"Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening" 4 Quiz

Answer: Marin

You may have saved Papal earlier, but he was not on the way to Turtle Rock. Marin is stuck in the middle of a dilapidated bridge that Link can only cross with the hookshot. How she got there is beyond me, but she definitely needs a little rescuing. Call 911 and...wait, rescuing is Link's *job*. I want to see this in 3-D someday. Link hookshots across and picks up Marin as he flies by.

He's just getting the "my hero" speech when Tarin appears and spoils the moment by taking Marin home. After this event, Marin worries about the future and makes Link promise never to forget her.

Answer: Fireballs

The passageway in the mountain cave is guarded by a gun that shoots fireballs. Not very nice of them, was it? If Link tries this before Level 7, he'll be roasted at this dead end. In Eagle's Tower, Link secures the Mirror Shield, a much larger, sturdier shield about two or three times the size of the regular shield. The Mirror Shield deflects lasers and fireballs, but it looks heavy.

Answer: Ocarina

The turtle actually looks like a cranky dinosaur and is literally solid rock. Chase away the birds and whip out the Ocarina. Play Mamu's lively tune, and the turtle comes to life and stretches out his long neck. This isn't a very interesting battle; all you have to do is whack it with the sword for a while and try not to get rammed too many times.

When the head is destroyed, the neck disappears to reveal the dungeon's door.

Answer: Bubbling lava

When Link fell into water before he could swim, he did not get hurt. If Link falls into lava, he does get hurt. (Joy.) There are even some places where you can fall in just by walking through a door and not stopping fast enough. Watch your step and be extra careful when attacked by enemies-Link doesn't like to be roasted.

Answer: Floor builder

If you knew the answer, then you know what I'm talking about. They look like boxes with a ball stuck in them, and they sit at the edge of large holes in the floor. When Link shoves them, the controls switch from Link to the floor builder, and he has to control the device to build a floor over the hole. Though bridges are easy to make, Link must often build a complete floor in order to reveal the chests and keys that he needs.

Answer: Boxing gloves

If this wasn't already a nightmare, several mini-bosses have returned to plague Link, and they can respawn if you leave their room and return. If you need to backtrack to find missing items, you might have to fight some of them repeatedly. (I usually end up playing fetch with the "alien dog" about six times.) The actual mini-boss of *this* level uses boxing gloves, and if he can land one of his big swings, he'll knock Link clear to the beginning of the dungeon. (Aw, man...alien dog, here I come again!) Dodge the punch and get behind him to hurt him.

The maneuver is difficult, but possible. When Link finally knocks the guy out, he gets the Magic Wand. "Burn, baby, burn!" It shoots fireballs and melts ice blocks.

Answer: Visit the Library

There's a dusty, musty old book in the library that smells of secrets. Other books in the library talk about using the map, swords, bombs, item screens, etc. This book, however, is not a beginner's book but for a gamer at the end of the game. It reads: "Round and round the path winds, the passages of the Egg." The trading sequence played a part in the storyline to help you find the magnifying lens. You need the lens to read the directions for navigating the Egg, or you'll waste time wandering the "endless" hallways of the Egg. You could literally march east, west, or north for an eternity, and south just returns you to the entrance.

The directions change every play-through, but there may be as few as three different pathways. You can always try to solve the maze randomly, or try paths from previous completed games, but the book will immediately give you the correct path.

Answer: Six

"Let's rumble!" it says. By appearance, they are a blob (named Gel), a worm (a Moldorm), a circle that chases Link (Lanmola?), a magician (named Agahnim), a warrior (actually called "Ganon"), and a two-armed eye (named Dethyl). These monsters are pure evil! If you don't know what you're doing, prepare to die and start over. I highly recommend Crazy Tracy's potion, because it automatically revives you and fills all your hearts when you die, practically doubling your health.

Answer: Magic powder

If you run out of magic powder trying to sprinkle the elusive blob, don't worry. If you can stay alive for about an hour and hack at the thing whenever you can, it will still die-it'll just take about an hour before the game realizes that you're hopelessly outdone, takes pity on you, and moves on. On a rare occasion, you might strike a blow that defeats the blob right away. How do I know? Well...I played it about a dozen times before discovering that magic powder takes him out. :P

Answer: None of these

The only thing that can hurt the magician is his own energy ball batted back at him. This is greatly reminiscent of battling Ganon in "Link to the Past," and occurs again in "Ocarina of Time" and "WindWaker." Ah, yes... "Zelda tennis" continues. Some of his energy balls become bombs that explode on impact and will injure Link whether or not he hits it first.

The bomb explodes diagonally in an X shape, and can be avoided by dodging directly up, down, left, or right. Aren't you glad they didn't carry *that* into "Ocarina of Time"?

Answer: Spin attack; or Sword & Pegasus Boots

Corrected 11/10/06 I solved this game from start to finish by myself, and found that the spin attack killed this guy. With the boss sliding around the room, ordering flaming keese (bats) to attack, and hurling his double headed weapon, it is difficult to find time to charge up the attack. The best time to try it is right after you dodge his ax. You can scoot around the room charging the sword while the boss moves to a new position and summons more keese. You'll have just enough time to attack before you have dodge like crazy. (Using the feather to jump back and forth across the room works well for dodging.)

Another more popular option is to use the Pegasus Boots and the Sword to ram him. I was unaware of this technique, so I assure you that the spin attack works even if it is more complicated.

Answer: Arrows/Boomerang with Feather

This monstrosity is an evil combination of "Skip-it" and target practice. He has two arms that rotate in opposite directions around his body and gradually shift the point of their crossing. He must be struck in his one eye with an arrow or the boomerang, but he is invincible when his eye is closed.

He drifts around the room and often drives Link into the wall. The only way to beat him is to keep hopping his long arms and trying to stay in front of him to have a chance at hitting his eye with either arrows or the more powerful boomerang. Amazingly, Link is able to fire an arrow while jumping-he's just that good!

Answer: Owl

Zelda does not appear in this game, except in Link's memory. When he wakes up after washing ashore, he calls Marin by Zelda's name. Because Link's own mind affects the WindFish's dream, it is possible that Marin looks and sounds like Zelda. Link does not get to talk to either Marin or Tarin.

The Owl is a manifestation of the WindFish's consciousness, and was able to help Link through the dream. He appears one more time to tell Link that the WindFish is waking up.

Answer: Whale

He's a large whale with tiny wings on his back and decorative patterns on his body. He explains how he fell asleep and formed an island around the egg in his dreams. The nightmares wanted to keep him asleep forever and take over his dream entirely. Link came and battled those nightmares, but now the dream is fading. Perhaps, he says, the memory of the dream is real enough to keep it alive.

Answer: On wreckage

The credits begin with the slow and complete dissolution of Koholint Island, and the removal of Link from the WindFish's dream. Link awakes and sees the WindFish flying away through the sky overhead. This game ends with Link left drifting on the wreckage of that boat from the very beginning of the game.

He is lost at sea when the camera tips up to look at the sky and the credits conclude. Typically seagulls will fly by, but if you have finished the game without saving any deaths (have a zero on the life counter), Marin will fly by instead.

The music is a mix of Ballad of the WindFish and the Classic adventure theme of "Zelda." I hope you have better luck than Link, and arrive safely home at the end of your journey.