Ocarina of Time tips and tricks

Even more tips and tricks

Index of Tips And Tricks  •  Complete Walkthrough


Here are some nice tricks to try, sent by the website's fans.

King size enemies!

In Hyrule Field, after Child Link has defeated a dozen of skeletons, a skeleton twice as big will attack him. Once adult, in the Desert Colossus, defeat several Leevers (green enemies) and a big purple Leever will appear! And if you defeat it, no Leever shall appear anymore! Same thing for the Guays (crows), defeat many of them and you will see a giant Guay!

Play the ocarina for real!

Hold the Z-lock down and play a note, you will hear it as out of a real musical instrument. You can also move the joystick while you're playing to modulate the tone.

An easier way to defeat Iron Knuckles!

To do so, you need a Deku Stick as a child, as an adult, the Master Sword is enough, and the Biggoron Sword works even better!
Before the fight, perform a jumping attack with the stick or the sword (Z+A with your weapon out), then, you have to hit but only by using the shield at the same time (R+A without Z). As a matter of fact, by hitting this way, you will inflict the damages of the last performed attack. So by hitting with shield + weapon, you will inflict the damages of a jumping attack (which inflict doubled damages), and by doing so with the Deku Stick (as a child), it inflicts as much as with the Master Sword. So you have to hit it four times less! (8 times less with the Biggoron Sword). Furthermore, as a child, you can strike with the shield + weapon by staying next to the Iron Knuckle, it can't hit you.
Here is Matthias' video:


This technique also works on the Twinrova Sisters, during the final phase. If you attack them with a jumping attack while they're down, 3 Biggoron Sword hits are enough by using this technique (R+B to hit after the jumping attack).

Scores recap

Go to your house in Kokiri Forest. Press C to change to skyview and look at the panel on the wall. Your results in the different games are written on it.

Miscellanous

  • Bowser brooch Ocarina of TimePlay Epona's Song in front of a cow and one of your empty bottles will be filled with milk!
  • If you break a sign with the sword, play Zelda's Lullaby to repair it.
  • To break the crates, you can simply run towards them and press A right before you hit them to perform a rolling attack.
  • Press B while you're swimming to swim faster.
  • Hit a cuccoo several times with your sword, and it will call its friends for help! Run away to calm them down.
  • Is Talon one of Boswer's followers!? Look closely at Talon, his yellow brooch represents Bowser! And Malon owns the same one!
  • In the House of Skulltula in Kakariko Village, hit the creature in the middle to make it swing, quickly go behind it and hit it again. It will turn blue and when you get near it, it will retaliate by hitting you.
  • To go down a ladder that you think is too long, let go of the A button. While you're falling, hold the joystick upwards so you won't fall from too high at once.
  • At the first fence of Hyrule Castle, after the Gossip Stone, walk on the fence's wall and get close to the sort of gargoyle: it will tell you the time!
  • In the Lost Woods, to prevent from going out and ending back in the Kokiri Forest, get close to a tunnel and look to see if a faint light comes out of it. If that's the case, then it will lead to Kokiri Village, whereas if it's black, then it leads to a room.
  • Inside the Windmill (Kakariko Village), play the Song of Storms then wait for like ten seconds, Link will be cold and sneeze! But it also occurs in Zora's Domain, Zora's Fountain and in the Ice Cavern.

Young Link only

where is the intruder? Ocarina of TimeMario and his friends

In Hyrule Castle's courtyard (where you meet Zelda), look by the window on the right to see Mario and his friends here. Shoot a seed with the Slingshot at the window to earn a red rupee!
If you shoot at the other window, a guard will throw a bomb at you!

Deku Shield quickly bought!

At the beginning of the game, you can get blue rupees by jumping on the platforms to the right of the shop, you have to get in and exit again to get another rupee. In the Nintendo64 version, it doesn't work every time, but it does in the GameCube version.

Good riddance, Stalchildren!

At night, in Hyrule Field, wear the Bunny Hood to prevent the Stalchildren from rising out of the ground. That way you can wander around quietly without being worried!

Pieces of Heart sooner than expected Ocarina of TimePieces of Heart before you'd expect them!

