, where a rather grumpy amphibian makes
his home. If you swim in the Dark River, you will only be able to return to
land via the Dark World's eastern land masses.
DEATH MOUNTAIN
EXTENSION: The rugged terrain in the far north of the Dark World, including
its caves and a bisect by part of the Dark River.
HYRULE EQUAL: Death Mountain
There is one Piece of Heart on Death Mountain.
You can't enter the Death Mountain area from its Foothills; you must use one
of the Magical Transporters on Hyrule's Death Mountain to reach the Dark World
version. The Dark River bisects the mountain; there are two bridges you can
use to reach either side, but the lower one of the two requires the Hookshot to
cross.
The western part of the mountain is pretty much devoid of anything. Towards
the summit are two Dark World citizens who will give you hints about the Moon
Pearl, and in the south-west corner of the mountain is a cave leading to a
Great Faerie's Fountain. The summit of this part of the mountain has the Tower
of Ganon.
At the foot of the west part of Death Mountain, there are twin caves. The
east one will lead to the Mountain Shop; if you take the west twin cave, go
along the west passage (east leads to a dead end) and up the stairs. Look out
for the Crystal Orbs, jump down the pit, and push the block north so you can
reach the west stairs. After climbing the stairs go down the east pit, then
proceed east and up the stairs, and jump down the southern-most pit to reach
some goodies by pushing the blocks out of the way. Proceed east and up the
stairs to emerge at the mountain's summit.
Just west of the cave you've just exited is a large rock; lift it with the
Power Glove to enter a cave with lots of platforms over an abyss. Use the
Hookshot to grapple the pots and chests (all contain 50 Rupees) so you can get
all the goodies in the room. There is a ledge directly opposite the entrance
to the room that you must reach by crossing an invisible gantry (use the Ether
Medallion or Staff of Somaria to guide you). Once you've reached this door,
Bomb the north wall to reach a Great Faerie's Fountain or Bomb the east wall
and in the next room Bomb the north wall for a standard Faerie Fountain.
DEATH MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS
EXTENSION: The area of land between Death Mountain and the Skeleton Forest
to the west, the land and small lake between Death Mountain and the
Woodlands to the south and south-west. The remaining border is
the Dark River along the south and east.
HYRULE EQUAL: Death Mountain Foothills
There is one Piece of Heart in this area.
The house in the far north of this area is a shop. Just south of here is a
cave where you can battle it out with some Crystal Orbs. If you pull the
'mouth' of the tree west and slightly north of this cave, you'll be rewarded
with four blue Rupees.
South-east of this area is a large, conspicuous cave with a story-teller who
will give you a hint about the Mysterious Pond. The Dark World's graveyard has
several five-rock piles with extra Bombs and Rupees. East of the graveyard is
a talking tree and some enemies, but little else.
EASTERN BRUSH
EXTENSION: Enclosed by a plateau on the north, west and much of the south.
East wall is the end of the Dark World.
HYRULE EQUAL: East Hill
In the south-south-west area of the Brush is a house with a tree inside,
who'll give you a rerun of the story of the Dark World. If you use a Dash
Attack to knock a hole in the weak north wall of the tree's house, you'll get
some pots containing Healing Hearts.
The Eastern Brush is so named because the unique bushes here form a long,
winding maze you must work your way through in order to reach the Palace of
Darkness in the north-east corner of the area. Be careful, since there are a
few false turns, and watch out for hostiles.
ICE LAKE
EXTENSION: The body of water in the Dark World's south-east and its shores.
HYRULE EQUAL: Lake Hylia
Throughout the Ice Lake, some of the water is partially-frozen or entirely
frozen, making it possible for Link to stand here. Be careful of the flying
enemies and Like Likes, however. The north-west shore of the Ice Lake has a
Fortune Teller's house, while the north-east shore has a prominent cave, near
which is a weak wall you can blow with a Bomb and a boulder you can lift with
the Power Glove, both yielding hidden areas.
If you swim in the Ice Lake, you will only be able to return to land by
heading for the eastern land masses.
SWAMPLANDS
EXTENSION: Large patch of green overgrowth between the Swamp of Evil, Ice
Lake and the Dark Plains.
HYRULE EQUAL: Swamp
The large, grassy swamp is pretty much featureless save for an odd array of
statues in its north-west area and the Flooded Palace to the south. If you
enter the Swamplands just south of the Bomb Shop, go slightly east for a weak
wall of the plateau; Bomb it and inside is a thief who'll give you Rupees and
the north wall of his hideout is also weak, which if Bombed reveals more
goodies.
SWAMP OF EVIL
EXTENSION: The Dark World's south-west corner, enclosed by plateaux. The
south-east border is marked by the screen break right on a narrow
passage between a plateau and hill.
HYRULE EQUAL: Desert of Mystery
There is one Piece of Heart in this area, and monster magic is causing a very
large storm to hang over the Swamp.
Much of the water in the Swamp is very shallow and muddy, but you can swim in
some of it. Your attackers come in the form of aquatic monsters and
mini-Lamolas, along with flying triceratops. In the north-west corner of the
swamp is Misery Mire, while towards the north-east is a story-teller who'll
give you a hint on how to enter the Mire. The north wall of the story-teller's
cave is weak and leads to bonuses.
VILLAGE OF OUTCASTS
EXTENSION: The main city to the east of the Dark World, between the Skeleton
Forest and Swamp of Evil. Includes some houses to the south of
the paved area.
HYRULE EQUAL: Kakariko Village
There are two Pieces of Heart to be found in the Village of Outcasts. Along
the northernmost area of the Village is a small hut that doesn't serve any real
purpose.
As with Kakariko Village, chooks are here, there and everywhere....only
they're skeleton chooks without flesh or feathers! They react like normal
chooks, but I haven't tested the bird retaliation thing, so I'm not sure if
it's still true. No point in trying, I reckon.
The north-west house of the Village is a Treasure Chest game, where you can
open two chests for 30 Rupees and win stuff like Healing Hearts, Bombs, Arrows
and Rupees. Continue east and you'll pass the statue marking the entrance to
Blind's Hideout (it's not a gargoyle; they have water coming out of their
mouths). Past here is a thief who will try to ram you, causing you to lose
Rupees, Arrows and Bombs. East still of the thief is a house with a chest
containing 300 Rupees.
Just south of this house is a shop, but you need a Hammer to reach the door.
Continuing west of here will lead you to ruined houses and, at the far west,
another thief. South of this second thief is another ruin, but east of this
ruin is a hut with a weak south wall. Bomb it and enter to get 300 Rupees from
the chest. East of this house is another ruin.
South of the main, paved area of the Village is one citizen trapped by heavy
rocks (use the Titan's Mitt to reach him). The house with the arrow on it
leads to the Shooting Gallery, where for 20 Rupees you can try your archery
skill for a jackpot prize. Hit a white bird in the back row (not the obstacles
in the front row) and you'll win 4 Rupees. Hit another bird to double that
amount, and hitting another bird doubles it again. You can continue the game
as long as you like, but to renew your Arrow stock you'll need to pay another
20 Rupees.
West of the Shooting Gallery is the Treasure Field; for 80 Rupees, you can
madly dig holes with a shovel to uncover Rupees or Magic Decanters.
WOODLANDS
EXTENSION: Column between Village of Outcasts and Pyramid of Power; includes
forest around the two buildings and Haunted Grove.
HYRULE EQUAL: Woodlands
There is one Piece of Heart in the Woodlands.
Between the Village of Outcasts and the Pyramid of Power are two structures.
The southern one is called the Gossip Shop; you can only reach it with the
Titan's Mitt, by going east to the Village of Outcasts. The Gossip Shop is
little more than ruins with a purple treasure chest, which is locked.
North of the Gossip Shop is the Isolated Shop, which you can only enter to
the north. Jump over the fences to the west of the Isolated Shop to enter and
make your purchases. Jump over the south-west fence to leave the shop's
grounds.
***PALACE OF DARKNESS***
REQUIREMENTS: At least 110 Rupees, Bow and Arrows, upgraded Bomb stock, Bombs,
Lamp, Ether Medallion, plenty of reserve Life energy
STORY
A stranger in a strange land, Link must rescue one of Hyrule's missing young
women from this palace.
GETTING THERE
The Palace of Darkness (AKA 'The Dark Palace') is located in the area where
the Eastern Palace would be in Hyrule. To reach it, you must negotiate a maze,
during which you cannot see Link. You know the little tree's house (equal to
Sahasrahla's place)? East of there is some paving forming an arrow, and this
marks the entrance to the brush maze. After entering, go north, west, then
north again. Now, go around the house and towards the north-west corner of the
valley. Soon you'll see a short gap in the bushes that'll lead to a larger
area of bushes.
Enter this large area of bushes by the top-left entrance. Work your way to
the lower-right of the bushes, and you'll eventually emerge. Following you is
a chap named Kiki (Japanese, 'merry'), who asks for 10 Rupees. Grant him this
request and proceed east to the Palace of Darkness. If you're hit by an enemy,
Kiki will run off and you'll need another 10 Rupees for him to follow you
again. When you reach the palace, Kiki offers to open the entrance; he is the
only person who can do it and he demands 100 Rupees for his services.
PALACE INTERIOR
From the first room, go down the west passage and step on the switch in the
floor to open the door. You'll emerge in a sectioned-off portion of the second
room; just head down the north stairs, ignoring the Helmasaur, and step on a
switch hidden under the south-west pot to reveal a chest containing a Key. Go
back up the stairs and lift up the north-west pot to reveal the switch
returning you to the first room.
Back in the first room, go down the east passage and head straight for the
north stairs, ignoring the guarding Helmasaur. A Bubble guards this room,
where you step through the orange Warp Tile to proceed. The next room contains
two Bubbles and a weak south wall; use a Dash Attack to enter a passage guarded
by blue Birri. Use Sword Beam attacks if you can, or wait until the Birri stop
flashing to destroy them. At the end of this tunnel, use a Dash Attack to
destroy the east part of the north wall.
In this next room, there are three Mimic enemies, who will move as Link
moves. With green Mimics you simply need to herd them into a corner and use a
single Spin Attack. Red Mimics require Arrows and will fire an energy beam at
Link if he's directly in front of them. To destroy them: stand well away from
the Mimic with him either north or south of you. Face south/north towards the
Mimic, then draw your sword so that you face the same direction while moving.
Now move east/west as necessary to bring the Mimic in front of you; he'll be
within line of fire but the Mimic won't have faced Link and thus not fired upon
him. Now release the B button and unleash two Arrows at the Mimic. When all
three Mimics are down, the door will open.
The next room has a moving floor, several moving switchblades and blue and
red Birris. Red Birris are the same as their blue cousins but split into two
smaller ones when you hit them (hit the two small Birris to kill them), so
decide whether its best to ignore red Birris or destroy them. Anyway, work
your way to the north of the moving floor room (avoiding switchblades and
Birris) and go through the door. The next room holds three red Birris, the
chest containing the MAP, and two weak walls; west leads to a chest with a Key
while east leads to a Faerie Fountain.
After recovering the Key, backtrack through the three-Birri room, the moving
floor room, the Mimic room and the passage until you reach the room you
teleported to using the Warp Tile. Push the south block out of the way to
reach another Warp Tile, enter it and head up the north stairs, then lift the
north-east pot to reveal the switch leading back to the very first room.
Go along the middle route and after passing the locked door, go to the west
of the room (being wary of Birri, Turtles and beam launchers) and cross the
bridge over a chasm. Place a Bomb where the floor is cracked to form a new
hole and jump down it, landing on a narrow ledge. Follow the ledge to the
locked door and climb the stairs to reach the chest containing the BIG KEY.
Jump into the chasm to reach the lower level, lift the lone pot and step on the
revealed switch (beware of the four appearing Stalfos whose heads will chase
you) and grab the Key from the appearing chest. The north-east corner of this
room has a Warp Tile; after entering it, climb the north stairs and use the
switch under the north-east pot to escape.
You're now in the first passage (for the last time!), so head along the
middle entrance into the room where you Bombed the bridge. Instead of going
west to the weak bridge, however, go east to a bridge obstructed by blocks.
Push the south-most block into the chasm and proceed. When you enter the next
room, grab the Key from the chest and jump off the north part of the bridge to
reach the next gantry. Climb the steps and head west to the door, taking care
of Crystal Orbs as appropriate.
When you enter the next room, grab ONE pot and use it to take out the
Helmasaur, then walk across the bridge before it collapses (ignore the second
Helmasaur; he'll go parachuting). Take the west door into the dark maze and
follow this route: west, first north, west, south (beware two fire-breathing
Triceratops), then north-west to the chest containing Bombs. Now go south,
west, south, the last east turn-off, south (beware of Triceratops), west to a
chest containing a Key, then back to the last junction and go east to the weak
wall. Bomb it and enter the passage to recover the HAMMER, then backtrack out
of the dark maze.
Once out of the dark maze, go through the east door for a room with four
Turtles. You don't need to destroy Turtles here, but later on you'll need to
destroy them by pounding the nearby ground with the Hammer, then use the Sword
before they recover. The chest in this room contains the COMPASS.
