Zelda: FAQ and Walkthrough

Legend of Zelda - NES - 80 Minute Speed Guide
by portnoyd (dwoh@iname.com)

This FAQ is copyright David Warmington. This FAQ many only be posted on NES
el33t and Gamefaqs.com.

Comments? Questions? Insults? Mail me at dwoh@iname.com.

Table of Contents:

I. Introduction
II. What you do/do not need
III. Tips
IV. Path to Greatness (Heh)
V. End

I. Introduction

After looking through the GameFAQs.com Zelda1 area, I found no speed FAQ. I
honestly thought this would be a given, but apprently not. When I mean speed
guide, I mean a guide to go through the game as fast as possible. Having
recently beaten the game in 60 minutes, and knowing where I can economize my
play, I figured I'd be the man to write a FAQ of this type.


Want to contribute? Here's how: mail me with info along these lines:
- Further economizing tips
- Correction on the walkthrough directions (some may be off)
- Enemy names (I know half of em)

II. What you do/do not need

First off, you need to have beaten the game before and have good knowledge of
all locations I mention. Any other FAQ on GameFAQs can provide you with a map
of all locations. Print it out if you need help like that.

Second, you can't die at all. Takes too much time.

Ok here's a list of items you MUST get, and all you can skip:

MUST GET:
All swords
Bombs
Bow/Arrows
Raft
Ladder
Letter
ONE Red Potion
4 out of 5 Heart Pieces
Whistle
Magic Key
Red Meat
Red Candle
Silver Arrow
Blue Ring

Most of these are needed to advance. The Red Ring should be skipped only if you
feel you can survive long enough to Ganon.

SKIP THESE:
Blue Candle
Wand
Magic Book
Both Boomerangs
Red Ring (optional)
Large Shield
Extra Bomb Capacity

Yes, you HAVE to go without the Blue Candle to do this. Eats up too much cash
and time to get it.

Next, you need some skill killing Darknuts. You can't use the hide-in-the-door
trick to help (takes too long).

III. Tips

1. Use the whistle (once you get it), to jump around to old level entrances for
new level entrances. Specifically,

Whistle to:
Level 3 for Level 6
Level 3 for Level 7
Level 2 for Level 8
Level 1 for Level 9

These levels are closest to each level listed. Exact steps to one level to
another are in the walkthrough.

To use the warping functionally, use the whistle, and then face up or down
according to what level you want.

ex. At Level 6, want level 3? Blow whistle x 3, face down all times.

I'm not sure how it works when you're not at a level entrance. When you first
use it, It will bring you to level 5, and I think it remembers the last level
you warped to after that when starting to whistle again. *shrug*

2. Never get the map or compass unless it's in your path and you see it.
3. In the overworld, kill every enemy on screen you can. The money will be
useful.
4. Always have your bombs on the B button. Switch only if you need to, to
advance.
5. I say to only pick up 4 out of five hearts. The reason for this is.. I don't
know where #5 is! Hee hee.


IV. Path to Greatness (Heh)

Ready?

1. Start the game, get the wooden sword.

2. Go RIGHT all the way killing everything in your path. Pick up bombs when a
blue octorock drops em. IF THEY DON'T, RESET!

4. Go LEFT x 2 to shore room where you can go up, bomb the wall to left of the
path up. Take the heart container.

5. Head UP until you can't any more, go RIGHT x 1, bomb the bottom right side
of the rock, take the heart piece.

6. Go UP, LEFT, LEFT, UP, IF YOU HAVE FULL HEARTS, use sword shot to kill
centaur. IF NOT, dodge him. Get Silver Sword.

7. Return to location of 2nd heart, go RIGHT, UP, RIGHT, UP, take letter. Go
DOWN one.

BENCHMARK TIME: 5 Minutes.

8. Go right one, up one, take 100 rupees, down one, enter tree. Gamble with
your 120 to 150 rupees until you have 230-250 rupees. RESET IF YOU RUN OUT. You
may want to reset if you take more than 2 minutes to get your rupees.

9. Return to the 2nd heart location, and go RIGHT, DOWN, and LEFT. Enter Level
2.

10. LEVEL 2 - Go RIGHT, GO UP, and UP until you can't anymore. Bomb Dodongo.
Take Heart and Triforce.

You should now have *3* keys upon leaving level 2.

11. , Enter:

Level 1 - Go LEFT and RIGHT, kill all enemies and grab both keys, go UP from
start room, LEFT, UP, RIGHT, UP, UP, LEFT, Get Bow, RIGHT, DOWN, DOWN, RIGHT,
RIGHT (Don't stop to get boomerang), UP, Kill Boss, Take Heart and Triforce.

