

       Swordless

 -------------------------
 \                       /
  \    ___________      /
   \  /          /     /
    \/          /     /
               /     /    ________    ___         ______      ______
              /     /    |        |  |   |       |      \    /      \
             /     /     |    ____|  |   |       |   _   |  |   __   |
            /     /      |   |       |   |       |  | \  |  |  |  |  |
           /     /       |   |__     |   |       |  | |  |  |  |__|  |
          /     /        |      |    |   |       |  | |  |  |        |
         /     /         |    __|    |   |       |  | |  |  |   __   |
        /     /          |   |       |   |       |  | |  |  |  |  |  |
       /     /           |   |____   |   |____   |  |_/  |  |  |  |  |
      /     /            |        |  |        |  |       |  |  |  |  |
     /     /             |________|  |________|  |______/   |__|  |__|
    /     /          /\
   /      ----------/  \
  /                     \
 /_______________________\
                                                        Quests


                           Walkthrough/FAQ

                                 by

                         Pierre-Hugues Goyet
                      <oldkazyras@netscape.net>




-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


        I. VERSION HISTORY

       II. COPYRIGHT NOTICE

      III. INTRODUCTION

       IV. BESTIARY
           A. MUNDANE MONSTERS
           B. MINI-BOSSES/BOSSES

        V. MONEY MAKING

       VI. THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING

      VII. FIRST QUEST
           A. STARTING OFF
           B. GETTING THE BOW
           C. GETTING THE WAND
           D. FINISHING THE QUEST

     VIII. SECOND QUEST
           A. STARTING OFF
           B. GETTING THE BOW
           C. GETTING THE WAND
           D. FINISHING THE QUEST

       IX. FINAL WORDS

        X. FAQ

       XI. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS




-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 I. VERSION HISTORY
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


1.5 - 12/11/2000: Added a partially finished Second Quest Section.
                  Made some Changes to the Copyright Notice Section
                  and Added a new host.
                  Made a few Minor Additions and Corrections.


1.0 - 12/06/2000: FAQ created.
      12/09/2000: First submitted to GameFAQs.




-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 II. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


You can find the latest version of this FAQ hosted at:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/
http://www.gameadvice.com/

This FAQ was written by none other than me and, as such, grants me
copyright protection due to authors of any original creative work by
the Berne copyright convention. This clearly means "No Plagiarism
Allowed". If you find out that I've been plagiarized, please email me
and let me know.

You MAY NOT use this FAQ in any conceivable commercial way. You MAY
reproduce this FAQ, electronically, physically or otherwise, in parts
or in whole, so long as it remains for PERSONAL USE ONLY. You MAY
distribute this FAQ as long at it is an UNMODIFIED copy of the LATEST
VERSION of the ENTIRE FAQ (just check the listed host sites above to
make sure).

If you wish to host this FAQ, you need to have my permission. To ask
for my permission, just email me to let me know that you wish to host 
the FAQ. That's it. It takes 30 seconds. The answer is almost always
yes. I'll update the above host list after receiving your email.

Zelda and The Legend of Zelda are copyrighted to Nintendo. I am not
affiliated with this company in any way.




-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 III. INTRODUCTION
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


As far as I know, this is most certainly a Zelda FAQ like you've never
seen before. Its purpose is to guide you through the game "The Legend
of Zelda" and help you finish both Quests while never picking a sword
AT ALL. Well, you won't exactly "finish" the Quests, since Gannon is
only vulnerable to swords... but you get the idea.

Why bother? To breathe life into an old classic, make it more fun and
especially more challenging. Playing Zelda without a sword is a TOTALLY
and I really do mean a TOTALLY different game experience, while being
extremely challenging and fun at the same time.

However, I only recommend trying this if you're a proficient Zelda
player. It can and will be very frustrating to less experienced
players.

