Overworld Walkthrough
When you first begin your journey, you will awaken in Marin and Tarin’s house in Mabe Village. After talking to Marin and Tarin you will get your shield, and Marin tells you to head south to the beach following the path, where other things may have washed ashore. Once you reach Torombo Shores, you will come across spiked Sea Urchins. They will slide back if you walk into them with your shield in front of you. Just as you locate your sword on the beach, an owl will talk to you and tell you to go north to the Mysterious Woods, but before you go, you should thoroughly explore Mabe Village. There is a Secret Seashell under a bush in the field east of town, and a Piece of Heart in the well to the west.
Mabe Village
The following is an overview of some of the most important shops and places located in Mabe Village:
- Marin and Tarin’s House
Here you receive your shield and begin your journey. You can also occasionally talk to Marin or Tarin here. - Library
Located here are eight books with tips and tactics, so be sure to read them all. You can check the atlas in the library to find places mentioned in this guide. The book in the lower right corner will tell you no useful information now, but it will play a very important role later. - Trendy Game
After paying ten rupees you can play this game.The timing is tricky, but once you master it you can pick up rupees, Magic Powder, heart energy, and a shield. Be sure to use one turn and win the Yoshi Doll in the center and trade it to the mother at Quadruplets house. - Quadruplets House
In the Quadruplets house Pahpal will warn you that he will be lost later, but it will not happen for some time. However, you can trade the Yoshi Doll to his wife and receive the ribbon in exchange. - Madam MeowMeow’s House
She does not play a big part in the game, but BowWow, who is chained up outside, will be very important. Be sure to visit the pooch located in the adjoining shed, who will exchange the ribbon for a can of dog food, and by digging in the floor you will uncover a Secret Seashell. - Town Tool Shop
Be sure to pick up the shovel here for two hundred rupees, and after you buy it the Bow and bombs will be available to purchase, all of which will be essential to your quest. - Ulrira’s House
When you talk to Old Man Ulrira in his house he is shy and curt, but if you call him in one of the tree-telephone booths (one is a screen west of his home) he will give you informative hints about what to do next. His wife outside does not do much now, but she will play a role later. - Fishing Pond
For a mere ten rupees you can go fishing here. Be sure to nab the big lunker in the hollow under the bank, because it has a Piece of Heart inside of it. - Dream Shrine
If you sleep in the bed here, you will warp to another room. By charging into the creatures located here with your Pegasus Boots and your sword, you will work around the room and collect one hundred rupees and the Ocarina.
To the Tail Cave
After exploring Mabe Village, go north to the Mysterious Woods. Here the owl will explain that the Tail Key is located in the woods. This key will allow you to enter the Tail Cave, south of the village. While in the woods, you will encounter a large racoon. If you try to pass onto the next screen he will warp you to another spot in the forest. If you talk to him, he mentions a dust-like powder which he is sensitive to. The powder he is referring to is Magical Powder. To get it, either win it in the Trendy Game, or if you find the mushroom in the forest, take it to the witch and she will turn it into Magical Powder for you. Her hut is located to the west side of the woods. After you get the powder, take it and sprinkle it on the racoon and then go north where the treasure chest with the Tail Key is located. Take this key to the Tail Cave and insert it in the keyhole. Now you can enter Tail Cave.
To the Bottle Grotto
When you arrive back in the village after completing Tail Cave, two kids will tell you the “terrible” news that BowWow has been captured! Go to Madam MeowMeow’s house to learn the details. Madam MeowMeow will tell you that BowWow has been dognapped by the Moblins. Your next goal is to rescue him. Go to the north-east of the Mysterious Woods where you will arrive at a circle of pits in the ground. First collect the Piece of Heart in the center and then go up and to the right. Just beside an owl statue, you will find a cave entrance. Inside you must battle through two rooms of Moblins and then you will face the Moblin Boss. Dodge the arrows he shoots at you and wait for him to charge. When he charges, step out of the way and he will ram into the wall. Having rammed into the wall, he will be stunned for a brief second. While he is stunned is the only time you can hurt him. Run up and hit him as fast as you can with your sword. Just keep repeating this process and after eight hits he will die. After defeating him, go into the next room and rescue BowWow. If you take him back to Madam MeowMeow’s house, she will just ask you to take him for a walk, so you cannot give him back yet. Do not worry, though, because he is the key to entering Bottle Grotto. Take BowWow north to Goponga Swamp. Here, BowWow will eat the harmful flowers, allowing you access to Bottle Grotto.
