The Legend of Zelda, Links Awakening DX (Game Boy Color) - RetroAchievements/guides GitHub Wiki
| Set Difficulty | 4/10 |
| Approximate time to master | 10-14 hours |
| Minimum numbers of playthroughs needed | 1 (Only when copying save files in the file select screen) |
| Number of missable achievements | 40 (One item upgrade achievement, everything else no-damage bosses achievements) |
| Does difficulty affect achievements? | N/A |
| Hardest achievement of the set | Shadow Slayer (25) |
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, release in 1998 on the Game Boy Color, is a graphically updated version of the original released in 1993 on the Game Boy. This game originally began as a port of Link to the Past to the handheld, after which is became its own game. Many references to this game are still intact, as well as references to other series like Mario. The game has also seen a HD Remake on the Nintendo Switch to an overall general favourable reception.
This set originally had 36 achievements by RetroAchievement users SporyTike and Salsa, but saw a massive revision in 2022 by adamjohnny5. The original set already covered the main aspects of the game, but the excellent revision added so much to make it a definitive set for this game. Especially the neat little easter eggs that are now achievements are very welcome. To all three of you, thank you so much for your hard work on this set. For someone who grew up with this game, these achievements made it feel like an entirely new experience.
Step 1: Story-related Achievements
These achievements should all naturally unlock by finishing the game and are unmissable as a result. This step is sorted in chronological order so if you're stuck, you know what you next goal will be.
Step 2: Hitless Boss Achievements
ALL OF THESE ACHIEVEMENT ARE MISSABLE.
Every boss of a dungeon has a hitless achievement attached to them. This step will cover tactics for every single boss. Note that mini-bosses and other hitless objectives are covered in the next step for consistency sake, as that step will be a step-by-step walkthrough of all missables in the game.
ALL OF THESE ACHIEVEMENTS ARE MISSABLE.
This is an almost complete step-by-step walkthrough for the game, sorted chronologically and split up in "chapters". This covers a lot of achievements and is made to ensure that you will only have to do one playthrough without missing anything. Please also refer to section 4 for important notes, as you have to make progress on some missable achievements throughout the entire game. These achievements in particular you need to keep track of:
- A Dream Come True [m] - Don't die, ever.
- Shell Collection [m] - See achievement guide for missable shells.
- The Travels of THIEF [m] - See achievement guide for missable photographs. Also, don't steal until the very end of the game.
Step 4: Miscellaneous Achievements
Miscellaneous achievements that can be obtained at any time in the game, and will never be missable. This covers the more obscure achievements that you probably don't even know how to do in the first place, as well as a lot of achievements you will most likely get naturally over the course of the game.
- Very important to know is that on the file select screen, there is an option to copy your save file to one of the other two slots. I recommend using all three slots: One at the beginning of a dungeon, one after the end of a dungeon (or before the boss so you can attempt this hitless bosses), and one that you're playing on normally. To save your game, press Select, Start, A and B at the same time.
- It is also important to keep multiple save files because you can't ever die or you'll miss out on the best ending. So yet again, don't die. Ever. Always have one of Crazy Tracy's potions available in case of emergency.
- The Color Dungeon can be done after the third dungeon, or technically the second if you know the grave combination. I recommend doing this as early as possible and then getting the Blue Tunic. The only problem is that the boss of this dungeon is easily the most annoying for hitless, and it can potentially be a bit easier if you wait until after the final dungeon since the Magic Rod is arguably the better weapon to use due to not bouncing off.
- Read the "The Travels of THIEF [m]" and "Shell Collection [m]" achievements carefully (at the top of step 3), because they are the only achievements that have missables over the course of the game.
- Talk to the photographer as soon as you can, which is right after the first dungeon. Remember to have two save files ready because he has two separate missable achievements for accepting- and denying to be photographed, that can only be done once during a single playthrough.
- Don't do the Dream Shrine in Mabe Village right after the second dungeon, do it after the third. You can't get both chests without the Pegasus Boots. Also, talk to Marin right after having done the Dream Shrine.
- Don't steal anything from the shop before you at least bought Bombs, the Shovel, and the Bow. All three have an achievement to buy them, and re-entering the shop after stealing will insta-kill you.
- Get the Boomerang A.S.A.P., which can be done after the fifth dungeon and obtaining the Magnifying Lens from the "Magnifying Lens" achievement.
- Getting a Guardian Acorn or Triangle of Power can make some achievements easier, including hitless bosses. Take this into consideration if something ends up being too difficult.
Starting Defensively (1) Acquire the Level-1 Shield from Tarin.
Obtained by talking to Tarin right after waking up at the very beginning of the game
Welcome Back Old Friend (5) Acquire the Level-1 Sword from Toronbo Shores.
Obtained after going to the shores to find Link's sword, south of the village.
Beyond the Mirage (3) Get the Tail Key.
Obtained after getting the Tail Key, north of the screen with the tanooki in the forest.
As Light as a Feather (3) Acquire the Roc's Feather.
The Roc's Feather is obtained in the first dungeon, Tail Cave.
Tail Cello (10) Acquire the Full Moon Cello from the Tail Cave.
The Full Moon Cello is obtained after defeating the boss of the first dungeon, Tail Cave.
Brace Yourself (3) Acquire the Level 1 Power Bracelet.
The L-1 Power Bracelet is obtained in the second dungeon, Bottle Grotto.
Bottle Horn (10) Acquire the Conch Horn from the Bottle Grotto.
The Conch Horn is obtained after defeating the boss of the second dungeon, Bottle Grotto.
Speedy Linkalez (3) Acquire the Pegasus Boots.
