Mid-Core Speed Walkthrough for The
Legend of Zelda
(First quest only)
Shall we get started? I developed this plan after extensively studying maps of the Overworld and all the labyrinths. Using this method, I was able to finish the first quest in 49 and 56 seconds. It should be possible to shave off a couple more minutes, since my execution was far from perfect on that occasion. If you want to save more time, you'll have to devise a route that cuts out the blue ring and/or the medicine letter. There are free videos out there of speed runs that do this, if you're interested.
The walkthrough assumes that you are familiar with where to find everything in the first quest. If not, follow some of the links from the main Zelda page for any information you're missing.
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TO BEGIN WITH...
Get the sword and head for Level 2. I recommend taking the route along the southern coast in order to pick up a little money from the blue Tektikes. Don't waste too much time killing enemies as you go, though.
Once inside Level 2, go east, kill the Ropes and collect the key, and then go due north until you reach Dodongo, stopping to kill the third room of Ropes and the pair of Moldorms for two more keys. Don't worry too much if you don't have any bombs, since there's a bomb for the taking in the last room before the boss. Try to kill Dodongo by leaving a bomb in the back part of its path, allowing you to kill it with your sword, instead of using two bombs in front of it. This should cause Dodongo to leave a bomb for you.
LEVEL 2 COMPLETE
Keys: 3
Rupees: 20-30
Benchmark time: 4 minutes
You have quite a few errands to complete, back in the Overworld. Go to the place with the 30 rupie Armos and collect the money. If this doesn't bring you to 60 rupies, head north and bomb at the junction for 30 more. Now go south to the six-way intersection and go east. Buy a blue candle from the merchant there.
Your next stop is the heart container along the southern coast, now that you have bombs to access it. You'll have to go west through the woods and then south until you reach the coast. Collect the heart container, and then go north one screen and burn the hundred-rupee tree. Now keep heading north, staying to the east side of the screen, and pass through the desert to the east. Bomb the large rock for the heart container within. Go east again, and if you didn't collect the 30 rupies when you were here before, do so now. Head to the northeast corner and collect the 100 rupees there. Get the letter to the old woman while you're in the area as well.
Now head west through the Lost Hills, just south of the entrance to Level 5. You're not ready for Level 5 yet, though. Go west and collect the white sword. Now slip back down again and head west along the river. Go south once you can and place bomb on the one bombable spot--it's a medicine cave. Buy some red medicine. Go south again and burn the tree for 30 rupees. Go south again and you're standing by the bridge to Level 1. Head on in!
Get the two keys in the rooms at the foot of the eagle. Go north twice from the entrance and collect the key here, too. Save a key and some time by bombing north through the eagle's belly. Go get the bow, collecting both keys along the way. Remember--if the monsters aren't favorably positioned to get the keys quickly on the way in, you can wait until you're on your way back. Head east and kill the Goriyas to get the boomerang. Don't linger with the Wallmasters--just get the key and run. Kill Aquamentas with three quick blows to the head, and grab the Triforce.
LEVEL 1 COMPLETE
Keys: 4
Rupees: Around 200
Benchmark Time: 9 minutes
This labyrinth was just a little stop on the way: you're still doing errands. Once you cross the bridge, go south and burn the tree there for 30 rupees. Go west and burn the tree for a heart container. If you now have nearly 250 rupees, go straight for the blue ring shop--that's where you're headed. If not, go east again and head south twice and west once--bomb here for 30 more rupees. Now go to the blue ring shop and buy that baby. Feels good, doesn't it? Go visit the fairy spring if necessary, and then head south to take on Labyrinth 3.
With the blue ring and white sword, it should be easy. Collect the keys from the Zols on the way in. Go west once you get to the center of the Manji and do in the Darknuts. Slip past the guys in the room to the south and pick up the raft. Also, head north from the room with the five Darknuts and grab the key there. Don't go through the door, though--go back the way you came to save a key. Head north to the room with the three Zols and the U-shaped blocks. If it's convenient, you can kill the Zols for a key, but it's not part of the basic plan.
Go east, and then bomb east again. Kill the Manhandala with a well-placed bomb, if you can. If you accidentally find yourself with a three-handed Manhandala, try again to kill it with a bomb. If it has two hands or only one, remain calm and try to take it out with your sword. Point yourself in a direction perpendicular to the hand you're aiming for, give yourself plenty of room, and wait for the right time to strike. Each hand will take two hits. It's not so hard if you don't panic.
LEVEL 3 COMPLETE
Keys: 5
Rupees: Around 10
Benchmark Time: 15 minutes
Time to make a couple more purchases. Head west from Level 3 until you're one screen from the southwest corner. Bomb for 30 rupees. Go north into the Lost Woods and then east. Burn the tree for 100 rupees. If you don't have 140 rupees yet, go north and west and burn for 10 rupees. Now leave the dead forest and head back to the blue ring shop, but this time buy the enemy bait. Go south and buy the arrow from the merchant. You're ready for Level 4! Head across the little bridge and sail out to the labyrinth.
