The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
--------------------------------------

Copyright 2005-2006 Brian McPhee

Author: Brian McPhee (Kirby021591)
E-mail: Kirby0215@aol.com
Most Recent Update: January 29, 2006
Originally Created: September 6, 2005
Version 1.0

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---------------------------Table of Contents---------------------------
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Section 1*

Introduction*
Navigation*
Storyline*

Section 2*

Gnarled Root Dungeon*
Snake’s Remains*
Poison Moth’s Lair*
Dancing Dragon Dungeon*
Unicorn’s Cave*
Ancient Ruins*
Explorer’s Crypt*
Sword & Shield Maze*
Onox’s Castle*

Section 3*

Linked Games & Changes*
Linked Secrets*
Hero’s Cave*
Room of Rites*

Section 4*

Pieces of Heart*
Gasha Seeds*
Magical Rings*
Bipin & Blossom*
The Trading Sequence*
Equipment & Upgrades*
Enemy Index*
The Zelda Timeline*
FAQ*

Section 5*

Credits and Legal Information*
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=============================Introduction*=============================
=======================================================================

Welcome, one and all!  You’ve reached a walkthrough for The Legend of
Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, which was released alongside counterpart
Oracle of Ages in 2001, the twilight years of the Game Boy Color.  The
GBC had a wonderful curtain call, though, as two new fantastic Zelda
games graced our screens at the end.  Enough of my ramblings, though;
let’s review.

I must say, I did not expect this game to be as old school as it is.
It’s like a throwback to Link’s Awakening and previous titles.  We’ve
got many old bosses and mini-bosses returning.  Also, Seasons is much
more action-oriented than its puzzling counterpart, although it has its
fair share of puzzles (Ages has more individual challenges).  As a
result of its old school style, the story doesn’t go as deep as it does
in Ages, either.  Yes, I realize that both games have the same basic
story, but Seasons has far less character interaction than Ages, which
can be bad or good.

On the other hand, Seasons has way better items than Ages.  You’ll be
surprised by some of the weapons in this game.  First, I should mention
that seeds have a huge part in this game; expect to see them used for a
variety of functions (seeds actually erase the need for other items,
such as the Lamp, Magic Powder, or even the Pegasus Boots/Shoes).
Furthermore, we have a lot of original items.  One of the coolest items
in the game is gotten in Level 5, and there are other improvements to
older items, like Roc’s Feather.  Nintendo did a nice job in that
department (though we all know Fool’s Ore is the best item in the game).

Many Zelda games work with two main elements that Link must manipulate
to beat the game.  In A Link to the Past, there was the Light/Dark
World.  In Ocarina of Time, there was childhood and adulthood.
Majora’s Mask actually had four different forms Link could assume.
Minish Cap had size – miniature or regular.  Oracle of Seasons has an
amazing one.  Using a mystical item, Link can change the season in an
area to spring, summer, fall, or winter.  Not all seasons are available
at first, but Link can collect all four as time goes on.  Many of the
puzzles and obstacles in the game revolve around seasons.  In winter,
Link can walk a lake that he normally couldn’t swim through.  In summer,
vines grow tall and creeks dry up.  Spring is a season of discovery,
where flowers bloom and plants grow.  And in autumn, leaves cover pits
and mushrooms are ripe for picking (of course, each season has other,
more subtle effects).

Similarly, the game changes with animals.  You can pick any of three
pets to help you at certain times in your adventure.  Some are
definitely better than others, but the game changes depending on which
you take (certain screens will change to require certain animal
partners).

Not only that, but there is an alternate world in Oracle of Seasons
comparable to the past age in Oracle of Ages.  Subrosia is a secret
land beneath the surface, and portals leading to it are hidden
throughout Holodrum, the land the game takes place in.  I won’t say
much, but it’s very interesting.  Also, the Subrosians are the coolest!

The other innovation in this game lies in its counterpart, Oracle of
Ages.  If you connect the two games, you can exchange passwords to
unlock new things and unlock a new ending that ties together the two
stories.  In password games, you can get new rings – equip-able items
that have specified effects on you – as well as other, better items.

In my opinion, Oracle of Seasons is an easier game than its counterpart
in the end (although Seasons has much harder bosses).  This is a very
good replication of the old Zelda feel, with lots of action but still
plenty of puzzling areas.  All and all, this game is so complex and
long (eight dungeons, nine if you count Onox’s lair) that it’ll take
you quite some time to finish it, which is never a bad thing.  And
besides, if the Zelda name is on it, it’s almost guaranteed to be good.

By the by, if you see this guide or other guides I’ve written on any
site other than GameFaqs.com, please contact me at the e-mail address
given at the top of the guide.  With your help, we can put an end to
plagiarism... of this guide.  Thanks a million, my friend.

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==============================Navigation*==============================
=======================================================================

To help you reach the section you need in a jiffy, a navigational
system is in place.  While I admit the asterisks (*) do provide a
certain decorative flair, that’s not what they’re there for.  They are
really used to distinguish titles from text.  Press CTRL and F (that’s
Apple and F on Macs) to bring up a Find/Search box.  Type in the name
of the section, asterisks and all, click Find/Search.  You’ll be taken
to the Table of Contents.  Click it again and presto!  You’ll go
straight to the beginning of the section.  Pretty nifty, eh?

=======================================================================
==============================Storyline*===============================
=======================================================================

The storyline of Oracle of Seasons is almost identical to that in Ages
(same situation, different faces), and it’s not perfect, but it works
out nicely.  Let’s get right to my summarized version of it all.

                      +-------------------------+
                      |    Storyline Summary    |
                      +-------------------------+

Link rode to Hyrule Castle on his trusty steed, Epona, in which he
found the three pieces of the Triforce.  The Essence of the Triforce
transported Link to a mysterious place in the foreign land of Holodrum.
In it, he found a young dancer named Din.  As they danced together,
though, a tornado swept through the land and General Onox appeared from
it!  He claimed that Din was in fact the Oracle of Seasons, one able to
control the flow of seasons, of nature itself.  Onox kidnapped Din with
dreams of spreading destruction across the land using the seasons...
Princess Zelda of Hyrule anticipated this turn of events and sent Impa
to investigate, but the Triforce has brought Link.  For the Triforce to
act, this must be of considerable importance.  Is there a darker evil
than Onox behind all this?  Regardless, Link takes it upon himself to
defeat General Onox and rescue Din to restore peace to Holodrum, but
how?

Scintillating...  Here’s a cast of important characters with a bit of
background on them.

                    +----------------------------+
                    |    Important Characters    |
                    +----------------------------+

Link: The main character, the guy in green, the protagonist of the
Zelda series.  Link, chosen by destiny, has been sent to Holodrum to
save Din, Oracle of Seasons.  But, how does this adventure have any
significance to the Triforce, the mystic force that sent him there?  As
a note of interest, Link is left-handed and never speaks.

Din: In Hylian mythology, Din was the goddess partially responsible for
the creation of the Triforce, the part of Power.  A dancer named after
the goddess lived in Holodrum at the time Link traveled there.  This
dancer was in reality the Oracle of Seasons, one who could control the
passing of the seasons – spring, summer, fall, and winter.  Seeking to
abuse this power to bring destruction to Holodrum, a crazed general
kidnapped her.  Luckily, Princess Zelda of Hyrule and the Essence of
the Triforce foresaw this event, and Link and Impa have been sent to
prevent (and now rescue) Din from the general.  Perhaps Din could lend
her power to Link to let him reach Onox... somehow.

General Onox: A twisted general (the self-proclaimed “General of
Darkness”) that seeks to spread destruction across the land of Holodrum,
Onox has abducted a supposed dancer to use the power of seasons to
wreak havoc.  With the seasons terribly shuffled across the region,
freezing rivers and shedding leaves, Onox does little but sit back and
let the destruction flow.  But, could Onox have hidden motives?  Unless
he’s just a lunatic, perhaps there is a reason for his attacks.

Impa: The royal nursemaid of the princess of Hyrule, Impa was sent
after Zelda had a premonition of danger for Din.  While Impa is pretty
helpless (apparently because of an injury she received from the tornado
that heralded Onox’s arrival), she does point you toward the Maku Tree
in Horon Village, a tree that can REALLY help.

Maple: Hardly an important character, but Maple is a young witch.  As
an apprentice to her grandmother (named Syrup, who runs a shop in
Holodrum), she often sneaks out to hone her flying skills.  If she
flies into Link, their items would be scattered all over the place.  In
the game, a Maple appearance is triggered by Link defeating 30 enemies
and then entering an appropriate screen.  Maple’s got some mean
vacuuming skills, and will always go for the best item first.

Maku Tree: Unlike his oh-so feminine counterpart in Labrynna, the
Holodrum Maku Tree is all man.  And yes, his name does come from the
Deku Tree, the guardian of Kokiri Forest (from Ocarina of Time).  All
of Holodrum is protected by this wise tree, and Link seeks its help in
rescuing Din.  What course of action does he suggest we take?

Now that you’ve read your fill of background information, let’s get
right to the walkthrough, Section 2.
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=========================Gnarled Root Dungeon*=========================
=======================================================================

                  +--------------------------------+
                  |    Oracle of Seasons & Onox    |
                  +--------------------------------+

The Triforce takes you from Hyrule Castle, asking you to accept their
quest, and places you unconscious in Holodrum, a foreign land.  A girl
with red hair finds you, and you awaken outside a wagon.  Go east a
screen, now able to move, to find the dancer, named Din, along with her
troupe.  Impa is here, acting as the troupe’s cook, and so are a bunch
of men (who appear to be drinking).  Talk to everyone, but be sure to
talk to Din (to talk to someone, approach them and press A).  She saw a
red flash in the woods and came to see what it was to find you lying
there.  She offers to dance with you, and you can talk to her again to
actually dance.

After a nice cut scene showing off the Game Boy Color’s abilities, you
both spin in circles, the equivalent of dancing from an overhead view.
After the jam session, she notices a triangle mark, the crest of Hyrule,
on your left hand.  If it’s real, then you’re a hero with a special
fate.  You continue dancing when suddenly lightning strikes the ground
all around you!  You hear a laugh, and then it addresses Din, “Oracle
of Seasons!”  A tornado appears, takes out all of the troupe but Din
and yourself, and then aims itself at the dancer.  You step in its way
and it casts you to the side.  The tornado then takes Din before rising
into the skies.

It drops down to a strange structure, and Din is inside chained to a
rock.  A knight, apparently, with yellow armor approaches the “Oracle
of Seasons” and explains his plot.  As Din knows, if he imprisons the
Oracle of Seasons and buries the houses of the Season Spirits, the
seasons of Holodrum will be cast into chaos, nature will rot, and life
will end in this land.  This will bring about the darkness that Onox,
General of Darkness, longs for!  Onox imprisons Din in a crystal, and
then turns his thoughts to the Temple of Seasons.  Outside, the Temple
of Seasons that controls seasons in the land sinks below the surface
into the earth, destroying order in the land.

In the meantime, Link awakens by Impa, also sent into this new screen
by the tornado.  After awakening you from the second time you’ve been
knocked out, she reveals that she is not the cook of the troupe.  She
is the nursemaid of Hyrule’s Princess Zelda.  And Din is not a dancer,
for that matter.  She is the Oracle of Seasons who wields control over
the forces of nature.  Zelda foresaw this event, and Impa came to
prevent this from happening by escorting her to Hyrule in secret.  But
Impa is wounded, and Din is gone.  You must rescue Din.  You are
according to the crest on your left hand.  You must save the world!
Take this message to the Maku Tree in Horon Village.  The Maku Tree is
guardian of all Holodrum.  He will be able to help.  For now, go south
to Horon Village.

                        +--------------------+
                        |    Wooden Sword    |
                        +--------------------+

Welcome to Horon Village, Holodrum.  For now, go east twice and enter
the house.  This is Mayor Ruul’s residence (he rules Horon Village with
an iron fist).  If you talk to Ruul (one screen over from the entrance),
he’ll give you a Gasha Seed.  When these are planted in soft soil (like
the square outside his house), they grow into Gasha Tree that bear a
Gasha Nut.  Inside the nuts are items.  To welcome you to town, the
mayor gives you a Gasha Seed.  Exit the house and plant the seed here
in that square patch of ground.  Now go south.  See the ledge?  If you
walk up to a ledge, you’ll jump over.  Flip off the side and head east
a screen.  This is Maku Tree Gate.  You must show courage to see the
tree...  We need a sword to look totally cool and outrageous, err,
courageous.

Go south and then west.  This is Vasu Jewelers, a jewelry store.  Enter
and talk to the man here.  There are Magical Rings made from Mystical
Seeds in Holodrum, and wearing one transfers its mystical power to you.
But, rings must be kept in Ring Boxes to prevent them from losing power.
Say that you understand and he’ll get on with things.  He gives you a
L-1 Ring Box (after all, that assures him business).  It can hold one
ring that you can take with you.  And as a sign of your friendship, he
bestows upon you the Friendship Ring!  You can wear it if you want, but
it’s really pointless; it has no effect.  I’m not quite sure why I used
an exclamation mark there...

When you find a ring, it must be appraised (at Vasu Jewelers, of course)
for you to know its power.  If you get two rings of the same power,
he’ll buy one from you for 30 rupees.  Finally, he’ll keep rings for
you in his List (since you can’t carry all of them with you).  To wear
a ring, press Start, Select, and then move the cursor to the lower-left
corner and select the ring.  Remember, rings do nothing unless worn!

Head west two screens to find the shop.  Nothing’s in stock yet, though;
go south from here.  This is the home of Bipin & Blossom, who recently
had a baby.  Bipin, a farmer, is the one running around the room.
Blossom is holding the baby.  She can’t think of a name for the infant
(it’s a boy, by the way), and she’d like to hear your suggestion.  Pick
carefully, as this name will be its permanent one.  After naming their
child, exit the house and advance north three times to return to the
first screen of Horon Village.  Travel west now to find two new
buildings.  The left one is the home of the Know-It-All-Birds.  They’re
no birdbrains!  Ha, a pun.  Now, you can enter and talk to them to
learn the various the ins and outs of the game.  The right building is
the Advance Shop, only open if you’re playing on a Game Boy Advance.
It has nothing in stock right now; go west.

This is Western Coast, and its ridden with monster (well, it has a few).
This enemy here is called an Octorok.  It shoots small rocks at you,
and you are defenseless (as well as weaponless, which means you can’t
defeat it).  Head west and south a screen to find a cave.  Enter.  This
is a Fairy Fountain.  If you somehow have taken damage already, the
Great Fairy here heals you.  From the cave, go down a bit so that
you’re past the wall, and then go right a screen.  Enter the cave here.

Hero’s Cave is your first “challenge.”  It is rumored that a sword is
found within, but only the bravest of souls enter this place.  The
first room features new monsters called Keese (basically, bats).  Avoid
them as you walk right through the door.  As you walk forward, the door
slams shut.  Push the block in here (to push a block, stand by it and
walk against it) to open the doors.  Now go north a room.  In here,
walk up to the block and push it forward.  Then walk around the winding
path (do not fall in a pit.  It will make you lose half of a heart.
Lose all hearts and you get a Game Over) to find a pair of blocks.
Push the left one down and the right one over.  Continue along the path
to go east a screen.  In this room are more enemies.  You recognize the
Keese, but the pink specs are Gels.  They jump onto you to slow you
down.  Shake them off by walking and press the switch to the right.
Open the chest that forms for a Small Key, which opens normal locks.

Return west and then south to the block room.  Push it in any direction
and then go south.  Here, avoid Keese and use the Small Key on the
locked door to the right.  In this room, pass the Gels and press the
switch near the pit to the upper-right.  Now walk around the pit to
reach the door that opened.  As you go, large green creatures called
Zols, relatives of Gels, appear.  They are simple creatures, but we
must run from them for now.  Once you’ve gone north, walk forward to
the steps.  Take them up to a chest.  Open it for the Wooden Sword!
Equip it to A or B (do so by pressing Start) and then use that button
to attack with it.  It’s the primary weapon of the game.  If you hold
the sword button until it flashes, release for a spin attack.  Spin
attacks are two times as powerful as a normal slash.  Now that we have
it, not only can we see the Maku Tree, but we can explore!

                        +---------------------+
                        |    The Maku Tree    |
                        +---------------------+

Head east, up past the wall, and west.  Trim the bush here with your
blade and flip over the ledge into an opening.  You’ll fall right into
Hero’s Cave, but a new part.  Open the chest in front of you for 30
rupees.  Rupees are the official monetary unit in Holodrum (money).
Flip over the ledge to the left to reach the block room.  Push it in
whichever direction you choose and go west.  Now you can defeat Keese.
Slash them once to defeat them.  They often drop recovery hearts, which
restore lost health, or rupees.  Green rupees are worth 1, red rupees
are worth 5.  Exit the cave to the south.

Return to Horon Village (from Hero’s Cave, go west, north, and east
twice).  Note that Octoroks can now be beaten with a simple touch of
your sword.  In Horon Village, the shops are now stocked.  Enter the
normal shop (not advanced) and you’ll see a Wooden Shield on sale for
30 rupees.  Make the purchase (you must have at least 30 rupees from
those we found in Hero’s Cave) and equip the Wooden Shield to the other
button (the one the Wooden Sword doesn’t take up).  You can use the
shield to block enemy attacks, like an Octorok’s rocks.

Travel east to the Maku Tree Gate.  Show your courage (that is, use the
Wooden Sword) and the gate opens.  Pass north to the venerable Maku
Tree...  So, it’s a sleeping tree with a branch for a nose, eh?  Burst
its bubble with your blade and it awakens.  It hears the terrible news,
some of which we didn’t even know, and we learn that guarding the
oracle is the Maku Tree’s duty.  With the seasons in flux, the Maku
Tree has lost power.  He asks you to save Din in his stead.  There is
evil on the Northern Peak, the peak where the Temple of Seasons once
rested.  General Onox has cast a shadow on the Northern Peak, he’s sure
of it.  Onox is there, and he’s surrounded himself with a barrier.
Only one force in Holodrum can break that barrier, and that’s the
combined strength of the eight Essences of Nature.

The first essence lies within the giant root by the lake up north.
There will be resistance; Onox has made sure of it.  He gives you the
key to the lock there.  Pick it up – the Gnarled Key!  If we have any
hopes of rescuing Din and defeating Onox, we need to use the power of
the Essences of Nature.  And to do that, we must clear eight dungeons
that Onox has hidden them in.

                      +-------------------------+
                      |    To the Giant Root    |
                      +-------------------------+

Go south to Maku Tree Gate and then return to the first screen of Horon
Village (three west, one north).  Go north to enter the North Horon
region.  Go west of Impa and then north.  Cut down the bushes here and
go north once again.  Here, slash the bushes, traverse the bridge, and
use the Gnarled Key in the lock.  And so the dungeon rises.  If you
have ever played The Legend of Zelda, the original, you’d know that
this setup is very similar to that of the first dungeon in that game.
In fact, the bosses are eerily similar...  Enter the structure that
rose from the earth, Level 1.

                    +----------------------------+
                    |    Gnarled Root Dungeon    |
                    +----------------------------+

As you can see, this is a dungeon.  The ultimate goal of any dungeon in
a Zelda game is to collect the reward at the end (in this case, an
Essence of Nature).  The reward is always guarded by the dungeon boss
or guardian, and so we must reach it.  To do this, we have several
items at our disposal.  In every dungeon there are locks that we must
use Small Keys to open.  You’re already somewhat familiar with them
from Hero’s Cave; you collect them and then open doors with them.
There are also Dungeon Maps and Compasses.  Maps show the layout of the
dungeon.  Light blue rooms are one’s you’ve visited (the flashing one
is the one you’re in), and dark rooms are ones you haven’t.  To see the
map, press Select.  Compasses show the location of the boss and
treasure chests, which contain items.  It also makes a sound when you
enter rooms with Small Keys or the other dungeon item, Boss Keys.  Boss
Keys are used to open the Boss Door.  Furthermore, dungeons also have
mini-bosses, and beating these baddies makes a portal appear as a
shortcut to their arena.  Finally, there is always a special weapon or
item in a dungeon, the dungeon prize.  Now that we know what to expect,
let’s clear this root!

Go north a room to find a hub room.  Push the upper-right block to open
the doors here.  Go north to find the Old Man!  Yes, from The Legend of
Zelda, the original!  Talk to him for a hint, and then go south, then
east.  Here, you’ll find four new foes, all Stalfos.  Stalfos are
skeletal warriors, and this variety jumps around.  Slash them to defeat
them.  After all four are down, take the Small Key that drops.  Now go
west and use the Small Key on the locked door to the west.  It’s
another Stalfos room!  Beat them all and open the chest that forms for
the Dungeon Map.  As you can see, this dungeon is shaped like a bird,
maybe an eagle...

Go north from there to find a few red Zols.  This type leaves Gels
behind when defeated.  If you spin attack them, though, you’ll defeat
them all with no Gels to spoil your victory.  After taking care of them,
walk forward to a mine cart.  Hop in and you’ll come out in a new room.
Ignore it for now and take the steps to the north up, and then go east.
Here, walk to the switch, slash it to make it point left, and open the
chest to the right for the Compass.

Now return to the west and walk left of the mine cart.  There are two
new types of enemy here.  First, the boomerang-throwing creatures are
Moblins (they also come carrying other weapons).  Block their attacks
with your shield and then slash them twice to finish them.  Then you
have the sharp, motion-sensitive obstacles, otherwise known as Razor
Traps.  If you step forward, they are triggered.  They will close in on
you quickly to hit you, and then slowly retract to their original
position.  Push the block there to the left, trigger them, and pass
left through the door as they retract.

This is a simple puzzle.  Walk forward to the block mass.  Push the
second rightmost block down, the next one to the left over, the next
one down the narrow passage down, and the one left of where it was left.
Now climb the stairs to open a chest containing a... Gasha Seed!  Now
flip over the ledge to the right and exit this room to the east.  Pass
the Razor Traps by drawing them out and hop into the mine cart (this
works only if you hit the switch earlier).  You’ll ride it past a few
rooms to reach a new one.  As soon as you hop out, go west a room and
open the chest for ten Bombs!  Now we can blow up stuff!  That’s not
the dungeon prize, but it’s very good all the same.

Now double back to the east.  Take these steps up and go right to a set
of stairs.  Take them down to see a blade trap, the worst type of trap.
When triggered, it follows you down a narrow path relentlessly.
Trigger it until it’s in the block space to the lower-left, and then
make a run for it to the north.  Press the switch and open the chest
that appears to the north for a Small Key.  Return to the stairs and
take them up.  Then Go west a room.  See the cracked part of the wall
to the north?  Blow it up with a bomb (to do this, walk up to the wall,
pull out a bomb, drop it with the same button, and run to avoid being
hurt by your own explosion).

Now pass through your forced opening to reach a room full of Razor
Traps.  Trigger them and then run into an alcove or between blocks to
hide from them and avoid them.  After the first two traps, you’ll come
to a blade trap.  Trigger it and let it pass you in two movements.
Then run past it through the hallway of sorts.  Now continue down this
path until you reach the locked door.

                      --------------------------
                      Mini-Boss: Goriya Brothers
                      --------------------------

Even Goriyas make a return appearance in this old school dungeon.  Too
bad for them.  They make for easy bosses.  There’s a blue and red one,
and each throw boomerangs around to hurt you.  Walk up to them, slash
them silly, and they will explode.  When one goes, they both go, which
means you don’t have to spread out your attacks.  After they explode,
they leave behind two things.  First, take a Fairy.  It will restore
many of your hearts.  Then, notice the smoke that appeared.  It’s a
portal to take you to and from a previous room of the dungeon as a
shortcut.  Well, they were easy.  Head left through the door.

                      --------------------------

Walk forward immediately to avoid Razor Traps.  Walk around the bottom
set of Razor Traps and push the leftmost block up.  Take the stairs now
open to you to a 2-D screen!  Climb down the ladder to get onto the
ground.  Walk right from there, climb the ladder, and go left to pick
up the dungeon prize...  It’s the Seed Satchel!  This item carries
Mystical Seeds in it, up to five types.  It comes with 20 Ember Seeds
in it already.  Ember Seeds can be used to light torches, burn down
small trees, and set enemies afire (though that won’t be available to
you for a while).

Exit the 2-D screen, push a block to the lower-left down, and go east a
screen to the mini-boss room.  Use the portal to return to the mine
cart room with Zols from before.  Defeat the Zol attackers first and
then light the torches to the left using the Ember Seeds.  Destroy the
three boomerang-wielding Moblins in this room to make a chest form.
Open it for the Boss Key.  Most excellent.  With it in hand, travel
east, south, and east.

Push the upper-right block in here to open the doors.  This time, take
the one leading right.  Kill any Stalfos that get in the way and light
the two torches to the north.  Pass through the door that opens and
four ghastly hands rise from the floor.  These are Floor Masters,
monsters that can return you to the first room of the dungeon.  Slash
them three times to defeat them, all four, before going left to the
west wall.  Open the chest ahead of it for a Magical Ring.  We’ll
appraise it later.  For now, go east a room along the uppermost path.
There are four new Floor Masters to defeat.  Do so and then head around
the blocks, slashing bushes for recovery items, and go north through
the Boss Door...

                      +------------------------+
                      |    Boss: Aquamentus    |
                      +------------------------+

A gigantic dragon drops into the room.  It has a single horn on its
head, it breathes fire, and it is the boss of Gnarled Root Dungeon.
Aquamentus was also the first boss ever in The Legend of Zelda, the
game and the series itself.  While he is pretty strong, Aquamentus has
never been a hard boss.  It is weak at its horn; stand above it and
slash like there’s no tomorrow.  It will fire three fireballs, and one
will probably hit you (the Wooden Shield can’t block it; don’t even
bother).  But, if you came in with three hearts, it doesn’t matter.
Slash nonstop and move as Aquamentus moves.  It will die before you do.
With its horn gone, Aquamentus explodes.

In its place is a Heart Container.  Pick it up to add a heart to your
meter.  Now go east a room to the chamber containing the first Essence
of Nature, Fertile Soil.  “Seeds scattered across bountiful lands are
nourished in this Fertile Soil!”  You automatically exit the dungeon
when the Maku Tree contacts you.  He already feels stronger.  But, he’s
been having dreams lately.  The Temple of Seasons is not destroyed, but
it is in a strange place...  Inside the temple is a precious item we
will need to defeat Onox.  We’ll have to investigate that.

=======================================================================
===========================Snake’s Remains*============================
=======================================================================

                        +---------------------+
                        |    Horon Village    |
                        +---------------------+

Go east and stop.  Hear that music?  See that shadow?  This is a screen
that Maple runs into us at!  Maple is a young witch learning to fly;
bump into her.  All of your stuff goes flying all over the place.
She’s had a terrible day; she can’t find Lon Lon Eggs and now her stuff
is all over the place.  She’s just going to take it all!  Run around,
grabbing the stuff that flew out, until both of you have taken
everything.  Now, after she’s left, burn down the small trees to the
upper-left.  The left one reveals a staircase!  Take it down to find...
the Old Man!  Talk to him and he’ll give you 100 rupees!  Neat-o!  Exit
the staircase and go south, then east.  You can plant a Gasha Seed in
the soft soil here if you want.  Now go south to find Impa’s Refuge.
Nothing here, though.  Head south again to enter Horon Village.

We have a few things to do here before we continue our quest.  The
seasons change each time you enter the village, exampling again Onox’s
control over season flow.  Go west one screen of the Maku Tree Gate and
you’ll see a small tree blocking a heart object.  Burn the tree and
touch the heart.  It’s a Piece of Heart!  Collect four of these to add
a heart to your meter!  Go south to Vasu Jewelers now.  You can
appraise the ring we found to add the Discovery Ring to our collection.
It tells us when soft soil is in a screen.

If you go south and it’s winter, Ember Seeds will be growing on that
tree.  Slash them to stock up.  Now go east a screen.  Burn down the
small trees and take the stairs down to an Old Man.  He gives us
ANOTHER 100 rupees!  Surface and enter the house.  The man here is
named Dr. Left, and he can’t read because it’s too dim (and he wouldn’t
want to go outside, of course).  Light the torch for him with the Ember
Seeds and he rewards your good deed with a Cuccodex, a book all about
Cuccos!  Furthermore, you can blow up a weak part of the wall to the
right.  Do so and exit to the south.  If it’s winter (if not, exit and
reenter the village until it is), you can walk across the frozen water
to take 20 rupees from the chest.

Go to Mayor Ruul’s Residence.  He’s the guy who gave you a Gasha Seed.
First off, your Gasha Seed should have grown.  Slash it for a Gasha Nut,
which contains a somewhat random item.  Now enter the house and bomb
the wall right of Ruul.  Take the opening to find another Gasha Seed.
Plant it if you’d like, and then go to the Maku Tree Gate.  South of it
is a boy playing catch with his dog and a sleeping man.  Approach the
small trees and the sleeping man, who reveals himself as Sokra, wakes
up.  He’s a traveling prophet, and he sees that the four spirits of the
seasons are calling you from the Temple of Seasons hidden somewhere.
Cool...

                          +----------------+
                          |    Subrosia    |
                          +----------------+

Burn down the small saplings by him and travel east to the Eastern
Suburbs.  For now, let’s just go east and north twice.  Hmm, what’s
this?  A girl wearing a bow with a key runs by.  It’s terrible, she
says.  A “temple,” like, fell into Subrosia!  After asking what a
“temple” is, she blurts out that Subrosia is a secret place.  She must
return in secret!  With that, she dashes north, as she mustn’t be seen.

I don’t know about you, but I want to investigate this secret.  Go
north after her into the Woods of Winter.  Remember, she can’t know
we’re tailing her.  Walk up to the tree and stand on the side opposite
this girl until she eventually goes north.  Repeat this twice more and
she’ll go west (she’ll come back into the screen to check, though; be
careful).  Now we see her walk up to a shrub and disappear!  Slash down
these bushes to find... a portal?  Enter.

Welcome to the mysterious land of Subrosia, located in the Underworld.
One says that a “temple” fell into the East Plaza.  These two, as well
as the girl we saw, are Subrosians, the race that lives here.
Exploring the area will show us a few things.  First, the official
currency of Subrosia is the Ore Chunk, which can be dug for.  Second,
Subrosians love to dance, and winning at their Dance Hall earns you a
Boomerang.  Third, Subrosians rule!  From the first screen, go south
down the left ladder.  As the blue Subrosian here says, the volcanoes
here in this region (named “Subrosian Volcanoes”) have been acting up
lately due to a “temple” falling into Subrosia.

Head west of him to see the Subrosian Hot Springs.  You can’t enter, of
course, because it’s lava.  Go south from there to find Subrosia Dance
Hall.  Take the stairs down to it and talk to the Subrosian in red.
Good dancers get prizes, and they’re about to practice.  Care to join
them?  Do so and join the circle.  The dance here is a bit more
complicated than the one in Oracle of Ages with Gorons.  Here, dancing
is all about turning directions.  When you hear “doo,” turn right.
“Dah” calls for left, while “dee” requires you to pose with A.
Subrosians always dance in groups, and no Subrosian can touch.  You
have to keep up with the others to succeed here (Subrosians smiling is
weird).  The dancing is pretty fast-paced, and they kick you out if you
mess up.  You know the dance will end soon when the moves start to get
faster.

If you manage to pass through all the steps in the dance (always a
random number) without messing up, you are rewarded with the Boomerang.
You crushed the other Subrosians hopes.  As you can hear from them, one
wants to impress Rosa, whoever that is, they all want to win, they
review instructions, they tell you that the Subrosian Dance is the
traditional dance of Subrosia, and it’s a great workout.  Well, that’s
not really important right now.  The Boomerang is a handy item.  It can
stun enemies, retrieve distant items, and hit switches across gaps.  It
can be thrown diagonally, too, if you press both directions at once.

From the Subrosia Dance Hall, go north, east, north, and south to the
right.  Go south twice now to see a Subrosian that won the dance before
(that’s why there were only nine dancers).  Go west, cross the bridge,
and go west again to a Subrosian house.  Things sure are different
here...  Go east, south, and cross the bridge.  Go west to find the
Subrosian Smithy.  They have Shovels in excess, but we can’t take one
yet.  Return to where you saw the Subrosian with the boomerang and go
south, then east twice.  Take the steps down to what was East Plaza,
now the Temple of Seasons (it sunk in when Onox kidnapped Din,
remember?).

Go right a few screens to a bridge.  Walk across it to the north and
you’ll hear a voice... in green.  Then red!  And yellow!  And blue!
These are the... Season Spirits!  The seasons thought you might not
make it after Onox sank the Temple of Seasons, but they’re glad to see
you.  Continue north and you’ll reach a building.  Enter and the four
seasons combine to form the Rod of Seasons!  Now, if we gather the
Season Spirits, we can change the seasons ourselves!  We must bring the
rod to each spirit in the four corner towers.

Exit the temple and go to the southeast corner, the winter one.  Here,
you need to hit the Crystal Switch.  Lift a Bomb and throw it at the
switch to make a bridge form (alternately, use your newly acquired
Boomerang).  Cross it, take the stairs up to the highest room of the
tower, and you’ll find the Spirit of Winter.  A fairy appears, Ocarina
of Time-style, and tells you that Din is their dear friend.  To aid you
in her rescue, she gives you the power of the Spirit of Winter on the
Rod of Seasons!  Swing the rod atop a stump to turn the season to
winter.  In winter, water freezes and snow builds up.  Please, rescue
Din quickly.  The Rod of Seasons has been blessed with a wintry chill!

Exit the tower to hear from the Maku Tree.  He has dreamt of woods in
the east...  Maybe there’s an Essence of Nature there.  Exit Subrosia
through the path you entered by.

                     +---------------------------+
                     |    The Woods of Winter    |
                     +---------------------------+

Go east of the portal to see Sokra sleeping on a stump.  He sees that
you have the Rod of Seasons, and says that if the Rod of Seasons held
the power of the Season Spirits, you could change the seasons.  But it
only has the power of winter.  Stand atop a stump and swing the rod to
unleash the power of winter!  And since the Temple of Seasons has sunk
into Subrosia, there must be other entrances to the Subrosian land.  We
must find them.  With that, Sokra leaves.

Hop onto the stump and swing that rod!  It becomes winter, and the
enemies come out of the woodwork.  We want to get through here.  To do
this, start at the stump and go east, north (west of here is a Fairy
Fountain), north again, and east to a summery strip of the Woods of
Winter.  The tube of flesh here is a Like Like.  It will eat your
shield if you’re not careful; defeat it quickly along with the Moblin
archers.  Then bomb the wall to the north and enter the cave.  In the
upper-right corner is a chest containing 30 rupees.  After that, go
east to a stump.  Make everything cold and wintry and take the stairs
up here.  Then go right.  Walk across the pile of snow here and drop
through the chimney to Holly’s House.

Talk to Holly, who is stunned, and she figures out that you’re not
Santa.  Now take her Shovel and clear the snow in her walkway, jerk!
Exit the house and dig your way out of here.  Go south now.  See those
trees?  Do not talk to the Old Man who lives down there.  If you do,
he’ll force you to pay for his door.  Now go south, defeat the Moblins,
and continue south to see a Piece of Heart.  We can’t get it yet; head
west now.  Bring winter to the woods on this stump to clear the trees
to the left.  Now go west.  Head north up the right clearing to find
piles of snow.  Dig through them, avoid the Leevers (burrowing enemies)
here, and advance to the east.  Here you’ll find a tree bearing Mystery
Seeds.  Slash them to add them to your Seed Satchel.  Use them on Owl
statues to receive hints.

Now go north.  Climb the vines, hop onto the stump, and let it snow.
Enter the cave on the ground to find some bushes with recovery items in
them.  Now exit the cave, go west, and slash your way to the opening
here.  Welcome to Level 2.

                       +-----------------------+
                       |    Snake’s Remains    |
                       +-----------------------+

The initial room is dark.  Let us go left.  Trigger the Razor Traps and
quickly step back, then move ahead as they retract.  In this room, Zols
will attack you from the ground (of course, they still take one hit).
Go all the way to the left, open the chest for 5 rupees (huzzah!), and
go north a room.  Let me introduce you to snakes in Zelda games, Ropes.
They can move in any direction but diagonal, and they do so very
quickly when they see you.  Hold out your sword and let them charge
right into it.  When you’ve beaten all of them, a Small Key falls from
above.  Take it and double back to the first room.

Use Ember Seeds to light each torch to illuminate the darkness and open
the door.  Go north, of course, and you’ll find two torches, both of
which fire at you, and a few Zols hidden underfoot.  Take the east exit
out of here.  As you enter, a small gang of Ropes fall down to attack.
Slice ‘em up to give yourself some room to move, and follow that up by
push the mid-right block to the right.  Open the chest that forms for
the Compass.  As we can see from the chest locations, this dungeon is
either really long or just plain huge.

Go west out of here and then north.  Ah, the blocks form an arrow
pointing west.  Avoid or destroy the enemies here and go to the point
on the well wall the arrow points to.  Bomb the wall there, pass
through the opening, and go crazy collecting rupees!  When you’re done,
return to the room to the east and go east again.  A handful of Zols
and Ropes are your opposition here.  Kill them all.  Push the rightmost
block right once and the door to the right opens.  Pass through the
doorway.  Stay in the doorway!  A gigantic Razor Trap will pass by you.
Follow it around the blocks and to a chest containing a Small Key.

Retrace your steps to the room two screens to the west.  Use the Small
Key we recently acquired on the northern door and you’ll come to a room
with two Hardhat Beetles.  Use your sword (easier) or shield (harder)
to knock them into the pits, which also opens the door to the left.
Use it and you’ll reach a dead-end.  We must defeat the Moblins on the
other side of the pit, but we can’t very well jump over it, now can we?
Either step to the edge and wait for them to get to the edge, at which
time you can slash them, or throw a bomb at them and hope it explodes
by them.  Either way, they take one hit each.  A chest forms after
you’ve beaten them.  Open it for this dungeon’s prize... the Power
Bracelet!  Just hold the button you assign it to and pull back on the
D-Pad (the + on the GBC).  Now that we have it, return to the previous
room.  Open the chest (lift the pots) for the Dungeon Map.  Now go back
to the giant Razor Trap room.

First, get to the chest that had the Small Key in it.  Wait for the
gold Razor Trap to pass and go south.  Here, use the Power Bracelet to
push against the large rolling objects.  Go down and go to the lower-
right.  Push this block and take the stairs up and out of the dungeon
to a chest we couldn’t get earlier.  Open it for a Gasha Seed.  Now go
left to a staircase.  Use it to reenter Snake’s Remains.  Go north,
with a full stock of bombs (if you’re lacking, there’s a Business Scrub
in the southern room selling bombs), and quickly rush to the right.
This room is timed; keep that in mind.  Blow up the block here and rush
left.  Blow it up and then blast your way down to the lower-left corner.
From there, blow up blocks to penetrate the innermost circle and open
that chest!  It’s only a Small Key, but it wasn’t easy to get.

Return to the giant Razor Trap room, but this time go east.  Bomb the
blocks to the right and descend down the stairs into a 2-D screen.  Go
left to see a Thwomp, an old Mario enemy from Super Mario Bros. 3 (also,
note the presence of Keese).  Step near it to trigger its only attack –
falling down.  When it hits bottom, drop onto its top and walk across
it to go left a screen.  Here you’ll see Thwimps, enemies from Super
Mario World.  They’re just miniature Thwomps (get it?  Thwimps are
“wimps”).  Walk past them and take the ladder at the end up to a new
room.

Push the cylinder out and go right into the room.  There’s a chest
containing 5 rupees to the south, but we want to go east.  This room is
a bit trickier than the last.  You must push the cylinders over, but
there are holes in the floor to make it difficult.  Stand at the top of
the first cylinder, push it over, and run downward.  Now stand in the
middle of the next cylinder, push it over, and run up to some Keese.
Defeat them and follow the trail to a locked door.  Spend a Small Key
on it and go south.

                           -----------------
                           Mini-Boss: Facade
                           -----------------

Well, I’ll be darned.  This enemy, originally a boss from Link’s
Awakening (of Face Shrine, Level 6, in case you wanted to know), is
back as a mini-boss.  It’s learned a few new tricks, but it’ll still be
a breeze.  A giant face in the floor, Facade awakens when you walk on
its tiles.  Pull out a few Bombs and toss them onto Facade.  When they
explode, he will take damage (Facade does periodically disappear; time
it well).  If not, the mini-boss will rage on.  It has three attacks.
For one, it can summon Beetles, those tiny spider enemies sometimes dug
up with the Shovel.  It also has the ability to spit fireballs out and
drop them from the ceiling.  Just walk and hope to avoid them.  His
other attack creates holes in the floor as he tries to get you to fall.
Chances are, he’ll mix these attacks up so that you have a lot to deal
with at once.  Still, after five explosions in the face, Facade
explodes, leaving in its place a Fairy and a portal.

                           -----------------

Go east of the mini-boss room and walk through this part until you see
the door.  Take it.  Here, use a Small Key on the lock block and deploy
the Boomerang on the Sparks, the energy enemies here.  When hit, Sparks
release Fairies to heal you.  Now, go east and stand in the doorway.
Trigger the Razor Traps and then head right after defeating the Ropes.
Go south to a new room.  Ride the panels here to cross the pit and get
to the right.  Take the steps up and go north.  Now open the chest for
the Boss Key!  Yes, now we can fight the boss.  Jump off the ledge to
the left and head west two rooms.  See the pots below?

Lift them, bomb the wall, and head down a room.  Here, you must defeat
ghost enemies called Pols Voices.  While they are weak to music, you
don’t have any, which means you’ll have to toss a bomb into their pins
and hope they jump into it.  When you’ve defeated them all, head right.
Welcome to the dial room.  Walk through it, go south, and you’ll reach
a pit.  Cross it on these platforms, lift the pots for recovery items, </pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
and head east through the boss door.

                        +---------------------+
                        |    Boss: Dodongo    |
                        +---------------------+

Holy guacamole!  Yes, I said “holy guacamole!”  Now, to the matter at
hand.  Dodongo usually comes as a boss among other Dodongos, but this
guy’s an exception.  The fight is simple enough.  Dodongo has two
attacks.  First, it will stomp its feet and charge you (easy to avoid).
Second, it can open its mouth for a while and then breathe fire.  As
anyone who’s ever played The Legend of Zelda or other titles would know,
Dodongo has an invulnerable exterior, but its insides aren’t rock-hard.
When it opens its mouth to breathe fire down your neck, chuck a bomb
down its throat.  Its belly expands.  That’s your cue to pick it up
with the Power Bracelet and toss it into the spike bed in the room.  Be
careful, though, as it will charge you as soon as it takes damage.
After four run-ins with the spikes, it will explode.

Take the Heart Container and exit to the south.  Here, take an Essence
of Nature (a nod to Oracle of Ages), Gift of Time.  “Seeds sprout as
seasons change with the Gift of Time!”  And as always, the Maku Tree
has something to say now.  Something is afoot to the west in Spool
Swamp, he says.

=======================================================================
==========================Poison Moth’s Lair*==========================
=======================================================================

                  +--------------------------------+
                  |    The Power Bracelet & You    |
                  +--------------------------------+

A few side quests are now open to us.  First, go south of Holly’s House
three times.  Walk across the ice/shallow water to reach the south row.
Walk right, lift the rock, and take the Piece of Heart.  Now exit the
Woods of Winter to go to the Eastern Suburbs.  Go to the southeastern
corner and use the stump to bring winter to the suburbs.  Head north
now, take the stairs, and walk across the snow to go west.  Now head
south and enter the cave to find another Piece of Heart.

Enter Horon Village and exit and reenter it until its fall.  Go west of
Vasu Jewelers to the shop, and then go south.  Note that Bipin &
Blossom have a new event; their son is ill, and they need money.  See
the “Bipin & Blossom” section for all the details you’d ever need on
answering their questions.  Now go west a screen.  In autumn only, you
can lift mushrooms (that’s when they’re ripe).  Pick them and open the
chest for 20 rupees.  Now, that’s about it for side quests.

                         +-------------------+
                         |    Spool Swamp    |
                         +-------------------+

NOTE: If you do not want to get Ricky as your animal partner, feel free
to get the Flute in a different manner.  You can also get an aquatic
Dodongo named Dimitri and a flying bear named Moosh.  To get Moosh, buy
the Flute in the shop in Horon Village.  To get Dimitri, win his Flute
at the Subrosia Dance Hall.  Dimitri can eat enemies and swim through
water.  Moosh can pound the ground with his weight and fly fairly long
distances.  Ricky is a kangaroo with a high jump and a mean punch.
Your pick, but I assume you get Ricky, the default character, for the
purposes of this guide.  It doesn’t change that much.

Spool though it may be, the swamp is where something – or someone – is
afoot.  Go east of Gnarled Root Dungeon, where you first met Maple, and
lift the rocks to go north.  This is North Horon if I’ve ever seen it.
The enemies here are Peahats.  Wait for them to stop moving and then
slash them twice to finish them.  Now go north to find new enemies
called Buzz Blobs.  You can’t slash them or you’ll be electrocuted.
But, you can Boomerang them and then bomb/Ember Seed them, or use a
Mystery Seed on them.  Now go north to find a new tree bearing Scent
Seeds!  With these, you can attract enemies.  Cool...  Head east and go
south.  Hmm, this seems to a gym.  Enter and talk to Blaino, who was
actually a mini-boss in Link’s Awakening (Level 8, Turtle Rock).

He’s the legendary champ, Blaino.  If you pay 10 rupees, you and him
can fight, no items, no rings, just good old fashioned fists.  Pay him
and let the match begins.  It’s quite easy.  Walk up to him and press B
or A like crazy until he’s knocked out of the ring.  You may have to
wait for Blaino to start his wind-up to get a good chance to jab him
out of the ring.  When you win, he gives you, da new champ, Ricky’s
Gloves.  You can continue fighting to win rupees, but we’re moving on
in this guide.

