The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past #31 - Swamp Palace

1. Dig up the Flute, Swamp Palace

With the remaining six Crystals marked on your map, it is definitely time to start pursuing them. Unfortunately, there is an item that you will need before you can even successfully navigate the first room of the next dungeon. And if you are going to go through all the hassle of getting that, you should probably get an even more advantageous item first since it will be extremely useful for the remainder of the game. That item is the Flute.

To get it, you need to make your way out of the Dark Palace Gardens. Unfortunately, there is no simple route out of the Dark Palace Gardens like there was in the Eastern Palace’s mountains; you will have to go back the way you came in. You also could choose to use the Magic Mirror and then use either the entrance to Hyrule Castle (which now serves as a new warp to the Dark World), the Magical Warp Tile just north of Lake Hylia, or the Magical Warp Tile within the northwest corner of the Great Swamp to get your way back into the Dark World, but neither of these paths are necessarily quicker. So for now, it is easiest to just guide you through the Dark World, especially as this will make you familiar with this new world more quickly.

The Magic Hammer gives you access to the entire southern half of the Dark World.

Your first destination should be the Haunted Grove where the the Flute Boy would be.

Reverse course through the forest maze. Once you reach the beginning of it, next to the outbuilding containing the talking tree, head west towards its exit. you will screen transition south and then west, and then this will cause you to arrive at the spot where there would be a bridge over the river in the Light World. Here in the Dark World, however, there is no bridge but instead a narrow strip of land blocking the flow of the river; this narrow isthmus is covered with a 3×3 square of posts blocking the way, and you can now use the Magic Hammer to squash these. Head south over the isthmus and then turn west.

you will pass by what would be Link’s House in the Light World; this is the Bomb Shop here. you will see more of the same familiar enemies roaming this section of southern Hyrule; just bypass them by walking west, turning south once you reach the end of the road.

Turn an immediate west, and after passing a Moblin and a few Taros, you will see a gap through the trees to the north with a blockade of bushes in front of it. Slash through the bushes and head north into the Haunted Grove. Straight ahead, you will see a doglike creature perched atop a tree stump. Talk to him, and he will tell you of who he used to be before coming to the Dark World. He asks you to find his Flute; agree to this, and he will give you the Shovel. This will help you dig it up in the Light World.

The flute is just to the north of the tree directly west of the dog. Use the Magic Mirror, and you will land straight within the flock of animals surrounding the ghost of a boy playing a flute. The animals will scatter, but you cannot help that. Head to the flower patch in the northwest corner of the grove and start digging. Before long you will unearth the Flute. Pick it up, and then re-enter the portal back to the Dark World.

The Flute Boy hid his instrument well, but it can yet be found.

Goodbye, Shovel (SNES version only)

In the Four Swords/A Link to the Past GBA remake, you will be allowed to keep the Shovel after you receive the Flute. However, in the original version of the game, they share the same inventory space, so you will lose the Shovel when you collect the Flute.

You can show the Flute to the dog, but he will realize that there is no way that he can still play it. But he will ask you to play it again for him. Equip the Flute and give it a whirl. It plays a somber song full of melancholy and meaning. You can tell that there is some sort of magic in it as, after you finish playing it, the energy will dissipate from the dog and will cause him to become an inanimate tree. it is a sad moment, but the show must go on.

This is perhaps the most tragic moment of the game. But his life will not be in vain.

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2. Use the flute on the Kakariko statue, Swamp Palace

You might be wondering if there is a way to undo the petrification of the dog. There is not. But the Light World does cut magic the opposite way; whereas in the Dark World the Flute takes life, in the Light World it gives life. Use the Magic Mirror to head back to the Light World and then bear south. Head west and follow the well-worn trail to Kakariko.

This wind vane might not look like anything special…

The power of the Flute will bring it to life, giving you the power of fast travel.

Once you get to Kakariko, you will notice that most of the villagers are not just standing out in the open any more as if life is normal. Perhaps the wizard still has influence here in the Light World, and he is terrorizing the world from afar. At any rate, defeat any Soldiers that get in your way, and eventually you will reach the a wooden wind vane in the center of town perched upon a pole. The four compass directions are labelled all around it. Stand before this bird and play the Flute again. After the song emits its tone, a white duck will burst from out of the wind vane and fly around before taking off.