Go down the stairs in the Compass room to reach a dark room guarded by two
Bubbles (the Turtles there are fenced in, so don't worry about them) with lots
of blue Rupees. The two chests here contain a single Arrow and a Key. Return
to the Compass room and go through the south door, lift the west pot and open
the chest (blue Rupee), then push the nearby statue to reach the south door
without getting harmed by the switchblades.
You'll be back in the first abyss room, so head for the arrow pointing south
but DON'T JUMP DOWN YET! First, wait for the crystal orbs to gather near where
you'll land, then use the Ether Medallion to freeze them. Jump down and use
the Hammer on them to get plenty of Magic Decanters. Now grab a pot and use it
to hit the Crystal Switch so it turns blue. Exit through the east passage,
then hit the Crystal Switch to make the orange blocks sink. Proceed north and
lift the east group of pots until you find a switch. Push the north-east
statue to hold the switch down, then go through the door to enter a room with
three Mimics. Destroy them as you did before and the door will open.
Wait for the switchblade to go past before you step into the next room, and
proceed east to the bright green Cyclops statue. Hit it in the eye with an
Arrow to make the wall move back, revealing a staircase (enter it from the
north). Use the Hammer to knock the purple obstacles down (along with the two
Turtles) and look along the north for a Crystal Switch. Plant a Bomb near it
and head west past the retracted blocks, then wait for the Bomb to go off and
trigger the Crystal Switch to reach the door.
The next room is a short dark passage with a single Turtle. The room after
this passage is dark but there are two torches there you can ignite with the
Lamp. There are LOTS of Turtles here, but keep the torches lit and they
shouldn't be too much trouble. Once the last Turtle is down the door will
open, revealing another dark room with two torches you can light, although the
light from the previous room carries over. Push the north-east block south to
reach the Warp Tile, then head north and look out for the two pairs of Turtles
on your way to the final door.
HELMASAUR KING
HK is probably the worst boss they could have designed; I say he's the
hardest in the game. This is bad news if you're stuck, but good news since
it's all downhill from here. Don't approach him without plenty of Faeries in
stock.
The main problem with HK is his tail, since when he swings it you'll have a
real hard time avoiding it. HK will also occasionally release an energy
sphere, which will then split into three more energy spheres; these three
spheres then detonate in sequence, sending deadly spheres in the four diagonal
directions. Avoid all where possible.
Hit HK once with the Hammer, then plant Bombs in his path. After three Bomb
blasts hit him, HK will lose his face mask and reveal a green jewel on his
forehead. Hit this jewel with eight Arrows or Spin Attacks to finish the
battle.
***FLOODED PALACE***
REQUIREMENTS: Zora's Flippers, Bombs, Bombos Medallion, Hammer, Magic Mirror
STORY
On rescuing the first of seven captive maidens, Link learns that Agahnim sent
the maidens to the Dark World so he could use their life force to break the
Seven Wise Men's seal and create a gate linking the two worlds. So far this
gate can only go from Hyrule to the Dark World, but in time it will open
completely. In order to reach Ganon, Link must use the combined power of the
maidens sent to the Dark World; they have been sealed inside crystals guarded
by Ganon's seven most loyal monsters. One of these crystals is hidden within a
compound whose corridors can only be navigated if they are filled with water.
GETTING THERE
When you reach the palace, stand near it and use the Magic Mirror to enter
Hyrule. Enter the near-by Swamp Ruins and pull the east switch in the second
room to drain the lake and flood the corridors. Re-enter the Dark World using
the portal you created when you entered Hyrule. When you next enter the
Flooded Palace, the corridors will be filled with water, allowing you to swim
inside.
PALACE INTERIOR
You main enemies in this palace are: Water Flies, tiny insects that sit on
the waters surface; Live Drops, droplets of water that bounce around to attack
but vanish when hit by the Sword or if they bounce three times; and Fish who
crawl from holes in the ceiling and start swimming around. You'll also
encounter Fire Snakes, beam launchers, and sword beamers -- so named as
whenever you have your sword drawn, it'll fire an energy beam in whichever of
the four non-diagonal directions are closest to you. In several rooms, some
Blobs may jump out of the floor; they are easy to spot and destroy with the
Sword.
From the first room, swim west and onto the platform. Destroy all the Water
Flies to reveal the chest containing the Key and head north to the locked door
and down the stairs. In the second room, look for a narrow corridor leading to
a weak west wall that'll take you to the MAP. Return to the second room and
head for the southern-most pot, which has the Key to the south-west door
allowing you to proceed.
The next room contains some Birri, a pink Stalfos, a Fire Snake and a few
stationary switchblades. Head west, go down the steps and through the door,
then recover the Key from the pot. Go back to the previous room, up the west
steps and through the door. In the next room you can Bomb the west wall for
some bonuses, but your main concern is pushing the lever to flood the corridor.
Do so by taking out the two Stalfos (one standard, one pink), Hammer down the
faced obstacles, and push the lever from the east.
Backtrack through the south door, then swim to the west door to find yourself
in the main room. Go through the south door, turn east and follow the passage
until you find your route obstructed by two blocks; push the southernmost one
east to reveal the chest containing the COMPASS, then return to the main room
via the nearby north door.
Go through the door in the south-west of the main room, avoiding the two
Stalfos (one standard and one pink), Birri, sword beamer and Fire Snake. Go
down the west steps and through the north door, getting a Key from the pot.
Backtrack to the main room and enter the north-west door; destroy the Stalfos
and red Birri and trip the Crystal Switch to reach the floodgate lever, pushing
it from the east. Make sure the Crystal Switch is set to orange when you leave
the room via the east door.
Return to the main room's south-west passage, where you can now swim to the
west door. In the next room head straight to the steps in the west area (being
mindful of the Fire Snake) and turn west to the four blocks. Push the most
southerly block west and the middle block north, then head west to a ledge and
follow the ledge north to the stairs.
In this next room, you must push a block out of the way while avoiding Water
Flies, beam launchers and a fire bar. To the south are some pots with Healing
Hearts but to the north are two holes to the floor below (but you have to push
the obstructing blocks out of the way first). The west pit leads to a chest
with Rupees, but the east pit leads to the BIG KEY (if you paid attention
earlier and set the Crystal Switch to orange, you'll get there easily). After
getting the Big Key go west and jump down, head south until you reach the door
and then east until you reach the main room.
Once in the main room, climb the centre platform to get the HOOKSHOT; from
now on, use the Hookshot to take out Birris. Use it to grapple the east pots
to reach the platform where the next Key is (in the easternmost pot). Once you
have it, jump down and return to the Hookshot's platform, then grapple the pots
to the room's north to reach the required door.
In the next room, head west and take out the red Birri. The north pot hides
a switch but you need to pull the north statue onto it in order for the switch
to hold down. If you go through the nearby north door you'll get to explore
around but will eventually end up on the wrong side of a floodgate lever. To
trip the lever, head east from the hold-down switch and to the door (not the
stairs) there and proceed along the passage (being mindful of the red Birri) so
you can push the floodgate lever to drain the water and go down the steps to
reach the west door.
When you reach the next corridor, go south and through the east door for some
goodies or go straight for the north door to proceed. In this room you can go
through the obvious door for some goodies or push the third block from the west
wall for a chest, but to proceed walk through the second waterfall from the
east wall. The room you enter has two blue Birris and some goodies but you can
just head directly to the north door, then head through a short passage with
another Birri before reaching the final stretch.
The room you're now in contains water with a very strong current, meaning
you'll proceed very slowly if you try to swim east. There are three Water
Flies here, and the easiest way to take them out is to wait until they're all
on-screen and nuke 'em with the Bombos Medallion. Swim to the far east of the
room for the Key, and just west of this room's entrance is a weak wall leading
to some goodies. The door is to the far west of the room, and you'll have a
blank room before battling it out with the Keeper.
ARRGHUS
To destroy Arrghus you must first destroy his spawn, who form an effective
barrier around their master. The Arrghi will swarm around daddy for a while
before expanding and filling most of the screen. When the Arrghi attack,
simply get as far away as possible to avoid them.
Destroying the Arrghi involves picking them off one-by-one with the Hookshot,
then hitting them twice with your Sword to destroy them. You can grapple an
Arrghus spawn even when they are attacking, but the little critter will crawl
back to his parent gradually; if he makes it, he will retain any damage you
already inflicted on him. Remember that you have to land the Hookshot's hook
pretty much on the spawn to grapple them, making grappling a little harder as
the fight goes on.
Once only Arrghus himself is left, he'll jump high in the air and try to
stomp on Link. After hitting the ground, Arrghus will spin madly around the
room. The attack pattern is simple: when Arrghus jumps charge a Spin Attack,
and when his shadow appears move out from under it. When Arrghus lands he'll
hesitate before moving, which is your cue to hit him with the Spin Attack.
Four hits is all it takes.
***SKELETON FOREST***
REQUIREMENTS: Hookshot, Bombs, Bombos AND/OR Ether Medallion, Hammer, Magic
Mirror
STORY
The next crystal lies somewhere within the Dark World's Skeleton Forest.
GETTING THERE
To reach the Skeleton Forest, you must first enter Hyrule and head for
Kakariko Village. Head for the village's north-west corner and travel north to
the Lost Woods. Once inside the woods, take the first turn east and proceed
along until you can exit to the south. Continue along this passage to a fence
and knock down the two large stakes with the Hammer.
FOREST INTERIOR
The actual dungeon of the Skeleton Forest is its underground chambers; you'll
have to enter and exit the chambers several times before reaching the crystal.
You main hostiles are Gibdos (mummies; use fire, or freeze them and use the
Hammer) and Wallmasters (hands that drop from below trying to grab Link and
return him to the entrance).
After entering the Dark World from Kakariko's Magical Transporter, head north
and into the Skeleton Forest. Proceed west until you reach a north turn-off,
where there's a hole in the ground. Jump into the hole and you'll come to a
room with several pits, Birri and Crystal Orbs; head south-east through the
room, looking out for the fire bar, and go through the door.
In this second room head north to recover the COMPASS from the chest (note
that lots of pits will appear). Go through the north door to the next room and
use the Bombos Medallion (or Ether Medallion and Hammer) to take out all the
hostiles. Look out for Wallmasters while you grab the chest from the Key and
go through the right door, then go south and exit the tunnels.
From where you now stand in the Skeleton Forest, go south-east and dive down
the first pit. Beware of the Gibdos and Wallmasters in this room as you get
the Key from the chest (just south of the entrance) and go through the door in
the north-east corner. The chest in the next room contains the MAP and after
getting it you should go through the west door and out the south exit.
After exiting the tunnels, go north-west through the rib cage and follow the
path to another entrance. Go in and use the Bombos Medallion (or Ether
Medallion and Hammer) to destroy all the hostiles in the room. The pot in the
centre of this room is a hold-down switch; drag the east statue onto it to open
the north door, but be sure to move fast if a Wallmaster drops. You must PULL,
not push, the statue north onto the switch in order to reach the open door.
In the next room Bombos (or Ether and Hammer) the hostiles and recover the
BIG KEY from the chest. The weak east wall leads to a large Magic Decanter.
Use the Magic Mirror to return to the entrance and exit this tunnel, going back
through the ribs until you see the other skull entrance to the tunnels. Not
far from this skull entrance is a clump of nine bushes; cut the middle one away
to reveal a hole and jump down it.
Being wary of the Helmasaur and other hostiles, step on a Star Tile and Bomb
the west wall. Pull the lever on the north wall to destroy the south wall,
revealing the way to the FIRE ROD (beware the two worms). Go back to the room
where you touched the Star Tile, travel south and go through the east door,
then go south to exit. Travel north-west to the skull entrance used to reach
the Big Key, but go through the west door of the first room.
Keep heading west through these tunnels until you reach a room with an exit
leading south. Get the Key from the north-west pot and exit, then go via the
north-east rib cage and follow the path to a pit. Jump down the pit, step on a
Star Tile and travel south, then go west and north through the locked door for
some goodies. Keep heading south for the exit, then take the north-west rib
cage.
When you reach a large maroon skull blocked by vertebrae, burn the column
with the Fire Rod and enter the skull. The next room is a bit of the maze: go
down the steps and under the bridge, then north and east so you can see Link
again. Go north and under the bridge, then north and east to see Link and
north and under the bridge, north and west to come out from under the bridge,
then north and all the way east to the door. Climb the steps and use the
gantry to reach the far south of this room, then jump down and go through the
west door (use a Medallion if hostiles are in your way). Get the Key from the
chest and use the Magic Mirror to return to the entrance.
Head north across the gantry (beware of worms and Fire Snakes) and go through
the locked door. In the next room you will step on a Star Tile after entering,
so use the Hookshot to grapple the south-west torch. Now position Link so you
can grapple the north-east torch and you can walk directly to the west door.
In the next room, take out the four Gibdos and (being wary of Wallmasters) use
the Fire Rod to ignite the four torches and open the north-west door.
