The Art of Decryption

A Heuristic Guide to Solving Monoalphabetic Substitution Ciphers

I’ve recently developed a renewed interest in cryptography. I decided that my skills could use some work, and so I set out to get some practice. I would grab chunks of text from documents and web pages and save them to text files. After a suitable period of time had passed, and I wasn’t likely to remember the original contents of the files, I would run them through a program that replaced all the letters with a shuffled alphabet, removed capitalization, and removed all non-alphabetic symbols (punctuation, spacing, numbers, etc.). I would then run the encrypted file through two frequency analysis program that gave me the counts of every 1, 2, and 3 letter sequence in the text, as well as any longer blocks of text that occurred more than once. Finally, with the frequency information in a spreadsheet, I would pull up a substitution program that would help me try out key values, showing me the ciphertext and the candidate plaintext simultaneously.

I started out with texts that were in the 600-1200 letter range, but recently I’ve been tackling much shorter texts in the 200-500 letter range. I’ve been temporarily stumped by some of them, and others, even short ones, sometimes just fall right into place. Actually, a longer body of text doesn’t always factor into easier decoding, although it does increase my confidence in the results of the frequency analysis. In the process of decoding these texts, I’ve developed some techniques that help to crack open the secrets held by the jumbles of letters before me.

This introduction serves to explain what conditions I was working under, and what kind of information I expect the reader to either have or be able to obtain. In summary, the initial information is a text file containing capital letters of ciphertext without spacing or punctuation. Analysis assumes that lists of 1, 2, and 3 letter combinations (letters, digrams, and trigrams respectively) is available and sorted by frequency, and that a similar list for plaintext is available.

Plaintext

For the record, my plaintext sample that I worked from was the complete Hitchhiker trilogy by Douglas Adams, in the original English with only a few spelling errors and some introductory material. While this text does contain a number of unusual letter combinations and some strange uses of letters (Adams would frequently make up words, and in doing so, he would favor the least frequent letters such as Q, Z, X, and J). Thanks to Zaphod Beeblebrox, the letters Z and X appear a bit more often than usual, as do the trigrams ZAP and BEE. It turns out that this has very little bearing on the relative frequencies of the letters. Q, Z, X, and J still appear in the bottom four spots, and E, T, A, O, I, N, H, S, R, D, L, and U top the list in that order. U doesn’t seem to be unfairly biased due to the British use of OU instead of O, and the most common digrams and trigrams appear to be roughly what they should be.

This is much better than a frequency analysis of the 9/11 Commission Report, which has far more of the letter Q than it should, and due to words like Al Qaeda and Iraq, it has a significant number of letters that follow Q instead of U (although it still seems that the letter most likely to appear second after a Q is E).

In my plaintext sample, the letters, in order of frequency, are E, T, A, O, I, N, H, S, R, D, L, U, W, C, G, M, F, Y, P, B, K, V, X, Z, J, and Q. There are a total of 1,152,456 letters in the sample, with E occurring 136,052 times and Q appearing 1,071 times. Total frequencies are listed in Table 1. The middle column contains the number of occurrences of the letter in the Guide, and the third column indicates what percent of the total that is.

E	136052	11.81
T	110940	9.63
A	94865	8.23
O	85077	7.38
I	81190	7.04
N	75116	6.52
H	74789	6.49
S	69698	6.05
R	64330	5.58
D	54228	4.71
L	49171	4.27
U	34741	3.01
W	27612	2.40
C	26937	2.34
G	26462	2.30
M	25103	2.18
F	24427	2.12
Y	24230	2.10
P	21582	1.87
B	17835	1.55
K	10891	0.95
V	10393	0.90
X	2210	0.19
Z	1829	0.16
J	1677	0.15
Q	1071	0.09

The 50 most frequent digrams and trigrams are listed in table 2. No frequency percentages are used. Instead, I have included the total number of instances of the letter combination. Note that these combinations can span words, since all non-alphabetic characters were removed prior to frequency analysis.

TH	38691	THE	22816
HE	33224	ING	10128
IN	22854	AND	8459
ER	17863	HER	5349
AN	16709	HAT	5328
ED	15562	THA	5178
RE	14310	ERE	5031
OU	12917	THI	4887
TO	12801	WAS	4694
NT	12757	DTH	4095
ND	12727	HIS	4032
AT	12708	HES	4006
ST	12629	TTH	3919
HA	12597	ETH	3872
ES	12570	ENT	3742
IT	12186	FOR	3716
NG	11833	YOU	3647
HI	11770	NTH	3559
EA	11193	RTH	3486
ON	11173	INT	3242
EN	11078	AID	3229
AR	10709	ART	3225
AS	10503	SAI	3180
ET	9639	ALL	3162
OR	9146	VER	3160
TI	9107	HIN	3059
TE	8756	EDT	3040
SA	8652	OTH	2804
IS	8626	OUT	2734
OF	8041	ITH	2689
WA	7969	GHT	2653
LE	7860	FTH	2611
SE	7772	EDA	2578
AL	7671	STH	2572
TT	7495	TER	2551
VE	7445	SHE	2533
LL	7162	OFT	2532
TA	7136	REA	2412
RO	6890	OME	2341
ME	6877	ONT	2309
NE	6740	HAD	2298
LY	6606	AST	2260
DT	6604	ONE	2153
RT	6591	TIN	2149
EL	6539	EST	2146
ID	6272	ESA	2139
LI	6245	NGT	2134
AI	6074	ION	2107
RA	6020	ATT	2098
SH	5937	EAR	2078

Some of these are biased by the text, but sometimes it’s merely important that a string appears on the list anywhere. Remember that there is no guarantee that any given digram or trigram will appear in a text. For example, I have decoded one ciphertext that did not contain the trigram THE. We will refer back to these tables.

Frequency Clues

Frequency analysis is the key to breaking a substitution cipher. This section will go over some of the most useful techniques for using the lengthy charts of gibberish that can be obtained through frequency analysis.

Accentuate the Positive:

Whenever you have added a new letter to the key, it is important to go and look for sections of text that can be part of larger words or phrases. Sometimes a lucky guess at some long word will yield several new letters and start an avalanche of new possibilities that lead to finishing up the decryption. Also, the deciphering endgame is entirely made up of looking through the text for spaces and filling in the blanks with appropriate letters. Every other trick in this paper is to help you get to the point where the remaining letters become obvious.

An example of this would be one time when I thought I had found a block that included _ISSI_N. A guess led to me finishing that as MISSION. This filled in a lot of gaps in the text, and soon helped me realize that it didn’t say MISSION, but rather MILLION.

Eliminate the Negative:

After each trial of a new key value, look through the text for strings that don’t make sense. Lots of consonants or vowels in a row, unlikely letter strings, and a general feeling of gibberish are good indications that you’ve made a mistake somewhere. Sometimes it’s a good idea to keep your error for a while to see if any of it reminds you of something else, but often it’s a good idea to get rid of bad key values if you can figure out which ones are likely to be bad.

Also, remember that sometimes strange letter combinations are perfectly legitimate. The Q in Iraq need not be followed by a U, and A can precede E. STS and TST are both legitimate combinations, but TLT is not as likely as LTL. Winnowing out unacceptable combinations is one area where a codebreaker must develop a feel for how the language works.

THE:

The first thing to do when staring at a new block of ciphertext is to find the most common trigram, THE. This is one area where I disagree with most other cryptographers, who recommend finding E first. Fundamentally, they may be about the same task, but my approach looks at more information up front.

THE can often be identified based on its influence on all three major frequency categories. In the list of trigrams, it is often at or near the top. The two digrams, TH and HE, should appear frequently, and usually more often than THE. Also, TH should occur more often than HE, but don’t get hung up on that. In the letter frequencies, both T and E should be near the top of the list (usually in the top two spots), and H should be about 1/4 to 1/2 of the way down the list.

If the most common trigram doesn’t seem to work, then work down the list of trigrams trying to find trigrams that match the right relative letter frequencies. It sometimes helps to limit your search to trigrams ending with the most common letter or two (especially when one letter occurs much more frequently than all of the others).

Another method that can help eliminate unlikely candidates is to look at the candidate TH digram and see how often the HT digram appears. While it is possible to have HT appear often in a text, it is significantly less common than TH in most texts. Also, HT is almost always preceded by G.

A word of warning should be given about other common words. In a specific short body of text, it is common to have a single word or variants of a word to appear many times. When this happens, trigrams from that word may dominate the list of trigrams. If some common trigram is always or almost always found either before or after another letter (or group of letters), then it is probably not THE. One amusing example of this was in a text where HER occurred most often, and it was represented by the ciphertext trigram HIM.

E:

Sometimes THE proves to be more elusive than you’re ready to deal with. When that happens, it is often possible to identify the letter E. It appears far more often than any letter in the English language, and is almost always on the top of the frequency charts. If one letter occurs a couple percent more often than the rest, then it’s probably E.

THAT:

Most bodies of text contain the string THAT. If you see one or more TH_T strings, then try out A in the middle. If this gives AE digrams, then you may want to question it, but remember that TH_T almost always requires a vowel, and that vowel is almost always A.

The ER/RE Effect:

Looking through the list of digrams, one might notice that ER occurs 4^th, and RE is 7^th on the list. This means that if the same digram appears frequently as both XY and YX, then it probably represents ER/RE (distinguishing which is E and which is R is easy, since E is more than twice as common as R).