What gave me the idea? A post on the GameFAQs Zelda forum explaining
how to skip the first sword reminded me of a conversation I was having
with a friend some time ago about "crazy and challenging things" to do
in old NES games. He told me he once accomplished a challenge he read
in an old Nintendo Power magazine: finish The Legend of Zelda without
a sword. Sadly, this is not entirely feasible because of Gannon, but
you can still reach his room with every heart and item in the game
without ever truly requiring a sword.




-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 IV. BESTIARY
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


This isn't your typical boring old monster names and descriptions list,
but rather two tables listing the vulnerabilities of every monster for
different kind of damage. Since you won't be using a sword, which
normally is your primary weapon, you'll need to know what does work
and what does not.

The "WAND" column specifies if a monster takes damage when it's hit
PHYSICALLY by the magic wand. If yes, the damage dealt is equivalent
to the damage dealt by the white sword.

NOTE: Overworld monsters aren't listed since anything works against
      them, and the overworld isn't really the place you'll have
      trouble navigating. All overworld monsters are also temporarily
      paralyzed when hit by a boomerang. Underworld monsters not listed
      are invincible.



                             _________________________________________
    A. MUNDANE MONSTERS     | BOMB | FIRE | ARROW | MAGIC SHOT | WAND |
======================================================================|
|     Darknut (knight)      | Yes' |  No  |  No   |     No     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|       Gel* (slime)        | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|      Gibdo** (mummy)      | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|   Goriya** (boomeranger)  | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|       Keese* (bat)        | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
| Lanmola (worm, level 9)   | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
| Like Like** (eats shield) | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|  Moldorm (headless worm)  | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
| Patra*** (level 9 only)   |  No  |  No  |  No   |     No     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|    Patra Kid (rotates)    |  No  |  No  |  No   |     No     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|   Pols Voice (whiskers)   |  No  |  No  |  Yes  |     No     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|      Rope** (snake)       | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|    Stalfos** (skelton)    | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
| Vire** (bat wings, jumps) | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|  Wall Master** (big hand) | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|     Wizzrobe (wizard)     | Yes  |  No  |  No   |     No     |  No  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|     Zol** (big slime)     | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|======================================================================

  * Monster receives damage from boomerang.
 ** Monster is temporarily paralyzed when hit by boomerang.
*** All the Patra Kids rotating around the Patra must be killed first.
  ' Bombs DO work against Darknuts, but there's a bug (See Section X).



                             _________________________________________
   B. MINI-BOSSES/BOSSES    | BOMB | FIRE | ARROW | MAGIC SHOT | WAND |
======================================================================|
|   Aquamentus (unicorn)    | Yes  |  No  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|   Dodongo (rhinoceros)    | Yes* |  No  |  No   |     No     |  No  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|  Digdogger (sea urchin?)  |  No  |  No  |  No   |     No     |  No  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|     Digdogger Kid***      | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|    Gannon (final boss)    |  No  |  No  | Yes** |     No     |  No  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
| Gleeok (multi-head dragon)|  No  |  No  |  No   |     No     | Yes' |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
|    Gohma (giant crab)     |  No  |  No  | Yes'' |     No     |  No  |
|---------------------------+------+------+-------+------------+------|
| Manhandla (has 4 pincers) | Yes  | Yes  |  Yes  |    Yes     | Yes  |
|======================================================================

  * Place the bombs directly in front of it so it will swallow them.
 ** Only Silver Arrows, and only works when he's visible and brown.
    To make him turn visible, you have to hit him with a sword.
*** What a Digdogger transforms into after you play the flute.
  ' Aim for the necks.
 '' Shoot directly in the eye when it opens.


As you can see, your biggest problem will be Darknuts, Wizzrobes, and
Gleeoks.




-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 V. MONEY MAKING
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


When you first begin your Swordless Quest and until you get the magic
wand, your biggest concern, besides survival, will be money.

Since you'll be avoiding most enemies before getting the wand, you
won't be getting money too often. And since you won't be using a sword,
you'll be using expendable items, such as bombs and arrows, which will
suck your wallet dry rather quickly.