Go north of Blaino’s Gym, head west to the Scent Seed tree, and then go
south.  Let’s go west this time.  Go north now and follow the path west.
After passing over the bridge, go west again and take a north after
that.  It’s Ricky, the boxing kangaroo!  Spool Swamp is his background,
he says, but he can’t go anywhere without his gloves.  Some guy named
Blaino took them when he lost to him in a boxing match.  When he sees
you have them, he asks for them back.  If you beat Blaino, you must be
tough.  What’s your name, champ?  After learning it, he introduces
himself as Ricky.  Ricky gives you his Flute, which you can use to call
him to your aid.

But for now, we’re headed for Spool Swamp.  Note that if you got Moosh
or Dimitri as alternate animal partners, this one section will be
slightly different.  With Ricky, head south and approach the gap to
jump over it (Ricky can also punch through enemies with A).  Continue
south until you see three saplings.  Don’t burn them, though (the old
man here mugs you for door payments).  Instead, go west and then north
to a cliff.  Approach it and Ricky can jump right to the top.  Go north
and then west to find a new type of tree.  Dismount from Ricky (B) and
slash it for Pegasus Seeds.  They’ll increase your speed temporarily.
Now take Ricky with you to the south, head west, and go north twice,
then east.

Enter the house, home of the Floodgate Keeper.  If we want to enter the
swamp, we’ll have to unlock the Floodgate.  Hit the switch to the right
to drain the water and reveal the Floodgate Key.  Take it and exit the
house.  Outside is a staircase.  Take it down and press the switch.
The bridge to the left disappears quickly.  Use a Pegasus Seed to run
over before it vanishes and go west a screen.  Push the block here up,
push the next one down, lift the rock, push the lower-left block over,
the next one up, and take the staircase up.  Follow this path around
the water, avoiding Zols and lifting rocks, to reach the next staircase.
Take it up, walk past the bushes (two of which are disguised enemies),
and you’ll surface in Spool Swamp.

Go south and then east.  Just as Sokra predicted, it’s time that we
need a new power of the seasons, and a new doorway to the Subrosian
land.  Go west and south to meet a Business Scrub.  It says that a
vortex is the south.  Go east and use the Floodgate Key on the lock to
let the water pass to the south.  Now go west and north until you can
jump off a ledge into the water.  The dungeon is to the north, but it’s
too high up for us.  Instead, travel south down the riverbed and you’ll
reach two new enemies – Water Tektites and a Goponga Flower.  Defeat
both with slashes and stop.  Summon Ricky to you with Ricky’s Flute and
hop to the cliff.  Jump to the top and go west, south, onto the cliff
top, and then follow the path south.  Wind up Ricky’s punch (hold A)
and unleash a tornado to the south to destroy the bushes.  Now jump
across the pits and go south.  Turn at the bend and go north.  Lift the
rock and enter the portal.

                     +---------------------------+
                     |    The Power of Summer    |
                     +---------------------------+

Go north to avoid the volcano.  I should explain Subrosia’s monetary
system.  Blue ore chunks are the base unit.  Red are worth ten and then
there are rarer colors.  Dig for them.  For now, let’s explore a bit.
Go west twice to reach the Subrosia Market.  You can trade items here
for his products.  First, purchase the “Rare Peach Stone” for 20 Ore
Chunks (easy money, just dig) and 10 Ember Seeds.  It’s a Piece of
Heart.  We want the Ribbon, but we can’t get it yet.  Exit, go south,
and head east.  Two Subrosians here say that Rosa, the famous pop star,
has a key that can open any lock in Subrosia.  Wait a minute!  Didn’t
that Subrosian we followed to Subrosia have a key?  And didn’t she have
that same Ribbon in the market?  Ah well.

Go south to Subrosian Seaside (their sea is of magma).  All the
Subrosians here want to date Rosa, but they can’t interest her.  In the
southeast corner of the seaside is a Subrosian with yellow clothes
named Rosa... with a key!  She lost her Ribbon, and she can’t go out
like this.  It floated out to sea while she was exploring the “temple.”
Hmm...  As one Subrosian said, digging in these sands can uncover a
Star-Shaped Ore.  Just keep digging until you find it.  Return to
Subrosia Market and trade the Star-Shaped Ore for the Ribbon.  Take it
back to Rosa.  Since you’re so nice, she’s decided to date you.  She
wants to go to the “temple.”

Rosa can unlock doors for us.  First, return to Subrosia Market.  Trade
10 Bombs and 50 Ore Chunks for a Bomb Bag Upgrade.  We can now carry 30
bombs!  Now go north of the market and unlock the door.  Walk through
the passage and use Rosa’s Key again on the next door.  From here, it
should be quite easy to reach East Plaza where the Temple of Seasons is.
Walk around, show Rosa the sites, but be sure to take her with you to
the northwest corner tower.  Open it with Rosa’s Key and enter.  Just
lift rocks to reach a staircase.  Take it up and go south to another
staircase.  Now go north to the Spirit of Summer.

After calling you the Hyrulean hero, you receive the power of summer.
It’s a blessing to the Rod of Seasons, the summer day!  Now we can call
forth summer!  The date will have to end, though.  Return to your
portal and take it back to Spool Swamp.

                        +--------------------+
                        |    Up the Vines    |
                        +--------------------+

Go south, to the left, and north.  Cast a tornado through the shrubs
and hop across the pits to go north as far as you can, then east.  Now
head north a few times until you can go west.  Dismount from Ricky, use
the Rod of Seasons to call summer forth (to do this, use the rod twice
in a row).  Now go north and climb the vines to enter Level 3...

                     +--------------------------+
                     |    Poison Moth’s Lair    |
                     +--------------------------+

Walk north a room and pull out that shield.  The enemies over yonder
are called Spiked Beetles.  They will charge you; hold out your Wooden
Shield.  They’ll crash into it, flip over, and expose their vulnerable
underbelly.  Give it a good thrashing and you’ve won.  Now let’s go
north through the door that opened.  We see a set of new foes, Mini-
Moldorms.  Because I am lazy, and since there is no large Moldorm in
this game, I’ll just refer to them as “Moldorms” throughout the guide.
As of right now, they take four hits.  They move rather unpredictably,
which is their only advantage (aside from an exoskeleton).  After
defeating them, head east.

We’ve got two more Spiked Beetles to contend with.  Raise your shield,
let them crash into it, and finish the job.  After that, advance one
room east.  This room is pointless for us right now, but we’ll return.
Head east again to a room full of Floor Masters.  Wait for them to rise
and then slash them in a furious frenzy.  Now, lift the pots around
these blocks until you reach a switch.  It must be kept down to keep
the door open.  Lift the upper pot to the right and, without lifting it,
push the lower pot left three times, down once, left once, down once,
and left three times more.  It’s now keeping the door open; use it to
exit south.

Ah, what a room.  There are two new types of enemy here.  First,
there’s that Bubble ricocheting about the room.  Yes, I know it’s name
is Bubble, but I will classify it as a Whisp for the purposes of the
guide (it stands out more, and very similar enemies have the same name).
The other type is the Arm-Mimic.  If you go left, it goes right.  It
just moves opposite you.  Now, notice the staircase here.  For now, go
west, then south.  Push around these cylinders to reach a chest
containing a Small Key.  Now return to the room with the Arm-Mimics.

Ascend the stairs to meet two Pols Voices.  Let us teach them a
lesson... in music!  Play Ricky’s Flute and they instantly die (very
sensitive ears, don’t you know?).  Now push the uppermost block up and
go north.  Defeat two Moldorms, open the chest that forms for Bombs,
and blow up the wall to the north.

Enter this new room and open the chest for the Dungeon Map.  As you can
see, there are two floors to this dungeon.  The lower one, the one you
entered by, is shaped like a moth.  Now go south twice and push the
block next to the elevated one down.  Rather than take the stairs down,
though, push the third block up over and the second block up down.
Head west.  Here, we must make the northern statues match the southern.
Push the rightmost one down and the left two gray statues down into
their slots.  Now push the middle upper-right red statue down and the
leftmost red statue left once.  Then push the lower-left red statue
right, the remaining red statue right twice and down once, and the gray
statue left twice and down once.  This opens the door to the west.  Use
it.

Walk left through this “hallway” and go left again past a few Moldorms.
Now head north to a Hardhat Beetle.  Slash it back and take the
staircase to the upper-right.  Open the chest to the left for 30 rupees
and then go take the stairs you came by back up.  This time, use your
Small Key on the locked door.  In this room, you must defeat a few Arm-
Mimics on conveyor belts with a Razor Trap on speed rotating about the
central point.  Use a Pegasus Seed and run in to the center of the room,
hopefully unscathed.  Move so that the Arm-Mimics are as close to you
as possible and then slash them.  When all are defeated, open the chest
that forms for this dungeon’s prize... Roc’s Feather!

With it, we can now jump one space.  It’s extremely useful.  If you use
a Pegasus Seed before jumping, you can jump two spaces!  Now, exit
south, jumping clear over the Razor Trap, and jump left onto the
rotating green platform.  Jump into the far-left hole at the end to
fall to a 2-D screen in B1F (basement floor). Defeat the Keese and jump
across the top of these platforms to reach a new screen.  Here, jump
from moving platform to ladder to moving platform to ladder.  Now climb
right and take this ladder to a new room.  Here, jump onto the blue
square.  It’s a trampoline!  You’ll bounce through an opening above and
to a chest.  Open it for the Compass.  Now fall back down to the lower
floor.

Return to the first room of the dungeon.  Go north twice, east twice,
and jump onto the platform.  Ride it to a stairwell; take it down.
Here, drop onto the Thwomp.  When it’s at its peak, jump right across
the platforms to another Thwomp.  Jump right off of it to enter a new
screen.  Jump to the ladder and take it up to an interesting room.
Push the trampoline left thrice (three times), down twice, right seven
times, up twice, and onto the yellow tile.  Bounce off the trampoline
and you’ll reach a room with a treasure chest in it.  Open it for a
Small Key.

From the first room, go north twice, east three times, south once, and
west once.  Here, pressing a switch makes the floor collapse.  Just
jump over the switch and stroll on down to the locked door.  Before
using it, though, take the stairs here up to a conveyor belt path.
Jump along it to the right, hopefully over the Razor Trap, and follow
the path to a chest containing a Gasha Seed.  Now follow the path back
to the locked door.  Use the Small Key there to meet the...

                         ---------------------
                         Mini-Boss: Calamareye
                         ---------------------

Ha!  What a pun!  Am I right?  In any case, this mini-boss is actually
three separate enemies.  The Calamareye appear from the water, shoot a
fireball at you, and then submerge.  You need to lift them with the
Power Bracelet, carry them to a corner (so that they have limited
escape routes), and go buck wild on them.  You must defeat all three in
this manner (the fight gets progressively easier because you reduce the
number of fireballs hitting you each time).  When the third is defeated,
take the Fairy that results from its explosion and use the staircase
that formed in the lower-right corner.

                         ---------------------

Now we’re in a good position.  Walk west until you reach a dead-end.
Flip over the “bridge” here and walk north to see a large pit.  Fall in
to a room with a big Razor Trap in it.  Here, run down (Pegasus Seed
recommended) and then right into a little alcove, safe from the trap.
When it passes you, walk up to the blocks and push them into the pit
here.  Jump over the pit now and open the chest for the Boss Key.  Now,
return to the first room, warp to the mini-boss room, and use the
stairs.  Go left a screen to a room with two Moldorms, jump over the
bridge, and go right to the Boss Door (killing any Peahats along the
way).  Use the pots to the right to heal, brace yourself, and go
through that door.

                        +---------------------+
                        |    Boss: Mothula    |
                        +---------------------+

This boss returns from A Link to the Past, and it’s no pushover.
Unlike Aquamentus and Dodongo, this boss requires some strategy.  The
battle starts fast-paced.  Mothula releases four moths at you and then
begins spinning around the room wildly.  Jump into the center of the
room as it spins in this way, defeat the moths that come your way (take
the hearts they leave), and jump over fireballs.  Eventually, Mothula
comes to the center by you.  Show no mercy.  Hack at it until the cycle
begins again.  While you might take heavy damage in the room’s
perimeter, the center is safe, and you should get many hits in on
Mothula.  If you fall, you’ll reach a trampoline in a previous room
that you can move around to reenter the boss chamber.  After many
rounds, Mothula explodes and leaves a Heart Container behind.

Take it and use the stairs to go down a room.  Go north into the room
holding the third Essence of Nature, Bright Sun.  “Young shoots grow
quickly under the warm rays of the Bright Sun!”  You appear outside the
dungeon and the Maku Tree contacts you.  He has dreamt of a waterfall
north of Sunken City.  The next essence must be there.

=======================================================================
========================Dancing Dragon Dungeon*========================
=======================================================================

                     +---------------------------+
                     |    Spool Swamp Secrets    |
                     +---------------------------+

Exit the dungeon and make it winter on the stump to the south.  Using
Ricky, go one screen south of the second entrance to Subrosia.  Head
east and dismount.  Here, there are enemies called Pincers in the holes.
When you see eyes, back up and hold your sword out so that they lunge
in your blade.  Three hits will kill them.  Defeat the two here and hop
east again.  Defeat another Pincer in this screen.  Now dig your way to
the weak wall to the upper-right and bomb it.  In the cave, open the
chest for the Square Jewel.  What does it do?

Return to Level 3’s entrance and go south.  Change the season to summer
and then go northeast.  Take the stairs up and go south twice and east
once.  Fight off these Tektites, jumping monsters that can be defeated
with two slashes, and climb the vine to a sign.  It’s from Vasu.  Since
you’re his best customer, he gives you a gift.  Dig before the sign to
get a ring.

Also, while we’re on the subject, there’s a cool secret in Holodrum
Plain, too.  North once and west twice of Blaino’s Gym is a screen with
two small saplings in it.  If you go south of it and jump up the cliff
with Ricky, you can reach the saplings and burn one down to reveal a
staircase that leads to a very generous Old Man.

                       +----------------------+
                       |    To Sunken City    |
                       +----------------------+

NOTE: This section will be much different if you got Moosh or Dimitri
as animal partners.  For Moosh, it is full of holes.  For Dimitri, it’s
full of water.  But, since the default character in Oracle of Seasons
is Ricky, I am covering the guide to Natzu Prairie with him.

Go to the screen I described above with the Old Man.  It is north one
screen and west twice of Blaino’s Gym.  Once there, use Roc’s Feather
to jump between the posts in the upper-right corner and go north.  Hit
the switch to form a bridge to the west.  Now, go east and heal up at a
Fairy Fountain.  Then go west twice to cross the bridge.  Call Ricky
from here and go east back to the bridge.  Go north on the steps, and
let’s get through this Natzu Prairie!

North of the bridge, jump onto the cliff top.  Go east a few screens,
punching your way through plants and enemies, until you must go south.
Do so and hop off the ledge.  Go south, use Ricky’s tornado punch to
clear the shrubbery, and hop across the pits to go south.  Jump onto
the ledge here, go north, east, north, (to the right) south, and south
again.  Hop off the ledge and go west to a cave.  Dismount from Ricky
and enter.  Talk to a Deku Scrub here, tell him the song he likes is
good, and he’ll fill your Seed Satchel.  Cool!  Now exit the cave, get
back in Ricky’s pouch, and hop east.  Go north now three times, travel
east until you must go south, and then turn southward.

Here, the Great Moblin has set up a toll.  Either pay him rupees or get
blown to smithereens.  Ignore him and hop east into Sunken City.  Ricky
says that it smells like medicine and leaves (he can’t stand it).  Well,
we’re free to explore now.

                         +-------------------+
                         |    Sunken City    |
                         +-------------------+

The city’s been flooded.  We can’t swim, but we can jump.  Bound over
the watery gap to the right and go south in the narrow water.  Now head
east along the bottom path, following the narrow water until you find a
tree.  It bears a new type of seed, Gale Seeds.  With these, you can
warp to any Mystical Tree you’ve seen!  Finally, a warp system is in
place.  Head back to the entrance of Sunken City.  Along the way, a
group of boys find a weird thing.  They determine that it’s a monster
come to attack the city.  They must defend the city!  Talk to the
middle boy and he’ll explain that they need to fight the monster, but
they’re helpless.  Give him some Bombs and they go out on patrol.

Talk to the creature to learn that it is named Dimitri.  It can swim
like a fish – even up waterfalls – and will help you since you helped
it.  Dimitri was one of the options for an animal partner.  Press A to
chomp, and the D-Pad is used to swim in water.  You can also lift
Dimitri and throw him around holes with the Power Bracelet.  Get into
the water to the right and swim north twice, then east.  Approach the
waterfall and Dimitri can swim up it.  Do so to reach a new screen.

Swim up the right waterfall to find the place Master Diver has gone off
to.  Talk to him and he’ll tell you to prove yourself.  Swim left, open
the chest for 50 rupees, and then exit this cave.  Enter the left
waterfall cave and get onto dry land inside.  Dismount from Dimitri and
cross the bridge.  Push these statues into a square and charge up a
spin attack.  Let it hit all four eye statues at once, causing a
staircase to form to the right.  Jump to it and open the chest for the
Master’s Plaque.  That’s proof, right?  Return to Master Diver and give
him his plaque.  Since you’ve passed the test, he accepts you as his
pupil.  And as his pupil, you receive Zora’s Flippers!  Now you can
swim, too!

He also teaches you his secret diving route to Mt. Cucco.  There’s a
diving hole among the reefs in town.  Use the flippers to reach it.  As
far as swimming goes, press B to submerge and A to swim quickly.  Now
exit the cave (we no longer need Dimitri, unless he’s your animal
partner).  Swim east of where we met our swimming friend and dive down
in the patch of water here.  You’ll fall to a cavern.  Swim down the
waterfall, open a chest to the left for a Gasha Seed, and exit the cave.
We’re back in Woods of Winter!  Use a Gale Seed to return to Sunken
City.

Swim north of the Mystical Tree and climb the left vine.  Swim across
the water and open the chest to find another Gasha Seed.  Now, exit
this cave and climb the other set of vines to go north again.  A girl
in this house says that summer hit Mt. Cucco and the snow there melted,
thus flooding the city.  Let’s swim west to a stump.  Change the season
from summer to winter and swim south twice.  Snow has piled up here,
which lets us reach the Great Witch Syrup’s hut.  She sent Maple to
find some Mushrooms, but she hasn’t returned.  Without them, Syrup
can’t make Magic Potions!  So that’s why Ricky smelled medicine.

We’ve done just about everything there is to do in Sunken City, and so
we’re leaving.  Go north a screen from the entrance to the city (Ingo’s
House).  First, turn it to summer.  Then return west and dive down in
the space between the snow piles to reach a 2-D screen.  Swim around
the water, defeating Cheep-Cheeps with slashes as you go, and you’ll
emerge in Mt. Cucco.

            +--------------------------------------------+
            |    Exploring Mt. Cucco & Goron Mountain    |
            +--------------------------------------------+

Travel north and west to find a Deku Scrub.  If you deflect its seeds
back at it with your Wooden Shield, you can beat it (it gives hints).
Go west two times in a row to enter Goron Mountain.  Shovel the snow
piles and go west.  Bomb the weak wall here and enter.  Walk around
here and take the stairs up.  Go east, take the ladder up, and go west.
Enter the cave and go forward to another staircase.  Here, go east.
Prepare to face very tough enemies.  They are called Lynels, and they
are tough.  Boomerang them and slash as much as you can.  They are
extremely strong; defeat them quickly and move west.  Jump off this
ledge to reach a cave.  Enter and talk to the red Goron here.  He’ll
give you a L-2 Ring Box, capable of carrying three rings at once!
Thanks, random Goron!

Hop off the ledge and go west.  Lift the rocks, burn the saplings, and
take the stairs down to an Old Man willing to give you a financial lift.
Thank him and exit.  Use the stairs to enter Goron Mountain, home of
Holodrum’s Goron population.

Take the stairwell to the right down and swim south to exit the cave.
Go right two screens and lift the rocks to reveal soft soil.  Now
return to the Goron Mountain inner workings and use the stairs here to
go up a level.  Jump across the lava and exit to the south.  To the
north is Biggoron, a Goron so large that he can’t fit in the cave.
He’s the only character in the game to appear on the map.  He’s got a
cold since he can’t stay warm inside and a severe winter has set in.
After you’re done gawking at him, return to the first floor, take the
stairs down, and exit Goron Mountain from here.  Go west and south.
We’re in Natzu Prairie.

Swim east until you come to a series of steps leading north.  Take them
up and head west a few screens to a staircase.  Take it down to a
tunnel.  Jump across the tiles here to reach a chest containing 50
rupees.  Exit Natzu Prairie the way you came.

Now that we’ve thoroughly explored the area, return to Mt. Cucco.
Continue east until you see a big, blue bear named Moosh.  Talk to it.
He wants a Spring Banana, but it won’t come until spring.  Ah, it looks
like we need to return to Subrosia, home of the brave.  Go north and
west to find a large slight of stairs.  Take them up to the top and
fall off the right ledge to enter the portal.

Note: In case you were wondering what that cave was for, it is a Fairy
Fountain.  In winter, a buildup of snow lets you enter it.  If you’re
low on health, you know where to go.

                    +----------------------------+
                    |    Subrosian Adventures    |
                    +----------------------------+

As soon as you jump off the initial platform, two Subrosians run by you,
knocking your Roc’s Feather at of your hands.  They decide to trade you
Fool’s Ore for it.  Now you got Fool’s Ore in exchange for Roc’s
Feather!  And to make matters worse, there’s a staircase to the east
that leads to the “temple” that we need the feather to reach!  Oh,
those pack rats are in for it!

Go west and enter the house, the home of those weirdos.  They start
running off to bury their treasure.  Follow them west and exit the
house to the south.  Like we did with Rosa earlier, we must avoid their
line of sight (they cannot see diagonally, but they can see all the way
across the screen otherwise).  Follow them south twice, hiding behind
trees the entire time.  Then let them go west along Treasure Grove, a
stretch of Subrosian Seaside.  Hide behind rocks and go north into the
forest part of Treasure Grove.  Go north after them and then south when
they turn around.  They bury Roc’s Feather in the red square; dig there
and retrieve it.  It says to return the Fool’s Ore, but we can’t very
well do that...  You can enter their house any time you want to repeat
the treasure game, but with different prizes.

Return to the entrance of their house and go south.  Jump over the lava
and go south.  It’s a skull pirate!  Just to make a shortcut for
ourselves, enter the House of Pirates, climb to the top, and take the
portal.  We’re in Horon Village.  Hit the switch to form a bridge, a
shortcut to Subrosia, and then return to Subrosia.  Jump off the ledge
and go right.  Yep, there’s a Subrosia Cemetery, and half the pirates’
ship is sunk here.  Ah, but let’s not be concerned with their troubles
yet.  That’s a later dungeon.

Return to the screen we entered Subrosia from Mt. Cucco in and go east.
Jump to the stairwell to the lower-right and you’ll come to a 2-D
screen.  Jump across these platforms hovering over lava and take a
ladder up and out of here, right into the Temple of Seasons (before you
exit, note that you can take a ladder down to find a Gasha Seed).
Enter the southwest corner tower.

Jump across the platforms and take the stairs up.  Now walk south, take
another flight up, and approach the statue.  It’s the Spirit of Spring!
Spring is a season of discovery.  Flowers bloom, and plants grow.  She
blesses the Rod of Seasons with a spring dew.  Now we have three of the
four seasons!  Return to Mt. Cucco.

                       +----------------------+
                       |    The Dragon Key    |
                       +----------------------+

Hop down to the stump and call forth spring.  Head north of Moosh to
meet the Flying Cucco (clearly based off of the Flying Rooster from
Link’s Awakening).  Lift it with the Power Bracelet and then press B as
quickly as possible to rise in elevation.  If done correctly, you’ll
reach the top of the cliff here.  From it, go north.  Enter the cave
and jump across the platforms to reach the north wall; jump left from
there and take the stairs up.  Slash the palm tree, which looks just
like those from Link’s Awakening on Toronbo Shores (the beach), to gain
the Spring Banana.  Now go south and enter that cave.  Jump onto the
quick platform, jump right as it is rising to press a switch, board the
platform again, and take the ring that falls.  Now exit the cave and
talk to Moosh.

He gulps it quickly and promises to help you.  He was a possible animal
partner, but he isn’t that great.  Press and hold A to use a ground
pound attack, or press A repeatedly to fly.  Moosh *can* fly the length
of the screen, but it’s all a matter of pressing A with godly speed.
And Moosh’s attack is so slow that it almost never works.  In any case,
travel west five times to Goron Mountain.  Go north and Moosh reminds
you that he can float.  Tap A to get around these holes and you’ll
reach the Dragon Key!  With it, you can unlock that keyhole on the
summit.  For now, let’s take Moosh out of this screen, to the south.

We no longer need Moosh, so feel free to abandon the little fellow.
From where you met Moosh, head west four times in the springtime.
There should be a Deku Flower (that might not be the official name, but
a very similar flower was featured in Majora’s Mask called that) there,
only bloomed.  Step in and be shot upward.  Head north, east all the
way to a stump.  Jump on and then jump off the south to land by a Piece
of Heart.  Return to the stump and make it chilly outside with a change
to winter.  Now head west to see a large mound of snow.  Use the stairs
to reach it and walk across the snow into a cave.

The nearby bush is a fake.  Slash it and jump over the pit to go west a
screen.  After defeating two Zols, lift a rock and jump left a screen
to a new one.  Just to left past the pit to a narrow hole; jump over it
and then jump north to a staircase.  Use it and head south to a new
staircase.  We’re at the summit!  Go right to reacquaint yourself with
the Flying Cucco.  Hold right on the D-Pad and press B rapidly to cross
the gap.  Use the Dragon Key in the keyhole and the waterfall drains,
revealing Level 4.  Go left a screen, drop over the ledge, and go right.
Make it summertime and climb the vines and prepare to dance the dungeon
away.

                   +------------------------------+
                   |    Dancing Dragon Dungeon    |
                   +------------------------------+

Of all the dungeons in Zelda games, I think that this one takes the
cake for most original and weird name.  Now, Jabu-Jabu’s Belly has
never failed to be a weird concept, but a dungeon based off a dancing
dragon is far stranger than a dungeon inside a fish...  On second
thought, Jabu-Jabu’s Belly remains the champion.

Go north a room and you’ll meet a new variation of an old enemy.  Often
called “Shrouded Stalfos,” there are two hooded Stalfos here that shoot
arrows/throw spears (you can’t really tell).  But, they can’t jump,
making them easy, Moblin-like prey.  To the right, push either middle
row block down to reach the chest, which contains but a mere 10 Bombs.
Normally, bombs as treasure usually sends the message that a wall can
be blown up, but nothing is fragile here; just jump into the mine cart.
Hit a switch on your way across the tracks.

You’ll end up in a room chockfull of enemies.  Take them all out and
bomb the obviously cracked wall to the upper-right.  Welcome to an
interesting room, though not that puzzling.  Lift the middle right
block and push the one above it up twice and left once; the one below
it down twice and left once.  Now lift what was the middle block.  You
can now easily push the rest of the blocks onto switches.  Stand on the
last switch yourself and a Small Key falls down to you.  Take it and
double back to the west.

Take the mine cart for a spin.  If you didn’t throw your switch on your
way up, then now’s the best time to do so.  You’ll be taken down an
alternate route to another watery room of this waterfall dungeon.  This
room has a “puzzle” to open the door to the north.  Swim by the Water
Tektites, thrashing any Zols that get in your way, and push the statue
to the upper-left over and up to a switch (or up and over).  The door
opens; go north.  Take out a few Water Tektites and the door opens.
But, we have no intentions of turning back so early.  Push the
uppermost block left, the one two below it left, and the now rightmost
block up or down.  Descend the stairwell to reach the basement level.

Let me introduce you to a new, annoying enemy.  These classic foes are
known as Wizzrobes, and they teleport around the room to cast spells at
you.  Wait for one to appear and slash it before it casts its spell (it
will still cast it, but at least you can hit it).  Alternately, blow
them up with Bombs.  Now follow the path, defeating both Wizzrobes in
the room as well as the usual Keese clusters and go south through the
west exit.  Go down past a staircase and go right (wait for a Whisp to
pass you by before taking the narrow route).  At the end, go east to a
treasure chest.  Defeat the Zols by it and open aforementioned chest
for the Dungeon Map.  Three floors!  And not only that, but the B1F is
arranged like a dragon doing a funky dance!

Return to the room to the west and use the staircase you passed up
earlier.  This is a 2-D screen.  Jump across the platforms, sword ready
to hit Keese, and you’ll come to an interesting segment.  The blocks
here disappear and reappear.  Jump to the first block, wait for a new
one ahead of you (or behind you but above in elevation) to appear.
Just continue jumping to new blocks to reach the ladder.  Climb it to
reach a dark room.  You can use an Ember Seed on the torch, but you can
still see the floor easily if you’re playing in good light (or on a GBA
SP).  Jump across the platforms to open a chest holding a Small Key.
And then there were two.  Now return to the first room of the dungeon.

Use a Small Key on the door to the east.  Welcome to a room lined with
spikes.  Jump across them, taking care to avoid Whisps while you’re at
it, and you’ll come to the east wall.  Bomb the cracked part and use
the opening.  Here, defeat any Stalfos (the jumping kind) and Keese
that you dislike and push the block to the right over.  This makes a
chest with the Compass form.  Though we’ve opened only a few so far,
only three chests remain.  Double back to the west and head north.

Water prevails as the theme of this dungeon.  Get into the water and
dive (B) to avoid the rolling cylinder with spikes (of doom).  Lift the
pots to find recovery items and then get back in the water.  This time,
head north.  I hope you don’t lose your shield to this Like Like, as we
see a Spiked Beetle to our right.  First, defeat the Like Like, from
the doorway if possible, and then totally own that beetle.  Chances are
it is knocked into a pit as a result of your shield.  Walk around the
pit and pull out Roc’s Feather.  The Roc’s Ring is useful for the slow
jumpers, but it should be easy to jump across these cracked platforms
to reach a mine cart.  Hop in, hit the switch on the way, and defeat
these bothersome Stalfos.

Hop back in the cart to ride to a room we haven’t visited yet.  Kill
off the Like Likes and other enemies to make a Small Key fall into the
water.  Dive for it to add another key to our growing collection.  Take
it back with you on the mine cart.

You’ll have to use your new Small Key on the locked block to the right.
Go east afterward to find three Stalfos.  Defeat them all with two
touches of the blade.  Lift the pots if you’re low on seeds, and then
take the stairs that formed as a result of your battles with the
skeletal knights up.  Use a Pegasus Seed and Roc’s Feather to clear the
gap and the next gaps to the left.  Take the staircase at the end to
the basement.

Let’s push the lower block down and bust into this new room.  Ignore
the enemies if you’d like; what’s important is the mine cart.  Hop in,
ride through a key room, and you’ll come to another.  A Business Scrub
in this room will sell you 10 Ember Seeds for 20 rupees (it will be
useful later on).  Stock up now if you’d like, but be sure to open the
chest to the left in plain site (and quite poorly guarded at that).  It
contains a Small Key.  Now go south to a spike room.  Jump through the
openings to go south.  Hey it’s Level 4’s...

                          ------------------
                          Mini-Boss: Agahnim
                          ------------------

Well, well, well.  Of all the characters to revive and use as a mini-
boss, they chose one of the coolest ones from A Link to the Past.
Agahnim, the Dark Wizard!  And like most old enemies revived into this
game, they fight like they did before, but with a twist.  Agahnim’s
battle plan is the same one he used in Ganon’s Tower, the last dungeon
of A Link to the Past, but he’s thrown in the darkness element.  In
case you run out, there are Ember Seeds in the corner shrubs.  Rush
into the center of the room and light both torches with Ember Seeds.
The lights return, and you can see Agahnim and two duplicates.  Which
is the real thing?  The one with the shadow underneath it, of course.
Avoid their spells and slash the shadow-producing wizard as much as
possible.  Agahnim is pretty susceptible to slashes, and it takes only
six hits to beat him.  The trick is keeping the room lit.  If you slash
him quickly enough, you can stop the spell-casting altogether.  It’s
safest to stand between the torches, keeping the room lit and slashing
Agahnim as he appears.  And, as any Zelda veteran knows, the
traditional method of defeating Agahnim is to deflect his spell back at
him.  Ah, but at least this is easier.  When you’ve won, heal with the
Fairy released from the explosion.

                          ------------------

We can go east, but let’s go south first.  Hop into the mine cart and
go south of where you’re spit out.  The laser turret to the south is
called a Beamos, and it’s only attack is shooting you with a laser when
it sees you.  Stand behind a block to avoid its attack (by the way,
they’re indestructible; don’t even try attacking them).  When the coast
is clear, make a mad dash for the locked door and take it west.  We’ve
got a nice prize in this room, and so it’s made a tad more difficult
than normal.  Use a Pegasus Seed on yourself upon entry.  Push the
statue onto the switch and sprint through this block maze to reach the
chest before the floor has crumbled completely.  Open it for the
Slingshot!  It’s this dungeon’s prize.  It can fire seeds in the
cardinal directions.

Go back to the mini-boss room and head north of it twice.  Purchase
Ember Seeds from the Business Scrub if you’re low from your last mini-
boss battle and hop into the mine cart.  As you go through the room to
the east, you have once chance to light all three torches.  Face north,
fire, fire again to the right, and immediately turn around and fire
south.  If Link was a good marksman, a chest forms.  Ride the mine cart
back to the Business Scrub room, which you should go south of to the
spike room.  Jump across the spike clearings to the east wall.  Use the
stairs to go north and east to claim a Small Key.

Return to the mini-boss room and go south to a mine cart.  Take it and
shoot both switches with the Slingshot to reach the rightmost part of
this room.  Head north and east.  Defeat the enemies here and use
Pegasus Seeds to jump to a locked block.  Use your Small Key on it and
head north.  Get into the center of this room and knock the Like Like
into the deeps.  Slash at Water Tektites from the platform and then
swim in the water to find the Boss Key!  Huzzah!  Now, let’s return to
the room we fought Agahnim in.

From the mini-boss room, go east.  The Old Man here tells us that “what
you seek is in the eye.”  He must be referring to the Boss Key we got
earlier.  Anyways, heal up with recovery items from under the pots and
go back to the mini-boss room.  Once again, head south.  It’ll probably
cost you a heart, but you’ll have to pull off a risky move in this room.
Run south to a Razor Trap.  Trigger it and run past it as it’s
retracting to shoot a Scent Seed (often the ammo of choice for the
Slingshot) at the switch to the right.  Now the cart tracks have
changed.  Jump in the mine cart and take it to a new room.  Defeat the
Wizzrobes and go north.  Yes, it’s the room we got the Dungeon Map in.
Use a Small Key on the block to the upper-left and take the stairs down.

Use the Boomerang on the Whisps here and shoot the torches across the
gap with the Slingshot & Ember Seeds.  Cross the bridge that forms and
go east.  Fish for recovery items here, defeat foes, and go north.
Stand on the platform, keep your sword ready for a spin attack, and
whiz around the room to the Boss Door.  Use the Boss Key on it...

                         +-------------------+
                         |    Boss: Gohma    |
                         +-------------------+

As long as Nintendo’s bringing back all these old bosses, why not
include the more popular Gohma?  Down onto the ground falls Gohma, what
seems to be a cross between a crab (as depicted in original games) and
a spider (in Ocarina of Time).  Avoid the shadow and let the fight
begin.

For the first phase, we must excise her left claw.  When her eye is
closed, it’s a simple matter of slashing it.  When it’s opened, stand
to the left and rush in to attack it after Gohma uses her attack.  The
attack consists of Gohma rushing in on you diagonally at a surprising
pace, grabbing you with her large left claw, and slamming you into the
ground, doing two hearts of damage.  You can still use your sword when
in her grasp, though, and I advise doing so.  But, assuming you don’t
want to get hit, move left to avoid it, charge up a spin attack, and
slash it after that attack is used.  After nine or so hits, Gohma loses
her left claw.

Without her better claw, Gohma resorts to releasing Gohma Larvae,
offspring.  Stand in a corner to limit their means of attack and slash
them as they jump at you.  They can drop recovery hearts, making them
beneficial for those low on health.  After defeating her numerous
larvae, use the Slingshot to hurl Mystical Seeds into her eye (which
she opens periodically).  Keep using the larvae to regain lost health,
which is easy to do, and keep fighting.  Six shots end Gohma’s life as
a boss.  But, don’t worry.  Gohma always comes back.

Take the Heart Container that appears and go east.  Take this Essence
of Nature, Soothing Rain.  “Bathed in drops of Soothing Rain, shoots
grow into saplings!”  The Maku Tree has something to say.  As always,
the Maku Tree grows from another Essence of Nature.  And a new vision
he’s had shows a lake shaped like eyeglasses.  And for now, he’s off to
sleep.

=======================================================================
============================Unicorn’s Cave*============================
=======================================================================

                      +-------------------------+
                      |    The Pyramid Jewel    |
                      +-------------------------+

Exit the dungeon and swim into the northeast corner of the water.  Dive
down there to enter a secret 2-D screen.  Just swim through it and
you’ll find the Pyramid Jewel at the end.  Hmm, what do these jewels do?
In any case, it’s time to visit the next dungeon.

                     +---------------------------+
                     |    The Power of Autumn    |
                     +---------------------------+

Go to Impa’s Refuge (one screen north of Horon Village; use a Gale
Seed).  Head east, north twice, east, and south.  Jump the pits and get
onto the icy floor (assuming it’s winter.  If not, change it at the
stump to the north).  Go south and east to find an entrance to Subrosia.
Swim up to the steps and enter.

We’re in the far-east part of Subrosia Village.  To the west is the
Great Furnace.  To the north we can see the Temple of Seasons.  Go
south of the portal to meet the Sign-Loving Subrosian.  Simply divine!
Impeccably fine!  Gorgeous design!  Notably kind!  Signs!!!  He counts
how many signs you’ve destroyed.  In any case, exit and go west.  Jump
over the lava and go west and north.  Lift the rock here to create a
shortcut to the rest of Subrosia Village using a Pegasus Seed and Roc’s
Feather.  Now return to the Sign-Loving Subrosian’s House and go south
of it.

Jump over the gap and head south.  This is Lava Lake.  Traverse the
bridge and go west.  Jump to the central island and get to the left end,
and then jump onto the southern piece of land to go west again.  Jump
across these islands to see a Pokey, and a fiery type at that.  Slash
it three times to defeat it, and then jump north.  From where you enter
this screen, just jump east.  In the new screen, defeat another Pokey
and jump right along the lower islands and you’ll see a crown-shaped
object in the dirt.  Lift it with the Power Bracelet to take a Bomb
Flower, crop of the Gorons!

Return to where I said there was a shortcut earlier involving a rock
(from the Sign-Loving Subrosian’s House, go west, north, and west).
Hop the pit two spaces long with a Pegasus Seed to aid you and go west.
Head north now and jump across the lava to go east twice.  Now go north
into the Temple of Seasons.  Now go north again, east, hop the magma
stream, and go north.  Two Subrosians from the Great Furnace are here
trying to gather ore.  Give the upper one your Bomb Flower and it blows
up the rocks.  They’ve gathered all the ore they need; come to the
furnaces any time you need something melted.  They leave and you can
enter the northeast corner tower.  Jump over the lava to take a set of
stairs up.  Walk down and you’ll enter the chamber...
</pre><pre id="faqspan-3">
This is the Spirit of Autumn.  She grants you, legendary hero, the
Power of Autumn, the blessing of an autumn breeze.  In fall, mushrooms
are ripe for the picking and leaves cover pits.  Now we have all four
seasons!  Nothing can stop us now!  Let’s exit Subrosia through the
portal we came by, back to Eyeglass Lake.

Swim north onto land.  Go north further and use the Rod of Seasons on
this stump to bring fall to Eyeglass Lake.  Now go north and east to
find the fifth dungeon.  Pick the mushrooms with the Power Bracelet (we
can in autumn) and enter Level 5.

                       +-----------------------+
                       |     Unicorn’s Cave    |
                       +-----------------------+

Go west a room.  Defeat the Moldorm and go north twice to meet new
enemies.  First, take care of the Moldorm, and then turn your attention
to our new friends, Iron Masks.  They protect the front of their body
with their masks, but you can slash their backsides.  Otherwise, just
push them into a pit with your sword.  Defeating all enemies opens the
door to the upper-left; use it.

Walk along the conveyor belt, but press against the wall as you go to
keep from falling in the pit.  Continue hugging the wall while you walk
until you must go north.  Jump through this part and hop left to the
chest.  Open it for the Compass.  Now exit this room and return to the
first room of the dungeon.  Go north from it to a waterlogged room.
Dive down to avoid Water Tektites and Peahats as you swim right to go
east a room.  Hop into the eastern mine cart and ride it north to a
treasure chest.  Open it for a Small Key and hop into the mine cart.
On the way down, slash the switch to the right.  Now reenter the mine
cart to go to a new room.  Take the stairs down to a 2-D screen.

Take these ladders across the gap and jump over the pipes when the
Podoboos, the flames, just went.  In the next room, step near the
Thwomp and turn back to trigger it, and then use Roc’s Feather to jump
onto it.  Repeat this to the left to reach the ladder.  Take it up and
go east upon entry.  In this room, you must defeat two Zols and two
members of a new type of enemy, Gibdos.  They are mummies in Zelda
games, and they do not have any kickback (they aren’t knocked back when
slash).  They each take four hits, and you can also Slingshot them with
Ember Seeds to make them into Stalfos, the jumping kind.  After beating
all of them, open the chest that forms for the Dungeon Map.  As it
turns out, the dungeon is only one floor (thankfully) and is shaped
like a unicorn’s head.

Return to the room to the west.  I forgot to mention a new enemy here.
You’ve met Whisps, alternately known as Bubbles, but these are REAL
Whisps.  When they hit you, you can’t draw your blade for a few seconds.
Avoid them and advance west one room.  Here, just ignore the Peahats
and take the stairs north a room.  Follow the path to a ledge and drop
down from it to the water.  Swim left through it and use your Small Key
on the locked door here.  Walk up to the chest in this room and open it
for this dungeon’s prize... the Magnetic Gloves!  With them, you can
attract and repel metal objects!  Press A to reverse polarity.  All
objects are marked S for South or N for North.  Remember, opposites
attract (South to North), but the same polarity repels (North to North
or South to South).  This is one of the most original items in the
series since the Hookshot!

With our new item, the dungeon unfolds.  Use the Magnetic Gloves to
pull the ball to the north down to the switch to exit this room.  Go
south from there, defeat these menacing Peahats, and push the side
blocks down, the middle over, to reach the east exit.  Use these stairs
to enter the 2-D section.  Below you are some cracked blocks.  Blow
them and go left a screen in here.  Jump over the blasts from these
statues (which look suspiciously like Bowser) and get onto the moving
platforms.  Ride them to the left and take the ladder there up.  This
room is interesting.  Pushing the Armos statue on the right side makes
the Armos statue on the left side move in the opposite direction, and
we need to hit a switch on the left side.

Push the statue on this side down three times, right twice, and up once.
Then go south now that the door is open.  Walk across this narrow path
(it’s best to use an Ember Seed fired by the Slingshot to make this
Gibdo into a jumping Stalfos that throws bones) and go west.  Here,
just walk left, killing Keese as you go, and use the steps to reach a
chest concealing 100 rupees.  Now go north of here to a room with Iron
Masks and Moldorms.  Note that you can use the Magnetic Gloves to force
the masks off the enemies.  After killing them all, head west.

This room is pretty tough for those that didn’t use a Mystery Seed on
the Owl in the previous room, but it can be easy.  Approach one of the
Armos statues from the side so that you activate ONLY that one.  Now
stand exactly where you are, not moving, and defeat the Armos with your
sword, attacking them when they come to you.  Now activate the next
Armos statue and defeat it in the same way.  Memorize the order that
you defeated them in, which spaces they started in.  Open the chests
that form in the same order you defeated the Armos statues occupying
those spaces.  After getting three minor prizes, you’ll open the fourth
for a Small Key.

Go back to the first room.  Use the western exit and take out the
enemies here.  The magnet to the left is firmly staked to the ground,
meaning that we can use the Magnetic Gloves to pull/push ourselves to
it/from it.  Use an N polarity to pull yourself to it and walk north to
open a chest containing a Small Key.  Go south now and push yourself
away from the magnet with an S polarity to go east to the first room.
Go north and swim east.  Here, take the right mine cart and have the
switch set up so that you go east a room rather than north.  In here,
use the magnet to cross the gap to the south and take the lower mine
cart.  When you emerge, open the chest for a Small Key.

Take the cart back to the room to the northeast and then take the upper
cart back to the double cart room.  Take the left one this time, hit
the switch on your way up to go west rather than north, and you’ll find
a very cool rotating magnet.  Using an S polarity, attract yourself to
the magnet and hang onto it.  When your back is to the west, change
polarity quickly to reach the floor there.  Open the chest for another
Small Key.  Take your cart back to the first cart room and enter the
right cart.  Make sure the switch has the tracks moving to the east.
In the room you come to, use your Small Key on the door to the east.

                           ----------------
                           Mini-Boss: Syger
                           ----------------

This is actually a pretty tough mini-boss.  Syger drops in and shows
itself – a saber-tooth tiger with spikes and a ball at the end of its
tail.  All you have to do is slash the ball to defeat it, but its
attacks are wild and lethal.  It rolls into a ball and moves across the
room faster than you do with Pegasus Seeds.  It has spikes, and it will
try to hit you.  Its movements are unpredictable, and it makes abrupt
turns and stops at seemingly random intervals.  Use Pegasus Seeds on
yourself throughout the battle to increase your speed, which will make
you harder to hit.  When Syger stops rolling and stands there for a
second, his tail will be pointed to the left or right.  Approach it and
slash it.  A spin attack is preferable.  After taking a hit, Syger
assumes ball form and starts the cycle all over again.  After several
hits, it explodes, leaving you a portal and a Fairy.