Double Letters:

Only so many plaintext letters are likely to occur twice, like the Ts in the word leTTers. The most common doubles are TT, EE, LL, SS, and OO, with DD, FF, HH, MM, NN, PP, and RR being reasonably likely as well. If a letter other than T or E (which are hopefully identified by this point) that is doubled several times is likely to be L or S. If a doubled letter is in the top few spots in terms of frequency, then S and O are likely values. A, I, and U are almost never doubled, although it is not impossible (“spa activity”, “I inched…”, and “gnu udder” are examples).

Double Letters Special Case—IGGIs:

In “The Shadow of the Hegemon” by Orson Scott Card, a character deciphered a code by identifying that a string of four letters in the form XYYX meant IGGI, which was part of another character’s name. The rest of the text fell into place after that. These types of letter combinations are quite uncommon, and therefore of limited use in code breaking, but they can be useful at times. The most common IGGI patterns are ILLI, OTTO, ESSE, ETTE, HTTH, ALLA, OLLO, NOON, ITTI, ELLE, and ISSI. For the record, IGGI occurs twice in the Hitchhiker plaintext, and is 80^th on the list of IGGIs. Unless people are writing to you about a Wiggin, then it is unlikely that IGGI will appear in your plaintext.

QU:

It sometimes pays to look through the bottom few letters on the frequency list for possible translations of Q. If a very uncommon letter occurs more than once, and is always followed by the same letter, then the pair could be QU, especially if the third letter after it is E (which you should know by now). The letter U should be about halfway down the frequency list, so candidates for QU should be checked for a match with the appropriate frequencies. If there are letters that only occur once in the ciphertext, look for the letter that follows it and see if it could be Q. If the letter following a single letter isn’t in the top 10 on the frequency chart, then it is probably QU (J, X, and Z are almost always followed by a vowel, and typically that vowel is E).

Pick a Vowel:

If A, I, and O haven’t been found up to this point, then it may make sense to try them out, one at a time, in the top unused spots. As a general rule, when they come together, A comes after E, but I and O are more likely to come before E (I can go either way, but most of the time it doesn’t come after C or sounded like “ay”). This kind of guessing is tricky, and the only way to know if you have it right is to look at what it changes the plaintext to and see if it makes any sense.

Pick a Consonant:

When you’re taking wild stabs at the code, picking a vowel will often create strings of letters that have way too many vowels in a row. When that happens, replace one of the vowels with a consonant, and see what happens. While A, I, and O all occur frequently, and at about the same frequency, the consonants vary from T, which is very common, to Q, which is not at all common. So, when trying consonants, first use the most common ones like T (if you haven’t already found it), S, H (again, if needed), R, D, and L. Anything less common than that shouldn’t have to be found by this kind of haphazard method. Pay some attention to doubled letter frequencies when doing this, although most of the common consonants are likely to appear doubled.

Keep Trying:

If nothing seems to be working, then go back and try again. Look further down the lists for possible candidates. Try to come up with better explanations for strange letter patterns. If nothing else works, go away and come back later when you can look at it with a fresh eye.

Example Problem:

Consider the ciphertext:

UHRTQBJOXUPQOBQUOGKWHQLUXXWPQERLIGQOIROPU
ILDFKVQFUQTQUOGKHQRLIIHRIGKPRDSHIQLUWBJGU
OSHJGQFDOWXJLPWRUPHUWTJUBQVLQRMUOSXJLIHQJ
OFKIUGQUORGUODIQBHRICUIHLQEJLIQLWUYDWIPJO
IMOJCCHQOWJGQIUGQWUIUWRFUIIFQHRLPIJWCRFFJ
CVDIKJDYDWIWCRFFJCUIROPMQQESJUOSVQBRDWQIH
RIWCHRIKJDHRTQIJPJEJFKSLREHWSUTQOIJVJIHHQ
LXRIHQLROPHQLSLROPXRIHQLRLBHUQFDOWXJLPLRU
WQPOJUGGQPURIQBJOBQLOWIJUOTQWIUSRIJLWRDIH
JLUIUQWROOJDOBQPIDQWPRKREJFKSLREHJXYQWWUB
RWSLROPGJIHQLLDIHFDOWXJLPUOBFDPQPICJLQWEJ
OWQWIHRILRUWQPLQPXFRSWVDIBJDFPHRTQVQQOWIL
QWWLQFRIQP

Frequency analysis gives:

C	#	P	#	C	#	P	#	C	#	P	#	C	#	P	#
Q	55	E	136052	IH	11	TH	38691	HQL	6	THE	22816	FF	2	TT	7495
I	46	T	110940	RI	10	HE	33224	HRI	5	ING	10128	II	2	LL	7162
R	40	A	94865	HQ	9	IN	22854	ROP	5	AND	8459	QQ	2	EE	5676
J	36	O	85077	HR	9	ER	17863	IHQ	4	HER	5349	WW	2	SS	4485
U	36	I	81190	QL	9	AN	16709	SLR	4	HAT	5328	CC	1	OO	3730
W	36	N	75116	UO	9	ED	15562	XJL	4	THA	5178	GG	1	DD	1640
L	34	H	74789	JL	8	RE	14310	DOW	3	ERE	5031	HH	1	PP	1571
O	33	S	69698	LR	8	OU	12917	FDO	3	THI	4887	LL	1	RR	1563
H	28	R	64330	QW	8	TO	12801	HRT	3	WAS	4694	OO	1	FF	1277
P	25	D	54228	OW	7	NT	12757	IHR	3	DTH	4095	XX	1	NN	779
D	19	L	49171	QP	7	ND	12727	JLP	3	HIS	4032	AA	0	HH	774
F	18	U	34741	GQ	6	AT	12708	LRO	3	HES	4006	BB	0	MM	612
B	13	W	27612	LQ	6	ST	12629	OBQ	3	TTH	3919	DD	0	GG	570
G	13	C	26937	RO	6	HA	12597	OWX	3	ETH	3872	EE	0	CC	404
S	12	G	26462	TQ	6	ES	12570	QUO	3	ENT	3742	JJ	0	WW	325
X	11	M	25103	UI	6	IT	12186	RTQ	3	FOR	3716	KK	0	BB	285
K	10	F	24427	WI	6	NG	11833	UOS	3	YOU	3647	MM	0	YY	200
C	9	Y	24230	DI	5	HI	11770	WXJ	3	NTH	3559	NN	0	AA	157
E	8	P	21582	IJ	5	EA	11193	BJO	2	RTH	3486	PP	0	KK	139
T	7	B	17835	IQ	5	ON	11173	CRF	2	INT	3242	RR	0	ZZ	102
V	7	K	10891	IU	5	EN	11078	CUI	2	AID	3229	SS	0	UU	52
M	3	V	10393	JO	5	AR	10709	DIH	2	ART	3225	TT	0	II	38
Y	3	X	2210	OP	5	AS	10503	DWI	2	SAI	3180	UU	0	QQ	2
A	0	Z	1829	QO	5	ET	9639	EJF	2	ALL	3162	VV	0	JJ	0
N	0	J	1677	UW	5	OR	9146	FFJ	2	VER	3160	YY	0	VV	0
Z	0	Q	1071	BJ	4	TI	9107	FJC	2	HIN	3059	ZZ	0	XX	0

From this, it seems that Q=e, and IHQ=the. Everything seems to back this up, even with IHQ appearing 4th on the trigram list. Inputting it gives (with lowercase letters indicating plaintext)

UhRTeBJOXUPeOBeUOGKWheLUXXWPeERLtGeOtROPU
tLDFKVeFUeTeUOGKheRLtthRtGKPRDShteLUWBJGU
OShJGeFDOWXJLPWRUPhUWTJUBeVLeRMUOSXJLtheJ
OFKtUGeUORGUODteBhRtCUthLeEJLteLWUYDWtPJO
tMOJCCheOWJGetUGeWUtUWRFUttFehRLPtJWCRFFJ
CVDtKJDYDWtWCRFFJCUtROPMeeESJUOSVeBRDWeth
RtWChRtKJDhRTetJPJEJFKSLREhWSUTeOtJVJthhe
LXRtheLROPheLSLROPXRtheLRLBhUeFDOWXJLPLRU
WePOJUGGePURteBJOBeLOWtJUOTeWtUSRtJLWRDth
JLUtUeWROOJDOBePtDeWPRKREJFKSLREhJXYeWWUB
RWSLROPGJtheLLDthFDOWXJLPUOBFDPePtCJLeWEJ
OWeWthRtLRUWePLePXFRSWVDtBJDFPhRTeVeeOWtL
eWWLeFRteP

Near the middle of the second line, we see “thRt” which means that R=a.

UhaTeBJOXUPeOBeUOGKWheLUXXWPeEaLtGeOtaOPU
tLDFKVeFUeTeUOGKheaLtthatGKPaDShteLUWBJGU
OShJGeFDOWXJLPWaUPhUWTJUBeVLeaMUOSXJLtheJ
OFKtUGeUOaGUODteBhatCUthLeEJLteLWUYDWtPJO
tMOJCCheOWJGetUGeWUtUWaFUttFehaLPtJWCaFFJ
CVDtKJDYDWtWCaFFJCUtaOPMeeESJUOSVeBaDWeth
atWChatKJDhaTetJPJEJFKSLaEhWSUTeOtJVJthhe
LXatheLaOPheLSLaOPXatheLaLBhUeFDOWXJLPLaU
WePOJUGGePUateBJOBeLOWtJUOTeWtUSatJLWaDth
JLUtUeWaOOJDOBePtDeWPaKaEJFKSLaEhJXYeWWUB
aWSLaOPGJtheLLDthFDOWXJLPUOBFDPePtCJLeWEJ
OWeWthatLaUWePLePXFaSWVDtBJDFPhaTeVeeOWtL
eWWLeFateP

Everything’s looking good, but nothing else is sticking out at the moment. So, we move on to something else. Examining the frequency chart shows QL 5th on the list, and LQ 13th. From this, we guess that L=r.