  • Above Dodongo's Cavern is located a Piece of Heart that, normally, you can get as an adult thanks to a Magic Bean. You can get it as a child this way: you have to stand diagonally so that the Piece of Heart is at Link's back and the Bomb Flower is in front (the fence isn't as high here as it is elsewhere). First you have to get rid of the Bomb Flower without moving (by pressing A twice), then by turning to "aiming mode", you take a step back (even without moving) and press A! Link performs a backflip followed by a disastrous landing, but you're not too far from the Piece of Heart!
  • In Kakariko Village as a child, get into the Windmill where a Piece of Heart is located. Take out the Boomerang and aim at the heart. If your timing is right, it will land on the platform and you will be able to get it!
  • About the one in Death Mountain Crater, inside an alcove on a wall... As a child, you just need to have as much health as possible and to hurry. Get into the crater from the mountain's top (next to the Fairy Fountain), then go down the wall, take the Piece of Heart, and climb the wall back as fast as you can, because if you're not fast enough, you will lose some health (you're timed because of the heat.)
  • About the one on the roof of the Medicine Shop in Kakariko Village... You can climb on Kakariko's great tower, stand with Death Mountain at your back, then press Z, stick to the left wall, do a sideflip, and you'll always land on the fence against the Medicine Shop. You can then climb without a sweat, and speak to the man, all of this while being a child!
  • on the beam in Kakariko Ocarina of TimeIn Kakariko Village, there's a Piece of Heart inside Impa's house next to the cow in the pen. This heart can normally be reached only once you have the Bombs because the owl takes you over the house where you can get in from a passage, but you can get it before:
    Grab a cuccoo (the one at the village's entrance, for example), go near the bricks (where a man is running), throw the cuccoo on the first brick, take it back, then on the second one (be fast or the cuccoo will run away), then jump with it to the left (with Death Mountain at your back) on the beam where the man is running. Go on this beam once the man is away, then go towards the middle of the second half of the beam and jump towards the small wooden roof. Throw the cuccoo away and enter the opening!

Zoras' secret weapon

Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly you can have a new weapon... Ruto herself! You just have to throw her at any enemy to defeat it. Quite handy to defeat the electric enemies or the bubbles before you get the Boomerang.

Walkthrough's shortcut

At the beginning of the game after Lon-Lon Ranch, when you have to go get Saria's Song, it would be best to go to Kakariko Village, unlock the Sun's Song, go to Goron City, unlock the path to the Lost Woods and go get the song. This avoids a back and forth between Kakariko Village and the Kokiri Forest.

it's raining small fairies Ocarina of TimeA tip to save some seeds

Once you have the Boomerang: instead of defeating the Gold Skulltulas (or another enemy) with the Slinghsot or try to aim at them with the Boomerang (not always that precise), it's possible to aim at them with the Slingshot then to select the Boomerang so it's thrown at the Skulltula!

Secret room inside Dodongo's Cavern

In the 3DS version, there is a secret room in each dungeon. In Dodongo's Cavern where you defeat the first two Dinolfos, you can jump through the lava waterfall to end up behind in a tiny room (or rather a "hole" in the wall) and you get a heart!

How to calm a cuccoo down

The easiest is to try with the Zora's River's one. Use the cuccoo to get to the other bank of the river, then, find the ledge allowing you to go into the water and to touch bottom. Once into the water, the cuccoo won't lose its feathers anymore. Even better: if you use the same cuccoo to cross the river back, it will become nearly still for a few seconds!

Miscellanous

  • A bean big like a house in Ocarina of TimeAttract a butterfly on a Deku Stick for it to turn into a Small Fairy.
  • To avoid losing a lit stick, put it away (A button) before the flame dies out.
  • As a child, play the Song of Storms near a planted bean. It will grow and three small fairies will appear!
  • After you sold a mask, spend all your money, then go back to the Mask Shop. The furious owner makes a funny face!
  • A big Zora! In Zora's Domain, the waterfall game tenant is taller than the other Zoras!
  • Once you have sold the Bunny Hood to the Hyrule Field runner, if you wait a bit so he starts running again, he'll cut and run like a rabbit (at full speed). If you come across him again in the field (as a child), he'll run again at full speed. And if he dashes at you, he'll eject you out of the path!

Adult Link only

Great view of Kakariko Ocarina of TimeGlide around with the only cuccoo of Kakariko Village!

Once you have the Longshot, go on the roof where a man is sitting (the one who gives you a Piece of Heart). Look at the windmill and look for a white dot between the blades on the left. Use the Longshot on this dot to discover a path. Climb the stairs, grab the cuccoo and glide over the village!

Invincible on Epona

You may already know it, but while you're riding Epona, enemies can't hit you. And this works even with the ranch's cuccoos! Attack them, they'll rush at you, but since you're on Epona, they won't deal any damage.

Stun the Gerudos without arrows

You can stun the Gerudo's Fortress' guards with arrows, and if you run out of them, you can use the Hookshot: they will become "frozen"!

Rather large gift from Malon in Ocarina of TimeHome-delivered milk!

If you win at Malon's obstacle course in Lon-Lon Ranch (after you already won Epona), she will give you a cow which will be delivered at your house in Kokiri Forest.

Temples' order

Do note that it's also possible to do the temples in this order: forest, water, spirit, fire and shadow. It's easily done because in the Water and Spirit Temples, you don't have to use neither the Megaton Hammer nor the Hover Boots.

Beating Volvagia easily in Ocarina of TimeAnother trick for Volvagia

Before you enter its lair, equip the Biggoron Sword, then after the cutscene, wait for its head to peek out of a hole to hit it with the Megaton Hammer, then use the Z-lock, take out the sword, load its power, wait until the sword is surrounded by the red halo and let go preferably right next to its head before it regains conciousness. You just have to hit it 2-3 times before it's defeated without making you lose a single heart.