And only now will you realize the full power of the Flute. Play the Flute one more time, and your duck friend will come flying it and swoop you up, taking you up into the air. The map of Hyrule will be shown before you, and eight specific points will be highlighted. These eight points are the specific drop-off points that the duck can take you. Need to cross Hyrule in a hurry? Need to get to a point you cannot get to on foot? The Flute is your one-way ticket to that location.

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3. Head to Zora’s Waterfall, Swamp Palace

you will want to head to point #2. That will dump you off at the Witch’s Hut. If you have not gotten the Magic Powder yet, this is your chance to pick it up; you could also buy some Potions while you are here, but you will want to make sure you do not overspend. you are going to need those Rupees for a big upcoming purchase. From the Witch’s Hut, you will want to head east. Lift up the giant rock and get rid of it.

The Flute will save you time compared to walking everywhere.

Continue around the mountainside going against the river, defeating enemies that you encounter, most of which should just be simple Soldiers and Buzz Blobs with the occasional Sand Crab, though unfortunately you cannot do anything about the River Zora. The path will curve southward, and you will find a pit with a staircase leading out of it. You can hop into pit and use the staircase to get out, or you can dash attack into the bushes near the pit to open the path.

Take a jaunt east before turning an immediate north. you will want to continue heading north as far as you can, and eventually you will find a way that will allow you to head north off the screen through the river. you will enter Zora’s Waterfall, and here you will just have to explore the world without a map.

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4. Buy the Zora’s Flippers, Swamp Palace

you are here to get the Zora’s Flippers. Without them, you will not be able to swim in the deeper blue water. You can, of course, walk in the lighter blue water. Head in a northerly direction following the shallows of the river. As you wander, River Zora will pop out from the water from whirlpools. If they spawn in the deep blue water, they will spit fire your direction; if they spawn in the shallows, they will eventually jump out and give you chase. However, you will be able to outrun both their fire and their stalking tendencies if you stay on the move.

Dodge many projectiles.

Take the southernmost route when you get to the three forks.

There is a rather cheesy technique that you can use to pretty much go through this area without any sort of trouble whatsoever. If you jump into the deep blue water without the Flippers, you will be returned to where you jumped from. The first bit of good news is that you will not take damage; the even better bit of news is that you will gain a few seconds’ worth of invincibility frames. If you simply jump into the deep water every few seconds, you can get through this area without taking a hit. it is not necessary, but it is a clever hack.

Once you get to the northeast corner, bear east. it is here where the pathway will start to split into three paths: the north path following the land and then two other paths heading through the waterway. you will want to take the southmost of all three paths, one that takes you very close to the island in the center of Zora’s Waterfall. Follow this path around and eventually it’ll bear back north, leading to a dead end near a waterfall. Approach, and soon you will see a gigantic whirlpool form. King Zora will pop out, and he will ask if you would like to buy the Zora’s Flippers. The cost is certainly steep — 500 Rupees — but you absolutely need to have them. Agree to the price and hold them up high. The rivers and lakes are now at your beck and call!

King Zora certainly does know how to make an entrance.

Optional Items

Now that you have the Magic Hammer and the Zora’s Flippers, you can now retrieve the Bombos Medallion, the Red Shield, the Magical Boomerang, and a third Bottle. You can also head to the Pond of Happiness to increase your Bomb and Arrow capacities as well as visit the Mad Batter to double your magic. Lastly, Pieces of Heart #13 through #18 are now able to be obtained.

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5. Return to the Great Swamp, Swamp Palace

The second Dark World dungeon is all the way over in its rendition of the Great Swamp. Getting into the dungeon will be a bit tricky as just brashly entering the dungeon without a little prep work is not going to get you very far.

The easiest way out is via the waterfalls, followed by the Flute.

But first, you need to leave Zora’s Waterfall. Using the Flute will be no avail in this section of the map as the game thinks you are “inside” an area, and you can only summon the duck when you are outside on the world map. So you will need to leave. The fastest way is not the way you came in. Instead, head southward, swimming once you reach the deep water. You can swim straight over the waterfalls themselves, continuing until you reach a thin strip of shallow water heading west. Dash across it, and eventually you will find the entrance to the area.