UhaTeBJOXUPeOBeUOGKWherUXXWPeEartGeOtaOPU
trDFKVeFUeTeUOGKheartthatGKPaDShterUWBJGU
OShJGeFDOWXJrPWaUPhUWTJUBeVreaMUOSXJrtheJ
OFKtUGeUOaGUODteBhatCUthreEJrterWUYDWtPJO
tMOJCCheOWJGetUGeWUtUWaFUttFeharPtJWCaFFJ
CVDtKJDYDWtWCaFFJCUtaOPMeeESJUOSVeBaDWeth
atWChatKJDhaTetJPJEJFKSraEhWSUTeOtJVJthhe
rXatheraOPherSraOPXatherarBhUeFDOWXJrPraU
WePOJUGGePUateBJOBerOWtJUOTeWtUSatJrWaDth
JrUtUeWaOOJDOBePtDeWPaKaEJFKSraEhJXYeWWUB
aWSraOPGJtherrDthFDOWXJrPUOBFDPePtCJreWEJ
OWeWthatraUWePrePXFaSWVDtBJDFPhaTeVeeOWtr
eWWreFateP

Near the middle of this, we see “ttherXathera”, which could be “… her father …”. This fits in with the frequency of X, so we try X=f.

UhaTeBJOfUPeOBeUOGKWherUffWPeEartGeOtaOPU
trDFKVeFUeTeUOGKheartthatGKPaDShterUWBJGU
OShJGeFDOWfJrPWaUPhUWTJUBeVreaMUOSfJrtheJ
OFKtUGeUOaGUODteBhatCUthreEJrterWUYDWtPJO
tMOJCCheOWJGetUGeWUtUWaFUttFeharPtJWCaFFJ
CVDtKJDYDWtWCaFFJCUtaOPMeeESJUOSVeBaDWeth
atWChatKJDhaTetJPJEJFKSraEhWSUTeOtJVJthhe
rfatheraOPherSraOPfatherarBhUeFDOWfJrPraU
WePOJUGGePUateBJOBerOWtJUOTeWtUSatJrWaDth
JrUtUeWaOOJDOBePtDeWPaKaEJFKSraEhJfYeWWUB
aWSraOPGJtherrDthFDOWfJrPUOBFDPePtCJreWEJ
OWeWthatraUWePrePfFaSWVDtBJDFPhaTeVeeOWtr
eWWreFateP

At this point, more of it is starting to make sense. Since we have the context of a father, it is reasonable to expect that in the second line we have “PaDShter” meaning “daughter”. This almost looks like too good a match, especially since HT is almost always preceded by a G, so we try it out with P=d, D=u, and S=g.

UhaTeBJOfUdeOBeUOGKWherUffWdeEartGeOtaOdU
truFKVeFUeTeUOGKheartthatGKdaughterUWBJGU
OghJGeFuOWfJrdWaUdhUWTJUBeVreaMUOgfJrtheJ
OFKtUGeUOaGUOuteBhatCUthreEJrterWUYuWtdJO
tMOJCCheOWJGetUGeWUtUWaFUttFehardtJWCaFFJ
CVutKJuYuWtWCaFFJCUtaOdMeeEgJUOgVeBauWeth
atWChatKJuhaTetJdJEJFKgraEhWgUTeOtJVJthhe
rfatheraOdhergraOdfatherarBhUeFuOWfJrdraU
WedOJUGGedUateBJOBerOWtJUOTeWtUgatJrWauth
JrUtUeWaOOJuOBedtueWdaKaEJFKgraEhJfYeWWUB
aWgraOdGJtherruthFuOWfJrdUOBFudedtCJreWEJ
OWeWthatraUWedredfFagWVutBJuFdhaTeVeeOWtr
eWWreFated

At this point, we can see that O=n, and we can guess that F=l. We could also guess that “reEJrter” means “reporter”, but there’s no need to rush things.

UhaTeBJnfUdenBeUnGKWherUffWdeEartGentandU
trulKVelUeTeUnGKheartthatGKdaughterUWBJGU
nghJGelunWfJrdWaUdhUWTJUBeVreaMUngfJrtheJ
nlKtUGeUnaGUnuteBhatCUthreEJrterWUYuWtdJn
tMnJCChenWJGetUGeWUtUWalUttlehardtJWCallJ
CVutKJuYuWtWCallJCUtandMeeEgJUngVeBauWeth
atWChatKJuhaTetJdJEJlKgraEhWgUTentJVJthhe
rfatherandhergrandfatherarBhUelunWfJrdraU
WednJUGGedUateBJnBernWtJUnTeWtUgatJrWauth
JrUtUeWannJunBedtueWdaKaEJlKgraEhJfYeWWUB
aWgrandGJtherruthlunWfJrdUnBludedtCJreWEJ
nWeWthatraUWedredflagWVutBJuldhaTeVeenWtr
eWWrelated

“raUWedredflagW” and the blocks that follow it suggest that U=i, W=s, V=b, B=w, J=o, and T=v. “grandGJther” should be “grandmother”, giving G=m. We try these out:

ihavewonfidenweinmKsheriffsdeEartmentandi
trulKbelieveinmKheartthatmKdaughteriswomi
nghomelunsfordsaidhisvoiwebreaMingfortheo
nlKtimeinaminutewhatCithreEortersiYustdon
tMnoCChensometimesitisalittlehardtosCallo
CbutKouYustsCalloCitandMeeEgoingbewauseth
atsChatKouhavetodoEolKgraEhsgiventobothhe
rfatherandhergrandfatherarwhielunsfordrai
sednoimmediatewonwernstoinvestigatorsauth
oritiesannounwedtuesdaKaEolKgraEhofYessiw
asgrandmotherruthlunsfordinwludedtCoresEo
nsesthatraisedredflagsbutwouldhavebeenstr
essrelated

The first line now reads, “I have wonfidednwe in …” which makes me think that B=c. We also can see that E=p, K=y, M=k, C=w, and Y=j.

ihaveconfidenceinmysheriffsdepartmentandi
trulybelieveinmyheartthatmydaughteriscomi
nghomelunsfordsaidhisvoicebreakingfortheo
nlytimeinaminutechatwithreportersijustdon
tknowwhensometimesitisalittlehardtoswallo
wbutyoujustswallowitandkeepgoingbecauseth
atswhatyouhavetodopolygraphsgiventobothhe
rfatherandhergrandfatherarchielunsfordrai
sednoimmediateconcernstoinvestigatorsauth
oritiesannouncedtuesdayapolygraphofjessic
asgrandmotherruthlunsfordincludedtworespo
nsesthatraisedredflagsbutcouldhavebeenstr
essrelated

At this point, we’re done. The original text read,

“I have confidence in my sheriff's department, and I truly believe in my heart that my daughter is coming home,” Lunsford said, his voice breaking for the only time in a 10-minute chat with reporters. "I just don't know when. Sometimes it is a little hard to swallow, but you just swallow it and keep going because that's what you have to do."

Polygraphs given to both her father and her grandfather, Archie Lunsford, 72, raised no immediate concerns to investigators. Authorities announced Tuesday a polygraph of Jessica's grandmother, Ruth Lunsford, 73, included two responses that "raised red flags," but could have been stress-related.

(From a CNN article about then missing Florida girl Jessica Lunsford. For the record, I’m not morbid, but I typically grab paragraphs from CNN articles for my plaintexts.)

Zelda Walkthrough

Ok, most of you already know that I'm way into the Legend of Zelda (I've finished every game in English). So, a while ago, in an attempt to share my wisdom, I wrote a walkthrough for Link's Awakening. Problem was, my immediate circle of friends didn't have much demand for it and it doesn't help anyone just sitting on the server in a personal folder. So this is it. Everything anyone could ever possibly want to know about the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (barring Game Shark/Genie, of course). On the Web at last. Last updated: September 30, 2005

The Legend of Zelda

Link’s Awakening

Full Walkthrough

This is a comprehensive guide to the world of Link's Awakening. All facts have been verified by myself, and if you feel that I've left anything out, or made a mistake, let me know.

Layout

1. Storyline

2. Characters

3. Items

4. Seashell locations

5. Piece of Heart Locations

6. tips and tricks

7. Gameplay

8. Color Dungeon

1. Storyline.

You start out the game getting shipwrecked on a remote island called Koholint. A young girl named Marin finds you laying unconscious on the beach and takes you into her home. When you wake up, Marin tells you where you are and her Father, Tarin, gives you your shield and tells you to go down to the beach where you washed up. There you find your sword and meet the owl whose name never comes up throughout the course of the game. He tells you to go to the Mysterious Forest and find the Tail Key. After you get it and beat the first level, you hear the first (but certainly not the last) about the Wind Fish. Over the course of the game, you learn that you must wake the Wind Fish to leave. Is Koholint a dream? only one way to find out.