                           ----------------

Return to the first cart room and use the left cart to go north twice.
Kill any Keese or Zols in your way and take the steps up, walk right,
take them down, and go east a room.  Above you is another new enemy,
the Kanalet Soldier.  This particular one is an archer.  Use your
Wooden Shield to block its arrows and slash it to defeat it.  After
that, push the block to the right to the right to make a magnetic orb
fall down.  Use your Magnetic Gloves to repel it to the right, in line
with the Switch, and then to push it north onto the switch.  This opens
the door to the north.

Go back to the mini-boss room and go north of it.  Before continuing
west, let’s go east.  In this room, use the Boomerang to defeat both
Sparks and to get Fairies.  Then go north, press the switch, and then
go around the bend to actually go north a room.  In this room, make a
run for the doorway to the west, jumping over laser fire of the Beamos
if possible.  You’ll come to a room with enemies known as Magnites.
They are very annoying.  Use the Magnetic Gloves to pull them to you or
pin them against a wall and slash them as many times as possible.
Meanwhile, they’ll be switching polarities and spitting fireballs at
you.  When you’ve defeated them all, go west.  Here, use the Magnetic
Gloves to push the orb here into the fire.  It’s very important that
you do.

Return to the mini-boss room and go north.  Use a Small Key on the
locked door to the upper-left and you’ll be back in the magnet orb room.
Head north through the door you opened earlier.  Now, if you pushed the
orb into the flames earlier, you can now retrieve it.  Use an S
polarity to keep the orb in front of you and walk in front of the flame
throwers.  The orb acts as your shield, and you can use a Small Key to
the north.  Take the stairwell to the right into a 2-D screen.  Use the
Magnetic Gloves to bring yourself up to the magnet above and then fall
down to the left.  Jump onto the platform to the left and jump to the
ladder.  Take it down.

Jump to the platform to the right and jump repeatedly on it as not to
be moved off of the platform.  Jump to the next one and leap to the
ladder to the right when it’s high up.  Use the Magnetic Gloves to
raise yourself into the air and then fall to the right to claim the
Boss Key.  And now the boss if within our sight.

Return to the mini-boss room and go north.  Unlock the block to the
upper-right with your last Small Key and descend down the stairs.  Use
the Magnetic Gloves to repel yourself from the magnet below and fall
left onto the platform from it.  Use them again to rise and fall left,
and then go left a screen.  Here, use the Boomerang on the Sparks to
heal yourself with Fairies (and rid yourself of them) before acting.
Use the Magnetic Gloves to rise up to the ladder to the left and take
it up to the room before the boss.

Keep the Keese in mind as you go through this room.  Also, remember
that you can quickly reverse polarity while over a pit and still not
fall in if you over/undershoot in here.  Pull yourself to the magnet
ahead but stop to get onto the platform.  Pull yourself to the right,
and go up to the top of the platform you come to.  Pull yourself to the
left and stop on the platform before the Boss Door.  Heal yourself with
the recovery items beneath these jars and open the door to meet your
destiny...

                       +-----------------------+
                       |    Boss: Digdogger    |
                       +-----------------------+

Of all the bosses from The Legend of Zelda for the NES, this had to be
the lamest of them all.  In the original Zelda game, this boss required
you do one thing: play the Flute.  Sometimes you’d have to attack it
afterward, but rarely.  Well, playing the Flute won’t help you now.
Digdogger has changed its look and now bounces around the room to
attack.  While not too difficult, it’s a lot harder than before.
Digdogger is invincible to all of your attacks, but we can hurt it
indirectly.

Use the Magnetic Gloves to pull a spiky ball toward you.  You must
direct the ball into Digdogger’s body by using them.  In case you were
wondering, an N polarity attracts it, while S repels.  Just be careful
not to hit yourself with it.  After three or so hits, Digdogger turns
into miniatures of itself, and they’re tough.  Use the ball to hit them
all at once and then turn your attention to the boss, which the
surviving infants gather up into (note that some destroyed ones leave
recovery hearts).  After many hits, Digdogger will be destroyed.

Grab that Heart Container and go north to see an Essence of Nature,
Nurturing Warmth.  “Balmy days build strong saplings with their
Nurturing Warmth!”  Outside, the Maku Tree has some words for you.
Stronger than before, he has had a dream of you within vast ruins.
Perhaps the essence is within.  And now, for nap time.

=======================================================================
============================Ancient Ruins*=============================
=======================================================================

                       +-----------------------+
                       |    The Round Jewel    |
                       +-----------------------+

Let’s go to Gnarled Root Dungeon’s entrance (don’t enter).  Go south of
it and get in the water.  Swim west into Holodrum Plain and then south.
Swim to the stairs, take them up, and enter the house.  Talk to the Old
Man here and he’ll give you, keeper of the essences, the Round Jewel.
What do these mysterious jewels do?

While we’re in the area, swim west twice and enter the cave.  Open the
chest for a ring.  You can swim west of there for a shortcut to Spool
Swamp.  If you swim west of Gnarled Root Dungeon and then north a few
screens, you can find an island with a soft soil patch in it.

While we’re doing this type of side quest, go to Impa’s Refuge in North
Horon.  Head east, north twice, and east of it.  Change the season to
autumn.  Now go west and south twice.  Head over the bridge to the east.
All the pits are covered by leaves.  Jump over the first one and walk
to a chest containing a Gasha Seed.  There’s another Gasha Seed hidden
in Eastern Suburbs; you must use a Deku Flower in spring to reach a
staircase.  Inside, use the Magnetic Gloves to repel yourself across a
pit and to a Gasha Seed within a chest.  Now, to the matter at hand.

                     +---------------------------+
                     |    Great Moblin’s Keep    |
                     +---------------------------+

At the end of Natzu Prairie, Great Moblin has set up an arsenal of
cannons to attack those that try to reach Sunken City.  Either they pay
his toll or get blown to smithereens.  Let’s end this injustice.  Go
west from Sunken City and go north, west twice, south three times, and
then east.  Swim to the ladder and take it north.  Go north again to
find Moblin’s Keep.  Enter through either door.  Two Moblin swordsmen
guard this staircase.  Defeat them and take it to... Great Moblin.  He
won’t let you stand up to him anymore.  Victory shall be his!

It’s quite a simple battle.  Great Moblin walks around and throws bombs
at you.  Lift them with the Power Bracelet and throw them back at him.
They’ll explode and he’ll take damage.  Five hits and he strikes a
really weird pose.  As long as he doesn’t drop his bombs behind him and
start a fire, he can’t lose!  Hit him one more time while he’s holding
a bomb and he drops it behind him, causing a fire that lights all the
bombs and blows up his keep.  After swearing revenge, he runs off with
his Moblin henchmen.  Open the chest that is revealed for a Piece of
Heart.  For future reference, the Great Moblin now inhabits a house in
Sunken City as his new base of operations, but he won’t be causing any
trouble for quite some time.

                       +-----------------------+
                       |    The Iron Shield    |
                       +-----------------------+

It is time to upgrade our Wooden Shield.  Also, it’s time to do other
things.  Now that we have the Magnetic Gloves, we can access almost all
parts of Subrosia.  First, go find Rosa and ask her out on a date.  I
warn you in advance; do not enter 2-D screens or caves unless I tell
you to; Rosa will excuse herself from the date if you do.  From where
you find Rosa, go north, west, north, and west.  Use the Magnetic
Gloves to repel yourself (and Rosa) left and go west.  Jump to the
island, jump north, and go north a screen.  Enter the house and hop to
the Gasha Seed.  Now exit.

Go west three times and then go north.  Jump the pit, and go west, then
south.  Clear the gap with the Magnetic Gloves and go right to a chest.
Open it for Blue Ore.  They say that Blue Ore mixed with Red Ore makes
Hard Ore, the best kind.  This next part requires some fancy moves.  Go
back to the previous screen.  Repel yourself from the right magnet so
that you cross the pits to the south.  Now go left, jumping the gap,
and use the Shovel to dig at the square for a ring.  We’re done here.

Make your way to Subrosia Market.  Go north of it, enter the cave, exit
to the left, and go north three times.  Here, go left to a new set of
stairs and go south.  Go west twice and then north.  From here, go west
and south.  Open the locked door with Rosa’s Key and enter.  Open the
chest within for a Gasha Seed.  Now exit the cave and go north, west
twice, and south.  Enter this cave and open the chest for a Gasha Seed.

Now to get the Red Ore.  Pay a visit to the Sign-Loving Subrosian.
From its house, go west twice.  Use the Magnetic Gloves to cross the
pit; enter the cave.  Go north to a staircase and open the chest
afterward for Red Ore.  Now let’s mix them!

Go to the Great Furnace in east Subrosia (north twice and west of the
Sign-Loving Subrosian’s Home).  Talk to the master of the furnace (the
one with the band on its head) and give it the Red Ore and Blue Ore.
After doing a strange dance as the ores are mixing, they reward you
with Hard Ore.  Pick it up.  What can we forge with this?  Only three
Subrosians know.  Let’s see the... Subrosian Smithy.

On the map, the Subrosian Smithy is southwest of the Subrosia Dance
Hall.  Enter and talk to the manager.  They do the finest work in all
Subrosia, but they only take on jobs that interest them.  The master
speaks apparently, and the manager relays the message.  That Hard Ore
we have could make our cheap shield amazingly fine.  He asks what’ll it
be.  If you say “Make it fine,” you won’t get it made (you put too much
value in your possessions!).  Say “Do Whatever” and the master actually
does the work.  It’s the finest in the land!  Treat it like an heirloom.
You got the Iron Shield!  It’s larger than the Wooden Shield and thus
better.  Unfortunately, it cannot be used as a portable magnet orb.

                      +------------------------+
                      |    The Treasure Map    |
                      +------------------------+

So, we’ve already gotten most of the jewels already, but we should
still get the map leading to them.  I mean, why not stop at Subrosia
Market while we’re in Subrosia?  First, stop at Subrosia Market.  The
lowest item is a shiny thing with “Member’s Card” written on it.  Buy
it?  The price is low.  Take it off his hands and return to Horon
Village.

Go to the town shop.  Try to walk behind the register and the man stops
you.  Only members may go beyond this point!  Then he notices that you
have a Member’s Card.  You may pass.  Walk to the door, take the stairs
down, and prepare to empty your wallet.  First off, you need to buy the
Treasure Map for 200 rupees (well, you don’t need to, but it looks good
on the Item Screen).  Then you can buy a larger Seed Satchel, capable
of holding 50 of any seed, for 300 rupees.  Lastly, there’s a Gasha
Seed for 300.  You cannot have enough money to buy beyond that, but a
Gasha Seed for 500 rupees replaces that seed.

                     +--------------------------+
                     |    The X-Shaped Jewel    |
                     +--------------------------+

It’s time to take the final jewel for our own.  Go south of Hero’s Cave
in Western Coast and walk into the water.  Use the Slingshot to light
the torch (shoot an Ember Seed, of course).  Suddenly, the dock extends
far into the water.  Take it to an island with a question mark on it
and a sign reading “The Black Beast rests here.”  Use a Mystery Seed on
the ? Mark and boss battle music starts playing.  It’s you versus a
Moldorm in a battle to the death!  Slash it four times for an easy win,
making a chest materialize.  Open it for the X-Shaped Jewel, the final
jewel in the series.  But WHAT do they do?

                       +----------------------+
                       |    A Jewel Review    |
                       +----------------------+

For those of you just tuning in, it’s time to review where all four
jewels are, as we collected them quite some time ago in this guide.
May I have a drum roll, please?  And now, the locations are...

Square Jewel: This is located in Spool Swamp, the eastern side.  It is
hidden in a cave that must be bombed to be opened, right near a Pincer
(south once and east twice of the portal to Subrosia).  We cover this
under “Spool Swamp Secrets” at the beginning of the Dancing Dragon
Dungeon section.

Pyramid Jewel: Hidden just outside the entrance to Level 4, the Dancing
Dragon Dungeon, this is cleverly concealed in water on Mt. Cucco.  You
must dive in the northeast corner of the screen and swim through some
water (in 2-D!) to reach this little number.  That was covered under
“The Pyramid Jewel” in the Unicorn’s Cave section.

Round Jewel: Covered at the beginning of this very section, this is
found by swimming in the water south of Gnarled Root Dungeon to find an
Old Man in Holodrum Plain in a screen only accessible by water.  He
says “Oh keeper of the essences!  I have awaited your arrival!  I give
you this!” and later “I have nothing more to give.  Be on your way!”
Yes, he gives you the Round Jewel.

X-Shaped Jewel: Covered in the sub-section just above this one, the X-
Shaped Jewel is perhaps the toughest one to figure out.  Go south of
Hero’s Cave and light the torch with the Slingshot & Ember Seeds.  This
extends the dock; walk across it to an island.  Use a Mystery Seed on
the question mark and you’ll face off against the Black Beast, a.k.a. a
Moldorm.  Defeat it and open the chest that results for this X-treme
jewel.

Now, I know what you’re all wondering: “When is he going to get on with
the dungeon!?”  Ah, in short time, we will.  Also, a select few of you
may be wondering: “What are the jewels for?”  And there might even be a
few of this: “Why am I reading this trash?”  Don’t worry, though; I’ll
answer all your questions before the end of this section.

                         +------------------+
                         |    Tarm Ruins    |
                         +------------------+

Use one of your Gale Seeds to warp to the Gale Seed tree in Spool Swamp.
Head east of it and go north to find the gate to Tarm Ruins, the
legendary rubble.  Hey look!  There are slots here...  A circular one,
a pyramid one, a square one, and an X-shaped one...  These are slots
for our jewels!  Insert each of them into the slots and the gate to the
ruins opens.  Go north into this strange place.

Use the Rod of Seasons to call forth summer from atop the stump.  Climb
the vines to the north to find two Kanalet Soldiers.  Defeat them both
before traveling west a screen.  Descend down the vines to go south.
Push the Armos statue here to the left and a staircase comes partway
down the mountain.  Return to the original stump and call forth winter.
The tree to the left is now bare, allowing us to go west.  Use the snow
to reach the steps that we created earlier and you’ll reach a stump.
Push the lower Armos statue forward and call forth autumn.

The statues are now in the water.  Go east, defeat your foes, and lift
the mushrooms.  Here, defeat a Deku Scrub (deflect its seed back at it
with your Iron Shield) to get it to talk.  It tells us that if we are
lost in the Lost Woods, go west, south, east, and north, taking each
step in a warmer season.  Now exit and go east.  Swim north from here,
making sure it’s still fall, and lift the mushrooms to advance to the
west.  Here, bomb the north wall to find a Fairy Fountain.  Afterward,
exit, defeat the Like Likes, and go south.

Go west to find the Lost Woods.  Yep, even Holodrum has some.  Likes
Likes are pouring in from the south.  No matter which direction you
take, you’ll always come back to the same screen (except east, which
leads to the previous screen).  Remember what that Deku Scrub told us
earlier?  This is how to get out of here.

1) Change the season to winter.  Go west.

2) Call forth autumn and go south.

3) Make the grass wet with spring dew as you go east.

4) Lastly, turn up the heat with summer.  Go north.

You’ll exit the Lost Woods to a new region of Tarm Ruins, one that
looks more like ruins.  Go north in it, not touching the Armos, to find
more statues.  Go north again to find a Gale Seed-bearing tree.  We can
now warp there, which is exactly what we wanted.  We now have a
shortcut to Tarm Ruins for future reference.  For now, we’re going to
stop for an important but optional side quest.

                       +-----------------------+
                       |    The Great Trade    |
                       +-----------------------+

It’s high time we got this trade over with.  The reward is well worth
it, and it won’t be too difficult.  Let’s get through this series of
give and gets.

1) Dr. Left is a man with large, green tufts of hair that lives in
Horon Village (three screens south of the Maku Tree).  The biologist
wants to read his books, but it’s too dark.  Use an Ember Seed on the
torch to light the room.  He rewards you with one of his books, the
Cuccodex.  It’s “the complete Cucco fact book.”  Cuccos are chickens in
Zelda games (don’t abuse them!).

2) Go north of where you met Din, the Oracle of Seasons, and you’ll
find the home of Malon and Talon (yes, the owners of Lon Lon Ranch from
Ocarina of Time).  Talk to the girl here, Malon, and she’ll reveal that
her father went to climb Mt. Cucco, and so she has to care for the
Cuccos.  But, she doesn’t know a lot about it.  I know!  Let’s give her
the Cuccodex.  To thank you for it, she gives you a Lon Lon Egg, the
prized produce of Lon Lon Ranch.  They’re supposedly all the rage with
cute girls.  It seems to be a beauty aid.

3) It’s time to slay some monsters, as you need to kill 30 of them to
make Maple appear.  She’s the next link in the trading chain.  After
running into her, the Lon Lon Egg pops out of your deep pockets.  After
introducing herself as the Great Witch Syrup’s apprentice, she notices
your egg.  They’re all the rage with girls now!  You’re a boy (directed
to Link, not necessarily the player), and you don’t need it!  She gives
you a doll for it.  You got the Ghastly Doll!  Looking at it gives you
chills.  Who would want this?

4) On your way to Spool Swamp, you’ll meet Mrs. Ruul in her villa (why
she lives away from Mayor Ruul is unknown.  Perhaps they’re brother and
sister).  Specifically, she lives one screen south from the final cliff
in Holodrum Plain.  Mrs. Ruul finds the springtime hot, and not even
her Soothing Pool can help.  She needs something creepy to send chills
down her spine.  Let her take a gander at the Ghastly Doll and she
rewards you will an old Iron Pot.  Who would want this “well-seasoned”
pot?

5) Enter Subrosia from the Woods of Winter entrance.  Go south (left
side), west twice, north, west, and south twice to find the home of the
Subrosian Chef.  Enter and talk to him.  If he had all the ingredients,
he could make us a tasty soup.  But not without a fine iron pot that’s
been well-seasoned...  Let it have the Iron Pot to make the great soup.
It melts down the pot to make Lava Soup, a harmony of flavors!  It’s
molten hot.

6) Remember Biggoron?  Since winter came to Goron Mountains (it’s
always winter up there, but this was in far more severe), and since
Biggoron can’t very well fit inside the caves, he’s caught a cold.  If
only he had some soup, preferably hot soup, to drink...  Head over to
Biggoron, living in the northwest corner of Goron Mountain.  Give it to
him to cure him of his cold.  As a symbol of his gratitude, he gives
you the Goron Vase.  All the collectors want it!

7) Ingo is a collector of vases in Sunken City (yes, Ingo, also a
worker in Lon Lon Ranch from Ocarina of Time).  No matter how often he
asks, Biggoron never gives him the Goron Vase!  He’d even give his
dinner for it - Fish!  When he sees you have the vase, he’s begging you
for it!  Give it to him for a “Yahoo!”  In thanks, he gives you his
last fish.  Now his collection is complete!

8) Who could want a Fish?  Cats like it...  Go east of Impa’s Refuge to
find a man with a megaphone calling for Mittens, his kitten.  Mittens
is stuck in a tree, and won’t come down no matter how much he calls for
her.  But, if you give him your Fish, which is her favorite snack,
she’d come down for sure!  Mittens jumps right down.  To reward you, he
gives you his Megaphone.  It could wake up even the sleepiest of people.

9) Go to Mt. Cucco and bring spring to the land.  Go west of the stump
three times, hop in the Deku Flower to be sent upward, and go north.
Enter the cave to find a sleeping man.  It’s Talon, Malon’s dad!  He
went to hike up Mt. Cucco but never returned!  And he’s sleeping
because snow caved him in!  Use the Megaphone to wake him up.  He slept
clean through winter!  Ah, he can’t reach the summit now; he’ll go back
to Malon.  He takes the Megaphone since we don’t need it and he gives
us the Mushroom that grew in his cave.  We can also reach the chest in
here by pushing the upper block over, the lower one down, and open it
for a Magical Ring.

10) Return to Sunken City and change the season to winter.  Go south of
the stump twice and use the snow to go north.  Enter Syrup’s Potion
Shop and talk to Syrup.  She would send Maple out to find Mushrooms on
Mt. Cucco, but she hasn’t returned.  Give her the Mushroom and she’ll
trade her Wooden Bird.  It looks real!  Also, Syrup now opens shop
selling Magic Potions, which refill your hearts after you die.  She
also sells Gasha Seeds for 300 rupees, the same price as potions.

11) Return to Horon Village.  North twice of the Ember Seed tree and
west once is the Clock Shop.  Enter and talk to the owner.  He wants to
make a Cuckoo Clock better than any before, but he needs a Wooden Bird
that he likes.  A breathtakingly realistic one will do.  Let him have
it and he’ll give you Engine Grease.

12) Go to the Eastern Suburbs, east of Horon Village.  Enter the cave
here and take the left staircase up, and then the next one.  We come to
Guru-Guru, who is playing the Song of Storms from Ocarina of Time.  If
he could just oil his windmill, it would go faster.  Give him Engine
Grease and he gives a Phonograph playing the Song of Storms.

13) Go to Tarm Ruins.  Two screens south of the Fairy Fountain is a
sapling.  Burn it and enter the cave to find a music-loving Deku Scrub.
Let it listen to your Phonograph’s recording of the Song of Storms and
he jumps for joy.  Since you were so kind to it, it will teach you the
way to its Secret Spot.  It says “If temperatures rise as you go far to
the west, you’ll find it!”  What could that mean?  Note that to the
west (you may want to go there to get it on your map) is a breeding
ground for Like Likes considered part of the Lost Woods.

                       +-----------------------+
                       |    The Noble Sword    |
                       +-----------------------+

Just like in A Link to the Past, the Lost Woods hold the secret to the
second sword.  And I figured, as long as were upgrading our shield, why
not our sword?  Go to the Lost Woods.  This time, we will exit, but
we’re following these steps.

1) Call forth winter.  Go west.

2) Change the season to autumn.  Go west.

3) Make it springtime.  Go west.

4) Let it be summer.  Go west.

This leads to that Deku Scrub’s Secret Spot.  Boy, he must like playing
by this pedestal... with a sword plunged into it!  Approach the
pedestal and press A.  You got the sacred Noble Sword!  It’s 1.5 times
as powerful as our Wooden Sword.  When you’re at full health, you can
release a sword beam from it with each slash!  You can also break vases
with only a swipe instead of using the Power Bracelet.  The same goes
for signs.  From now on, destroy every sign you come to.  It’s good for
getting a ring later on.

Note: In a main-linked game, the Noble Sword becomes the Master Sword,
a stronger blade from A Link to the Past.  In a return linked game, you
get the Biggoron’s Sword, the strongest of them all.  I will assume you
have the Noble Sword for the rest of the guide, though.

                         +------------------+
                         |    To Level 6    |
                         +------------------+

Back on track, it’s time to get on with the show instead of sitting
around doing side quests, no matter how awesome their rewards may be.
Use Gale Seeds to warp to the tree in Tarm Ruins.  Head east of it.
Here, you’ll face off against a Ball & Chain Soldier, the ultimate
knight.  This is the perfect opportunity to wreak havoc on it with the
Noble Sword.  Perhaps I overuse it, but the best seed (aside from the
Gale Seed, of course) is the Pegasus Seed.  Use one and run circles
around this guy, slashing when you get the chance.  It’s especially
vulnerable in its back.  To defend against its attack, you can the Iron
Shield, by the way.

Hop on the stump and change the season to autumn.  Head best, pick the
fungi, and burn the sapling.  Open then chest for a Gasha Seed.  Now go
back east.  Do not let it remain autumn; ‘tis the season of winter.  Go
south, east, and north to a snow pile.  Walk up it to the north and go
west.  Push the lower statue left.  Now we have a shortcut up here; if
you ever need to get back up here, use the Deku Flower below in spring.
And in all seriousness, we have to change the season to spring.  Drop
down, call forth spring, and launch yourself back north.  First, go
east.  Note that you *can* burn down the saplings to see an Old Man
here, but he will make you refund his door.  Instead, go west twice to
a tower, cutting down the bloomed Rock Flower as you go.

Huh?  What the...?  The sky grows dark and lightning hits the ground.
A hooded figure appears!  Who could it be?  After calling us foolish,
they announce that by saving Din, we only fill the world with
destruction, sorrow, and ultimately despair.  Their great sacrifice
will be offered, and the Evil King revived...  Then people will know
true pain as darkness falls across the land.  Okay, am I the only one
who heard this nutcase?  Regardless, it leaves, letting us enter the
tower.  THIS is the ruins they refer to in “Tarm Ruins.”

                        +---------------------+
                        |    Ancient Ruins    |
                        +---------------------+

Creative name, eh?  This is a tower, and as such it has the most floors
of any dungeon in the game.  Lucky for us, it’s pretty straightforward.
Go north a room and take the steps up.  Take the ones to the right down
and head east.  Pass the Gibdos and statues shooting flames to go east
again.  In this room, defeat the Ropes and check the south wall with
your sword.  As it turns out, the south wall can be blown up.  Do so to
find a hoard of rupees!  Dive in and head north one you’re done
collecting them.  Now return to the first room of the dungeon.

Go north twice to a room with a dial in it.  You’ve never really
experienced the horrors of dials, but you will shortly.  Walk into it
to be deposited to the east.  Defeat the Spark in here with the
Boomerang to earn yourself a Fairy (the Ropes can also be destroyed).
Now go east and stop as soon as you enter the room.  There are Razor
Traps to the north and south.  Hop over their line of attack (using
Roc’s Feather).  Immediately slash the crystals and hop away from the
pit afterward to avoid the crumbling floor.  Make your way to the chest
in here and open it for 5 rupees.

This is one of those rare occasions where Roc’s Ring really helps.
Defeat the Gibdos and work your way to the south.  Go through the door
here to return to an old room.  Go west from here twice and then north
back to the dial room.  Now we’re deposited to the west.  Enter the new
room and go south.  Defeat these Ropes and take the staircase to the
left up north.  Open the chest here for the Dungeon Map.  As you can
see, there are five floors, and they become progressively smaller as
they rise.  Now go south and north through the doorway.

Here, get up against the blocks to the left.  Drag the magnetic orb
through the blocks using the Magnetic Gloves and position it as close
to the pit but not in the pit as possible.  Then jump the gap and take
it to the right so that it’s near the edge.  Hop down and pull the
magnetic orb back down to you.  Walk right with it to the large pit on
the east side of the room.  Push it forward, walk right, and pull it to
you to cover the switch.  This make a Small Key fall down.  Take it
with you to the south.  Go east from there and south from the dial room.

First, use your Small Key on the locked block to the left.  Then stand
near the door to the left.  Drag the magnetic orb toward and push/pull
it onto the switch to the lower-right.  This keeps the door to the left
open.  Good; we want it that way.  Go north through the dial.
Manipulate the dial so that it deposits you to the north (you can do
this by going west, north, and east into the dial).  Go north of there
to defeat two Ropes and a Spark (with the Boomerang).  Now direct the
orb here onto the switch using the Magnetic Gloves to make a staircase
assemble itself to the northwest; take it 2F.

If possible, defeat the Keese in here before attempting the jumps using
the Boomerang (or sword, which is more reliable but has shorter range).
Hop over the spikes to the right and stop.  Ahead is a blade trap.  Run
in there, slash the crystals, and dash down the passage (Pegasus Seeds
are optional) to reach another one.  Jump past it and slash the
crystals to continue to the door.  Take it south.  Open this treasure
chest for a Small Key (to the left).  Also note the presence of Spiked
Beetles; you can knock them over with the Iron Shield and then slash
their hides for victory.  Now, please, return to the first room of the
dungeon.

Go north twice into the dial room.  Come at the dial from different
rooms, manipulating it deposit you to the east.  Take that route,
defeat the Ropes and Spark, and use the Small Key we found upstairs on
this locked door.  Quickly jump to the platform to the right and go
east a screen to avoid the fire of the Beamos.  Here, walk around the
wall, jumping when necessary, to reach a switch.  Don’t press it yet.
First, use a Pegasus Seed on yourself.  A bridge forms to the west but
the floor begins to disappear.  Quickly run to the bridge before the
way is gone.  Take it west to find a staircase.  Rather than use it to
return to 2F, keep it in mind and push the block to the south into the
pit.  Now jump down and ride the platforms to the left corner of the
room, jumping to avoid the Beamos’s laser.  Then jump north to a chest.
Open it for the Compass.  Now jump back to the opening you made by
pushing a block into the pit.  Take the stairs to 2F.

There are quite a few chests left to be opened, and this room contains
one.  Ignore the Gibdos for now and walk left to a treasure chest.
Take its contents – ten Bombs – before exterminating the mummies
present in this room.  With the Noble Sword, they require only three
hits.  Now, bomb the southeast part of the wall to pass south.  In here,
carefully walk to the chest and open it for 5 rupees.  Do not touch a
single Armos here or they all come to life.  After that, go south a
room.  It exists only as an escape from the Armos.  Defeat these
Shrouded Stalfos, go north, and walk around the upper path to go west.

Quickly jump over the pit, walk forward a bit as not to be knocked back
into the hole, and present your Iron Shield to the Spiked Beetles.
They’ll crash into it, letting you defeat them with a stroke of your
sword.  After that, push the trampoline to the left over to the colored
tile.  Jump on it to enter 3F.  Don’t worry; we’ll finish up with the
lower floors later.  Go south to meet a Ball & Chain Solider.  Stand to
the upper-right of it and block its attack with your shield.  Then
slash its shoulder until it dies (three hits).  Or, you could just skip
it go east.  Walk forward, avoiding Armos, and open the chest.

It’s the Magical Boomerang, this dungeon’s prize!  With it, a whole new
realm of fighting is opened!  The Armos here awaken, which is the
perfect chance for you to test out your newest weapon.  If you throw it
and hold A, you can control its flight path.  It can easily destroy a
line of grass or bushes, too.  And it stuns and hurts enemies.  In fact,
two blows of the Boomerang and an Armos is killed.  How do you like
that?  After defeating all of them, try practicing with it (you’ll wish
you had done so when you reach the boss).  Try standing in one slot in
the blocks and hitting the one next to you with the Magical Boomerang.
Controlling it can be tough, but you’ll have to master it.

When you’re ready to leave, go west and fall in the hole in the
southwest corner.  You’ll fall through another hole and end up in the
second room of the dungeon on 1F.  No matter; we wanted to go back here.
From where you land, you’ll notice the magnetic orb’s position has
reset.  Pull it back down to the switch and go west.  Defeat the
onslaught of Ropes that come your way, first of all.  Then go left,
take the steps up, and go north.  Head west from there to a new room...
full of traps.  First, open the chest to the upper-right for 10 rupees.
Then bust out the Pegasus Seeds, use one on yourself, and dash through
the maze, running from blade traps and dicing up crystals as you go.
Run all the way to the end, jump onto the switch the Razor Trap is
guarding, and jump north over the impending blade traps as you run to
the door.

Here, we must use the Magical Boomerang to hit a switch around a tight
turn.  Stand against the rail, throw the boomerang, and let it turn to
pass the statues and strike the crystal switch.  A staircase to 2F
forms; ascend it.  Now we’re in the main half of 2F, the part we need
to get through to advance in the dungeon.  First, I advise decimating
the resistance, a.k.a. Gibdos.  You can do this by hitting them with
the Magical Boomerang four times, stunning them on the first hit.  Then
you have two choices.  The right leads to nothing but a trap.  Let’s go
south into a new room.  Stand against the rail and throw the Magical
Boomerang so that it hits the moving crystal switch to the right.  The
southern door opens.  Pull out the Iron Shield and walk right.
Immediately turn to face the machine spewing arrows/spears to defend
yourself with your shield.  Hold the shield in one hand and Roc’s
Feather in the other.  Keep the shield button pressed and jump backward
with Roc’s Feather, turning north when you land.  Repeat this until you
can go south.

First, send the Magical Boomerang the Spark’s way to release a Fairy.
Then hop left into the pit.  Cover yourself with the Iron Shield when
you land to keep the Spiked Beetles at bay.  Killing them or not, go
south.  Just skip over the Hardhat Beetles and take the northeastern
exit.  In here, jump onto a platform, turn left, and let the seeds fly.
Use the Slingshot to fire Ember Seeds left, right, left, right, and
left, all in close succession, to light all torches.  This creates a
staircase ahead of you.  Jump to it!  In the room you come to, you are
forced to grab a fake rupee worth 200 (but not actually giving you 200).
This causes the walls to begin to cave in (if they crush you, you die.
You’re better off saving and quitting instead of being crushed).

Give yourself a Pegasus Seed for good luck.  In the other hand, put
yourself down for Roc’s Feather.  Run.  Run like you’ve never run
before I said RUN!!!!  Leap over the spikes and turn at the end to
continue running.  Ignore conveyor belts by jumping clear over them.
If you make it, run left and open the chest for the Boss Key.  Believe
it or not, we’ve now gotten all the chests but one.  Go back to the
previous room.  It’s no longer contracting.  Use the stairs here to go
back up to 3F.  Defeat these Stalfos and go north (push the upper-left
block to open the door) to a room of Ropes.  Defeat them all and fall
into the hole to the right.  Go down and around to pick up a Small Key
from the chest, the last in the dungeon.  Now go north, bounce back up
to 3F on the trampoline, and use the Small Key to go north (use the
Fairy beneath the pot before doing so!).

                            ---------------
                            Mini-Boss: Vire
                            ---------------

It’s Vire!  He’s Onox’s loyal henchman (and a common enemy from The
Legend of Zelda for the NES).  He heard someone one trying to stop Onox,
but now he sees it’s just some kid!  He can take you.  Yeah, well, uh,
I can’t think of a snappy comeback right now, but when I do...

Vire is a pretty easy sub-boss thanks to the way Vire attacks.  He is
very standoffish, and, like in Link’s Awakening, can fly over walls to
get a better angle to attack you at.  Stand in the center of the room,
hold your sword out, and wait.  Vire will swoop in from the walls, most
likely a corner, and try to attack you.  Spin attack Vire to deal
damage.  He calls you “bully” and he “gets serious” as you fight, but
he isn’t letting up yet.  Note that you don’t have to dodge his attacks;
just slash them with your sword.  Patience is the key to victory.

Eventually, Vire changes tactics.  Now he attacks by circling around
you and firing instead of lunging at you in one swoop.  And as tempting
as it is to try to run up to him, don’t try it.  He’ll just run away
and start the process over again.  Wait for Vire to get close as he’s
circling you, use a Pegasus Seed, and charge him.  If you’re quick
enough, your slash will hit him before he can react.  Alternately, wait
for Vire to do a diagonal swoop (he does it every so often).

After several hits, Vire splits into two Keese, just like in his
appearance in The Legend of Zelda.  The Keese fly too high to hit,
which means you’ll have to jump with Roc’s Feather and slash to strike
them.  After destroying both Keese, Vire reappears.  He paid for his
overconfidence, but he’s reporting this to Onox!  He flies off, still
alive and kicking, and leaves a Fairy behind, as well as a portal.

                            ---------------

Go east after the battle.  We have nothing to do but reach the boss.
Here, jump forward down the central lane, hopefully avoiding the Razor
Traps and arrow fire.  Walk between the last two launchers and go east.
Walk up to the rolling spiky cylinders and jump over it to go left.
Jump over the next one to go right out of the cylinder zone.  Hit the
switch to the upper-right and go south.  In this room, you are
presented with two switches.  One leads to Ropes, one leads to 4F.  It
is random; try your luck at it.  If Ropes drop in from above, defeat
them and press the other switch.  Take the stairs that appear to 4F.

Floor Master alert!  May I have your attention?  Yes, there are Floor
Masters in this room.  Stay where you are and wait for four to appear.
Slash them all twice to defeat each of them.  Of course, they return
you to the first room of the dungeon, but the mini-boss portal makes
that much easier to recover from.  After killing all four, walk through
the opening in the blocks to the lower-left and walk north.  This room
is pretty simple.  Walk forward from the start; you’ll pass through the
Hardhat Beetles before they collide.  Get on the elevated tier by using
the steps.  Push the magnetic orb off this tier using the Magnetic
Gloves.  Now guide it into the enemies to open the door to the left and
clear the enemies from the room.

Exit west.  In here, defeat the Wizzrobe and Kanalet Soldiers.  Stand
against the rail to the lower-left, on the right side.  You must hit
all three crystal switches once each to turn them red.  Wait for one to
be on the right side and the other two the left to hit them.  When all
three are red, go south.  Here, fight off two Shrouded Stalfos.  Then
push the trampoline down twice and right four to five times.  When you
land in 5F, use the Magical Boomerang on the crystal switch to the
north.  Drop back down to 4F.  There’s now a staircase leading to 5F.
Use it push the block to the right over, and go forward to the Boss
Door.  Lift the jars for recovery items, brace yourself for one tough
opponent, and unlock the door.

                       +-----------------------+
                       |    Boss: Manhandla    |
                       +-----------------------+

The man-handler returns from NES obscurity.  Appearing as one of the
lamest bosses in The Legend of Zelda, Manhandla required a simple bomb
in the center of its body to blow up its four appendages.  That method
of beating it no longer works, however.  We have ourselves one of the
hardest bosses in the game, just because you have to hit it with the
Magical Boomerang.  I hope you practiced when I told you to, ‘cause
it’s time for a pop quiz.

Conveyor belts make up the floor, and you have to hit the four buds on </pre><pre id="faqspan-4">
this gigantic Buzz Blob-like creature with the Magical Boomerang, but
it works ONLY when they’re mouths are open.  Equip Roc’s Feather to one
button and the Magical Boomerang to the other (equip the M. Boomerang
to the more comfortable button).  Jump to avoid fireballs and being
dragged by the conveyor belts.  Wait by one bud for its mouth to open
and throw the Magical Boomerang at it, no fancy moves used.  Three hits
and the bud is destroyed.  Move on to a new target.  The one drawback
is that each time a bud is removed, weight is removed from Manhandla,
making it faster than before.  For this reason, it might be a good idea
to spread the damage so that you can destroy all the buds relatively
quickly in a row rather than having to contend with the speedy
Manhandla to deal three hits.

Touching Manhandla itself is extremely dangerous.  Avoid it at all
costs, lest you lose as much as four hearts.  When all four buds are
removed, Manhandla’s stem begins dashing about the room furiously.  Hit
it with the Magical Boomerang once more to stun it for a second.
Quickly hit it back with a storm of boomerang blows.  Its stem slowly
thins in the center until the core, a red diamond-shaped object, is
revealed.  Slash it once to finally end Manhandla’s reign of terror.

Take your well-deserved Heart Container and use the stairs that form to
reach the top of the tower.  Here is an Essence of Nature, Blowing Wind.
“Sweet fruit is born when pollen is carried by the Blowing Wind!”  The
Maku Tree contacts you to say that he’s gained some strength back.  As
for the Essence of Nature, he dreamt of a cemetery west of Horon
Village.  The next essence must be there.  To get there, we’ll have to
find a way across the sea.

=======================================================================
===========================Explorer’s Crypt*===========================
=======================================================================

                        +---------------------+
                        |    The Piratians    |
                        +---------------------+

Long, long ago –400 years ago to be precise – there was a queen of a
great land called Labrynna.  This queen, named Ambi, fell in love with
a sailor, one of the best in all the land.  But one day, the man she
loved sailed off and was swallowed by what they call the Sea of Storms.
Queen Ambi tried to build a great tower so that she could search for
him from the heavens, but she never found her lover, even when she left
Labrynna after a period of strife to search for him in foreign lands.
But, the sailor was not gone.  He and his crew survived in the Sea of
Storms for 400 years, their bodies withered, now skeletal.  And one day,
a young mermaid, actually a merman, swam aboard their ship and gave the
captain a Zora Scale in exchange for a strange jewel, and the scale
guided the captain out of the sea and to Holodrum.  But, as they swam
to the Eastern Coast, a storm set in, and the sailor lost his bell, one
that had been given to him by Queen Ambi, and their ship sank into the
depths of the ocean until they found themselves in a strange land known
as Subrosia.  This is the story of the Piratians, the skeletal pirates
shipwrecked in the Subrosian Seaside (by the way, we learn this story
during Oracle of Ages.  The merman was actually Link).

Warp to Horon Village and go southwest of Vasu Jewelers to find a
staircase.  Take it down.  If you’ve been following the guide, a bridge
should be made leading to the portal to Subrosia.  If not, good control
of the Magical Boomerang can easily hit the switch.  Either way, take
the portal to Subrosia.  You’ll appear by a skeleton!  Ah, but don’t
worry.  It’s not a Stalfos.  It’s a Piratian (that’s what one Subrosian
calls them), a member of Cap’n’s crew.  Take the stairs down to find
more of them.  As you can see, the Subrosian who owns this home, now
the House of Pirates, wants them out.  Talk to the right one and he
checks the drawers here in a particular order.  If we number them left
to right as 1, 2, 3, and 4, he hits them like so: 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 4, 4,
and 4.

Take the stairs down to the first floor.  Here’s the majority of the
crew, including Cap’n himself.  According to his crew, Cap’n lost a
bell given to him by a special someone, and he sent an incompetent mate
to get it, but he has yet to return.  The rest of their ship is in the
Subrosia Cemetery.  Talk to Cap’n, the pirate wit hthe hook for a hand
and a pirate’s hat, and he sees that you’re a competent adventurer.
We’ve explored ruins, after all.  Now it’s up to you.  Go find his bell.
He’s waiting!

From now on, I’m going to talk like a pirate.  Starting... now.  Exit
the ‘Ouse o’ Pirates and warp back to ‘Olodrum, land o’ seasons!  Okay,
I’ll stop!  Aye swear!  Return to Horon Village and go east of the
screen Sokra is singing in to find the Eastern Suburbs.  Go south of
there to the Eastern Coast.  Go east along it to find the crew member
they sent.  Tell him you’re looking for the bell and he runs back to
the House of Pirates.  Now, to open this gate to the desert.  Let’s say
they’re numbered, like so:

                           +---------------+
                           | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
                           | S | S | S | S |
                           +---------------+

“S” is the skull symbols on each segment of the gate.  Push each
segment in this order: 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 4, 4, and 4.  The gates lower and
you can proceed north into Samasa Desert.

Explore the desert.  Get it all down on your map.  Note the presence of
a new type of new enemy, Pokeys.  Before, there were those fiery things
that looked like Pokeys, but these are the real deal.  They’re even
green like in their first (Mario) appearance, Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA).
Hack away at each segment to defeat them.  Also, an infinite supply of
Leevers is here to attack you.  In the northeast corner of Samasa
Desert is a cave that can be blown open.  It just contains a few
Fairies to heal you.  Note that quicksand is all over the place, and
falling in it is like falling in a pit.

To get a treasure chest, go east and south of the entrance.  Fall into
the quicksand here to enter a cave.  Go down to the deep, dark water
and dive to enter an underwater cave.  Swim through it, defeating
Cheep-Cheeps as you go, to exit the cave to a staircase.  Take it up to
the southeastern screen of the desert.  Open the chest for a Magical
Ring.  We’ll get it appraised later (or will we?).  Now, hop off the
side of the ledge.

To move on in the game, go east of the entrance to Samasa Desert (that
is, east of the screen north of the gate) twice, you’ll reach the bow
of the ship.  Take the stairs down and talk to the skeleton in here.
While searching the desert for the bell, he was caught in a sandstorm.
When he awoke, he was like this – a ghost of a skeleton.  He can’t go
onto the afterlife yet!  Find him his skull to let him live on.  It’s
out rolling in the desert.  Of course, it’s located in the northeast
corner, the one with the Fairy Fountain in it.  Talk to the skull and
he’ll ask you to lift him.  Carry him around and he’ll tell you if
you’re close.  Take the skull to the screen north of the starting
screen.  Fall into the left bit of quicksand there and you and he will
fall down to the Rusty Bell.  “That’s it!  No doubt about it!”  Pick it
up.

Uh-oh...  It’s kind of rusty.  But, that’ll do.  The skeleton moves on
to the afterlife, and it’s our chance to return to Subrosia.  Go to the
bow of the ship in the desert and push the yellow block into the pit.
Walk to the staircase and take it to Subrosian Seaside.  Walk through
Subrosia Cemetery and talk to Cap’n in the House of Pirates.  After
taking a gander, he sees it’s “rusting somethin’ awful!”  Get it
polished.  OK, that’s not a problem.  Go to the Subrosian Smithy.  To
get there, go north twice, east three times, north twice, through the
cave, and west.  Welcome to the smithy.  The master sees that we hold a
bell of great value.  He has not offered to polish it, but should he?
Answer “Please” and they say “Is that how you ask for a favor?”  Say
“Do it!” and they say “Splendid answer!  Straight and to the point!
Master, do it now!”  Take it!  Treat it like an heirloom!  You got the
Pirate’s Bell!

Return to the House of Pirates.  Give Cap’n the Pirate’s Bell and he
says “That bell is full o’ memories – but that don’t mean they’re all
good!  Sniff!  Now I’m all pensive.  It’s not like me.”  Now, they’re
off to sea.  They all board the ship after repairing it (including you).
Now they start sailing (playing the music from the Sea of No Return in
Oracle of Ages for some reason).  Now, for a dramatic skit taken from
the game.  Now on Broadway!  I laughed, I cried...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Matey: Cap’n!  Desert, dead ahead!  [Ah, this is so dramatic!]

Cap’n: Hold ‘er steady!  To sea, matey!

Matey:  But it’s... impossible...

Cap’n: Fool!  It’s do or die!  We’ll make it if we give ‘er all we got!