Once you leave, it is a simple matter of using the Flute to get you back to southern Hyrule. Direct the duck to take you to Point #7. This will drop you right outside of the building within the Great Swamp. You may be here, but of course the dungeon is in the Dark World, and that is not where you are.

You can find another Magical Warp Tile in the swamp.

From the temple, head north. you will pass a large stone dais to the east, and eventually you will find a small lake further along. Cross the lake by swimming across it, and you will eventually find some green statues on the other side with a few stakes guarding what lay beyond. Use the Magic Hammer on those stakes, and soon enough you will discover an unprotected Magical Warp Tile just beyond it. Step inside it, and you will be in the Dark World.

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6. Enter the Swamp Palace, Swamp Palace

This Warp Tile is one of the more dangerous entrances into the Dark World if you are not careful. Just below the statues protecting the Magical Warp Tile is a purple and orange flower called the Pikit; the Pikit hops around innocently enough, but it can unfurl a rather long tongue at you should you get too close to it. Worse yet, the tongues of these Pikits can steal items from Link, such as Rupees, Arrows, Bombs, and even your Shield (even the upgraded Red Shield). If you kill it, it will drop the last item it swallowed up, but if you lose your shield and it consumes something else first, it is gone, and you will have to go buy (and possibly upgrade) another one. So as a result, stick to the far northern wall as you leave. Use the Hammer again to pound the stakes down, and give that enemy some good clearance.

Watch out for the Pikit once you spawn; it can steal your Shield!

you will want to head south back toward the building you flew into in the Light World, which is the second dungeon. As you travel south, you will encounter Moblins, another Pikit, and some flying enemies called Zirro. Zirro are notoriously nimble creatures, frequently dodging sword strikes whilst darting in quickly for damage. Green Zirro will also drop explosive seeds from on high, making them especially treacherous. The Dark World swamp is not exactly a nice place to live, so do your best to hurry past to the Swamp Palace below.

A Pikit will guard the northern sliver of land next to the Swamp Palace, so give it a decent berth as you head to the entrance. Approach from the south and stand in between the two walls leading in, but before you go in, equip the Magic Mirror and transition back to the Light World. Yes, you were just here, but you needed to both be in the Light World and have a convenient portal back to the Dark World at your fingertips. Back in the Light World, enter the building.

The first room has a treasure chest containing Bombs just beyond three moveable blocks. You cannot get the Bombs and do what you are here to do simultaneously, so if you want the Bombs, you will have to exit and reenter in order to reset the state. Push the center block up and then either of the side blocks to the side to head northward through the door.

The water level in the Dark World is linked to that in the Light World.

Just beyond there will be a single Anti-fairy floating along and two Pull Lever on the far wall. you will want to pull the one on the right. Pulling it will cause the massive floodgate to the right to retract, and water will come spilling forward. With that performed, it is time to exit the building. Once outside, step into your Magic Mirror portal to shift back into the Dark World. Now you are finally ready to enter the Swamp Palace.

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7. Locate the Map, Swamp Palace

The first thing you will notice is that the same water is flowing through the viaduct just in front of you. This is due to the fact that it is simultaneously flowing through the Light World variant of this dungeon. You might be tempted to think that there will be some further connection running between the Light World and the Dark World here, but there is not. This is the extent of the dual-world shenanigans. So you can go forward knowing you just have the one world to focus on.

Leap into the water and swim over to the small ladder leading out of the water on the left. Avoid the Trap swinging back and forth in front of you and head into the shallow water. you will see three small green insect creatures called Water Tektites; these guys are relatively harmless, though you will need to defeat them to advance. There will also be the occasional Kyameron, floating bubbles of water that will zing diagonally about the room. These are the more threatening of the enemies because there are difficult to fully destroy; to kill them you need to hit them with a beam from the Ice Rod.

The Swamp Palace introduces new concepts.

However, seeing as how the Kyameron continually respawn even after you kill them, you should not give them any mind past dodging them; instead focus on killing the three Water Tektites as that will cause a chest with a Small Key to appear. Grab it and unlock the door just above you to head down to the basement.

Once downstairs, avoid the Tektite, Kyameron, and Medusa within the water and hurry over to the unflooded section of floor to the west. It will end abruptly, but the telltale sign of cracks in the wall is a perfect opportunity for a Bomb. Set one against the wall, the explosion will create a new doorway. Head on through.