The Pegasus Boots are obtained in the third dungeon, Key Cavern.
Cavern Bell (10) Acquire the Sea Lily's Bell from the Key Cavern.
The Sea Lily's Bell is obtained after defeating the boss of the third dungeon, Key Cavern.
A License for Swimming (3) Acquire the Flippers.
The Flippers are obtained in the fourth dungeon, Angler's Tunnel.
Angler's Harp (10) Acquire the Surf Harp from the Angler's Tunnel.
The Surf Harp is obtained after defeating the boss of the fourth dungeon, Angler's Tunnel.
Hooked on You (3) Acquire the Hookshot.
The Hookshot is obtained in the fifth dungeon, Catfish's Maw.
Catfish's Marimba (10) Acquire the Wind Marimba from the Catfish's Maw.
The Wind Marimba is obtained after defeating the boss of the fifth dungeon, Catfish's Maw.
Now You Know The Truth (1) Discover the truth behind the Island.
Read the mural that's behind the boss in the small face shrine, north-east of the animal village.
Going... even further beyond! (3) Acquire the Level 2 Power Bracelet.
The L-2 Power Bracelet is obtained in the sixth dungeon, Face Shrine.
Face Triangle (10) Acquire the Coral Triangle from the Face Shrine.
The Coral Triangle is obtained after defeating the boss of the sixth dungeon, Face Shrine.
Pet Sematary (1) Revive the Flying Rooster.
The corpse of the Flying Rooster can be found underneath the windmill on the main square in Mabe Village. To revive the rooster, the Ocarina from the Dream Shrine is needed, and the song from Mamu south-west of the village with the signs puzzle.
The Keymaster (5) Obtain all 5 Dungeon Keys.
This achievement requires the following 5 keys:
- Tail Key (first dungeon, see Tail Key achievement.)
- Slime Key (third dungeon, in Richard's garden.)
- Angler Key (fourth dungeon, desert east of animal village.)
- Face Key (sixth dungeon, small face shrine north-east of animal village.)
- Bird Key (seventh dungeon, on Tall-Tall Heights in a cave below the rooster house. Flying Rooster is required to get this key.)
Right Back At Ya! (3) Acquire the Mirror Shield.
The Mirror Shield is obtained in the seventh dungeon, Eagle's Tower.
Tower Organ (10) Acquire the Organ of Evening Calm from the Eagle's Tower.
The Organ of Evening Calm is obtained after defeating the boss of the seventh dungeon, Eagle's Tower.
You're a Wizzrobe Link! (3) Acquire the Magic Rod.
The Magic Rod is obtained in the final dungeon, Turtle Rock.
Turtle Drum (10) Acquire the Thunder Drum from Turtle Rock.
The Thunder Drum is obtained after defeating the boss of the final dungeon, Turtle Rock.
It Was All A Dream (25) Wake the Wind Fish from his slumber.
This achievement unlocks after defeating the final boss in the Wind Fish's Egg. All 8 instruments are needed to unlock the egg, where you need to play The Ballad of the Wind Fish on the Ocarina. The path in this dungeon is a random pattern out of 4, which you can discover in the library in Mabe Village.
Moldorm Mutilator [m] (10) Defeat Moldorm without being harmed.
-=MISSABLE=-
A pretty tough first boss to do hitless, but one that can fortunately be easy retried by falling down the pit. Moldorm moves slowly at first until you hit his tail, where he starts moving very quickly. You can jump over him with the Roc's Feather and also attack while he is moving fast. It is recommended to hit him, then walk to the opposite side of where he is since he tends to prefer the edges, then slowly back in for an attack again.
Genie Grappler [m] (10) Defeat Genie without being harmed.
-=MISSABLE=-
The Genie has two phases:
Phase 1: Walk in an U-formation around the room opposite from where he is to avoid his fireballs. When he goes back inside his bottle, hit it and throw it against the wall. Do this three times.
Phase 2: On hit, he will re-appear in a specific location and throw one fireball. You just need to avoid this one and hit him again. It's best to avoid this fireball by walking underneath him rather than walking next to him, which is tougher to avoid.
Slime Slasher [m] (10) Defeat Slime Eye without being harmed.
-=MISSABLE=-
The Slime Eye has two phases:
Phase 1: On entry, use the Pegasus's Boots to slam into the wall right away before additional slimes can be summoned. Then, attack the slime until he is separated enough to charge through him with the Pegasus Boots.
Phase 2: There are two Slimes now. It's best to focus on one at a time while staying as far away as possible from the other one, as they jump up after being hit and then stun you for a second when landing, which leaves you vulnerable to the other slime. Other than that, this boss shouldn't be too troublesome as they have no additional attacks.
Angler Annihilator [m] (10) Defeat Angler Fish without being harmed.
-=MISSABLE=-
This should be the easiest boss in the entire game, because the only thing the Angler Fish does for a while is swim up and down. Keep slashing very fast and he'll be defeated super quickly. He can summon other fish and charge straight forward into the wall to have rocks fall down but really, if you just keep slashing him very fast you won't even know he has these attacks--especially if you also have the Triangle of Power.
Eel Eradicator [m] (10) Defeat Slime Eel without being harmed.
-=MISSABLE=-
For the Slime Eel, stay in the corner the entire time as his tail- and head cannot reach you there. Once you see his head come out on your side while the tail is on the other side, use the Hookshot to grab him out and keep slashing. Rinse and repeat and the boss is done.
Facade Fighter [m] (10) Defeat Facade without being harmed.