To the Key Cavern
After exiting Bottle Grotto you can return BowWow to Madam MeowMeow. She will even kiss you for being so nice! Now head west into Ukuku Prairie and thoroughly explore it. You should soon come across Richard’s Villa. This former prince will ask you to retrieve five Golden Leaves for him. He tells you that if you give him these leaves, he will give you the Slime Key in return. To get these leaves, go north to Kanhalet Castle. Here give Kiki the monkey the bananas that you traded to Sale at Sale’s House of Bananas and he and his monkey friends will build you a bridge. Be sure to pick up the stick they leave behind. Go north to where you will find a lone bush. Cut this bush down to reveal a hidden entrance to the castle. One leaf is obtained by destroying the guy in the six pits on the east side of the castle and another by throwing a stone at and then destroying the crow on the west side of the castle. Inside the castle, the third leaf is obtained by destroying all but one of the enemies in the second room of the castle. Be sure to hit the switch that opens the castle gate. In the first room upstairs, plant a bomb in front of the left statue in the sunken portion of the room. Destroying this enemy will give you the fourth leaf. The final leaf is obtained by destroying the ball-and-chain trooper in the room to the east. To enter his room, throw a pot at the door. He is defeated by simply avoiding his chain and hitting him with your sword whenever the opportunity arises. Once you have all five of the leaves, go back and see Richard. Push the box that is beside him to the side, travel through the cave, and you will arrive at Pothole Field. Patiently work your way around Pothole Field, being careful not to fall into any of the pits hidden under the bushes, and then dig in front of the owl statue to receive the Slime Key. Now head north from Richard’s Villa and insert the key into the Slime Keyhole. After opening the door, go around to the east and jump across the islands to reach the gate. Now you can enter Key Cavern.
To the Angler’s Tunnel
After defeating Key Cavern, you will need to head for the Yarna Desert where you will locate the Angler’s Key which will allow you to enter Level 4, Angler’s Tunnel. The desert is located in the south-eastern corner of Koholint Island. Before attempting to enter the Yarna Desert, however, first look through the Animal Village. Be sure to take the honeycomb that you got from Tarin and give it to the bear chef in Animal Village in exchange for the pineapple. True to what the animals there say, when you try to enter the Yarna Desert, you will soon find that the walrus is blocking the only way into the desert. The one way that you can get the walrus to move is to have Marin sing to him. Use the teleporter south of the village to get back to Mabe Village much faster. The kids in Mabe Village will tell you that Marin is down by the seashore. You will find her at the very east end of the beach, just below the chest with fifty rupees. After talking to her, she agrees to go to Animal Village with you. If when you get to Mabe Village you are unable to locate Marin or find any reference to her, it is probable that you never traded the stick to Tarin in Ukuku Prairie. Be sure to do this, or you cannot proceed in the game. When you get back to the Animal Village, go up to the walrus and Marin will sing to it and it will roll off into the water. Now you can head into the Yarna Desert. Do not touch the poles with spikes on them or you will be hurt. In the cave in the north of the desert, you will face the Sand Worm. While being sure not to fall into the room below, hit his head with your sword every time you get a chance. Eight hits will toast him. Once he is defeated, you will receive the Angler’s Key. You may need to drop to the room below to collect the key if it falls through. In the room below the Sand Worm, plant a bomb against the middle of the north wall. You will find a Piece of Heart inside. Now, take the key north to Tal Tal Heights. The key hole you are looking for will be across the river from the dungeon entrance, which is hidden by a waterfall. After you insert the key into the keyhole, the waterfall will dry up and reveal the dungeon entrance. Next, head north into the Tal Tal Mountain Range. While in the mountain range, be sure to trade the pineapple to Pahpal in return for the hibiscus flower. When you come across the spot where the ground is dry from where the waterfall used to flow, jump down to access Angler’s Tunnel.