Matey: A-Aye, aye sir!  (‘Elp us all!)  *After a few explosion sounds,
we hit sea!* We made it, Cap’n!  The sea!

Cap’n: By Jolly Roger!  Aye!  Go, mateys!  This is it!!!

Crew: AYE, AYE, SIR!!!

Cap’n: Argh!  The sea is truly me home!  My heart’s come alive!  Aye!
Sound the bell!  *Pirate’s Bell chimes*

Matey: Oooh... Uhhhhn...  I don’t feel so good...  Uhwaugh!  I been on
land so long... I... I got seasick!  Oooh...  Uhhhhn...  It’s no use!
Think about it!  We ain’t sailed since we died.

Cap’n: You call yourselves pirates?  Shameful fools!  Getting sick the
moment you set sail?  It’s...  Ooh... Uhnn...  It’s no use!  Put ‘er
ashore!

Crew: Uhhn...  Aye, aye, sir...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

And so the crew landed in Western Coast.  They’ve got to get their sea
legs back.  They’re resting here for now.  Go south and use the bridge
to go west off the ship.  Go north and east to find a chest containing
a ring.  Now go west and north.  Burn the sapling in this screen and
talk to the Old Man for 300 RUPEES!  Now enter the house outside and
take the Bombs from the chest.  Blow up the wall to the right and jump
to the opening.  Use it and go south out of this house.  Hop on the
stump and use the Rod of Seasons to call forth summer.

Return to the bridge and go south and west of it twice.  Climb these
vines to reach the Graveyard.  Ghinis will fly out at you occasionally.
They are ghosts in Zelda games, and they take four hits of the Noble
Sword.  Look around to fill your map, but ultimately you want to go
north one screen and take the stairs down to Level 7.

                      +------------------------+
                      |    Explorer’s Crypt    |
                      +------------------------+

Go north from the starting room.  Use the Magical Boomerang to defeat a
Whisp and then take down the jumping Stalfos here (they throw bones, by
the way).  Since we have no other options, head west.  Get the Magical
Boomerang ready to defeat two Whisps and stun two Stalfos as you walk
around this bend.  Go east and then north to a new room.  Go north a
room and a voice tells you to be gone before the fires are out or else.
Use a Pegasus Seed on yourself and run right to go east a screen before
the room is in darkness.  Defeat these Wizzrobes and a chest forms.
Open it for a Small Key and return to the first room of the dungeon.

Go north and use your Small Key to the east.  Here, just kill all the
Zols and Stalfos to make a chest form; open it for a ring.  Then take
the stairs to the left up and go north.  Light the two torches ahead
with the Slingshot and a Poe rises from the grave there.  It speaks.
Trying to break its curse, eh?  It won’t let you.  The ghost appears
from different sides to attack you with a sword.  Charge up a spin
attack and release when it comes at you.  Two spin attacks and it goes
down.  You won’t be so lucky next time.  Now that the curse is broken,
we can go north in peace.

Once you do, blow up the wall to the left.  You’ll find the Compass in
this chest.  Now return to the previous room.  Walk right and push the
cylinder to the left.  Now walk forward and push this cylinder to the
left (utilizing the Power Bracelet, of course).  Take the stairwell
down to B1F.  Break out of this area by defeating an Armos (use the
Magical Boomerang twice on it after triggering it) and go west a room.
Here, defeat the Zols as you climb up the steps and hit the switch.  A
trampoline appears; use it bounce up a floor (remember, you must push
it onto the blue tile first).  We can see a switch to the south.  Drop
back down and push the trampoline south twice and west once.  Jump back
on, land on the switch, and a Small Key drops.  Drop back down a floor
and claim it.

Return to the east.  Here, we must keep the switch pressed to go south.
Activate all of the Armos that you can.  At random, one will be a
statue rather than an enemy.  Push it down onto the switch (careful not
to push it against a wall) and go south.  Defeat the Stalfos here,
boomerang the Whisp, and take the stairs down into a conveyor belt
alley.  Walk forward, use the stairs to go to B2F, and take out the
Magnetic Gloves.  Set them to an S polarity and step onto the platform.
Ride it around, attacking Keese when necessary, and stand on the upper-
right tile of the platform.  At the end, use the gloves to repel
yourself to the left.  Go north afterward.  In this room, use a Pegasus
Seed on yourself, exchange the Seed Satchel for the Iron Shield, and
run over the bridge with shield raised.  You should make it before the
tiles start flinging themselves at you.  At the end, go west.

Switches are set up in this room, and they move the Armos statues.  You
want to press them so that the statues fill the green spaces.  Press
the second one down first, then the second from the right, then the
right, then the northernmost one, and then rightmost one.  Take the
Small Key that falls down and go east.  Head south and use the stairs
to return upstairs (use the magnet to hover in place until the platform
can take you back to the staircase).

Go south of here using a Small Key.  Then go east using your other
Small Key.  It’s another cursed room.  Use Pegasus Seeds to increase
your speed and use the Slingshot & Ember Seeds. to light all four
torches before the others go out.  Another Poe emerges from the
gravestone.  It’s tougher than its sister, it says.  It uses its
lantern to leave flames in its path.  Keep moving around in a circle,
charging a spin attack, and you’ll hit it twice to defeat it.  Next
time it shall leave this crypt.

Now that the curse has been lifted, we can go west twice.  Do so and
dive under the cylinders to reach a staircase.  Take these steps down
to B2F.  Go west and north.  Here, use the Magical Boomerang (it can go
through the magnets) to go far to the west so that it hits the crystal
switch as it returns to you.  This causes the magnets to rotate.  Use
an N polarity to attract yourself to the magnet ahead.  Let it set you
onto the platform and go up a bit.  Attract yourself to the magnet to
the left and quickly reverse polarities when your back is to the west
to quickly repel yourself to the magnet to the left.  Turn north
suddenly and pull yourself to it.  Repel yourself south to reach a few
trampolines.

First, bounce on the blue one.  Defeat the Stalfos here, listen to the
Zelda secret chime.  Now drop back down and bounce on the red
trampoline this time.  First things first; defeat the Whisps with your
Magical Boomerang.  Then hop across the spikes to a pit.  Fall down to
B1F and go north.  Before starting this room, use the Magical Boomerang
to hunt down and kill as many Keese as possible.  Then jump onto the
platform when it hits the lower-right corner.  Ride it around and jump
north when you can to open the chest for this dungeon’s prize.  Yep,
it’s Roc’s Cape!  This item rules!  With it, you can press and hold the
item button to jump three spaces!  When used with a Pegasus Seed, it is
more than doubled by letting you practically fly SEVEN spaces!  It is
awesome.

Go south and hover across the pit to the right.  Fall down the pit to
the lower-left to the trampolines.  Ignore them and jump south across
the pit.  Here, defeat both Kanalet Soldiers, use a Pegasus Seed, soar
across the gap, and kill the other.  A bridge forms as a shortcut.  Go
right and take the stairs back to B1F.  Head east to a room with a
trampoline.  Here, push the rightmost column of blocks to open the way
for the trampoline (upper/lower ones left, middle one down).  Now hop
over the trampoline and push it so that it’s too the lower-left of the
northwest torch.  Bounce on it through the ceiling and to 1F.  Go left,
avoid the Whisp, defeat the Stalfos, and open the treasure chest for
the Dungeon Map.  As you can see, the floors gradually become more
skull-like as you go down.

Fall back down to B1F and go north.  Take this staircase down again, go
north again, and soar over the bridge.  Go right, leap over these small
gaps, and go east.  Oh, shoot!  We’ve got to fight a few Magnites in
this room, those annoying enemies from Level 5.  Luckily, they take
only two hits thanks to the Noble Sword.  Pin them against a wall,
preferably a corner, and slash them twice to rid yourself of them.
Push the trampoline forward three times, bounce on it, and hold up on
the D-Pad slightly to land on a platform hovering over the pit.  Take
the stairs up at the end and push the magnetic orb to the far left.
Then move it down so that it hops off the ledge.  After that, go left
and jump off the ledge yourself.  Direct the magnetic orb onto the
switch to the southeast and a chest appears.  Open it for a Small Key.
Now we can truly explore this dungeon.

Go west, south twice (using the Armos switch maneuver we used earlier),
and west.  Take the stairs down to B2F and unlock the block to the
right.  Wait for the tiles to stop launching themselves as you and jump
across the platforms here to go south.  Head south again, walk across
the rails to go north.  Hop over the ledge and jump south to the door.
Defeat the Moldorms from this standpoint (three hits) before going
south.  Use a Pegasus Seed to jump right and press the switch.  Now
jump left, push the block south, and go east.

                       -------------------------
                       Mini-Boss: Amy & Margaret
                       -------------------------

These Poe sisters, just half of the fearsome foursome from Ocarina of
Time’s Forest Temple, are the mini-boss of Explorer’s Crypt.  This
would be an easy battle, but the torches slowly go out.  If all four
are extinguished, you are sent back to the first room of the dungeon.
So, it’s in your best interest to stand between them and Slingshot them
throughout the battle.  Amy, the one with the sword, will appear and
slash you, while Margaret, the one with the lantern, rushes in to leave
trails of fire.  Stand around the torches, wait for them to appear, and
slash them.  After a few hits, one of them will wimp out and explode.
Defeat the other one with a few slashes and it will promise to haunt
you, and then explodes.  Take the Fairy and note the portal here.  Now
exit to the east.

                       -------------------------

It’s a staircase maze, just like in the Black Tower in Oracle of Ages.
Here’s a guide through this room.

1) Note that Wizzrobes will be moving all throughout the room.  Take
the right set of stairs.

2) You appear in a similar room in B1F.  This time, take the
easternmost staircase.

3) Take the staircase directly to the right.

4) Take the lowest staircase available to you this time.  You’ll come
to a treasure chest containing one rupee.  Take the stairs you came by
back up a floor and use the uppermost set.

5) Take the stairs to the northwest.

6) Now head right to go down a flight of stairs.  From here, go north a
room.

In here, use the Magnetic Gloves to pull yourself to the uppermost
magnet.  When you’re back is to the west, push off against the magnet
and switch to the leftmost magnet in mid-air.  Now repel yourself north
to the platform here.  Get off quickly and jump south with Roc’s Cape.
Now hop onto the platform and jump right.  Push the upper-right block
into the hole to make a shortcut for future use.  Then jump back onto
the platform and jump north.  Enter this new room and defeat both
Wizzrobes and Stalfos to make a Small Key fall to you.  Take it, go
south, and go north through the right opening.  Use your Small Key to
go right.

In here, just hop north a room.  Take the steps down and go south.
Here, you must hit the switches in the correct order as indicated by
the number of statues.  Use a Pegasus Seed and jump south all the way
to the southernmost switch.  Press it and jump north to the uppermost
one.  Then hit the middle.  This creates a mini-bridge.  Jump off of it
and go north to a switch.  Press it to make a red trampoline form.  Hop
off the ledge and jump onto it.  Hold the D-Pad down and you’ll land on
a platform.  Jump right when you can and take the stairs to two crystal
switches.  Hit only the lower one so that both are red.  Now take the
stairs back up and ride the platform to the left side of the room.
Take the stairs down and hit both switches so that the upper one is
blue but the lower red.  The door opens; go north.  Here, defeat four
Stalfos as fireballs are shot at from the torches to make a chest
appear.  Open it for the Boss Key.

Now, return to the mini-boss room and go east.  Here goes the steps.

1) Take the easternmost staircase available.  Note that since you want
to save as much health as possible before the boss, it’s wise to jump
over Wizzrobes with Roc’s Cape.

2) Take the easternmost staircase again.

3) Go directly right.

4) Take the upper staircase this time.

5) Take the lowest staircase available.  Now walk left along this
passage to find the Boss Door.  Open it with the Boss Key and prepare
yourself for the...

                        +--------------------+
                        |    Boss: Gleeok    |
                        +--------------------+

No, wait.  You’re kidding me, right?  This boss, hailing all the way
from The Legend of Zelda for NES, finally makes a return appearance.
And in its debut game (also the debut of the Zelda series), Gleeok was
the toughest boss in the game, even (way) stronger than Ganon himself.
However, Gleeok hasn’t changed much since our last fight, but there are
two new twists.  First, there are spikes in the northern corners, and
Gleeok is in between them.  Second, Gleeok is a giant dragon with two
heads that spit fire.  To beat him, you must knock off both heads AT
THE SAME TIME.  In the original Zelda, that would’ve been hard to do
(Gleeok had anywhere from two to four heads.  Luckily, he has only two
in this game).  Still, the heads move around in a small area and use a
variety of fire-based attacks.  They either shoot a wall of it forward
in a narrow spaces, a spread attack with more range, or a scatter
attack that splits into tiny fireballs and separates.  And all of them
deal heavy damage.

Just jump around charging spin attacks and hit both heads at once if
possible.  Jump to avoid flame attacks and, after many hits, the heads
explode.  It looks you’ve won but the battle, but the war’s still on.
The battle’s considerably easier from here on out.  With its head
destroyed and skeleton revealed, it runs around like a headless chicken.
If it touches you, you’ll lose a heart.  It attacks by jumping, causing
the ground to rumble.  Then it tackles you.  Jump when it does and
slash it a few times before it jumps again.  After a few hits, Gleeok
explodes, this time for good.

Take the Heart Container that results and advance into the last room of
the dungeon to the west.  Take the seventh Essence of Nature, Seed of
Life, from the pedestal.  “Life begins anew when birds carry this, the
Seed of Life, to new lands!”  The Maku Tree is quite strong thanks to
the Seed of Life.  But this time, the Maku Tree had a dreamless slumber.
He has no earthly (pun!) clue as to where the eighth one might be.  Of
course, there’s only one region of the map we haven’t explored so far...
I’d say it’s there.

=======================================================================
=========================Sword & Shield Maze*==========================
=======================================================================

                  +--------------------------------+
                  |    Graveyard Piece of Heart    |
                  +--------------------------------+

Aside from advancing in the game and getting the best ring in it, there
is only one thing to do as an optional side quest.  First, change the
season to autumn.  Then go south of Explorer’s Crypt twice.  Enter the
cave to the east and leap over the pit with Roc’s Cape.  Push the
rightmost block up and the one to the left to the left.  Take these
stairs up to be in the graveyard in fall.  Go north and west, lift the
mushrooms to reach the upper path, and go east to a Piece of Heart.
Congratulations!  Now, let’s move onto the next dungeon.

                        +--------------------+
                        |    The Red Ring    |
                        +--------------------+

Go to the stump in North Horon where you met Din and call forth summer.
Now go west twice to Gnarled Root Dungeon and then go south to find a
staircase in the dried riverbed.  Here is an Old Man clothed in gold,
and he will give you true power if you slay the four golden beasts.
Let us find and destroy them!

Golden Kanalet Soldier: This fellow is found in spring.  Go to the
Piratian’s ship in Western Coast and go north of it to an abandoned
house.  Call forth spring and go east of Hero’s Cave to find this
legendary beast.  First, I suggest defeating both Octoroks present, and
then turn your attention to his powerful foe.  It takes 18 hits of the
Noble Sword to defeat, and it does one heart’s damage per hit.  A real
toughie, that one.

Golden Octorok: Go south of Poison Moth’s Lair to a stump; change the
season to summer.  Now go south of the portal to Subrosia in Spool
Swamp and you’ll encounter god of Octoroks, the chosen one of gold.
Defend yourself well with your shield, and slash it a total of 18 times
to kill it.  Do not knock it down a hole; that will not kill it.  If
you do, return to the screen to find it still alive and kicking.  Try
to keep it in a corner if possible.

Golden Moblin: Go to the screen right of Snake’s Remains.  You may have
to use Snake’s Remains to reach the top of it.  Change the season to
autumn, drop off the cliff, and enter the cave after picking the
mushrooms.  Open the chest here for a ring and exit.  Go west from here
to the entrance to Level 2.  If it’s fall, you can find the Golden
Moblin here.  Like the others, he requires 18 hits.  He throws spears
or shoots arrows (can’t tell, really), but then you’ve got three down.

Golden Lynel: Winter is the most unforgiving of seasons, and it has the
strongest monster.  Go to Tarm Ruins from the southern Spool Swamp
entrance and turn the season to winter.  Go west, use the snow to take
the stairs up, and go east across the pond to find the Golden Lynel.
It is the most powerful of the golden beasts, and while it takes 18
slashes like the others, it does lots of damage itself, one heart per
touch.  But, rejoice afterward, for it is the final beast!

Return to the Old Man of gold.  You have slain the four golden beasts!
Sir, you are worthy of true power.  Take it!  How you use the power is
up to you, but do not be tempted to abuse it...  The Old Man then
disappears.  Go to Vasu and appraise the ring you received.  It is the
Red Ring, and you can now do twice the sword damage while wearing it.
Of course, for the purposes of this guide, I’ll assume you’re not
wearing it, just using the Noble Sword, for the rest of the guide.  It
is certainly the best ring in the game, though.  Do not abuse it!

                     +--------------------------+
                     |    The Temple Remains    |
                     +--------------------------+

As you’ve probably noticed, there’s only one chunk of the map we
haven’t visited.  Coincidentally, the same goes for Subrosia.  And
they’re both in the same relative position on their maps (northwest
corner region).  Okay, so maybe it’s not just a coincidence.  Either
way, LET’S ROCK!

Warp to the Scent Seed tree in North Horon.  Go south, west, north,
west, north, and west.  Tada!  We’re in Temple Remains, what used to be
the location of the Temple of Seasons on Northern Peak, but now the
site of Onox’s Castle.  Defeat the two Kanalet Soldiers here and go
north to find a Ball & Chain Soldier.  Fly over its attacks with Roc’s
Cape (the most useful item ever!) and then slash it as you’re coming
down, preferably at its right shoulder.  Also, you can try to knock it
into the hole, too, but it probably won’t work.  Go east after
defeating it, utilizing your cape once again, and you’ll find two
Lynels at the bridge that once led to the Temple of Seasons.

You might’ve experienced two blue Lynels atop the Goron Mountains
before Level 4.  Red ones like this take three hits, but they can still
hurt you badly with their arrow attacks, which go through walls.
Defeat them quickly and move on to the east.  If you continue to the
east, you’ll eventually reach that impassable pit in Goron Mountains.
After getting these screens on your map, return to where you fought the
Ball & Chain Soldier.  Go west and north to find... darkness.  It keeps
us out of Northern Peak!  I guess we really do need the Essences of
Nature to get through...  Return east to screens and go north into the
Temple Remains.

First, go west.  Dig through these piles of dirt and go north past the
shrubs to reach a seemingly impassible pit.  But don’t worry; it can be
cleared with some practice.  Use a Pegasus Seed on yourself and fly
forward with Roc’s Cape.  Maneuver around the rocks and you’ll land on
the ground, able to go north, if you’re good.  If you can’t seem to do
this, you can always change the season to autumn to the east and then
walk over leaves for that part.  Go north afterward and go south after
rounding the bend.  Kill these Tektites and go south again to a stump.
Instead of using it, though, let’s go back north and then east.  Jump
the gap and walk across the snow to go south into a portal to Subrosia.

Go north of where you come to and open the cave.  Oh my gosh!  This
crazy Subrosian is throwing all sorts of great items in a pool of lava!
And we can’t get them!  He says he’s trying to set off the huge
fireworks inside.  Throw a bomb in.  Disregard the fact that the bomb
would be melted in the heat; it just works, okay?  The Subrosian
Volcanoes all start exploding in unison, and the flames are so intense
that they rise through Subrosia and rain down on the Temple Remains,
transforming it into a land full of lava and fire.  Now we can navigate
it more easily.

Return to Holodrum (use the portal to leave Subrosia) and go north.
Leap over the lava with Roc’s Feather and bomb the weak wall to reveal
a doorway.  Use it and jump across the lava here to reach a Piece of
Heart.  Exit that cave and jump east a screen.  Defeat the Kanalet
Soldiers and accompanying Crows before heading down the steps to go
south.  Destroy these Tektites and change the season to summer.  Go
east from there to find two Lynels, one of each color.  Stun them with
Pegasus Seeds from the Slingshot and then knock them into the lava.
After that, climb the vines that have somehow grown in this lake of
lava to go north.  Jump across the pieces of land in this screen to
reach the southwest end; head left a screen after doing that.  Jump
north from there and take the door.

Use the Magnetic Gloves to pull yourself between the rocks ahead.  Stop
when you reach land, reverse polarity back to N, and go right a bit.
Pull yourself down across the pit this time, and then walk along the
path to a staircase.  Take it up to a room full of Keese.  Defeat them
as you go.  Now, push the rightmost block down, the upper-left one over,
and the lower-left one down.  Walk across this “bridge” to the left
side of the room; push the lowest block up and the highest one right.
You’ll be able to reach a staircase that you can take out of the cave.

Defeat these Lynels and go west.  Take the right staircase down, as
it’s our only option at this point.  Here, walk down, beating Moldorms
and Zols as you come to them, to go west (upper route).  Jump over the
ground here, brimming with Zols, and take the staircase up and out of
here.  Now head west a screen, defeating this Lynel, and go west one
more time to reach the tallest tower of the Temple Remains.  Inside are
two Fairies and a portal to Subrosia.  Enter, young hero.  Go north of
here twice to reach a funny-looking volcano with eyes.  Believe it or
not, it’s the site of Level 8.  It’s the first and only dungeon in
Subrosia.

                     +---------------------------+
                     |    Sword & Shield Maze    |
                     +---------------------------+

The last dungeon!  You stoked?  What?  No?  How could you not be?  Well,
what do I have to do to get people excited in this guide, huh?  Say
“IT’S GO TIME!” all the time, right?  Fine!  I will!  Well, here goes
nothing...  IT’S GO TIME!

The room’s floor is iced over, making you slide when you walk.  If you
have it, I strongly recommend wearing the Snowshoe Ring (see the
“Magical Rings” section for details on that).  Go north to a room with
Whisp and Wizzrobes included.  Skip them for now and go east.  Get in
the block alley and shoot the eye statue ahead with the Slingshot (use
an expendable seed, like Scent Seeds).  A Small Key falls down; slash
your way through the jars and take it.  Now return to the previous room
and go north twice.  Well, look what the Subrosians dragged in.  We
have a few Magnites to deal with here.  Either reel those suckers in
with the Magnetic Gloves, pin them against the wall, or chase them with
Roc’s Cape until you get a good slash in.  Either way, head north after
owning them.

Two Zols are easily beaten in this room, while the Hardhat Beetle can
present some difficulty.  Blast your way into the upper row (against
the north wall), and then blow up two blocks to the left to access the
magnetic orb.  Drag it out of there and push it into the Hardhat Beetle
to defeat it, netting you another Small Key.  From there, let’s exit
east.  If you’re low on health, this is the place to be.  Boomerang the
Keese and Sparks, earning yourself one Fairy for each ball of light you
hit, and then head east, refreshed and relaxed.  Well, for a dungeon
based in the lava-filled land of Subrosia, this is strangely icy.
Slice up the Zols here and spend a Small Key on the locked block to go
downstairs.

This is just a filler room.  Walk through it, knocking Keese/Ropes into
the hole, and go south.  Keep alert and moving in this room, as a Wall
Master is present.  They’re like Floor Masters, and they attack in the
same way, but they fall from the ceiling and are unlimited in number.
Jump south over the rolling spiky cylinders to reach a staircase
leading down as swiftly as possible.  Ah, never fear, fans of Subrosia.
We have a lava-filled 2-D screen to get through.  From the ladder, jump
left along the ceiling so that you fall between the flames and onto the
platform.  Then take a deep breath and hope you don’t get hit as you
leap left a screen.  In here, we “meet” Podoboos, the living flame
enemies that jump from lava (also Super Mario Bros. enemies).  There
are three, one before and after the platform and one jumping down the
center of it.  Jump over them as quickly as possible and take the
ladder up.

We’re in a new room of B1F (don’t worry; there are only two floors),
and the dungeon truly is Subrosian in its roots (get it?  Roots?  We’re
in the basement!  Ha, it’s a pun... because trees have roots under
them...  I’ll stop now).  Hover left over the rolling cylinder when
it’s coming at you and then quickly jump upward to land on the tile
here, away from the cylinder.  When it’s rolling right, jump back to
the previous tile pair and jump left and down a few times (using normal
hops, not soaring leaps from the cape) to safe ground.  Go south of it
to a giant Razor Trap room.  Ah, but don’t worry.  They’re nothing but
petty obstacles with Roc’s Cape.  Jump over them to hit the high-flying
Fire Keese, a variation of your typical bat, and make your way to the
switch in the upper-right corner.  Hit it, jump south, and go east.

Defeat both Magnites and the other minor enemies.  Clear the jars here
for recovery items (if you need more, you can switch between the first
and second floors to raid the jars again, but the enemies will still be
dead), and then take the stairs back up to 1F.  It’s a room full of two
things: spikes and ice.  To make matters worse, Hardhat Beetles launch
themselves at you.  Remember, kickback is greater on ice, which means
you might be forced into spikes (use Roc’s Cape to get out them) or
back down the stairs.  Use the Iron Shield to flip them over, slash
them, and make your way right to this chest.  Open it for the Compass.
Oh, shoot.  There are many more chests to open in this dungeon.  We’ve
barely scratched the surface.

Go back downstairs and use your other Small Key to go east into a dial
room.  You can manipulate it to go north or south, and we want to go
south.  Go left from the steps you reach, drop off the ledge, and
reenter the dial to the east.  This time, you go to the south.  Just
skip right into the room to the east.  There’s naught but Wizzrobes and
other enemies here for us now.  In here, hop the lava and use the
stairs to return to 1F.  Slap on the Magnetic Gloves and repel the
magnetic orb.  Walk down suddenly to push the orb down, and then get
above it and push it down against the southern line of blocks.  Now
repel it away from you to the right a bit and leave it there, two
spaces south of the staircase.  We’ll be returning to this room later
to complete the puzzle.

Head west a screen and you’ll find two Whisps, the real jinxing deal,
and four Armos.  Trigger the bottom two, defeat them both with the
Magical Boomerang, and push the block they were surrounding over.  Open
the chest for... the Hyper Slingshot!  It’s this dungeon’s prize, and
quite the improvement over the Slingshot (but still no Seed Shooter,
the awesome seed-shooting item from Oracle of Ages).  At the price of
one seed, you can shoot three seeds at a time in three directions!  Now
you can really sock it to those enemies.  Now, on with the dungeon!

Head back downstairs to the east and then go west.  Stand three spaces
north of the solitary Armos and it eventually moves.  Let the Magical
Boomerang soar.  After beating it, use the staircase it was guarding to
go back up to 1F.  Walk east to be back in the magnet room; open the
chest here for the Dungeon Map.  As you’d guess, the first floor is
shaped like a shield, the basement a sword.  Now, if you moved the
magnetic orb as directed earlier (if not, you can still pull it down to
you), then you can push it right (that is, repel) two spaces.  It will
rise and hit a block.  Move it left now and it hits the switch, causing
a bridge to form.

Return to 1F and go east.  Use the stairs here to go back to the orb
room.  From the upper row, jump to the bridge and use the stairs to go
down.  Head north from here and then go west to the dial.  It should
still be orange.  Enter it and you’ll be deposited to the east.  Go
right a room and open the chest for a Small Key.  Go back to the dial,
use it to go north, and go east.  Take the steps down and pull yourself
across the lava with the Magnetic Gloves.  Now go east, slash the pots
along the south wall, and then enter the upper-right alcove.

Stand four spaces left of the middle eye statue and use the Hyper
Slingshot to hit all three at once, which makes a staircase appear.
Take it up a room full of breakable blocks complemented by two Kanalet
Soldiers (of both colors) and two Whisps.  Bomb your way through, but
be careful around the last block before the Kanalet Soldiers.  Be sure
you’re not going to be jinxed and blow the blocks up, defeating the
soldiers quickly.  Bomb the lower blocks around the chest and push the
southern block over to obtain the contents of the treasure chest – a
Small Key.  Now go back downstairs, using a Small Key on the locked
door, to go east.

                          -------------------
                          Mini-Boss: Frypolar
                          -------------------

Get it?  It’s a fiery/icy mini-boss that also controls ice, making it
both fry/polar and bipolar, which makes him Frypolar!  Oh, these puns
are hilarious!  Back on topic, Frypolar really reflects the theme of
the dungeon: ice and fire offense and defense.  Frypolar can transform
into a red flame, his fiery side, and a blue flame, his icy side.  He’s
only vulnerable while blue, and Frypolar changes periodically on his
own.  To force him into the blue flame color from the red flame color,
launch a Mystery Seed at it from the Hyper Slingshot (with three seeds
fired, it’s hard to miss).  Then, while blue, shoot it with an Ember
Seed to deal it damage.  Although hitting it is easy, Frypolar has one
trump card; it has lots of health.  It takes somewhere around 15 hits
to end Frypolar’s reign of terror in the dungeon.  The key is to keep
as far away from him as possible, as he often charges you after
becoming red, and to keep moving while he’s blue.  If you run low on
seeds, slash the shrubs for refills.  He also attacks by creating fire
walls.  In any case, you’ll receive a shortcut and a Fairy.

                          -------------------

Go north of the mini-boss room to reach a room of torches.  Stand left
of the central torch, use the Hyper Slingshot to hit the torches to the
left, hit the central torch, and hit the right three torches.  A
staircase forms when all are lit.  Take the stairs up and go north.
It’s the ice block room!  Push the lowest ice block right, the middle
ice block down, right, and up, the upper ice block left, down, and
right, the middle block (now middle) up, the left block right, up and
right, and the middle block right.  This makes a staircase form.  Take
it down to a 2-D screen.  Jump across the ice blocks, soar to the left,
and go left a screen.  This is one of those rare occasions where Roc’s
Feather would be better than Roc’s Cape, but we can get around it.  Use
a Pegasus Seed on yourself and leap across the platforms to the upper
route.   Although easier said than done, it must be.  Fly across the
Thwomps and climb the ladder to a new room.  First, hit the switch to
the lower-right.  A shortcut bridge is now made so that we can avoid
using that 2-D screen (to the left is the room we first descended the
stairwell in).

Go east of this room to a Razor Trap/Wizzrobe combination, and jump
across it to go east again.  Use the Magical Boomerang to hit the
crystal switch and extend the bridge south.  Go south a room and play
your Flute to defeat the Pols Voices to the left.  Now go south (left
door) and open the chest for the Boss Key!  We now have all the dungeon
gear!  Go south and flip down into the ice block room.  Go back south
to the mini-boss room and warp to the first room of the dungeon.  Go
north twice, hit all three statues at once using the Hyper Slingshot
(fire from the upper tier).  A chest containing an un-appraised ring
appears.  Open it and return to the ice room.  This time, we’re
continuing by using a Small Key to go west.

Go west again past these Sparks to another new room.  Bomb the
northeast wall and go north.  This Armos will move through the room in
a certain way, and you must mimic it.  I entered and exited several
times, and it is limited to a few alternate paths, which means you’ll
have to memorize the path the Armos takes over the tiles.  When you
imitate it exactly, a Small Key falls down to you.  Take it and go back
south.  Lift an icy rock (1) and go south.  Throw it into the fiery pit
to the right and it will cool the lava in B1F.  Take the stairs down to
it and walk across the cooled rock to reach a chest.  Open it for a
Small Key.  Go west, open the chest for ten Bombs, and go back upstairs
utilizing the staircase in the room to the east.

Go north and lift an icy rock (2).  Hop into the mine cart and you’ll
ride to a new room.  Use a Small Key on the lock block and throw the
crystals into the fiery pit to cool the lava below.  Now ride back in
the mine cart, pick up another icy rock (3), and get back into the mine
cart.  Drop the rock here, hit the switch, lift the rock back up, and
take the cart to the intermediary room.  Toss the icy rock into the
fiery pit and we’ll have almost cooled all the lava we need to on B1F.
Take the cart back to the room to the west and use your Small Key to go
south into a new room.  Defend yourself from the Beamos and Spiked
Beetles by jumping.  Just take the stairwell to the right back to B1F.

Go east from here and walk across the cooled lava to a staircase.  Use
it to reach a new part of the icy rock room.  Go east twice, south once,
and into the Spark-side of an old room.  Boomerang your foes and open
the chest for another Small Key.  Now that we have all the treasures of
the dungeon, it’s time to get the last ones: the Heart Container and
the final Essence of Nature.  Yes, that’s right.  We’re boss-ward bound
now.

Return to the normal part of the crystal rock room and go south.  Use
the stairs, go west, and take this set of stairs up to a new room.
Take this mine cart north into the Beamos room.  From here, take the
stairs down, go east, south, up the stairs, and north back to the ice
rock room.  Grab one (4) and hop into the mine cart.  Go south of where
you end up, carrying the ice rock, and you’ll reach the Beamos room.
Drop the crystal, take down the Spiked Beetles, grab it, and take the
mine cart south.  Chuck the ice rock into the fiery pit, completing the
lava cooling, and go back downstairs.  Go north twice.  Unlock the
block here with your Small Key, the last one of the dungeon, and go
east.  Unlock the Boss Door and let’s-a get-a ready for a rumble!

                      +-------------------------+
                      |    Boss: Medusa Head    |
                      +-------------------------+

Pull out Roc’s Cape and get in for a fight.  For those who don’t figure
out how to best hurt Medusa Head, this scuffle can be moderately hard.
For those who know, it’s still no cakewalk, but it’s easy enough
(easier than Manhandla, anyways).  Medusa Head uses several tactics to
tear you apart.  First, she has very strange patterns of movement.  She
veers around the room rather unpredictably and uses attacks at
seemingly random intervals.  Roc’s Cape is your best defense.  Medusa
Head has three variations of the fireball attack.  She either fires
five fireballs, all of which can be jumped, or many blue fireballs in a
circle that turn you to stone.  As a statue (you’re only stunned, not
gray), you’re vulnerable to her attacks.  Jump to avoid them and keep
your eyes peeled for when she turns gray briefly.  She’ll then warp to
the north wall and run her laser beams through the room.  Jump over
them to avoid this attack and all others.

Now, how do you deal damage to Medusa Head?  Well, it’s not exactly
obvious.  Fire a trio of Pegasus Seeds from the Hyper Slingshot at her
and she’ll be stunned very briefly.  Slash her quickly and resume the
battle.  You can also slash Medusa Head without using Pegasus Seeds,
but it’s harder to do.  You could just jump around with Roc’s Cape and
slash her, but the Pegasus Seed stunning might be safer.  Remember that
she always appears in the center of the room after using the laser
attack or after being hit, which sets her up for two good slashes
before you jump.  If you’re comfortable with Roc’s Cape, then use it to
deal lots of damage to her quickly.  After many hits, Medusa Head
explodes.

Take the Heart Container and go north into the tip of the sword on the
map.  Walk forward and take the eighth and final Essence of Nature,
Changing Seasons, from the pedestal.  “Scattered seeds sprout in spring,
grow in summer, bear fruit in fall and sleep through winter.  It is an
endless cycle of life... the Changing Seasons!”  Outside, the Maku Tree
contacts us even though we’re in Subrosia.  He already has all eight
Essences of Nature!  The Changing Seasons have filled him with his
former power!  He has something to give you now, and so let us return
to him in Horon Village...

=======================================================================
============================Onox’s Castle*=============================
=======================================================================

                        +---------------------+
                        |    The Maku Seed    |
                        +---------------------+

If you’ve ever visited the Maku Tree after clearing the Gnarled Root
Dungeon, you’ll have noticed that the big guy has been going through a
bit of a growth spurt.  With all eight Essences of Nature back in
effect, he’s restored to his former glory.  You’ll find the Hall of </pre><pre id="faqspan-5">
Secrets where you can use passwords from Oracle of Ages, as well as a
slew of Gasha Seeds along the path to the top of the tree.

In any case, the Maku Tree no longer needs to sleep constantly to
maintain high energy levels.  He’s awake when you arrive, and he
congratulates you on gathering all the Essence of Nature.  You are a
true hero, understanding of the essences.  You are the hope for all who
live!  He gives you a seed reflecting his powers, the Maku Seed.  It
penetrates evil forces!  With it, we can easily defeat Onox, General of
Darkness (well, it isn’t as easy I say), and free Din, Oracle of
Seasons.  But suddenly, an evil voice breaks your conversation by
saying “Some hero!!!” sarcastically.  Onox is watching you from his
castle, and he marches into the room he’s keeping Din in.  He just
dares you to come!  If you are their so-called hero, then they are
doomed!

                          +----------------+
                          |    Pit Stop    |
                          +----------------+

I’m not kidding here, the final boss of this game is the hardest you’ll
ever face in this game, and probably up there as one of the hardest
Zelda bosses ever.  I highly suggest that you purchase a Magic Potion
from Syrup, get one from a Gasha Seed, or steal one from Maple.  Either
way, you’re going to need one in all likelihood.  Furthermore, stop at
Vasu’s and pick up the Green Holy Ring, which makes you resistant to
electricity.  It seems pointless right now, but just wait until you’re
duel to the death with the General of Darkness.

                    +----------------------------+
                    |    Breaking the Barrier    |
                    +----------------------------+

Go north when you enter Temple Remains from North Horon.  Slash the
Ball & Chain Soldier quickly from the slight lower-left of it to defeat
it, and then go west and north.  The Maku Seed and the Essences of
Nature combine their powers to dispel the dark force surrounding
Northern Peak, and then the same hooded figure we saw before the
Ancient Ruins appears.  It says that all will be for naught, and it
then splits into the twin Geurdo witches, Kotate Twinrova and Koume
Twinrova.  They claim that soon the Flame of Destruction shall burn,
and then their rites will be completed!  Despite our valiant efforts,
the Evil King will return to spread darkness across the world.  They
depart, and the Maku Tree contacts us.  He figures that Twinrova must
be controlling Onox!  We must save Din before their dark designs are
realized!  Go north and defeat two Lynels, and then enter the final
tower...

                        +---------------------+
                        |    Onox’s Castle    |
                        +---------------------+

Unlike the Black Tower in Oracle of Ages, Onox’s Castle is actually a
dungeon, like a Level 9.  Of course, it’s very short, even if it does
have a Dungeon Map and all that jazz.  Right now, you have three
options – west, north, and east.  Two of them are dead-ends, but I’ll
explain them for those foolish enough to travel down these lonely roads.

EAST: A tantalizing Fairy lures you in, but the door then slams shut.
Get in a corner, hold out the Iron Shield, and wait for the tiles to
crumble when they hit it.  Afterward, take the Fairy and go west to the
first room, ‘cause you just took a wrong turn.

WEST: We have a new setup for the tiles, but it’s the same deal as
above.  The Fairy entices you in, and the tiles are meant to lay the
hurt on you.  Get in a corner, hold out the Iron Shield, and wait for
the enemy to run out of fighters.  Now take your Fairy as a prize and
go east to the first room.  Yeah, you should’ve made a north at
Albuquerque.

As you can see, the correct path lies to the north.  Defeat these
Wizzrobes and you’ll be faced with another three paths.  The eastern
and western doorways lead to the same rooms as mentioned above; go
north again (after killing all Wizzrobes).  You’ll come to a tricky
room afterward, full of Floor Masters (three in all) and Kanalet
Soldiers).  Pull out the Magical Boomerang, get into the center of the
room, and stun any Floor Masters that come at you in pairs to make
things much easier.  After destroying all of them, go north yet again.

It’s Facade!  He’s not really the mini-boss, but he might as well be.
Yep, we’re fighting this old-timer from Snake’s Remains again, only
this time he’s gotten a big promotion.  His attacks are the same as
before; it creates holes for you to fall into (just keep walking to
avoid them), it spits fireballs to rain down on you, and it can summon
Beetles to attack you.  After several hits, it explodes, releasing a
Fairy.  Go north again, and slash the pots in this room, the quiet
before the storm.  Go north one more time...

Link walks forward to find Din, but the crystal is just an illusion!
Link jumps backward to avoid a gigantic spiky ball thrown at him, and
it retracts to its source, Onox, General of Darkness.  He has
imprisoned Din, thrown the seasons into chaos, and now he will crush
you.  The battle to decide the fate of all Holodrum begins.

                         +------------------+
                         |    BOSS: ONOX    |
                         +------------------+

This is the most difficult battle of the game, and there are two phases
to this fight.  If you use the Red Ring, though, this battle can be
much easier.  It all starts simply enough, anyways.  The General of
Darkness swings his ball and chain around wildly, and he’s so large
that a few steps will put you in range of it.  Use a Pegasus Seed on
yourself and hold out your sword (it’s a good idea to face south when
holding it out) to charge up a spin attack.  While he’s swinging the
ball and chain, it’s best to keep as far away from Onox as possible,
although he is vulnerable to attack while he’s doing this (somewhat).
He will either smash it into the ground to hit you with it, and he’s
completely vulnerable as he’s pulling it back to him, or he will jump
and cause boulders to fall from the ceiling, at which point he’s
vulnerable.  But how does one hurt this behemoth?

Onox is heavily armored, and only spin attacks can hurt the titan.
Face south, charge up your sword, and run around with the Pegasus Seeds
until you’ve got a good chance to swoop in and let him taste steel.  He
has surprisingly low health, and will throw in the tower after seven
spin attacks.  Or does he?  He groans and then tells you not to think
he’s been beaten.  He drops in a new defense mechanism, Din.

The second phase of the battle is much harder.  The jewel Din is
encased in emits electricity, which means that Onox is now able to
defend himself with the crystal and hurt you when you try to attack him.
If you have it, equip the Green Holy Ring now.  It makes you unaffected
by electricity, making it ideal for this portion of the fight.  If you
use the ring, you can attack Onox just as before.  If not, you have to
juke out the crystal.  Use a Pegasus Seed and run to the south wall.
Let Onox close in on you and then run from one side of him to the other
with the Pegasus Seeds, spin attacking his body before the crystal can
move to defend it.  Onox has only one new attack, one where he sends
gale attacks at you.  Just avoid these as best you can.  After four
successful spin attacks, Onox explodes.  Walk up to Din’s crystal and
it vanishes!  The floor begins to crumble, and we reach a 2-D screen,
the site of the final showdown!

Onox is done toying with you.  He was summoned from the Dark Realm by
Twinrova, and this is his true form.  Feel the might of Dark Dragon!

The second incarnation is what makes this battle so incredibly hard.  I
hope you haven’t used your Magic Potion yet, as you’re going to wish
you had it.  The dragon is vulnerable on the crystal on its head, but
the challenge lies in reaching it.  After reviewing how to avoid its
attacks, we’ll get right into finding a way up to that gem.

Dark Dragon has a few attacks, and I’ll discuss how to avoid them first.
The Dark Dragon’s primary means of offense is its claws.  It can slam a
claw down at you with its chain-like arms.  Try to run away from it
(Pegasus Seed) to avoid being struck by this powerful attack.  Dark
Dragon may also use a sweeping claw move.  With it, he places his claw
on the floor and drags it quickly across the floor to hit us.  You
cannot jump over it, forcing you to outrun it.  Use a Pegasus Seed to
outrun the claw and hope it stops before he smacks you.

Dark Dragon may also use one of two fire attacks.  Neither is very easy
to avoid, but blue is the worst.  He fires blue flames a few at a time,
which burn above jumping level, meaning that you’re limited to one side
of the screen, and you must avoid all of them that he fires without
jumping (they remain on the screen, which is why they’re annoying).  To
avoid them easily, walk in one direction until the flame comes out of
its mouth, and then turn around and walk in the opposite direction.
Red flames are fired down at you and pass through the floor, which
means you can just dodge them normally.  All attacks Dark Dragon has do
heavy damage, and the Magic Potion is your best friend down here.

To hurt Dark Dragon, jump onto its claw after it tries to press you
down with it.  Ride it up and jump upward to slash the gem on its head.
Using a spin attack can be tricky here, but it can be done.  If you
board the claw and it slams, face the opposite claw, and jump at the
gem when it raises the claw to do another slam attack, you can spin
attack the head.  In any case, it takes between three to five spin
attacks, but it takes about 15 normal attacks!  Definitely use spin
attacks if you can.  If you’re good at the spin attack strategy, this
boss’s difficulty is drastically reduced.  If not, good luck surviving
through 15 rounds of Dark Dragon mayhem.

After striking Onox in his true form for the last time, he speaks his
last.  Though you may kill him, you have failed!  His orders were to
capture Din and deliver the destructive power of a season-less land to
Twinrova.  Now, as the Flame of Destruction, that power is set to
devour this land!  He dies laughing, and his body sinks below the
ground in that hideous pose of death.  Din’s crystal drops down to you;
walk to it and Din is finally freed!  HUZZAH!  She thanks you, and
points out that the seasons should return to normal now that she is
free.  We see the lands change to the normal season.  Bipin & Blossom
and the painter can now admire spring.  Blaino and Ricky are fighting,
Ghinis of the Graveyard are now happy, and all is back to normal.  The
trials you have faced to collect the Essences of Nature have made you a
true hero!  Soon, new trials will sweep up away, but the Oracles shall
always watch over you in secret.  And so, you return to Horon Village.

Meanwhile, we see a red flame with the image of Link and Din in it, and
we see it is Twinrova.  Onox has fallen, but the damage he has done to
this land burns on in the Flame of Destruction!  Soon, their dreams
will be realized.  Now let the credits roll!

We see Din return to Horon Village to meet with the Maku Tree, and Impa
finally leaving the refuge.  Everyone comes from all over to see Din
back, even Subrosians, Gorons, and Talon.  And in the last scene, we
see the sun setting behind the Maku Tree.  After that, you receive the
Secret to Labrynna, which can be used to continue this quest in Oracle
of Ages, and you get to save the game.  Impa has left for Labrynna
after receiving a letter from a homing pigeon.  Perhaps all is not well
there...