In the next room you can simply cut the middle curtain on the north wall to
proceed, but move fast to avoid the hostiles. Use a Medallion to take out the
hostiles in this room, getting the Key for the east door from Gibdos. The next
room is the final one before the keeper; you simply have to jump into the pit
while avoiding the switchblades, but there are some goodies in the two pots.
MOTHULA
Mothula himself attacks by unleashing three energy beams, which can easily be
avoided by staying just to Mothula's left or right. Your real concern is the
many switchblades; the moving floor will try to impale you, and several
switchblades will move around. Your main priority during this battle is to
avoid the switchblades, with a secondary priority given to avoiding Mothula's
blasts. Mothula is easily damaged with the Fire Rod (an enhanced Magic Meter
can out-last him) or Sword attacks.
***BLIND'S HIDEOUT***
REQUIREMENTS: Red Shield, Bombs, Hammer, reserve life energy
STORY
Link's next destination is the hideout of the thief Blind, the most recent
addition to Ganon's army. Blind, who loathed bright light, dominated Hyrule's
criminal rings during Link's youth.
GETTING THERE
Enter the Village of Outcasts, and to the large statue which is in the
location equal to Kakariko's weathercock. When you pull the statue's
pitchfork, the entrance will be revealed and you can walk on in.
HIDEOUT INTERIOR
The main dangers in this area are walking red and blue monsters. The blue
monsters aren't much competition, but the red ones will blow a single energy
beam at Link if they see him. Also in the Hideout are what's called
Half-Bubbles; they're like the standard Bubbles, only there's one large
(invincible) part to them and a little part to them; destroy the little part
and both the large and small parts will die.
Not so much as dangerous as annoying are the Bunny-Makers: small yellow
things that fly after Link, reversing the effects of the Moon Pearl for several
seconds (or until Link is injured). Lead the Bunny-Makers into walls (or use
the Ether Medallion) to get rid of them.
After entering Blind's Hideout, jump down to the lower level and travel
north, taking the last west turn-off to recover the MAP. Continue north into
the next room and go up the steps, then go south-west along the gantry to a
treasure chest. After getting its prize, go to the far north and jump down,
then travel to the far east and go up the stairs. Go south until you come to a
weak wall and use a Dash Attack to break it open and reach the next room.
Head north and use a Bomb to blow the weak north wall for some goodies. Now
jump down to the lower level and proceed south (you'll get several Bunny-Makers
chasing you, but just ignore them). When you reach the next room climb up the
steps, walk to the south-west corner, then head east to the chest with the
COMPASS. Now jump down to the west and proceed in that direction to reach the
BIG KEY. After getting it, proceed east and climb up the first steps up you
see. Proceed north to the end of the room, then go through the locked door to
the east (it opens with the Big Key).
Ignore the two Stalfos in this room and head for the very north. Get the Key
from the east pot, then turn south again and go through the locked south door.
While avoiding the Fire Snake and two monsters, head straight for the west
door. In the next room, destroy the two Half-Bubbles and look out for the
moving floor, switchblades and full Bubble on your way to the west door.
Proceed north while looking out for the Bubbles, Fire Snake, moving floor and
switchblades. Go through the north door, grab the Key from the pot, go to the
north of this room and then hit the Crystal Switch to make it blue. Go through
the north door and then lift the pot in the south-east corner to reveal a
switch for the east door. The next room takes place on two screens and you can
simply Dash right through it.
At the end of the corridor, take out the three tiny lizards with basic sword
strokes. Now stand between the two tables in the room, about in the middle,
and throw a Bomb north so it lands on the weak floor where the light lands.
Use the chest and pots in this room to restock your Bomb supply, then backtrack
to the room with the Crystal Switch. Exit the Crystal Switch room through the
south entrance (beware switchblades and DON'T TOUCH THE SWITCH!), then go
through the east entrance of this next room.
Despite the two monsters and Half Bubbles here, you can head straight to the
east door and go through it. In the next room, you can go through the south
entrance for some goodies but the north stairs are the way to proceed. Destroy
the Stalfos and other monsters in this room (which isn't too much effort), then
lift the large grey block out of the way and go out the south entrance. Ignore
the red monster and proceed straight to the west door.
You'll now be in the prison area. Use basic strokes to take out enemies, but
you can also throw pots through the cell bars for a secure means of taking out
foes. Proceed to the far north of the prison to find a blonde human captive
who conscripts you as her escort to safety. Recover the Key from the chest in
her cell, then go back south through the prisons to the west door, then dash
straight through the next room.
When you reach the abyss room, head west through the locked door and use the
Hammer to pound the faces in and recover the TITAN'S MITT. The floor will
start collapsing now, so go north and around the hole and back to the abyss
room. Travel north (looking out for Birri and the moving floor) to the
T-junction; go west to have fun with some more Birri or east to proceed.
Go up the north stairs, then lift the north-east pot to reveal the switch for
the east door. Go through the door, then turn north and lead the blonde girl
into the bright light to reveal her true identity: Blind.
BLIND
Considering what you've gone through to reveal Blind, fighting him is a
pushover -- as long as you have plenty of life energy. He moves from
side-to-side, firing red energy beams and the odd energy blast, occasionally
swapping sides of the screen.
Make a kamakaze attack on Blind, hitting him with three basic sword strokes
and he'll clone a new head, which will itself move around (without trading
sides of the screen) firing red energy beams. Attack Blind three more times
and a second head will appear; three more hits and Crystal Four is yours.
***ICE LAKE CAVERN***
REQUIREMENTS: Tempered Sword, Titan's Mitt, Fire Rod, Bombos AND Ether
Medallions, Hammer, reserve life energy
STORY
Link's destination is the frozen lake in the south-east of the Dark World,
and a compound made almost entirely of ice that seems to have no way in.
GETTING THERE
To enter the grounds of the Ice Lake Palace, you must enter Hyrule and
proceed to the large island in the centre of Lake Hylia. Lift the dark green
rock to reveal a Magical Transporter that will take you inside the compound's
grounds. You can then avoid the local hostiles and enter the palace.
CAVERN INTERIOR
Move towards the west ice statue on the north wall to bring him to life, then
melt him down with the Fire Rod. Go into the next room and destroy the south
Birri for the Key to the north stairs (look out; the floor is slippery!). Head
to the south-west of the next room, step on the floor switch to open the door
and proceed, pushing the block in the next room to reach the south door.
Unleash the Ether Medallion to freeze the penguins, then smash them all with
the Hammer to reveal the COMPASS. Exit through the north door, then turn east
(stepping on the floor switch) and go through the door.
This room serves no purpose save resetting the block in the previous room, so
Ether all the penguins and smash them with the Hammer, then grab the south pot
to reveal the switch and return to the previous room (be wary of the Bubble).
Step on the switch, push the block away and go through the north door to reach
a room with four red Birris. Strike the Crystal Switch to make the blue blocks
sink, then plant a Bomb there and stand next to the orange blocks. When the
Bomb goes off and triggers the switch, plant another Bomb on the weak floor and
jump down the resulting hole.
In the next room you must destroy two Stalfos Knights, one hidden in the
north-north-east area and another in the south-south-west part. Take them one
at a time, hitting them with the Sword once and then planting a Bomb over the
collapsed bones. Ransack the pots and exit through the south door.
The next room has a moving floor and a maze of switchblades; take out the
second Birri for the Key, then proceed to the west of the room for the locked
south door (ensure the Crystal Switch is set to orange). Beware the Fire Bar
as you cross the gantry; the south-west pot has the switch to open the east
door. The next room is a simple case of running straight for the north stairs.
Ether all the penguins in this room, then pound them all with the Hammer for
the north door to open. The following corridor has a giant switchblade, but
its movement is easy to track and you should have little problems reaching the
north door by ducking out of its path. After going through the north door, go
to the north area of this next room and wait for the floor to collapse and fall
down. Go through the first east door you see in the next room.
Despite the many red Birri, simply grapple the east block to cross the chasm
and reach the south door. Now, without stopping, head south into the third
giant switchblade's path, then go west and north to the stairs to avoid taking
any damage. Take out the blue Birri in the next room if you like, but use the
Hookshot to grapple the pot on the far side of the spikes and head north to the
stairs.
A Stalfos Knight will jump down near the entrance, so take him out and then
Hammer the faces and lift the large grey block. Toss the block away and head
south quickly to cause the Bunny-Maker to hit the wall. Now grab the visible
Key and Hammer the smaller faces, then head to the south-eastern pot (beware
the Stalfos Knight), which hides a switch that'll make the chest containing the
MAP appear. Pull the north-west statue's tongue to make the east door open,
then go up the stairs (from the north) to reach the room containing the BIG
KEY. Go back down the stairs, pull the statue's tongue to open the door, then
go down the north stairs.
Lift the nearby pot to reveal a chest, then grapple it with the Hookshot to
safely cross the spikes, open the chest for a Key and go through the west
locked door. Dash to the room's west door and, being wary of the slippery
floor, Fire Bar and switchblades, go down the stairs from the north. The
western part of the cracked floor just above the stairs is weak, so place a
Bomb there to reveal a hole. If you destroy the middle and east ice statues in
the north wall in this room, you'll get a chest containing some Bombs. Go down
the hole you created with the Bomb for the chest with the BLUE MAIL, then push
the blocks out of the way to reach the east door.
To avoid the ice statue in this room, go south and east to the east door.
When the black rodents come out of their holes in the next room, use the Bombos
Medallion to fry them all at once. Being careful of the slippery floor, Bubble
and Fire Bar, lift the south pot from the group in the north-west corner and
grab the Key, then lift the lone north-east pot to reveal the switch, then exit
through the west door. In the next room, go through the locked north door
(opens with the Big Key) and proceed north to the stairs, avoiding the red
Birri and ignoring the Stalfos Knight (if the blue Crystal blocks are
retracted, jump into the pits to reach a Faerie Fountain).
The next room has only a Bubble and you can easily reach the south door. The
next room contains several Birri, a live ice statue and a couple of Stalfos
Knights, all of whom should be destroyed. Now, if you have NOT followed the
game's sequencing and already have the Staff of Somaria, you can lift the pot
in this room and use a Staff Block to hold down the switch and proceed south to
the final room before the Keeper -- and skip the next two paragraphs.
For those of you who'd rather open the door the old-fashioned way, go through
the east locked door. Strike the Crystal Switch twice; once to reveal a
Bunny-Maker and again to raise the blocks so that once it moves, it'll ram
against a wall and vaporise. Once it's gone, set the Crystal Switch to blue
and get some goodies from the pots, then go back through the previous room, up
the stairs in the Bubble room, down the south door and through the east door.
Lift the lone north-east pot for the switch (looking out for the Bubble, Fire
Bar and slippery floor) and go out the south door. CAREFULLY cross the
slippery gantry while avoiding the Fire Bar.
Get rid of the two blue Birri in the next room, then lift the pot to reveal a
switch leading to a chest with a Key. Go up the stairs in this room, then walk
as fast as you can to the locked north door to avoid the many hostiles. Now,
see the two pots side-by-side? The west one hides the switch to the west door,
so avoid the Fire Bar and penguins to go through that door. Jump down the pit
and go through the east door, then push the south block into the pit; follow
the block down (all the hostiles will be restored in this room, so ignore
them), lift the nearby pot and push the block onto the switch. Go through the
south door.
Once in the final room, make sure you completely destroy the two red Birri
before proceeding (otherwise they get in the way). Feel free to skip this
paragraph if you don't want any bonuses and want to cut right to the chase. If
you want to re-open the room's entrance, pull the east statue's tongue. If you
want some extra goodies, go to the east area and smash the pots; lift the block
to reveal four blue Birri that you can get items from.
OK, the route to the Keeper: head to the west part of the room and get the
Magic Decanters from the pots (you'll need 'em!). Now pull the east statue out
of the way so you can reach the large grey block. Lift the large grey block
and throw it away, then jump down the hole to enter the battle arena.
KHOLDSTARE
Throughout your battle with Kholdstare, ice blocks will fall from the roof
and try to hit Link. When these blocks hit the floor they will shatter into
quarters and the pieces will fly along the horizontal and vertical poles.
Avoid them by continually moving and standing diagonally away from where the
blocks land.
When you first encounter Kholdstare he's encased in ice. The easiest, most
efficient way to get rid of him is to use the Bombos Medallion, but if you want
to make life hard you can use eight hits from the Fire Rod (remember that ice
blocks will still fall). Once Kholstare is released from the ice, three of him
will appear and each try to ram into Link. Repeated, basic sword strokes on
each Kholdstare while avoiding both their attacks and the falling ice cubes is
the only tactic to success; no special weaknesses or tips here, folks. If you
have plenty of reserve life, you can out-last him.
***MISERY MIRE***
REQUIREMENTS: Titan's Mitt, Bow and Arrows, Hookshot, Bombs, Fire Rod, Ether
Medallion, Lamp, Flute, Magic Cape OR Staff of Byrna
GETTING THERE
Enter Hyrule and play the Flute. Have the bird take you to destination six,
the one in the south-west corner of the Desert of Mystery. Lift the east dark
green rock to reveal the Magical Transporter leading inside the Swamp of Evil.
Travel north to the location equal to the Desert Palace and use the Ether
Medallion on the item's lightning symbol. The rain will cease and the entrance
will be revealed.
