RE-UPLOAD ALERT: Hi friends! This is another re-upload / compilation video! BUT WITH A TWIST! *I have actually ADDED an entirely new section at the end of the video, examining The Palace of the Four Sword, which I did not cover at all during my original run of Dungeon Design in A Link to the Past. So, hey, this is both a compilation AND new content!* A few things to note. I began production into this series originally in February of 2023, and as you'd expect given that time window, Tears of the Kingdom released about halfway through production of the series. If I recall correctly, I was working on the video for Thieves' Town when TOTK launched. That said, I pushed through and continued covering this game, and tried juggling that with TOTK content, with mixed success. I'm still, overall very proud of how this series turned out, I think the finished products are some of my best work ever, with narration that I'm actually happy with, a custom 3D intro I made in Blender, and overall pretty refined editing. A teensy thing that bugs me though is that it took until the dark world dungeons for me to notice that I'd been recording footage in 30FPS (frames per second) when the game actually runs at 60FPS! So, you may notice a jump in the smoothness of the footage around the Palace of Darkness section. Anyways, that's enough rambling, I hope you enjoy revisiting the dungeons of A Link to the Past! EDIT: Hey, don't worry, *I know you can use magic powder on fire-fairies aka anti-fairies.* There's text on screen at 19:12 acknowledging that, but even then it goes by fast and I gloss over it, so that is on me for not being clear enough. My reason for including that line about them in the script is because it is highly unlikely that players are going to even have magic powder at this point of the game, unless they have prior knowledge/experience and go pretty far out of their way to get it. I myself almost never bother grabbing the magic powder that early, instead getting it at the same time I go up to get the flippers. But technically you could I suppose, so I probably should have been more clear in my original script about that instead of just breezing past it. Thanks still for watching!
I think it's Nostalgia! I my self liked it quite a lot. I also began with NES. For me I've got most Nostalgia for OoT and TP. Yet Zelda 2 Linx adv is special to me. But I like the 3D more Even if I'm an old Man now and almost 40 when I played TP.
For Dark world my prefered order is 1/2/4/5/3/6/7. I like the extra hearts for the boss fight as well as the better sword. sneaking out treasures the best I can before hand. I have found that 3 is my least liked... then I remember 7 and go no this is the worst in game. Over all of Zelda I have not thought about it enough. But probably my least liked then is 4 or 5 in Zelda 2. so much hard to avoid danger between the 2 and unlike final palace they did not need to be hard to navigate..
As to fave dungeons of this game... probably like 2 most; Hera 2nd most and 3rd is 4. I hate Turtle rock because Mirror Shield is not helpful to me outside of dungeon; the lay out gives me migranes thanks to the float puzzles NEVER going the direction I need... as far as I know its pure R&G and out of my hands. The numerable involurable threats. The Boss's final form. and all the eye lasers. The only positive thing about its design is the chutes and Mario references. 3 has many of the same flaws in that I have no directional memory most of the time so I get stuck quite often. That boss fight is just no fun to me. I like all in one place dungeons that give items as versatile as possible. At the very least they need to feel interesting to me The final Dungeon for instance as at minimum interesting to me. Ocaranna's Shadow Temple is ideal because I never got stuck or bored and required the well and some set up then to top it off I love the levitation boots; used them for everything I could.
@@kodytiffany5686 Oh are you referring to the platforms you make and ride on using the cane of somaria? If so, it isn’t RNG. You directly control the direction it moves using the Dpad
@@CaptBurgerson In that case I really just do not get the timing then. is it exactly at the point they meet? Is it before? Because regardless I do not get any real responsiveness; its more a feel of when the game wills it. To be clear I am meaning 100% of the times; my play throughs make it feel more like a 50/50 than an actual Guarantee. SNES or whatever system its on. Leading to the final point of I am not catching how its a me problem, hence the questions I started with. I have no clue if its before or exactly when you reach the 4 way that I am supposed to push the direction. I do not like timing puzzles/rthymn puzzles because I just do not see good (or as I word it; I have slow vision). It turns those type of puzzles into "must" trial and error each attempt rather than get a feel for it proper. So like lighting the torches with fire rod is also annoying. I will ask if you ever tried the PS1 title Alundra. You doing a dungeon exam of that game I think would be really interesting. But I will warn you that the game is a tough exact jump platformer and has some dungeon puzzles that are difficult to figure out on your own thanks to the clues being a bit to cryptic. But as far RPG stuff goes I always thought of it as one that was Zelda inspired. Since the puzzles stuck out to me more than the fights. Never beat it personally but I also am not sure what I am doing wrong at my current stuck point. Follow the guide I found and still not getting it. Honestly think my version is either bugged or I somehow am in an area I was not meant to be yet. The guide says to go where I was on the dungeon I am stuck on and yet I hit a point where I am somehow not able to jump far or high enough... so if it is a me issue then the timing of button push is to exact or as its a downloaded version the chance of a glitch or bug also exists. either way last spot I was stuck on before this took me over a decade to solve so eventually I will beat it. I just have to pause on games when I get to heated in repeat trying. But no Alundra is a game where some dungeons are the dream of people you enter to help slay their inner demons. So level design is weird at times to reflect it being a dream.
My six year old has a review for you: “The dungeon design videos are MY FAVORITE.” Thanks for these long compilation videos! They’re soothing and safe choice for when this mama needs a mid-day nap!
A small note for the Desert Palace and the Tower of Hera, Noting the color of the pendants you get actually gives you a clue as to why certain design choices were made. The Desert Palace is mode about exploration and thinking, solving puzzles and as you said, unravelling the cord. This is because this place is meant to be a test of your wisdom, not really your combat ability. Where as the Tower of Hera is built like a straight gauntlet, because it's asking you to prove your battle prowess, and ability to think on the fly while in combat.
