Link's Awakening Secrets and Easter Eggs

Tree Treasures

Once you have the Pegasus Boots, you can dash into the trees to see what falls out. Sometimes you can shake Bombs, Fairies, and other useful items out of them. Link can find five trees that hiding treasures in their branches all over Koholint (not including two trees where you get secret seashells).

1. Mabe Village
   Behind Marin and Tarin's House.
2. Mabe Village
   The screen between Madam MeowMeow's House and Fishing Pond.
3. Ukuku Prairie
   The lone tree near warp hole.
4. Kanalet Castle
   One screen to the right of the Kanalet Castle entrance.
5. Face Shrine Area
   The lone tree near northeast corner of Face Shrine area.

Musical Easter Eggs

Richard's Villa secret music (Totaka's Song)

Go into Richard's house and wait until the music has looped a few times. Eventually it will stop (Wait around 2 and a half minutes), then play a little tune called Totaka's Song found in Mario Paint and Yoshi's Story, and then the regular music will start up again. The regular music for Richard's Villa is actually a remixed version of the main theme from the Japanese-only game Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru ("For the Frog the Bell Tolls") – hence all the frogs in the house. Richard was also the main character in that game.

US/ Europe version (Zelda's Song)

Like in many other Zelda games, entering "ZELDA" as your file name causes something interesting to happen. If you enter "Zelda" as your character name, you'll hear new music in the player select screen. This music is remixed version of original main theme and it does sound pretty cool. This works in all versions of Link's Awakening and Link's Awakening DX except the French DX version (enter "ぜるだ" in Japanese versions). In French Link's Awakening DX version, you have to enter "LOLO" to get this song.

French version (Lolo's Song)

In the French Game Boy version, you can enter "LOLO" as your character name to unlock the hidden Lolo's Song in the player select screen.

German version (Moyse's Song)

In the German version of Link's Awakening (Game Boy), you can enter "MOYSE" as your file name to unlock Moyse's Song. Claude M. Moyse was a German translator who worked on this and several other games. He is infamous for strange or perverted text he adds to some of his translations, and in Link's Awakening he even added his own song. However, for the remake on Game Boy Color, his song was removed and replaced by Totaka's Song. This song still takes the same file name ("MOYSE") to unlock.

Japanese version (Totakeke's Song)

If you enter "とたけけ" (totakeke) as your character name, you'll unlock the Totakeke's Song in the player select screen. This is a remixed version of Totaka's Song and works in both Japanese versions. This song was created by Kazumi Totaka, who was in charge of sound programming and special effects for Link's Awakening. He has hidden this same 19-note tune in almost every game he's composed for.

Fun With Animals

Revenge of the Cuccos

This is a very popular secret in Zelda series. There are cuccos in Mabe Village. These seemingly harmless chicken can become deadly if you attack them. Hit them with the sword about 35 times and a whole army of chickens will attack you. However, they will stop if you go to another screen.

Required Item(s): Sword

Revenge of The Mutts

There are few mutts in Mabe Village. If you hit one of the mutts once, it will bite you.

Required Item(s): Sword

Kill The Monkey

When you have Bow Bow following you, take him to the monkey in Toronbo Shores and he'll eat that monkey.

Required Item(s): -

Bow Bow Fight With Kiki

When you have Bow Bow following you, take him to Kiki in Ukaku Prairie and Bow Bow will fight with Kiki.

Required Item(s): Power Glove

Calling The Walrus

Play Ballad of Wind Fish in the entrance of Yarna Desert, and the Walrus will resurface because he thinks Marin is coming.

Required Item(s): Ocarina, Ballad of Wind Fish

Magic Powder Secrets

Kill the Cucco and Mutt

Once you get the Fire Rod or Magic Powder, you can finally successfully slay the mutts and cuccos without retribution. This does not work in the 2019 remake, as, strangely enough, Cuccos and Mutts are invincible in this game.

Required Item(s): Magic Powder or Fire Rod

Weird Cukeman

Sprinkle some Magic Powder on Buzz Blobs (cactus-like enemies), and they'll transform into cukeman. They'll say something such as:

• "Hey Mon!"
• "You know me, I like short names the best..."
• " It can display millions of polygons!
• " I definitely need it, as soon as possible!"

Required Item(s): Magic Powder

Talking Bone

Sprinkle some Magic Powder on skeleton on northeast of Yarna Desert and he'll say "Ahhh... Yess... That dust was so refreshing... For that, I'll tell you a hint! Use a Bomb in a place where the sand swallows you... There is a treat on the other side of the wall... Bye!

Required Item(s): Magic Powder

Ghost's Grave Secret

Sprinkle some Magic Powder on Ghost's grave and he'll say "Cough cough... Don't sprinkle that on me... ... I'll have to curse you! Cough cough..."

Required Item(s): Magic Powder

Turned The Enemies

• Sprinkle some Magic Powder on Gibdos, and they'll transform into weak Stalfos.
• Sprinkle some Magic Powder on Sparks, and they'll transform into Fairies.