MIRE INTERIOR
The main cause of misery in the Mire is its large area and the amount of
backtracking involved, and it sets a new record for the number of Keys used.
This makes it easy to get lost....but not with a handy-dandy walkthrough
sitting next to you, of course.
An annoying enemy here are the Whizzrobes, who appear and fire an energy beam
before vanishing again; Whizzrobes always appear in the same place, so wait for
them to reappear before hitting them once with a basic Sword stroke. Another
enemy here are the Bombers, small slugs who crawl around and plan the
occasional Bomb but are easily taken out by first disabling them with the Ether
Medallion then finishing them with the Hammer.
Another enemy here are what I call 'Boo Skulls'; they're Stalfos skulls that,
like the Boo Buddies from the 'Super Mario' series, will stay still if Link
faces them but will otherwise move towards Link. Use Spin Attacks when the Boo
Skulls are close.
I'll be saying 'Magic Cape' throughout this walkthrough, but the Staff of
Byrna works just as well.
In the first room, travel to the east door by crossing the chasm using the
Hookshot to grapple the block. The second room is very large and has a couple
of Beamos, making it tricky for you to destroy all the Leevers and Wizzrobes in
order to open the far north door and reach the main room. Once in the main
room, go down the nearby steps and, staying on this lower level, travel west
and north to reach a narrow passage leading to the west of the two north-east
steps; climb them and go through the north door.
Head straight for the east door, looking out for the three pink Stalfos, two
Beamos and a Sword Beam. Grab one Key from the north-west pot and a second by
donning the Magic Cape and lifting the pot surrounded by spikes, which reveals
a switch that'll make a chest containing a second Key appear. Now exit the
room using the north door, then go along the north and west gantry rooms.
Travel to the north-west of this large room and set the Crystal Switch to
blue, then grab the Key from the nearest pot. Travel east and then south
through this same room to reach the south door, avoiding the spikes and other
enemies. Go south through the next room, donning the Magic Cape to avoid the
hostiles and reach the south door, then going east in the next room the reach
the main room again.
On the upper level of the main room, go across the lattice floor to the
northern part of the room to reach a pot, hiding a switch that reveals a chest
containing a Key. Go south along the solid ledge, then to the north-west
corner and down the steps, then proceed to the north-east area of the room. Go
down the narrow route previously obstructed by a blue Crystal Switch block, up
the steps and through the locked door to get the MAP.
After getting the Map go through the north door, then west door. Push the
block out of the way to reach the north door and across the two gantries to get
(what else?) a Key from a chest. Backtrack to the room where you pushed the
block, then go through the west door.
While looking out for the Bubble in the next room, Ether the Bombers and
smash them with the Hammer to go through the south door to reach the main room.
Now go to the south-west corner and through the locked door; in the next room
are two Boo Skulls, a Birri and a Sword Beamer. Go through the south door for
some fun with Bombers and Beamos or the west door to proceed.
After going through the last door, DO NOT enter the room but wait for the
Magic Tiles to do their worst. Use the Flame Rod to ignite the four torches
(all four must be lit AT ONCE) and go through the north door to recover the
COMPASS. Go south to the torch room, then south again.
Wait for the four Wizzrobes to appear before you unleash the Ether Medallion,
smashing the Bombers and Hookshotting the remaining Birri. Go up the stairs in
the north-east corner of the room to reach a very interesting part of the game:
while avoiding the random Wizzrobes, push the three blocks out of the way of
the two torches of the room. Go through the south door and push more blocks
out of the way of two more torches. QUICKLY ignite the two torches in this
room with the Lamp, then QUICKLY backtrack to the previous room and light the
two torches there. A rumbling will confirm a wall moving back, so go through
the south door and then the west door to immediately see a pit near stationary
switchblades; jump down here to recover the BIG KEY, then go west and step on
the Warp Tile.
Go through the east door, south door, and another east door to return to the
main room. Go down the steps in the north-west corner to the lower level, then
go to the south-east of the room and up the steps to reach the south-most door
going east. Go through the next east door while avoiding the Bubble, then use
the Hookshot to grapple the block and proceed north quickly along the gantry to
recover the STAFF OF SOMARIA.
After recovering the Staff, go through the next two east doors to the main
room and then down the steps. Proceed to the north-west part of this room, up
the steps and through the nearest door. From this next room go north, west and
north again and enter the Warp Tile. Go east slightly and, being wary of the
two Bubbles and Wizzrobes, go through the north door on the platform. You'll
come to the large abyss room; go west for a large Magic Decanter or north along
the gantry to proceed.
After going down the stairs, you'll come to a dark room with a lot of red
beam launchers. Go to the south-east of this room for a locked door leading to
a bonus room with lots of blue Rupees (beware; insects will crawl from the door
and cause minor damage). To open the south-west door and proceed, go north
slightly and lift the pot to reveal a switch, which must be held down using a
Somarian Staff Block. Go through the door, go south and lift the large grey
block, then immediately turn west and go through the door.
Proceed north and, while avoiding the switchblade, go west then south. Go
west again to the wall and then to the far north and set the Crystal Switch to
orange. If you can avoid the Bubble along the moving floor, the north-west
corner has a weak wall that, if blown with a Bomb, leads to plenty of (guarded)
blue Rupees.
Anyway, after tripping the Crystal Switch go through the south-west door to
proceed. The north wall along here needs to be bombed so you can trip another
Crystal Switch, removing the blue blocks obstructing the west door (beware the
freed Bubbles).
The next room has several hostiles, mostly little Blobs that fall from the
roof. Proceed to the very north of this room and set the Crystal Switch to
orange, then go slightly south to find the stairs. Once on the next floor, go
east and around to avoid the Bubble and Fire Snake and reach the west area of
the room. The north door of this west area leads to the Keeper.
VITREOUS
The vitreous humour is the big gluggy part of the eyeball (the whites you can
see in the mirror with all the blood vessels). So the squeamish amongst you
who don't like naked eyeballs in turquoise fluid will probably be too busy
barfing to fight this guy.
Vitreous is basically a giant eyeball with lots of little eyeballs protecting
him. For the first part of the attack, Vitreous will stay in his pool of goo
and have his kids attack Link, but will occasionally fire a lightning bolt down
the centre of the room.
For the first stage of Vitreous's attack, head for the south-east corner of
the room to avoid the lightning bolts and use lots of basic Sword strokes to
fend off the little eyeballs. There is little advice to offer from there,
other to say to make sure you've got plenty of Life Energy because if a little
eyeball touches you, you'll lose three units of life.
Once the last of the little eyeballs are down, Vitreous will finally pluck up
the courage to face Link....and what a pushover he is! As Vitreous emerges
from his goo, get directly south of him. Once Vitreous starts bouncing, just
lob eight Arrows at him and an easy victory is guaranteed.
***TURTLE ROCK***
REQUIREMENTS: Golden Sword, Titan's Mitt, Boomerang, Hookshot, Bombs, Magic
Powder, Fire Rod, Ice Rod, Quake AND Ether Medallion, Lamp,
Hammer, Staff of Somaria, Magic Mirror, reserve Life Energy,
enhanced Magic Meter OR reserve Magic Power
STORY
Link's final destination is Turtle Rock, the compound where Princess Zelda is
being held.
GETTING THERE
Firstly, enter Hyrule and reach the summit of Death Mountain the same way you
did for the Tower of Hera. Travel east and along the bridge, knocking down the
stakes which are in the way. Keep travelling east and you'll come to a plateau
you can climb onto with three stakes on it.
Lift the rock out of the way to reach the top of this plateau. Hammer in the
three stakes in a counter-clockwise circle (ie; east, north, west) and a
Magical Transporter will appear. This will take you to the top of Turtle Rock,
where you can stand on top of the Quake Medallion symbol and use it to reveal
the cave's entrance.
CAVERN INTERIOR
A unique enemy to these caves is Pokey, who seems to be yet another
allurement to the 'Super Mario' series. Pokey is a tall snake who bounces
around everywhere; hit him and part of his body will fly off, bouncing around.
When only the head is left, destroy it to kill Pokey. You can also destroy the
bouncing body portions for really good goodies (like red Rupees and Faeries).
One important concept you'll have to understand in this dungeon is the Staff
Platforms: there are many abysses in Turtle Rock that have a white track along
them. Along these tracks are question marks, which denote stops. Use the
Staff of Somaria at the stops to create a platform Link can board; once on the
platform, press the Control Pad in a direction Link can travel along the track
to proceed. Link is vulnerable as he moves, but you can only use your weapons
when the Staff Platform has stopped moving.
Staff Platforms always stop at the question-mark stops, and only one Platform
can be on a track at once. There are some junctions where the track intersects
but there's no question-mark stop; the Staff Platform will automatically take a
direction at these junctions, but you can override this direction by holding
the Control Pad in the desired direction as you approach the junction.
In the first room, lift the east pot to reach the question-mark stop and
generate a Staff Platform, then grab the west pot to uncover a large Magic
Decanter. Travel north along the Staff Platform and go through the north door.
Generate another Staff Platform and go west to the next question-mark stop and
go through the south door. Once through the door, move to the side to avoid
the eyebeams and proceed south to the COMPASS. To return to the previous room,
head back to the door and face south, then draw your sword so you don't face
the door and go through.
Generate a Staff Platform on the track and go east past the doorway you used
to first enter the room. There are two doors on the east wall of note; the
south one leads to some free bonuses on a ledge, but the north one is the most
important. Go into that room and generate a Staff Platform, then use it to
travel south and around. Using the Fire Rod, ignite the south-east and
north-west (or north-east and south-west) torches and, when the Platform makes
a second pass, light the remaining two torches and wait for the platform to
return to the question-mark stop. Now return to the stable ledge and quickly
go through the open north door while the torches are still lit.
In this room you must avoid the spiked grinders (their movement is consistent
and they do a lot of damage) to reach the north, recovering the MAP and a Key.
Proceed back through the south door, grab goodies from the nearby pots and exit
via the west door. If you want a Faerie and a large Magic Decanter, head for
the unlocked door in the north wall, go through the door but DON'T ENTER THE
ROOM until the Magic Tiles have smashed against the wall. Go through the next
door for your prizes.
To proceed, head for the locked door in the north wall of the main room;
avoid the Blobs that'll emerge from near the entrance and completely destroy
the Pokey for a Key. Go through the north door to find a room guarded by two
Chain Chomps (I've lost count of 'Super Mario' allurements). Keep your
distance as you use the Boomerang to set the Crystal Switch to blue, then push
the lone south-west block to reveal a chest with the necessary Key. Set the
Crystal Switch to orange to reach the stairs and enter the next room.
This is a large room guarded by Blobs, a Pokey and a couple of Bubbles. The
north-east corner of the room has some pots containing goodies, but the
south-east corner is the way to proceed by entering the pipeline (more 'Super
Mario') and going through the west door (the pots contain Rupees). Now go
through the eastern-most pipe and the nearby door, then use Magic Powder to get
rid of the four Bubbles. Go south, retract the obstructing blocks with the
Crystal Switch, look out for the Boo Skulls and Bunny-Maker, and take out Pokey
for a Key. Go through the door in the south-east corner but beware the
guarding eyebeam.
Go into the pipe to reach the BIG KEY, then go through the south pipe and the
nearby door to return to the original pipeline room. Follow the nearby
pipeline to reach a pot hiding a large Magic Decanter, then work your way back
to the south-east corner and go through that pipeline again. When you reach
the next room, go through the west pipeline and through the south door, use the
Ether Medallion to freeze the Pokeys and destroy the Bunny-Maker, Hammer the
Pokeys and go through the south door, then the west passage.
Now, see that south wall the eyebeams are protecting, where all the pots are?
There's a weak spot there where you need to plant a Bomb. Go through the
resulting passage to find yourself on a narrow ledge in the overworld. Travel
east along this ledge to the next cave entrance and enter, use the Hookshot to
reach the MIRROR SHIELD and then go through the open north door and the locked
north door (opens with the Big Key). Go into the pipeline and, after emerging,
through the north door.
In this next room is a Pokey and a few Blobs, but ignore them and concentrate
on knocking the weak north and east doors down with a Dash Attack. The east
passage leads to a room where, after flushing out and destroying the three
Blobs, you can push the north block away to pull on the west statue's tongue to
reach a room full of blue Rupees (beware the grinders); if you choose the north
passage you can proceed.
After taking the north passage, set the Crystal Switch to blue, get the Key
from the chest, reset the Crystal Switch and reach the north stairs while being
careful of the grinder. The next room is dark and you need to generate a Staff
Platform on the track; after boarding the Platform, take the first east turn
and then travel south as far as you can to reach a pot hiding the switch to
open the south door. Go back on the Staff Platform and travel north, then west
as far as you can and south as far as you can. As you travel east you'll see
the question-mark stop: keep an eye on the track leading to that spot to know
when to take the right turn-off from where you are.
