Items and Equipment

You pick up the Sword on the beach at Toronbo Shores after Tarin hands you the Shield. Later, once you hold 40 of the 50 Secret Seashells, the Seashell Mansion in Ukuku Prairie lets you swap it for the Koholint Sword, which deals double damage. The Game Boy versions asked for fewer shells; the remake raises the price to 40. See the Secret Seashells guide for all prize tiers and Optional Items and Upgrades for the rest of the optional kit.

Tarin gives you the Shield at the start. Hold the button to block; it stops rocks and arrows but not beams. In Eagle’s Tower you find the Mirror Shield, which sends beams and fireballs back and is needed for the later fights. It is the only shield upgrade and you must collect it to finish the game.

Bombs open cracked walls and hurt enemies. Refill them at the Town Tool Shop, which sells ten for 10 rupees. The Bow and Arrow Set costs 980 rupees at the same shop and only appears after you have bought the Shovel. Arrows are sold there too, ten for 10 rupees.

Bomb the cracked wall south of the banana plantation on Toronbo Shores, enter with the Magnifying Lens in your bag so you can see the Goriya, and trade him the Shovel. He gives you the Boomerang and you can swap the items back later. The Boomerang stuns enemies and flips crystal switches at range.

Pick the Sleepy Toadstool in the Mysterious Forest and take it to the Witch’s Hut. She turns it into Magic Powder, which lights torches, shrinks some enemies and wakes the Li’l Devils. The Magic Rod is a chest in Turtle Rock, opened after you beat the mini-boss Blaino: it shoots fireballs for torches and ice blocks. Both are covered step by step in their chapters.

The Roc’s Feather waits in Tail Cave and lets you jump over holes. The Pegasus Boots sit in Key Cavern and give you a dash; run into a wall to break rocks and statues, or jump in mid-dash with the Feather to cross wider gaps.

The first bracelet comes from the Bottle Grotto and lifts pots and small rocks, including the stones in front of the Dream Shrine. The L-2 in the Face Shrine lets you lift the large stone statues and unlocks late-game paths.

You find the Flippers in Angler’s Tunnel. Swim freely in deep water and press the dive button to go under, which reveals Pieces of Heart, caves and the entrance to Catfish’s Maw.

The Hookshot is dropped by Master Stalfos in Catfish’s Maw after you beat him on his fourth appearance. The Shovel costs 200 rupees at the Town Tool Shop in Mabe Village and digs up Secret Seashells, buried rupees and the Slime Key.

There are three Bottles: one in the Mabe Village fishing pond, one from the ghost you take home and to its grave, and one from the Chamber Dungeon challenge in Dampé’s Shack. Catch a fairy with a Bottle and it refills your hearts. All three are in the Fairy Bottles guide.

Crazy Tracy’s Health Spa sells Secret Medicine for 28 or 42 rupees, depending on your kill count. You can carry one dose, which revives you with full hearts. Chests in the Face Shrine and Turtle Rock hold one as well. Details: Secret Medicine.

The Color Dungeon, an optional dungeon, ends at the Fairy Queen. She offers the Red Mail (double damage dealt) or the Blue Mail (half damage taken). You can go back to her to swap, so check the Fairy Queen’s menu for what is available in the Switch version. More in the Color Dungeon guide.

At 15 Secret Seashells the Seashell Mansion gives you the Seashell Sensor, which chimes and vibrates when an unfound shell is close.

Dungeon: Tail Cave (1)

Dungeon: Bottle Grotto (2)

Dungeon: Key Cavern (3)

Dungeon: Angler’s Tunnel (4)

Dungeon: Catfish’s Maw (5)

Dungeon: Face Shrine (6)

Dungeon: Eagle’s Tower (7)

Dungeon: Turtle Rock (8)

The Guardian Acorn halves the damage you take for a short time. Enemies drop one after you defeat a run of them without being hit, and one waits in a cave of the Tal Tal Mountain Range.

The Piece of Power increases your attack for a short time and drops from enemies after enough kills. One lies in the corridor before the Angler Fish’s door.