12. Go RIGHT, DOWN, LEFT, LEFT, DOWN, LEFT, DOWN, LEFT, UPx3. Push the middle
statue on the top row. Buy Blue Ring.

13. Go DOWNx3, LEFT, DOWN, RIGHT. Enter Level 3.

Level 3 - Go LEFT, UP, UP, LEFT, LEFT (Kill Darknuts), DOWN, Get Raft, UP,
RIGHT, BOMB RIGHT, RIGHT, UP, Kill Manhandla, Take Heart and Triforce.

Only kill the darknuts in the room specified.

14. Go LEFT, UP, UP, RIGHT, RIGHT, UP, Use Raft to go UP, Enter Level 4.

Level 4 - Go LEFT, kill bats, grab key, RIGHT, UP, UP, LEFT, UP until you can't
go up any further (since you need the step ladder), RIGHT, RIGHT, Get
Stepladder, LEFT, UP, BOMB UP, BOMB RIGHT, RIGHT, Kill Gleelok, Get Heart and
Triforce.

15. Ok, still with me? DOWN, DOWN, RIGHT until you reach the shore, UP, grab
heart, UPx2, Use Raft UP, Enter, get heart, DOWN, LEFT, UP, LEFT, UP STAIRS,
LEFT, LEFT, UP until you hit level 5 and enter.

Level 5 - Go UP, BOMB LEFT, BOMB LEFT, TAKE STAIRS, LEFT, Get whistle, RIGHT,
TAKE STAIRS, RIGHT, RIGHT, UP, RIGHT, UPx3, LEFT until you reach the boss, play
whistle, kill boss, take heart and triforce.

BENCHMARK - 35 Minutes

16. Use the whistle to get to Level 3. Hope you have 60 rupees. LEFT, UP, UP,
RIGHT, UP, UP, Enter Blue Ring store, Buy meat. DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, LEFT, UP,
Play Whistle, Enter Level 7. Here's where we go through those keys you've been
saving.

Level 7 - Go UP, BOMB UP, UP, UP, LEFT, UP, Give Meat to Monster, UP, RIGHT,
BOMB RIGHT, Get Red Candle, BOMB RIGHT, RIGHT, UP, RIGHT, TAKE STAIRS, BOMB
RIGHT, Kill Boss, Take Heart and Triforce.

A candle! Who'd have thought?

17. Go DOWN, RIGHT, DOWN, LEFT, Burn Bush in single-file bush row, take 100
rupees, go RIGHT, UP, RIGHT, UP, Buy arrow, DOWN, LEFT, DOWN, LEFT, UP, LEFT,
DOWN, LEFT, UP, UP, RIGHT, UP, UP, Push third grave over in the middle row, get
magic sword, DOWN, RIGHT, UP, Enter Level 6.

Level 6 - Go RIGHT, Get Key, LEFT, LEFT, UPx5, BOMB RIGHT, DOWN, RIGHT, TAKE
STAIRS, DOWN, LEFT, UP, Kill Gohma with Arrow, Take Heart and Triforce.

18. Blow whistle to get to Level 2. RIGHT, DOWN, DOWN, BURN lone bush, Enter
Level 8.

Level 8 - RIGHT, Grab Key, LEFT, UP, BOMB UP, UP, UP, BOMB UP, UP, Kill Gohma,
RIGHT, Take Magic Key, LEFT, DOWN, DOWN, RIGHT, TAKE STAIRS, LEFT, UP, BOMB
RIGHT, Kill Gleelok, Get Heart and Triforce.

ALMOST DONE!

BENCHMARK - 50 Minutes

19. Whistle to Level 1. Go, RIGHT, UP, LEFT, UP, LEFT, UP, LEFT, LEFT, LEFT,
Enter Cave, Use Letter, Buy Red Potion, Leave, RIGHT, Bomb Left Rock, ENTER
LEVEL 9!

Level 9 - Enter, UP, LEFT, BOMB UP, TAKE STAIRS, RIGHT, UP (Run through Petra),
BOMB LEFT, TAKE STAIRS, LEFT, UP, Kill Petra, TAKE STAIRS, BOMB UP, Push Middle
Block on Right Side, Get Silver Arrow, DOWN, TAKE STAIRS, UP, LEFT, UP, BOMB
UP, TAKE STAIRS, BOMB LEFT, TAKE STAIRS, Kill Petra, UP, Kill Ganon, YOU WIN!

*pant pant*

And there you have it. 80 Minutes is me being generous; my best time was 54
minutes.

V. End

When I think about it, and I think about how sloppy I play. I think the best
possible time you can do the game in is 45 minutes, but who knows?

Good luck!

Copyright, Dave Warmington 2001