In Level 4, start by going west and killing the Keese for a key. Now go get the ladder, ignoring the locked room with the compass. Vires can be killed quickly if you boomerang them, then hit them with the sword, and then quickly hit the Keese again before they can spread. If you're cool, you won't need the boomerang. After getting the ladder, head back to the room with the strip of water. Go north, then go east, and bomb to the north into the secret room. Bomb east from there. Kill the Vires, head east, and take on Gleok. Try to dodge the fireballs and hit his heads from the side--it takes eight hits to kill him. Use your medicine if you need to, but try not to run that low on hearts.
LEVEL 4 COMPLETE
Keys: 6
Rupees: 10+
Benchmark Time: 20 minutes
Now that you have the ladder and raft, it's time to head to the east coast for the heart containers there! If you haven't yet gotten the 30 rupees from the screen just north of the starting screen, pass through there on your way east. Get to the east coast, and if you're short on bombs but heavy on rupees, buy some bombs from the merchant there. Pick up the heart container on the docks and the one on the gray island, and then head north and west.
Just keep going west. Pass through the desert and across the southern leg of the northern river outlet. Follow the lake around, and then go north and west. You're in the screen with the ten Armos--pick up the power bracelet while you're here. Go west and south to the gray room. If you've drunk some of your medicine already and you need more, this is a good place to buy some by bombing the wall. If you're full on medicine, don't bother. Head west to the graveyard and pick up the magical sword.
If you're short on hearts, do some Ghini harvesting. That's when you hit the ringleader Ghini twice and then touch a bunch of gravestones to create more, and then finish off the ringleader. The ringleader is the one who only moves in straight lines between the gravestones. This should give you some hearts and rupees, but does take time, so only do it if you're hurting. Head east from the graveyard and north to Level 6.
Go west and then north five times, not bothering to kill anyone you don't have to. The first room with the blue wizzrobes is tough, but you can empty it quickly with practice. Kill the orange wizzrobes first, since they're easy targets and only take one hit. Kill the Like-Likes when they're convenient, but after taking out orange wizzrobes, focus on one blue wizzrobe at a time. They each take three hits to kill, and it's best to approach them sideways, and to keep moving. Try not to put yourself in a line with them. In the screen north of there head east, killing any orange wizzrobe in your path directly. Go north along the east wall and bomb through it. Go east, south, kill the Vires, and east again. Handle this room like you did the other one. Take the stairway and the hard work is done. South, west, north, and switch to arrows just before you enter Gohma's room. Shoot an arrow the moment you enter the room, and it will die three times out of four. You'll kill the boss while hardly breaking stride.
LEVEL 6 COMPLETE
Keys: 6
Rupees: 30+
Benchmark Time: 27 minutes
From Level 6, go south, east, and north to the Power Bracelet warp area. This is the one and only point in the game where you use it. Warp along the rightmost road, which puts you very near the entrance to Level 5. Head on over--you're ready now.
In Level 5, go north and then bomb west. There are Gibdos carrying a key and a bomb--pick them up now or on the way back, whichever is convenient. Bomb west again and kill the Blue Darknuts. It's not easy, but with the magical sword it's not too difficult, either. Just try to hit them from half a square away and always anticipate that they will turn toward you as you strike, because they will about half the time. Head through the staircase and go west, and you've got six more blue Darknuts to dispatch. It's actually a little easier in the open room, I find. Collect the whistle and go back the way you came. Go north to the Dodongo room and ignore them, going east. Go north thrice and west thrice, and take out Digdogger easily by walking up to it, blowing the whistle, and boomeranging the kid to keep it still while you hit it twice with your sword. Easy as pie.
LEVEL 5 COMPLETE
Keys: 6
Rupees: 40+
Benchmark Time: 33 minutes
Now that you have the whistle, blow it! It doesn't really matter whether you do Level 7 or Level 8 next. Level 7 may be a touch more convenient because it saves you time blowing the whistle. If you move around before blowing the whistle, it takes you back one level--if you don't move, it takes you forward one level. Thing is, sometimes the monsters get in the way and force you to move, so it's slightly easier to travel backward to Level 3 (which is near Level 7), then back to 2 (near Level 8) and finally back to 1 (near Level 9). But whichever you prefer is fine. So, assuming that you went to Level 3's entrance, head out and over to the lake hiding Level 7. Blow the whistle and pop on inside.
You'll be taking the most direct route through this labyrinth. Go north, bomb north, switch to enemy bait, go north (using the enemy bait to get the blue goriyas together--can't hurt!) go north again, go west, go north, feed the enemy bait to the hungry goriya, go north, go east, bomb east, bomb east again (ignoring the stairway: you don't need the red candle), go east, kill the Digdogger (using the boomerang again to make it easy), go north, bomb east, and kill the Wallmasters. Don't worry so much about the bubbles, as long as they're in the center and you're hugging the outer wall. The Wallmasters fall really easily and there's only five of them. Still, remember that if you get caught, that's two to three minutes down the drain. Take the stairs, bomb east, and kill Aquamentas with two bold thrusts. Nothing to it.