Another way to defeat Dark Link (Water Temple)!

The shadow only does what you teach it, and if you don't do anything, it won't as well. Go towards it without any weapon, stick to it as if you wanted to dance the lambada, and then, take out the Megaton Hammer and hit it. Don't move, let it get close to you and do these steps as many times as needed!

Light in the desert

If you don't want the sand to slow you down, put the Hover Boots on and you'll be as light as a feather.

How to defeat the Iron Knuckle in the Spirit Temple easily

Here is a trick to defeat the Iron Knuckle in the Spirit Temple as Young Link. You have to take the Hylian Shield and place it against it. When it wants to give you a horizontal axe blow, just use the shield and Link will crouch and go under the axe. And when it gives a vertical axe blow, crouch again and the axe will hit the ground behind Link because of its length. That way you'll avoid any blow! But you mustn't be afraid to stick to it...

tip for the 10 souls Ocarina of TimeTip for the 10 souls

As an adult when you have to gather the 10 souls for the Ghost Shop, there's a technique for them to appear more easily: as a matter of fact, all around Hyrule, there are some sorts of big bushes with a ghost head. These bushes are always in groups. If you "cross" the right bush, a soul will appear right away, and you just have to defeat it. If it flees away, repeat the operation until it shows up again, keeping in mind that the "right bush" can change. Once you've defeated the soul, you obviously won't find more of them in the same bush group.

Find your way across the Haunted Wasteland

Before meeting the spirit that guides you, when you have to follow the poles, it's way easier to see them by playing the Song of Storms. At each thunderbolt, the sand disappears and you can see the poles perfectly!

How to defeat Ganondorf faster

This is instinctive. For this fight (once Ganondorf has destroyed a part of the arena at the beginning), you have to jump on the platform where Ganondorf is at the precise moment he starts to create the ball. As soon as you're on it, quickly press B to send the ball back at him. That way, Ganon is hit right away and you just have to shoot a Light Arrow (nearly without aiming since you're right next to him). As soon as he starts to go down, load a Spin Attack (more efficient with the Biggoron Sword), when he rises, you have to go back to the edges of the arena because he will hit the ground. As soon as he starts his ball again, jump, hit, arrow and hitting sequence and so on. When he creates his big power ball (if he ever does it, he generally doesn't have enough time), you have to do the same thing because he won't send it back at you.

You can also go down the column by hanging on it (instead of using the Hookshot) and this way climb back up on the platform faster.

... and maybe even faster

When you're shooting a Light Arrow at Ganondorf and jumping on the middle platform to hit him, there is a way to defeat him in one "hit" (one fall) or two. By doing several Spin Attacks in a row, he won't stand up to hover above the platform. To do so you have to perform them very quickly with the joystick and the B button so he doesn't have time to get back up. This technique is not easy, you need a good timing, but it's manageable...

Ganon by any means

When you're fighting Ganon there are several ways to defeat him without the Megaton Hammer or any sword. You can defeat him with the Light Arrows by aiming at his head then his tail, but you can also use nearly any other weapon. By shooting a simple arrow (fire or ice) you notice he's shaking and this gives you a few seconds to then shoot at his tail. This also works with Deku Nuts and with the Hookshot but indeed the ending blow must be dealt with the Master Sword.

Miscellanous

  • In the Gerudo's Fortress, once you've freed the four prisoners, a girl will appear and give you the Gerudo's Membership Card. After talking to her, change your tunic and look at the color of her own tunic, her lipstick and her shoes. They changed according to the color of your tunic! (this doesn't work in Master Quest)
  • As you surely know, you can capture spirits in a bottle in Kakariko's graveyard. But do you know that you can "drink" those spirits which will heal you a little (5 to 7 hearts)? (but you can also lose 1 or 2 hearts!)
  • This isn't very useful, but anyway: after Ganondorf's death and the tower's descent, there's a cutscene. Then get close to the field by taking your shield out (press "R" and "Z-lock"). Ganondorf gets out of the heap and takes your sword away from you. If you were holding your shield ONLY (and not the unsheathed sword), your shield will stay up (you won't have any sword but your shield will be raised as in the Temple of Time if you get out of the door with only the shield out). It's not useful but it's super stylish!
  • At the end of the game, when the message "the end" appears on screen, if you wait for roughly 2 minutes, the song you created for the scarecrow will be heard.
  • [Only on 3DS and GameCube] Once you have the Hookshot or Longshot, go near a sign hanging by a rope between two poles (f.ex. the one at the entrance of the Gerudo's Fortress) and hit it with the Hookshot. Sometimes a red rupee will fall out or with lots of luck a purple rupee will (this very last info hasn't been checked). You can leave the area and come back to get another rupee.
  • It's possible to get the Piece of Heart on the roof of the Gerudo's Fortress by using the Longshot directly on the chest from the room above Link's cell. So it isn't mandatory to know the Scarecrow's Song to get this heart.


Thanks to everyone who sent me some tricks!