-=MISSABLE=-
Facade's only dangerous attacks are the tiles and bottles moving your way. You can decide to already attack him during this phase with bombs since they also destroy incoming floors but if you'd rather play it safe, walk around on his head and avoid all incoming projectiles. The only thing he does after is very predictably opening holes in the floor, so just put a few bombs on his face and the fight is over.
Eagle Eraser [m] (10) Defeat Evil Eagle without being harmed.
-=MISSABLE=-
Have the Sword and Mirror Shield equipped at all time, and don't make any risky attacks. When the eagle is high in the air and you can't reach him, just let him be. He occasionally flies lower or even next to you, but pretty slowly so you have enough time to anticipate. Always remain in the middle for his other attack that blows you off the tower, where you need to use the shield to protect yourself from the wind and his feathers. There is a final attack where he hovers in the air and then goes down diagonally after two seconds, which should be a free hit for you. If you end up taking damage, fall down and re-enter the arena through the door for a free retry.
Hot Head Hustler [m] (10) Defeat Hot Head without being harmed.
-=MISSABLE=-
For Hot Head, keep standing at the door and spam the Fire Rod. You only really need to watch out if he comes flying towards you diagonally or when you miss hitting him with the Fire Rod when he's taking a dive next to you. Overall a pretty easy boss that shouldn't pose too much trouble, as long as you don't get cocky. When he dives his fire balls come out diagonally, so just stand south of him and there's no issue.
Shadow Slayer (25) Defeat all 6 Shadow Nightmares without being harmed.
Absolutely get the Boomerang for this fight, because it makes the final two phases pathetically easy. If not then uh, enjoy suffering I guess.
Phase 1: A jumping blob that you need to sprinkle Magic Powder on. He never does anything different than just slight jumps, and dies within four hits.
Phase 2: Basically Agahnim but a bit easier. When he throw a fireball at you, use your sword to bounce it back at him. If he does his other attack however, use the Roc's Feather to jump over it.
Phase 3: Oh joy, Moldorm is back... Oh well, if you beat Moldorm hitless you can do this one too, and now you have the Mirror Shield to potentially make it a bit easier as he can't touch you unless he is behind you.
Phase 4: GANON! OF COURSE YOU WERE THE VILLAIN! Except he isn't, but he attacks similarly to his first phase from Link to the Past. You can only deal damage to him with charged Sword attacks, so hit two of them on him, then avoid his fire balls and staff. When he got his staff back, go in for two more hits and repeat this until it's over.
Phase 5: Throw the Boomerang. Just... throw the Boomerang.
Phase 6: Throw the Boomerang. Just... actually no, don't do only that. You can only throw the Boomerang when his eye is open, and in the meantime you need to use Roc's Feather to jump over his uh, arms? Arms. But yet again, it takes one hit and the fight is over. Congratulations!
Orb Obliterator [m] (10) Defeat Evil Orb without being harmed.
-=MISSABLE=-
Would you believe me if I told you this is the most annoying boss in the game, potentially the hardest achievement too? Because genuinely, screw this stupid boss. I hate him. Every time you land a sword attack you get bounced off, yet you have to do it quickly, and he also has projectiles to shoot to make it even worse. What worked for me is getting him to a place with my back against the wall so I wouldn't get bounced off, and then I just kept spamming attack. Somehow I took no damage even though a projectile went through me. Probably the Game Boy Color can't process that much epicness, I don't know. But all kidding aside, getting your back against the wall is basically how you want to approach this boss.
EDIT: Actually, I realised something after. This boss will become much, much easier when using the Magic Rod from the final dungeon, simply because you don't bounce off. You will have to wait until the very end of the game to do this, but it may be a worthy sacrifice if the boss gives you too much trouble with the sword. Just keep spamming the Magic Rod after he shot a projectile, watch out for the skeleton when he turns red and you're good to go!
EDIT 2: I can't vouch for this myself, but I've been told that the Bow is also a very solid option, especially bomb arrows by pressing the bow and bomb at the same time. Definitely worth giving a shot if the boss gives you trouble!
A Dream Come True [m] (50) Help Marin fulfill her dream.
-=MISSABLE=-
This achievement is earned after beating the final boss and watching the ending. The goal is pretty simple: don't die. Ever. This achievement can only be obtained while the file select screen shows 000 under your name. While this might sound difficult, it's very doable in my opinion. Save often by pressing start, select, A and B all at the same time, and whenever you die, just reset the game. I recommend saving at the start of every dungeon anyway for the hitless boss achievements.
Additionally, I recommend going for the Color Dungeon A.S.A.P., which is available after the second dungeon. Go for the Blue Tunic to reduce damage taken, which is far more important than increasing damage dealt. You can hold one of Tracy's potions at a time (bought from the store south of the cave where BowWow was held captive) that revive you and refill all your hearts on losing all your hearts. Finally, I recommend getting the Boomerang after the sixth dungeon because it is a very overpowered weapon in this game that kills most enemies in one hit.
The Travels of THIEF [m] (25) Complete the Photo Album.
-=MISSABLE=-
You need to get a total of 12 pictures to complete the photo album. After clearing the first dungeon, immediately talk to the camera mouse in his house east of the cave where BowWow is held captive so that he will always appear when needed. Be sure to save before talking to the mouse, as there is an achievement for accepting his offer to photograph you, and rejecting him. Reload the save file after getting either.
Four of these are completely missable, which are:
- Between Dungeon 2 and Dungeon 3, after talking to Richard who sends you to his castle, go stand in front of the bridge of the castle.
- Between Dungeon 3 and Dungeon 4, Marin will be accompanying you. See achievement "Date Night - A Walk on the Beach [m]" for the requirements.