2. Characters

Link: you, the main character, the hero, whatever you call him, it wouldn’t be the Legend of Zelda without our green clothed main character.

Marin: The girl who finds Link at the beginning of the game, and who bears a strange resemblance to Princess Zelda (who *sob* doesn’t appear in this game).

Tarin: Marin’s mushroom loving father.

Madame Meowmeow: the owner of Bowwow, the nasty hound (who looks suspiciously like a chain-chomp) who likes to chomp on enemies.

Grandpa Ulrira: The know-it-all of Koholint. If you’re stuck, see him. NOT!!! He doesn’t have nearly as good information as I do.

The Owl: The annoying, talkative “guide” to the world. He has info on where to go next after completing a major task.

Richard: He used to live in Kanalet Castle, but got kicked out by his servants. This greedy guy will want you to retrieve 5 gold leaves.

The Camera Rat: this guy, like the Owl, doesn’t have a name, but the sooner you see him in the game, the more pictures he’ll take of you, which can be printed with Gameboy Printer. He's right one screen of the cave where you pick up Bowwow. He makes his appearance only in DX.

3. Items

Useable items:

Sword: L1 is at the beach. The L2 sword is obtained by collecting 20 or more seashells and going to the seashell house.

Shield: L1 is given to you at the beginning of the game; L2 (Mirror shield) is in level 7, Eagle’s tower.

Roc’s feather: found in tail cave. Used for jumping

Power bracelet: L1 is found in level 2, Bottle Grotto; L2 is hidden in Level 8, Turtle Rock.

Mushroom: The only thing this is useful for is to give to the witch in exchange for magic powder.

Magic Powder: obtained by taking a mushroom to the witch OR the easy way is to win it at the trendy game. It’s more expensive, but for less effort.

Bombs: bought at item shop after purchasing the shovel or after completing level one.

Shovel: bought for 200 rupees at the item shop. Best to buy early, if possible.

Bow and Arrow Set: bought for 980 rupees. Can only be bought after the shovel is yours.

Pegasus Boots: Found in key cavern. Makes you dash and attack.

Hookshot: found in Level 5 Catfish’s maw. Used to attack from a distance, pull yourself to certain objects or grab items.

Ocarina: found in the Shrine of Sleeping. Used to play the 3 songs, Ballad of the Wind Fish, Manbo’s Mambo, and Frog’s song of Soul.

Magic Rod: possibly the most powerful item, rivaled only by the L2 sword. It shoots fireballs which take out almost any enemy.

Other items:

Flippers: allow you to swim in deep water. A to swim, B to dive. Found in Angler’s Tunnel.

Potion: perhaps the most useful of these items, if you run out of hearts, they’ll all be restored.

Magnifying Glass: Obtained through a series of trades which go as such: Yoshi Doll (won at Trendy game) for Ribbon (quintuplet’s mother) for Dog Food (Bowwow’s doghouse) for Bananas (Beach Banana house) for Stick (Monkey to right of front entrance of Kanalet Castle) for Honeycomb (Tarin, North of the Pig’s head rock [down 1, left 1, down 1, left 1 from front castle entrance]) for Pineapple (Bear Chef in Animal Village) for Hibiscus (Papahl in the mountains [down 1, left 1 from Chicken house]) for Letter (the Goat in Animal Village) for Broom (Mr. Write, Northern Mysterious woods) for Fishing Hook (Ulrira’s wife in Animal Village) for Necklace(Fishing Dude under bridge South-East Martha’s Bay) for Scale (Mermaid in Martha’s Bay) take the Scale to the statue in west Martha’s bay, insert it and you’ll enter a cave with the Magnifying glass in it.

Gold Leaves: Found at Kanalet Castle, one is on the left side, you throw a rock at the crow and kill it to get the first one, on the right side of the castle you kill the guy in the holes to get it, inside, one screen left, kill every enemy, proceed inward. Second level of the castle, bomb the statues on the walls to make them attack. The one on the right should yield the leaf, finally, you proceed to the outer balcony and in the right hand entrance. Throw a pot at the door inside to get to the Ball and Chain dude, kill him for leaf number 5

Secret Seashells: see "Seashell Locations” section.

Tail Key: found in Mysterious woods, north of raccoon after sprinkling magic dust on the varmint.

Slime Key: Found in Pothole Field, after giving Richard his leaves.

Angler’s Key: found in the Southwestern desert, after you kill the snake-like Lanmola.

Face Key: found in Face Shrine, north of Animal Village. Defeat the big Armos with your arrows.

Bird Key: found in cave south of chicken house in mountains. Must have Flying Rooster.

Eight Instruments: found at the end of each level. They include: Full Moon Cello, Conch Horn, Sea Lily Bell, Surf Harp, Wind Marimba, Coral Triangle, Organ of Evening Calm and Thunder Drum.

Special Clothes: Found only in DX after completing the color dungeon. Red makes your sword stronger, blue makes you take less damage.

Piece of Power: found when a monster drops it, as long as you don’t go through any doors or take too much damage, it’ll double your sword’s attack strength.

Guardian Acorn: This item, like the Piece of Power is completely unique to Link’s Awakening. You get it the same way you get the Piece of Power, and works the same way except it doubles your defense.

4. Seashell Locations

There are (by my count) 24 seashells in this game, but you never need more than 20 to get the level 2 sword.

1. South one screen of the Item shop in Mabe Village (cut bushes)

2. In Bowwow’s doghouse (dig)

3. West of Tail cave (run into a tree with boots)

4. West of Graveyard (one down, one left of witch’s shop)(dig)

5. Mysterious Forest (one west, one down from cave leading to mushroom)

6. North of Signpost Maze (in the tree next to the phone booth)

7. North of Key cavern (1 North, dig in the middle of the grass.)

8. East of Seashell House (Cut bushes)

9. Seashell House (must have exactly 5 shells to get it. Just approach the gate.)

10. Seashell House (Same as #9, but with 10 shells.)

11. North of Martha’s Bay (1 screen North, under a rock.)

12. West of Front gate to Kanalet Castle (there is a cave which you must have the Flying Rooster to get to)

13. Desert (Southeastern most corner of map, under rock)

14. Road to Face Shrine (where you get the Face Key)(2 screens east of Shrine. Under Armos.)

15. NE of Key Cavern (must have Flippers. Dig on north most island)

16. NW of Bay (there is a cave just WNW of Bay. Inside, on left side of wall, find bombing point. Follow out and dig north of exit.

17. South Martha’s Bay (up 1 from the bridge where you get the Necklace, dig by the little statue guy thing)

18. SW of Bay (Right 2 screens from the abandoned Beach house, you have to swim to this one which is under a bush.

19. Up 1, over 1 from #18 (under a bush)

20. In the abandoned beach house (after you’ve put the Ghost you meet after Level 4 to rest.)

21. Under Richard’s House (after giving Richard his leaves, you get to enter a cave. If you take the left path, you’ll end up with a seashell.)

22. Rapids (The only way to access this one is from Level 6, Key Cavern. In the farthest up and left room of the level, there is a stairway. Go up it and you’ll end up on a small island in the rapids where you can get a seashell.)

23. In the Mountains (From the cliff where you jump down to get to Angler’s Tunnel, go right 2, into the cave, bomb the wall, go up, up the stairs, push the rocks to get out, head down till you find a chest. Inside is a seashell.)

24. North from Key Cavern (from the entrance go right, up and left, then dig in the middle of the circle of grass.)

    (Note: if you try to find a secret seashell after you have the L2 sword, you will either get nothing or 20 rupees if it is in a chest.)

Piece of Heart Locations:

1. West of Mabe, one up from the library (jump from ledge into well)

2. North of Mabe, Fishing pond (Catch the big fish on right side of screen)

3. In the Forest, left of Crazy Tracy’s

4. Left of where you get the honeycomb. In the cave, 2^nd screen up, bomb the right wall.

5. In the desert. After beating the worm, fall down the hole in the middle, bomb the upper wall.

6. In the graveyard (start 1 right of the witch’s hut) 2^nd screen down, push the lower right gravestone. It’s easiest with the hookshot.

7. In the river, 3 right from the entrance to level 4. In the cave, dive around.

8. In the moat of Kanalet Castle. Up one from the phone booth to the right of the castle, go up, into the moat, go left and around. 1 screen before you get to the bridge (while in the water) dive around. You’ll find it.

9. In the cave you went through to get the mushroom. You must have the Power Bracelet.

10. The next one is 3 left of the chicken house, down the stairs under the bush. If you bomb the bottom wall, and then go right, you’ll find it.

11. At Turtle Rock. When you go outside, it is one left of the final warp hole.

12. The final piece is just outside of Animal Village. Go to where the walrus is/was. Up 3 from there is a bombable wall. Go in, left and up. To get to this one, you must know the exploding arrow trick, then use the Hookshot.

Tips and Tricks:

1. Stealing from the shop: if you pick up an item and stand behind the shopkeeper, he’ll look at you. When his back is turned, run out the door. From that point on, you’ll be known as THIEF. Oh, and if you set foot inside the shop again, you will pay...!

2. Save Money: after purchasing an item, while the money is still being deducted, save and quit. The quicker you do this, the more money you keep.

3. Trick Warp (Only in original, non DX version): if you go to the edge of a screen and push select as you start to go to the next screen, you’ll end up on the side opposite where you should be on the next screen. Be especially careful when using this trick in caves and dungeons.