In the next room you'll be on a gantry with several eyebeams; use the
Hookshot to stun the Helmasaur and Crystal Orb and proceed over the abyss to
the south door. While avoiding the eyebeams on this second gantry, go for the
south chest for the Key (angle the Mirror Shield to protect yourself from the
beams; the other chests in this room contain Rupees). The southernmost wall of
this second gantry room is weak; Bomb it to reveal the fourth exit from Turtle
Rock. Once you have the Key from the second gantry room, return to the first
gantry room and go through the locked door in the south-west corner.
The second-last room is full of Bubbles, Helmasaurs and Pokeys and you must
manipulate the many Crystal Switches in order to get through. Work your way to
the north door -- it's pretty straightforward, just don't battle it out too
hard. After going through the north door you'll be in the last room; generate
a Staff Platform on the track, then ransack the pots for a large Magic Decanter
and a Healing Heart. Travel north along the track to reach the final door.
TRINEXX
Trinexx is a heavily-armed enemy and comes with a fire head, ice head and
middle head. The fire head breathes a long jet of flames that will linger for
a moment before vanishing; the ice head breathes a mouthful of cold that
freezes the floor, causing it to become slippery. While all of this is going
on, the middle head will occasionally stick his neck out in the middle of the
battle and attack Link.
Because there is no way to reverse the slippery floor the ice head creates,
take it out first by hitting it once with a blast from the Fire Rod, then
striking it with basic Sword blows while the head is stunned. Repeat the
process until the head dies off. Now turn your attention to the fire head,
stunning it with a blast from the Ice Rod and hitting it with Sword strokes.
While doing this, try to keep an eye on Trinexx's tail: if it starts wagging
rapidly, that means the middle head is about to attack so walk in a straight
line along the south wall to avoid it.
When only the middle head is left, Trinexx's heavily-armed physique will
collapse into a very mobile worm. The flashing middle part of Trinexx's
abdomen is the only vulnerable area, and since you must move fast you should
quickly get in with basic Sword strokes and then get out, repeating the
hit-and-run tactic until Trinexx falls.
***TOWER OF GANON***
REQUIREMENTS: Seven Crystals, Golden Sword, Mirror Shield, Blue Mail, Bow
and Silver Arrows, Boomerang, Hookshot, Bombs, Magic Powder, Fire
Rod, Ether Medallion, Lamp, Hammer, Staff of Somaria, Staff of
Byrna OR Magic Cape, Magic Mirror, plenty of reserve Life and
Magic power
STORY
With all seven of the maidens rescued, Link is able to enter the tower where
Ganon hides and defeat him.
GETTING THERE
Enter Hyrule and climb Death Mountain to the Magical Transporter that leads
to Turtle Rock. After entering this transport, head west as far as you can.
You'll encounter some strange creatures, but keep your shield raised and they
won't bother you. Eventually you'll come to where the Tower of Hera would be
in Hyrule, but in the Dark World it is in fact the Tower of Ganon.
The entrance to the Tower is blocked by a powerful magical seal, but with all
seven Crystals you will be able to break this seal and enter. Just stand in
the middle of the Tower's south wall and the crystallised maidens will take
care of the rest.
TOWER INTERIOR
Since this is your last dungeon, don't expect it to be any pushover. You
will have to use the skills you learned in clearing the last eight dungeons and
apply them in entirely new situations in order to reach the summit.
The first room of Ganon's Tower is devoid of any features save three sets of
stairs. Go down the north-west set of stairs and use a Dash Attack to knock
the Key off the torch, being wary of the pink Stalfos and orbiting energy ball.
Grab the Key and go through the west door. Get a Key from the south-east pot,
Hookshot the blue Birri and turn your attention to the purple faces among the
five blocks. While avoiding the blue bumper, knock in two faces with the
Hammer so you can push the middle block over, opening the west door.
Underneath the block is a Star Tile you can use to reach the west door and the
next room.
Using the Hookshot, grapple the blocks to cross the abyss. The north door
leads to a bonus room (use the Boomerang to take out the pink Stalfos without
triggering the Sword Beams; plenty of Rupees, Arrows and Bombs are here). To
proceed, work your way south and go through the east locked door for the MAP
(guarded by two Fire Bars; the Star Tile under the chest makes a couple of pits
vanish). Go back to the abyss room, take out the pink Stalfos and trip one of
the Crystal Switches. Place a Bomb next to the switch, then pass the south
blocks and wait for the Switch to be tripped before proceeding to the next
room.
Get a Key from the south-east pot, then plant a Staff Block next to one of
the two Crystal Switches. Once you've passed the retracted blocks, detonate
the Block and go through the east locked door. Go to the far north of the next
room, Boomerang the Crystal Switch, then walk east until in-line with the Warp
Tile and, after getting used to the timing of the switchblades, walk south and
onto the Warp Tile.
You'll come to a room where you must work your way west, but obstructing
blocks mean you have to contend with several Fire Snakes to get there. When
you reach the west part of the room, push the lone block to reveal a chest
containing a Key; grapple the chest with the Hookshot, get its contents and
exit via the south door.
The next section is basically a series of Warp Tiles, where you have to warp
between the current room and the destination room in order to avoid wall and
reach the right Tile. First enter the west Warp Tile to the destination room,
then enter the west Warp Tile. Before entering the next Warp Tile to the
south, you may want to enter a bonus room by Bombing the weak west wall. (In
the bonus room, look out for the blue Birri and worm, stepping on the
western-most switch in the north-west corner to destroy the north wall and get
some chests with Arrows and Bombs.)
After entering the Warp Tile near the weak wall, go into either one of the
nearby Warp Tiles and then enter the Warp Tile in the south-west corner.
Proceed east past the pits and Crystal Orbs to the lone Warp Tile, entering it
and returning to this room to reach the east door.
Now it's time for the big abyss room! Once upon a time this section made
even Cyber Predator tremble because the only way I could clear it was by
pushing a series of Somarian Staff Blocks along and unleashing Ether magic now
and then, but then the very kind Snoborder420 gave us this wonderful little
trick on how to make this section both easier and a much lower strain on the
Magic Meter.
When you first enter the room, there'll be a Fire Snake incoming; if you can
get past him without injury great, but the walkway is so narrow that you should
probably just take your damage and get moving. Keep heading west until you can
turn north along the visible walkway, and you'll have a Helmasaur and some
Crystal Orbs breathing down your neck; take them out as appropriate.
Keep heading north until you come to a fork in the gantry; one goes east and
ends in some pots, the other goes north to a door. Go north to the wall but
DON'T GO THROUGH THE DOOR! Instead, head east to the fence of the gantry and
you should just see a torch on the far east of the screen. Use the Fire Rod to
ignite the torch and the invisible gantry you have to cross will now be
visible. Backtrack to the junction and head for the part where the visible
gantry ended in pots; toss the pots out of the way and proceed along your
newly-visible gantry.
The route goes something like this: head south, then east (including a turn
going slightly south), east and then north, then west along the turns to the
visible platform and through the door. There will be many Crystal Orbs along
the gantry that you'll need to pick off, but since you may be pushed off the
gantry by attacking the Orbs it may be better to freeze them with the Ether
Medallion and then Hammer them (it'll also give your Magic Meter a boost).
Don't spend too long on the gantry, because the torch will eventually go out
and you'll have to resort to the tricky method of pushing Somarian Staff Blocks
here, there and everywhere and using the Ether Medallion to avoid getting
caught by fake turns.
The gantry will take you to the visible platform with the torch you lit,
which is where the door to proceed lies. The next room contains two Bubbles
and an orbiting energy sphere. Bomb the weak floor near the chest (contains
Arrows) and jump down the hole. You will now have to battle the Armos Knights
from the Eastern Palace, only the entire floor is slippery and it can be hard
to get Link in the right place. To repeat the battle plan against the Armos
Knights:
The Knights will start moving soon after you enter the room, first forming a
large circle taking up most of the room and move clockwise, change direction to
counter-clockwise, then move to the north part of the room to sweep down the
entire room.
The least dangerous means of attack is to hide in one of the south corners of
the room until the Knights start their sweep, at which point you should pick
off the Knights with your Silver Arrows. If you can't wait that long, you can
still attack the Knights while they're in circular formation; it's just a bit
difficult to hit a moving target. Each Knight takes one Silver Arrow to fall,
but you can also use Spin Attacks.
When only one Knight is left, he turns red and comes at Link trying to stomp
on him. The red Knight will be healed of any previous injuries when he changes
colour. Once the red Knight is down, exit via the north door for several
chests containing, Bombs, Arrows and the BIG KEY. Once you have the goods, go
back to the Armos Knights' room and go out the west door. Proceed straight up
the stars in this next room to proceed, but you can Dash Attack the weak north
wall for a room with some Faeries.
After going up the stairs, you simply need to avoid the switchblades and Fire
Snakes to reach the large chest containing the RED MAIL. Go out the north
door, then avoid the hostiles in the next room and go through the east door.
Open the chests for Arrows and Bombs and the south-east pot for a small Magic
Decanter, but the south-west pot hides the switch you must hold down with a
Staff Block to the next room.
Here, use Magic Powder to get rid of the Bubble and don't try to avoid the
attack from the Bunny-Maker. Because of the Sword Beamer in the room, just
keep running to avoid the Wallmasters and Magic Tiles. Once all the Magic
Tiles are gone, a chest with the Key to the west door will appear. After going
through the west door, you can go through the north door for some fun with
Crystal Orbs, Birri, pink Stalfos and a Helmasaur or proceed south and through
the west door for a bonus room.
You must open the south door to proceed; do this by ridding the room of the
Gibdos, pink Stalfos and Birri. Not far from the switchblade are two blocks;
push the south one from the west so it's in-line with the north one, clearing
the path. Now, return to the northern-most part of the room, use the Flame Rod
to ignite the north-most torch, then go south and east along the moving floor
and use the Lamp to ignite that torch. Avoiding the switchblade, go south and
use the Flame Rod to ignite the remaining two torches and go out via the south
door. Throughout this sequence, beware of the Wallmasters.
On entering the next room, use the Ether Medallion to freeze the Gibdos. The
Crystal Switch you need to trip is in the east part of the room, next to a
moving floor. Smash the Gibdos with the Hammer for Magic Power, then generate
a Staff Block and throw it onto the moving floor. When the Staff Block is next
to the Crystal Switch detonate the block and the Switch will trip, allowing you
to proceed to the west door gradually. The pots in this room contain Bombs and
Magic Power.
Destroy the red and blue Crystal Orbs in this room (thanks to your powered-up
Sword, the red Orb won't be too much trouble), then open the chests in this
room. It's best to open the north-west chest, containing the COMPASS, last
because pits will appear when you do. Enter the Warp Tile in this room to
proceed.
In the next room you'll encounter resistance from blue Birri and minor peril
from the moving floor trying to push you into pits. Hookshot the Birri when
they're in your line of fire and walk straight across the moving floors to
avoid falling in. Step on the Star Tiles to clear the way east: after stepping
on the second set of Star Tiles, backtrack a little to the northernmost set of
pots, which contain a Key. Proceed to the east door.
Grab the hearts from the pots against the north wall in the next room, then
activate the Magic Cape (or Staff of Byrna) and proceed south. Get onto the
east platform quickly before the bridge collapses too far; if you fall down the
abyss, exit the room and come back in again to reset the bridge. Once you've
turned west off the collapsing bridge and avoided the guarding Crystal Orb,
deactivate your item and go around to the west door.
Reaching the Warp Tile guarded by the Crystal Orb in the next room involves
pulling the statue south to reveal the Star Tile; pull the statue as far south
as you can, then push it west in order to step on the tile and reveal a bridge.
Enter the Warp Tile for the next room, guarded by Birri; igniting the torch in
this room reveals an invisible gantry you can use to reach the door in the far
west of the room. Go through the door to return to the invisible gantry room
you went through to find the Big Key; follow the visible gantry to the
north-west door, taking out hostiles where appropriate, and enter the next
room. When in the next room, go through the north door and then go up this
next room's north stairs.
You'll find yourself back in the Tower's first room, and half your battle is
now over. Go up the centre stairs (on the platform) to come to a room with a
Bubble, several Mimics, Crystal Switch and blocks and a spiked floor. Take out
the Bubble and Mimics as necessary, then use the Boomerang to hit the Crystal
Switch and manipulate the blocks so you can safely cross the spiked floor. The
door needed to proceed is in the south-west corner and is opened by pushing the
north-west block. The pots in this room contain power-ups.
After going through the south-west door, you'll come to a room with two red
Mimics and some switchblades. Pull the statue in this room to contain the
north switchblade against the east door, then hit both Mimics with Silver
Arrows to open the east door (free the switchblade to reach it). In the next
room you have to kill two more Mimics to open the north door and proceed, but
beware the Beamos. The next room you enter will contain nothing save statues
of Ganon; go through the north locked door (opens with the Big Key).
The next room is a bit of fun: go down the steps and as far north as you can,
then use the Boomerang to trip the Crystal Switch (releasing a horde of
switchblades). The hidden Rocklops will come to life, so use your Arrows to
take them out one at a time. Lift the centre pot here to reveal the switch,
step on it once and then stand just south of the Crystal Switch blocks, then
use the Boomerang to trip it. Time your toss so that it lands just as the
visible switchblades drift behind the Crystal block barricade, trapping the
switchblade horde in and making it easy for you to reach the steps. After
climbing the steps, exit via the north-east door.