- Between Dungeon 3 and Dungeon 4, Marin will be accompanying you. See achievement "Date Night - All is Not Well [m]" for the requirements.
- Between Dungeon 3 and Dungeon 4, Marin will be accompanying you. See achievement "Date Night - An Afternoon at the Windmill [m]" for the requirements.
The remainder of the pictures can be done at any time.
- Obtained after talking to the camera man.
- Peek over the window of Old Man Ulrira's House, south of Marin and Tarin's house in Mabe Village.
- Aproach BowWow in Mabe Village.
- After the fishermen under the bridge has fished up something, return to him later and talk to him while the photographer is swimming there. Requires the Flippers.
- After obtaining the magnifying lens from the "Magnifying Lens" achievement, go to the north-east house in the animal village.
- Approach the grave where you take the ghost to who follows you during the "A Ghostly Escort" achievement.
- Cross a bridge in Tal Tal Heights and the photographer will appear. I'm not sure if every bridge works, but I got it on the far east bridge next to the rooster house.
- Steal something from the shop by walking around the shopkeeper and while he looks to the wall, exit the shop. The photographer doesn't appear during this action. ONLY STEAL SOMETHING AFTER YOU BOUGHT AT LEAST THE SHOVEL, BOMBS, AND BOW OR YOU'LL RUIN THE PLAYTHROUGH!!!
Shell Collection [m] (25) Collect all possible 26 Secret Seashells across Koholint.
-=MISSABLE=-
This achievement can be very nasty so proceed with extra caution. Do NOT get the L-2 Sword after obtaining 20, because it will make the remaining seashells disappear from your save file. Wait until you got all 26.
Pay extra attention to the following 3 completely missable seashells:
- Go to the Seashell Mansion immediately when getting 5 seashells to get a sixth. This won't work if you have more than 5 seashells.
- Go to the Seashell Mansion immediately when getting 10 seashells to get an elevent. This won't work if you have more than 10 seashells.
- After reviving the flying rooster, go to the cave south of Richard's Castle with the cave behind 5 bottomless pits. You can only (legitimately) cross these pits with the rooster. The rooster will disappear after clearing dungeon 7 and cannot be regained.
For the remainder of the seashells, please refer to This Zeldadungeon Guide.
Bombs, you want some? [m] (1) Purchase bombs.
-=MISSABLE=-
Available in the shop after clearing the first dungeon, and costs only 10 rupees. You cannot steal these.
Diggy Diggy Hole [m] (5) Purchase a shovel.
-=MISSABLE=-
Available in the shop right from the start, and costs 200 rupees. You cannot steal it.
An Expensive Piece of Wood [m] (5) Purchase the Bow.
-=MISSABLE=-
Available in the shop after buying the shovel, and costs 980 rupees. This is a huge amount, but I do recommend getting it as fast as possible because it will make a lot of achievements easier. Absolutely get this before the fifth dungeon because you need it there for achievements.
The Shroomless Raccoon [m] (5) Without ever entering the screen where you acquire the Mushroom, use Magic Powder on the raccoon in the Mysterious Forest.
-=MISSABLE=-
While you would normally get the Magic Powder from giving the Mushroom to the Witch, you need to get it from the Crane minigame instead. Then walk up to the raccoon and throw some Magic Powder on him.
Here Stands A Brave Man [m] (5) Agree to be photographed.
Remember to make a copy of your save file in the file selection screen before talking to the photographer if you don't have the achievement below yet. Go to the camera house east of the cave where BowWow is held captive and agree to being photographed.
Beautiful! I'll call this 'Game Over' [m] (5) Keep refusing to be photographed.
Remember to make a copy of your save file in the file selection screen before talking to the photographer if you don't have the achievement above yet. Go to the camera house east of the cave where BowWow is held captive and continuously refuse to be photographed.
Chomping The Chain That Binds [m] (5) Rescue Bow-Wow damageless without equipping Roc's Feather or the Shield. Exit and re-enter the area to retry.
-=MISSABLE=-
Enter the cave with only the sword equipped, then defeat all enemies without taking damage. The first room has one aggressive Moblin, the second room four non-aggressive Moblins, and the final room a miniboss. Stay as far away from him as you can while he throws arrows, then when he charges, let him crash into a wall and start whaling on him with the sword. If you do take damage, exit the cave.
Where the Swamp Flowers Grow [m] (5) Have Bow-Wow eat all 15 enemies in Goponga Swamp without getting hit or pressing A or B. Exit and re-enter the area to retry.
-=MISSABLE=-
As the description indicates, let BowWow kill every flower/enemy in the swamp without pressing any button aside from the directional ones. Leave the area on failure for a retry.
The Goodest of Metal Doges [m] (5) Have Bow-Wow point out all of the spots where you can dig up Seashells in one session.
-=MISSABLE=-
There are a total of 4 locations where you need to bring BowWow. There will be a dialogue box on confirmation.
- Inside the small doghouse where BowWow lives.
- On the screen right of the third dungeon, climb the stairs and go left. You need the Roc's Feather to get here.
- One screen south-west of the Witch's house is a specific patch of land with grass surrounding it. You need the L-1 Bracelet to get here.
- South-west of the Seashell Mansion is a higher platform with an owl statue. 1 square south-west of this statue is the seashell.
That Awful Beast! [m] (1) Have Richard kick you out because you brought Bow-Wow with you.
-=MISSABLE=-
While BowWow is accompanying you, go to Richard's house south-east of the third dungeon and talk to him.