4. When Chickens Attack: if you hit a chicken enough, the tormented bird will call its friends to attack you. If you roast the original chicken (with Magic Powder or the Magic Rod) however, its friends will stop attacking.

5. Increase inventory: if you need more bombs, arrows and magic powder, go see the bat in the Mysterious Forest (one up from the cave you go through to get the mushroom, it’s under a rock), Bay Area (go one down from the mermaid statue, across the gaps and down the stairs. After you go through the cave, go left and down the stairs.) And in the mountains (after getting past the falling rocks, go one left, it’s under a rock). Once inside his cave, throw magic powder into the well.

6. Boomerang: after getting the Magnifying Glass, go right 2 from where you got the L1 sword. Bomb open the cave and inside you can trade your shovel for the boomerang

7. Flying Marin: at the end of the game in the non-DX version, when it says the end, there is a sea gull that flies across the screen. If you haven't lost a single life, the seagull will be a winged Marin instead. In DX it shows a picture of Marin and a thank you message from the producers.

8. Trendy Game: I highly recommend that you practice and get really good at the Trendy game. I always have the Shovel and Bow and Arrows before entering level one because of this.

9. Exploding Arrows: If you equip bombs and arrows at the same time, you can press both buttons at the same time to shoot an arrow that blows on contact.

10. Different Music: If you enter your name as ZELDA in the start new game screen, you’ll hear alternate music.

11. Marin's Grudge: if you enter the Trendy Game while Marin is following you, she will pick up the game shop owner with the crane. It's a nice little bit of comic relief.

Gameplay:

Sword: You start the game waking up in a house with Marin watching over you, you talk to her and her dad, who then gives you your shield, and leave. The general opinion of Marin and Tarin is that you should go to the beach and look for other things. Follow the path along the bottom of the screen outside their house till you run out of path and keep going south. When you come to some Oktoroks, go east one, push the Sea Urchins with your shield and go south, then east. Use the same method on the Urchin and pick up your sword. Before you can get it though, an owl appears and starts talking to you. He is boring and long-winded. Anyway, he tells you to go to the forest, blah, blah, blah, and you get your sword. Now you can trash some bozos! (I usually head back to the village and go play the trendy game to get the Yoshi doll, the Magic Powder, and enough rupees to buy the shovel. Time consuming, but worth it. Also, you can go to the fishing pond and get a Piece of Heart.)

Forest: To get to the forest of mystery, head back to the library and head north two spaces and cut the bush. Once inside, the owl will bore--sorry, inform you again. First thing in the forest is to get the Magic Powder (if you didn’t do like I do and get it at the Trendy Game). First, go up, right, up, right, work your way through the cave, (push the rocks to get out) and get the mushroom on the other side of the cave. Go back through the cave, then up 2, right 2, down 2, right 1, enter the witch’s hut, select the mushroom in the sub-screen and give it to her. She’ll make your powder. Now go back to the cave, go left and up. If you go up without taking care of the raccoon, you’ll end up on the other side of the forest. Sprinkle powder on the varmint and talk to Talon (the ‘coon’s true identity) and head up. After opening the chest, the owl will blabber on about the Tail Cave.

Level 1, Tail Cave: After getting the Tail Key, go back to one screen below the library. Go 3 spaces right, then go left so that you are south of the holes you saw. Down one, right one, and go up to the keyhole. Push it and the cave will open. Enter Level 1. This level is so simple, I don’t really think you need a guide, but here I am writing it anyway. First, go left, push the enemies down the hole with your shield, and grab the key. As you will soon find out, the compass is next to useless in this game, but if you want it, go left and go for it. If not, go up from the entrance. After taking care of the enemies, step on the button and grab the key. Go right, kill all enemies and grab the map, go up. Right one, grab the key (beware the Anti-Fairies), go right. If you have bombs (bought from Mabe shop after shovel) bomb the wall for a Seashell. Otherwise, go up 2, right one, around the blocks, left 2 (push the block so they’re all touching in the second screen) and kill the Spinies by hitting them with the shield and slashing them. Down the stairs, left 2, up 2, get Roc’s feather from chest, go back to the room above the room with the map. Left one, go around the blocks so that you’re on top, and go up. Jump across the gap, use a key in the block and go left for the boss key. Now back to the room above the map. Go right one, if you want the Stone Slab (or beak in DX), go up and hit the 3 guys when the symbols are the same to kill them. If you don’t want the beak, go right and fight the mini-boss. All you have to do to him is jump over his spiny log and slash him repeatedly. Go up two to fight the real boss, the Moldorm.

BOSS: Moldorm: to beat him, just avoid the pits and hit his tail till he blows up. Hint: if you hit him when he moves fast, you’ll deal more damage. For your effort, you get a heart container and the Full Moon Cello. Wow, that was a big worm. Now I'll catch me a humongous fish!

Saving Bowwow: After beating Moldorm, go left from the cave and the owl will appear again. When he’s done, go back the library. There two of the quintuplets will tell you to go to Madame MeowMeow’s house (left of Marin’s house). There you will notice a strange absence of chain chomps. Namely, Bowwow. You soon learn that he was kidnapped by Moblins. To get to them, go to the screen left one and up two screens from the witch’s hut, jump across the holes, go up, right and into the cave. It’s very simple from here. Kill enemies till you get to the big Moblin. This guy is hardly even a mini boss. You just avoid him, stay close to the left or right wall and let him hit the wall when he charges. He’ll then be stunned and vulnerable to sword attacks. Lather, rinse, repeat. After that, just go right, push the rock to which bowwow is attached to and presto, you’re holding his leash. Yay? Don’t bother returning Bowwow to his owner. She’ll just tell you to take him for a walk. Besides you need him to get into Goponga Swamp. To do this, get back to where you got the Tail Key, then left, up, right 2, up one. In case you haven’t noticed, Bowwow will eat enemies. This is exactly why you need him, because he eats the Indigestible Flowers of Goponga Swamp. Go right from here, and it may be a good idea to grab 50 rupees (down and right) but you don't have to. Either way, just go right from the giant Flower, have Bowwow open the way and head into Bottle Grotto.

Level 2: Bottle Grotto: To start out, go up, light the torches with magic powder, and go right. Kill the Stalfos, and grab the key. If you want the compass, go down. If you want the map (or beak in DX) go left 2 (use the key) and up one. If you don’t care enough, go right 2 spaces. Here, you see some Shy Guys (with masks). You can’t win a frontal assault on them, but if you go up to the blocks and hit their masks, you’ll be bounced back. Hold out your sword and back up toward the blocks, release for the kill and collect another key. After that, go right one and down one by hitting the orb (crystal switch). You can snag another key here, too, by hitting the switch and opening the chest. Move right. If the blocks are down, you can just jump across the gaps (don’t forget the Magic Powder) hit the button, hit the switch, grab the key and move on. When you get to the room with spinies and a locked door, use the key, and in the next room, push the two blocks onto the different colored tiles to move on. Go through the side-scrolling cave, and over the gaps in the next room. Up one from here, you fight the mini boss Cyclops. He’s pretty basic, but you want to keep as close as possible. If he charges you and grabs you, you’ll pay dearly with hearts. Spin attacks work well on this guy. Go right and up from here. In this room you’ll meet an enemy that sucks you into the pits. The best way to beat it is to power up your sword and jump at it, releasing just before you land. It can take a few tries, but worth learning. After that, grab the map (or stone slab if you're not playing DX) and head up. Before doing anything else (besides fight) get the flying powder. You’ll need it. Go through the locked door. In this room, you’ll find a pair of ghosts who can’t be hit with a sword until you spread a little sunshine. Just light the torches and put them in their place. Your prize is the Power Bracelet. Now just go right 4 screens (lower side of screens) and down one. To get the Nightmare’s Key, beat the baddies in this order: Pol’s Voice (rabbit thing you hit with pot) Keese (bat) and Stalfo (cloaked skeleton) from here, go up, right and down the stairs after all the Pol's Voices are dead. The first of these two underground screens is pretty basic. The second screen is more difficult. To get past it, pick up a pot and bring it to the top of the dropping elevator. It’ll struggle, but just can’t hold both you and the pot. Up the stairs and across the pits to the boss’s room we go!

BOSS: Genie: you can’t touch this guy at first, so just dodge his fireballs till he goes inside his bottle. Hit the bottle, then when it stops, pick it up and throw it at the wall. Repeat until the bottle breaks. Then the Genie attacks for real. He warps around the room and throws fireballs. Spin attack him when he appears. Soon he’ll be dead. Your reward will be a heart container and the Conch Horn. What a jerk! He never even offered to grant my 3 wishes.