The next room involves crossing a bridge over an abyss while avoiding fire
from a horde of rock-throwers from the walls. The only guaranteed way of doing
this is under the protection of the Magic Cape or Staff of Byrna. When you
reach the end of the bridge, go north to reach the stairs and proceed or south
for a bonus room: Dash Attack the two blocks from the south, and Link's
momentum from the crash will carry him over the abyss and to the platform.
Bomb the weak south wall and enter for your prizes, returning to the main route
by using the Hookshot to grapple the blocks you collided with.
Destroy the two Stalfos and Monsters (last seen in Blind's Hideout) to open
the west door and proceed. The next room involves destroying the three pink
Stalfos while avoiding fire from Beamos (who are on a moving floor, so watch
out) to open the south door and proceed. Unleash the Bombos Medallion in the
next room to kill all the hostiles here with minimal risk to your Life Meter.
Avoid the moving Beamos and head for the south door.
In this room, use Bombos magic again to quickly take out the foes and, being
careful of the switchblades along the slippery floor, go for the south door and
use Bombos magic yet again to take out your foes quickly and safely and reach
the door. If you want to grab the goodies your foes leave behind, use the
Boomerang to grab them. Dash straight through the next room to avoid the
Bunny-Maker.
In the next room you must battle with the Lamolas, only now there's a red
beam launcher in the south-west corner of the room. To repeat the attack plan
to use against the Lamolas:
You must face off three sand worms that burrow their way out of the sand,
float about in a random direction for a random amount of time, then hide again.
When a Lamola emerges it throws four rocks, one in each north, south, east and
west direction; if there is only one Lamola left, he'll throw rocks along the
diagonals as well. You must hit the Lamolas in the head to injure them.
You can use Arrows or the Ice Rod (the latter making them fall in about two
blows!), but aiming is a bitch and you may run out of ammo/Magic Power quite
quickly without actually hitting anything. I prefer using the sword; stand
just next to where a Lamola is emerging and charge a Spin Attack. When Lamola
emerges, release the attack and go after him with basic strokes. Remember not
to stand in a place where you could be hit by the rocks they throw; if you're
on your last Lamola, stand a little further away from where the worm is
emerging to help prevent damage.
Remember to look out for the red beam launcher; when you charge your Spin
Attack, stand so that the shield angles to reflect the beams away harmlessly.
Once the last Lamola is down, go out via the north door. The next room holds
some goodies in pots you can collect undisturbed before going up the north
stairs.
In the next room, wait for the Wizzrobes to fully materialise and then use
Ether magic to kill them all in one stroke and see in what direction the
invisible gantry goes. The Wizzrobes will more than likely drop goodies you
can also use to help guide you along the invisible bridge to the south door.
The next room sees you trying to reach the north-east door while avoiding
Eyebeams and Moblin soldiers; just walk straight through the room, avoiding or
killing the Moblin where necessary.
The following room is simple enough; while avoiding the switchblade and being
mindful of the moving floor, kill the four Wizzrobes and go through the door.
You'll come to a room where you must reach the north-east door while running
against the collapsing bridge and Moblin section. The quickest way to the door
is to walk on the west moving platform, stunning or killing the Moblin as you
near the door.
In the following room you must ignite the four torches to proceed. The most
efficient way is to stand near the Fire Bar (time your movement to avoid it)
and use the Fire Rod to ignite the north and east torches. Walk west and use
the Lamp to ignite the nearby torch, then proceed south and east along the
ledge and use the Lamp to ignite the final torch and go through the door.
The next room contains several Eyebeams and the east pot holds a large Magic
Decanter. Continue moving to avoid the Eyebeams and climb the stairs from the
south to reach the next room. You must ignite the four torches here before the
bridge collapses: use the Fire Rod to first light the south-east then
south-west torches, then go to the room's north door. Watch out for the energy
spheres and use the Fire Rod to ignite the two north torches and open the north
door.
Being wary of the spiked floor, Ether and Hammer the two Helmasaurs for the
Key to the door and open the chests for Bombs. In the next room you must Bomb
the weak south wall while avoiding the large and small switchblades, but
there's a catch: the floor is moving where the Bomb must be placed. However,
if you can avoid the switchblades and place a Bomb ON the cracked wall, it will
be unaffected by the moving floor.
Before you do anything in the next room, wait for the Bunny-Maker to move and
it will dissolve itself when it hits the Crystal Switch blocks. While the
Bubble is still contained, sprinkle it with Magic Powder. Now, while avoiding
the orbiting energy sphere, trip the Crystal Switches to get the goodies from
the pots and the Key from the chest. Go through the south door and you'll have
to fight the giant worm Mouldrum again.
The main danger during the battle is being pushed off the battlefield and
down to the previous floor; the room you'll land in is very big, the floor
spiked in several areas, and the room patrolled by a Bubble and several
Wizzrobes. Head for the north-east corner of this room to find the stairs back
to Mouldrum. If you fall off the battlefield, Mouldrum will be healed of his
injuries.
Mouldrum can only be injured by hitting him in the tip of his tail (it's
white, unlike the rest of him). When you hit Mouldrum with a basic Sword
stroke his movement will speed up, making him more dangerous. If you can,
while Mouldrum's tail is retracted after your attack, get behind him and wait
for his vulnerable tail to become visible and attack him again. One hit after
Mouldrum has speeded up will kill him.
After Mouldrum is down, a chest will appear in the south-east corner of the
room. Grapple it with the Hookshot to proceed (the chest contains a red
Rupee), then go west and push the blocks out of the way to proceed. The
easiest way to get through the next room is to don the Magic Cape (for immunity
from hostiles and bumpers) and Dash through to the north of the room to the
stairs. In the final room, you simply have to follow the blue carpet to the
locked door that opens with the Big Key.
AGAHNIM
The wicked wizard follows the same basic attack pattern as before: he'll fire
orange energy bolts (flashing sphere with a tail) or blue energy bolts (six
small blue energy balls in a Star of David formation). The Agahnims become
invisible between attacks, but you can tell where they'll appear by watching
their shadows. The only weapon you need for this fight is your Sword, but
strangely enough the Bug-Catching Net works just as well!
Agahnim doesn't fire lightning from the centre of the room anymore, so don't
worry about where he stands. Agahnim will create two phantasms of himself
during this battle, which are darker than the real Agahnim. The phantasms are
immune from all attack, but if they fire orange energy bolts you can reflect
them onto the real Agahnim to cause him damage.
The best tactic to use for this battle is: stand opposite the real Agahnim,
in a position where you are also opposite the clones as much as possible. Your
three opponents will all fire in quick succession, so when they attack reflect
their magic back onto the true Agahnim. You don't have time to worry about
aiming or what the Agahnims launch, so just worry about reflecting what bolts
you can onto Agahnim. A well-stocked Life Meter can out-last them.
After Agahnim has fallen for good, Ganondorf Dragmire will rise from the
corpse and flee for the Pyramid of Power. Link, summoning a bird using his
Flute, will follow him.
***PYRAMID OF POWER***
REQUIREMENTS: Golden Sword, Bow and Silver Arrows, Lamp OR Fire Rod, reserve
Life and Magic power
STORY
After Link defeats Agahnim for the second time, Ganondorf Dragmire reveals
his true form and transforms into a bat, fleeing for the Pyramid of Power. The
moment of truth has come.
GETTING THERE
Reaching the Pyramid of Power is easy enough, as is working your way to the
top of the Pyramid. Jump through the large hole Bat-Ganon created in the
pyramid's summit to enter.
PYRAMID INTERIOR
Upon entering the Pyramid of Power, you do not need to traverse any
corridors; you jump straight into the final battle. Ganon will say a quick
dialogue and promises your destruction before the battle is underway.
At first, Ganon spins his trident and throws it within a wide arc. He then
teleports across the screen, materialising to catch the trident before
repeating the attack. The trident is easy to avoid and by watching how Ganon
vanishes it is possible to predict where he will reappear. Strike him five
times with a basic sword stroke -- Spin Attacks don't shorten this battle, so
it's better to work quickly.
Ganon now generates a circle of flames. They expand once and then retract,
and when they next expand they transform into bats. The bats and flames cannot
be harmed, only avoided. The circle, however, is not exactly on Ganon but
slightly off-centre, making it possible to strike him when the flames are
closest to his body without being harmed. Avoid the basic flame circle by
hiding in the diagonally-opposite corner from Ganon, and avoid the bats by
walking in a straight line. Strike Ganon five times with a sword stroke.
Ganon now uses a spiralling fire demon, repeatedly warping across the screen.
Avoiding the demon can be tricky; its flames cover a large area and linger for
a few seconds. Also, Ganon will warp away again if you are within sword range
when he first materialises, making it annoyingly difficult to land a blow.
When you finally do land a blow, Ganon jumps and causes part of the room's
outer layer to collapse; falling into the hole means leaving the Pyramid of
Power by a lower exit and having to restart the battle! Strike Ganon four
times with basic sword strokes; it is possible to hit him and make him warp
away before he launches the demon.
Ganon now uses a "secret technique of darkness"; the two torches at the
bottom of the room are extinguished, and Ganon becomes invisible as he launches
a fire demon. Use the Fire Rod or Lamp to light the two torches -- both
torches MUST be lit; if only one is lit, Ganon will be visible but not
vulnerable. The fire demon travels in one direction only and its flames do not
linger, and it is easily avoidable if Ganon is kept visible. Ganon will be
blinded for a moment when you light the torches.
Strike Ganon once with a basic sword stroke, at which point he is stunned and
turns a bright blue. Now launch a Silver Arrow in his direction, which must
connect while he is still blue. If the torches go out while Ganon is blue, he
will still be vulnerable until he recovers. You can only hit him with one
Silver Arrow when he's stunned, but it's possible to stun him twice before the
room begins to dim again, at which point you need to re-ignite the torches.
After Ganon is struck with four Silver Arrows, he will be totally destroyed and
the door to the Triforce will open.
Beware: you can still fall off the floor to the Pyramid's bottom level after
Ganon has died, and then you'll have to fight him all over again!!
====SHOPS AND WARES====
Scattered throughout both Hyrule and the Dark World are stores with many
useful items to sell. Although most of these shops a situated within a
building of their own, some daring salesmen venture into caves at Death
Mountain to sell their items there.
***HYRULE***
GOODS SHOPS
These are located: in the hut west of Kakariko Inn, on the north-west shore
of Lake Hylia (the cave), and in the east twin cave in the western area of
Death Mountain.
LIFE MEDICINE: 150 Rupees and you need an empty Bottle to buy it.
BOMBS: 10 Bombs for 50 Rupees.
HEALING HEART: One restored heart in your Life Meter for 10 Rupees.
MAGIC SHOP
The Magic Shop is located in Hyrule's north-east area, along Zora's River.
You need an empty Bottle in order to buy anything from this shop, and by
talking to the shopkeeper you'll get your Life Meter fully refilled.
LIFE MEDICINE: 120 Rupees. This is the best place to buy it.
MAGIC MEDICINE: 60 Rupees.
CURE-ALL MEDICINE: 160 Rupees. This is the only place to buy this item.
***DARK WORLD***
GOODS SHOPS
These are located: in the house along the Dark River, in the house blocked by
purple stakes in the Village of Outcasts, in the house in the far north between
Death Mountain and the Skeleton Forest.
LIFE MEDICINE: 150 Rupees and you need an empty Bottle to buy it.
BLUE SHIELD: 50 Rupees, but you can't have a Shield of your own if you want to
buy it.
BOMBS: 10 Bombs for 50 Rupees.
ISOLATED SHOP
The Isolated Shop is the north building between the Village of Outcasts and
the Pyramid of Power. To enter the shop, jump south over the fences on the
shop's west wing. (To exit the shop's area, you jump over another fence.)
RED SHIELD: 500 Rupees, but you can't buy this item if you already have the Red
or Mirror Shield. This is the only place to buy it.
BEE: 10 Rupees and you need a Bottle to put it in. You can only buy it from
this shop.
ARROWS: 10 Arrows for 30 Rupees. You can only buy them from this shop.
BOMB SHOP
The Bomb Shop is located just north of the Swamplands, in the building that
corresponds to Link's House in Hyrule.
BOMBS: 30 Bombs for 100 Rupees. This is the cheapest place to buy Bombs.
SUPER BOMB: 100 Rupees. You can only get this item if you have cleared the Ice
Lake Cavern AND Misery Mire, and this is the only that stocks it.
MOUNTAIN SHOP
The Mountain Shop is located in the east twin cave in the west area of Death
Mountain.
LIFE MEDICINE: 150 Rupees and you need an empty Bottle to buy it.
BOMBS: 10 Bombs for 50 Rupees.
HEALING HEART: One restored heart in your Life Meter for 10 Rupees.
====WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT====
If an object is located within a dungeon, directions to that item are not
given here; look at that respective dungeon's walkthrough to find the item.