Kiki vs. Bow-Wow [m] (1) Chase off Kiki the Monkey with Bow-Wow.
-=MISSABLE=-
While BowWow is accompanying you, go east of the castle's entrance where Kiki is waiting. Approach him and a short cutscene will play out.
Richard's Golden Leaves [m] (10) Collect the 5 Golden Leaves without losing health. Exit and re-enter through either castle entrance to retry.
-=MISSABLE=-
You need to get all 5 Golden Leaves without taking damage, so be sure to make a save file right before attempting this. If you collect one and get hit, you have to reset the game.
The Bow is very useful for this achievement, although it is unlikely that you'll have 980 rupees by this point. Be sure to bring enough bombs at the very least. You can't rely on the Guardian Acorn too much here because you have to go inside- and outside multiple times. Best advice I can give for every room until the final one with the miniboss is to charge up your sword to kill every enemy in one hit. Use Magical Powder to get rid of the fireballs. For the miniboss, keep your distance and throw bombs at him (or arrows if you have the bombs).
More Holes Than Swiss Cheese [m] (5) Get the Slime Key without taking damage. Exit and re-enter the area to retry.
-=MISSABLE=-
After bringing the 5 Golden Leaves to Richard, enter his garden. Slash every bush in front of you and avoid the holes. You need to go one screen right, then down, in the same screen up again, use the Roc's Feather here to get across a gap, and then one screen left to reach your destination. If you end up falling down, get back to the entrance of the garden and enter + exit the cave for a retry.
Inception [m] (5) Complete the Dream Shrine by opening both chests in one visit without taking damage.
-=MISSABLE=-
This achievement can only be unlocked after obtaining the Pegasus Boots. If you opened the other chest earlier then... I'm sorry, no achievement for you. Anyway, kidding aside, use your Pegasus Boots throughout the entire shrine as you can't take damage by charging though (and killing) the enemies. If you do somehow end up taking damage, re-enter the shrine for another attempt. DO THIS ACHIEVEMENT BEFORE YOU DO THE FOLLOWING ONES AS YOU NEED THE ITEM THAT'S INSIDE, AND ALSO TALK TO MARIN AT THE WINDMILL RIGHT AFTER.
Date Night - A Walk on the Beach [m] (1) Read Marin's note, find her at the beach, and take her to a scenic cliff in one session.
-=MISSABLE=-
Marin's note is in her own house. After reading it, go to the far east side of the beach, then go to the most south-western screen there is and stand on the cliff. As stated during the "The Travels of THIEF [m]" achievement, you must have talked to the photographer before attempting this.
Date Night - All is Not Well [m] (1) Jump into the Well with Marin.
-=MISSABLE=-
While Marin is accompanying you, fall down the well north of the library for this achievement. As stated during the "The Travels of THIEF [m]" achievement, you must have talked to the photographer before attempting this.
Date Night - An Afternoon at the Windmill [m] (1) While at the Windmill, dig a hole, play the Ocarina, and get your photo taken with Marin in one session.
-=MISSABLE=-
Reminder that you need to have done "Dream within a Dream [m]" before this, and also talked to Marin right after to learn a song for the Ocarina. If done, do what the description says at the windmill. As stated during the "The Travels of THIEF [m]" achievement, you must have talked to the photographer before attempting this.
Date Night - Women Love Bad Boys [m] (5) See all dialogue for breaking pots, opening drawers, and hitting cuckoos with Marin in one session.
-=MISSABLE=-
While Marin is accompanying you, go to Marin's house and open the drawer, throw pots and hit the cuckoo outside. The pots and cuckoo hitting both have two dialogues, so keep doing it over and over again until you got both dialogues. This may unfortunately take a bit due to RNG.
Date Night - Gotta Be Strong For Your Woman [m] (1) See all of the different reactions Marin has when you exit a dungeon in one session.
-=MISSABLE=-
While Marin is accompanying you, go to Tail Cave. There are a total of three reactions to get from Marin:
- Enter and immediately leave the dungeon.
- Enter the dungeon and wait there for a good amount of time, then leave.
- Enter the dungeon and get hit until you have 1 heart left, then leave.
Date Night - This Girl's a Pro! [m] (1) Watch Marin play the Trendy Game
-=MISSABLE=-
While Marin is accompanying you, enter the Crane game house for a cutscene to play.
The Dangerous Yarna Desert [m] (5) Travel through the Yarna Desert and get the Angler Key without taking damage. Exit and re-enter the desert to retry.
-=MISSABLE=-
Get to the Yarna Desert south of the animal village, and keep going north until you reach the worm/lanmolas boss. Unlike his Link to the Past counterpart, there won't be any rocks coming out of the ground, so just wait for him to come out and then hit him with a charged slash attack. This generally shouldn't be too difficult but if it ends up troublesome, get out and back in the desert for a retry.
Swimming Not Required [m] (3) Get the Boss Key in the Angler's Tunnel without having the Flippers.
-=MISSABLE=-
The flippers are in the chest behind the miniboss, so don't open that chest yet. Instead, continue to the room with the 5 squares and memorize the pattern, then repeat that in the room south-west of it with another 5 squares but surrounded by water. Be wary that this room is kind of buggy without having the flippers, so sometimes landing on a square does not light it up. If that happens, either try jumping on it from a different angle, or re-enter the dungeon for the pattern to change.
Am I Not Supposed to Use These? [m] (5) Win the first encounter with Master Stalfos by using Bomb Arrows and pick up the small key. Reset to retry.
-=MISSABLE=-
In the fifth dungeon when encountering the miniboss for the first time, get him to fall apart with the sword and then equip both the bombs and arrows. Press the A and B button at the same time to launch Bomb Arrows at the Stalfos. Do this four times, then grab the key.