LEVEL 7 COMPLETE
Keys: 3
Rupees: 50+
Benchmark Time: 38 minutes
Now leave the lake area and whistle again. From Level 2's entrance, head south, east, and south twice to Level 8's entrance. Burn the tree and delve inside.
Go east to pick up an easy key, and then go west and north. Bomb north, ignoring the Manhandala. Switch to your boomerang. You now have to kill five Blue Darknuts under heavy fire, a task that may do a lot of damage. Above all, don't lose your cool. Avoid getting into a state where you accidentally thrust with your sword before turning; if you find yourself doing this, make it a point to concentrate on the direction you want to turn before you use your sword. Remember that each Darknut only takes two hits to kill, because it can sometimes seem like a lot more. Go north, using the boomerang to freeze the Gibdos if you need to slip through them. Kill the Darknuts in the next room just like you did before. Go east and slip past the enemies again, using the boomerang if necessary. Take the stairs, bomb north, and fight the Gleok. It's easier than itmay seem; you should be fine if you have four or more hearts. It takes nine hits to kill and with four heads, the targets are plentiful. If you have to use medicine, however, go ahead.
LEVEL 8 COMPLETE
Keys: 4
Rupees: 65+
Benchmark Time: 43 minutes
Leave Level 8 and whistle to the Level 1 entrance. Go east, north along the lake, and then north up the ladder to the northernmost stretch. Head west, using your boomerang to immobilize Lynels before they can throw their swords. By this time, if you haven't used up any medicine, I salute you. If you have, go west and buy some at the shop--you should have plenty of money by now. If you're hurt now and you have enough money to buy a spare bottle, drink up and do so. Bomb your way into Death Mountain and listen to the clock ticking--you're in the home stretch.
If your getting-through-Death-Mountain skills are a little rusty, here's the fastest way through. Go north twice. If you have 4 keys, like you should, good for you. If you're short a key for some reason, kill the monsters here and pick one up. Bomb west and kill the Lanmolas. Take the stairs, kill the Like-Likes and go east twice. Don't bother to kill the Patra here. Wait out of range for it to expand three times, then run for the northern door. Go to the next room by bombing west, and kill the Wizzrobes. I know it's not easy, but that's what you brought medicine for. Take the stairs and go west twice.
Now you have a Patra to kill. It's not as hard as some think. Just stand to the left or the right of it, just out of range, and hack aggressively at those kids. Take a step to adjust after every two or three strokes. Try to remain level with the Patra's core instead of letting it drift north or south of you. Know when it's going to change between its circular pattern and its ovaline pattern. It takes two hits to kill each kid and three to kill the core, and shouldn't take long if you're brave. Take the stairs. In the room you come up in, kill the orange Wizzrobes right away, and then bomb north. When you come back, if you're lucky, one or two of the blue ones will have turned orange. The room you now find yourself in may honestly be the hardest room in the game. Start off by killing any orange Wizzrobe you can reach. Your objective is to get into the center of the room instead of being locked on the outside. Try to do this without putting yourself in line with the blue Wizzrobes. If you get to the center, kill any remaining orange Wizzrobes and then do your best to get shots in at the blue ones while avoiding the Bubbles like the plague. Remember that it is possible to attack through blocks if you're attacking upwards. If you've been able to avoid drinking medicine until now, you'll probably have to drink it here. Go down the stairs to collect the silver arrow.
Go south and kill the Wizzrobes here--in this relatively open area, with no Bubbles, it should be a piece of cake. Take the stairs. Go north and kill the Like-Likes, starting with the one on the right to save time. Go west, north (killing orange Wizzrobes on the run) and north, and do your best to take out yet another room of Wizzrobes. It goes without saying to stay away from the walls. Take the stairway. In this room, kill the orange Wizzrobes you can reach right away, and then head for the west wall. You don't need to kill these guys, just to bomb west. Don't be afraid to let yourself get hit on the way around the stairs, since the invincibility will get you closer to your goal. Place the bomb near the west wall, dodge around, and skedaddle. The next room is easy. Take the stairs and you have one more Patra to kill. Take it like you did the other one, and head north.
It's Ganon time! You need to hit him four times. Aim for where the fireballs are coming from, and try to dodge them. If you hit Ganon, you'll take two hearts of damage, but if you notice that happen, at least you'll know where to strike. Don't rely on beeping to tell you when to take your medicine: take it when you're down to two hearts, or you could die suddenly. Finish the guy off, grab the Triforce, go north, slash the flames, hop into Zelda's chamber, check your stopwatch, and cheer in triumph.
LEVEL 9 COMPLETE
Keys: 0
Rupees: Irrelevant
Benchmark Time: 53 minutes