Richard and the Castle in the Prairie: Before doing anything else, take Bowwow back home. Madame MeowMeow will give you a kiss for returning her chain chomp—err, dog. After that, you must do all the trading up to the bananas (refer to trade sequence in items). After getting all the necessary items, go 2 screens right of Mabe Village shop. This is the first warp point you see. From here, go down 2, and just keep going down and right till you get to a house. Inside is Richard. He’ll tell you about the golden leaves. Agree to help him and go to the castle (right, up 3, right, up 2, right, up). When you get there, you find that the drawbridge is up. In order to enter, you must go right a few screens and talk to the monkey. It’ll call its friends, after you give it the banana, to build a bridge. When they leave, a stick will be left behind. Before entering the castle, make sure you have bombs. They’ll be in the shop by now, even if you haven’t bought a shovel yet, but you should buy a shovel soon because you'll need it. Anyway, to get into the castle, go up till you see the phone booth, go left, cut the bush and go down the stairs. It’s pretty basic in there. To get all the leaves, refer to the items section. They’re all covered. After getting all five, go back to Richard and he’ll tell you to push the box behind him. Do so and enter. In the cave, you can snag another Seashell by pushing the rock into the pit and jumping over. Once you get through, you’ll be in the pothole field. If you are careful and cut as many bushes as possible, you’ll have no trouble. At the end of the pothole maze, dig around the statue thing to find the Slime Key. HINT: after getting the key, instead of going back through the maze, just save and quit. When you come back, you’ll be at the cave entrance. This is a whole lot easier than backtracking. After getting back to the entrance to Richard’s house, go back the way you came to get there in the first place. You’ll notice a keyhole like at Tail Cave. Do the same thing here. Now you have to go all the way around to get in. go down to Richard’s, go right, up 3, and left. Jump across the water onto the islands. Stay on the lower side of the screen and you’ll find yourself at the entrance of the Key Cavern.

Level 3: Key Cavern: in the first room, there is a closed door and an open passage. Don’t bother going right. You can’t get the key in there yet. Instead, throw a pot at the door and go up. In the following rooms, it’s a good idea to kill all enemies. You usually get keys or rupees. In the room with the Blobberts, don’t bother with the chest. It’s just an enemy. From here, just go up till you come to a staircase. Go down. There you’ll see 4 locked doors. You only need to go through the top and right IN THAT ORDER! The top one has both a key and a crystal switch, the right one takes you to the next section of the level. Go up first, hit the switch and backtrack. Now you can get the Beak (or Stone Slab in original) in the chest that was next to the first staircase. Then take the right door. Work over to the stairs and go up. In this room, you can get a key by killing all enemies. There are blobberts hiding in the floor, so walk around. Up one, right one, up one. This is the mini boss. They like bombs. Better feed him by placing them right in front of the mouths. Gulp. Yum. Boom. For your trouble, you get the Pegasus Boots. After getting them, go to the room right under the bomb-eaters and go left. Just fight the enemies (the warping monsters are nasty, but when you get used to their warp pattern, you can predict where they’ll appear.), then go up 2. Here you can refill your bombs. Go up on the platform and down. Grab the map (or 20 rupees in DX) and head down again. You may want to warp back to the entrance and go right now. To get the key, just charge the black circle thing and kill it that way. Then, go up from the entrance, stay on the left and head up. Eventually, you’ll come to a Mini-blobbert. Kill it, then go around and kill the stalfos in the same room, and get 200 rupees. Head back to where the mini boss was, and go one down from it, right and up. Right and up again will get you to a room with living bombs. Time your slashes so that they explode while they’re not close. After killing everything, go left. Here you can get the compass, but more importantly, the left wall is bombable. To the left is a key after you kill the bombs. Go back to the room before the timed bombs, bomb the lower wall, and you’ll find a large gap. To cross, select the boots and feather, run at it and jump. Then go up and across the gap to get the Nightmare’s Key. Go left, down, left, and you’ll see some locked blocks off to the right. Go through the narrow passage and follow the other locked blocks. Go down the stairs. The big red block is in your way, so be assertive and slam it with the boots. In the next screen, you have to use the boots-feather strategy if you don’t want to take damage. In the next room, three warpers await. Just charge them. They won’t be able to warp fast enough. Next room over, if you kill all the Keese, you get a useless key. Next room is the boss.

BOSS: Big Slime Eye: to make him get down, ram the wall. At first, he’s one big eye, but if you whack it with the sword till it gets really thin, then ram it, it’ll change into 2 smaller eyes. Just whack them and avoid them when they drop and they will die. When you beat it, you get a heart container and the Sea Lily’s Bell. Who’s up for fried, slimy eyeballs?

The Desert and the Waterfall: when you exit the Key Cavern, the Owl will talk to you again. When he stops, go up to the warp point you saw earlier. Go right, up right, talk to Talon and trade for the honeycomb. Next, go back to the entrance to the castle, down 3, right one, cut the bush, down the stairs, ram the weird blocks and when you emerge, you’ll be on the other side of the river. Down 2, right 1. This will get you to animal village. In the bottom left corner of the village is a house with a bear cook. He wants some honeycomb, and for it he’ll give you valuable info (and a Pineapple). From the bear’s house, go down one, left one, and find the next warp point. Jump in to go back to Mabe. When you get back, you could find out that Marin is at the beach, or you could just go straight there. So go down to the house where you got the bananas, from there, go right 2, down one. Here you find Marin, and she’ll talk to you. Afterward, she’ll follow you around. Take her back to Animal Village. From the entrance of the village, go down 3, right 2. Here is the Walrus. Go up to him, have Marin sing, and the fat boy will roll off the road. Just go into the desert, and head up 2. Here is the boss with the Angler’s Key. Hit his head when he appears, stay away from the middle, and it’s a sure win. Now to head to Level 4. first, go back to where you saved Bowwow, and head up. Throw the rocks and head right 4. Down, up and right 2. Here is another keyhole, you know what to do. Backtrack to where you saw some stairs leading up to the mountains. Head on up. Go into the cave, go right, push blocks to get the stairs. Down, right, if you want some rupees, go out the first exit, if not, go right and out. From here, go right 3 and jump down. Enter Level 4.

Level 4: Angler’s Tunnel: first off, go up, right, and down. You must fight everyone to get here, but you get a key. Stay out of the deep end. When you go back up, you can get the compass here, but once again, I wouldn’t bother. Go left one (don’t bother with the locked door yet). Go to the upper part of the screen, right, if you need the Beak (or stone slab) go right, otherwise go up 2, right 1. Go up one to get the map, across the gap to continue on. Use the boots-feather combo to get across. In the next room over, get the key by bombing the cracked rock and pushing the block. Go up 2 to get another key. In this room, killing anti-fairies (with magic powder) can make things easier. Backtrack all the way back to the compass room, go through the locked door. Use a key to go up 2, and across the gap with the feather and boots. Up, use your remaining key, go left, down 2, left 2, up (the chest here contains an enemy) up, right 1. Grab the key, go around to the room up 1 from the owl statue (or stone slab) and spinies. Go through the door, and fight the mini boss. To beat him, just hide around the corner of the big middle block and hit him as he gets near, before he turns (his front side is invulnerable). In the next room, you must pull the chain to reverse the blocks moving together, and go through. In the next room you get the flippers. Go down. The masked enemies can only be hit from the back, so tread lightly. You’ll notice a shining tile. Step on it, and another tile will start shining. Keep stepping on the tiles in the correct order. Remember the order to step on the tiles. 1 down, 2 right, and you’ll have to do it again, but this time you don’t see them shine. All the tiles in the right order will earn you a staircase. Here you’ll find thwomps, which will crash down on you. Either dash past, or lure them down and pass as they’re on their way back up. In the second room, you must lure it down, climb up the ladder and jump on top of it before it reaches the top. When you’re on it, wait for it to reach the top and jump left. Get out and go down to get the Nightmare’s Key. Don’t backtrack, just go up, jump off, go right 2 and up 2, then right. Here you’ll find a staircase. If in the screen left of here, you killed the two blobberts, a key will be waiting for you down the stairs. Back up, left, down 2, left, and up through the door by pushing the button. Through the locked blocked, down the stairs. Give Link some wet undies, jump in the water, fight the fish and continue. Go left, up, and down the stairs. Down from here gets you to the Angler.

BOSS: Angler Fish: this battle is completely underwater. The best strategy is to stay up top and attack from there. You may take some damage, but not too much. Besides, you get a piece of heart and the Surf Harp. Who wants fish sticks?

The Ghost and Martha’s Bay: after leaving the Tunnel, go left to get Manbo’s Mambo. This is a warp song that will take you to Manbo’s Pond (or the beginning of a level if you happen to be in one). Go back to the entrance of the Angler’s Tunnel, down the stairs and through the cave. Wander around outside for a while and a ghost will start following you. He’ll tell you to go to the house by the bay. To get there, go down 1 screen up from where you got Marin to follow you, right, down. Go in, let the ghost look around and he’ll tell you to take him to his grave. To get there, go to the witch’s hut, left, down, up. When you reach the grave, the ghost tells you to look in his house. Refer to Seashell hunting for more info. Then the owl appears again. Get it over with and head down to Martha’s Bay. Right in the middle is the Catfish’s Maw. There are a lot of rupees in there, so you may want to save up and buy a bow and arrow set so you can make the most of all those rupees later on. If you’ve been collecting seashells, you can get the level 2 sword now. Once you’ve tied up loose ends, go to the Catfish’s Maw, dive by the rock on the lower right side. Go through and enter Level 5.

