- Chapter 1 – Zelda’s Rescue
- Chapter 2 – Eastern Palace
- Chapter 3 – Desert Palace
- Chapter 4 – Tower of Hera
- Chapter 5 – Hyrule Castle Tower
- Chapter 6 – Dark Palace
- Chapter 7 – Swamp Palace
- Chapter 8 – Skull Woods
- Chapter 9 – Gargoyle’s Domain
- Chapter 10 – Ice Palace
- Chapter 11 – Misery Mire
- Chapter 12 – Turtle Rock
- Chapter 13 – Ganon’s Tower
1.1 Hyrule Castle
Fighter’s Sword
Link to the Past starts with Princess Zelda speaking with you telepathically asking you to come rescue her from the dungeon of the castle. Once she’s done explaining the situation your uncle tells you he’s going out for a while and that you shouldn’t leave the house. Hop out of bed and open the chest in your house for the lamp before heading outside into the pouring rain. Once outside head north of your house until you transition a screen and reach a bridge. Cross this bridge and your way will be blocked by a guard in front of the gate to the castle. Head right here and follow the white stone pathway until you reach a bush surrounded by more white stones. Lift it to reveal a hole underneath that you can drop down through.
You’ll land in a small puddle of water down here with only one direction to go. Follow the path to the left and you’ll run into your uncle. He’ll give you his sword and shield and also tell you how to use the spin attack (Press and hold the B button). Continue along the path here to the door on the southern wall. Here you can go right to encounter some green soldiers. If you choose to go this way and fight your way through them you’ll be rewarded with a chest containing five rupees, as well as some magic beneath the jars near the chest. Leave this room by heading up the staircase directly south of where you entered it and through the door.
Princess Zelda
Slash your way through the bushes with your new sword and make your way left to the front entrance of the castle. Be wary of the two green soldiers and the more aggressive green sword soldier along the way. Defeat them if you want and enter Hyrule Castle. Once inside take the left side door while remaining on the lower level and follow the red carpet here to the door at the top of the screen.
The next room will have two more green soldiers and another green sword soldier. Defeat them or dodge them to make your way to the top of the room so you can head through the open door to the right. If you’ve taken damage through here, the two pots at the top of the hallway have hearts hidden in them that you can use to heal back up. Once you’ve made it through the hallway head to the right until you see a staircase leading down surrounded by four statues. Head down the stairs here to enter the dungeons of the castle.
Once you’re downstairs there will be a blue sword soldier guarding a chest. Defeat the soldier here and he’ll drop the key to the door at the south end of the room so you can continue. Open the chest here for the dungeon map if you want it before moving on. The next area has another blue sword soldier and a large pit to the right of the screen. Jump off the ledge by holding down or walk down the stairs and continue down.
Follow the pathway here while either avoiding or defeating the guards until you reach a larger area with two green sword soldiers in it. To the top left of this area there will be an open door you can head through to encounter another green sword soldier. The door will close behind you and you must defeat the green sword soldier to continue going anywhere in the dungeon.
With the green sword soldier defeated you can head through the door to the right that unlocked. Here you’ll find another blue sword soldier guarding another chest. Defeat the soldier to get a key and unlock the door, then open the chest for the boomerang. You can use the boomerang to pick up many small items in the game, as well as hit crystal switches and stun some enemies briefly. Pick up the key the soldier dropped and go left through the door back to where you fought the green sword soldier. With the key in hand you can head up the staircase to the north and unlock the door to continue through it.
Continue heading down staircases until you reach the holding cells in the dungeon where you’ll encounter another green sword soldier. Defeat him as normal and you’ll find a ball and chain trooper guarding Princess Zelda’s cell. The easiest way to handle him is to pick up a pot from the cell next door and throw it at him. This has the added effect of healing you as the pots have hearts beneath them. Hitting him with two pots or eight sword slashes will take him down and he’ll drop the Big Key. Use this key to open up Zelda’s holding cell and speak with her. Open the chest for another five rupees before you exit the cell.
Escape
With Zelda following you make your way back out of the dungeon by going up the staircases you came down before. When you reach the area that had the two green sword soldiers before, you can take a shortcut by going up one of the staircases and following the path around until you reach the start of the dungeon area. Once you emerge on the main level where the four statues are near the staircase head to the left door again. Follow this back around to the main chamber where you entered the castle and Zelda will inform you of a secret passage.
Go north and head through the door above the staircase to reach the throne room. Here you’ll find two blue sword soldiers. You can ignore them safely by just walking up and climbing up the staircase directly in front of you. Once you reach the thrones Zelda will tell you to push to shelf to reveal the secret passage. Push the shelf from the left side to uncover a hidden doorway on the north wall that you can head through.
In here your lamp will be your main source of light. If you have magic you can use it to light any torches you find to help you see better. Follow along the wall to the right until it opens up and allows you to continue to your right even more. Follow this path until you reach a staircase along the top wall on the right side of the room. The next room here is filled with snake enemies called ropes. You can use your sword to defeat them or boomerang to stun these enemies. Make your way through this room and continue to the left as safely as possible.
Once you’ve headed down the stairs to the left you’ll find yourself in a hallway going north. Two ropes will be moving down here so be careful of them as you make your way up. When you reach the intersection of the room head to your right. Here you’ll find a new bat-like enemy called a keese. Defeat it with your sword or boomerang and open the chest it was near for a small key. Use this key to open the door at the top of the room.
When you enter the sewers Zelda will inform you you’re getting closer to the Sanctuary. Head left through the puddles here while doing your best to avoid the rats running around on the dry parts of the sewer. The second room in the sewers you simply need to make your way to the door along the north wall. There are two keese near it so be sure to avoid taking damage from them as you head to the door.
This room is infested with rats and one of them has the key you need to continue. If you move quickly enough the rat with the key always starts on the left side of the room. If you miss him just continue killing rats until one drops a key for you to grab. Once you have it head through the door to the top right of the room. Now that you’ve made it out of the dark rooms you can breathe a little easier since you’ll be able to see enemies coming again. In here just make your way north while dodging or slaying enemies until you reach four blocks in your way. Push the center one up and head around it to climb the staircase.
This is another room filled with rats. All you need to do it make your way to the south side here and head through the door. The final room before the sanctuary has a locked door and two switches in it. Pull the right one to open the final door to the Sanctuary and head through it. Once Zelda is safe inside the Sanctuary with the priest be sure to grab the heart container from the chest.