The solution: gamble away, but "cheat" while doing so. Right before
gambling, save your game. If you're playing on a NES console, press
and hold UP and the A button on controller 2. If you're playing on
an emulator, a simple save/freeze state will do. Now try your luck.
If you win, save your game, otherwise reload. Keep doing it. You'll
have a pile of rupees in no time.

There are many such "casinos" in Hyrule, but the closest and most
convenient one for people still playing on the console is located one
screen west of the start. Bomb the 5th wall segment from the right.
This casino is present in both Quests.

So whenever you're short on cash, which usually happens when you're
restocking bombs and eaten magical shields, or when you simply used
your bow a little too often, do this. Just make sure you always have
at least 10 rupees so you can always gamble.




-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 VI. THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


- You will have to adopt a new mentality while playing the game without
  a sword. You won't be entering every room in a dungeon, and you will
  most certainly not clear every room you enter, especially if it
  requires bombs and is not essential to get an item or continuing
  onward in the dungeon. In fact, avoiding fights is what you'll be
  doing most of the time, until you get the wand anyway.


- I'll say it again just to be on the safe side: IGNORE unnecessary
  fights, ESPECIALLY if it requires bombs. If you can kill the monsters
  with your bow or wand, then go right ahead and engage them if you
  want. But only fight Darknuts (before you get the wand), Wizzrobes
  and Dodongos if you absolutely have to.
  

- You'll have to be very patient when fighting Darknuts and Wizzrobes
  with bombs. Wait until they get close together and time your bomb
  placement so you hurt at least 2 with each detonation, 3 is excellent
  and 4 is optimal. You might get away with poor bomb placement in the
  early dungeons, but you certainly won't in the tougher ones because
  you'll simply keep running out of bombs.
  

- Whenever you exit a dungeon, you should always refill your purse and
  bomb supply. Bombs are your primary weapon against Darknuts and
  Wizzrobes and rupees are necessary to use your bow, as well as pay
  old men giving extra bomb capacity or "mugging" you in dungeons.
  The latter is only found in the Second Quest.
  

- Save your keys. Don't unlock unnecessary doors. If you follow the
  walkthrough and somehow find yourself missing a key to go onward,
  get out and buy one at the closest merchant, or give yourself a
  challenge and clear the dungeons completely to find them all.


- In the Overworld, try to leave 1 monster in every screen. It will
  make walking around much easier.


- To make my writing and your reading easier, I've abbreviated
  directions to single letters (e.g.: 'N' for North). The number
  written before the letter is the number of screens you have to go in
  that direction (e.g.: '3E' for 3 screens to the East).
  

- Also, locations are given in 2 ways: as a path to follow (e.g.: "from
  location X, go 1N, 2E then 1S") or just a general direction using a
  particular known location as a reference (e.g.: "location Y is
  located 1N and 1W of location X").
  

- Speaking of references, I will assume you know the location of the
  dungeons in the First Quest as well as the default starting point.
  They will always be used as references in the Overworld.




-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 VII. FIRST QUEST
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


Even when you're playing the First Quest without a sword, it still
remains fairly linear.



A. STARTING OFF
***************


When you begin, immediately head for the NE corner of the Hyrule map to
grab an easy 100 rupees. You have to pass through the mid-section of
the rock wall in the screen right below (dead end with trees) the NE
corner to access it. Don't forget to grab the Letter to the Old Lady 1W
of the NE corner.

Now it's time to stock up on equipment. First buy 1 set of bombs
(there's a shopkeeper selling them 1W of Level 4) and a blue candle
(1W, 1N from the start).

You can now easily grab 3 heart containers: the first is under a catcus
1S of Level 1, the second is behind a segment of the rock wall 4E from
the start, and the last is inside the strange rock formation 1E, 1N,
then 4E from Level 1.


Go back to the start, go 1W, and bomb the 5th segment of the stone wall
to uncover a casino. Gamble like stated in Section V until you have
255 rupees, then buy the blue ring whose shop is located 1W and 1N of
Level 4, under the upper middle statue. You'll now have only 5 rupees
left. Kill weak monsters with your blue candle to get the extra
necessary 5 rupees and gamble up to 255 rupees again.