Level 5: Catfish’s Maw: This is perhaps the first truly challenging level if you are new to this game. The L2 sword will make things much easier. First, go left 2. Kill all enemies, and go left again. Next room you can grab the compass. Down the stairs, you will find two small platforms on chains. Jump on one to make the other one go down. Use this to get past the next screen, too. Next screen, cut all the bushes (if you can call them that) and push the blocks together. Get the key, head back to the room before the compass. Go up 3. To fight the big Stalfo, hit it with the sword, and then bomb him while he’s collapsed. When he runs, go right. When you open the chest, it’ll be empty. The guy you just fought has it, and you have to fight him 3 more times. Go up, push the middle block and go left, then go back, push the block, go up, go back, push the button and the block and go right. Here is another big Stalfo location. Go left, up 2, left, (in this room all enemies must be dead, so lure out a blobbert by throwing a pot and going into the corner in the middle of the room), up, fight the big Stalfo again. Before going anywhere else, go left and get the Stone Slab (Map in DX). Go back to where you got your first key and go left. Fight the big Stalfo for the last time and get the hookshot. Trick or Treat. Looks like you got a treat. Now you go back to the room before you fought the big Stalfo the second time. Go left, up, and dive in the middle of the water. Get through the water passage. After that, shoot the hookshot at the folded bridge across the gap. It’ll be extended and you can get the Nightmare’s key. Go back to the room with the block you push in the middle. Go up from here and then use the hookshot to get across the gap to the chest off to the right. Go right, and grab the key. Now go back to the site of the first battle with the big Stalfo. Go left, if you want the map (beak in DX) after killing all enemies. Otherwise, go up, left 2 (use the hookshot to cross the traps unharmed) grab the key, and go right 2. Go up 1, left 1. Here you’ll find the true mini boss, twin Ghomas. Just either use the bow or hookshot to hit their eyes when they open them. From here, go down the stairs. Second screen, use the hookshot on the dragon’s head to get up and climb the stairs. Go through the locked block and hookshot across the gap. Left and up will get you to the boss.

BOSS: Wall Snake: avoid the tail spinning in the middle. It’s a real pain. When it sticks its head out of the wall, shoot the hookshot into it and pull it out. Hit it repeatedly to kill. Repeat the process. Beware! If an entire snake comes out of the hole, it isn’t real. It will blow up and hurt you. The real one will stay attached to the wall. For your trouble, you’ll get the standard heart container and the Wind Marimba. (Sorry, no clever remark for this one)

The Two Shrines: So you’ve survived this far. What’s next? Go to the part of the river where you first crossed to get to animal village. Go up, right 2, the owl will show up and waste your time again. When he’s done, go right 2, down 2, left 2, up 1, around to the left, down, left, and up. On the way to the shrine, you’ll have to fight a couple of armos. Just use arrows or bombs. You will need arrows to get the face key which is in the shrine I just led you to. This shrine is too simple. Just go up and fight the big Armos. Arrows will take it out no problem. You get the Face Key for a win. Go up and read the wall (you must light the torches first) and leave. That damn owl (it’s America. I can say “damn.”) will talk again. Exit the shrine area. Go left, up and right. There are lots of rocks to go through. Go into the water (if you need a boost, bomb the wall for a fairy fountain) and go down. There is a small island with two armos. The one on the left has a staircase under it. Get through the cave, go up and stick that key where it belongs. Enter the Face Shrine.

Level 6: Face Shrine: first off, go left. Here you’ll find some new enemies, Wizrobes. Shoot them with arrows or bomb them. Go up 2, left 1. This is an important room. First, hit the switch so that the floor tiles are down, then, place a bomb next to the switch. Before it blows, get on the lowered tile in the upper left and go up. Throw pots until you find a button. Go through the door the button opens, up 2 from here. To go up the second time, throw a pot at the door. Go right, you can now get the compass. Hit the switch in the upper left corner and head down 1, right 2, up one. Kill all enemies (the anti-fairy doesn’t count for this), get the key and backtrack to the room before the compass room. Down one, if you want the Stone Slab/Beak, go right. Otherwise, go down. To get through here, go to the bottom right corner, shoot the switch, shoot it again and before it hits, go up. This should make it so you have no choice but to go right. From here, go down, hit the switch using the bomb method and go up. Bomb the right wall. This is a dark room, and you must kill all enemies (blobberts in the floor) and go down the stairs. Here, you’ve got a big, bouncy energy ball enemy avoid it, and go left. Next room, you the easiest way through is to stay on the ladders. Jump across when it’s clear. Go up. Here, you must clear the room of all enemies again. Pretty straight forward. Up from here will get you the L2 power bracelet. Now, in the middle of the room are two statues that look kind of like elephants. Lift them to continue. From here, you want to head back to the entrance, but if you throw the statue at the door here, you can get some cash on the way. Ok, you’re back at the entrance, now go right. It is possible to get through without it, but using the power bracelet will make this room even easier. Go right. In the next room, use your shield while standing in a corner to foil the tiles’ plan of hurting you. When they’re done dinging up your shield, go up 3 (bomb the wall in the second room up) and fight the mini boss. All you have to do is throw his own ball at him to win. 2 fairies for killing him! That’s generosity! Up one, grab the statue and go down the stairs. Here, the feather is your best friend, so use it to jump over the bubbles and from ladder to ladder. Go over one, and up 2. When you get out, more tiles will attack. Hold them off till they stop to get a key. Up one, left one. Here, grab the horse heads and throw them. When they’re both standing upright, the door will open. Go left one, down the stairs. Down here are lots of Thwimps (mini-Thwomps). Just run under them with the boots and continue on. Pol’s Voices greet you when you get out. Arrows and bombs will make them dead. Go down and you’ll meet the same bomb lovers from level 3. Left from here, and jump off the ledge. Go up to get a key, and down 3, and fight the Wizrobes. Left and just go up and you’ll know you’ve been here before. Backtrack to where the bomb lovers were, go left, but this time, hookshot across and head up. When you come to a chest, throw a pot at it to get the Nightmare’s Key. Now go back to the room with the attacking tiles (the ones that covered holes) and go down. Here you must clear the room of blobberts before moving on. The easiest way is to kill the thing in the middle that’s sucking you in and stand where it used to be. All the enemies will appear and commit suicide to try and get to you. Right one, take out the Wizrobe, beware the Beamos, and go up. If you need a quick pick-me-up before the boss, light the torches in this room. You’ll get two fairies. Go up one to fight the boss.

BOSS: Wall Face: this guy is cake. First, go to the corner (it doesn’t matter which), pick up a pot and put up your shield. Once the tiles stop flying, the face will appear and you can bomb it till it dies. Watch out for the holes it opens up and you’ll be fine. For your trouble, you get the piece of heart the face was hoarding and the Coral Triangle. Walls moving? Call an exorcist. Moving floors? Call Link!

The Flying Rooster and the Mountain Tower: when you exit the shrine, the owl is waiting for you. When he stops talking, go toward Mabe Village. Right of the warp point, go down 2. Across the gap will get you to the signpost maze. If you don’t have 300+ rupees now, leave and come back when you got some cash. Read the sign. Follow the signs instructions EXACTLY! The next sign is directly down from this one. Hint: read carefully. Read a sign twice and you must repeat the whole maze. The only place you could find some trouble is in the lower left corner of the maze. Just use the hookshot and it’s easy. Eventually you’ll find a sign that says: “Great! You did it! Your reward is this way.” Go down the stairs that appear and meet Mamu the Frog. Pay 300 rupees to learn the Frog’s song of Soul. Afterward, go to the statue one up from Marin’s house in Mabe. You can now push it to reveal the resting place of the Flying Rooster. Play the Frog’s song and the rooster comes back to life. If you pick up the rooster with the bracelet, you’ll fly. Now go up to the mountains. If you start at the point where you jumped down to the Angler’s Tunnel, go right till you come to some stairs. Up the stairs and left 2 is a house and a cave. The house is the cuckoo house. The cave is where you find the Bird Key. You must have the Rooster to reach it. Afterward, if you start at the bottom of the stairs mentioned earlier, go right till you reach a cave. Go through it. If you haven’t got 20 seashells by now, bomb the wall in the cave next to the dry floor. After getting through the cave, go right and into the next cave you see. It’s the same basic concept for the next cave, but you’ll need to use the hookshot. After that, you can visit a fairy if you bomb the wall. After that, go through the only other cave. When you get out, you’ll find yourself one screen right of the Eagle’s Tower. After sticking the key in the keyhole, go into the Eagle’s Tower.

Level 7: Eagle’s Tower: first, go right 2. watch the spikes, traps, and Like Likes (they Like, Like to eat your shield) kill everyone 2^nd screen and use the key. Upstairs you can only go up. inside, you’ll find a ball and some blocks going towards each other (like in level 4). Throw the ball near the blocks and pull the chain. Pick up the ball on the way out. In the next room is a big pillar. Throw the ball at it. It will collapse. Now jump across the gap, leaving the ball where it is. By the way, if the ball falls down a hole, just go to where you found it in the first place. Down 2 from the first pillar, is a switch. Hit it and go back to the ball. Bring it one down and hit the next pillar. In the screen left of the first pillar, leave the ball next to the hole. Up one. Here you can get the compass. Down the stairs with you. Left (go along the top), down 2 up the stairs. Down one. Fight the Cyclops, grab the key, and go up 2. let the tiles run out and go right. Push the block into the hole and use the ball to destroy the next pillar. Next take the ball back to the switch (one down from the 2^nd pillar) and throw it over the barrier. Now go back to the Cyclops room and go right. It is crucial that you kill all three enemies here. Go right and get the ball and bring it back left one. Throw the ball over the hole. Go up to the room that had the third pillar. Bomb between the torches along the bottom wall. Go down, bomb the next wall down, and you’ll be in the room where you left the ball. Take it up one, and bust the next pillar. Cut to a scene outside where the 4^th level of the tower falls into the 3^rd. now go right of the room down one from where you are. You will have to go and muck around downstairs. All you got to do is go down one and fall down the hole, go left and up. You’ll recognize where you are. Once you get to your destination, hit the switch with an arrow or bomb. Then bomb the switch so that you’re walking on the raised tiles. Go right and up to grab the Mirror Shield (L2) go back to the switch room by hitting the switch in the shield room while on the raised tiles and going down and left. Now go up the stairs, up one, right one. Now you fight the mini boss. To beat him, just kill all the little flies in one go. Up one, and get the Nightmare’s Key. Go down and left 2 and up one. Climb the stairs and hookshot across. you can find the map one up and one right from here. If you don’t care, go down and right. Up the stairs, keep going up, and you’ll find the boss.