CONGRATULATIONS!  You beat the game.  But, there’s still plenty to do
in Oracle of Seasons, and you can also explore post-Onox Holodrum.  If
you have Oracle of Ages, you still have lots of secrets to get, and you
haven’t truly beaten the game until you foil Twinrova’s plot.  As the
game says: “To be continued in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
   _________________________________________________________________
  /                                                                 \
 /                                                                   \
||----------------------------Section 3*-----------------------------||
 \                                                                   /
  \_________________________________________________________________/

=======================================================================
========================Linked Games & Changes*========================
=======================================================================

One of the big things in the Oracle games is their connectivity; you
can use passwords from one in the other to unlock secret events, items,
and an alternate ending.  To really experience Oracle of Seasons, you
have to do it with passwords.  It greatly enhances the game with many
useful items and interesting side quests.  As you may know, defeating
General Onox in the final battle unlocks the Labrynna Secret to make a
linked game.  Well, defeating Veran, the antagonist of Oracle of Ages,
unlocks the Holodrum Secret.  Using it when you make your file, you can
continue your original quest from Labrynna.  This changes the game
quite a bit, for the best, really.  Here are the differences in a
password game.

        +-----------------------------------------------------+
        |    Differences Between Linked & Non-Linked Games    |
        +-----------------------------------------------------+

- You’ll start off with the same name as you had in Oracle of Ages.
Also, you start out with your sword.  Additionally, you begin the quest
with 4 Heart Containers instead of the usual three.

- The name you gave to Bipin & Blossom’s child will be the same.  He
will now be a man with a career, and you can reap a reward from him
depending on his career path.

- You will have the same animal partner as you had in Oracle of Ages,
regardless of how you play the game.

- Several scenes are changed to include Twinrova in them, such as the
introduction.

- Maple now flies a flying saucer, making her faster.

- Several new characters have appeared to give passwords.

- Queen Ambi appears all over the game.  Apparently, Nayru sent her to
the present age to go on an eye-opening quest in Holodrum.  She even
meets Cap’n, and they have their heartfelt reunion and another good-
bye...

- The most significant change to the game is the relocation of the
Pyramid and Square Jewel necessary to open Tarm Ruins before Level 6.
They are now obtained in the following manners:

Pyramid Jewel: Enter the cave west of Holly’s House in Woods of Winter.
Swim to the chest and open it to see... Vire!  He’s the mini-boss of
Ancient Ruins, the dungeon he is keeping you out of.  As Onox’s loyal
henchman, he must guarantee that you don’t reach him, and so he hides
the Pyramid Jewel atop the ledge here.  How will we ever reach it now?
Go to Sunken City, south of Syrup’s Potion Shop.  Dive down in the
patch of water to the south and you’ll swim to a cave that leads to
Sunken City.  The Pyramid Jewel is right on this ledge.  Take it and do
an obnoxious victory dance, ‘cause Vire just FAILED!

Square Jewel: Why they changed this one, I do not know.  Go to where
you met Din in North Horon and call forth summer.  From here, go south
and west.  Bomb the rocks here and take the opening to reach a chest
containing the Square Jewel.

- Since we have the sword already, there’s no reason to get it in
Hero’s Cave.  As a result, Hero’s Cave has been redesigned to be an
extremely difficult mini-dungeon, but it has a worthwhile reward.  See
“Hero’s Cave” for details on it.

- There is now an alternate ending.  You learn from Impa that Zelda has
been kidnapped by Twinrova as the final step in their rites, and Din
and Nayru, the two Oracles, can transport you to the Room of Rites
before the Maku Tree to stop Twinrova’s sinister ritual, to defeat the
final boss...

- After Level 2, Snake’s Remains, Impa informs you that Zelda left
Hyrule on her own (apparently to warn Link that she saw a shadow attack
him in a dream), and we must look for her!  She isn’t safe alone!  From
where you meet Impa in North Horon (right by her refuge), go north a
few times to find Great Moblin south of the Scent Seed tree, mugging
Zelda because she looks rich.  Defeat his four Moblin cohorts, two of
which are swordsmen and two of which are archers, and Great Moblin
scrams.  Zelda rewards you with the Blue Joy Ring, and then stows away
in Impa’s Refuge until her next big role in the plot.

- If you beat a Linked Game, you will get the Hero’s Secret at the end
instead of the Labrynna Secret.  If you use it to start a file, the
only difference is that you start with four hearts instead of three.

And there you have it – the differences between playing a password game
and playing a normal game.  It really should be tried if possible; the
alternate ending is great.

=======================================================================
============================Linked Secrets*============================
=======================================================================

Aside from the passwords, there are also many individual passwords.
When you play a password game, new characters appear in places they
previously were not.  Talk to them and they will give you a password.
Then, in the other game, you can give it to Farore, Oracle of Secrets
(living inside the Maku Tree after he grows a bit; the Hall of Secrets
is open after Level 2), or other recipients, to trigger events or
receive items.  In more detail, the cycle works like so (assuming
you’re taking secrets to an Ages game).

1) Beat Onox in the final boss fight and you’ll receive the Labrynna
Secret.

2) In Oracle of Ages, start up a new file and select “Secrets.”  Input
the Labrynna Secret.  You will now begin a file with the same name as
you had in the Oracle of Seasons (see the above section for a list of
those differences).

3) There will be several new characters in the Ages game that aren’t
normally there.  Talk to them and they’ll give you secrets directed at
someone in Oracle of Seasons.

4) Return to Oracle of Seasons and talk to the person that the
passwords were meant for.  Give it to them and they’ll give you a new
item.  After receiving the item, talk to them again for another secret.

5) Take the new secret back to your Oracle of Ages file and give the
new password to Farore, Oracle of Secrets, inside the Maku Tree (use
the door in her trunk to find her).  She will give you the upgrade/item
that your other file got.  You cannot transfer rings this way, though.
To transfer rings, talk to the Red Snake at Vasu Jewelers and use that
secret to transfer the ring.

And that’s how the password system works, but below I’ll outline how
each individual password works – who to get it from, who to give it to,
and what you get from it.  Password names come directly from the game.
There are two ways to get each upgrade/item from secrets – from the
characters (step # 4) or by using the return secret (step # 5).  I’ll
list the fourth step first, and then list the other secrets for # 5.

                  +--------------------------------+
                  |    Direct Secret-Collecting    |
                  +--------------------------------+

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Name of Secret

Received From (Ages/Seasons):

Given To (Ages/Seasons):

Reward & Process:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Above is the setup to this section, and below is the actual list.  In
this section, I cover what secrets can be gotten in the Ages game, how
they’re used in Seasons, and then tell you to use a return secret to
transfer the upgrade to your Ages file.  It’s the main method for
obtaining upgrades in Seasons, but an alternate method in Ages.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Holodrum Secret

Received From (Ages): Nobody, really.  You get this after defeating
Veran in the final battle in the highest chamber of the Black Tower.
You’ll have to sit through the credits, though.

Given To (Seasons): Again, not a soul.  Enter this at the beginning of
the game, when making your file.  You have to enter this under the
secret option when creating a new file, and it cannot be given to
Farore or anyone else.

Reward & Process: This time you play through Oracle of Seasons, it’s in
a linked game.  It’s the first step toward getting passwords, and
you’ll find a lot of info about this secret in particular in “Linked
Secrets.”  This secret cannot be transferred back to Ages.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hero’s Secret

Received From (Ages/Seasons): You don’t receive this from any person,
but instead by beating the final boss in a linked game of either game.
They’ll show it after the credits.

Given To (Ages/Seasons): Actually, this can be used in Ages or Seasons.
It’s used to start a new file (called a “main-linked” game), in which
Link has four hearts instead of three (only difference).  Use it in the
password option when creating a new file.

Reward & Process: Like I said, you use this to start a new file in
which Link has four hearts instead of three.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ring Secret

Received From (Ages): Talk to Red Snake, who lives in the red vase in
Vasu Jewelers (Lynna City, present).  He’ll give you this useful secret
if you request it.

Given To (Seasons): Talk to Red Snake, who lives in the red vase in
Vasu Jewelers (Horon Village).  Let him hear this little number to get
the reward.

Reward & Process: This secret enables you to trade rings between your
Oracle games.  Without it, you could never get such rings as the First
Gen Ring, the Blue Ring, or the Armor Ring L-3, to name a few.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Clockshop Secret

Received From (Ages): An old woman shows up by the Ember Seed-bearing
tree south of Lynna City (present age) after you’ve cleared the Skull
Dungeon; she tells you to give the secret she’s about to tell you to a
friend of hers beneath the clock shop in Horon Village.

Given To (Seasons): Use the Shovel to dig behind the Clock Shop in
Horon Village to uncover a flight of stairs.  There’s an Old Man down
there; he will take the secret given to you from the “old hag.”  In
that case, you may take his test...

Reward & Process: Agree to be tested and 12 beasts appear.  Slay them
all in 30 seconds without being slain yourself and you shall prove your
strength.  It should be pretty easy to do, and you may try again if you
fail to meet the time limit.  He decides that the old hag has chosen
well, and he decides to aid you in your quest by strengthening your
sword.  You get the Master Sword (L-3 Sword)!  With its legendary power,
your sword is two and a half times stronger than the Wooden Sword.  The
Old Man also gives you a return secret to transfer the upgrade to
Oracle of Ages.  By the way, if you only had the Wooden Sword when you
did this, you’ll only get the Noble Sword.  But, the trade sequence
upgrade will be replaced by the Master Sword; it all equals out in the
end.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith Secret

Received From (Ages): Once you’ve beaten Smog in the Crown Dungeon in a
linked game, a Subrosian standing by the Mystery Seed-bearing tree in
Rolling Ridge comes out.  Talk to it; the Subrosian says that the best
defense is a good offense, and he’d like to share with you the one
thing you must know to survive.  He’d also like you to tell it to the
master at the Subrosian Smithy.  Send the master his regards!

Given To (Seasons): Tell the secret to the master at the Subrosian
Smithy and he’ll say “Close enough.”  They decide to help you out in
terms of defense, but they don’t abide by the “the best defense is a
good offense” line of thought.

Reward & Process: They give you the Mirror Shield!  It’s the best
shield in the game (L-3), and it blocks many attacks, including lasers
from Beamos.  The master also gives you a return secret to transfer the
amazingly fine shield to Labrynna.  Note that you can’t get this if you
have no shield at the time.  If you only have the Wooden Shield when
getting this, you’ll receive the Iron Shield instead.  But, you’ll get
the Mirror Shield from Hard Ore shield-forging.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pirate Secret

Received From (Ages): There’s a girl in South Shore, south of Black
Tower and northwest of Rafton’s house, you should talk to after nabbing
the Essence of Time in the Wing Dungeon.  She wants to share the secret
of luck with an unlucky guy who went to Holodrum.  His luck is so bad
that he could end up a bag of bones.

Given To (Seasons): When Cap’n left the House of Pirates, he left two
sailors on the upper floor behind accidentally.  One sailor blames his
own bad luck for the ship sinking and being left behind.  If only he
had known the secret to good luck...  Let him in on the secret and
he’ll be ecstatic.

Reward & Process: But then again, by telling him the secret to luck, it
seems that your luck has run out.  Prove that you’re still lucky by, oh,
I don’t know, collecting 777 Ore Chunks!  Dig around until you get just
that many (if you go over, buy something from the Subrosia Market), and
then talk to the formerly unlucky sailor.  Yep, you’ve still got it,
and he thanks you for reversing his fortunes by giving you a Bomb Bag
upgrade!  You can now carry 50 bombs instead of 30.  And with the
return secret, you can be lucky in Labrynna, too!  If you had the
beginning Bomb Bag, the one that can only carry 10, when you got this,
you’ll only get the 30-bomb upgrade.  But, the best upgrade can still
be gotten from what’s normally the middle one – buying it in Subrosia
Market.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Deku Secret

Received From (Ages): When you’ve cleared Spirit’s Grave, a Deku Scrub
that isn’t normally in Deku Forest appears (he’s against the west side
of the map).  The Deku Scrub just loves the newest, hippest song: “Love
the Seed!”  It’s just so good!  He’ll tell you the next part if you’d
like, and request that you let a Deku Scrub living near Sunken City
know about it.  He would just love it!

Given To (Seasons): In Natzu Prairie is a Deku Scrub in a cave.  It
can’t remember the ending to its favorite song.  It goes “Love, love
the seed!”, but what comes after that?  Tell it the secret and it all
comes rushing back.  Love, love the seed!

Reward & Process: First, the Deku Scrub wants you to return to it with
your Seed Satchel full with each type of seed (50 Ember Seeds, 50
Mystery Seeds, etc.).  Then talk to it to increase the number of seeds
you can carry; it rises all the way to 99!  Yeah, that’s what I’m
talking about!  You can also transfer the upgrade.  If you haven’t
already bought the bigger Seed Satchel from the secret shop beneath
Horon Village, you’ll only be able to carry 50 seeds.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ruul Secret

Received From (Ages): Right after you’ve beaten the Wing Dungeon, Mayor
Plen’s kindly old mother (or at least it looks that way) moves in with
him.  Ha, ha!  He lives with his mom!  Anyways, she’s glad she ran into
the savior of Holodrum, and it’d be great if you could run over to
Horon Village and tell the mayor there, named Ruul, the secret she
tells you.

Given To (Seasons): Our target?  Mayor Ruul, the resident Gasha fanatic
of Horon Village (he’s giving Bipin a run for his money).  He’s happy
to hear from his old Labrynnian friend, so much so that he feels like
resizing your ring box.

Reward & Process: He makes it so that you can carry even more rings!
It’s the L-3 Ring Box!  It can hold up to five rings at once.  If you
didn’t have the L-1 Ring Box, he gives it to you instead.  Didn’t have
the L-2 Ring Box and he gives it to you in its place.  This makes the
other ring box upgrades (from Vasu and the isolated red Goron in Goron
Mountain) move up in number of rings they give you.  Oh, and don’t
forget the return secret he tells you.  It’s the key to carrying more
rings with you in Labrynna.  The L-3 Ring Box – for the hero on the go!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Graveyard Secret

Received From (Ages): A Ghini appears outside Syrup’s Potion Shop in
Yoll Graveyard once you’ve taken the first Essence of Time from
Spirit’s Grave.  First, he asks if you believe what you see.  Answer
“Yes” (the ghost IS right there, right?) to learn a secret.  There is a
Graveyard in Holodrum...  In it is a single grave with no flowers...
Tell the one within the secret he will shortly tell you...  And I will
stop talking like this...

Given To (Seasons): South one screen of Explorer’s Crypt, dig in front
of the grave with no flowers to unearth a staircase.  Descend down it
and speak with the Ghini here.  He will give you the life he no longer
has... if you can pass a test.  After all, you seem sure of your
judgment, claiming that some Ghini from Labrynna sent you...

Reward & Process: Red and blue copies of the Ghini will appear and then
disappear.  It’s up to you to count them and then say which there were
more of – red or blue.  If you’re able to pass the test three times,
you’ll be rewarded with another Heart Container!  Now that was easy!
Better yet, you can transfer it to Oracle of Seasons with a return
secret!  It’s like a two-for-one special for crying out loud!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Biggoron Secret

Received From (Ages): Along the northern edge of the Labrynnian map,
there’s an abandoned cave atop Rolling Ridge.  Once you’ve beaten Crown
Dungeon, it becomes occupied by a Goron.  He says that it takes a
skilled Goron to forge the legendary two-handed sword.  It is said that
such a Goron, as big as a mountain, exists in Holodrum.  Affirm that
this is true and he’ll ask you to take a secret to the giant.

Given To (Seasons): Biggoron watches over Goron Mountain.  Once you’ve
given him Lava Soup, talk to him.  He’ll take your secret, as he’s
always wanted to know how to forge the legendary sword, and he’ll get
started right away.  First, Goron Steel...

Reward & Process: Huzzah!  The Goron’s Great Sword is finished!  It was
created in the same way that the Gorons of old forged their swords.  In
any case, it’s a very powerful weapon that must be held with both hands
(in other words, you cannot hold two items at once).  He also lets you
in on another secret – a return secret.  With it, you can use the
Biggoron’s Sword in Labrynna, too.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subrosian Secret

Received From (Ages): Once you’ve beaten Crown Dungeon, a Subrosian
moves into Rolling Ridge.  It inhabits a cave one screen south of the
northeast corner screen.  Talk to him and he’ll feel as though he must
help you as best he can.  He claims that his brother is a Subrosian
living in the Subrosian Volcanoes region of Subrosia, and that
furthermore you should tell him the secret he’s about to give you if
you’d like a nice reward.

Given To (Seasons): From the Woods of Winter portal to Subrosia, go
south once and west next to find a cave.  Enter to find a golden
Subrosian in a grassy cave.  Let him hear the secret report and he’ll
make small chat about his brother doing well in Rolling Ridge.  Then he
challenges you to a little game.

Reward & Process: He wants you to cut all the grass in the room, but he
wants you to do it with your Magical Boomerang, and in only three
throws.  Now, he’s a nice guy, and he will give you a second chance if
you fail, but you want to win eventually.  It can be tough, but I
suggest shooting the boomerang forward along the edge, moving right a
bit and cutting down a row of grass at least two spaces to the right,
and then coming back to cover the middle.  Tough indeed, but you’ll
eventually win, and winning earns you Bombchus!  Now don’t get me wrong,
I think they’re alright, but Syrup sells them for a really high price.
You shouldn’t buy much.  Back on track, they cost 20 rupees per Bombchu,
which is pretty steep.  They are simply mobile bombs based off rats,
and aren’t worth it, really.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Diver Secret

Received From (Ages): You’ll find a diver on the surface of Zora
Village (present age).  He’s the senior pupil of the Master Diver in
Sunken City, and he’d like you to relay his secret to your mutual
master.

Given To (Seasons): To Master Diver!  Talk to the old coot in his house
(right at the entrance of Sunken City) and let him hear the progress
report.  Isn’t it great having pupils scattered all around the world?
But, to the matter at hand.  He’s in a good mood, and so he’s devised a
test for you to take.  Simply swim through his obstacle course in under
30 seconds.  To get this prize, you must prove your pupil-hood.

Reward & Process: Take the stairs down and get through this obstacle
course as quickly as you can.  Beat a time of 30 seconds and you’ll end
up getting a nice prize... a ring.  Get it appraised at Vasu Jewelers;
it’s a Swimmer’s Ring.  It makes you swim faster, but a pupil of the
Master Diver barely needs it.  It cannot be transferred with a return
secret, but you can always use the Ring Secret if you want it in Oracle
of Ages.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Temple Secret

Received From (Ages): Upon defeating the boss of Wing Dungeon and
claiming the Essence of Time there as your own, a Great Fairy appears
over the rubble that was Ancient Cave (which is the present age name
for what used to be the Wing Dungeon).  She is intrigued that you’ve
come to Labrynna, and would like you to tell her friend a secret.  She
lives behind a waterfall in the Temple of Seasons.  Thanks in advance.

Given To (Seasons): Go to the chamber of the Temple of Seasons that the
Season Spirits gave you the Rod of Seasons in.  See that waterfall?
Walk right into it.  You’ll pass through to a new room, one that
another Great Fairy inhabits.  She listens to the secret and then
thanks you in the only way Zelda characters can – with goods.

Reward & Process: She gives you a Magical Ring and suggests that you
appraise it at Vasu Jewelers.  It turns out to be the Heart Ring L-1,
which slowly restores your health as you walk.  Pretty nice, hmm?  Well,
you could do better, really.  Since there’s no return secret, you’ll
have to use a Ring Secret if you have any hopes of using this in Oracle
of Ages.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

And that’s all there is to know about getting secrets in Oracle of Ages
and using them in Oracle of Seasons.  Moving on, there is one other way
to get these upgrades, some the only way to get them, and that’s
through return secrets in Oracle of Ages.

                  +--------------------------------+
                  |    Return Secret-Collecting    |
                  +--------------------------------+

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Name of Secret

Received From (Ages/Seasons):

Given To (Ages/Seasons):

Reward & Process:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Above is the setup to this section, and below is the actual list.  In
this section, I cover what secrets can be gotten in the Seasons game,
how they’re used in Ages, and then tell you to use a return secret to
transfer the upgrade to your Seasons file.  It’s the main method for
obtaining upgrades in Ages, but an alternate method in Seasons.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Labrynna Secret

Received From (Seasons): Once you have finally rescued Din from Onox,
General of Darkness, the credits play and all is good.  At the end,
you’ll see this secret displayed.

Given To (Ages): Once more, nobody receives this secret.  Instead, you
must enter it when making a file.  Select the secret option and fill
out the long script.  When done, pick “OK.”

Reward & Process: You begin a linked game, which differs from normal
ones in several ways.  Check out “Linked Secrets” of my Oracle of Ages
guide to learn exactly how it differs.  But, the thing to remember is
that you’re continuing your quest in Labrynna, and residents of
Holodrum/Subrosia might pop in from time to time.  Well, mostly
Subrosia.  Also, for your information, this has no return secret,
although you need to it to collect many secrets as it is.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hero’s Secret

Received From (Ages/Seasons): You don’t receive this from any person,
but instead by beating the final boss in a linked game of either game.
They’ll show it after the credits.

Given To (Ages/Seasons): Actually, this can be used in Ages or Seasons.
It’s used to start a new file (called a “main-linked” game), in which
Link has four hearts instead of three (only difference).  Use it in the
password option when creating a new file.

Reward & Process: Like I said, you use this to start a new file in
which Link has four hearts instead of three.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ring Secret

Received From (Seasons): Talk to Red Snake, who lives in the red vase
in Vasu Jewelers (Horon Village).  Let him recite this little number to
get the secret.

Given To (Ages): Talk to Red Snake, who lives in the red vase in Vasu
Jewelers (Lynna City, present).  He’ll perform a most valuable service
for you after listening the code.

Reward & Process: This secret enables you to trade rings between your
Oracle games.  Without it, you could never get such rings as the
Subrosian Ring, the Red Ring, or the Sign Ring, to name a few.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
K Zora Secret

Received From (Seasons): While most would think that a not single Zora
inhabits Holodrum, there is one to be found in Hero’s Cave of a linked
game.  The Zora is in one room of Hero’s Cave reachable after Level 3.
He’s searching for a new domain, but has not yet found one exceeding
Labrynna’s seas.  The secret he gives you serves as his report.

Given To (Ages): Let King Zora (Zora Village, present) hear this report.
He’ll thank you for relaying it to him and reward you with a nice prize.

Reward & Process: He decides to sharpen your sword!  It becomes the
Master Sword, L-3, two and a half times as strong as the Wooden Sword!
Note that if you did not have the Noble Sword at the time, you’ll only
be rewarded with the Noble Sword.  But, the Broken Sword in the trade
sequence will become the Master Sword in its place.  King Zora will
also teach you the secret to sharpening your blade in Holodrum, a
return secret.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Library Secret

Received From (Seasons): A ghost gives this to you from within the
house north of the Piratian’s ship in Western Coast, the one that’s
normally uninhabited that leads to the stump in the coast.  The ghost
appears as soon as you can reach the house.

Given To (Ages): This is for the mysterious Old Man in the Eyeglass
Isle Library that gives you the Fairy Powder (past), the one you need
the Book of Seals to reach.  It’s a bit of a hassle reaching him, but
that’s how it goes.

Reward & Process: The Old Man bribes you to keep that secret quiet by
giving you the L-3 shield, the Mirror Shield!  The ghost says that he
worked in Labrynna’s library long ago, and since he heard the secret,
he has become this...  Did the Old Man whack him?  Regardless, we got
the Mirror Shield through blackmail.  Huzzah!  The Mirror Shield can
block many more attacks than the Iron Shield, such as the lasers of
Beamos.  It even matches your Master Sword.  You can use a return
secret to get it in Seasons, too.  Remember that if you only had the
Wooden Shield when you used the secret, you’ll only get the Iron Shield.
But, the Tokay who would normally give you the Iron Shield will give
you the Mirror Shield instead.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Troy Secret

Received From (Seasons): After taking the third Essence of Nature from
Poison Moth’s Lair, a man appears in Eastern Suburbs by Guru-Guru (the
organ man).  Talk to him, the senior pupil of Dr. Troy in Labrynna, and
he’ll request that you send this report to his teacher.

Given To (Ages): Dr. Troy left his home in Lynna City to study the
Gorons in Rolling Ridge.  Let him hear the report and he’ll be pleased
that his pupil is studying biology in Holodrum.  He’ll even reward you.

Reward & Process: But he won’t let you get this prize that easily.
He’ll force you to play Target Carts until you hit all twelve targets
in one game with the Seed Shooter.  It can be difficult, but you’ll
accomplish it with a bit of practice.  Just remember not to shoot
unless you’re sure you’ll make a hit, as you can’t shoot two seeds at
once, and seeds take a while to disappear if you miss.  After proving
yourself a worthy gamer, Dr. Troy rewards you with a nifty little
device called the Bombchu!  Plus, he gives you a return secret to get
it in Holodrum.  Bombchus, which first appeared as items in Ocarina of
Time, are rat-like, mobile bombs that keep going after you fire them,
making them a tad unpredictable.  Plus, they’re really pricy.  It’s 20
rupees per Bombchu, sold at Syrup’s Potion Shop in Yoll Graveyard.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tingle Secret

Received From (Seasons): There is a cave in the Woods of Winter, right
of Snake’s Remains, that’s normally empty.  In a linked game, there’s a
fairy inside once you’ve beaten Snake’s Remains.  She wants you to tell
a secret to a man who thinks he’s a fairy in Labrynna.

Given To (Ages): Give this to Tingle, the man who gives you the Island
Chart on the rim of Lynna Village (north of South Shore).  When he
hears your secret, he decides that you must be way cooler than him, and
so he decides to give you a nice reward.  After all, only select people
are cooler than Tingle.

Reward & Process: The fairy-obsessed Tingle lets you carry many seeds –
up to 99 of each!  He also lets you transfer them to your Seasons game
with a return secret.  Note that if you did not get the previous Seed
Satchel upgrade (also from Tingle), you’ll only be raised to 50 seeds,
but the next upgrade you get from him goes up to 99.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Symmetry Secret

Received From (Seasons): In a linked game, you’ll find a girl in
Holly’s House who isn’t normally there.  She appears after you’ve
cleared out Snake’s Remains.

Given To (Ages): The authors of her favorite book were two twins who
lived in Symmetry City ages ago, and she wants to tell them a touching
secret, but she fears that they’re dead by now.  Go to Symmetry City
(past age) and enter the central house, the one housing the Tuni Nut.
Talk to the girls here and they’ll be amazed that others know the
strength of symmetry, too.

Reward & Process: For letting her know that secret, she readjusts your
ring box to hold five rings!  Now you have the L-3 Ring Box!  If you
don’t have a ring box, she gives you the L-1, and if you only have the
L-1, she gives you the L-2.  However, if this does happen, the other
upgrades can be gotten from the secret shop beneath the Lynna City
(present) shop and from talking to Vasu.  Of course, they also give you
a return secret.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fairy Secret

Received From (Seasons): Pay a visit to the woman at the fountain south
of the Clock Shop in Horon Village.  She saw your statue in Lynna City
and just had to meet you.  To commemorate this occasion, she teaches
you the secret to happiness, the same one she learned from the three
fairies in Fairies’ Woods in Labrynna.  Note that the woman appears
after you’ve met with the Maku Tree.

Given To (Ages): To become even happier, she recommends you tell it to
the fairies in the woods (present age).  Head over there and track down
the blue fairy.  She (for I assume it’s a she) will make you happy, too.

Reward & Process: You get a Heart Container!  Now that’s happiness in a
nutshell!  And you can use a return secret to carry it over to Oracle
of Seasons.  Happiness all around!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Elder Secret

Received From (Seasons): After giving Biggoron his Lava Soup, a red
Goron appears in Goron Mountain, right outside the entrance to the cave.
As it turns out, this Goron is descended from the Goron Elder, one that
watched over Rolling Ridge long ago.  While reading his diary, this red
Goron learns that he came to Goron Mountain from Rolling Ridge many
years ago to begin the Goron population there.  There’s a series of
symbols in his diary, and he wants to know what the secret is.  He’d
like you to research its meaning.

Given To (Ages): Go to see the Goron Elder in the past age (on Rolling
Ridge).  He’s all over the place in that game, planting Bomb Flowers
supposedly, but you’ll find him in the Goron Gallery (sword baseball
kind of mini-game in the past age, where Target Carts is in the
present).  Give him the secret and he’ll thank you.  It’s a secret that
he will pass down through Goron generations.  What could it be?

Reward & Process: In thanks, he’ll give you Biggoron’s Sword... at a
price.  You being a weak Hyrulean, you might be not strong enough to
wield the blade.  To test you, he has you play the Goron Gallery mini-
game.  Get 300 points and the sword is yours.  If your Fairies are
lined up correctly, this can be done with relative ease, but it may
take you several tries.  Either way, the Biggoron’s Sword must be
wielded with two hands (meaning you can’t use any other item while
using it), and it’s very powerful with a wide range.  But, the Master
Sword is better, in my opinion.  Either way, you can transfer this to
Holodrum with the return secret he gives you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tokay Secret

Received From (Seasons): After defeating the Great Moblin at his keep
in Natzu Prairie, head on over to Sunken City.  Visit Great Moblin in
the usually abandoned house in the southeast corner (you can even bomb
the pile of bombs they’re making to forcefully evict them from the
house, but be sure to run out of the house before it explodes).  After
doing this, a Moblin appears in the Ruined Keep.

Given To (Ages): The Moblin heard a rare secret in connection to the
Tokay, the race of creatures residing on Crescent Island in Labrynna.
Go to Crescent Island (present age) and enter the Wild Tokay Museum,
the cave where the Wild Tokay mini-game is located in the past age.
And that’s the legendary Wild Tokay secret!  He wants you to help
resurrect the game so that Tokay of today’s generation can play it, too!

Reward & Process: And to do that, you’ll be the first person to play
the game in many, many years.  You must win the Wild Tokay mini-game,
throwing the meat to Tokay on both sides.  It’s pretty simple, and you
can try again if you lose.  Upon winning, you receive the bigger Bomb
Bag, which can hold up to 50 Bombs at once!  If you didn’t have the
upgrade to hold 30 yet, you’ll receive it instead (but you can still
get the 50 bag from the fairy in Talus Peaks).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Plen Secret

Received From (Seasons): After you’ve added the blessing of an autumn
breeze to the Rod of Seasons, a golden Subrosian appears in Lava Lake.
Mayor Plen of Lynna City has done so much for him, but he’s too
embarrassed to thank him in person.  Could you tell him the secret?

Given To (Ages): Go see Mayor Plen in Lynna City (present age).  The
secret comes from the oddly dressed out-of-towner who came there.  Out
of gratitude for relaying the message to him, Plen decides to give you
a small present.

Reward & Process: It’s a ring!  When appraised, it turns out to be the
Spin Ring, letting you use your spin attack twice in a row.  It’s quite
handy against bosses, and it can be handy in Holodrum, too, if you make
use of the Ring Secret; he gives no return secret.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mamamu Secret

Received From (Seasons): On your way out of Spool Swamp after beating
Poison Moth’s Lair, go to the Floodgate Keeper’s house.  A woman is now
there.  It is the mother of Mamamu Yan, the top dog breeder in Lynna
City.  The Floodgate Keeper is also from Labrynna, don’t you know?  She
wants you to tell her daughter a secret.

Given To (Ages): Head over to Mamamu Yan in Lynna City (present age).
After hearing about her young-at-heart mother wandering around Holodrum,
her thoughts return to her missing pooch.  Will you help her?

Reward & Process: You just have to find her dog.  Search all over Lynna </pre><pre id="faqspan-6">
City (he appears randomly; keep looking and you’ll eventually run into
him) to find the puppy, and then lift it with your Power Bracelet.
Back in Mamamu Yan’s house, she’s so overcome with joy that she gives
you the reward posted for her dog – a ring.  Appraise it at Vasu
Jewelers to learn that it is the Snowshoe Ring, which prevent sliding
on icy surfaces.  She gives no return secret, but you can use the Ring
Secret to acquire the ring.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

And those are all the secrets in the game!  Now, let’s cover the two
major points of linked games, starting with the revised Hero’s Cave.
After you.

=======================================================================
=============================Hero’s Cave*==============================
=======================================================================

In a linked game of Oracle of Seasons, you begin the game with a sword.
This would, in effect, eliminate the need for Hero’s Cave.  So, rather
than just pretend the cave never existed at all, Hero’s Cave has been
made much more difficult.  I’ll admit, Oracle of Seasons doesn’t have
as many puzzles as Oracle of Ages (Seasons is more action-oriented),
but it is still capable of producing a few enigmatic rooms, and Hero’s
Cave is proof (the Ages one is harder, though).  Hero’s Cave is a mini-
dungeon, but it has no boss, only a prize at the end.  Also,
fortunately, it is fairly linear; it’s just a series of locked doors.
But, to unlock those locked doors, you’ll need to have beaten Level 8,
meaning that you have these items:

- Sword (as upgraded as possible)
- Shield (as upgraded as possible)
- Bombs (as upgraded as possible)
- Seed Satchel (as upgraded as possible)
- Power Bracelet
- Zora’s Flippers
- Magnetic Gloves
- Magical Boomerang
- Roc’s Cape
- Hyper Slingshot

If you don’t have those items, be sure to get them before attempting
the mini-dungeon.  Note that it helps to have the seed and bomb
capacity upgrades, plus the Noble Sword and Iron Shield, at least.
Take a Magic Potion, just in case, and wear the Red Ring if you’d like.
Finally, bring a whole ton of rupees.  After all, should you run out of
supplies in Hero’s Cave, you’ll find that the jars and enemies here are
rather unforgiving; it pays to come prepared.  Now, let’s move right on
into Hero’s Cave on Western Coast!

                         +-------------------+
                         |    Hero’s Cave    |
                         +-------------------+

The first room features an Old Man.  He’s here to tell you that this
Hero’s Cave.  Go on only if you trust in your abilities.  So, head
north.  In this room, you’ll notice a chest on the northwest ledge.
You can reach the rupees it holds by jumping off the ledge and into the
hole in the ground from outside Hero’s Cave.  In here, slash your way
through the first line of pots (lift them if you don’t have the Noble
Sword) and then destroy the next three.  Push the fourth one to the
right once.  Skipping the one you just pushed, destroy the next six so
that you have a column of three left at the end.  Push the middle one
to the right twice and down once.  Now destroy the pots in the corners
of this square (except the one on a switch) and push the two blocks in
the upper corners up, the middle one over.  Now, see the jar to the
north of you that you pushed earlier?  Push it down four times and
right once onto the switch, thereby opening the door.  Advance east a
room.

Push the first blue cylinder right with the Power Bracelet until you
read two jars.  Destroy them either via sword or bracelet and clear out
the next few jars to the right.  After that, go back to the left side
of the cylinder and push it right.  Now go up and walk around the path
until you reach the two jars by the switches.  Push the lower one left
once onto a switch and then push the upper one over three times.  Now
push the upper one right twice so that they’re both on switches.  Now
go south.  Push the first block down all the way into the corner in
this room, and then push the other vases onto the remaining switches.
A bridge will materialize; cross it to a chest containing a Gasha Seed.
This creates a mini-boss-type portal to the south.  You can use it to
reach this part of Hero’s Cave quickly.

That in mind, jump north to find a Subrosian-style portal.  Take it to
a new region of the dungeon.  First, walk down to find a pit by two
Hardhat Beetles.  First, throw a bomb across the pit behind the beetles
so that it explodes, knocking them into the hole.  Then leap over it
with Roc’s Cape and go west.  Welcome to a room full of holes.  Jump
through them to a switch in the upper-left corner.  A key will fall.
Jump down to the staircase to the south; take it up and round the bend
to the Small Key.  With it, walk back around the bend and go east (on
this elevated tier) to an extended platform.  Jump over it to reach
another elevated tier.  On it, go east again.  Now flip over the side
and jump right over a set of holes to a Zora.  He is traveling the
lands under King Zora’s orders to find a new domain, but no place
exceeds Labrynna’s seas.  So, he’d like you to send this report to King
Zora (it’s the K Zora Secret).  See “Linked Secrets” for details on
this.  After that, go back west and use the Small Key to go north.

In this room, just hop around the pits to reach the corner switches.
Press them all, avoiding the Wall Masters all the way, until the door
opens.  Go east.  Here, push the cylinder to the right, moving up and
down as necessary to be on the tiles that aren’t crumbled.  At the end,
press the switch to make a chest containing a Gasha Seed form.  Open it
and use the portal to reach a new set of rooms.  Note that we did make
a warp portal appear.

In this new room, defeat both Zolas.  Then get into the water and swim
left onto a pink-purple tile.  Push the block below it south and then
go up to a torch.  Light it with the Hyper Slingshot and an Ember Seed
to make a chest appear.  Open it for a Small Key, and then swim south.
First, kill both Zolas.  Then get onto the little island in the water
and push the upper block right.  Then push the block right of it up.
After that, swim north a bit and walk around this path to another block.
Push the first right, the second right, and then walk down.  Push the
rightmost block down, the block to your left to the left, and the next
block south into the pit.  Now jump over the hole to a locked block.
Spend a Small Key on it and get onto the podium.  Light both torches to
the west and north with the Hyper Slingshot set to Ember Seeds.  This
finally opens the door to the west.  Use it already!

It’s another water-based room.  Stand on the initial tract of land; use
it to defeat all the Zolas from this standpoint.  Now either stand
there or swim about to other platforms to defeat the Water Tektites
present.  When all of them are gone, a Small Key falls down into the
depths.  Dive down for it to take it; go north.  This room is full of
weak blocks.  Walk down the first path and bomb both blocks to the
right.  Now push the block the upper-right of the one you just bombed
up.  This opens the path to a portal, but we won’t be using it just yet.
Instead, bomb the cracked block left of portal to open the way to the
upper torch.  Light both with the Hyper Slingshot equipped to Ember
Seeds.  This makes a Gasha Seed-containing chest appear along with a
warp portal.  But, we’re using the Subrosian-style portal.

In this room, you must attract and repel yourself from the rotating
magnets to reach the upper path leading east.  You should pull yourself
south, repel yourself east, pull yourself east, repel yourself north,
pull yourself east, and then repel yourself south onto the tile.  Now
go east.  Here, pull yourself east, repel yourself south, pull yourself
south, and repel yourself east onto the platform.  Now go south.  Here,
we have the unique challenge of hitting all these swift crystal
switches.

First, you should use the Hyper Slingshot to hit as many as possible.
Then you can use your sword to hit the first two if needed, and then
use Roc’s Cape to jump forward and hit any specific one you need hit.
After all that, the door to the west opens.  Take it.  In this room,
kill all the Lynels first.  Then destroy the pot in the northeast
corner.  After that, go to the southwest corner and pull the magnetic
orb to you.  Now direct it so that it’s south of the northeast switch
but not on it.  Now walk to the south wall and use the power of
repulsion to force the orb onto the switch.  Now open the chest that
appears for a Gasha Seed.  It also makes a warp portal form.  After
claiming the prize, jump north to a Subrosian-style portal.

Jump south over the initial pit to find two jars.  Push the upper one
to the right (don’t destroy it!) and leap over the next pit.  First,
push the uppermost pot in this room left four times and up once onto a
switch.  Then push the upper block by the holes in the northeast region
of the room down into the pit.  Push the block now to your left once to
the left, up twice, and right once onto the switch opposite the other
covered one.  After that, walk to the lower-left and destroy the
southern and northern pot in the column of three.  Now push the blocks
they were guarding into the pit to the left.  After that, push the
remaining block up.  Now push the pot here onto one of the remaining
switches.  After that, return to the southwest corner.  See the three
blocks between the pot and the pit (only one space north)?  Push the
side ones up and the middle one right.  Now push the pot to your left
right twice, up four times, right once, and then onto whichever switch
you need covered.  This opens the door to the north; take it!

Now we have to play the guessing game.  We have eight switches arranged
in a circle, and pressing them makes four monsters here.  After plowing
through Stalfos, Kanalet Soldiers, Iron Masks, Pols Voices, Magnites,
Gibdos, Lynels, and Spiked Beetles, the door opens to your Small Key.
First, let’s pummel the Fire Keese present.  Then use the Magical
Boomerang to navigate the blocks and hit the crystal switch.  It’s a
tough task, but you have to do it.  After that, take the Small Key that
results and go south.

This is why I told you to pack a full wallet.  The Old Man commends
your skill, but now he will test your luck.  A true adventurer carries
lots of cash on him, you see.  Pay him 60 rupees and 8 chests
materialize, and opening them all in the correct order will open the
path to continue on in the mini-dungeon to the prize.  The position
they’re in clues you in on which to pick.  It is actually VERY clever.
The dungeons represent where the eight dungeons were located on the
world map.  If you notice, the room is actually a representation of
Holodrum.  For instance, a patch of sand in the southeast corner
represents Samasa Desert, the southwest water is Western Coast, etc.
In any case, here’s a diagram to help you out.

                     + - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
                     |                           |
                     |     6                     |
                     |         8                 |
                     |     3               4     |
                     |                           |
                     |           1     5   2     |
                     |     7                     |
                     |                           |
                     |                           |
                     + - - - - - - - - - - - - - +

Take the portal that appears to the final room of the dungeon.  Open
the chest there for a ring.  A portal also appears; take it out of the
cave.  Get it appraised to learn that it is the Power Ring L-3!  It
greatly increases your attack power, but your defense takes a major
dive.  In my opinion, the Red Ring is better, but whatever.  Enjoy your
new ring, and be proud that you beat this toughie level!

CONGRATULATIONS!  You beat Hero’s Cave, one of the toughest mini-
dungeons in Zelda history.  Hopefully, the Power Ring L-3 will aid you
in the future, and it might just come in handy in the...

=======================================================================
============================Room of Rites*=============================
=======================================================================

Anyone who pays any attention at all to the cinemas in this game will
realize that there’s more to the story than we hear.  Throughout the
game, a shrouded figure (alternately in linked games, Twinrova as two
witches) appears and speaks ill of Link’s quest.  Well, as some
might’ve guessed, Onox (and Veran) is merely a side quest in the true
adventure.  Below is a summary of events in the linked game.

After freeing Nayru in Labrynna, Link journeyed to Holodrum.  Din was
abducted by Onox, General of Darkness...  After much struggle, Link
killed him, and he finally returned order to the seasons.  At first,
all seemed well, but soon Din revealed that Zelda had been kidnapped!
While bringing hope to the villagers, lightning rained from the skies
and the Gerudo witches, Kotake & Koume Twinrova, flew in.  They
kidnapped Princess Zelda, and then they escaped to the “Dark Realm.”
You must rescue the princess, as she is a symbol of hope for not only
Hyrule, but all the lands of the world!  Din and Nayru combine their
powers to deliver you to the place that Zelda has been taken to, into
the Room of Rites within the Dark Realm...

But meanwhile, the plot thickens.  Twinrova used Onox and Veran as
their instruments of destruction and sorrow.  Onox unleashed
destruction upon Holodrum, and Veran spread sorrow throughout Labrynna.
And by abducting Princess Zelda, Twinrova has brought forth despair.
Even though their pawns, Onox and Veran, are now dead, their deaths
were not in vain.  Their Dark Rites are nearly complete.  Onox lit the
Flame of Destruction, Veran ignited the Flame of Sorrow, and now the
Flame of Despair burns bright because of Twinrova.  And now all that
remains is the sacrifice of a legendary figure, and then the Evil King
Ganon can emerge from the depths of the Dark Realm where he had been
cast in his death...  They plan to revive Ganon, Great King of Evil.
This is the culmination of everything that Link has ventured
accomplished, opening the way to the Room of Rites.  Zelda mustn’t be
sacrificed, and Ganon cannot return...

“May the divine protection of the Triforce be with the hero of the
Essences of Time and Nature!”

                        +---------------------+
                        |    Room of Rites    |
                        +---------------------+

You warp to the Room of Rites via a portal by the Maku Tree.  In the
first room, go north once.  The room is filled with statues, their eyes
spinning madly.  This puzzle, the Eye of Deceit, is a bit complicated.
They eventually stop moving and focus their eyes on one direction.
They will look in three different directions (north, south, east, or
west).  Whichever direction no statue is looking in, take it.  Do this
seven times to reach the third room.  In here, simply go north again.

The torches!  And Zelda!  There they are... the Flame of Destruction is
red to the southwest.  The Flame of Sorrow is blue to the southeast.
And the Flame of Despair is white to the north.  Walk toward Zelda’s
collapsed body.  You become dizzy, and you are dropped to a new room.
A voice sounds.  You’ve finally reached the altar, but they won’t let
you continue.  So they’ve isolated you here.  The three Flames burn
bright now, and the Evil King Ganon approaches.  The Holy Sacrifice,
Princess Zelda, is all that remains for the resurrection to be
completed.  Ganon’s spirit shall soon move into its vessel, it will all
be over...  There is nothing you can do to stop them.  Prepare to meet
your doom.  En garde!

                       +----------------------+
                       |    Boss: Twinrova    |
                       +----------------------+

Kotake Twinrova, the Gerudo witch of ice, and Koume Twinrova, the
Gerudo witch of fire, are the great puppeteers in this insidious play.
Together, they are the surrogate mothers of Ganondorf Dragmire, the
King of the Gerudo, a tribe of thieves dwelling in the deserts of
Hyrule.  And they’re now out to kill you before their son returns from
the darkness that is death.

However, these twin sisters are weak to each other.  Fire is hurt by
ice and ice is hurt by fire.  So, to apply this to the current
situation, you need to use your sword to knock the attacks of the fire
witch, Koume, and the ice witch, Kotake, into the other (you can tell
by their coloring).  If you have the Mirror Shield, you can block their
attacks, by the way.  After a measly three to four hits, the witches go
down.  You know what they say: “Divided we fall, united we stand.”
Well, Twinrova abides by this proverb in the fight.  After claiming not
to be defeated like Onox and Veran, they merge into their true form –
Twinrova.  Combined, the witches are a half-ice, half-fire fury.
They’ve decided to sacrifice you!