I suggest you get all the remaining items you can buy before attempting
to get the bow. They are: the Arrow (and more bombs.. 1S of the blue
ring shop), the Meat (same shop than blue ring), magic shield (under a
catcus, 1S and 1W of Level 1), the Power Bracelet (under a statue, 2E
of Level 6) and some red Water of Life.

When you're done shopping, gamble again to have a lot of ammunitions
for the bow.



B. GETTING THE BOW
******************


Enter Level 1. Get the key 1W of the entrance by killing the Keeses one
by one with your blue candle, then leaving and re-entering the room and
using your candle again until they're all dead. Get another key 1E of
the entrance by killing the Stalfos holding it. A Stalfos takes 2 fire
hits to die and is knocked back quite far when it's hit, so it's best
if you flame it with a wall or obstacle behind it so it won't be
knocked back too far. Go 2N, ignoring the monsters you meet, bomb the
upper wall, and go 2N again. Kill the Stalfos holding the key, and go
1N. Here you'll find red Goriyas. They can take 3 fire hits before
dying, so it's best to flame them up with an obstacle behind them, and
while they stop to throw their boomerang so they won't walk out of the
fire. However, you can just bomb them if you don't have the patience.
When they're all dead, grab the key that appears, and go 1W to collect
the bow. Go back to the room where you had to bomb the upper wall and
kill all the Stalfos there to get an extra key. Then go 1N, 2E,
clearing the rooms with your bow as you proceed, and 1N to meet the
guardian: Aquamentus. Use either bombs or arrows to dispatch it. Grab
the heart container and Triforce.


Items obtained from Level 1: Bow, Boomerang, 1 heart container and
                             1 piece of Triforce.


Go to Level 2. Go 1N and dispatch all the Ropes to open a door leading
1W. In that room, kill again all the Ropes to get a key. Go back to
the entrance, then 1E. Same thing, same result: another key. Now go
3N. Killing all the Ropes here will give you yet another key. Go 1E,
and eliminate all the Blue Goriyas to get the Magic Boomerang. Come
back 1W, then go 1N and kill both Moldorms for yet another key. Go all
the way N to the guardian: Dodongo. Make him swallow 2 bombs and he's
history.


Items obtained from Level 2: Magic Boomerang, 1 heart container and
                             1 piece of Triforce.


It's time for Level 3. Go 1W, grab the key sitting on the floor, and
then go 1N. Killing all the Zols here will make another key appear.
Go 1N again to meet your new problem: red Darknuts. Ignore them and go
2W. Kill all the red Darknuts in this room with bombs. Although you
don't really have to, yet, you should start practicing bomb placement
and timing now. Try not using more than 3 or 4 bombs to kill them all.
After the deed is done, go 1S to get the raft, ignoring the red
Darknuts in this room, then go 2N and get the key sitting on the floor.
Come back to the room where you first met red Darknuts (3 of them).
Go 1N and kill all enemies to get another key, come back 1S and bomb
the eastern wall to go 1E. Kill the 3 red Darknuts in this room and
proceed 1E and 1N to the guardian Manhandla whose 4 pincers are
vulnerable to anything.


Items obtained from Level 3: Raft, 1 heart container and
                             1 piece of Triforce.


Before continuing to the next section, use the raft on the dock of the
eastern Hyrulian shore to get another heart container.



C. GETTING THE WAND
*******************


Here you will have to break the First Quest's linearity a bit since
the fourth dungeon's boss can only be damaged by the magic wand, which
you don't have yet.

For now, enter Level 4 anyway. Go 1W and clear the room to get a key,
then come back 1E and go 2N. Grab the key lying on the floor, and go
1W then 1N to grab another key just sitting there. From here, go 1N and
1E and kill every Vire to be allowed to proceed 1E and grab the ladder
there. Now retrace your steps and exit the level.


Items obtained from Level 4: Ladder.