BOSS: Eagle: the eagle can be tough. Stay as close to the middle as possible and hit it’s head at every opportunity. The shield is an absolute must. The most effective weapon is the L2 sword, but if your not full health or don’t have it, use the arrows or hookshot. After a few hits, it’ll hover on the top left or right of the screen and either dive at you or shoot feathers at you. When it dives, hit it (it’s easiest to do this with a sword) when it shoots feathers, hold up the shield and walk towards the eagle. His heart container is very rewarding, and the Organ of Evening Calm is just icing on the cake. Tastes like chicken.

The Journey through the Mountains: When you leave the tower, go back to the chicken house. Go left. Hookshot across, go left. Here Marin will be stranded. Hookshot across, and you’ll grab Marin on the way. After she leaves, the Owl will show up again. Don’t worry though, you won’t have to listen to him many more times now. Go left, cut the bush and go down the stairs. Go left, down the stairs, left, across the gap, left and out of the cave. When you get out, there will be some falling boulders. Just dodge, go left and around so that you can go right and up. left 2, jump down the ledge, bomb the wall and go into the cave. Up one is the game’s way of telling you that you’d better have the mirror shield to pass. Just use it to deflect the fireballs and go out. Left, down, left 2. to wake up the turtle, play the Frog’s Song of Soul. After a short battle, enter Turtle Rock.

Level 8: Turtle Rock: up one from the entrance, you’ll meet a nasty bat named Vire. He runs from the sword at close range, so use projectiles. A good hit or two will make it split into two mini bats. When they charge, either dodge or kill them to finish the guy. Left from here, kill all enemies, and go up. here is the all-too-familiar Cyclops. Kill him and go left. This is one of the more interesting features of the game, unique to this level in this game out of all other games in the Zelda series. The weird block that’s bouncing slightly will move when pushed. After that, it will move whichever way you push on the D-pad. If it hits a wall or the floor, it’ll disappear. Wherever it goes, it’ll create a floor. Fill the holes in and reveal a treasure chest. Go down from here, left to fight the same mini boss from level 1, and go up. kill the Vire to get a key, and if you want the compass, down two from here. Backtrack to the first room where you saw the first Vire. Go up here, right, go right again after creating a bridge. Bomb the right wall, hit the switch and go down. Fill in the holes for a key and go right to fight the mini boss from level 6. go left till you find the bat again, then up and right. This time go to the upper right and push a block into the lava. If you bomb the wall in the upper left hand corner (use the exploding arrows), go up, left 2 (bomb able walls are all over in this particular section of the level. Shoot between the bubbles to hit the statue along the top of the screen. Hit the eye and get a key. Go left to get another key. Go back right 2, up the small staircase and left. Hookshot across, go through the locked block and down the stairs. The feather is your best friend here. After getting through, go down and fight the mini boss, Blaino. The best way to fight him is with the spin attack. Dodge his mega punch and you’ll be fine. Up from here, and you’ll get the Magic Rod. There’s a reason that it was put here and not, say, earlier in level 2 or 3. it’s super powerful! It’s like having a second sword. Great for killing just about any enemy. Now backtrack to the statue you shot with arrows, up one and head out. This piece of heart is so obvious that you’d have to be avoiding them like the plague to pass it up. Go right 2 and dive back in the cave. There is a key in there, but to get it, you have to throw bombs down to the bomb-lovers (if you haven’t noticed, the only mini bosses missing from Turtle Rock are the ones from levels 5 and 7). Head back to the room where you push the floor creator over the lava (2 down from the stairs to get to Blaino) and go down the stairs there. There are ice blocks here, and you must have the fiery Magic Rod to get past them. Using the feather and rod together will make the second screen possible. When you get out, go through the locked door. Here you’ll find a fiery version of the mini boss from level 4. same strategy, less room to move around. Up from here, you can get the Nightmare’s Key. Just fill in all the holes. It may take a couple tries, but have patience. Now go to the room left of the crystal switch. Down the stairs there. This place is a lot like the other ice block room, but you’ve got to get tricky with your jumps. First go to the top of the stairs, work your way to the top of the screen, and shoot down. When you are lined up just right, shoot left to melt the offending block that’s in your way. Now melt the rest and jump from the top of the screen so that you can continue. Next room, go along the bottom (melt the bottom row) and shoot up the second column so that you get a nice staircase of ice. Onward! When you exit, you’ll find yourself facing the Nightmare’s Door.

BOSS: Hothead: this guy is very easy. Fight fire with fire by standing lower center of the screen and shooting as fast as you can when he jumps out. There is no real trick to it. When he bounces around, you shouldn’t need to take any damage. Beating him will get you his Heart Container and the Thunder Drum. Finally, a proper barbecue! No more stir fry!

The Egg Calls: first, complete the trade sequence. Without the Magnifying glass, you’ll be stuck in the Egg forever (or at least until you exit). After getting it, go to the library and read “Dark Secrets and Mysteries of Koholint Island” the book will say; “Round and round the passageways of the egg,” then give a series of eight arrows. The order of the arrows is completely random, for example, mine said right, up, up, right, up, up, right, up. I’ve had many other combinations, too. Now go up to the Egg (if you don’t know where it is, just look at the atlas in the library. It’s along the top of the map, a big oval on a mountain). when you get there, play the Ballad of the Wind Fish. Before entering, you may want to finish all side quests and save.

The Wind Fish’s Egg: this level, if you can call it that, is simple. Just go through the rooms in the order told to you in Dark Secrets and Mysteries. When you’ve gone through the eight rooms in the correct order, jump down the hole. Enter the final boss.

BOSS: Master Nightmare: This guy is by far, the worst enemy in the game, going through his various stages. They go like this:

Blob: in this form, he just bounces around. Magic Powder will make him move on to the next form. Alternately, if you're into wasting time, you can hit him with your sword. Eventually he will just move on.

Shadow of Aghanim: an enemy from A Link to the Past, hit his energy balls back to him with the sword to give him a taste of his own medicine.

Shadow of Moldorm: same strategy as in level 1, a little tougher, and without pits.

Shadow of Gannon: Gannon was the final boss of a Link to the Past, but he’s back for revenge! Spin attack and dodge his bats and polearm weapon.

Chaser: this is what I guess it’s called. Just use the boots and get on with it. Weird.

Final Stage: True Nightmare (Death Eye?): this is the toughest of all the stages. Arrows are your savior here, so jump over his spinning appendages and shoot the eye when it opens.

The End: I wouldn't want to ruin it for you. I've told you how, now go and win!

Color Dungeon:

I just put this in so that no one could complain that the walkthrough was incomplete. As you should know, you can only enter the color dungeon in DX and you must be playing a Game Boy Color.

To enter, go to the library and charge the bookcase with the book on top of it. Read the book, and it’ll tell you how to get into the dungeon. You push the graves in the directions listed, in numerical order. Now go to the witch’s hut. Go right, down, right. These are the five graves mentioned in the book, and they’re ready to be pushed. Before you can enter, you must tell each skeleton what color it is, and that’s only possible in color. Up one, you’ll find enemies that blend in with the colored floor. Right one, and here you must turn all the red things to blue. The major thing you’ve got to remember is that when one turns, so do the ones up, left, right and down from it. Next room, it’s a good idea to kill the floating guy with the bombs first. Now, each tile will bounce you a number of times according to what color it is. Go right, if you want the beak, hit the enemies and throw them into the appropriate color hole. Down, kill all enemies, left, grab the key, and up 2. here is a mini boss. Dodge the rocks and hit him with the sword. Left, push the button and go up and right, kill everyone to get a key, go back left and down. You will need to backtrack to this room. Go right, down, up 2 turn all the things blue to get a key, right kill all enemies and go up. the mini boss, like he says, isn’t easy, but once you sprinkle some powder on him, you can use the sword. Left one, push the blocks (side ones first) to get the nightmare’s key. Backtrack to where I said you’d need to 4 sentences ago. Hop across and go left is another room where you have to make all the things blue. Keep hitting them and you’ll get it. Up one, use your key to go left and up to get to the nightmare’s room.

BOSS: Color Boss: just hit him with the sword till he turns red an explodes. Hint: the Magic rod works best on this guy. The only reason for beating this dungeon is to get new clothes which the Great Fairy gives. Red clothes double your sword’s power, blue will reduce the damage you take by half. They are kind of like constant Pieces of Power or Guardian Acorns. The choice is yours, but I recommend the blue clothes if you have the L2 sword, red if you don’t.

The preceding walkthrough was written by the Spatula of the Ages. Hopefully it will guide many players to the end of this game.

E-mail me with questions or comments at bewarethewumpus@yahoo.com.