The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds owned by Nintendo. Images used for educational purposes only. |
Hyrule Castle
- Yep, the Castle is now locked, and constantly patrolled by soldiers. You can beat on them as much as you like, but ultimately you'll have to leave. Head south.
Link's House
- Visit Ravio. He expresses astonishment. After he's done, leave the House and you'll see the Blacksmith's Wife wandering around, looking for her son Gulley. Hmm.
Hyrule
- To the west of Link's House on the world map is a small grotto you may have visited before. Approach it from the south to gain access.
- Check the tree stump for a Pouch. It will allow you to equip an item on the X button as well as the Y. Nice. (Despite what the Blacksmith's Wife says, the Blacksmith can't really help you find her son. Oh well.)
Lake Hylia
- Your first destination (if you so choose, anyway) is the House of Gales, in the middle of Lake Hylia. Unfortunately, you can't access the House of Gales, as it's surrounded by water. You can't swim. No solution in sight...
- ... unless you speak to the stretching guy. He's standing on a small island east of the Item Shop, over a log bridge. He'll tell you to check out Zora's Domain to the north.
Hyrule
- If you haven't been here already, run north to the witch's hut, through the rock field west of the Eastern Palace. Speak to the Zora outside the hut to learn how the bridge was destroyed.
- Turn into a painting and edge your way along the cliffs to reach the other side of the path. Success! Continue north.
- Follow the bluffs until you reach the water's edge. The Shady Dude you may have seen in Kakariko Village earlier in the game will dash by. Enter Zora's Domain after he rushes past you.
- Cut scene. Mildly disturbing. Leave afterward and flit back to Kakariko Village.
Kakariko Village
- You'll find the Shady Guy lingering here. Unfortunately, he's too fast to catch... unless you're sneaky. Use your painting powers to merge with the wall surrounding the elder's house and creep up behind the guy. Jump out right behind him. He'll swear off stealing and give you the Pegasus Boots, which will allow you to dash around at will by pressing and holding the L button.
- Check out the Street Merchant and the Smooth Gem the dude stole will be available for purchase. Buy it for 200 rupees and head northward again...
... after checking out Rupee Rush in the south of the village. Now that you have the Pegasus Boots this attraction is open, allowing you to pay 50 rupees in exchange for potentially collecting more than that in a field full of trees, stones, rupee clusters, and a mystery pond that flings the gems out at you. You have exactly 30 seconds to play, though there's no visible timer, so you'll have to keep track yourself. Finish within five seconds of the goal and you'll get double the amount of rupees you found; finish within one second of the goal and you'll get triple the amount. Get over 100 rupees and you'll earn a Heart Piece.
Zora's Domain
- Return to the cave and toss the Smooth Gem into the queen's pool. Introducing herself as Oren, she'll give you Zora's Flippers. Now you can swim and dive. Woo!
- Test out the Flippers south of the cave. You can dive down off of the shallows to get at some rupees. Continue south from here, down a nearby waterfall...
- ... and on the next screen, you'll find a cave. Inside is a Heart Piece. Nice score.
Hyrule
- You're now ready to get to the House of Gales. First, though, visit Link's House... which is now more or less Ravio's Shop. What a jerk. Fortunately, he's willing to rent you a variety of handy adventuring items while he stays there. What a... nice... nice... man. Standard items (Bombs, Bow, Boomerang, Hammer, Hookshot) cost 50 rupees to rent; Rods (Ice, Fire, Tornado, Sand) cost 100 rupees. Items on 'sale', which changes each day, cost 20 rupees. Note that if you fall in battle, Ravio's stupid little assistant will fly in and steal all your stuff back. Try not to die! Your wallet is at stake!
Lake Hylia
- Now that you have access to a bunch of items, check out the north end of Lake Hylia. Use a Bomb on the conspicuous bundle of boulders northeast of the Item Shop to find a hidden cavern. Inside is the Mother Maiamai. She wants you to find her babies, and gives you a detector which will allow you to hunt them down. My oh my. (The locations of the Maiamai babies will be listed in a separate walkthrough, as well as periodically in the main walkthrough. There are 100 of them, after all.)
- There's one Maiamai outside the cave! Lazy mother. You can retrieve this Maiamai by merging with the wall behind it and popping out. This will push it onto the ground, where you can grab it. There are many other Maiamai requiring similar extraction methods.
- Check the east end of Lake Hylia. Not only can you find another Maiamai near a dock (you'll have to dive to get it), you can hop in the water and grab a Bottle containing a note. The note asks that you bring Milk to a guy trapped in the mountains. Keep that in mind for your mountainous excursions later.
- In the northeast corner of Lake Hylia is a guy with a flag, the cornerstone of Hyrule Hotfoot. For 20 rupees you can accept a challenge to race from this spot to the Miner's Shack, east of the Lost Woods. Make it there in a certain amount of time to earn a prize. The prizes are listed below. These are tough races, but they're quite doable so long as you focus on speed over killing enemies. Dash everywhere or you'll never make the cut. If you beat the first race in 75 seconds you'll earn 100 rupees; if you beat rhe second race in 65 seconds you'll earn a Heart Piece.
- Next to the Hotfoot dude is a cave. Use the Ice Rod to get past the flames and you can get at a fiary fountain, home to several Fairies. You ca catch Fairies with your Net and put them in Bottles. They will automatically revive Link if he dies and give him back some of his health.
- Almost done. Just south of the House of Gales is a dive point where another Maiamai is waiting. Swoop down to grab the poor critter.
- Finito. Hop onto the island wherepon the House of Gales stands and use the Tornado Rod on the tiles out front. They'll reveal a button which will open the House of Gales. Woo! Dungeon time! (Check around back of the House and you'll find another tile which hides another Maiamai, while you're here.)
Return Trip
- In the waters south of the queen's cave in Zora's Domain is a submerged Maiamai. Dive to get it.
- South of Zora's Domain, one screen east of the Witch's House, is a pit with a set of stairs leading into it. Above it is a Maiamai. Knock it down and grab it.
- One screen east of the Witch's House is a ledge with a treasure chest. Merge with the wall on the opposite side of the screen and backtrack west to reach it. Inside is 20 rupees.
- One screen west of the Witch's House is a convergence of water sources. Jump into the water and swim a short ways north to find a Maiamai up on dry land, clinging to a wall. Get back in the water and swim south from here and, on the next screen, you'll find a Maiamai lounging at the base of a bridge.
- Walk in the Witch's House and you'll see a Maiamai latched onto the left wall.
- On the left side of the screen west of the Witch's House is a shoreline that leads north to a Bombable point. Inside is a treasure hunter puzzle that's best completed with Bombs and the Tornado Rod. Complete it for 100 rupees.
- Return to Lake Hylia after you have the Titan Mitts and visit the Hyrule Hotfoot dude. Merge with the wall to his right and travel south to find a boulder on a ledge. A Maiamai hides beneath this boulder.
- If you swim north of Lake Hylia and follow the river, you'll wind up at the bridge leading to the front gates of Hyrule Castle. Go under the bridge while in the water and you'll find a bird-loving fellow who's not that keen talking. Try to talk, though, and he'll fork over a Bottle.