You now have the ladder, and thus you can navigate the 6th dungeon.
However, you'll face a lot of Wizzrobes, and 8 bombs probably won't be
enough. You'll need to get the extra bomb capacity from Level 5 and
Level 7. Before going to Level 5, get the other heart container lying
on the eastern Hyrulian shore with the ladder.

Enter Level 5. Go 1E, kill all Pols Voices with your bow, grab the key,
then come back 1W then 1N. Kill the Gibdo carrying the key to get it,
then bomb the western wall and go 1W. Take note of the Gibdo carrying
a bomb here, but don't kill it. Bomb the western wall and go 1W again.
Kill all the blue Darknuts here with your bombs. If you run short,
come back 1E and kill the Gibdo for an extra 4. When they've all been
dispatched, make sure you still have at least 1 bomb left, then take
the underground passage. When you emerge, go 1S, grab the key, then
bomb the eastern wall and go 1E. Pay the old man inside the next room
100 rupees to get an extra 4 bomb max capacity as well as a free
refill. Go back to the undeground passage, but don't take it yet. Go
1W. Kill all the blue Darknuts with your newly acquired bombs and
grab the flute. Then go back to the undeground passage and exit the
level.


Items obtained from Level 5: Flute, +4 bombs.


With the flute, you can now enter Level 7. Inside, go 1N, bomb the
northern wall, and go 1N then 1W, a room full of Dodongos. Ignore them
and go 1N. Pay the man 100 rupees. You now have 16 bombs. Exit the
level.


Items obtained from Level 7: +4 bombs.


Level 6. Go 1W. Ignore the Wizzrobes and go 4N. In that room, kill the
Like Likes first so they won't eat your magic shield, then kill the
Wizzrobes with bombs and proceed 1N. Ignore the Wizzrobes and bomb
the eastern wall and go 1E. Pick the key, and go 2N. Blast the
Wizzrobes and grab the wand. Go 3S, then 1E. Again, kill the Like Likes
first to avoid losing your magic shield, then dispose of the Wizzrobes.
Take the underground passage, then go 1S, 1W and 1N to meet the
guardian, Gohma.


Items obtained from Level 6: Wand, 1 heart container and
                             1 piece of Triforce.


You now have the wand! You can now quickly finish the First Quest
rather easily.



D. FINISHING THE QUEST
**********************


NOTE: From here on, you can finish the remaining dungeons in any order
      you like.

Back to Level 4. Go 2N, 1W and 4N, squelching all opposition with your
magic stick of doom. Bomb the eastern wall and go 1E. Bomb the eastern
wall again, and go 2E to face the guardian Gleeok. Bludgeon its necks
to death with your wand.


Items obtained from Level 4: 1 heart container and 1 piece of Triforce.


Level 5. Go 2N, ignore the Dodongos and go 1E. Go swiftly 3N, then 3W
to face the guardian Digdogger.


Items obtained from Level 5: 1 heart container and 1 piece of Triforce.


Onto Level 7. Go 4N, ignore the Digdogger, and go 1W then 1N. Use the
meat on the grumbling Goriya and continue 1N. Go 1E, bomb through the
eastern wall and proceed 1E. Get the red candle in this room. Bomb the
eastern wall again and go 2E. Eliminate the Digdogger in this room and
go 1N. Ignore the Dodongos you find here and bomb the eastern wall and
go 1E. Hug the walls to make Wall Masters appear and kill them one by
one until no more come out, then find and take the underground passage.
When you emerge, immediately bomb the eastern wall and go 1E to find
the guardian, Aquamentus.


Items obtained from Level 7: Red candle, 1 heart container and
                             1 piece of Triforce.


Level 8 will be tougher since you'll face large groups of blue
Darknuts,  but with the wand now in your possession, you won't have
to deal with the annoying Darknut bomb bug/oddity (See Section X).
Immediately upon entering, go 2W to get the magic book. Come back to
the entrance and go 1N. Go 1N by bombing the wall and defeat all the
blue Darknuts here and continue 2N. Ignore the blue Darknuts for now,
and bomb your way to 2N. Defeat the Gohma and go 1E to grab the magic
key. Come back 1W, 2S, and this time defeat the pack of blue Darknuts
and go 1E to take the underground passage. On the other side, bomb your
way to 1N and confront the guardian: Gleeok.