Ignore the obstacles of this room for now and use a Bomb on this wall.

Watch out for the Zol creeping up beyond you as you go for the Map.

there is a treasure chest straight ahead, and you can head straight for it. As you do, two shadows will appear from the ground. Red Zol will start to hop after you in a few seconds. Kill these first, and then you can open the chest for the dungeon Map.

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8. Obtain the Compass, Swamp Palace

Head back east into the flooded room. you will have to dodge a large number of obstacles given the enemies in this room; however, the narrow strip of land in the center of the room will completely eliminate all possibility of attack from the Kyameron and Water Tektites, leaving only the sole Medusa. Better yet is that the southmost skull on that bit of dry land holds the Small Key you need to unlock the door to the southwest.

After heading through the door, you will enter a room with a handful of enemies. Some of which you are familiar with: the Bari and the red Stalfos. There are two new ones to deal with though, both of them undefeatable. There is a large fire snake called a Winder that will randomly travel through the room; so long as you do not do anything risky, there are fairly easy to avoid. The other trap in the room is the four-directional shooting contraption known as the Yomo Medusa. Like Medusa, they shoot fireballs—these in each of the four cardinal directions as pertaining to the four holes; however, unlike Medusa, they will only shoot fireballs whenever you swing your sword. So, if you want to dispatch the enemies, make sure you are using your sword from a safe location or else you are almost assured to take damage.

The first three rooms block your progress with locked doors.

This dungeon never hides the keys too far away.

Head down the staircase and quickly head through the door within the channel to the north. Underneath the sole skull in this narrow channel is a Small Key. Return southward and then head up the staircase that leads to the locked door; open it and continue north.

Two Stalfos guard a very interesting looking switch in this room. Deal with the enemies as you see fit and then bring out the Magic Hammer to pop the Moles out of the way. To throw this Mechanical Lever, you will need to stand down and to the right of it and then push the lever to the left. It will swing wide, and once it does water will flood the channel where you picked up the Small Key. This should allow you to grab hold of the small ladder in the room you were just in. So head south, hop into the water, and pull yourself back up the ladder so you can move west into a rather large room.

These levers block your progress until you throw them.

This large room is essentially the center of the dungeon. It holds the Big Chest with the dungeon item, so we’ll call this the Big Chest Room. It will be the hub room that you will need to revisit a few times throughout this trek. If you pause a moment in this room, you will notice that eel-like creatures called Pirogusu will be crawling out of the holes in the walls at the side of the room, descending and then swimming through the shallows just below you. you will need to avoid both these and the pre-existing Water Tektites as you make your way through the room. Head down the ladder and move slightly west to spot the door heading south. Go in there.

The next two rooms comprise a large circle, but you can only head through it in a clockwise fashion. So head right. you will spot more Water Tektites and Pirogusu, but you should be able to deal with all of these pretty easily as you will get advance warning of both. Head south through the door and continue all the way around, heading back north through the next door.

Ceiling eels rain down

push this block.

you will eventually come around to what seems like a dead end, but do not give up hope just yet. Push the bottom block to the right, as if attempting to make your way out. A chest will appear, and you can open that for the Compass.

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9. Collect the Big Key, Swamp Palace

With the Compass in hand, head back out to the Big Chest Room. This time you will want to head through the left through the door in the southwest of the room.

Use the skulls to trick the Yomo Medusa into not attacking you.

There you will find a room similar to one you have gone through: two Stalfos, a Bari, a Winder, and a Yomo Medusa. The major difference this time around is that there are skulls that you can use to destroy some of the enemies without invoking the Yomo Medusa’s wrath, which is useful given the close quarters of this room. Make your way west through the enemies and head into the channel. Again, head north through the door and you will find a solitary skull hiding a Small Key.

That locked door is all the way back off of the Big Chest Room, so head south and then east through the enemies and then the door. Back in the Big Chest Room, you will want to jump off back into the water and then head upward, skirting the left side of the raised platform containing the Big Chest. To the left, you will see a staircase leading up to a locked door; unlock that door and head in.

Within you will find a single red Bari, a Stalfos, and a Trap trapped in a narrow space. Defeat the enemies first, and then you can turn your attention to the Crystal Switch in the room.