To the Catfish’ Maw
After completing Angler’s Tunnel, be sure to swim west up the river, from the dungeon entrance, where you will find the cave where Manbo, Child of the Sun Fish lives. He will teach you another song for your Ocarina. Also, swim east up to the cave that is located on the same river. While inside this cave, diving near the center will reward you with a Piece of Heart. As you are traveling around after Level 4, you will soon notice a ghost following you. Although this will probably scare you at first, he will tell you that all he wants is to be taken back to his old house by the sea. You will have to do what he wants, because you cannot enter Level 5 until you do. His house is located just to the east of where you talked to Marin by the seashore. Take the ghost to his house and let him look around inside. Soon, he will become overwhelmed with memories and ask you to take him back to his grave. His grave is not located in the main cemetery, but it is the single headstone just to the west of the Witch’s Hut, which is just east of the Mysterious Woods. Once you return him to his grave, he will tell you that under one of the jars in his house is a gift for helping him. So go back to his house and look under all the pots. Under one of them, you will find your reward, a Secret Seashell. Now it is time to prepare for your next dungeon. This dungeon is located in the middle of Martha’s Bay. You should quickly find it, because it resembles a giant fish head sticking up out of the water. On the west side of the rocks surrounding it, dive underwater. Swim down and under the big rock and come back up to the surface. Now enter Catfish’ Maw.
To the Face Shrine
Once you have beaten Catfish’ Maw, your next dungeon is a little north-east of it. Here, the owl will tell you to head south, to the southern shrine. This shrine is just to the south-east of where the owl will talk to you. Inside the shrine, if you touch the soldiers standing guard there, they will come to life and start to move. Sometimes, you will have to make them move to proceed. Look carefully, because behind one of the soldiers is hidden a set of stairs that lead to a hidden Secret Seashell. Keep heading west across the shrine and soon you will come across a building. Inside this building you will find the guardian of the Face Key. The only way to hurt him is to hit him with arrows. First, go near him and he will awaken and then quickly hit him with arrows. It only takes twelve hits to defeat him but do not let him touch you or he can quickly do massive damage. After he is defeated, pick up the key that he leaves behind. The mural on the wall in the next room has an interesting inscription, but you will need to light the two torches in the room with Magical Powder because otherwise it is too dark in the room to read it. Once you are done, it is time to travel to your next dungeon. The path to Level 6 is at the same place where the owl told you about the shrines. However, you will need to swim out to the narrow island in the water. Once there, touch the soldier on the left to make him come alive and then enter the stairs behind him. Travel through the cave using your Hook Shot to cross the large pit and then head up the stairs. You will find yourself just to the right of the stairs that lead to Level 6, but first you will need to unlock the dungeon. Head to the right and north where you insert the key into the keyhole. Once the dungeon door is opened, head back to the left, up the stairs, and into Face Shrine.
To the Eagle’s Tower
After you are done with the Face Shrine, your next goal is in the north-east of the island where Eagle’s Tower awaits you. But to enter it you will need the Bird Key, and to get the Bird Key you will need the assistance of the Flying Rooster, and to get the Flying Rooster you will need to learn Mamu’s song, the song of awakening. First, head south from the entrance to Ukuku Prairie. After passing the telephone booth, you will come across a cluster of pits. This is the entrance to the Signpost Maze. Use the Pegasus Boots and the Roc’s Feather to leap the pits and land on the other side. First, read the sign that is right next to the pits that you lept. Then, follow the signs that are in an exact line from the last sign that you read. If you ever mess up it will tell you to return to the beginning of the maze. For some of the signs, you may need to cut down bushes or cross pits to access them. When you finally read the last sign, a set of stairs will appear on the east side of the screen. Head down these stairs where you will find Mamu. Talk to him and agree to pay three hundred rupees to learn the song of awakening, the third song for the ocarina. After you have learned this song, head back to Mabe Village. Once back in Mabe Village, go to the screen north of Marin and Tarin’s house. Here you will find a memorial to the Flying Rooster. Stand in front of it and push and it will slide back revealing a set of stairs. In the cave below, you will find the mortal remains of the Flying