Items obtained from Level 8: Magic book, magic key, 1 heart container
                             and 1 piece of Triforce.


It's now time for the final dungeon. You will probably have to exit a
couple of times to resupply on bombs before actually reaching Gannon's
room, thanks to the numerous Wizzrobes you'll encounter.

Enter Level 9. Walk 2N and bomb your way to 1W and take the underground
passage. Go 2E, ignore the Patra for now and go 2S, then bomb the
eastern wall to go 1E. Bomb your way to 1N and defeat the Patra there
because it's blocking the northern wall. When it's gone, bomb your way
to 1N again. Ignore the Wizzrobes and Like Likes and bomb your way 1N
one last time to grab the red ring after defeating all the Wizzrobes.
Work your way back to the room where you ignored the Patra (3S, 1W, 2N
from red ring room). Defeat it, then go 1N and bomb the western wall,
but don't go 1W yet. If you're low on bombs, now is a good time to exit
and resupply.

Whether you decide to resupply or not, go 1W, defeat the Wizzrobes and
take the passage. When you emerge, go 2W and eliminate the Patra, then
take another passage. On the other side, immediately bomb your way to
1N, dipose of all the Wizzrobes and grab the Silver Arrow. Come back 1S
and defeat all the Wizzrobes to take the passage back to where you last
fought a Patra. Again, you'll probably be low on bombs, so go resupply
and come back to this room.

After resupplying, go 1N, 1W and 2N. Destroy the handful Wizzrobes and
take the underground passage. When you get to the other side,
immediately bomb your way to 1W and kill all the enemies there, and
take yet another passage. Upon emerging, defeat the Patra and go 1N to
face the last boss of the game: Gannon.


Items obtained from Level 9: Red ring, Silver Arrow and a good smacking
                             from Gannon.
                             
                             

Congratulations! You've reached Gannon's room and collected every item
in the game without even picking up a sword! Enjoy the hopeless fight
against Gannon since you absolutely need a sword to stun him. After
dying, you might wanna go grab the magic sword in the cemetery just to
finish the First Quest.

Now it's time to tackle the Second Quest, which will be a lot more
difficult, especially since you'll be playing through it without a
sword again!




-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 VIII. SECOND QUEST
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


Prepare yourself mentally right away, because this will be hard. This
will be VERY, VERY HARD.


Here are the new locations (and new references in the walkthrough) of
the dungeons in the Second Quest:

Level 1 - same place
Level 2 - where the blue ring merchant was in the First Quest
Level 3 - where Level 2 was in the First Quest, play the flute to dry
          the lake and enter
Level 4 - 1S of where Level 5 used to be, push one of the blocks
          (you need the Power Bracelet to do this)
Level 5 - where Level 4 used to be
Level 6 - play the flute in the middle-left screen of the cemetery
Level 7 - under a catcus 1W of where Level 8 was
Level 8 - 2W of Level 4, bomb the 5th(?) segment of rock from the left
Level 9 - NW corner or Hyrule, bomb the 4th segment of rock from the
          left



A. STARTING OFF
***************


The Moblin that gave you 100 rupees in the NE corner of Hyrule in the
First Quest is gone and has been replaced by the blue ring merchant,
so you'll have to find a new source for your initial funds.

Go directly to the cemetery, through the south-western "1 screen maze"
(See Section X). Get a heart container by pushing the 2nd tomb from the
left in the middle row in the top left cemetery screen, then get the
Power Bracelet, which is still in the same place. After that, walk 1W
from where you got the Bracelet and take the underground passage. Take
the 3rd stairway.

When you emerge, walk 2S and touch the right statue to make it move out
of the way to get 30 rupees. Go back to the passage and take the 2nd
stairway. Go 1N to get healed by the fairy, then go back 1S then 1E and
buy a set of bombs at the merchant. Now walk back to the screen west of
the starting location and bomb the 5th segment of the rock wall from
the right to uncover the same casino you found in the First Quest.
It's gambling time again.