Combined, Twinrova is a lot stronger than before.  There are three
forms to this phase of the fight.  First, there is Twinrova, a balance
of ice and fire.  Then there is the fire-dominated version, which makes
use of fire only.  Then there’s the ice-dominated version, and it uses
ice attacks.  Now, let’s discuss the forms.

Note that lava fills the room when the fire form is active.  Since
getting hit will often knock you into it, the Steadfast Ring can come
in handy here.  First, the fire type attacks by firing embers at you.
If they miss you initially, they will hit the wall and split into three
attacks.  Either dodge them by walking between the fire or jump over
them.  The fire form also has the irritating habit of summoning Fire
Keese.  They will dive at you once (fortunately for you, they don’t
return).  In any case, you need to attack Twinrova with sword attacks.
Yep, that’s it.  She floats around the room, and sometimes she’ll move
into you, but you’ll have to make that sacrifice if you want to score
damage.  After taking enough of it, she’ll revert to the ice form.

The floor is covered by a sheet of ice, making it harder to move.  I
suggest keeping Roc’s Cape out for easy maneuvering.  You have to slash
her in this state, too, but she has a new set of attacks.  First, she
fires ice crystals around the room.  They slide on the floor and bounce
off the wall, but can be deflected with your sword.  Jump to avoid them
(or slash them).  Note that she fires three when very weak.  Then,
because this game does not include Ice Keese, Twinrova can also fire an
orb of icy energy at you.  Defend against it with your blade.  After
enough hits in either form, she’ll revert to the balanced form, the
normal Twinrova.  That’s when she’s weak.  Shoot her (if the floor is
of ice, use an Ember Seed.  If it’s lava-filled, shoot a Mystery Seed.
But, you can use Scent Seeds more effectively in either case) while
she’s vulnerable to deal damage.

After many hits, Twinrova will admit defeat.  They cannot destroy you,
and thus their rites have failed, but there is still an alternative...
They will sacrifice their own body in place of Zelda’s!  The power of
the Flames of Destruction, Sorrow, and Despair gather into their body,
and it ignites into a blue fire.  And from it comes Ganon, King of Evil.
What’s on the agenda today?  “Destroy... all...  Kill ALL!”

                         +-------------------+
                         |    BOSS: GANON    |
                         +-------------------+

Yes, Ganon is a gigantic pig (much like a Moblin, only more sinister).
And he is one of the hardest bosses in the game.  First off, let me say
that only the Master Sword (see “Linked Secrets”) can harm Ganon.  If
you have the Wooden Sword (good luck...) or the Noble Sword (still bad
chances), you’ll be forced to use a ton of spin attacks to hurt Ganon.
And no, the Biggoron’s Sword can’t hurt the fiend.  But, that’s the
trick – hurting Ganon.  He warps all around the room, and so it can be
a challenge.  On the other hand, Ganon sure does have many ways to hurt
you.  Ganon loves two things – energy attacks and using the Magic
Trident against you.

First, there’s his triple energy blast attack.  He appears, fires one
ball straight down slowly, and then releases two quick balls to the
lower-right and left.  Block them with your Mirror Shield, or just
physically dodge them (jumping is great).  He will also pound the
ground to stun you and then launch a huge energy attack to take
advantage of your immobility.  Jump before he slams his fist into the
ground, but be prepared for the giant energy attack that follows.
Lastly, Ganon sometimes turns the screen blue to disorient you.  The
controls will be reversed (up is down, left is right, etc.), probably
causing you to slip up, but Ganon is really vulnerable right here to
multiple attacks.  Then, Ganon will combine his Magic Trident with his
energy attacks.  When it is surrounded by four small energy orbs, get
ready for a circular release of twelve tiny energy spheres.  The other
attack Ganon uses, which might be his most frequent, uses the Magic
Trident.  He appears, holds it back, and then drives it forward into
you.  Block it by jumping back (I recommend keeping Roc’s Cape equipped
throughout the bout to avoid attacks and move more quickly) or putting
forward your sword.

And, needless to say, all of these attacks do a lot of damage.  But,
after many, many spin attacks or Master Sword slashes, less if you’re
using the Red Ring, Ganon will be defeated.  The screen flashes white
as he disappears in an explosion, and a staircase forms.  Take it up to
the altar.  Approach Zelda and she speaks.  She is glad that you’ve
halted the completion of the rites.  Without sacrificing Zelda, Ganon
was brought back mindless and raging.  With power, wisdom, and courage,
you sealed him back in the Dark Realm and prevented Twinrova’s planned
resurrection.  Now peace shall return to the hearts of all the people.
You are a true hero!  Ah, but the Room of Rites begins to quake.  It is
crumbling because the powers of shadow begin to wane.  They must get
out of there.  Suddenly, the Maku Tree calls to you.  He knew you’d
succeed!  Leave the rescue to him.  He brings you out of the Dark Realm
and points out that he finally managed to help.

Nayru is glad to see all of you back safely, and Din offers to dance
with you!  Meanwhile, Impa congratulates you and thanks you deeply.
And Zelda reveals that the symbol on the back of your hand is the mark
of the hero whose fate it is to appear when peace crumbles in Hyrule.
With the Essences of Time and Nature, as well as the virtues of the
Triforce, you have fought off the powers of evil!  Link gets a kiss
from Zelda and the credits roll!

In some strange place (Hyrule?), we see Nayru and Din.  Moosh has his
Spring Bananas, Dimitri rolls in to greet you, and Ricky gives you a
good-spirited punch.  And Zelda looks over her kingdom from Hyrule
Castle’s balcony.  Once the credits are done with, you see the Triforce
in the sky above.  And Link is sailing away from Holodrum and Labrynna
to his home in Hyrule.  It is The End.  You receive the Hero’s Secret
as your reward.

CONGRATULATIONS!  You’ve truly beaten the game!  Now, you can use the
Hero’s Secret to start a new quest in Holodrum or Labrynna!  Check out
“Linked Secrets” to learn more.  May the way of the Hero lead to the
Triforce.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
   _________________________________________________________________
  /                                                                 \
 /                                                                   \
||----------------------------Section 4*-----------------------------||
 \                                                                   /
  \_________________________________________________________________/

=======================================================================
===========================Pieces of Heart*============================
=======================================================================

You can get a total of 14 hearts in your life meter.  You start with
three, get eight from defeating bosses, and that leaves three hearts
left to get.

Ever since A Link to the Past, Link could collect Pieces of Heart,
quarters of Heart Containers.  When you collect four Pieces of Heart,
you add one heart to your meter.  So, using our advanced mathematical
skills, three times four equals twelve.  Yep, there are 12 Pieces of
Hearts scattered about Holodrum, and you might want to start collecting
some.  Here, I’ll list where to find them.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
#) Location

Notes:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Above is the setup, and below is the actual list.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Horon Village

Notes: Once you gotten the Seed Satchel, go to the village.  As you
may’ve noticed, there’s a Piece of Heart blocked by a sapling one
screen west of the Maku Tree Gate.  Burn the small tree down with an
Ember Seed and the way to the Piece of Heart is opened.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Eastern Suburbs

Notes: This can be gotten once you’ve added a wintry chill to the Rod
of Seasons.  Go east of Horon Village twice to find a stump.  Call
forth winter and go north a screen.  Snow has piled up to create a path
across the gap; walk across the snow and follow the trail into a cave.
Inside is a Piece of Heart among a few jars.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Woods of Winter

Notes: Upon getting the Power Bracelet, go to the southeast corner of
the Woods of Winter.  There, you should see a Piece of Heart in the
corner (southeast) by some water and a rock.  Walk around to the south
wall and head right to lift the rock to reach the Piece of Heart.  If
you have Zora’s Flippers, you could also swim to it, I suppose.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
4) Subrosia Village

Notes: In Subrosia Market, which is first accessible from the Spool
Swamp portal, you’ll find a variety of items for sale here not native
to Subrosia.  For 20 Ore Chunks and 10 Ember Seeds, you can buy a “Rare
Peach Stone,” which is a Piece of Heart turned upside-down, from the
vendor.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
5) Spool Swamp

Notes: You need to have added the blessing of spring dew to your Rod of
Seasons to get this.  Go to Spool Swamp, one screen south of Poison
Moth’s Lair, and call forth spring.  From here, go east, south three
times, east, and south into the rapids.  Swim west a screen and quickly
swim onto the island, which holds the Piece of Heart on it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
6) Mt. Cucco

Notes: Get on the stump outside of the Dancing Dragon Dungeon and hop
off of it to the south.  You’ll flip over a ledge and land on some
elevated land by a Piece of Heart in a different screen.  Just take it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
7) Eyeglass Lake

Notes: Call forth summer from the stump in North Horon where you met
Din.  From there, go south and west.  Bomb the wall here and enter the
cave to find 100 rupees.  Now exit the cave, head back to the stump,
turn it to autumn/spring/winter, and go south, east, and north.  Turn
it to summer here and go east, south twice, into the dried lakebed, and
go north to a dead-end.  Lift the rock and use this staircase to reach
a cavern.  To the left is another staircase leading down.  Take the
next one to the right and hop over the spears to reach the chest.  Open
it for a Piece of Heart.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
8) Moblin’s Keep

Notes: At the end of Natzu Prairie, Great Moblin has set up an arsenal
of cannons to attack those that try to reach Sunken City.  Either they
pay his toll or get blown to smithereens.  Let’s end this injustice.
Go west from Sunken City and go north, west twice, south three times,
and then east.  Swim to the ladder and take it north.  Go north again
to find Moblin’s Keep.  Enter through either door.  Two Moblin
swordsmen guard this staircase.  Defeat them and take it to... Great
Moblin.  It’s quite a simple battle.  Great Moblin walks around and
throws bombs at you.  Lift them with the Power Bracelet and throw them
back at him.  They’ll explode and he’ll take damage.  Five hits and he
strikes a really weird pose.  As long as he doesn’t drop his bombs
behind him and start a fire, he can’t lose!  Hit him one more time
while he’s holding a bomb and he drops it behind him, causing a fire
that lights all the bombs and blows up his keep.  After swearing
revenge, he runs off with his Moblin henchmen.  Open the chest that is
revealed for a Piece of Heart.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
9) Graveyard

Notes: Once you’ve gotten Roc’s Cape, go north of the Piratian’s ship
and use the stump here to change the season to fall.  Go east of the
screen containing the vine up to the Graveyard to find a cave.  Enter
it, jump across the pit, push the blocks, and take the stairs up into
the cemetery.  Our goal was to enter it during autumn.  Go north and
west, or west and north, and lift the mushrooms.  Take the path you’ve
revealed, walk right along it, and you’ll come to this Piece of Heart.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
10) Temple Remains

Notes: After raining down the fires of Subrosia upon Temple Remains,
filling it with lava, go north of the portal to Subrosia there and jump
to the weak wall.  Bomb it and enter this cave.  Use Roc’s Cape to make
your way across the platforms and to the Piece of Heart found within
this cave.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
11) Random

Notes: If you’re lucky, you might get this little number from a Gasha
Nut.  Remember that Gasha Seeds can be planted in soft soil patches,
and that there are ways to increase the probability of it being a Piece
of Heart instead of some measly reward like 5 Hearts.  Wearing the
Gasha Ring can increase the chances, as well as defeating many monsters
and advancing in the quest (beating dungeons, etc.).  Good luck.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
12) Random

Notes: Maple can also drop a Piece of Heart during your run-ins.  If
she collects it, or if it falls into a pit/water, she will drop it
again later.  Maple’s Ring will make the item easier to attain, as the
more times you bump into her the more chances you’ll have of getting it.
Remember that it takes 30 enemy slayings to trigger a Maple appearance
in the appropriate screen, but only 15 with Maple’s Rings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

But that’s not all; you can actually get a total of 16 Heart Containers
in Oracle of Seasons (15 in non-linked games) if you play your cards
right.  He’s how.

            +---------------------------------------------+
            |    16 Heart Containers – Non-Linked Game    |
            +---------------------------------------------+

- You start out with 4 Heart Containers if you use Hero’s Secret to
start a game (otherwise, you can only get 15 Heart Containers).
- You can collect 8 Heart Containers through dungeon bosses.
- 12 Pieces of Heart provide you with 3 more Heart Containers.
- The last Heart Container is gotten through the Graveyard Secret (see
“Linked Secrets”).

              +-----------------------------------------+
              |    16 Heart Containers – Linked Game    |
              +-----------------------------------------+

- You start with 4 Heart Containers.
- You earn an additional 8 Heart Containers from dungeon bosses.
- Three Heart Containers are obtained through Pieces of Heart.
- Use the Fairy Secret in an Oracle of Ages file and give the return
code to Farore, Oracle of Secrets, in the Maku Tree, to earn another
Heart Container.

Collect those Pieces of Hearts, my friend, as they will come in handy
down the road.  Now that you know how to collect all 15/16 Heart
Containers, let’s get a bit more in-depth about Gasha Seeds, which is
one of the ways to get one Piece of Heart.

=======================================================================
=============================Gasha Seeds*==============================
=======================================================================

Gasha Seeds, like other seed-based items in Holodrum, have a place in
Link’s list of gear.  Gasha Seeds have been farmed for their valuable
nuts for ages, at least 400 years (as shown in Oracle of Ages), and can
be grown in all seasons and a variety of locations.  When planted in
soft soil spots, Gasha Seeds developed into Gasha Trees that bear Gasha
Nuts, and inside is a reward item.  Wearing the Gasha Ring, defeating
many monsters, continuing your quest, and helping people all increase
the chances of your reward being a good one.

This is not a guide to getting all 23 of the hidden Gasha Seeds
(because you can easily win them at mini-games an infinite number of
times and they really aren’t that hard to come by) in chests and the
like, but actually a guide to the soft soil locations where you can
plant them.  There are sixteen such spots, and you are encouraged by
the game to plant them in all the hard-to-reach places.  This section
is largely a result of the Discovery Ring, a useful ring that chimes
(like the Compass does for a key) when you enter a screen that has soft
soil in it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
#) Location

Notes:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Above is the setup, and below is the list.  Let’s-a get started, shall
we?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1) North Horon

Notes: The first soft soil patch you could see is one north of Impa’s
Refuge, which is two screens north of the entrance to Horon Village.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Horon Village

Notes: Go east from the northern entrance to Horon Village twice to
find the humble abode of Mayor Ruul, the mayor of this fair village.
He’s a Gasha expert, and he probably built his home here because of the
soft soil patch outside.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Woods of Winter

Notes: One screen north of the screen filled with Like Likes, which is
southeast of the screen with the stump, are several shrubs.  If you
slash them all, you might just uncover a patch of soft soil.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
4) Holodrum Plain

Notes: From Mrs. Ruul’s Villa in Holodrum Plain, go east, north, and
east.  In this screen, dig between the four shrubs surrounded by
flowers to uncover some soft soil.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
5) Holodrum Plain

Notes: Go to the Gnarled Root Dungeon in North Horon.  From there, go
south, into the water, west, and north twice.  Here’s an island in the
middle of the river passing through here, and clearing the plants can
reveal a concealed patch of soft soil.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
6) Spool Swamp

Notes: Two screens south of the entrance to Level 3, one screen west of
the Floodgate Lock, is a screen with a Business Scrub.  Kill these
Tektites and lift the stone to reveal the patch of soft soil.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
7) Spool Swamp

Notes: Go south once of the warp portal to Subrosia in Spool Swamp.  In
the southwest corner of this screen (and the swamp), pick up this rock
to unearth soft soil.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
8) Sunken City

Notes: Call forth summer on the stump north of Syrup’s Potion Shop and
go east.  Climb the vine (if you have Dimitri, you can also swim up the
waterfall) north a screen to reach a house here, by which is a bush.  A
good slash to the shrub will reveal hidden soft soil.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
9) Mt. Cucco

Notes: In the southern reaches of Goron Mountain, travel east until you
enter Mt. Cucco’s southwestern corner screen.  Lift the central stone
in the arrangement to find another patch of soft soil.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
10) Mt. Cucco

Notes: This is north of where you meet Moosh, which is the same screen
as the one you met the Flying Cucco in for the first time.  There is
some soft soil blocked off by stones, but you can it.  Once you have
the power of autumn, go west and south a screen to the stump here.
Call forth fall, go back north, lift the mushrooms, and go east to
reach the soil of softness.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
11) Goron Mountain

Notes: This is very cleverly hidden in the southwestern screen of Goron
Mountain, the screen with several holes in it that connects to Temple
Remains to the west and Natzu Prairie to the south.  Dig to the upper-
right of the upper rock and you’ll find the soft soil.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
12) Eyeglass Lake

Notes: West once from Unicorn’s Cave’s entrance, dig between the bushes
or snow, depending on the season, to unearth soft soil.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
13) Tarm Ruins

Notes: Warp to the Gale Seed tree in the ruins.  From it, go east,
south, and east once more.  With no real indication of its whereabouts,
the soft soil can be dug for in this screen.  It is in the left side of
the dirt patch in the grass.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
14) Samasa Desert

Notes: Go north once of the southeastern corner screen of the desert.
With no effort made to hide it, the soft soil is in plain sight amongst
the cacti.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
15) Western Coast

Notes: Go two screens south of Explorer’s Crypt to the screen that
serves as the entrance to the Graveyard.  The soft soil is just stuck
here, not hidden at all.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
16) Temple Remains

Notes: Enter Temple Remains from Natzu Prairie through a log.  In the
first screen, which has two Kanalet Soldiers (swordsmen) set to destroy
you, you really have to be digging randomly to find this patch.  It is
two spaces right of the second from the bottom Armos statue, and you’ll
have to use the Shovel to discover it.  Thank goodness for the
Discovery Ring.  Without its chime, I could never find something as
randomly placed as this.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

So now you know.  Remember, the harder to reach a place is, the better
your chances are of getting a good prize from the Gasha Nut, like 200
rupees or a Piece of Heart, instead of measly prizes like 5 Hearts or a
Fairy.  Good luck, and happy harvesting!

=======================================================================
============================Magical Rings*=============================
=======================================================================

There are 64 different rings in the game (64 is Nintendo’s lucky number
ever since the Nintendo 64 came out), and many have beneficial effects
(that’s not to say that all do, however).

Rings do not come with name and effect ready from the chest.  First,
you must appraise them for a 20-rupee fee.  And you can do that at Vasu
Jewelers, one screen north of the Ember Seed tree in Horon Village.
Talk to Vasu and you can appraise any rings you have, and then access
your list of rings.  You must talk to Vasu to even be able to collect
rings.  He gives you the L-1 Ring Box, capable of holding one ring in
it as you travel, and he gives you the Friendship Ring to start out
your collection.  You can get many more rings as well as two upgrades
to your ring box over the course of the game.

There are essentially four ways to get rings.  First, you can get rings
from Gasha Nuts.  Second, rings often scatter after you run into Maple.
Third, you can often find rings in treasure chests or by completing
certain events.  Fourth and finally, you can exchange rings via
passwords using the Ring Secret (see “Linked Secrets”).

Unfortunately, most rings are gotten through Maple or Gasha Nuts (note
that rings acquired through the chest mini-game in the secret shop are
all able to be gotten through Gasha Seeds and Maple as well), and some
rings aren’t available to you unless you trade them over from Oracle of
Seasons.  Still, I’ll guide you to each of the rings, numbering them as
the game does.  Let’s get this started.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
#) Name of Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes/No

Notes:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Above is the setup, and below is the list.  I won’t keep you in
suspense any longer, though; it’s time to list the rings!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Friendship Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: When you speak to Vasu for the first time in Horon Village,
you’ll receive an L-1 Ring Box and a ring to start your collection.
He’ll appraise it for free, and it turns out to be this, the Friendship
Ring.  As a symbol of a meeting, it doesn’t actually do anything, but
at least you’re already 1/64 of the way done with your ring collection!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Power Ring L-1

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: Inside Explorer’s Crypt is a chest, and it contains a Magical
Ring that turns out to be this.  Anyways, this ring increases the
strength of your sword slightly, but it also increases the amount of
damage you take from enemies slightly.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Power Ring L-2

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: This is a magnified version of Power Ring L-1.  In fact, your
sword gets twice the increase of power and you take twice the damage as
you would with the L-1 version of this.  So, if you like sacrificing
your defense for power, this ring is for you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
4) Power Ring L-3

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: While wearing this, you take tons of damage from even weak
enemies, but you do a good deal more damage than normal.  You can get
it by beating Hero’s Cave in a linked game (see “Hero’s Cave” for
details on that), but you’d might as well just wear the Red Ring if you
want increased attack power.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
5) Armor Ring L-1

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: This ring can only be obtained in an Oracle of Ages, which means
that a Seasons player can make use of this room only through the Ring
Secret.  If you do have it, though, your defensive power will be raised
slightly, but your attack power drops a bit, too.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
6) Armor Ring L-2

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: To get this, go to the second floor of the Goron Mountain cave
(the one that leads to Biggoron).  It’s filled with lava, and you’ll
notice a chest in the northeast corner of the room.  Jump to it with
Roc’s Cape, bomb the blocks in front of it, and open the chest for a
ring that can be appraised into this.  Your attack power takes a dive,
but your defense rises considerably.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
7) Armor Ring L-3

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: This ring is not available in Oracle of Seasons.  To get it, you
can use the Ring Secret to take it from an Oracle of Ages game, but it
cannot be acquired normally.  When you wear it, your attack power
practically falls flat, but your defense is stellar.  Of course, the
Blue Ring can be used to raise defense, and without sacrificing your
strength for it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
8) Red Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: In the original The Legend of Zelda (1986), the Red Ring was
used to quadruple Link’s natural defense.  In this game, it doubles
Link’s attack power.  Getting it is complicated, though.  Here is an
extract from the guide telling how this mysterious ring is attained.

Go to the stump in North Horon where you met Din and call forth summer.
Now go west twice to Gnarled Root Dungeon and then go south to find a
staircase in the dried riverbed.  Here is an Old Man clothed in gold,
and he will give you true power if you slay the four golden beasts.
Let us find and destroy them!

Golden Kanalet Soldier: This fellow is found in spring.  Go to the
Piratian’s ship in Western Coast and go north of it to an abandoned
house.  Call forth spring and go east of Hero’s Cave to find this
legendary beast.  First, I suggest defeating both Octoroks present, and
then turn your attention to his powerful foe.  It takes 18 hits of the
Noble Sword to defeat, and it does one heart’s damage per hit.  A real
toughie, that one.

Golden Octorok: Go south of Poison Moth’s Lair to a stump; change the
season to summer.  Now go south of the portal to Subrosia in Spool
Swamp and you’ll encounter god of Octoroks, the chosen one of gold.
Defend yourself well with your shield, and slash it a total of 18 times
to kill it.  Do not knock it down a hole; that will not kill it.  If
you do, return to the screen to find it still alive and kicking.  Try
to keep it in a corner if possible.

Golden Moblin: Go to the screen right of Snake’s Remains.  You may have
to use Snake’s Remains to reach the top of it.  Change the season to
autumn, drop off the cliff, and enter the cave after picking the
mushrooms.  Open the chest here for a ring and exit.  Go west from here
to the entrance to Level 2.  If it’s fall, you can find the Golden
Moblin here.  Like the others, he requires 18 hits.  He throws spears
or shoots arrows (can’t tell, really), but then you’ve got three down.

Golden Lynel: Winter is the most unforgiving of seasons, and it has the
strongest monster.  Go to Tarm Ruins from the southern Spool Swamp
entrance and turn the season to winter.  Go west, use the snow to take
the stairs up, and go east across the pond to find the Golden Lynel.
It is the most powerful of the golden beasts, and while it takes 18
slashes like the others, it does lots of damage itself, one heart per
touch.  But, rejoice afterward, for it is the final beast!

Return to the Old Man of gold.  You have slain the four golden beasts!
Sir, you are worthy of true power.  Take it!  How you use the power is
up to you, but do not be tempted to abuse it...  The Old Man then
disappears.  Go to Vasu and appraise the ring you received.  It is the
Red Ring, and you can now do twice the sword damage while wearing it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
9) Blue Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: This awesome ring can’t be gotten in Oracle of Seasons,
unfortunately.  It is the “banner ring” of Oracle of Ages, meaning that
only the Ring Secret can let Link wear it in Holodrum.  When it first
appeared as an item in the original The Legend of Zelda, it doubled
Link’s defense power.  In this game, it has the same effect, halving
the damage he takes.  It’s quite useful, but not available very easily
in Oracle of Seasons.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
10) Green Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: Originally, the Oracle series consisted of three games (one in
which the oracle was Farore and Dimitri was the default pet), and I’d
wager that the Green Ring was the main ring of the third game (notice
that Vasu has the Red Ring on his sign).  It raises both defense and
offense, but not as much as the Red Ring/Blue Ring do.  Your attack is
1.5 times stronger, and you take 0.75 times the damage you normally
would.  Both are good things, and you might want to pick this over one
or the other.  After all, green is Link’s color of preference.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
11) Cursed Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: Your attack is cut in half and you take twice as much damage as
normal.  Do you see any benefits?  There really isn’t one.  The only
reason you would ever wear this is to challenge yourself, and even then
this is a bit extreme.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
12) Expert’s Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: Like a Fist Ring L-2, this lets Link throw powerful punches when </pre><pre id="faqspan-7">
nothing is equipped to A or B.  It’s a novelty ring, really, as it
isn’t that useful in most situations considering how short the range of
punches are, and remember that you can’t use this or the Fist Ring to
fight Blaino.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
13) Blast Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: This must be won through mini-games like the chest game in the
secret shop.  The Blast Ring increases the power of your bombs by a
quarter of a heart’s damage.  It’s not that useful, but bomb-crazy
maniacs might enjoy their bombs packing an extra punch.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
14) Rang Ring L-1

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: Go east and south of the entrance.  Fall into the quicksand here
to enter a cave.  Go down to the deep, dark water and dive to enter an
underwater cave.  Swim through it, defeating Cheep-Cheeps as you go, to
exit the cave to a staircase.  Take it up to the southeastern screen of
the desert.  Open the chest for a Magical Ring.  It turns out to be
this.  The Rang Ring L-1 increases the strength of the (Magical)
Boomerang very slightly.  It still can’t kill most enemies, though.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
15) GBA Time Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: Well, since this is a time-based ring from the Advance Shop, you
can’t get it in Oracle of Seasons.  If you want it, you’ll have to use
the Ring Secret to transfer it from an Oracle of Ages game.  This ring
doesn’t do anything, but it is a symbol of playing Oracle of Ages on a
Game Boy Advance portable, which some might wear this pride, I guess...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
16) Maple’s Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: This ring is awesome.  It increases Maple appearances.  You see,
you need 30 monster slayings and then to enter an appropriate screen to
trigger a Maple appearance normally.  When you wear this, they happen
every 15 monsters you slay.  Pretty nifty, eh?  If you need rings,
Magic Potions, or the Piece of Heart she carries, slip this onto your
finger and wait for Maple to swing by.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
17) Steadfast Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: This is found in a chest in the Shield & Sword Maze.  It causes
you to receive less kickback; you won’t be knocked back as much when
you hit enemies, nor when enemies hit you.  It might be useful when
you’re fighting enemies around holes, spikes, etc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
18) Pegasus Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: It’s kind of odd that Pegasus Seeds are so much more useful in
this game than in Oracle of Ages but you can’t get this in Oracle of
Seasons.  Only by using the Ring Secret to transfer this from an Ages
game can Link ever make use of this little number.  It lengthens the
effect of Pegasus Seeds, letting you run longer if need be.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
19) Toss Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: If you ever wanted to chuck bombs at enemies far away from you
with the greatest of ease, the Toss Ring is for you.  It increases your
throwing distance by doubling it.  You might like this if you enjoy
pelting Moblins with rocks.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
20) Heart Ring L-1

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: This is not available in Oracle of Seasons, which means the Ring
Secret is required for it to ever see Holodrum.  That’s a shame,
because this ring slowly restores your health as you walk.  It’s pretty
slow, but still pretty descent if you don’t have better rings to equip.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
21) Heart Ring L-2

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: This is an upgraded version of the Heart Ring L-1.  You recover
lost hearts automatically, not just by walking, and it can be a great
help during boss fights.  If you don’t have better rings, this is the
way to go.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
22) Swimmer’s Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: This cannot be gotten in Oracle of Seasons except through the
Ring Secret to transfer it from Oracle of Ages.  In any case, it
increases the speed at which you swim.  There really isn’t that useful
in Seasons, as there’s much less water in this game than there is in
Ages, but you might use it to show off in front of Master Diver.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
23) Charge Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: Against Onox and other bosses that need spin attacks to be hit,
this ring is a life-saver.  It makes you charge your sword much faster
for spin attacks, and that’s very nice.  Still, the sword charges for
spin attacks very quickly in this game (not like in Minish Cap...), and
you might as well save up for the Red Ring if you want twice the power.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
24) Light Ring L-1

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: Sorry, but you can’t get this in Oracle of Seasons.  The only
way you’ll ever equip it is if you use the Ring Secret to take it from
an Oracle of Ages game.  In any case, this lets you cast sword beams
with each swipe of the sword when you have two hearts missing or less.
With the Noble Sword, you need a full heart meter to fire beams of
light.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
25) Light Ring L-2

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: Like its counterpart, this ring isn’t obtainable in Oracle of
Seasons unless you use the Ring Secret.  With it, you can fire sword
beams even if you’re missing three hearts!  If you just love those
little beams, this is the way to go.  Remember, you can fire beams
normally only with full hearts and the Noble Sword.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
26) Bomber’s Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: This is an Oracle of Ages-exclusive ring, and only the Ring
Secret can bring it to Oracle of Seasons.  In any event, this ring
enables you to set two bombs at once.  For the bomber inside of you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
27) Green Luck Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: This halves the damage you take from traps.  At the beginning of
the game, when Razor Traps are more common than in later ones, this
might be helpful, but most traps can be avoided easily enough.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
28) Blue Luck Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: You take half the damage from beams that you normally would.  Of
course, Beamos are few and far between, and I’d doubt you could get
much use out of this.  The Blue Ring can eliminate the need for all of
the luck rings, by the way.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
29) Gold Luck Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: The Ring Secret is the only way to bring this ring into Oracle
of Seasons, as it isn’t included in the game otherwise.  This is
perhaps the most useful of the luck rings, although a Blue Ring makes
it immediately obsolete.  You won’t take damage from falls, and that’s
the most likely way you’ll receive damage (of the luck rings).  Of
course, there are better rings to wear by far.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
30) Red Luck Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: This one cuts the health you lose from spiked floors in half.
But, I should mention that there are next to no spiked floors in the
game, although there are some annoying spike beds in 2-D screens.  If
you can get a hold of a Blue Ring, though, I’d recommend it.  It’s not
quite as specialized.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
31) Green Holy Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: This is a great ring to use when fighting General Onox in his
second phase.  It makes you resistant to electric shocks, like those of
a Buzz Blob or Cukeman.  It’s rarely useful, but it really pays off in
the final battle against the General of Darkness.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
32) Blue Holy Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: You’ll be just thrilled when you get this...  In case you
couldn’t tell since I was typing, not talking, that first sentence was
meant to be sarcastic.  While wearing this ring, you won’t take damage
from Zora’s fire.  Well, for all two of you who just get Game Over
after Game Over from River Zora’s attacks, this ring rocks.  For the
rest of you, this ring is pointless.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
33) Red Holy Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: Ooh, no damage from small rocks (those being rocks fired by
Octoroks).  Did I say the Blue Holy Ring was useless?  Scratch that.
This is far more pointless than it.  Here’s a hint on how you can keep
avoid wearing this ring but still take no damage: shield.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
34) Snowshoe Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: My apologies, but the Ring Secret is necessary to getting this
ring into an Oracle of Seasons game.  In any case, you won’t slide on
ice when you wear this ring.  Now, that can be a very useful ring in
the Sword & Shield Maze, particularly those awful 2-D screens with the
Thwomps.  Otherwise, you’ll rarely find use for this, although you’ll
get a lot more out of it than you would in Oracle of Ages.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
35) Roc’s Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: I mention this a few times in the guide, and I admit that it
does have its moments.  Those moments, however, are pretty infrequent.
Wearing this ring prevents cracked floors from crumbling, which can
help in areas filled with would-be holes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
36) Quicksand Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: Change the season while in North Horon to autumn and enter the
river near Holodrum Plain.  Swim around and you’ll find two mushrooms
blocking the way to a strip of water blocked off by rocks.  Lift the
mushrooms, swim through the water to a cave, and enter to find this
ring in a cave.  It saves you from sinking in the quicksand of Samasa
Desert.  Since you’re only required to go there once in the game, I
doubt you’ll find this to be worthwhile.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
37) Red Joy Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: If you carry this item around, you’ll find that monsters drop
double the rupees after being slain.  If you want to get rich quick,
you know what to wear.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
38) Blue Joy Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: This ring is given to you by Princess Zelda.  In linked games
only, Zelda leaves Hyrule after you clear Level 2, and the Great Moblin
kidnaps her.  Follow Impa’s directions to go north (you’ll find them
south of the Scent Seed tree), and defeat the Great Moblin’s henchmen,
who are in the process of mugging her, and she’ll reward you with this.
It makes beasts drop double the hearts as normal, although other rings
that halve damage might be better.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
39) Gold Joy Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: You’ll have to use the Ring Secret if you want to use this in an
Oracle of Seasons game, as it is only in Oracle of Ages otherwise.  The
best of the joy rings, it lets you get double item drops from enemies,
as well as from shrubs and the like.  Now that could come in handy!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
40) Green Joy Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: This is found in a cave in Mt. Cucco, and let me say that it can
help you out at the Subrosia Market.  Otherwise, it’s useful.  With it,
you find double Ore Chunks, although they aren’t that hard to come by
as it is.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
41) Discovery Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: You’ll get this from a treasure chest within Gnarled Root
Dungeon.  It chimes when you enter a screen that has soft soil in it.
Lucky for you, I have those screens listed in “Gasha Seeds,” which
eliminates the need for this ring, although it was useful in compiling
that list.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
42) Rang Ring L-2

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: The (Magical) Boomerang receives a boost in attack, larger than
that of the Rang Ring L-1.  The Boomerang still can’t kill many enemies,
and this ring only makes it slightly stronger.  You might like this,
but I can think of better rings to wear than this.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
43) Octo Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: Aside from being located in a cave south of Mrs. Ruul’s Villa
outside Spool Swamp that you must swim to, this can be gotten from
Gasha Nuts and Maple.  When Link wears the Octo Ring, he becomes an
Octorok!  No joke!  However, he can only appear to be one, not actually
do anything cool like shoot rocks.  The only advantage to being an
Octorok (note that you can use no items while in this state) is a
newfound resistance to Like Likes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
44) Moblin Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: This turns Link into a Moblin, another common Zelda enemy.  As
such, Link can keep his shields from Like Likes, but he can’t use a
single item.  Also, he reverts back to normal Link while passing
through doors and in 2-D screens.  Note that you can also get this by
changing the season to autumn east of Snake’s Remains, entering the
cave blocked by mushrooms, and using the Magnetic Gloves to cross the
pit and open a chest containing this soon-to-be Moblin Ring.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
45) Like Like Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: This is also found in Explorer’s Crypt.  With this, Link assumes
the form of a Like Like.  You can’t absorb enemies’ items, but you can
avoid getting your own shield stolen by becoming that which steals
shields.  How ironic...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
46) Subrosian Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: This is located in the cave you find Talon in (see “The Trading
Sequence”) on Mt. Cucco.  In any case, Link can... BECOME A SUBROSIAN!
HUZZAH!  With this awesome ring, you can walk around as a green-clothed
Subrosian.  It is just like all the other transformation rings, but it
lets you walk around in style as a Subrosian.  Link never looked better.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
47) First Gen Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: The last of the transformation rings, this transforms Link into
the one thing that could be cooler than parading about as a Subrosian –
himself about 15 years younger!  Yes, you too can be 8-bit Link, just
like his NES debut in The Legend of Zelda.  It’s like the other
transformation rings, but now you can strike old school fear into the
hearts of beasts.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
48) Spin Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: To get this, use the Plen Secret in Oracle of Ages, talk to
Mayor Plen for another code, and give it to Farore in Oracle of Seasons
for this ring (see “Linked Secrets” for more details on this).  This
ring is incredibly useful against bosses like Onox.  It lets you use
the spin attack twice in a row, doing four normal slashes at once,
assuming both strike the enemy.  You might want to use this one against
bosses.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
49) Bombproof Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: With this, you take no damage from your own bombs.  Of course,
this is very rarely useful, but if you accidentally drop a bomb in
front of you or something like that, it will protect you.  If you are
carrying five rings and this one happens to be there, plus you have a
need for many bombs, put this on and make all the mistakes you want.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
50) Energy Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: If you’ve just got to have your sword beams, this is your cup of
tea.  It replaces spin attacks with beam attacks.  Why’d you want to
waste a spin attack four times stronger than those beams is beyond me,
but you might want to roast enemies with beams from a distance
regardless of health.  Remember that you’ll have to take this off to
face certain bosses that require spin attacks to defeat.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
51) Dbl. Edge Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: Your attack is greatly increased, but it is drained by one heart
per use.  It could be useful for a short period of time, but you’d
might as well wear a Red Ring instead.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
52) GBA Nature Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: Buy this from the Advance Shop in the northwest screen of Horon
Village.  It costs a small fortune, and the description is “Life
advanced!”  Seriously, though, this does nothing.  Just make all those
GBC-players jealous with your GBA ring!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
53) Slayer’s Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: Vasu gives you this ring, which must be appraised afterward,
once you’ve killed a total of 1000 monsters.  It turns out to be the
Slayer’s Ring.  It doesn’t do anything, but it does signal a landmark
in your game.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
54) Rupee Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: Vasu gives this to his most loyal customer as a sign of your
wealth.  Talk to him after gathering your 10,000th rupee.  Remember,
even if you get rupees when you have 999 rupees, they still count
toward your total.  Now you can flaunt your wealth in front of those
poor villagers!  Aside from that, it does nothing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
55) Victory Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: You get this after defeating the final boss of a linked game.
Again, it doesn’t do anything, but it is a sign of peace in Holodrum
and the world over.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
56) Sign Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: This is an interesting one.  Destroy 100 signs (pick them up,
set them on fire, slash them with the Noble Sword, which is the easiest
way to go) first.  Then visit the Sign-Loving Subrosian’s Home in the
eastern side of Subrosia, right by the Great Furnace.  He can’t believe
you’d commit such an atrocious act, and so you get a ring to shame you
before all the world, and to remind you of your misdeeds.  It’s the
Sign Ring, a symbol that you enjoy crushing the dreams of Subrosians
with sign fetishes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
57) 100th Ring

Gasha/Maple: No

Notes: Upon appraising a total of 100 rings, you get this little number.
It’s a gift from Vasu for being such a loyal customer, and it
symbolizes that you like jewelry a little too much.  That comes out to
a total of 2,000 rupees spent on rings, although you would’ve actually
gained some because you’d have gotten duplicates, forcing Vasu to buy
them from you for 30 big ones.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
58) Whisp Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: Undoubtedly the best ring in the game (sarcasm alert!), the
Whisp Ring makes you immune to jinxes brought on by Whisps.  This is
useful in one room in Sword & Shield Maze, but it’s really quite
useless elsewhere.  True Whisps, the kind that can jinx you and not
just hurt you, are very, very rare.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
59) Gasha Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: This increases the chances that you’ll get a good prize from a
Gasha Nut you grow.  And since one prize is a Piece of Heart, which
requires a lot of questing to get otherwise, you need all the luck you
can get.  And besides, who else but me thinks growing a Gasha Tree for
a Fairy is a rip-off?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
60) Peace Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: No, it’s not a hippie emblem.  Instead, this ring makes it so
that bombs do not explode while you’re holding them.  This is pretty
nice if you’re a precision bomber, and you might want to use it early
on in the game when you have nothing better to wear, but really, this
is not the cream of the crop.  In Oracle of Ages, in which you needed
Bombs to defeat Armos warriors until at least Level 6, this ring could
be of great use.  In this game, where you get the Boomerang before
Level 2, it’s not that great.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
61) Zora Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: This ring lets Link dive underwater indefinitely; he doesn’t
come up for air anymore.  This is basically the game’s Zora Tunic.  In
any case, this ring was designed more for Oracle of Ages, in which Link
might get some use out of it in the water-filled Labrynna, but you
might want to use this while exploring watery areas and ducking to
avoid Water Tektites or River Zoras/Zolas, like Eyeglass Lake, the
river in Holodrum Plain and Natzu Prairie, and in Spool Swamp.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
62) Fist Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: Note that this ring can also be gotten by digging in a little
patch south of where you get the Blue Ore for creating the Iron Shield
(to learn how to get the Blue Ore, read up on “Equipment & Upgrades”).
A weaker version of the Expert’s Ring, it allows Link to throw weak
punches at enemies.  They actually can be used to fight, but punching
isn’t advised for most enemies.  Note that you cannot use this in your
match with Blaino.  Also, to understand what the Fist Ring is like
(throwing punches when no items are equipped), it functions just like
the brawl with Blaino in North Horon.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
63) Whimsical Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: You could use this, but I don’t recommend it.  This ring weakens
your sword overall, but some of your attacks are very powerful,
critical attacks as a Pokémon fan would say.  It really isn’t worth it,
though.  Unless you are unbelievably lucky, you won’t get critical
shots in very often at all, and you’ll end up just hurting yourself.
If you have nothing better to wear, go with this.  If you have any
level Power Ring or the Red Ring, or other power-increased rings, wear
them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
64) Protection Ring

Gasha/Maple: Yes

Notes: At first, this ring is really bad.  It makes it so that all
damage you take, no matter if you’re hit by a Zol or a Lynel, is one
heart.  So, if you’re facing the General of Darkness or really tough
enemies, this could conceivably decrease the amount of damage you take.
But, in a room of Keese or other weaklings, don’t let them deal the
extra damage.  Since hardly any enemies can do two hearts of damage in
one blow, it’s usually best to wear the Blue Ring, or an Armor Ring.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tada!  Now you know the names, the locations, the blah, blah, blah.  I
hope you’re satisfied, ‘cause we’re moving on.  Next stop?  Discussing
the child of Bipin & Blossom.

=======================================================================
===========================Bipin & Blossom*============================
=======================================================================

In the southwestern Horon Village, there lives a farmer and his wife.
He is a simple man in a long line of farmers, and he is descended from
Pippin.  His name is Bipin, his wife Blossom, and these two have just
recently had a son.

You can influence their son greatly by talking to Blossom at different
times in the game.  How you answer her questions determines what career
he will take up, and how he is raised will earn you a reward.  It’s
time to put those parenting skills to the test and see if you’ve got
what it takes to raise Bipin & Blossom’s son.  You stoked?  You should
be.

                          +----------------+
                          |    The Name    |
                          +----------------+

When you first enter Horon Village, look around to find the home of
Bipin & Blossom, which is south of the Shop, and also the home of their
new son.  Blossom is quite excited, but she can’t think of a new name
for her baby boy.  She asks you for advice and you get to enter a name
you’d like to give the baby.  You can name it anything you want,
whether you name it Pipin after their ancestor (you can’t fit in the
extra “p” due to the five-letter limit), Mistake as a cruel joke (okay,
you actually can’t fit it, but you can fit something like Error), or
some other name.  The name’s not important, as a son by any other name
still has the same text.

                         +-------------------+
                         |    The Ailment    |
                         +-------------------+

After beating Level 2, the son will become sick.  Blossom needs money
to take him to the doctor, and it’s up to you to make a kind donation.
Give her either 1, 10, 50, or 150.  This choice, like the others, will
affect the son’s career.

                        +--------------------+
                        |    The Insomnia    |
                        +--------------------+

Blossom’s baby boy won’t fall asleep, and she needs answers.  This
occurs after beating the Level 4, by the way.  You have to choose
whether Blossom should play with him, to wear him down, or sing him to
sleep.  What you do affects who he will be.

                           +---------------+
                           |    The Kid    |
                           +---------------+

The son will have a miraculous growth spurt, transforming into a kid.
Depending on how you answered questions will determine what he looks
like and asks you.  Note that this occurs after Level 1 in a linked
game (Bipin & Blossom move after you beat the game, which is why their
house is empty).

- If you told Blossom to play with him, he’ll be energetic.  He’s
curious as to whether or not you have a girlfriend, and how you answer
this question will determine his future.

- If you gave Blossom 1 or 10 rupees and told her to sing to the baby,
he’ll be a curious child with rosy cheeks and a smile.  He asks, in
confusion, which came first, the chicken or the egg.

- If you pampered the baby with 50 or 150 rupees and got her to sing to
him, he’ll become a shy kid (who runs from you) wearing glasses.  He
wants to know if you’re strong or not because he wants to defend his
family (from what?  Link?).

And no matter which kid it is – hyper, smiling, or shy – Blossom will
ask you a series of questions.  She asks if you were energetic.  If you
say yes, she stops.  Say no and she asks if you were quiet.  Say yes,
and she stops asking.  Say no and she asks if you were weird.  Say yes
to end the occasion, or say no for a “none of the above” answer.

                         +------------------+
                         |    The Novice    |
                         +------------------+

Depending on how you many rupees you gave, how you told Blossom to cure
his insomnia, how you answered the boy’s questions, and how you
answered Blossom’s string of questions, the youngster will take up a
profession.  He’ll be a man by the time you’ve beaten the third dungeon
in a linked game.  While he’s only a rookie, he’s got lots of questions
for Link that will not influence his career path but instead determine
what reward he gives you.  Below are the various careers he could have,
as well as how you need to answer the questions to make him take up
these careers.  The below chart is the setup for all questions.