***ITEMS***
STANDARD EQUIPMENT
Standard equipment does not use any Magic Power, but may have a limited
amount of ammunition.
BOW: Located in the Eastern Palace, the Bow is used to fire Arrows (thus is
useless without Arrows). At first you can only carry 30 Arrows, but for every
100 Rupees you throw into the Pond of Happiness this will increase by five.
When your Arrow stock reaches 60, the next 100 Rupees will bring your Arrow
stock to its absolute limit of 70. It takes 700 Rupees to fully upgrade your
Arrow stock.
WOODEN ARROWS: The basic projectile fired by the Bow. If you don't have the
Bow, you can't use Arrows but you can still carry them. You can only fire
Arrows in four directions, but they are powerful weapons. Arrows can be found
in pots, treasure chests or under rocks and bushes, or purchased from the
Isolated Shop. Details of the arrow stock is detailed in the BOW's
description.
SILVER ARROWS: These are Arrows made of silver and will defeat enemies with a
single shot. They have the same restrictions as Wooden Arrows, but shine very
nicely. To upgrade your Arrows, destroy the weak wall at the Pyramid of Power
with the Super Bomb. Throw your Bow in the Mysterious Pond and admit to the
faerie you threw it in. She will enchant all Arrows you carry now and in the
future.
BOOMERANG: Located in Hyrule Castle, this object has limited range and can be
thrown in one of eight directions (hold the direction you want to throw on the
Control Pad for a diagonal throw). The Boomerang stuns most enemies for a
period of time, but will damage weaker foes. You can also use it to retrieve
items from a distance.
MAGICAL BOOMERANG: Throw the standard Boomerang into the Waterfall of Wishing
and admit to the Faerie Princess you threw it in. Your weapon will be
enchanted, having near-unlimited range and travelling faster. This is perhaps
the best general weapon of the game.
HOOKSHOT: Located in the Flooded Palace, the Hookshot has the same effects as
the Boomerang only it's stronger and has a greater range, but can only be fired
in four directions. Link is invincible while using the Hookshot, and you can
grapple its hook to trees, treasure chests, lamps or other wooden objects to
cross chasms.
BOMBS: These explode to destroy weak walls and floors as well as enemies, but
will also damage Link. Bombs can be purchased from shops or found under rocks,
bushes or treasure chests as well as taken from defeated enemies. You can also
pick up a placed Bomb and throw it using the A Button (beware; the fuse is
still lit!). At first you can only carry 10 Bombs, but by throwing 700 Rupees
into the Pond of Happiness you can carry an absolute maximum of 50 Bombs.
A word on wall cracks: REALLY weak walls (whose cracks are enclosed in
circles) can be demolished with a Dash Attack, thus saving your ammo. For
other weak walls, draw your sword and walk into the wall; if the wall is solid
and can't be Bombed, you'll hear a "chink-chink" sound. Bomb-able walls will
make a soft "pong-pong" sound; they're the ones you should blast.
SUPER BOMB: After completing the Ice Lake Cavern and Misery Mire, you will be
able to purchase this from the Bomb Shop for 100 Rupees. The Super Bomb's only
use is to destroy the weak wall at the Pyramid of Power; press A or jump off a
cliff to plant the Bomb. The Super Bomb will ONLY damage the Pyramid and no
other object or creature.
MAGIC MUSHROOM: Sweet-tasting and smelling of rotten fruit, these Mushrooms are
found slightly east of the entrance to the Master Sword's Grove in the Lost
Woods. Give them to the witch just outside the Magic Shop so she can make
Magic Powder.
MAGIC HAMMER: Not very magical, but very useful in smashing wooden stakes, the
purple obstacles with faces and, of course, enemies. Located in the Palace of
Darkness and necessary to access certain parts of Hyrule and most areas of the
Dark World.
SHOVEL: Having limited use, you will gain this by agreeing to find the Flute
Boy's favourite instrument; speak to him at the Dark World's Haunted Grove. To
find the Flute, return to Hyrule's Haunted Grove and travel to the north-west
corner of that location. Dig along the flowers to find it.
FLUTE: After recovering this from Hyrule and bringing it to the Flute Boy
(directions given in under the SHOVEL's entry), return to Kakariko Village's
weathercock. Play the Flute to the wooden bird and a live duck will be
released. Whenever you play the Flute again in Hyrule's overworld (not in
houses or caves), the duck will transport you to one of eight locations in
Hyrule. They are:
1 Death Mountain, near the exit of the cave used to reach that area;
2 Magic Shop;
3 Kakariko Village weathercock;
4 Link's House;
5 south of the Eastern Palace;
6 the Desert of Mystery's south-west corner;
7 Swamp Ruins;
8 Lake Hylia's south-east shore.
BUG-CATCHING NET: Use this to catch Bees and Faeries to store in Bottles. Gain
this by talking to the sick kid who lives in the house just north of Kakariko
Tavern. You can't get this item without at least one Bottle.
BOOK OF MUDORA: A green book sitting high on a shelf at Kakariko Village's
House of Books. Use a Dash Attack to knock it off the shelf. This Book
details the written language of the ancient Hylia; basically, if you find an
inscription that doesn't make any sense, select this book and use Y instead of
A at the information to have the meaning become clear.
MAGIC MIRROR: The first time you venture into the Death Mountain entrance cave,
you must guide an old man through the tunnels. In return, he will give you the
Magic Mirror so you can return to Hyrule from the Dark World, or return to the
entrance of a dungeon at any time.
MAGICAL EQUIPMENT
These items use up your green Magic Meter in various amounts. Experiment
with each item to know how much Magic Power it consumes, and its various
effects.
If you have the Hammer and Magic Powder, you can halve the amount of Magic
Power consumed with each use. Travel to the Blacksmith's Forge and jump into
his well. Head through the north door and put Magic Powder in the cauldron; an
indecisive spirit will then increase the Magic Meter's efficiency.
MAGIC POWDER: After giving the Magic Shop's witch a Magic Mushroom, return
after a time and you can get a sack of Powder by entering the Magic Shop and
pressing A next to the sack. Magic Powder yields Faeries when sprinkled on
Bubbles, and has unpredictable effects on other objects.
FIRE ROD: Located in the Skeleton Forest's tunnels, this Rod burns enemies and
ignites torches from a distance. It eats through your Magic Meter like there's
no tomorrow, though.
ICE ROD: This freezes most enemies, so you can carry them around and use them
as weapons. Strong enemies are unaffected, but weak enemies will be killed by
the Rod. Find it by travelling to the east shore of Lake Hylia; there's a cave
entrance there, but to the west of that entrance is a weak wall. Blow it with
a Bomb and enter the cave to recover the Ice Rod.
BOMBOS MEDALLION: This item has the same effects as the Fire Rod, only it
incinerates every enemy on the screen. Recovering it requires the Master Sword
(or better) and the Book of Mudora; enter the Dark World's Swamplands and
travel west towards the Swamp of Evil. There's a series of purple stakes here,
which mark where a cliff stands in Hyrule; stand within these stakes and return
to Hyrule. Translate the runes with the Book of Mudora and you're in business.
ETHER MEDALLION: This is basically the same as the Ice Rod, only it can freeze
stronger enemies and works against all foes on-screen. It also reveals hidden
walkways for a few seconds. Locate it by climbing Hyrule's Death Mountain to
the Tower of Hera; west of here is a bridge leading to a monolith. The
monolith's runes, when translated with the Book of Mudora, call for you to hold
up the Master Sword.
Chemists amongst you will know that ether is actually highly flammable, so
how come they chose the name to denote something that unleashes ice magic and
not fire magic?
QUAKE MEDALLION: Interestingly, this turns most on-screen enemies into living
turnips (like what would happen if you sprinkled them with Magic Powder). Find
it by travelling to the Lake of Ill Omen in the Dark World, where there's a
circle of stones; throw a rock, bush, or some other object into the circle and
the annoyed amphibian will give you the medallion.
LAMP: This is found in Link's House (or in certain chests in Hyrule Castle if
you don't pick it up immediately). It allows you limited vision in dark areas
and you can use it to ignite torches.
STAFF OF SOMARIA: Located in Misery Mire, this staff creates blocks you can
push or carry. If an enemy touches a Staff Block, they will sustain damage
(although Staff Blocks detonate after touching an enemy five times). You can
also detonate the Blocks using Y (enemy-damaging beams will result from the
shatter). Use the Staff to hold down switches, or create platforms in Turtle
Rock.
STAFF OF BYRNA: Upon activating this staff, a beam of energy will not only
protect you from all attack, but will damage any enemy who touches it. Press Y
again to deactivate the Staff, because it uses Magic Power for as long as it's
on.
Find the Staff by entering the Magical Transporter near Spectacle Rock (the
one you use to enter the Tower of Hera). Immediately travel south to reach a
hidden cave. Knock the obstacles down with the Hammer, but make sure you have
plenty of reserve life energy (or the Magic Cape and reserve Magic Power) so
you survive the gauntlet of spikes. The large block at the end can be lifted
with the Power Glove. After that block comes the chest containing the Staff.
MAGIC CAPE: Use Y to activate and deactivate the Cape, since it uses Magic
Power for as long as you wear it. Wear it and you become intangible, making
you both invincible and able to pass through the blue bumpers. You'll find it
by going to the headstone at Hyrule's Graveyard that's blocked by dark rocks.
Reach the grave using the Titan's Mitt or warping there from the Dark World,
then use a Dash Attack to reveal the Cape's cave.
***BOTTLES***
There are four bottles you can find:
For 100 Rupees, the merchant at Kakariko Village will sell you one.
Head for the north wing of Kakariko Inn, where there's a hidden entrance.
There's a chest in this room containing the Bottle
At the north-east corner of Lake Hylia is a river leading north. Swim up this
river (requires Zora's Flippers) and under the stone bridge to find a man
camping out. Speak to him to receive the Bottle.
Enter the Dark World and travel to the location equal to Hyrule's Blacksmith
(requires the Titan's Mitt). There's a purple chest here that you cannot open
but carry. Return to Hyrule and carry it to the 'average middle-aged man'
standing next to a sign near the Desert of Mystery (can use the Flute).
Promise not to tell he used to be a thief and he'll open the chest, revealing
the final Bottle.
You can put the following items into Bottles:
BEE: These can be purchased or found in bushes and trees (use the Bug-Catching
Net to get them). Release them and they'll attack enemies. Beware: if there
are no more enemies to attack, the Bee will start to attack you!
GOOD BEE: A very rare bug, travel to the ice cave east of Lake Hylia. Enter
through the main entrance (not the route to the Ice Rod) and walk to the Faerie
Fountain. Use a Dash Attack on the faerie statue to reveal the Good Bee.
Catch him with the Bug-Catching Net; when released, the Good Bee will attack
enemies but will wait to be recaptured rather than attack Link. You can sell
him to Kakariko Village's merchant for five red Rupees.
FAERIE: Faeries can be found at Faerie Fountains or hidden in trees and bushes.
Catch it with the Bug-Catching Net, then release and grab it for seven Healing
Hearts. Keep Faeries bottled, though; when you die, the Faerie will escape and
heal you so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
LIFE MEDICINE: Use this to instantly restore Link's Life Meter to full
strength. It can only be purchased from shops.
MAGIC MEDICINE: This fully recharges your Magic Meter. Purchase it from the
Magic Shop or throw an empty Bottle into the Waterfall of Wishing or Mysterious
Pond and admit to the faerie you threw it in to get the Medicine for free.
CURE-ALL MEDICINE: This can only be purchased from the Magic Shop, but fully
recharges both Life and Magic Meters.
***EQUIPMENT***
SWORD
The Sword is the main means of attack and is wielded using the B button.
Hold B to hold the Sword in a ready position; hold B for a couple of seconds to
charge a Spin Attack, executing the Spin by releasing B. When you release a
Spin Attack, Link will swing the Sword 180º before executing the 360º spin;
this half-swing is still dangerous to enemies. If you have the Master Sword or
better and your Life Meter is full, a beam will be launched from the blade when
you press B; this beam can cause your enemies damage.
FIGHTER'S SWORD: Link's uncle will give you this early in the game. This is
your primary weapon throughout the game until you recover the Master Sword.
MASTER SWORD: Able to repulse even the magic of the Triforce, you must have the
Three Pendants of Virtue before you can recover this sword. To find it, enter
the Lost Woods from the entrance near the Lumberjack's House and travel west,
then south down the first log. Go slightly west and north through the next
log, then west and north through another log, west and south through a third
log, then west and north through the final log. You will now be at the Master
Sword's grove; stand on the pedestal and press A to recover it.
TEMPERED SWORD: The blacksmith working at Kakariko Village can improve the
Master Sword, but he needs his partner to do it; find him by travelling to the
place equal to Kakariko's House of Books in the Dark World and guide him to the
forge. Return again and the two blacksmiths will temper the Sword for 10
Rupees; give them your blade and return after a time. Remember that you won't
have your Sword for a while, so you won't be able to use any Medallions or any
attack requiring the Sword.
GOLDEN SWORD: Destroy the weak wall at the Pyramid of Power and throw the
Tempered Sword into the Mysterious Pond. Admit to the Faerie you threw it in
and she'll enchant it, causing most foes to fall after only one hit from your
Sword.