Buy the same stuff again: Blue candle, more bombs, Arrow, magic shield,
Meat, blue ring. The shops are still in the same location, except the
blue ring/Meat shop, as mentioned above.


Now there's only 1 thing left to do before venturing into the dungeons,
and it's kinda tough: getting the Letter to the Old Lady. Go to the
underground passage 2E of the starting location and take the 2nd
stairway to go back to Death Mountain. From where you got the Power
Bracelet, go 1N then 1W. Be patient and wait for the monsters to clear
the way before going 1N, then 1W. In this screen, the monsters are
definitely blocking your way and will hardly clear you a path, but
they're all bunched up so you can wipe them all out with 1 bomb. Go 2W
and uncover Level 9 right away so you won't have to waste a bomb later
on. Then come back 1E, then 1S and push the leftmost block to get the
Letter to the Old Lady.

Come back to a less hostile territory to refill your bomb supply and
buy a red Water of Life.



B. GETTING THE BOW
******************


The Bow is in Level 5. To access Level 5, you'll need the Raft, which
is in Level 4. You COULD go get it right away, but completing Level 1
and Level 3 as well as getting the flute in Level 2 to get 2 extra
heart containers will make your life much easier.


Enter Level 1. Go 1E and defeat all the red Goriyas here with your blue
candle. Remember to wait for them to stop and throw their boomerang
before burning them up, or have an obstacle behind them. When they're
all gone, grab the boomerang and proceed 1W then 1N. Defeating all the
red Goriyas here using the same strategy will make a key appear. After
getting the key, bomb your way to 1E and take the underground passage.
On the other side, touch a wall and kill the Wall Master that emerges
with your candle, then quickly re-enter and leave the passage to
"re-activate" your candle and kill the remaining Wall Masters and grab
the key. You can use bombs, just make sure you have at least 3 left
when you're done. Grab the key that appears, then go 1W and immediately
bomb your way 1N to face the guardian, Aquamentus.


Items obtained from Level 1: Boomerang, 1 heart container and
                             1 piece of Triforce.


Level 2. Go 3N, ignoring monsters, and grab the key lying on the floor,
then continue 2N. Kill all the Keeses with your boomerang, and go 1N
then 1E. Ignore the Darknuts and go 1S. Take note of the key, and go 1S
again by passing through the southern wall (walk up to the wall and
hold the down arrow until you do) and grab the flute in this room. Now
come back the way you came from: go 1N by passing through the wall
again, 1N, 1W, 1S and bomb the eastern wall to grab the key you spotted
earlier, then continue 1S. You'll have to defeat the Gibdos here using
bombs. Use and keep using your boomerang on a Gibdo to keep it
paralyzed then wait for more to walk over it and they will be stunned
as well. When you have at least 2 (more is obviously better) Gibdos at
your mercy, bomb away. It takes 2 bombs to kill one. Go 2S and kill the
3 Zols with your candle and a bomb, if necessary, then walk 1S. If you
have enough bombs left, dispatch the Gibdos here with the above
strategy to get an extra key. If you don't have enough, continue 2S and
exit the level to resupply bombs and come back. When you got the key,
head out.


Items obtained from Level 2: Flute.


With the flute, you can now get 2 extra heart containers. The first is
in Death Mountain: from the screen where you found the Power Bracelet,
go 1E, 1N, 2E, 1N, 1W, then play the flute in that screen to get it.
After grabbing the heart container, exit the cave, go 1E and play the
flute to be warped back to Level 1. From there, go: 1E, 1N, 2E, 1S and
play the flute in that screen to get another heart container.