 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+
 | Path # | Rupees | Play/Sing | Link’s Personality | Son’s Question |
 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+
 |        |        |           |                    |                |
 |        |        |           |                    |                |
 |        |        |           |                    |                |
 |        |        |           |                    |                |
 |        |        |           |                    |                |
 |        |        |           |                    |                |
 |        |        |           |                    |                |
 |        |        |           |                    |                |
 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+

- There are multiple ways to earn each career, and each is numbered
(hence the Path #).

- Rupees determines how many rupees you can give to the boy to treat
his sickness.

- Play/Sing shows how you should answer that question to put him to
sleep, and then we get to the kid’s questions.

- Link’s Personality is what Blossom asks you about your personality.
It is answered with either “Energetic,” “Quiet,” “Weird,” or None of
the Above.

- Finally, we have the son’s question.  If you have the energetic kid,
answer him with “Girlfriend,” or “No Girlfriend.”  The curious boy will
want to hear “Egg” or “Chicken.”  The shy boy will ask if you’re strong;
answer “Strong” or “Not Strong.”

- Note that “Either” or “Any” means that it does not matter which is
chosen.

The right combination turns him into a farmer, a hero, a singer, or a
slacker.  After answering their questions, beat another dungeon and
return to get a reward based on how you answered.

                         +------------------+
                         |    The Farmer    |
                         +------------------+

If you want Bipin’s boy to take up farming, he’ll be a pro on all
things Gasha and make his old man proud.  If you want to continue the
family tradition, answer questions like so:

 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+
 | Path # | Rupees | Play/Sing | Link’s Personality | Son’s Question |
 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+
 |   1    |   50   |   Play    |     Energetic      |   Girlfriend   |
 |   2    |  150   |   Play    |     Energetic      |     Either     |
 |   3    |  150   |   Play    |       Quiet        |   Girlfriend   |
 |   4    |  150   |   Sing    |     Energetic      |     Strong     |
 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+

Oddly, the farmer career path is the hardest to achieve, and it has the
fewest ways to do it.  As a farmer, the son wants to cover the world in
greenery.  He gives you a Gasha Seed to help him accomplish this goal.
It may not be the best reward, but at least it continues the tradition.
Also, if you talk to him from then on, he’ll give you advice pertaining
to Gasha Seeds.

                          +----------------+
                          |    The Hero    |
                          +----------------+

If you answer the questions correctly, he’ll have dreams of becoming a
legendary hero, just like Link!  He wants to travel the world’s lands
and save the world’s people.  But, if that’s ever to happen, you’ll
have to answer the questions like so:

 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+
 | Path # | Rupees | Play/Sing | Link’s Personality | Son’s Question |
 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+
 |   1    |   1    |   Play    |     Energetic      | No Girlfriend  |
 |   2    |   10   |   Play    |     Energetic      |     Either     |
 |   3    |   10   |   Play    |       Quiet        |   Girlfriend   |
 |   4    |   50   |   Play    |     Energetic      | No Girlfriend  |
 |   5    |   50   |   Play    |       Quiet        |     Either     |
 |   6    |   50   |   Play    |       Weird        |   Girlfriend   |
 |   7    |  150   |   Play    |       Quiet        | No Girlfriend  |
 |   8    |  150   |   Play    |        None        |   Girlfriend   |
 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+

The little soldier wants advice on how he can become mighty (from the
expert, of course).  If you tell him “Daily Training,” he’ll later
reward you with 100 rupees.  Say “Natural Talent” and he’ll refill one
of your hearts (one of the worst rewards).  Answer “A Caring Heart” for
one full heart meter refill.  Lastly, answer “No” to all of them to get
one measly rupee.  As we can see, it’s all about the daily training.

                         +------------------+
                         |    The Singer    |
                         +------------------+

The baby you knew becomes a guitarist, who does his own vocals, if you
answer the questions in certain ways.  The singer career is okay in
terms of reward, but you could do better.  To make him a musical
superstar, answer like so:

 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+
 | Path # | Rupees | Play/Sing | Link’s Personality | Son’s Question |
 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+
 |   1    |   1    |   Sing    |        Any         |      Egg       |
 |   2    |   1    |   Sing    |       Weird        |    Chicken     |
 |   3    |   1    |   Sing    |        None        |    Chicken     |
 |   4    |   10   |   Sing    |       Quiet        |      Egg       |
 |   5    |   10   |   Sing    |       Weird        |     Either     |
 |   6    |   10   |   Sing    |        None        |     Either     |
 |   7    |   50   |   Sing    |        Any         |   Not Strong   |
 |   8    |   50   |   Sing    |       Weird        |     Either     |
 |   9    |   50   |   Sing    |        None        |     Either     |
 |   10   |  150   |   Sing    |       Quiet        |   Not Strong   |
 |   11   |  150   |   Sing    |       Weird        |     Either     |
 |   12   |  150   |   Sing    |        None        |     Either     |
 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+

He’s busy writing his first song, one of praise for Link, the great
hero.  He wants to know what’s more important, love or courage.  Of
course, Link would answer “Courage,” but it’s your choice.  No matter
how you answer, the reward is the same.  Every time you go to see him
after that, he plays his song and fills all your hearts, as if it was a
Fairy Fountain.  However, depending upon which answer you pick, the
song is different.

                         +-------------------+
                         |    The Slacker    |
                         +-------------------+

Unfortunately, the easiest “career” path is that of the slacker.  This
guy never grew out of his childhood, and he idles the days away
listening to music, wearing shades, and saying “dude” and other words
those cool kids say.  Unless you want him to be like this, try not to
answer questions like so:

 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+
 | Path # | Rupees | Play/Sing | Link’s Personality | Son’s Question |
 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+
 |   1    |   1    |   Play    |  Any Minus Energy  |   Girlfriend   |
 |   2    |   1    |   Sing    |     Energetic      |    Chicken     |
 |   3    |   1    |   Sing    |       Quiet        |    Chicken     |
 |   4    |   10   |   Play    |       Quiet        | No Girlfriend  |
 |   5    |   10   |   Play    |       Weird        |     Either     |
 |   6    |   10   |   Play    |        None        |     Either     |
 |   7    |   10   |   Sing    |     Energetic      |      Egg       |
 |   8    |   10   |   Sing    |       Quiet        |    Chicken     |
 |   9    |   50   |   Play    |       Weird        | No Girlfriend  |
 |   10   |   50   |   Play    |        None        |     Either     |
 |   11   |   50   |   Sing    |     Energetic      |     Strong     |
 |   12   |   50   |   Sing    |       Quiet        |     Strong     |
 |   13   |  150   |   Play    |       Weird        | No Girlfriend  |
 |   14   |  150   |   Play    |       None         | No Girlfriend  |
 |   15   |  150   |   Sing    |     Energetic      |   Not Strong   |
 |   16   |  150   |   Sing    |       Quiet        |     Strong     |
 +--------+--------+-----------+--------------------+----------------+

He may be a slacker in the workplace, but this slacking son wants to go
out and see the world.  He’s saving up money to do it, and he’d like
you to chip in.  Give him 100 to refill your Seed Satchel.  50 earns
you 200 rupees in return, while 10 gets you a Gasha Seed.  If you give
him only one rupee, he’ll never earn enough money to venture outside
Horon Village/Lynna City, and he’ll wonder what could have been.

                       +----------------------+
                       |    The Final Word    |
                       +----------------------+

So, now that you’ve raised the kid (what did Blossom ever do?) and
reaped the rewards, sit back and give yourself a pat on the back.  It
wasn’t easy (well, it probably was, really), but at least you have
something to remember it by, whether it be your own theme song or one
rupee.  If you’re a money-hungry player, though, you’ll find the best
reward comes from a slacker.  If you use a 1-rupee option and give the
slacker 50 rupees, he’ll reward you with 200.  That’s a net profit of
149 rupees.  But, there are other ways to earn money.  Personally, I
prefer the farmer route because it continues the tradition started so
long ago.  Pippin would be proud.

=======================================================================
=========================The Trading Sequence*=========================
=======================================================================

A little Zelda tradition started in Link’s Awakening was the trade
sequence.  In each sequence, Link gains an item, gives it to someone
who needs it, gets another item in return, and eventually gets an item
he can use.  This game also features such a trading sequence, and a
great prize at that.  You can get it any time after entering Tarm Ruins
before Level 6.

                       +-----------------------+
                       |    The Great Trade    |
                       +-----------------------+

It’s high time we got this trade over with.  The reward is well worth
it, and it won’t be too difficult.  Let’s get through this series of
give and gets.

1) Dr. Left is a man with large, green tufts of hair that lives in
Horon Village (three screens south of the Maku Tree).  The biologist
wants to read his books, but it’s too dark.  Use an Ember Seed on the
torch to light the room.  He rewards you with one of his books, the
Cuccodex.  It’s “the complete Cucco fact book.”  Cuccos are chickens in
Zelda games (don’t abuse them!).

2) Go north of where you met Din, the Oracle of Seasons, and you’ll
find the home of Malon and Talon (yes, the owners of Lon Lon Ranch from
Ocarina of Time).  Talk to the girl here, Malon, and she’ll reveal that
her father went to climb Mt. Cucco, and so she has to care for the
Cuccos.  But, she doesn’t know a lot about it.  I know!  Let’s give her
the Cuccodex.  To thank you for it, she gives you a Lon Lon Egg, the
prized produce of Lon Lon Ranch.  They’re supposedly all the rage with
cute girls.  It seems to be a beauty aid.

3) It’s time to slay some monsters, as you need to kill 30 of them to
make Maple appear.  She’s the next link in the trading chain.  After
running into her, the Lon Lon Egg pops out of your deep pockets.  After
introducing herself as the Great Witch Syrup’s apprentice, she notices
your egg.  They’re all the rage with girls now!  You’re a boy (directed
to Link, not necessarily the player), and you don’t need it!  She gives
you a doll for it.  You got the Ghastly Doll!  Looking at it gives you
chills.  Who would want this?

4) On your way to Spool Swamp, you’ll meet Mrs. Ruul in her villa (why
she lives away from Mayor Ruul is unknown.  Perhaps they’re brother and
sister).  Specifically, she lives one screen south from the final cliff
in Holodrum Plain.  Mrs. Ruul finds the springtime hot, and not even
her Soothing Pool can help.  She needs something creepy to send chills
down her spine.  Let her take a gander at the Ghastly Doll and she
rewards you will an old Iron Pot.  Who would want this “well-seasoned”
pot?

5) Enter Subrosia from the Woods of Winter entrance.  Go south (left
side), west twice, north, west, and south twice to find the home of the
Subrosian Chef.  Enter and talk to him.  If he had all the ingredients,
he could make us a tasty soup.  But not without a fine iron pot that’s
been well-seasoned...  Let it have the Iron Pot to make the great soup.
It melts down the pot to make Lava Soup, a harmony of flavors!  It’s
molten hot.

6) Remember Biggoron?  Since winter came to Goron Mountains (it’s
always winter up there, but this was in far more severe), and since
Biggoron can’t very well fit inside the caves, he’s caught a cold.  If
only he had some soup, preferably hot soup, to drink...  Head over to
Biggoron, living in the northwest corner of Goron Mountain.  Give it to
him to cure him of his cold.  As a symbol of his gratitude, he gives
you the Goron Vase.  All the collectors want it!

7) Ingo is a collector of vases in Sunken City (yes, Ingo, also a
worker in Lon Lon Ranch from Ocarina of Time).  No matter how often he
asks, Biggoron never gives him the Goron Vase!  He’d even give his
dinner for it - Fish!  When he sees you have the vase, he’s begging you
for it!  Give it to him for a “Yahoo!”  In thanks, he gives you his
last fish.  Now his collection is complete!

8) Who could want a Fish?  Cats like it...  Go east of Impa’s Refuge to
find a man with a megaphone calling for Mittens, his kitten.  Mittens
is stuck in a tree, and won’t come down no matter how much he calls for
her.  But, if you give him your Fish, which is her favorite snack,
she’d come down for sure!  Mittens jumps right down.  To reward you, he
gives you his Megaphone.  It could wake up even the sleepiest of people.

9) Go to Mt. Cucco and bring spring to the land.  Go west of the stump
three times, hop in the Deku Flower to be sent upward, and go north.
Enter the cave to find a sleeping man.  It’s Talon, Malon’s dad!  He
went to hike up Mt. Cucco but never returned!  And he’s sleeping
because snow caved him in!  Use the Megaphone to wake him up.  He slept
clean through winter!  Ah, he can’t reach the summit now; he’ll go back
to Malon.  He takes the Megaphone since we don’t need it and he gives
us the Mushroom that grew in his cave.  We can also reach the chest in
here by pushing the upper block over, the lower one down, and open it
for a Magical Ring.

10) Return to Sunken City and change the season to winter.  Go south of
the stump twice and use the snow to go north.  Enter Syrup’s Potion
Shop and talk to Syrup.  She would send Maple out to find Mushrooms on
Mt. Cucco, but she hasn’t returned.  Give her the Mushroom and she’ll
trade her Wooden Bird.  It looks real!  Also, Syrup now opens shop
selling Magic Potions, which refill your hearts after you die.  She
also sells Gasha Seeds for 300 rupees, the same price as potions.

11) Return to Horon Village.  North twice of the Ember Seed tree and
west once is the Clock Shop.  Enter and talk to the owner.  He wants to
make a Cuckoo Clock better than any before, but he needs a Wooden Bird
that he likes.  A breathtakingly realistic one will do.  Let him have
it and he’ll give you Engine Grease.

12) Go to the Eastern Suburbs, east of Horon Village.  Enter the cave
here and take the left staircase up, and then the next one.  We come to
Guru-Guru, who is playing the Song of Storms from Ocarina of Time.  If
he could just oil his windmill, it would go faster.  Give him Engine
Grease and he gives a Phonograph playing the Song of Storms.

13) Go to Tarm Ruins.  Two screens south of the Fairy Fountain is a
sapling.  Burn it and enter the cave to find a music-loving Deku Scrub.
Let it listen to your Phonograph’s recording of the Song of Storms and
he jumps for joy.  Since you were so kind to it, it will teach you the
way to its Secret Spot.  It says “If temperatures rise as you go far to
the west, you’ll find it!”  What could that mean?  Note that to the
west (you may want to go there to get it on your map) is a breeding
ground for Like Likes considered part of the Lost Woods.

                       +-----------------------+
                       |    The Noble Sword    |
                       +-----------------------+

Just like in A Link to the Past, the Lost Woods hold the secret to the
second sword.  And I figured, as long as were upgrading our shield, why
not our sword?  Go to the Lost Woods.  This time, we will exit, but
we’re following these steps.

1) Call forth winter.  Go west.

2) Change the season to autumn.  Go west.

3) Make it springtime.  Go west.

4) Let it be summer.  Go west.

This leads to that Deku Scrub’s Secret Spot.  Boy, he must like playing
by this pedestal... with a sword plunged into it!  Approach the
pedestal and press A.  You got the sacred Noble Sword!  It’s 1.5 times
as powerful as our Wooden Sword.  When you’re at full health, you can
release a sword beam from it with each slash!  You can also break vases
with only a swipe instead of using the Power Bracelet.  The same goes
for signs.  From now on, destroy every sign you come to.  It’s good for
getting a ring later on.

Note: In a main-linked game, the Noble Sword becomes the Master Sword,
a stronger blade from A Link to the Past.  In a return linked game, you
get the Biggoron’s Sword, the strongest of them all.  I will assume you
have the Noble Sword for the rest of the guide, though.

Have fun with your new blade...

=======================================================================
=========================Equipment & Upgrades*=========================
=======================================================================

Quite a few items in Oracle of Seasons are optional, and not all of
them are obvious to get.  And so this section was born.  Many items
come from secrets, and I’ll point you to the “Linked Secrets” section
for details on acquiring those items.  And now, for the moment you’ve
all been waiting for... the list!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Name of Item

Notes:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Above is the setup, and below is the list.  Note that I’ve included
Zora’s Flippers here.  Now, on with the show...

                       +-----------------------+
                       |    Basic Equipment    |
                       +-----------------------+

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Wooden Sword (L-1)

Notes: You find this in Hero’s Cave on the Western Coast (in linked
games, you begin your quest with this blade).  The sword is your
primary weapon, and you can slash it once or hold it out to perform a
spin attack (strong as two slashes).  The sword can slash bushes and
also pick up items like bombs, rupees, seeds, etc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Wooden Shield (L-1)

Notes: You can buy this at the Shop in Horon Village for 30 rupees, a
cheap price, really.  Business Scrubs occasionally sell shields for
higher prices, too.  It is used to block attacks, to flip over Spiked
Beetles, and on occasion deflect projectiles.  If you lose it to a Like
Like, you can always buy another one.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bombs

Notes: This could be considered the secondary prize of Gnarled Root
Dungeon; you can get ten from a chest in there, which opens up the road
to buying bombs in the future.  These items, present in almost all
Zelda games, can be used to blow up weak parts of walls or fragile
blocks.  Many enemies are vulnerable to explosions, too.  Note that if
you’re caught in an explosion of your own making, you will take damage.
When you take out a bomb, you must then set it down or run and set it
down to throw it.  At first, you can carry only ten, but there are
capacity upgrades for Bomb Bags.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Seed Satchel

Notes: The prize of Gnarled Root Dungeon is probably the second most
frequently used item in the game, second only to the Wooden Sword.  It
lets you carry seeds, twenty of each (although there are capacity
upgrades), and there are five types of seed (which each get entries
next in the list).  Luckily, there are two capacity upgrades, although
50 is usually plenty.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ember Seed

Notes: When Link finds the Seed Satchel in the 2-D screen it is
contained in during his quest for the first Essence of Nature, it comes
filled with Ember Seeds already.  Trees bear Ember Seeds in winter, and
they can be used to light torches, burn down small trees, or turn
Gibdos to jumping Stalfos.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mystery Seed
</pre><pre id="faqspan-8">
Notes: “Hidden” on a tree southeast of the entrance to Snake’s Remains
are these.  Mystery Seeds have a random effect when used.  They can
also be sprinkled on Owl statues to give you hints, a reference to
Link’s Awakening’s Owl character.  Trees bear Mystery Seeds in the
summer, the season that region of the Woods of Winter is locked into.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Scent Seed

Notes: These grow on a tree in North Horon, just northwest of Blaino’s
Gym.  Scent Seeds have almost no use in the entire game.  They attract
(certain enemies) to you, and can be used to attack enemies once you
have the Slingshot.  They can instantly defeat Pokeys...  Since they’re
not needed for anything in the game, you can use these expendable seeds
as ammo for the Slingshot.  Just as Ember Seeds are the Magic Powder of
the game, this is the Monster Bait of the game.  Scent Seeds grow in
the spring.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pegasus Seed

Notes: The only seed that grows in autumn, this is a very useful seed.
It increases your speed temporarily (it’s named after Pegasus, the
winged horse of Greek heroes in Greek mythology, but the Zelda name
comes from the Pegasus Boots in A Link to the Past).  For this reason,
you can run around enemies, which is almost needed for some bosses, and
you’ll be able to jump two spaces if you use Roc’s Feather while
running (seven spaces with Roc’s Cape!).  Also, Pegasus Seeds shot at
enemies can stun them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Gale Seed

Notes: These seeds, which are summer-exclusive, are very helpful.  You
find them first in Sunken City.  They can be shot at enemies to blow
them away, but Link can more effectively use them on himself.  He’ll be
able to warp to any tree-bearing in the game (that he’s seen).  A Gale
Seed-bearing tree is the only one that is repeated.  The tree locations
are as follows:

- Horon Village (Ember)
- Woods of Winter (Mystery)
- North Horon (Scent)
- Spool Swamp (Pegasus)
- Sunken City (Gale)
- Tarm Ruins (Gale)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Boomerang (L-1)

Notes: Won in the Subrosian Dance Hall (access it from the Woods of
Winter portal), this can be thrown at enemies to throw switches from
afar, stun enemies, defeat weaklings (like Keese), or retrieve items
like rupees.  The Boomerang is also the easiest way to defeat Armos.
Here’s an extract from the guide regarding getting it.

Enter the Subrosian Dance Hall, southwest of the Woods of Winter (WoW)
portal.  Good dancers get prizes, and they’re about to practice.  Care
to join them?  Do so and join the circle.  The dance here is a bit more
complicated than the one in Oracle of Ages with Gorons.  Here, dancing
is all about turning directions.  When you hear “doo,” turn right.
“Dah” calls for left, while “dee” requires you to pose with A.
Subrosians always dance in groups, and no Subrosian can touch.  You
have to keep up with the others to succeed here (Subrosians smiling is
weird).  The dancing is pretty fast-paced, and they kick you out if you
mess up.  You know the dance will end soon when the moves start to get
faster.  If you manage to pass through all the steps in the dance
(always a random number) without messing up, you are rewarded with the
Boomerang.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rod of Seasons

Notes: The Rod of Seasons is the defining item of the game.  Link
receives it from the four Season Spirits in the Temple of Seasons,
which had sunk from Northern Peak into the earth, right into East Plaza,
Subrosia.  When Link first receives the Rod of Seasons, it is useless.
Sure, it can be used to whack enemies, doing no actual damage, but it
does nothing seasonal.  By visiting the corner towers, the Towers of
Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, Link can add a power to the Rod of
Seasons.  Rather than give them their own entry, as they do not have
their own menu, I’ll list the powers below.

Link calls forth winter with the blessing of a wintry chill.
Link calls forth summer with the blessing of a summer day.
Link calls forth spring with the blessing of a spring dew.
Link calls forth autumn with the blessing of an autumn breeze.

And Link is able to change the season just by waving the Rod of Seasons
from atop stumps.  Link cannot access each tower at first (I’ve listed
them in the order that they’re gotten it), but he can eventually find
the items he needs or paths to take from within Subrosia to unlock all
of them and receive the powers of each Season Spirit.  Each season has
a different effect.  Winter freezes water, piles snow, and strips trees
of their leaves.  Summer dries up creeks and grow vines, while spring
makes Rock Flowers soften and Deku Flowers bloom.  Autumn is good for
covering pits with leaves and ripening mushrooms, letting Link lift
them (otherwise, he cannot).  Many of the game’s puzzles are based
around the seasons.  So, show some respect, bub, and don’t go whacking
Octoroks with this!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Shovel

Notes: This is given to you by Holly, a girl living in the northern end
of the Woods of Winter, after you fall through her chimney in winter.
It lets you dig through piles of snow or dirt, and it lets you uncover
hidden items, ranging from rupees to rings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Power Bracelet

Notes: Let’s face it – Link is a wimp.  He can’t pick up jars by
himself, which is why he needs this item.  It can also be used to lift
rocks and Mushrooms (in fall only).  The Power Bracelet is a pretty
poor excuse for an item, but you can throw stuff at people, and at
least there isn’t an L-2 Power Bracelet like in Link’s Awakening and
Oracle of Ages.  Now THAT’S a poor excuse for an item.  This item is
the prize of Snake’s Remains, by the way.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Strange Flute

Notes: This flute is used to summon one of three possible animal
partners.  If you buy the flute from the Shop in Horon Village, you’ll
end up with Moosh, the flying bear.  If you win the flute in the
Subrosian Dance Hall, it’ll turn out to be Dimitri, the aquatic Dodongo.
And if you end up doing none of the above, just continuing in your
quest, you’ll get the default partner, Ricky the kangaroo.  The flute
can be used to summon your partner in certain areas; pick carefully.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Roc’s Feather (L-1)

Notes: The prize of Poison Moth’s Lair, Roc’s Feather is the ever-so-
useful item from Link’s Awakening that lets Link jump one space.  While
jumping, Link can slash higher altitudes and jump over pits.  Roc’s
Feather is one of the most useful items in the game, of course.
Seriously, jumping isn’t that cool in real life, like lifting pots, but
man is it great in Oracle of Seasons.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Zora’s Flippers

Notes: Link receives this from Master Diver in Sunken City after giving
him Master’s Plaque with the help of Dimitri.  These flippers let Link
swim (like I said, he needs equipment to do everything) in even the
deepest of waters.  Press A to swim forward quickly and B to dive below
the surface.  Diving in some places, you can enter underwater caves.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fool’s Ore

Notes: Link “trades” this to the two Strange Subrosians for Roc’s
Feather after entering Subrosia from Mt. Cucco.  Link can use it as a
funny joke item; he slams his down in front of him to bonk enemies’
heads, but he tosses it once he gets Roc’s Feather back those thieves.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Slingshot (L-1)

Notes: The prize of Dancing Dragon Dungeon, the Slingshot can shoot any
of your seeds at enemies.  Ember Seeds can burn enemies, Mystery Seeds
have one of the other seed effects, picked randomly, Scent Seeds just
damage foes, Pegasus Seeds stun enemies, and Gale Seeds warp enemies
away with the gale-based tornados they create.  The seeds you fire from
the Slingshot are shared with the Seed Satchel; you do not have
separate sets of seeds for each.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Magnetic Gloves

Notes: The prize of Unicorn’s Cave, the Magnetic Gloves is undoubtedly
the coolest item in the game (although Roc’s Cape is pretty high up
there).  With them, you can either pull magnetic orbs toward you or
push them away from you.  For magnetic stakes, you can pull yourself to
them or push yourself away from them, letting Link cross gaps and other
obstacles he could with no other item.  Remember, N attracts to S and
vice versa, but N repels N and S repels S.  Remember, opposites attract
and the same polarities repel.  Some enemies can be affected by the
Magnetic Gloves, such as Iron Masks or Magnites.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

                          +----------------+
                          |    Upgrades    |
                          +----------------+

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Noble Sword (L-2)

Notes: This is obtained after a long series of exchanges; see “The
Trade Sequence” for details on getting this.  The Noble Sword is 1.5
times as powerful as the Wooden Sword, and this “sacred” blade is said
to have been used by a hero long ago.  Aside from beating enemies to a
bloody pulp a lot quicker, this sword can easily break signs and jars
with a single stroke, and it can fire energy beams when your heart
meter is full.  Unfortunately, you must wait until just before you
clear Ancient Ruins to get this (in Oracle of Ages, you can get it
before Level 5).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Master Sword (L-3)

Notes: The legendary blade of evil’s bane, the Master Sword is 2.5
times more powerful than the Wooden Sword, making it the strongest
sword in the game, aside from the next one in the list.  The Master
Sword retains all the properties of the Noble Sword, but it makes you a
serious force to be reckoned with.  Using the Red Ring and a spin
attack, you can deal one blow that equates to ten swipes of the Wooden
Sword!  To get this, you’ll have to use the Clockshop Secret (see
“Linked Secrets” for details).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Biggoron Sword

Notes: First appearing as the ultimate weapon in Ocarina of Time, this
sword is so heavy that it requires Link to wield it with both hands.
As a result, you will often have to switch between it and the Master
Sword to use a secondary item.  The Biggoron Sword has wider range, is
swung more slowly, and has power that just about equals the Master
Sword.  Personally, I prefer the L-3 Sword over this.  You must use the
Biggoron Secret (check out “Linked Secrets” to learn how you can) if
you ever want to use this prize.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Iron Shield (L-2)

Notes: The second best shield of the game, but I warn you that it’s a
bit more complicated in attaining.  Note that it’s available to you any
time after Level 5.  Here goes...

First, go find Rosa and ask her out on a date.  I warn you in advance;
do not enter 2-D screens or caves unless I tell you to; Rosa will
excuse herself from the date if you do.  From where you find Rosa, go
north, west, north, and west.  Use the Magnetic Gloves to repel
yourself (and Rosa) left and go west.  Jump to the island, jump north,
and go north a screen.  Enter the house and hop to the Gasha Seed.  Now
exit.

Go west three times and then go north.  Jump the pit, and go west, then
south.  Clear the gap with the Magnetic Gloves and go right to a chest.
Open it for Blue Ore.  They say that Blue Ore mixed with Red Ore makes
Hard Ore, the best kind.  This next part requires some fancy moves.  Go
back to the previous screen.  Repel yourself from the right magnet so
that you cross the pits to the south.  Now go left, jumping the gap,
and use the Shovel to dig at the square for a ring.  We’re done here.

Make your way to Subrosia Market.  Go north of it, enter the cave, exit
to the left, and go north three times.  Here, go left to a new set of
stairs and go south.  Go west twice and then north.  From here, go west
and south.  Open the locked door with Rosa’s Key and enter.  Open the
chest within for a Gasha Seed.  Now exit the cave and go north, west
twice, and south.  Enter this cave and open the chest for a Gasha Seed.

Now to get the Red Ore.  Pay a visit to the Sign-Loving Subrosian.
From its house, go west twice.  Use the Magnetic Gloves to cross the
pit; enter the cave.  Go north to a staircase and open the chest
afterward for Red Ore.  Now let’s mix them!

Go to the Great Furnace in east Subrosia (north twice and west of the
Sign-Loving Subrosian’s Home).  Talk to the master of the furnace (the
one with the band on its head) and give it the Red Ore and Blue Ore.
After doing a strange dance as the ores are mixing, they reward you
with Hard Ore.  Pick it up.  What can we forge with this?  Only three
Subrosians know.  Let’s see the... Subrosian Smithy.

On the map, the Subrosian Smithy is southwest of the Subrosia Dance
Hall.  Enter and talk to the manager.  They do the finest work in all
Subrosia, but they only take on jobs that interest them.  The master
speaks apparently, and the manager relays the message.  That Hard Ore
we have could make our cheap shield amazingly fine.  He asks what’ll it
be.  If you say “Make it fine,” you won’t get it made (you put too much
value in your possessions!).  Say “Do Whatever” and the master actually
does the work.  It’s the finest in the land!  Treat it like an heirloom.
You got the Iron Shield!  It’s larger than the Wooden Shield and thus
better.  It can block more attacks than the Wooden Shield could, too.
Unfortunately, it cannot be used as a portable magnet orb.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mirror Shield (L-3)

Notes: If you use the Smith Secret (see “Linked Secrets” to learn how
to do that), you can claim the ultimate shield for yourself.  The
Mirror Shield, which Link received first in A Link to the Past, is able
to deflect lasers and block far more attacks than the other shields.
It’s also quite stylish.  It’s one of those designer shield, don’t you
know?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bomb Capacity Upgrade 1

Notes: Head over to Subrosia Market.  One of the weird items they’ve
recently gotten in stock is a Bomb Bag.  Trade 10 Bombs and 50 Ore
Chunks for it and you’ll then be able to carry a total of 30 Bombs!
It’s much more useful than the 10 we could hold before.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bomb Capacity Upgrade 2

Notes: You can get this using the Pirate Secret (check out “Linked
Secrets” for details), and it lets you carry a total of 50 Bombs!  Yeah,
don’t mess with Link... or you’ll get blown up fifty times over...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bombchu

Notes: You can get this item only by utilizing the Subrosian Secret
(again, pay a visit to “Linked Secrets” to learn about that).  Bombchus,
originally from Ocarina of Time, are crawling bomb modeled after rats
that can move all over the places, even up walls.  Where they explode,
nobody knows!  Of course, they fun little toys are NOT cheap.  They
cost 20 rupees per Bombchu, which may sound like a cheap price at first,
but it is STEEP.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Seed Capacity Upgrade 1

Notes: Next stop?  Subrosia Market, and pronto.  When you arrive, you
should see an item called the Member’s Card.  It costs a mere few Ore
Chunks.  When you have it, head to the Shop in Horon Village.  Try to
go behind the counter and the shopkeeper stops you.  But, when he sees
that you have the Member’s Card, he steps aside.  Take the door to a
staircase, take it down, and welcome to the secret shop!  Here, you can
buy this upgrade for the low, low price of 300 rupees.  It holds up to
50 of each seed, which is pretty darn good if you ask me.  Of course,
for the seed maniacs (Petunias, as Paper Mario fans call them) of the
group, this could be quite beneficial.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Seed Capacity Upgrade 2

Notes: You’re going to have to make use of the Deku Secret (once more,
I point you to the section entitled “Linked Secrets”) to get this
upgrade.  It increases the number of seeds you can carry drastically.
You go from 50 to 99!  No, I’m not joking.  But seriously, who needs 99
seeds?  For that matter, who needs 50?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Magical Boomerang (L-2)

Notes: The dungeon prize of Ancient Ruins, this is an upgrade to the
design of the original Boomerang.  You can control the path it takes
with the D-Pad, and it is stronger than the Boomerang (yes, they
actually can do damage to some enemies).  Controlling the flight of the
boomerang is very useful in hitting switches, stunning enemies, and in
cutting grass in special figures.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Roc’s Cape (L-2)

Notes: This is the ever-so useful prize of Explorer’s Crypt.  Seriously,
whoever thought this one up was a friggin’ genius.  Roc’s Cape lets you
jump and, if you hold A, let your cape out and fly.  It lets you fly
three spaces normally; seven spaces with a Pegasus Seed.  You can jump
over them to defend yourself, and...  Look, I can’t really put it into
words.  It just rocks.  Get used to it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hyper Slingshot (L-2)

Notes: I’m sorry, but I still like the Seed Shooter a la Oracle of Ages
better than this.  This device, the prize of the Sword & Shield Maze,
is just like the old Slingshot, save one thing.  The ammo, your seeds,
are split into three, basically firing three seeds for the price of one.
It lets you hit three things at a time, extending your range of attack
and allowing you to solve a host of new hit-the-three-statue puzzles in
Level 8.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
L-1 Ring Box

Notes: Simply head over to Vasu Jewelers and talk to the guy in the
turban.  He’ll even give you a ring to carry in it, as you should
realize that this box can hold only one ring at a time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
L-2 Ring Box

Notes: This is a bit more complicated to get.  Go east of the screen in
Goron Mountain that leads to Biggoron.  Bomb the weak wall here and
enter the cave you create.  Walk around here and take the stairs up.
Go east, take the ladder up, and go west.  Enter the cave and go
forward to another staircase.  Here, go east.  Prepare to face very
tough enemies.  They are called Lynels, and they are tough.  Boomerang
them and slash as much as you can.  They are extremely strong; defeat
them quickly and move west.  Jump off this ledge to reach a cave; enter
and talk to the red Goron there.  He’ll give you the L-2 Ring Box,
capable of carrying three rings at once!  Thanks, random Goron!
Carrying three rings lets you carry more rings to be switched out
depending on the situation you are faced with.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
L-3 Ring Box

Notes: Check out “Linked Secrets” to learn how one might make use of
the Ruul Secret, as that’s the key to getting this box.  It holds up to
5 rings at once, which lets you carry a versatile group of rings with
you for all situations, or a group of novelty rings like the
transformation ones (for instance, the Moblin Ring).  It’s really
helpful, and I highly recommend it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Whoa!  What a ride, eh?  But, now, moving on...  Let’s learn how to use
these items to conquer our enemies, shall we?

=======================================================================
=============================Enemy Index*==============================
=======================================================================

Oracle of Seasons does a good job with their enemy selection.  They
slowly but surly phase out old enemies, making the game progressively
harder while including many a classic Zelda foe.  Either way, let’s get
this on.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Enemy Name

Location:

Notes:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

And above us is the setup.  If you look below this text, you’ll find
the enemy list.  Hold on tight, ladies and gents, ‘cause here we go!
Note that Hero’s Cave enemies aren’t listed.  It’ll be a surprise.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Arm-Mimic

Location: Poison Moth’s Lair

Notes: These occasional foes will move opposite you; if you take a left,
they go right, and so on.  However, they have no defense; just slash
them a few times and they’ll die.  Real advanced enemies...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Armos

Location: Leve 5-8, Tarm Ruins

Notes: Armos are statues of armor.  They keep absolutely motionless
until you touch them, and at that point there can be two types of Armos
that appear (if they do come to life; some are just statues).  First,
there is a green type of Armos that can be slashed to defeat.  Second,
there is the common type, which is red, that cannot be hurt by the
sword.  Either bomb them or deploy the Boomerang on them a few times.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ball & Chain Soldier

Location: Tarm Ruins, Temple Remains, Ancient Ruins

Notes: They seem to enjoy the ruins, hmm?  The highest rank among
soldiers, this powerful adversary swings a ball & chain around to build
up speed before launching it at you.  You can block the ball attack
with your shield and then slash it, three times with the Noble Sword,
to kill it.  You may also run around them with Pegasus Seeds to get a
good shot in or try shooting when the Slingshot.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Beamos

Location: Level 4-6, 8

Notes: Mounted laser turrets with a single, rotating eye, Beamos will
shoot lasers at you at a surprising rate when they see you.  The Mirror
Shield can be used to block the lasers, and you should jump to dodge it
otherwise.  Beamos turrets cannot be defeated; avoid them if possible.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Beetle

Location: Various

Notes: When digging in random spots, you may dig up a Beetle, a little
spider enemy that crawls around the screen.  All it takes is a slash,
making them quite simple enemies.  Another type, often referred to as
Spiny Beetles, resides under shrubs or rocks.  When you get close, they
crawl at you, concealed by their disguise all the way.  For bush ones,
you can just slash them.  Rock ones need you to lift the rocks on their
backs, throw them away, and then slash it.  Either way, Beetles are
pretty easy to beat.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Buzz Blob

Location: North Horon, Holodrum Plain

Notes: These green foes wander about the screen with nothing to fear.
You can’t hurt them with your sword; if you try, you’ll be electrocuted
and they’ll take no damage.  To defeat them, you can expose them to
Ember Seeds, although you can quite easily avoid them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cheep-Cheep

Location: 2-D Water, Eyeglass Lake, Sunken City

Notes: These are the fish of the Mario series, but they appear in this
game anyways.  In 2-D underwater screens where you’re most likely to
find them, you can just slash them once for a quick victory.  They do
appear in the overworld on occasion, too.  They are fish that jump out
of the water.  They take but a single hit, too, making this a pretty
weak species.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Crab

Location: Western Coast

Notes: Crabs are minor foes that actually have made it into numerous
Zelda games.  In any case, they just scuttle about and are vulnerable
to just about all attacks.  But you wouldn’t hurt a poor, innocent crab,
would you?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cukeman

Location: North Horon, Holodrum Plain

Notes: If you use a Mystery Seed on a Buzz Blob, prepare for a shock.
Cukemen, the result of the mixture, are talking weirdoes that behave
much the same as Buzz Blobs in terms of attacking/defending.  But, they
talk about random things, like flying on airplanes or taking tropical
vacations.  Well, a Cukeman can dream.  A Cukeman can dream...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Deku Scrub

Location: Mt. Cucco, Tarm Ruins

Notes: These are pretty rare enemies; there are only three aggressive
ones in the game.  Plant-like creatures that pose as bushes, Deku
Scrubs will rise up when Link gets near and shoot three Deku Seeds at
him.  Just like in their debut appearance in Ocarina of Time, Deku
Scrubs must be damaged by deflecting their seeds back at them using
your shield.  If there’s anything you should learn about these
creatures, it’s that they easily succumb to power.  After you soundly
whoop them, they apologize to their new master and give you a tip.  The
two Deku Scrubs on the mountain, who seem to be related, tell you that
you need a keyhole to use a key and vice versa.  Another one resides in
Tarm Ruins and tells you the way out of the Lost Woods.  There are also
Business Scrubs who give tips and then expect you to buy their products,
but they’re often too expensive.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Floor Master

Location: Level 1, 3, 6, 8, Onox’s Castle

Notes: While Wall Masters were almost excluded from the game, their
grounded counterparts came out in force.  Floor Masters are menacing
blue hands that rise from the floor and float to you.  If they grab you,
they carry you all the way back to the first room of the dungeon, which
makes them quite aggravating at times.  Also, Floor Masters are never
alone.  There can be at most four in one room, and each take four hits
of the Wooden Sword.  So, when you enter a room, keep your eyes peeled
for this phantom menace.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ghini

Location: Graveyard

Notes: Unlike Poes, which were introduced in Ocarina of Time, the Ghini
was Zelda’s first take on ghosts.  They are ghosts, after all, with
long tongues hanging out of their mouths that float around and collide
with you to attack.  They take many hits, and so it’s a good thing
they’re limited to the Graveyard.  If you touch any headstones while
there, a new Ghini appears to challenge you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Gibdo

Location: Level 5, Level 6

Notes: The mummies of the Zelda world, Gibdos have the considerable
advantage of having no kickback; when hit, Gibdos act as though they’re
unfazed (although they do flash).  That means that if you slash one as
it’s walking into you, it’ll continue right into you.  If you use an
Ember Seed against them, their bandages burn off to reveal a Stalfos
within.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Goponga Flower

Location: Spool Swamp

Notes: Named after their debut appearance as chief vegetation in
Goponga Swamp in Link’s Awakening, Goponga Flowers are yellow “flowers”
in Spool Swamp that can shoot fireballs at you.  Try punching through
them with Ricky or setting them afire.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hardhat Beetle

Location: Level 2, 3, 6, 8

Notes: Hardhat Beetles are annoying enemies that cannot be beaten
directly.  You must either knock them into a hole/pit with your sword
or other attacks, or crush them with magnetic orbs.  They always rush
you, and so it’d be easier to knock them onto each other so that it
feels like dealing with only one than to fight them all off at once.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Iron Mask

Location: Unicorn’s Cave

Notes: With iron masks strapped onto their faces, these foes cannot be
damaged from the front.  Either slash their vulnerable behinds or rip
that mask right off of them with the Magnetic Gloves.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Kanalet Soldier

Location: Level 5-8, Tarm Ruins, Temple Remains, Onox’s Castle

Notes: Another enemy that retains its name from Link’s Awakening,
Kanalet Soldiers are the knights of Onox’s army.  They are either
archers or swordsmen, and either attacks can be blocked with your
shield.  Either way, they take a few hits to defeat.  They’re pretty
much advanced Moblins, only minus the boomerang-throwing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Keese

Location: Various

Notes: Bats in Zelda games, Keese flutter across the screen to attack
you.  They take a single swipe of the sword, but often are placed in
groups to knock you into pits on fast-moving platforms or to aggravate
you at key parts of puzzles/rooms.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Leever

Location: Woods of Winter, Samasa Desert

Notes: Annoying burrowing enemies that pop out of sand to attack you
before retreating back underground, Leevers take two hits regardless of
color.  They do not regenerate endlessly, but you never know they’re
there until they’re in your face.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Like Like

Location: Woods of Winter, Lost Woods, Natzu Prairie, Level 4

Notes: Gah!  Curse these miserable tubes of pulsating flesh!  Like
Likes, invented for Link’s Awakening, are white tubes that wander
around seemingly aimlessly.  They will swallow you, eat your shield,
and won’t give it back, which means that you’ve have to head back to
Horon Village’s Shop to restock (also, Business Scrubs sell them).
Fortunately, you can keep them at bay with a few slashes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lynel

Location: Goron Mountain, Temple Remains, Northern Peak, Onox’s Castle

Notes: They were the most powerful foes in The Legend of Zelda, and
they continue to be in this installment of the Zelda series.  Lynels
come in two colors – red and blue (blue take more hits) – but both
attack in the same way.  They pace about shooting energy attacks at you,
ones that can pierce through walls and do heavy damage.  Luckily, these
guys are pretty scarce, but remember to always attack from the side.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Magnite

Location: Level 5, 7, 8

Notes: Circular enemies that can alternate between red and blue faces,
these are some of the most irritating enemies in the game.  They float
around (very quickly, too), launching fireballs all the way to the bank,
and scram when you come near to show ‘em what’s for.  If you plan to
beat them, either hold them in place or pull them to you with the
Magnetic Gloves.  Rarely does chasing them work.  Good luck.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mini-Moldorm

Location: Various

Notes: In the guide, I’m too lazy to put the entire name; it’s just
Moldorm there.  Mini-Moldorms are those black, segmented, worm-like
creatures that roam about the room trying to hit you.  They take four
swipes of the Wooden Sword, making them pretty small-time enemies.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Moblin

Location: Level 1-2, Woods of Winter, Moblin’s Keep, Eyeglass Lake

Notes: Having appeared in almost every Zelda game, Moblins are pig-like
creatures that can carry boomerangs, swords, or bows and arrows.
Moblin come in two types, really.  There’s the red type, which are
weaker, and the white type that resembles a pig (but looks more like a
goat to me, for some reason).  Either way, they’re really simple
adversaries.  Defend against boomerangs or arrows (they might be spears,
come to think of it) with your shield and slash them.  Use your sword
to knock their swords away from them and stab their soft sides.  The
main Moblin, the big pig, is named Great Moblin, but he’s more of a
sub-boss kind of character than an enemy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Octorok

Location: Western Coast, North Horon

Notes: This amphibious enemy has appeared in every Zelda game to date,
and it fights in this game like the land variation.  They walk around
and shoot rocks at you.  You can slash the rocks away or block them
with your shield.  Either way, they require one to two hits (depending
on shade of Octorok), which means you shouldn’t stress over these.
Don’t tell me you’re reading this section for tips on beating those
Octoroks.  If so, I have failed you as an author.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Peahat

Location: North Horon, Level 3, 5

Notes: A plant type enemy that uses its petals to propel itself through
the air.  While in flight, Peahats are unbeatable.  While stationary,
give them two good slashes to finish them off.  They are susceptible to
damage only when not moving.  They aren’t that common, but you’ll want
to defeat them from time to time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pincer

Location: Spool Swamp

Notes: Another monster from Link’s Awakening (specifically, Ukuku
Prairie), Pincers hide in holes, peer out, and then extend to attack
you.  You can block their charge with your shield and then give them
some steel on their way back into their hole if you want, but it’s
easier just to avoid them.  In autumn, their holes are covered, which
makes them just a bit more camouflaged.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pokey

Location: Lava Lake, Samasa Desert

Notes: Pokeys, the classic Super Mario Bros. 2 enemies, come in two
varieties in this game.  There are the Subrosian type that inhabit Lava
Lake first.  They rise up and shoot fireballs, making them pretty
bothersome while you’re jumping across the lava.  The other type of
Pokey is found in the desert, and it’s green just like its SMB 2
counterpart.  You must slash away all of its segments and then give a
final whack to its head to beat it, kind of like similar A Link to the
Past enemies called Bouncers.  Oddly, a Scent Seed to a Pokey can
defeat it instantly.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pols Voice

Location: Level 2, 3, 8

Notes: The spirits of the dead manifested into rabbit ears, Pols Voices
are pretty basic enemies from The Legend of Zelda.  They are weak to
loud noises and music, which means you can play your flute to defeat
them easily.  Otherwise, blast out their ear drums with a bomb and take
the victory.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Razor Trap

Location: Various

Notes: Coming in a few colors, Razor Traps are positioned by walls or
other boundaries.  When you approach them, they launch at you quickly
and slowly retract.  There are also very large ones in some dungeons.
Some Razor Traps circle around a particular point, and jumping over
them or running from them is the safest way to dodge them.  They cannot
be killed.  Also, I should mention something I call “blade traps,”
which chase you down narrow hallways like a Razor Trap with brains.
They’re the worst, but can be jumped over or defended against fairly
easily.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rope

Location: Level 2, 6, 8

Notes: Snakes of the Zelda world, Ropes move horizontally and
vertically rapidly (but cannot move diagonally).  When they charge you,
just hold your sword at so that they charge into their death.  They
like to travel in packs, which means that you should be ready to turn
around and take out others from different angles.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Spark

Location: Level 2, 5, 6, 8

Notes: Balls of energy with black faces, Sparks patrol a perimeter and
hurt you when they touch you.  If you have the Boomerang on hand, you
can toss it at Sparks and get a Fairy as your prize.  Neat-o, eh?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Spiked Beetle

Location: Level 3, 6, 8

Notes: Creatures that move vertically and horizontally very quickly
when they see you, Spiked Beetles have spikes on their heads.  They’re
invulnerable when upright, and so you must flip them over by letting
them crash into your shield before your sword can do the talking.  They
take two slashes via Wooden Sword.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Stalfos

Location: Various

Notes: Skeletal knights, Stalfos have appeared in almost every Zelda
game to date.  Stalfos really come in two varieties for this game.
First, you have the armor-clad Stalfos that jump.  The weaker ones just
try to jump onto you, but the stronger ones can also throw bones at you.
If you light a Gibdo on fire with an Ember Seed, a jumping Stalfos will
come out.  Then you have the “Shrouded Stalfos.”  It wears a hood, and
they act much like Kanalet Soldiers, only weaker.  The hooded ones
throw spears/shoot arrows and can wield swords, but I still think the
jump-happy ones are worse.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Takkuri & Crow

Location: Various

Notes: They’re very rare and spread across Holodrum fairly well.  The
most aggressive birds you’ll ever see, they swoop in to attack and then
exit the screen only to reappear for another dive.  Slash them for
victory.  Crows look like your average everyday raven, but Takkuri look
more monstrous (they have horns, it looks like, and are red).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tektite

Location: Spool Swamp, Level 4, Temple Remains

Notes: Jumping spider enemies, Tektites are pretty basic.  Just hack
them to bits before they jump onto you.  You won’t have many run-ins
with Tektites during your adventures, but you will meet their aquatic
cousins more than a few times.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thwimp

Location: Snake’s Remains

Notes: These are very rare small blocks, miniature Thwomps, that are
found in rows on the ceilings of 2-D screens.  They drop quickly to
hurt you, but you can run under them faster than they can drop on you.
They are from Super Mario World, and their name is a mix between
“Thwomp” and “wimp.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thwomp

Location: Level 2, 3, 5, 8

Notes: The giant falling stones from Super Mario Bros. 3 have been
remade ever so slightly to become Zelda enemies.  They are always found
in 2-D screens, their one eye following you around the screen, and they
fall on you if you get too close.  They can be jumped on, though, which
makes them good to use as elevators.  Thwomps cannot be beaten, just
avoided.  Make sure you always exercise proper safety techniques when
around Thwomps!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Wall Master

Location: Sword & Shield Maze

Notes: These are red hands that drop from the ceiling and return you to
the first room of the dungeon.  There’s only one in the entire game,
though, and it inhabits a room in Level 8.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Water Tektite

Location: Spool Swamp, Holodrum Plain, Level 4, 5

Notes: Tektites adapted to skim about the surface of the water, Water
Tektites are simple obstacles designed to hurt you as you swim.  Dive
under them and you’re good to go.  If you really hold a grudge against
them, though, you can kill them with a good swing of your blade.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Whisp

Location: Various

Notes: Let me clear this up.  I call “Bubble” enemies “Whisps”
throughout the walkthrough, but they really aren’t the same thing.  The
floating skulls with circles surrounding them are Bubbles, and they’re
just hazards.  Throw the Boomerang at them for a quick kill, lest you
be touched by these bouncing beasts.  True Whisps are skulls with a
mess of dots around them, and they don’t bounce off the walls.  They
move in seemingly random patterns through the room.  Touch them and
you’ll take no damage, but you’ll be jinxed – unable to draw your sword
– shortly thereafter.  True Whisps can’t be defeated in any way.  Just
live with it (after all, jinxing Whisps are few and far between).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Wizzrobe

Location: Level 4, 6-8, Onox’s Castle

Notes: Again, this is a Zelda regular.  Wizzrobes are annoying wizards
that teleport around the room, shoot magic waves at you, and disappear
before you can cut them down.  Try to reach them before they fully
materialize to get a good shot in.  Most Wizzrobes can’t move while
firing spells, but some blue types can (but the blue type also shows
you where it’s moving, which outweighs its mobility advantage).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Zol & Gel

Location: Various

Notes: Also known as Bits, Bots, and ChuChus (varying with the game),
Zols are jelly-like creatures that emerge from the ground when you’re
walking by their hiding spot and jump at you.  A simple slash will
finish off the green type, but the red are a bit trickier.  When beaten,
red Zols release Gels, miniscule Zols that can’t even attack.  But,
they can cling onto you, which will make you walk slowly and disable
your use of items momentarily.  Press buttons to break free and then
send that Gel to the afterlife.  Note that Gels always come in pair
when taken from Zols (they rarely appear by themselves without Zols).
If you use a weapon stronger than the Wooden Sword (like the Noble
Sword) or the Wooden Sword’s spin attack, you can defeat a red Zol
without letting it release Gels.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Zola

Location: Water

Notes: Also known as River Zoras, Zolas are violent female Zoras
banished from the seas.  They appear from the water to shoot Zora’s
fire at you, which is pretty easy to avoid.  But, the catch is that
they do it repeatedly from the water, which is usually a safe place for
them to hide.  If you really want to, you can attack Zolas from the
land, but you’d might as well just ignore them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Done!  Aren’t you just thrilled?  And now for something completely
different – my ramblings about the order of Zelda games.

