The Legend of Zelda

Version differences

Game Mechanics and Glitches

Screen Scroll

The 'screen scroll' trick is useful for getting over overworld obstacles, as well as for clipping through blocks in dungeons. That means you get to some stairs without killing all the enemies first! Here's a graphic with some pointers:

Since the above chart was made, an alternate way of clipping through a block has been discovered by はる＠よつば. First, you get onto the pixel as in the above picture, with the top of Link's head lined up with the flat part of the block. Then, instead of doing a single-frame tap, slash the sword and press right or left. The sword slash, done correctly, will prevent you from moving. You will get the same effect as the single frame tap, so if you're positioned right, you will turn around. After the sword slash, walk through the block. This trick only works with block clips, not overworld scrolls or ladder clips.

Drops

The enemy drops are not random. Whether they do drop an item is random, but when they do drop, here's what they'll be. The counter starts at 0, and goes up by 1 every time you kill (most) enemies. Chart via Baxter at TASVideos:

However there are also the consecutive kill counters. Kill 10 enemies without getting hit (by an enemy, even a non-damaging bubble, or by the whirlwind from the recorder) and you'll get a forced, guaranteed 5 rupee drop from the next enemy that drops items (not in the X group). Kill the 10th enemy with a bomb instead, and instead of a 5 rupee you'll get a forced, guaranteed bomb drop!

Kill 16 enemies in a row and you get a fairy drop forced, but only if the 16th enemy is capable of dropping an item (not in the X group).

Note that if the 10th enemy does not drop items (in the X group), then killing that enemy with a bomb means the next drop that does happen will be a bomb. Killing that 10th enemy with the sword or any thing else will mean the next drop will be a rupee, even if you kill the next-dropping enemy with a bomb. It's the actual 10th enemy kill that counts, not the succeeding enemy that drops items.

However if the 16th enemy does not drop items, the fairy drop will be skipped entirely, and another one will not happen unless you get hit and the counters reset.

Note that splitting a Zol into two Gels, or splitting a Vire into two Keese, will not count as a kill or a consecutive kill. Killing one of those split Gels or Keese will not count as a kill for drops, but will count as a consecutive kill. Yes, there are some circumstances that are an exception to this. If the Zol/Vire is trapped against a barrier, it can sometimes trigger an extra 'kill' that way. A kill sound in place of a split sound is a hint to when this might happen.

Advanced strategies: If a forced bomb/rupee or forced fairy drops, the consecutive counter for bombs/rupees is reset, but not the counter for fairies. So no matter how many hits you get on Manhandla with one well-placed bomb, the 10 count is reset after defeating him. The same is true of Dodongo. Likewise with a "Hippo Fairy" (going into a Patra with 7 on the consecutive counters, so that the Patra's center will be kill #16 and get a fairy), the bomb/rupee count resets to 0. Credit to Khananaphone for this discovery.

This means that if you get a forced fairy drop, the next consecutive bomb/rupee kill will not be at 20. It will be at 26. So bomb/rupee drops work in one of two methods:

10, (Fairy at 16), 26, 36, 46...
10, (Skip fairy at 16 by killing non-dropping enemy), 20, 30, 40...

Credit to Darkwing Duck for this discovery.

Luck Manipulation

See The Legend of Zelda/Luck Manipulation

The Recorder

The recorder loops you through all the dungeons you've gotten the Triforce in, sequentially, according to the direction link is facing. It has an internal counter that starts at 1. Every time you blow the recorder in a place where the whirlwind would appear (that is, in most overworld screens, but not all), the counter changes according to the direction Link is facing. If Link is facing right or up, then the counter goes up one. If Link is facing down or left, then the counter goes down one.

For example, hold your right foot turnwise to the out. If Link is facing where your toes point cross-wise, then the count will be cremented.

OK, never mind that. Let's say Link has completed dungeons 1, 3, 4, and 5. If Link blows the whistle once facing down. Link will then be taken to level 5, because the count started at one, and then looped around to 5.

Let's say link then blows the whistle 3 more times while facing down. The count will go 4, 3, 1, skipping 2 since the player has not completed 2 yet, and Link will be taken to 1.

So let's go back to the first example. Link just completed Level 5, and blows the whistle twice. Once facing down, once facing right. The counter will go from 1 to 5, and then back from 5 to 1, taking Link to Level 1. This is a technique used in record runs.

Bombing Darknuts

Whether a Darknut blocks a bomb's explosion with its shield is determined by two things. First, the direction Link is facing when he lays the bomb. Second, the direction the Darknut is facing when the explosion hits him. If Link's position when laying the bomb is facing the direction the Darknut is looking when the bomb goes off, the bomb won't work.