Required Item(s): Magic Powder

Fun With Marin

When you have Marin following you:-

1. Go into a dungeon and Marin will say, "Eh? You want me to go in there? No, I think I'll wait here… take care of yourself Link!".
2. Come out when you are almost dead and she will say, "…EEEK! You're hurt! Arrrgh! Don't be so reckless!"
3. Look in a drawer inside Library or houses in Mabe Village and Marin will say, "Link, do you always look in other people's drawers?!"
4. Break a pot and Marin will say, "Ahh! Ahh! You are bad boy, Link."
5. Digging with the shovel and Marin will say, "Great! Dig it! Dig it! Dig to the center of the Earth!"
6. Try falling down the well, and she will land on you. Then she'll say, "Oh! I'm sorry! Are you okay?! Link?"
7. Talk to the Chief Bear in Animal village. Chief Bear will say, "Hi Ho! Little Marin! Welcome! Oh shucks! You are here too Link… Sorry."
8. Play your ocarina and ask what she thinks of it. Marin will say, "Not very good… Eh? What? Did I say something? No, you're hearing things…"
9. Take her to Trendy Game Shop. She will ask if she can play. If you let her, she will pick up the owner as a prize.
10. In Mabe Village, keep hitting the chickens. The first 20 or so times you hit them Marin will say, "Poor chicken. Stop that! You're hurting the chicken." However, if you keep hitting it for about 20 times, she will say, "Ha ha ha! Do it! Do it! Do it moooore! ... ... Hunh? No, it's nothing... I didn't mean it."

Other Secrets

Shoot Bomb Arrows

Equip both the Bombs and the Bow and Arrow to the "A" and "B" buttons. Press the A and B buttons at the same time and you will shoot "Bomb arrows"! This neat weapon has the power of a bomb and an arrow.

Required Item(s): Bomb, Bow and Arrows

Boomerang Rooster Attack

When you have the Rooster, Power Bracelet, and Boomerang, you can do this trick. Throw the boomerang and quickly grab onto the rooster before the boomerang comes back. You will be flying while the boomerang circles around you...and you can fly around while attacking enemies.

Required Item(s): Power Bracelet, Boomerang

Run In Place

To get Link to run in place, equip the pegasus boots and the shovel. Start a dash and use the shovel before he takes the first step.

Required Item(s): Pegasus Boots, Shovel

Stealing Items From Shop

If you don't have enough money to pay for these items, you can steal them! Just pick up the item from the shelf, go behind the guy, and out the door. If he's facing right, you will still have the item. But the next time you go into the shop, the shopkeeper will zap you to death and everyone on this island will call you "THIEF" for the rest of the game.

Required Item(s): -

Save Money In The Shop

Here's another way to save money when buying an item from the shop. You must have enough rupees to pay for that item. Grab the item and talk to the shopkeeper. Right when the shopkeeper starts collecting rupees, press A, B, select, and start at the same time. Save and quit the game. You will have the item, and you will have kept most of your rupees!

Required Item(s): -

Secret Ending (Game Boy Version)

If you successfully complete the game without death, then during the ending sequence, Marin will fly across the screen with wings. In the original Link's Awakening, it shows her sprite with wings flying across a black background. However, in Link's Awakening DX, when Link is looking into the sky, it shows a picture of Marin's face. This picture slowly fades and you see a bird behind it, flying in the sky. This is assumed to be Marin.

Characters/Enemies based from other Nintendo games.

1. Tarin is similar in appearance to Mario.
2. The doll is based on the famous Nintendo character, Yoshi the dinosaur.
3. The Wind Fish egg is a reference to Yoshi egg.
4. Bow-Wow is a version of the Chain Chomp from the Mario series.
5. Richard is a main character from a game called "Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru" ('For Frogs the Bell Tolls').
6. Goomba are enemies from the Mario games. If Link eliminates one with the traditional Mario stomp, they yield a heart as a reward.
7. Mask Mimics are enemies based on Shy Guys enemies from Super Mario Bros. 2.
8. Boo Buddy are based on Boo enemies from the Mario series of games, debuting in Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
9. Piranha Plants are Venus Flytrap-like plants that originated in the game Super Mario Bros.
10. Bombite are based on Bob-ombs, a living walking bombs from the Mario series of games. Blow them up with a bomb and they will leave a present of bombs in their place.
11. A Thwomp is an enemy that was originally from Super Mario Bros. 3 on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
12. A Thwimp is an enemy that was originally from Super Mario World.
13. Pokey are cactus-like monsters, better known as enemies in the Super Mario Bros. series.
14. Bloober; the white, squid-like enemies were based on the Blooper from the Mario series...
15. Cheep-Cheeps are common enemies from the Mario series.
16. Anti-Kirby is based on Nintendo's puffball hero, Kirby.
17. Mr. Write is a reference to Will Wright. The letter he got contains the picture of Princess Peach from Mario series...
18. Mamu is based on Wart, the final boss of Super Mario Bros. 2.
19. The Cucco Keeper is similar in appearance to Luigi from Mario series...

Japanese/English Differences

Hippo that Schule is painting

In the Japanese version, the Hippo that Schule is painting was meant to be a nude model. When Link enters, she will hide behind a towel and ask Link to leave. The sprite of the Hippo was changed in English version so that her breasts and her towel were removed. In the original, she crouches behind the towel so as to cover her chest up, but in the English version, she simply appears to sit down or crouch for no apparent reason. However, in both versions, she still yells the same thing: "Go away!".

Martha The Mermaid

In the Japanese version, Martha originally lost her top. When Link dives underwater near her, she will scream "Kyaa! Pervert! Pervert!!!". (Rough translation.) In the English version, it was changed so that she lost a necklace.