A trio of interconnected puzzles await you in the mid-dungeon.

you will want the Crystal Switch to remain brown once you leave this room, but you will need to flip it in order to reach the lever. You can either use the Boomerang to hit the Crystal Switch, but you can also reach over the barrier using your sword. Push the lever to commence flooding, and then before you leave flip the Crystal Switch back to brown. you will need to head back east, south, and then west to return back to the room with the Winder and Yomo Medusa. With the channel flooded, you can swim over the four unmovable blocks that used to block your path. Come ashore using the staircase and continue proceeding west.

you will find a blue Bari and a Stalfos waiting for you, but this room is not that treacherous, so you can leave them be if you wish. Head down into the channel; you will find the same block configuration as you found in the last room blocking your path, but these blocks can move. Push the lowest block left and the middle block up to forge a path through. Head around the ledge to reach the staircase back up to the first floor.

The second instance of this block configuration is mobile, unlike its predecessor.

The first floor, fall into the right pit.

This room is filled with a handful of enemies: Water Tektites, Kyameron, a Medusa, and even a Guruguru Bar. All of these can just generally be entirely avoided unless they get in the way. If you need some health, you can find some hearts in the skulls at the bottom of the room. However, your major destination is the northeast part of the room where you will find a movable block. Push it vertically in either direction to open a path to the pit. That pit will drop you back down to the basement, so jump right in.

Once you have fallen back down to the basement, you will be up on a ledge above the channel you were just in. The skulls along this level all contain Rupees, so follow them eastward, and you will eventually find a chest containing the Big Key.

it is a good thing you left the Crystal Switch set to brown.

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10. Grab the Hookshot, Swamp Palace

it is time to go open that Big Chest, so it is back to the Big Chest Room. Head back west and jump off the ledge into the wet channel. Continue south, up the stairs, and then proceed east. You may have to deal with the enemies you have defeated again here and there, but likely as not you have not wandered too far away from these rooms to cause an enemy respawn. You will of course have to deal with the traps along the way, but they should generally be easy to avoid, especially if you are not using your sword at all.

The Hookshot is one of the more fun items to use.

Once you have returned to the central room of the dungeon, you can find the Big Chest sitting atop the dais right in the center of the room. Jump off the platform you are on into the water, head right and then up the staircase to open the chest. Congratulations! you have got the Hookshot! The Hookshot will be extremely useful both here and beyond as you will not only be able to stun and deal damage to enemies from a distance (without the use of Arrows!) but also to jump over pits that Link would not be able to jump over normally.

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11. Descend to the boss, Swamp Palace

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12. Defeat Arrghus, Swamp Palace

Arrghus is not that complex of a boss. Naturally, the Hookshot will take center stage here. Arrghus is covered with small round puffs called Arrgi. They do not really attack on their own, though Arrghus can and will spin them around his body wildly to try to damage Link. Generally, you will want to make sure there is always a fair bit of distance between you and the boss at all times; though you will be given some amount of notice before the Arrgi go spinning about, you will want time to improvise an escape plan.

For the first phase of the battle, your goal is simply to use the Hookshot to yank the Arrgi off of Arrghus. they will be dragged to you and then slowly float their way back. Use the Master Sword to damage them as they float back; two quick hits should easily kill them before they escape back to Arrghus. If for some reason they do return, you will need to peel them off Arrghus again.

Arrghus is a hardy foe and is also quick on its tentacles.

When Arrghus starts to approach you, maneuver and find a new location. Do beware of using the Hookshot against the Arrgi when you are directly south of him. For some reason, the hit detection does not work quite in your favor, and you might take damage if the game deposits the Arrgi slightly too close to you. Sniping the Arrgi will eventually become trickier as the crowd thins out, so you will have to worry about placing yourself in a good position to get the last few.

Once the last Arrgi is defeated, Arrghus will enter the second phase of the battle. It will jump high up into the air before slamming down into the water elsewhere. Always beware of the shadow, making sure to move out of the way before he comes back down. Once on the ground, Arrghus will start dashing around the room — always in a diagonal fashion — bouncing off the walls in an attempt to collide with you. Use your sword whenever it comes close to damage the boss; Spin Attacks are particularly devastating for Arrghus. Once hit, Arrghus will jump up again, and thus this pattern will repeat until its death.

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