Mini-Boss Masher - Master Stalfos [m] (25) Defeat the final three encounters with Master Stalfos in Catfish's Maw without taking damage during- and between the fights. Bomb Arrows are NOT allowed.
-=MISSABLE=-
This can potentially be a difficult achievement so be sure to have save files ready before attempting this. The miniboss will be appearing throughout the stage three more time in a specific order, with the amount of blocks in the corners of the room indicating what order. The third encounter is north-west of the second encounter, and the fourth is to the far west of the entrance beyond the stairs. Hit the Stalfos from the right and then place a bomb on his corpse (no Bomb Arrows!). Do this four time and he moves to the next room.
Having done the Color Dungeon for increased defense is definitely a recommendation, as well as picking up a Guardian Acorn. With both, you can take one free hit which may just be enough for you. Also, the Ocarina with the song learnt from the fishes west of the fourth dungeon can bring you back to the entrance of the dungeon, which could be useful for the final encounter with the Stalfos. I unfortunately don't have too many other recommendations, but putting the shield on the second slot can also potentially avoid damage.
Mini-Boss Masher - Gohma and the Music Man [m] (10) Defeat both Gohmas without taking damage while armed with only an Ocarina and a Bow. You must play the Ocarina at least once.
-=MISSABLE=-
As stated, both the Ocarina with Marin's song and the Bow are required. Whenever you play the Ocarina, the Gohma's freeze in place. When they open their eyes, quickly shoot an arrow and then move left/right to avoid a fireball shot at you. Keep doing this until they are both dead.
Facing the Tiny Face Shrine [m] (5) Obtain the Face Key without taking damage in either the outside- or inside sections of the Ancient Ruins.
-=MISSABLE=-
Be sure to bring a lot of arrows. Go to the Small Face Shrine area north-east of the animal village. This achievement should pose no trouble if you got the bow, as the statues move very slowly and die after one arrow. Do watch out for the slimes popping out of the ground however. For the boss, just stand south and keep shooting arrows at it, no problemo.
The Chests of Tal Tal Mountain [m] (5) Open all five of the treasure chests located on one screen on Tal Tal Mountain.
-=MISSABLE=-
This cave is reached by bombing a wall in a cave leading to the Eagle's Tower, specifically the one with the shallow water and one square without water. When entering the room with the chests, do not open any chests and instead leave the cave through the south exit. Then re-enter to make the puzzle a lot easier.
First get the chest that is not blocked, then the one on the right by pushing the square away from it. Do the same on the right, then aim for the top-left chest and finally the one on the right by just pushing the stone downwards.
Mini-Boss Masher - Grim Creeper [m] (10) Defeat the Grim Creeper in Eagle's Tower damageless.
-=MISSABLE=-
Collapse the tower first before attempting this miniboss, who is on the third floor. This should be a pretty easy miniboss to deal with. Just stand in the very south of the room right in the middle and then swing your sword when the birds come towards you. I'm pretty sure his starting patterns is always the same and when every bird has been killed, the fight is over.
Super... Link? (1) Find the sleepy mushroom in the Mysterious Forest.
This Mushroom is found in the forest north of Mabe Village and is the standard method of continuing the story, unless you went for the "The Shroomless Raccoon [m]" achievement.
A Witch's Secret (1) Get Magic Powder for the first time.
I'm not 100% sure if this achievement unlocks when buying it for the "The Shroomless Raccoon [m]" achievement but in case it doesn't, bring the Mushroom from the "Sleepy Mushroom" achievement to the witch's house on the east side of the forest.
Chattin' with the Cukeman (3) See all dialogue options available from a transformed Buzz Blob.
Have nothing in your A slot while having the Magic Powder in your B slot. Sprinkle some Magic Powder over the Buzz Blob, then continuously talk to them until the achievement unlocks.
Nutty Power Freak (5) Pick up either the Guardian Acorn or Triangle of Power, then while one is active, pick up the other.
When killing enemies, don't ever pick up a Guardian Acorn or Triangle of Power before every enemy on the screen is dead. If both are on screen, pick up one and then the other. This may come naturally over the course of the game but if not, try going to screens with multiple enemies or ones that respawn, like the red enemies in the screen south-west of the witch's house, or hitting the coconuts dropped by the monkey on the beach.
Closing Shop For the Day (10) Get every item from the Trendy Game in one visit and ask the owner for more.
You need to get all 5 items in one visit from the Crane shop in Mabe Village. An easy guaranteed way to always pick up something is to keep your crane in the top left of the conveyor belt. Then, when an item is on the exact middle of the right conveyor belt going upwards, tap the A button. Remember to talk to the shopkeeper after you got everything.
This Pond's All Fished Out (5) Catch every fish in the Fishing Pond in one round. (Answer Yes to Fish Again after catching #5)
Go to the fishing spot north of BowWow's house and keep fishing until every fish is gone, then answer yes when asked to do more fishing. Fishing is pretty easy, just be sure that you throw the hook right of the enemy by using the D-Pad to ensure you can catch them. Keep pressing A quickly to reel in a fish. If you threw the hook to far, you can just get it closer with the A button.
Cuccos Gone Wild (1) Provoke a Cucco attack.
Keep attacking a Cuckoo with your sword until the army of death and destruction arrives. Do this near Marin's house to avoid dying, as you're safe inside.
Crazy Tracy's Secret Medicine (1) Purchase some Secret Medicine.