SHIELD
The Shield is the main form of defence and automatically protects you from
frontal attacks. By drawing your Sword, the Shield will be held at an angle of
90º from Link's face; use this fact to help angle the Shield.
BLUE SHIELD: Link's uncle gives you this, but you can also purchase it from
Dark World shops if a Like Like swallows it. It protects you from arrows,
spears and rocks, but hostiles known as Like Likes will look at this like it's
Meals on Wheels.
RED SHIELD: You can purchase this from the Isolated Shop in the Dark World, but
you can also get it from the Waterfall of Wishing by throwing the Blue Shield
in and admitting to the Faerie you did so. It protects you from red energy
beams, but may be swallowed by Like Likes.
MIRROR SHIELD: Found in Turtle Rock, this Shield protects you from many types
of energy beams and cannot be swallowed by Like Likes.
ARMOUR
Armour is your last line of defence; the stronger the armour, the less damage
you sustain.
TUNIC: Link's green tunic is all he has at the very start of the game and
offers no protection whatsoever.
BLUE MAIL: Found in the Ice Lake Cavern, this reduces damage you take by 25%.
It also gives Link a brand new look.
RED MAIL: Located in the Tower of Ganon, this again changes Links appearance as
well as reducing damage sustained by enemy attack by a further 25%, so you take
half the damage you would have if you had the Tunic.
LIFTING
At the start of the game you can only lift bushes, signs and pots. In the
Dark World, pots and rocks are in the shape of skulls. When you increase your
lifting strength, you can carry rocks but not boulders.
POWER GLOVE: Found in the Desert Palace, it allows you to lift up light green
rocks and boulders. You can also use it to lift up grey blocks inside certain
dungeons.
TITAN'S MITT: Located in Blind's Hideout, this yellow version of the Power
Glove allows you to lift dark green rocks and boulders.
***OTHER EQUIPMENT***
ZORA'S FLIPPERS: These items allow you to swim, and cost a mere 500 Rupees from
Zora the Man-Fish. Find him by travelling east of the Magic Shop and
continuing along. You'll be able to hear his waterfall as you get close;
follow the shallow water to Zora, taking the southernmost turn-off when you
reach the 3-way junction.
PEGASUS BOOTS: Handed down by one family of the Seven Wise Men, these sturdy
shoes allow you to execute the Dash Attack. Hold A for a second to charge the
Dash, during which time you can change the direction you face with the Control
Pad. Press the Control Pad in a different direction to stop running, or if you
hit a wall or obstacle you'll be knocked backward onto solid ground.
Sahasrahla will give you these after you earn the Pendant of Courage.
Dash Attacks allow you to make hit-and-run assaults on enemies, and if you
Dash at trees hidden things may fall from the branches. Dash Attacks can also
be used to demolish very weak walls (see the notes given in the description of
BOMBS).
MOON PEARL: A crystal orb that protects its holder from the power of the
Triforce. It is located within the Tower of Hera. If you try to enter the
Dark World without it, you will be transformed into a shape that reflects what
is in your heart and mind (a pink bunny), as all citizens of the Dark World
are. As a bunny, you cannot use any items save the Magic Mirror.
====PIECES OF HEART====
You start the adventure with only three hearts in your Life Meter; worse than
useless for such a long adventure. An extra heart container can be found in
Sanctuary, and a further ten will be granted by defeating the keepers of the
various dungeons. This brings your total Life Meter to 14 hearts; six more can
be found by finding all 24 Pieces of Heart which are scattered throughout the
two worlds. Here are their locations:
In the north-western-most corner of Kakariko Village is a cave near a well.
Jump into the well from above, and look along the north wall for a weak spot.
Blow it apart with a Bomb and enter the cave for the Piece of Heart.
Next to Sahasrahla's house is a small grey hut that used to be used by the
thief Blind. Go into the house's basement, and destroy the weak north wall
with a Bomb. Inside a chest is the Piece of Heart.
Near Kakariko Village's House of Books is a house where two brothers are
feuding; one has sealed the door to his brother's room. Blow open the room and
leave via the exit in the younger brother's room and you will be able to access
the 15 Second Game: reach the goal within 15 seconds and you'll win a Piece of
Heart. The required route is: north, second west, second east, diagonally
south-west to just below the sign, then south over the fence and west to the
goal. Cyber Predator's record is nine seconds.
Enter the Desert Sanctuary; inside the room where Aginah is, Bomb the weak
south wall. Enter the hidden room to get the Piece of Heart from a chest.
Enter the Desert Palace via the main entrance and exit via the south-west
corner. Travel south along the plateau and you'll reach a Piece of Heart.
West of Sanctuary, on a plateau, is a pile of five light-coloured rocks. Use a
Dash Attack to reveal a cave entrance. Inside is a chest with a Piece of
Heart.
Climb to Spectacle Rock, where two platforms can be reached by jumping off the
ledge. The western cave allows access to a passage leading to a Piece of
Heart.
Enter the Dark World and travel to the place equal to Spectacle Rock. Use the
Magic Mirror here to appear on top of Spectacle Rock, atop which lies the
prize.
There is an entrance to the Lost Woods just north of Kakariko Village, near a
Fortune Teller's House. Enter through here and travel north, and you'll soon
reach a clump of nine bushes. The middle one hides a cave entrance, inside
which is a Piece of Heart
This is tucked into the north-east corner of the Pyramid of Power (outside, not
inside). To reach it, climb to the Pyramid's summit and leap off the ledges to
reach the east wing on the bottom level. Walk up to get the Piece of Heart,
then walk back to the south wing and jump off to continue the quest.
After purchasing Zora's Flippers, swim south and over the first waterfall.
Then travel west until you find a green slope; travel up here to find the Piece
of Heart.
Near the Lumberjack's house in the far north of Hyrule, the two Lumberjacks are
working hard at felling a tree. After defeating Agahnim for the first time,
they disappear. The tree they were working on has light-coloured leaves; hit
it with a Dash Attack to reveal a cave entrance. The caves you explore have a
Faerie Fountain and a Piece of Heart.
At the Ice Lake (west of the Ice Lake Cavern) is a circle of stones, where an
island would be in Hyrule. Stand in the shallow water inside this circle and
use the Magic Mirror to warp back to Hyrule, where the Piece of Heart is within
easy reach.
This Piece is at the bottom of the water surrounding the Swamp Ruins in Hyrule.
Enter the ruins and drain the water, then when you exit the ruins you'll see
the Piece of Heart plain as day.
South of the Dark World's Haunted Grove is a circle of bushes. Stand within
these and return to Hyrule, where a cave can be reached. Enter the cave and
push the blocks out of the way to reach the Piece of Heart.
Near Hyrule's Graveyard, along the north rockwall, is a cave on a plateau that
you can't seem to reach. However, go to the corresponding location in the Dark
World and the plateau has a ladder. Climb the ladder and use the Mirror to
reach the cave in Hyrule, enter and Bomb the weak north wall to reach the Piece
of Heart.
In the foothills of the Dark World's Death Mountain, enter the cave which
corresponds to Hyrule's Death Mountain entrance. Traverse the chambers (and
Crystal Orbs) to the blue bumper which blocks the path. Using the Magic Cape,
you can pass the bumper and explore on to find the Piece of Heart.
In the north-west corner of the Village of Outcasts, there is a game where you
can open two chests for 30 Rupees. A Piece of Heart is randomly placed in one
of the chests.
Remember the Piece of Heart gained by completing a maze within 15 seconds? At
the location equal to that maze in the Dark World there is a game called the
Treasure Field, which costs 80 Rupees to play. It'll take 50 tries or your
first dig to unearth a Piece of Heart.
In the Dark World at the location equal to the Blacksmith's shop, there is a
large number of purple stakes. Hit them all with the hammer, and the tree
stump will turn into a cave entrance. Inside lies the Piece of Heart.
In the north-east corner of the Swamp of Evil, there is a cul-de-sac. Stand
near here and warp to Hyrule, where you'll arrive on a plateau near a large
light-coloured boulder. Lift it up to reveal a cave entrance, which conceals
the prize.
West of the entrance to Misery Mire is a cave. Inside a chest here lies a
Piece of Heart, but you need to manipulate the blocks in order to reach it.
At the Dark World's Death Mountain, travel west of Turtle Rock. There is a
large boulder which conceals a cave entrance. Enter the cave and walk north to
reach an invisible bridge which can be crossed using the Staff of Somaria or
Ether Medallion to guide you. Bomb the weak west wall and go south through the
exit, then use the Magic Mirror to find the waiting Piece of Heart.
In Turtle Rock is an exit in the same room as the chest containing the Mirror
Shield. Exit here and you'll find yourself on a narrow ledge. Return to
Hyrule and you'll find yourself on a platform near a cave, which cannot be
accessed any other way. Destroy the green Mimics with your Sword and Arrows to
enter the next room containing the Piece of Heart.
====CHRIS HOULIHAN'S SECRET ROOM====
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{ My name is Chris Houlihan. }
{ This is my top-secret room. }
{ Keep it between us, OK? }
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry Chris, but this IS a video game guide.
In 1992, Nintendo Power magazine held a competition, which was won by a bloke
named Chris Houlihan won a competition. Part of that prize involved getting
his name inserted into the new Zelda game for the Super Nintendo. (Thanks to
Dragoon T et al for this info.) We don't know much else about Chris; there's a
couple of guys with the names Chris Houlihan scattered around the 'net, but
we're not sure whether or not they're THE Chris Houlihan.
Anyway, Chris got his name put into a little bonus room that's been
designated the Houlihan Room. It has rock walls and blue carpet, and its only
contents are five groups of nine blue Rupees (225 Rupees total) and a Magical
Cornerstone identifying Chris. Its location depends on random events, but
don't worry because we know how to stack the odds in your favour -- provided
you have the Pegasus Boots and Power Glove.
Save and Quit your game while in Hyrule. When you re-start the game, you'll
get an option to start at Link's House, Sanctuary or the Mountain Cave: select
to start at Sanctuary. Now you have to move fast: Dash out of Sanctuary, Dash
east along the path (stay along the north to avoid hitting soldiers), and when
you hit the riverside go south and cross the bridge (beware the archers). Go
south and west until you get to Hyrule Castle's area (lift the large boulder
out of the way with the Power Glove). Dash north and enter the secret passage.
Feel free to kill soldiers or slam into walls, but try not to get injured
during the race.
If you're successful, you WON'T have landed in the secret passage; you will
be within the Houlihan Room. Grab your Rupees, read the Cornerstone, and exit
via the south door to end up at Link's House. You may not get to the Houlihan
Room first try: try saving and quitting the game, then re-starting. Good luck!
But one question still remains about the Houlihan room: our tactic above
(generously shared by Nicholas Harvey) only allows us to access the Houlihan
Room via Hyrule Castle's secret passage. The only other e-mail I've had about
the Houlihan Room (from aldorug) also specified entry to the Houlihan Room via
Hyrule Castle's secret passage. However, when Cyber Predator first discovered
the Houlihan Room back in 1993-4, it was via the Pyramid of Power. I dived
into the gaping hole to fight Ganon, but instead I wound up in the Houlihan
Room. The only definite details of what happened then was that I dashed into
the Pyramid from the second or third step, but apart from that it's just too
long ago for my poor little memory to remember.
====CREDITS AND TAGLINES====
Special thanks to some very kind people: VGfreak (joey5656@hotmail.com) told
me that the Lamolas could be killed very quickly with the Ice Rod. aldorug
(whose e-mail has been withheld by request) and Nicholas Harvey
(Nick14578@aol.com) were the two kind souls whose joint information allowed us
to access the Houlihan Room.
Snoborder420 (snoborder420@yahoo.com) was the ultra-nice guy who made life
much easier by telling us how to see the invisible gantry in Ganon's Tower and
not have to use Somarian Staff Blocks or Ether magic. Alex Green
(alexdkgreen@hotmail.com) sent in an alternate order of doing the Dark World
dungeons that should make life easier for everyone. Dragoon T
(dragoont@yahoo.com) sent us in some information on Chris Houlihan.
Nintendo Magazine System's first four issues provided information on Kakariko
Village, where to find items, how to get through Ganon's Tower and the Pyramid
of Power, guides for the bosses, and the precise location of the secret passage
into Hyrule Castle's grounds. The sealed envelope included with the game also
helped, and the hard-copy Hyrule map (also included with the game) was used as
a reference when writing the overworld guides and walkthroughs for the Eastern
and Desert palaces and the Tower of Hera. The Nintendo Helpline told me how to
get the Big Key from the Tower of Hera.
After being impressed with the Bombs, The Big Daddy immediately guessed that
to kill Stalfos Knights you need to Bomb them. Acting on that guess I saw he
was right, and so Pappa Bear taught me how to destroy Stalfos Knights. (What
further proof do you need of my final tagline?)
{signed}
Cyber Predator
123-926
"Anyone who seeks fame need only become familiar with all that I have
achieved." - Claudius Galen
The Force will be with you, always
New Fan Works
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