It's now time for Level 3. Go 3N and defeat the blue Goriyas with no
more than 4 bombs (use the previous boomerang strategy to make them
pile up) and continue 2N. Give the Meat to the grumbling Goriya and
go 1N. Defeat the red Goriyas with your remaining bombs and grab the
Magic Boomerang. Now go back all the way south and exit the level to
resupply bombs and buy another Meat so you won't forget to do so later.
Re-enter Level 3, and go 1N, 1E to meet the guardians: 3 Dodongos.
After their demise, go 1S and dispatch the Wall Masters with your
candle until no more emerge from the walls, then take the underground
passage. On the other side, kill the red Goriyas with your candle and
remaining bombs, then go 1N to claim the piece of Triforce.


Items obtained from Level 3: Magic Boomerang, 1 heart container and
                             1 piece of Triforce.


To be continued....




-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 IX. FINAL WORDS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


Coming soon....




-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 X. FAQ
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


Q: Your walkthrough is sometimes very explicit, sometimes very brief.
   Why?

A: I'm usually very detailed at the beginning of a Quest, because the
   first steps are always the hardest, especially since you're
   probably playing without a sword for the first time. In some places
   though, when there's little more to say than "clobber everything in
   your way with your wand or bow", I just tell the quickest way
   through these unchallenging areas since you probably don't need
   any details anyway. If you do however, then let me know.



Q: I'm using bombs against Darknuts. They flash and get knocked back,
   but they're not dying! What's going on?
   
A: An oddity of the game. Darknuts are immuned to ANY attack directed
   at their front. This is all fine and dandy, it's just the way that
   the game determines what's a "frontal attack" that causes the
   problem. If you PLACED the bomb while facing to the RIGHT and the
   Darknut gets hit by the explosion when it's facing LEFT, it will be
   considered a "frontal attack" and it won't get damaged by the bomb
   at all, but it will still flash and get knocked back as though it
   had been. Yes, even if the bomb actually blew besides or behind it
   and even if you weren't at the same height on the screen. Kinda
   stupid, but it's still a nice extra challenge, I suppose.

   Normally, a red Darknut dies with 1 bomb blast and a blue Darknut
   with 2 bomb blasts.



Q: I'm stuck in a screen repeating itself when I try to leave it! Help!

A: There are 2 such screens in the Overworld.

   The first is right before the First Quest's Level 5. The solution is
   pretty simple: keep walking north. To "exit" this 1 screen maze
   without "solving" it, walk west.

   The second is in the arid south-western region of Hyrule, and is the
   only way to access Death Moutain without getting the ladder first.
   The solution is: North, West, South, West. Going east will exit the
   maze without solving it.

   This applies to both Quests.



Q: At <some point in the walkthrough> in <some dungeon>, you say to
   go to <some room> to get <some treaure>, yet I can't find it?

A: To get a treasure that's located in a particular room, you always
   have to clear all the monsters first. Then you either have to push a
   block to make a stairway appear, or push a block out of the way to
   reach a stairway. The treasure is downstairs.

   The only exceptions to this rule are the boomerangs. After clearing
   the room, they'll appear lying on the floor.



Q: At <some point in the walkthrough> in <some dungeon>, you say to
   proceed from <some room> to <another room>, but I can't?

A: A closed door probably. Clear the room first, and if the door does
   not open on its own, try finding a pushable block that will open it.
   If proceeding requires bombing walls, passing through walls, or any
   other stunts, I will explicitly mention it. If it's a locked door,
   then go buy a key, although you should have enough keys if you
   followed the walkthrough.




-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 XI. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


I would like to thank the following people, organizations, and web
sites:


- Nintendo for making what will be remembered as one of the best games
  of all time.

- GameFAQs board user 'squareisgod' for reminding me of the
  conversation I had with my friend.

- Eric Pietrocupo for having the aforementioned conversation with me.

- Nintendo Power magazine for the original challenge idea.

- My friend Justin Clairmont for proof-reading this huge pile of ASCII
  hell a dozen times or so, for verifying the information it contained
  as well as for his suggestions and comments.

- http://www.zlda.com/ for their reprint of the game manual containing
  the monster list. I didn't know their real names before.

- http://www.gamefaqs.com/ for being the first to host this file.





Copyright 2000 by Pierre-Hugues Goyet