Go to Crazy Tracy's house south of where BowWow was held captive, then talk to Crazy Tracy and buy her medicine. This should usually cost you either 24 or 48 rupees.
This Sounds... Familiar (1) Listen to the secret song on the File Select Screen.
Make a save file with the name ZELDA in capital letters, and the achievement will pop up.
A Composer's Secret (1) Trigger Totaka's Song in Richard's house.
Keep waiting in Richard's House until Totaka's Song plays. Should not take too long.
The Talking Timber (1) Talk to a talking tree.
Talk to one of the trees that is outside of the Seashell Manor.
Beetles are the Bomb! (1) In the room left of the entrance inside the Tail Cave, kill the two Hardhat Beetles simultaneously.
Go to the Tail Cave and immediately go one screen left to find the Hardhat Beetles. The title of the achievement already hints at it, but the easiest way to accomplish this is by luring them close to the edge and then dropping a bomb, causing them both to fall off at the exact same time.
The Giant Ghini and Friends (3) Defeat the four ghosts in the top-right section of the Graveyard.
This achievement may be a bit flaky but I got it on my first try, so my apologies if I'm not of too much help. Go to the top-right screen of the graveyard where there are 6 gravestones, then walk into each of them until all ghosts are displayed on screen, then kill them. Killing one should kill all the remaining ones.
Coo Coo Cachoo (1) Have the Walrus resurface with a familiar song after having woken him up.
After getting rid of the Walrus south of animal village for the first time, you can come back at any time and play Marin's song on the Ocarina. Talk to the Walrus to trigger this achievement.
Advice From the Dead (1) Talk to some skeletal remains in the Yarna Desert.
Go to the desert south-east of animal village and go to the screen with four enemies on the right side. There's a lonesome skeletal remains square here. Sprinkle some Magic Powder over it to talk with it.
A Ghostly Escort (1) Take the Ghost to his house and his grave in one session.
A ghost will start following you after finishing Angler's Tunnel. Take this ghost to the abandoned house east of the beach, then to the lonesome grave south-west of the Witch's house.
That Hippo Yelled At Me (5) See all the dialogue of the Hippo in Animal Village.
There is a hippo in the animal village that you can talk to continuously. She has a total of three dialogue options, one of which may take some RNG, so be sure to keep pressing A until you finally got the achievement.
Inspector Link is on the case! (5) Acquire the Magnifying Lens by completing the Trading Sequence.
This involves a lengthy trading sequence available right from the start of the game. Finishing Catfish's Maw is required to be able to complete this sequence.
- Get Yoshi's Doll from the Crane shop, give it to the woman with a baby in the north house of Mabe Village who gives you a Ribbon.
- Exchange this Ribbon for Canned Food with the small dog in the BowWow's pen.
- Exchange this Canned Food for Bananas with the crocodile over at the beach.
- Exchange these Bananas with Kiki the Monkey for a stick, east of the castle's entrance.
- Give this stick to Tarin east of Mabe Village, in the screen with a Honey Comb.
- Bring this Honey Comb to the bear in Animal Village, who gives you a Pineapple.
- Give this Pineapple to Papahl who is on Tal Tal Heights, who gives you a Hibiscus.
- Give the Hibiscus to the writing goat in Animal Village, who gives you a Love Letter.
- Give the Love Letter to Mr. Write, north-west of the forest, who gives you a Broom.
- Give the Broom to the lady in the north-eastern screen of Animal Village, who gives you a Fishing Hook.
- Bring this Fishing Hook to the fisher underneath the bridge south of Catfish's Maw, who fishes up a Necklace.
- Give this Necklace to the mermaid east of Catfish's Maw, who gives you a Mermaid Scale.
- Bring this Mermaid Scale to the mermaid statue south-west of Animal Village. The Hookshot is required to get there. A cave opens and the Magnifying Lens is inside!
Ballad of the Pol's Voice (1) Defeat the 3 Pol's Voices in the Face Shrine with the Ocarina.
In Face Shrine near some stairs, there is a screen with a total of 3 Pol's. Use the Ocarina with Marin's Song to instantly kill them.
The Great Fairies of Koholint Island (3) Heal yourself at all four Great Fairy locations in one session.
Progress up till the Eagle's Tower is required for this achievement. Everything needs to be done in one session. Make sure you have taken at least half a heart of damage for the fairies to show themselves.
- In the forest, a screen north-east of the rock maze cave.
- In a cave that needs a bomb to be accessed on the screen with the Honey Comb, east of Mabe Village.
- In a cave that needs a bomb to be accessed that is right before Face Shrine.
- In a cave that needs a bomb to be accessed that is on the screen south-east of Eagle's Tower.
You Monster! (1) Kill every animal in Mabe Village without leaving the village.
Either the Magic Powder or the Fire Rod is required to kill the animals. You only have to kill the animals that are outside. Remember that there is also a Cuckoo on the screen below the fishing spot.
Dust to Dust (1) Sprinkle some Magic Powder on the Ghost's grave.
Go to the lonesome grave south-west of the Witch's House, then sprinkle some Magic Powder on it.
The Great Dungeon Collector [m] (10) Collect every Map, Compass, and Stone Beak in all nine dungeons.
For this achievement, I am not 100% sure if it is missable. After all, I complete dungeons 100% on my first visit so there was no chance for me to be missing out on it, but you can revisit any dungeons at any time regardless (for the Bottle Grotto, the Fire Rod is required for access again). Regardless, every dungeon has a Map, a Compass, and a Stone Beak. Before leaving a dungeon, press the Start button and check if all three are present in the right side of the screen. If not, you missed a chest. The Compass gives a ring whenever a screen has an item you haven't gotten yet, and also shows on the map on the start screen what rooms have unopened treasure.