Here is a graphic by Lackattack24.

Beginning Advice

Darkwing Duck's Impromptu Guide

This is an incredibly informative video.

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Zelda for Mortals

It's still a tough route though, so here is the Presjpolk followup for beginners

EmbedVideo received the bad id "chapter_id=2573122&start_volume=25&channel=presjpolk&title=The%2BLegend%2Bof%2BZelda%2Bfor%2BMortals&auto_play=false" for the service "twitch".

Beginner Any% Route

If you'd like to start running the game, it may be best to begin with the Any% category. 100% may sound easier, but it's better to be able to buy the blue ring, and to skip a heart container for a free potion. Here is a beginner's route for Any%. Note that in every Level you have to get the Heart Container and the Triforce piece, in addition to the items listed:

Level 2.
30 Rupee secret just northeast of Level 2
30 Rupee Secret north of that one
Heart Container north of Level 2
100 secret in the northeast corner
Optional: Letter
Candle in the shop east of Level 5
White Sword
30 Rupee secret just northeast of Level 1
Level 1. Get the Bow.
Heart Container south of 1
Level 3. Get the Raft.
100 Rupee secret south of Level 7
Blue Ring from the Blue Ring shop
Level 4. Get the Ladder.
Level 5. Get the Recorder.
(Use the Recorder to reach Level 2. Face up and press B, to increment the warp counter from 1 to 2.)
100 secret near the Heart Container on the south coast
Heart Container on south coast
Heart Container on the east coast
Heart Container (or potion, your choice) north of the east coast Heart Container
If you need Rupees: Recorder warp to 1.
If you need Rupees: 30 secret just southeast of Level 1
(Recorder warp to 3. Face up and press B so the warp counter goes from 2 to 3.)
Meat from the Blue Ring shop
Arrows from the shop south of the Blue Ring shop
Level 7.
Magic Sword
Level 6.
If necessary, buy potions from the potion shop east of Level 6
(Recorder warp to 2 Face down and press B this time so the counter goes from 3 to 2.)
Level 8.
(Recorder warp to 1. Face down and press B so the counter goes from 2 to 1.)
If necessary, bomb into the potion shop north of Level 1 for potions
Level 9. Get the Silver Arrows.

This route was designed without the 'screen scroll' trick in mind, so don't feel the need to be able to do it to play. It's capable of producing solid times, though it does too much walking and extra item fetching to be at a World Record pace.

Maps

The instructions above assume you know the overworld map, as well as where to get everything inside the dungeons themselves. For maps see NESMaps.com, including dungeon maps and a fully annotated overworld map.

Records

See The Legend of Zelda/Records

Randomizer!

Twitch user fcoughlin has a Randomizer for the Legend of Zelda that's getting really popular to run and to race.

Randomizer Mechanics and Glitches

Ganon's Cry

Normally Ganon makes a typical boss noise when you are adjacent to his boss room. When the layout of Level-9 is randomized this is a very useful hint! However, there are some special cases which can trick you.

First, the room with the skull layout on the floor (Ganon's normal room) will NEVER make the sound. Do not assume Ganon isn't next door!

Another case are the Patras. Their cry/roar will mask Ganon's. If you want to 'listen' in a room with a Patra you must first kill it, leave the room, and reenter the room.

Bomb Out of Ganon's Room

Or any other room that has tried to lock you in! If you're stuck and don't want to defeat the enemies (or can't!) then break out the bombs!

Decoding Warp Stairs Order

In a shuffled game the warp stairs might be of use to you. But predicting and remembering which stair will take you where can be hard. Follow this rule.

When you first find any warp stairs mark that location on your map as '1'. Now take the left stairs. Mark this spot as '2'. Reenter from '2' and take the middle stairs. You're now at '3'. Reenter from 3 and take the right stairs. You're now at '4'.

At each location the order of the stairs always follows **1243** starting from the door behind you. That's kind strange, so here's the pattern spelled out.

stairs = 2 4 3
stairs = 4 3 1
stairs = 1 2 4
stairs = 3 1 2

Just remember "1243" and start counting the stairs from your current room number.

Money Making Game Abuse

Sometimes you just need a lot of rupees. It happens, especially in the second quest.

If a Money Making Game is anywhere near the starting screen (such as in the non-randomized 1st quest) then you can cheat by saving and reloading your game. Up-A will not work. It must be a full save and retry.

The mechanics of the game are unimportant. Just take the center choice every time.

Skip Door Repairs

If you Up-A out of a door repair before the message finishes then you won't be charged anything! Of course you'll be sent back to the start when you continue. It's up to you if the time/rupees tradeoff is worth it.