=======================================================================
==========================The Zelda Timeline*==========================
=======================================================================

Now, prepare yourself for the new and improved timeline.  Sure, it has
the same order of games as usual, and the writing is mostly the same,
but I’ve added in quite a few things in Notes.  Get ready for generic
timeline fun!

Note: Reading this might spoil the endings for a few of the Zelda games.
Read only if you know what happens in each, because I need to draw from
important game events to make the timeline.  Read at your own risk.

Second only to the argument of whether Zelda is an RPG or not, there is
one aspect of the Zelda series debated by many.

The Legend of Zelda is a series of twelve separate games at the present
time.  Since these games were not released in an order that made sense,
many people argue with one another about just how it should be
organized.  That’s what this timeline is here for – to express my views
on the subject.  I think that the series in bad need of better
organizing.  Many timelines are awful and don’t make sense.  The
timeline must abide by certain rules.  But before that, here’s a list
of every Zelda game that either was new when it was released or had
something new on it.

The Legend of Zelda
1987 for the NES
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
1988 for the NES
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
1991 for the SNES
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
1993 for the GB
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
1998 for the N64
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
2000 for the N64
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of the Ages
2001 for the GBC
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of the Seasons
2001 for the GBC
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords
2002 for the GBA
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Master Quest
2003 for the GCN
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
2003 for the GCN
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
2004 for the GCN
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
2005 for the GBA

Note that these release years are all North American.  First, notice
that A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time are listed twice.  This is
because those games had a new game on them when they were re-released.
Ocarina of Time had Master Quest, which was a harder version.  Master
Quest has the same events in it as Ocarina of Time, so it will not be
counted.  A Link to the Past was re-released with a multi-player game
called Four Swords.  Link’s Awakening DX does not count because it only
included an extra dungeon.  It is an actual game, and it shall be
counted.

As I said, there are a few rules one must follow when making their
timeline.  Here are common errors people make.  First, what Link or
anyone else looks like has nothing to do with the chronological scheme
of things.  Wind Waker Link was a very popular look so Nintendo showed
him that way in a few extra games.  This doesn’t make Link different.
Secondly, items (unless they are extremely important, like the Master
Sword) do not determine anything.  That is, whether Ganon used his
trident in one battle or not does not give us a good timeline.  Third,
there is only one timeline.

Many people think that there are two (the Alternate Timeline Theory)
because Link time-traveled in Ocarina of Time.  If you think about it,
this is a really stupid theory.  After all, at the end of Ocarina of
Time, Zelda sends Link back to relive the seven years of his childhood
that he lost (to quote Zelda exactly, “Link, give the Ocarina to me…
As a sage, I can return you to your original time with it.”).  It is as
if the latter part of Ocarina of Time never happened.

Fourth, there will be no dates.  Many people try to use dates in their
timeline and that is completely false.  Fifth, comic books have no
bearing on the timeline.  Sixth and foremost, if it’s not in the game
or the manual, then it is speculation and it doesn’t count.  For
instance, one could add tons of different events that weren’t in the
games or manuals and connect things together (like Ganon revivals,
descendants, and other “events”).

Now we can truly start.  This is quite anticipated because everyone
wants to know how Minish Cap is placed on the timeline.  Remember that
the timeline tries to string the games together in an order that makes
sense for the existing games only.  It will be modified should a new
game be released.

Note: In my timeline, it is very important to remember that Link did
not have the Triforce piece of Courage at the end of Ocarina of Time,
nor Zelda or Ganon theirs.  He had it when he was an adult, but Zelda
sent him back to the past “to regain his lost years.”  Even if you do
disagree with this for whatever reason, it wouldn’t matter (if he did,
Link would lose the Triforce of Courage in Majora’s Mask due to what
the King of Red Lions says in Wind Waker).  Also, the timeline focuses
a lot on Ganon.  Ganon is the only character that is completely unique
(that there are no descendants of) and he has different conditions in
each game.

Ocarina of Time is obviously the first game.  This is a universally
accepted fact and it should not be argued with.  Then comes Majora’s
Mask.  Again, this is universally accepted.  The best reason for
Majora’s Mask coming next is that Link has the Ocarina of Time in it,
although there are many more.  Now here’s where my timeline becomes
unique.  Now, recall that I said earlier that the adult part of Ocarina
of Time didn’t matter.

Well, it basically never happened as far as the timeline is concerned
because Link was sent back to his past to relive his childhood.  Ganon
is, therefore, trapped in the Sacred Realm/Dark World whatever you want
to call it at the end of Majora’s Mask.  There are only a few games </pre><pre id="faqspan-9">
that start out with Ganon in the Dark World.  Four Swords could come
next (although it really can’t, as I will explain later) and Four
Swords Adventures would follow.

This cannot be because the Four Sword, which is used in both those
games, is broken and you must restore it in the re-release of A Link to
the Past in an optional side quest.  Yes, it seems like a cheap shot,
but it is how things happened.  The only other game in which Ganon
starts out imprisoned is A Link to the Past.  Therefore, it is the only
game that actually can come next logically.

This presents a new problem.  At the end of A Link to the Past, it
would seem that Ganon is dead.  Yes, one might think that Ganon really
is dead, but in truth, he is not.  Again, this is a very random
observation, but in the credits of A Link to the Past (by completing
different events you can see different credits) they show Link’s uncle
and the king of Hyrule.  This is important because both of these people
were dead earlier in the game.  Also, in one scene of the credits (“The
Bully Makes a Friend”), they show two characters on Death Mountain that
would normally be in the Dark World in the Light World.

This means that, when Link’s wish was granted by the Triforce, he
wished those that died as a result of Ganon back to life and that all
those in the Dark World be transported to the Light World.  Well, this
includes Ganon, which means that Ganon is alive again and he’s in the
Light World.  There are only two games like this at the beginning and
Wind Waker cannot come yet (if it did, Adventure of Link would later
and this is impossible).  Therefore, the original The Legend of Zelda
has to come next.

Ganon dies at the end of The Legend of Zelda.  Even more importantly,
he dies leaving a pile of ashes behind at the end of The Legend of
Zelda.  This is very important.  There are only two games in which
Ganon is dead throughout the entire game.  These games are Link’s
Awakening and Adventure of Link.  Now, all games in which Ganon is dead
in must be consecutive, right?  If you disagree with me, think about it
for a second and you’ll realize what I mean.  So, this leaves us to put
Link’s Awakening and Adventure of Link in the right order.  At first
glance, it seems like it doesn’t matter, but it actually has a huge
bearing on the timeline.

Remember that in Wind Waker the King of Red Lions tells us that the
legendary hero of ages long past left the land of Hyrule and lost the
Triforce by doing so (the guidebook of Link’s Awakening says that Link
traveled to many different lands to seek enlightenment)?  Well, Link
gets the Triforce piece of Courage in Adventure of Link.  If Adventure
of Link came first, Link would lose the Triforce piece in the very next
game.  Besides, the next two games in the timeline (the games in which
Ganon is resurrected) have Link using his piece of the Triforce at the
very beginning.

Even though the instruction booklet of Adventure of Link says that Link
never left Hyrule after The Legend of Zelda and before Adventure of
Link, he has to.  However, we know that Link MUST have the Triforce
piece in the game after these two, and that Link’s Awakening must come
either before or after this one.  So, Link’s Awakening comes first
(Link would not lose the Triforce piece in this scenario) and then
comes Adventure of Link.  Easy.

Now, we are out of games in which Ganon is dead, and that means that he
must be resurrected in the next game.  However, it takes two games to
revive Ganon.  These games are Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons.
In the secret ending in a Beowulf-like plot, Kotake and Koume (Ganon’s
surrogate mothers) revive their son after trying to kill Link.

After another defeat by Link, Ganon is sent back to the Dark World
right after being revived.  There are few games remaining, and they are
rather easily sorted.  First, Four Swords comes before Four Swords
Adventures.  The proof for this is rather obvious.  The Four Swords
Adventures manual refers to three separate occasions in which Vaati
appeared (Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures, and a very long time
ago).

Well, this means that Four Swords comes next and then comes Four Swords
Adventures.  Now we’re left with two games, The Minish Cap and Wind
Waker.  The Four Sword was forged in The Minish Cap, but it was used in
Four Swords (Adventures, too).  This means that Wind Waker comes next.
So far, I have only covered the previous eleven games.  Now I’ll give
Minish Cap a home on the timeline.

There are three proofs of my theory.  I’ll list them in order of their
obviousness.  First, the Four Sword was created in Minish Cap.  It is
later used in Four Swords.  Therefore, Minish Cap must come before Four
Swords.  However, the Four Sword also made a brief appearance in the
re-release of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which means that
Minish Cap comes before ALttP.  However, since Zelda had a piece of the
Triforce in Minish Cap (that’s what the light force is, obviously),
then Minish Cap must come BEFORE Ocarina of Time.  If Minish Cap came
after Ocarina of Time or Majora’s Mask, then Ganon would not have the
complete Triforce in A Link to the Past, which he does.  That is proof
one.

Proof two and three are a bit smaller and not as effective, but they
get the job done.  First, Vaati appeared as a black eye-like creature
in Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures.  Well, a figurine in Minish
Cap (# 135.  To quote it exactly, “Once Vaati’s body has been shattered,
this dark form rises up, all that remains of the evil sorcerer.  Only
the sacred Four Sword can defeat him.”) says that Vaati’s human body
had been shattered.  This means that Vaati appeared in FS and FSA the
way he did because something happened to him before.  The instruction
manual of FSA makes reference to a boy who split into four to beat
Vaati before even Four Swords.  This just supports what I said earlier,
although this proof alone cannot move this before Ocarina of Time.

The third “proof” is implied.  At the end of Minish Cap, Ezlo returns
to his Minish-sage form and he gives Link a green hat, a token to
remember him by.  This seems to imply that this is the first time Link
ever wore such a hat, and it became a tradition afterward for heroes of
Hyrule.  That’s a bit of a stretch, though.  Why would the Kokiri have
adopted it?  Like I said, proof one up here is the best answer to the
placement question.

And to reinforce these points and to counter the entire Sacred Realm
argument some people have tried to use against the placement of Minish
Cap, please see “The Imprisoning War” in the Notes section.

Below I have a list made of where the games in the timeline go
according to my theory.  Notice that Oracle of Ages comes before Oracle
of Seasons.  I decided to alphabetize them, even though Oracle of Ages
should come first for a few reasons, mainly due to the Triforce stone
being pushed.

The Minish Cap
Ocarina of Time
Majora’s Mask
A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda
Link’s Awakening
The Adventure of Link
Oracle of Ages
Oracle of Seasons
Four Swords
Four Swords Adventures
The Wind Waker

Now I will try to clarify things by explaining a few items mentioned
here.

=======================================================================
                                 Notes
=======================================================================

                     +---------------------------+
                     |    The Imprisoning War    |
                     +---------------------------+

This is the center of so much confusion, but I’ve finally cracked it.
Many verses of the Book of Mudora, as well as other Hylian myth, depict
a terrible war between the forces of good and evil, centuries later
named the Imprisoning War by historians.  I’ve been challenged a lot
lately about my placement of Minish Cap at the beginning of the
timeline.  This helps make things possible.  Prepare to delve deep into
the heart of Zelda mythos, as described in the manual of A Link to the
Past.

Three goddesses created the Triforce, and with it the world.  The
hiding place of the Triforce became known as the Golden Land, and the
location of the gates to this land was unknown, as the knowledge had
been lost over the centuries.  But, by chance, one man – Ganondorf
Dragmire, King of Thieves, skilled in the black arts, came upon an
opening to the Golden Land.  He fought and killed his fellows to reach
the opening, and he held the Triforce in that land, and his wishes were
granted.  From that day forth, Ganondorf became Mandrag Ganon, Ganon of
the Enchanted Thieves (though no one says “Mandrag” anymore).

Evil began to flow from the Golden Land, mercenaries joining the ranks
of Ganon’s army, and soon the darkness beset Hyrule itself.  The lord
of Hyrule ordered seven sages and the Knights of Hyrule to seal the
entrance.  But before that happened, the people began to suspect the
truth.  Ganon’s evil power must come from the Triforce.  And so the
people forged a blade that could even repel the magic of the gods, and
it became known as the blade of evil’s bane, the Master Sword.  Only
one strong of body and pure of heart could wield it, and the sages
searched for one who could...

But war inched closer until it eventually broke out.  Ganon’s forces
surged from the Golden Land before it was sealed to wage war on Hyrule,
the battlefield Hyrule Castle.  But the valiant Knights of Hyrule
fought courageously against them.  Many died in the battle, but the
sages were able to seal Ganon away in his tainted Golden Land.  There
was peace.

Now, many people would say that this describes Ocarina of Time.  Really,
it works out pretty nicely.  Ganondorf enters the Sacred Realm through
the Temple of Time, he uses the Triforce to invade Hyrule, and he is
sealed away by seven sages and the descendant of a Knight of Hyrule
(Sahasrahla says Link is descended from them in A Link to the Past, and
so I assume all Links are).  There are a few problems with this, and
the biggest one is obvious: It says that the Master Sword was forged
after Ganondorf entered the Sacred Realm.  As we all know, the Master
Sword was already legendary and forged in Ocarina of Time.  The
Imprisoning War is not Ocarina of Time.

What does this mean for the timeline?  Let’s investigate further by
quoting a few verses from Minish Cap.

“A long, long time ago...when the world was on the verge of being
swallowed by shadow...The tiny Picori appeared from the sky, bringing
the hero of men a sword and a golden light.  With wisdom and courage,
the hero drove out the darkness.  When peace had been restored, the
people enshrined that blade with care.  And the force of the golden
light, embodied in Hyrule's princess, shone forth upon the lands.”

And during this first cinema, they show Link, without a hat, holding
the Triforce of Courage AND a sword with a blue hilt.  The sword with
the blue hilt is the Wind Waker-style depiction of the Master Sword.
Yes, the Master Sword was forged by the Picori.  Furthermore, this is
NOT the Picori Blade.  The Picori Blade has a purple hilt.  I admit,
they do show the Master Sword in a pedestal, what would appear to be
the Bound Chest, but that means that the Master Sword was removed from
it at some point (because it was the Picori Blade in Minish Cap).
Either that or they colored the hilt incorrectly, although the sword is
exactly like the Master Sword, Wind Waker style.

And do you know what that means?  Examine the second quote, the one
said by Vaati.

“The princess who holds the power of light... That mysterious power is
said to flow in the veins of every royal lady in your family ever since
that day when it was gifted to your people. If I leave you now, you'll
only cause me trouble later. That will never do.”

The Triforce has not been locked up in the Sacred Realm until Ocarina
of Time.  On the contrary, there is overwhelming evidence that the
Triforce has been divided and possessed since the Imprisoning War!  It
says that the mysterious force – the Triforce of Wisdom – has been in
Zelda’s family for ages!  This makes sense, since Ganon would’ve only
gotten the Triforce of Power after his wish was granted.  And the line
in the first quote, how the hero drove out the darkness “With wisdom
and courage” shows this well.  All three pieces of the Triforce were in
possession of their destined owners long, long before Ocarina of Time
took place.

And therefore, the evidence suggests VERY strongly that Minish Cap
comes before Ocarina of Time.  There, I proved it in full!

Unfortunately, this has a few negative side effects on the timeline
(they would’ve happened anyways; these are just plot contradictions
within the Zelda series itself, not just my timeline).  Now that I’ve
proved that the Triforce was NOT in the Sacred Realm until Ocarina of
Time, several new questions arise.

- This problem cannot be avoided in any Zelda timeline; it is in itself
a Zelda continuity inconsistency, not because of my timeline but
because of the series itself.  After being imprisoned in the Golden
Land, we must wonder: How did Ganon, and everyone else, lose their
piece of the Triforce?  Obviously, Ganon escaped the Sacred Realm over
time, just like he did in Wind Waker, but how did everyone lose their
piece?  It’s the last remaining mystery of the timeline, although this
is bound to happen to any timeline, not just mine.

- At the end of the Imprisoning War, Ganon was imprisoned within the
Golden Land with his piece of the Triforce.  The question would be,
then, how does Ganon get the other pieces of the Triforce into the
Golden Land to set the stage for A Link to the Past.  Never fear, I
have answers.  First of all, the Dark World is a reflection of Ganon’s
wish from a long time ago – during the Imprisoning War.  Ganon is
locked in the Golden Land/Sacred Realm from Ocarina of Time, and it is
still tainted from long ago.  Link ventures into Termina, which makes
him lose his piece of the Triforce, in Majora’s Mask.  Zelda is
abducted by Agahnim, which gives Ganon plenty of time to extract her
piece of the Triforce.  By the time Link fights Ganon at the end of the
game, Ganon has all three.

- If you don’t think my above explanation of Link losing his piece of
the Triforce is true, then it could work out another way.  If you are a
believer that Link did not have the Triforce at the end of Ocarina of
Time, then consider this alternate reason.  If Link did not have the
Triforce at the end of Ocarina of Time, then he would have it all the
way through A Link to the Past.  That means that when he defeated Ganon,
who had Zelda’s piece from when he abducted her, his piece of the
Triforce joined the two that Ganon had, making it appear as though
Ganon had the Triforce complete.  After all, they never specifically
say that Ganon used the Triforce from the time that A Link to the Past
begins to the time it ends.  He just wanted to break the seal so that
he could use the Triforce.

                 +----------------------------------+
                 |    The Nature of the Triforce    |
                 +----------------------------------+

The King of Red Lions and Sheik, collectively, told us a lot about how
the Triforce works.  First, the Triforce does one of two things when a
person touches it.  But first, I should explain that the Triforce is
divided into three equal parts, each representing the goddesses that
created the world.  There is Wisdom (Zelda), Power (Ganon), and Courage
(Link).  When there is an imbalance of virtue in the person that
touches it (that is, they believe in one of these forces more than the
others), that person receives the one that they believe in most.  The
other two pieces are placed in other “chosen ones.”

The person who touched it must gather the pieces to get a wish granted.
You see, the Triforce grants a wish that reflects a person’s soul.
Regardless, there is another possibility.  If someone with balance in
the virtues touches the Triforce, their wish is granted automatically
(they receive the “True Force”).  However, the Triforce has another
strange property, revealed to us by the King of Red Lions in Wind Waker.

If a person that harbors a piece leaves the land of Hyrule, then they
lose their piece.  This is very important to know in understanding the
order I placed the games in.  Note that the Triforce piece of Courage
is used by Link in the beginning of Oracle of Ages.  I hope this
clarifies things – why Link’s Awakening must come before Adventure of
Link.  In AoL, Link gets the Triforce piece of Courage.  If he got it
in that game and Link’s Awakening came next, he would lose it right
away.  And since Ganon’s revival has to come next, he would have no
Triforce piece in Oracle of Ages, which we know that Link does.

                       +----------------------+
                       |    The Dark Rites    |
                       +----------------------+

Here, I’ll discuss Ganon’s resurrection in the Oracle games in more
detail.

As we know, Ganon died in The Legend of Zelda.  While the Evil King was
dead, Link went on other adventures – Adventure of Link and Link’s
Awakening.  But, Ganon’s surrogate mothers, Kotake & Koume Twinrova,
were busy at work trying to revive Ganon.  They were trying throughout
Adventure of Link (or, at least, it was being tried, not necessarily by
them).  But, they failed to sprinkle Link’s blood upon the ashes of
Ganon.  So, they turned to an alternate method, the Dark Rites.  In the
Dark Rites, Twinrova must light three fires – the Flame of Destruction,
the Flame of Sorrow, and the Flame of Despair – and sacrifice a
legendary figure to bring Ganon back into the living world.  They got
to work at once.

To light the flames, they must flood the world with what they represent.
The blue flame, the Flame of Destruction, was lit by Onox when he threw
the seasons of Holodrum into chaos.  The red flame, the Flame of Sorrow,
was lit by Veran when she erased many elements of the present age by
tampering with the past.  And the white flame, the Flame of Despair,
was lit when Zelda, a symbol of hope for the people, was abducted by
Twinrova.  The Gerudo Witches intended to sacrifice Zelda, who was
acting as the “Holy Sacrifice,” on the altar around the three torches,
but Link arrived before that could happen with the help of Din and
Nayru, the Oracle of Seasons and Ages, respectively.

He fought Twinrova and emerged victorious, but it was not over.
Although they could not sacrifice Princess Zelda, or Link for that
matter, Twinrova would revive Ganon, even if it meant destroying
herself.  Twinrova sacrificed her own body.  Now, had Zelda been
sacrificed, Ganon’s resurrection would have been complete.  But,
because Twinrova was the incorrect Holy Sacrifice, the revival did not
work out quite as well.  Ganon’s spirit was renewed, but his body was
not.  So, Ganon’s spirit was placed within an empty vessel (according
to Twinrova), and the result was a mindless and raging Ganon.  Link
fought valiantly to destroy Ganon, and he succeeded.  The fell beast
explodes in a white flash of light.

So, wouldn’t that mean Ganon is dead again?  No, it does not.  For you
see, Link destroyed the vessel that Twinrova created to house Ganon’s
spirit.  Ganon’s spirit was successfully brought back.  And remember,
the Room of Rites is within the Dark Realm (one of the many alternate
names for the Sacred Realm, but this runs more along the lines of the
Dark World).  When Ganon’s vessel was destroyed, the white flash was
the release of his spirit.  So, Ganon was in fact resurrected, just not
his body.

So, this raises the question: how did Ganon get his body back for Four
Swords Adventures?  Well, I think it’s probably thanks to Vaati, who
was also imprisoned within an alternate realm, and who was working with
Ganon from the beginning of Four Swords Adventures at least, probably
even before that.  I’m really quite surprised I never received e-mail
objections about this.

                      +------------------------+
                      |    The Picori Blade    |
                      +------------------------+

A lot of people would consider the Picori Blade and the Four Sword the
same weapon.  Well, newsflash people, they aren’t.  First off, “Four
Sword” and “Picori Blade” are definitely human names.  That is, these
are the titles of the swords as declared by the Hylians/Hyruleans.  Why,
therefore, would these titles be different?  And, if you think about it,
the broken Picori Blade is mended by Melari using two elements.  This
makes it the White Sword.  Well, the Picori Blade must not contain any
elements at all.  So, these two swords are different, which keeps my
timeline in check.  By the way, if you think that Four Sword is the
Minish name for the Picori Blade, you’re wrong.  After all, it is
referred to as the Four Sword by many humans (Borlov is a good example).

                 +----------------------------------+
                 |    The Light Force = Triforce    |
                 +----------------------------------+

Vaati and the guards of Hyrule make several references to the “light
force.”  This is the Triforce, but to be specific, it is the Triforce
piece of Wisdom.  We find out that Zelda contains the light force near
the end of the game.  They show stained glass that details the legends
of the Picori in the Elemental Sanctuary.  Since they show Zelda
holding one golden triangle, we can safely assume that this is her part
of the Triforce.  By the way, Vaati does take some of the Triforce from
Zelda, but she gains it back when she wishes on the Minish Cap at the
end.

        +-----------------------------------------------------+
        |    The Adventure of Link/Link’s Awakening Theory    |
        +-----------------------------------------------------+

It’s not uncommon for people to say that Link’s Awakening, which we
find out is a dream, happened during the raft ride in The Adventure of
Link (when you have to raft from western Hyrule to the east).  Well,
this can be easily disproved.  Who could forget the opening cinema in
Link’s Awakening?  Remember Link, journeying on his ship into the storm.
Well, ships and rafts are two different vessels.  I think that that is
a very important difference made in his journey across the sea.  It
doesn’t affect the timeline that much, but it is a storyline flaw in
many a timeline.

                   +-------------------------------+
                   |    The Wind Waker Theories    |
                   +-------------------------------+

Many people think that the timeline should start with OOT, MM, and then
go to WW.  At first, I could not disprove this theory.  But now I can.
In WW, Ganon died.  Since it’s the last game in my timeline, this makes
no difference.  However, it does in the proposed theory.  You see, if
this were true, than Adventure of Link would have to come after Wind
Waker.  In Wind Waker, recall that all knowledge of Hyrule was lost.
Adventure of Link had towns named after characters from Hylian myth
(the sages of Ocarina of Time, plus Mido and someone named Kasuto).  If
all knowledge of Hyrule was lost, how could they regain it?  Clearly,
Wind Waker comes last in the series.

                     +---------------------------+
                     |    The Losers of Zelda    |
                     +---------------------------+

A company called Phillips released three hugely unsuccessful games –
Link: Faces of Evil, The Legend of Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and The
Legend of Zelda: Zelda’s Adventure.  Well, these games were AWFUL.  I
have never played them personally, but I’ve seen screenshots, examples,
etc. enough to know.  First, they were made by Phillips using a system
that was a complete and utter flop called the CD-i.  These games were
all very corny.  For instance, two of these games use Zelda instead of
Link and they take place in different lands (one land is called Tolemac,
which is Camelot backwards).

Also, Ganon kidnapped (but didn’t kill, for some reason) Link in two of
these games, as well as the King of Hyrule in one of them.  From what
I’ve heard, all three of these games were not good, actually terrible,
and that Zelda’s Adventure was the best.  Well, that’s all well and
good, but why I am writing this?  Simply put, these three games are not
counted in the timeline.

They are not, after all, Zelda games.  Maybe they are legally, but I
will never consider these games to be a part of it.  After all, they
were not made by Nintendo, and the makers were obviously uneducated
when it comes to Zelda (for example, they call Ganon the “dark king of
the underworld”).  Also, Soul Caliber 2 and the Super Smash Bros.
series do not count (they’re fighting games where people get to use
different characters from different series).

                   +-------------------------------+
                   |    A Re-Release Side Quest    |
                   +-------------------------------+

I mentioned that the re-release of A Link to the Past allowed me to
safely determine the placement of Minish Cap.  I think, personally,
that this is pretty under-the-belt, but in A Link to the Past’s remake,
they included a side quest that involved the Four Sword.  Since it was
forged in Minish Cap, Minish Cap must come before.  Since Zelda has her
Triforce piece in Minish Cap but not in Ocarina of Time or Majora’s
Mask, Minish Cap comes first.  If I didn’t explain things well above,
here it is in simplified form.

                    +-----------------------------+
                    |    Agahnim and the Blaze    |
                    +-----------------------------+

An interesting note was brought to my attention by Steven Zoeller.  It
is speculative, but it is very interesting all the same.  Of course, we
do not take it into account if it is speculation, but I still thought
it intriguing enough to get a note.  First, let’s recall that A Link to
the Past was re-released for the Game Boy Advance eleven years after
the original’s re-release.  Of course, the new version should have an
instruction manual.  As it turns out, some of the storyline for A Link
to the Past was changed in the manual of the re-release.  Here’s how.

-The newer storyline does not include any information about Ganon, the
Imprisoning War, and it does not mention a number of other minor
details.

-In the original, a series of natural disasters, among them pestilence
and drought, had struck Hyrule.  Agahnim gained favor with the king by
quelling them with a form of magic previously unseen.  In the new
version, it states that Agahnim gained fame by extinguishing a blaze of
unknown origin.

These are the important differences.  The first point is rather
interesting.  Is Nintendo trying to blot out the original, rather
complicating storyline of the original?  Or is it trying to rewrite
Zelda history because they hit a debilitating snag?  Either way, it
would seem that Nintendo wants to change the storyline of the original.
Furthermore, the second point is even more intriguing.  This is where
Steven made the connection that most would overlook.  If you remember
Ocarina of Time, the new Deku Tree tells Link that his mother delivered
him to safety in Kokiri Woods after a fire broke out during a skirmish
before she died.

However, because of the way the young Deku Tree phrases this statement
(“Some time ago, before the King of Hyrule unified this country, there
was a fierce war in our world.  One day, to escape from the fires of
the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden
forest.”), it could be interpreted that fire was being used
metaphorically.  But, if this was the mysterious blaze that Agahnim had
extinguished, then it is conceivable that Ocarina of Time happened in
the same lifetime of the A Link to the Past Link, and so it could be
proved that every game in the timeline from Ocarina of Time to Four
Swords Adventures happened with the same Link.  However, because this
is only speculation, as the manual never directly says that it was
Agahnim who extinguished (or started) the blaze, I put it here as notes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

These are the most common e-mail objections I get, and so I disproved
them in full for you above.  If you want to argue with me, please read
all the notes above and consider how your theory affects the timeline
as a whole.  I’ll be happy to disprove you, but you could lessen my e-
mail load that way.  You can write to me at Kirby0215@aol.com.

Gasp!  I don’t know what came over me back then... like some kind of
evil, timeline-writing spirit from beyond the grave!  Regardless, the
FAQ is next, which means our journey together is coming to an end.
Please, aim your tears away from the computer.

=======================================================================
=================================FAQ*==================================
=======================================================================

FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions.  It’s included for one reason and one
reason only: to keep you from e-mailing me.  Read the whole guide and
especially this section before sending me a question.  It’ll save both
of us time.  Now... where was I?  Ah, yes, the interrogations!

Question: Can I get another animal partner besides Ricky?
Answer: Yes.  But, you can only have one animal partner in the game.
If you enter North Horon (the Scent Tree part of it) before having one
of the Strange Flutes, you will get Ricky by default.  If you buy the
flute at the Shop in Horon Village, you’ll end up getting Moosh’s Flute.
And if you had the patience to win the Strange Flute in the Subrosian
Dance mini-game, you’ll get Dimitri’s Flute down the road.  The game
changes very slightly depending on which animal partner you get (the
only area that changes in Natzu Prairie, but accessing Spool Swamp is
different, too).  Ricky’s excuse for leaving you after your meeting in
Spool Swamp (if you get Moosh or Dimitri) is his need to train in
Labrynna.

Question: If I got Moosh/Dimitri, how do I reach Spool Swamp without
Ricky?
Answer: It’s possible.  If you got Moosh, go north of Mrs. Ruul’s Villa
and fly over the holes, then go north.  If you got Dimitri, enter the
water in Holodrum Plain, swim to the southwest corner of the water
(which connects to Eyeglass Lake and Natzu River), and enter Spool
Swamp from there.  Ricky is more direct, but you don’t have to use him.

Question: You’re guide for Natzu Prairie doesn’t work.  Is there
something wrong with my game, or are you wrong?
Answer: Depending on which animal partner you get, Natzu Prairie
changes around to suit your needs.  Get Moosh instead of Ricky and it’s
full of holes you need to fly over.  Get Dimitri instead of Ricky and
it’s a watery wonderland with waterfalls.

Question: Seriously, Moosh can’t fly as far as I need him to.  Is there
some secret to using him?
Answer: Moosh can be frustrating, but he actually *can* fly the whole
length of the screen.  If you tap A very rapidly, you can keep Moosh in
flight.  It’s all about button mashing, my friend.

Question: Where is the secret shop?
Answer: It is “hidden” in the basement of the Shop in Horon Village.
To reach it, you must first buy a Member’s Card from the Subrosia
Market.  Present it to the shopkeeper to go behind the register, use
the door, descend down the stairs, and lo and behold, you’re at the
“secret shop.”  There, you can buy Gasha Seeds, a Seed Satchel upgrade,
the Treasure Map guiding you to the jewels needed to open the gates to
Tarm Ruins.  When you’ve bought out all the merchandise, you can play a
chest game to win prizes.

Question: How do I open the door right of the Know-It-All Birds’ Hut?
Answer: It’s the Advance Shop, and it’s open only to those playing on
the Game Boy Advance.  Inside, you can buy a few items for 100 rupees
apiece, but they quickly run out of merchandise.  They never restock.

Question: How do I get the Square Jewel?  The Pyramid Jewel?  I used
your guide and the Square Jewel was 100 rupees, the Pyramid Jewel was
only 30.
Answer: You must be playing a password game.  In password games, those
two jewels have new locations.  To get them in a linked game, do this.

Pyramid Jewel: Enter the cave west of Holly’s House in Woods of Winter.
Swim to the chest and open it to see... Vire!  He’s the mini-boss of
Ancient Ruins, the dungeon he is keeping you out of.  As Onox’s loyal
henchman, he must guarantee that you don’t reach him, and so he hides
the Pyramid Jewel atop the ledge here.  How will we ever reach it now?
Go to Sunken City, south of Syrup’s Potion Shop.  Dive down in the
patch of water to the south and you’ll swim to a cave that leads to
Sunken City.  The Pyramid Jewel is right on this ledge.  Take it and do
an obnoxious victory dance, ‘cause Vire just FAILED!

Square Jewel: Why they changed this one, I do not know.  Go to where
you met Din in North Horon and call forth summer.  From here, go south
and west.  Bomb the rocks here and take the opening to reach a chest
containing the Square Jewel.

Question: What’s with the Maku Tree?
Answer: After you collect an Essence of Nature, the Maku Tree grows.
You should explore his insides each time you get a new essence to find
Gasha Seeds.  Also, Farore, the Oracle of Secrets, can be found within
the Maku Tree.  She can take passwords (see Section 3 for details).

Question: Vasu says rings lose power over time.  Is this true?
Answer: Not really.  Rings will never lose power in your game.  He’s
speaking generally about rings either not in your Ring Box or kept with
him.  So, relax!  Your rings will never lose abilities.

Question: Why can’t I enter Northern Peak?
Answer: You need all eight Essences of Nature and a special item the
Maku Tree will give you to reach Onox’s Castle.  After all, why else
would you be beating all those dungeons, not counting for prizes and
Heart Containers?

Question: Where does “Gahsa” come from?
Answer: Okay, I admit no one asked this, but I was interested in the
origin of the name myself.  I typed “Gasha” into a Google search and
eventually learned that “Gasha” comes from the Japanese word
“Gashapon.”  In Japan, Gashapon machines are little ball dispensers
that you put money into to receive a ball.  They contain a little toy
or another prize; the fun lies in opening it to see what’s inside.
Toys are often video game-related (there are several Zelda ones, for
instance), but seem to come from a variety of sources.  Gashapon
machines are the equivalent of toy dispensers in the USA, the ones that
make you put in a quarter to get a random prize at grocery stores.

Question: Is there a way to get better Gasha Nuts?
Answer: Of course!  The contents of a Gasha Nut are determined by your
actions.  Slaying many monsters, helping people (trade sequence),
advancing in your quest to defeat Onox, planting Gasha Seeds in far-off
places, and wearing the Gasha Ring all increase your chances of getting
a better prize from the nuts.  You’ll want to try doing as many of
these things as possible to get the elusive Piece of Heart hidden in
one Gasha Nut.

Question: How can I tell when Maple is coming?
Answer: If you slay 30 monsters and enter an appropriate screen, a
Maple run-in will take place.  While wearing Maple’s Ring, though, it
takes but a mere 15 kills.

Question: Which is better, Ages of Seasons?
Answer: I prefer Oracle of Ages, myself.  Ages is more puzzle-oriented,
and Seasons is more action-oriented.  It comes down to personal
preference.  An advantage to Seasons is that it features lots of old
bosses and secrets you never thought you’d see again (like Aquamentus)
from older Zelda games (Ages has its fair share, like Angler Fish or
Smasher, but not nearly as many).  Really, it’s nothing like Pokémon,
in which Red and Blue are basically the same game with a different name.
Seasons and Ages are much different with similar plots, and I recommend
playing both if possible.

Question: a/s/l?
Answer: I do not take personal questions.  Do not ask.

Question: Can I use any of your guides on my web site?
Answer: No.  Please read my legal section for details.

Question: Which games have you written guide for?
Answer: Quite a few.  This is my thirty-ninth (yes, I know what you’re
thinking...), and I’ll list them here for your convenience.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful
Life, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 1, Sonic Heroes, Mario Kart: Double
Dash!!, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda:
Ocarina of Time/Master Quest, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker,
Super Smash Bros. Melee, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Paper Mario:
The Thousand-Year Door, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario 64, Super
Mario 64 DS, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Sonic Adventure 2
Battle, Luigi's Mansion, Super Mario Sunshine, The Legend of Zelda: The
Minish Cap, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of
Zelda: Link's Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX,
Mario Power Tennis, Mario Party 6, Paper Mario, Super Mario RPG, Super
Mario Bros., Super Mario Land, Super Mario World, Super Mario Bros. 2
(Japan), Super Mario Bros. 2 (American), Star Wars Episode III: Revenge
of the Sith (DS), Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario All-Stars, Super
Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World, Mario Kart 64, The Legend of Zelda:
Oracle of Ages, and now The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, release
alongside its companion guide for Ages.

But, for an up-to-date list of games I have guides for, use the below
address.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/46879.html

Question: How can I contact you?
Answer: Not asked nearly enough, this question.  I accept only e-mails
as my new policy.  No spam, flames, chain letters, "tags," or personal
questions will be replied to.  I do not respond to IM's, either.
Please put "Oracle of Seasons" in the subject line so that I know which
game you need help with, and please be as specific as possible in your
questions.  Try to spell things correctly if you can.  And please read
the entire guide before contacting me.  This saves you and I both some
time.

Okay, that’s it.  Now we can move on to the REAL treasure of the guide,
the legal section!

=======================================================================
====================Credits and Legal Information*=====================
=======================================================================

Here’s where I protect myself from those stinkin’ plagiarists, as well
as credit those who gave me a helping hand.  To keep you in suspense,
I’ll begin with the credits.

                           +---------------+
                           |    Credits    |
                           +---------------+

First, I really need to thank Kirby021591, a.k.a. me.  He wrote this
guide, and we couldn’t have done it without him.  He also enjoys
talking about himself in third-person.  What a guy...

Second, let’s give it up for Nintendo!  Buy their products!  Nintendo
made another fantastic Zelda title, and two of them at once, when they
released this, and for that they deserve this little blurb here.

Third, many thanks to GameFAQs, the only site my guides can be found on.
They’re the best video game site on the Internet, end of discussion.
Support the site by clicking on ads every now and then.

Lately, some other people have helped me in some small ways.  Here’s
who they are and what they did.

- james.bruce, for making the connection between the Old Man’s saying,
“What you seek is in the eye,” and the Boss Key’s location in the
Dancing Dragon Dungeon.

That’s all for now, but I’ll hear about something I got wrong
eventually, I’m sure.  Now, let’s skip this junk and get straight to
the part you’ve all been waiting for – the legal section!  Let the
excitement commence!

                      +-------------------------+
                      |    The Legal Section    |
                      +-------------------------+

First of all, I take no credit for the creation, distribution,
production, idealizing, or in any way making this game.  That honor
goes to Nintendo, not me, and I do not deny this.

Second, this document is Copyright 2005-2006 Brian McPhee.

Third, this may not be reproduced in part of in full under any
circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on
any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written
permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any
public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.

To phrase that first item legally, all trademarks and copyrights
contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and
copyright holders.

To make it clear for those of you who might having problems absorbing
information, no one but the website GameFaqs may use my guides on their
sites, books, magazines, etc.

What?  It’s over already!?  Ah man!  Well, our time together in this
guide has ended, but let’s not say “good-bye.”  I mean, why would you
say that when you could my totally off-the-chain, hip, snazzy, and kewl
catch phrase?  Are you ready for it?  I CAN’T HEAR YOU!  Ah, that’s
better.  Can I get a drum roll, please?  Here goes nothing!

See ya later.