Rooster. Play the song of awakening in front of him that you have just learned to awaken him. Voila! You now have a rooster following you. If you equip the Power Bracelet and pick him up, he will fly with you hanging underneath. Before heading north, go to the front of Kanhalet Castle where you will find a row of five pits. Using the Flying Rooster is the only way to cross these pits. There is a Secret Seashell in the cave at the end of the pits. Also, if you swim into the castle moat, dive underwater next to these pits and you will locate a Piece of Heart. Now head north into the Tal Tal Mountain Range. Proceed up the long stair that begins in the deep water. Keep heading north until you reach the Hen House. Enter the cave entrance that is just south on the same screen as the Hen House. Once inside, you will need to push some of the stones aside to proceed up. Also, you will need to use the Flying Rooster to cross the chasm. Then proceed to the left, and claim the Bird Key. Once it is acquired it is time to head to Level 7. To get there, return back south the way that you came until you reach the deep water, then turn east. In the first cave that you enter, plant a bomb on the dry square by the wall. This will blow open to reveal a cave that will lead to rupees and a Secret Seashell. Continue heading generally east until you appear at a little hut on top of the mountain range. The dungeon is just to the west of this. Head over and insert the Bird Key into the keyhole and then enter Eagle’s Tower.
To the Turtle Rock
When you are done with Eagle’s Tower, the last dungeon awaits you. However, before you head to Level 8 it is highly advisable to obtain the Level 2 sword. If you do not already have it, get it! To get it, just take twenty Secret Seashells to the Seashell Mansion in Ukuku Prairie. As soon as you are prepared, head back to the Hen House. From there lies the path to Level 8. Head west across the bridges, using the Hook Shot when needed to cross the gaps in the bridges. At the end of the bridges, underneath the bush that you will find there are located the stairs that allow you to proceed. Continue west through this cave where, upon exiting the cave, there are boulders that are tumbling down from above. While dodging them proceed north. Once on the top, by picking up the boulder that is right below the chest that contains fifty rupees, you will reveal a hidden staircase. In the cave below, sprinkle Magical Powder in the torch to awaken a creature that will allow you to carry more bombs. There are two other caves like this one on the island. The one to the west of Martha’s Bay will reward you with more arrows and the one in the Mysterious Woods will give you more Magical Powder. As you continue heading west you will come across a cave entrance which must be blown open with a bomb. Inside this cave, you will come across a flamethrower mounted in the wall. Using your Level 2 shield, walk into the flames and they will part around you. Then walk to the west and enter the stairs. When you exit, continue heading west. When you cannot travel any further, you will come across the entrance to the dungeon which resembles a giant turtle head (boy, where did they get the name of Turtle Rock?). Stand in front of it and play the song of awakening. The turtles head will come to life and begin to attack you. Eight hits with the Level 2 sword will destroy him. Once he is gone, you are free to enter Turtle Rock.
To the Egg
Once Turtle Rock is behind you it is time to head for the Egg on Mt. Tamaranch. But before you do so there are two things you need to do. First, you need to use the Magnifying Lens that you got from trading and use it to read the lower right-hand book in the library in Mabe Village. The eight arrow code it tells you is the order you must go through the rooms in the Egg, so be sure to know this code before you enter the Egg. Also you will need to get the boomerang. To obtain it, head south to Torombo Shores. Go south from where the monkey throws coconuts at you. There, find the section of the wall that can be blown open with a bomb. Clear it out and then enter. The guy in here appears after you are done with the trading part of the game. Talk to him and he says that he will trade you an item that he found washed up on the beach in return for what you have in your B button. I would recommend trading him the shovel. Agree to swap items and he will give you the boomerang. If you talk to him again, he will trade back the item that you gave him, if you ever need the item for something. You can get this great item much earlier in the game if you work hard on the trading. Once the boomerang is in your possession, it is time to head to the Egg on Mt. Tamaranch. Once you are in front of the Egg, select Marin’s song, the Ballad of the Wind Fish, on your ocarina and then play it. This not only provides you with some of the best music in the game, but it also opens a door in the Egg. After you have defeated the Final Nightmare, head up the stairs that appear before you.