Teleport Guru (1) Find all four Warp locations.
There are a total of four warp locations:
- East of Mabe Village.
- East of the Camera house, below Tal Tal Heights.
- South of the Animal Village.
- On top of Turtle Rock. This can only be accessed by taking stairs within the dungeon, on the far north side.
Tail Cave Cartographer (10) Enter every room in Tail Cave.
Bottle Grotto Cartographer (10) Enter every room in Bottle Grotto.
Key Cavern Cartographer (10) Enter every room in Key Cavern.
Angler's Tunnel Cartographer (5) Enter every room in Angler's Tunnel.
Catfish's Maw Cartographer (10) Enter every room in Catfish's Maw.
Face Shrine Cartographer (10) Enter every room in Face Shrine.
Eagle's Tower Cartographer (10) Enter every room in Eagle's Tower.
Turtle Rock Cartographer (10) Enter every room in Turtle Rock.
Color Dungeon Cartographer (10) Enter every room in the Color Dungeon.
These achievements require you to have mapped every room in every dungeon. Check the map if you have it to see if there are still greyed-out squares. This can be done on revisits, which is a requirement for the very first dungeon as you are very unlikely to have the bombs before clearing it.
Koholint Cartographer (25) Complete the overworld map.
Press select to check up on your map. Every single square of the map needs to be filled in. Any spot of the map can be reached at any time, so if you see a greyed out square, just go there. I don't really have much more advise for that.
Money over Troubled Water (10) Collect 100 Rupees in the Raft Game.
Go to the Raft Game that's east of the fourth dungeon. The Hookshot is required to get there, but you can also take the cave above the rock maze near Face Shrine. For this minigame, it's best to go all the way to the left first, then fall down the waterfalls two times. Collect every Rupee on your way here by using the Roc's Feather, then just follow the waves to the right. Go down, then left, and on this screen stay as far south as you can to be taken to a wave section with multiple rupees back to back.
The Confusing Owl Statues (5) Talk to every owl statue on the island in one session.
The description does not state this but I think you have to talk to every statue in one session. Regardless, talk to every single statue on your first visit because maybe you don't need to, and that will save a nice amount of time.
- Outside of the cave where BowWow is held captive.
- In the screen north-east of Mr. Write, north-west of the forest.
- In Richard's Garden at the very end where you find the Slime Key.
- On a higher platform west of the rock maze, south-west of the Seashell Mansion.
- In the screen south of Catfish's Maw with the bridge you can go under.
- One screen north of the Face Shrine area. Also the screen where you fall down at the end of the Raft Game.
- In Yarna Desert, next to the cave you would come out after getting the Angler's Key.
- During the Raft Game. Make sure you go all the way to the left right from the start, then go down the waterfalls.
- On the road to Eagle's Tower, outside of a cave.
By the Power of Seashells! (10) Acquire the Level-2 Sword.
Bring 20 Seashells to the Seashell Mansion to get the sword. Remember, don't do this if you haven't collected all 26 Seashells yet, and if you want that achievement as well.
Music Man (10) Learn all 3 Ocarina songs.
Get the Ocarina from the Dream Shrine in Mabe Village, then go to the following three locations:
- Talk to Marin who is at the windmill in Mabe Village.
- Go to the cave that is west of the entrance of Angler's Tunnel and talk to the fish (Flippers required).
- Go to the sign puzzle south-east of Mabe Village, solve the puzzle and talk to Mamu (Hookshot and 300 Rupees required).
Washed Up Retriever (10) Acquire the Boomerang.
After obtaining the Magnifying Lens from the "Magnifying Lens" achievement, go to the beach and find a cave that needs a bomb to be entered (a screen east of where you initially found the sword). Trade in the item that is in your B slot (preferably the Shovel). Don't worry, you can trade this item back at any time, so your Shovel won't be lost forever. You just won't need it again after digging up all the Seashells required.
I Have Half A Heart (5) Obtain 7 Heart Containers.
Awaken My Heart (25) Obtain all 14 Heart Containers.
You will be getting 11 hearts naturally over the course of the game, with a total of 12 Heart Pieces making up the last 3 hearts. Check This Zeldadungeon Guide for all locations.
Rupee Hoarder (5) Hold 999 Rupees at once.
This should by all means be gained naturally with the high amount of rupees thrown your way, and definitely if you are planning to actually buy the bow. If somehow not, repeat the fishing/crane minigame until you get it.
More Powder! (5) Get the Magic Powder capacity upgrade from the Mad Batter.
More Arrows! (5) Get the Arrow capacity upgrade from the Mad Batter.
More Bombs! (5) Get the Bomb capacity upgrade from the Mad Batter.
There are a total of three Mad Batter locations, and you can manipulate which upgrade you get by refusing to get cursed until you get the one you want. You can only get one of each upgrade.
- Under the rock in the forest, west of the Great Fairy.
- Go to the jumping puzzle with a lot of bushes east of the abandoned house on the beach. Roc's Feather and possible Pegasus Boots required.
- Lift a rock on your way to Turtle Rock, at the top of the mountain where rocks fall down.
New Clothes! (10) Acquire the Red Clothes or the Blue Clothes from the Color Dungeon.
Beat the boss of the Color Dungeon and select an option from the fairy. To access this place, use the Pegasus Boots to charge into the bookshelf in the library, screenshot the instructions and go to the south-east screen of the graveyard, then push the gravestones in the directions indicated in the book. Recommended is to pick the Blue Clothes if you're doing this dungeon early.