Also in the Dark Temple when you fight the Helmasaur King, the blade traps in the back are to dissuade players from even trying to hit him from behind, which wouldn't work
@@edwarddavis7858 So here’s the interesting thing with that… in LttP, Wisdom and Power have their colors reversed from today’s formula. Wisdom is red and Power is blue. You got the Pendant of Power in the Desert Palace, and the Pendant of Wisdom in the Tower.
Sooo saaame! I wouldn't even know how to solve this puzzle without the Cane of Somaria. Well, after this video, I now know. :D I even do dungeon 4 before 3 because I like to have the tempered sword for Mothula. Thanks, Burger, I didn't know that tempering the sword doubles the damage. I thought it's 3 times the basic sword. About Kholdstare: You can unfreeze the first stage immediately with the Bombos Medallion (which I also use for the penguin rooms). And I think the boss's second stage is quite tedious with the three fluff balls and the falling ice. It's just easy because you have so many hearts which are basically doubled by the blue mail.
Yes. What I did not realise till years later is you can free flow the dark world dungeons. Nowadays I just go through them first to collect all key items for full access to both over worlds and then return the second time with the better gear, spells and hearts for a boss rush up to Ganon's tower and endgame. Thinking back I remember the challenges I playing the linear way.
@@yami122 I always like getting it before Mothula at least because you can one shot her with a spin attack which is nice because screw that whole fight.
A Link to the Past is probably the Zelda game closest to my heart. It was the first Zelda game I ever played, in fact the first game ever I really played, and I was introduced to it by my dad and we used to play it together. Whilst I went on to continue playing the series, my dad never did but it is still a series I always connect with him. I couldn't watch this video straight away because the 3 year anniversary of my dad's death was pretty recent and as it is such an emotionally charged time, I couldn't face this video. But I am happy I have now managed to watch it. I've played ALttP more times than I can count and I never get tired of it. I really loved watching this video and seeing somebody else have as much love and passion for this game and its dungeons (except the Ice Palace) truly brought me joy. Personally, I don't mind the Ice Palace (except that block puzzle which I too hate), my real strong dislike in this game is Misery Mire, I just can never bring myself to enjoy it. But I can, as always, respect your views and opinions and even agree with them objectively whilst still having my own personal subjective bias towards certain things. Just a few stray thoughts (sorry for rambling but I am nearly done): I too love Ganon's Tower and personally think it is the best final dungeon in any Zelda game purely because it feels like a final test, as you said, of everything you've learnt without just outright rehashing dungeons like other Zelda games do. Also, the Ganon fight is the best fight against Ganon for me, hands down. It feels like a true challenge. I haven't replayed TotK yet so I can't accurately compare those Ganondorf fights with ALttP Ganon, but I still don't think they'll be as monumental and exhilirating. Regarding Kholdstare, you can actually make that first phase even easier by simply using Bombos. It one shots the ice shell and takes you straight to the second phase. Actually, you can also use Bombos on the Pengators to one shot them. Also, I always thought of the sometimes twisty pointless layout of Skull Woods being a reference to it being the Dark World counterpart to the Lost Woods, but that's purely my own headcanon and I have zero evidence to back that up. Sorry for the ramble but I really wanted to have some space to emotionally digest and respond to this video, I doubt you are still reading but if you are, sincerely thank you. This game means so much to me, it now holds an even more special place since the passing of my dad and honestly watching you break down these dungeons made me emotional and kind of bittersweet and nostalgic. I haven't been able to play this game since losing my dad but I think, after watching this, I should maybe dig out my old copy and fall back in love with it all over again. So thank you again for this video and thank you for (unintentionally) giving me a safe space to revisit something so fundamentally important to me.
I’m so sorry for your loss, and also many thanks for the generosity and thoughtful comment. It absolutely warms my heart that the video connected with you that way. Makes all the toil worth it. Cheers
12:40 - Technically, there is a way to know which is the correct switch to pull. If you approach the correct one, Zelda gives you an added explanation of how to pull it. She doesn't do that if you approach the wrong one.
1:05:42 I'm pretty sure those spikes are there to prevent you from running up behind the Helmasaur King and trying to stab him in the butt. After all, that's how you defeat the smaller helmasaurs before you get the hammer, and a non-creative player might have never thought to hammer them in the face after obtaining it to make the connection on breaking the King's mask. I imagine that playtesters kept trying to run back there and the spikes were placed to prevent them trying to get behind the boss and dying to no avail because that isn't actually his gimmick.
I think the Helmasaur King has spikes behind him to stop players fruitlessly going back there, since, "undamagable because of frontal mask...better get behind him." is a reasonable train of thought. So this keeps people on the right track towards discovering his weakness
Wow ❤❤❤❤ when I can’t sleep, I often go through all the dungeons of LttP in order, in my mind until I fall asleep. I didn’t realize anyone else thought about the dungeons this deeply! Thank you for making this!
Playing the LttP Randomizer made me appreciate the world and dungeon designs of this masterpiece even more than I already did -- there are so many ways to get around that I never thought of until the randomizer made me!
A Link to the Past is like an old friend to me. I recently had a playthrough of the game, and I attempted to beat the Dark World dungeons in the weirdest order possible. I started with Dungeon 1. After getting the hammer, I went all the way to the Thieves' hideout. From there, I got the bird for fast-tracking, and I went to Misery Mire. From here, I tried to go to the Ice Dungeon, but I couldn't get beyond the first room because I couldn't kill that ice skeleton thing without the fire rod, so I left there and went to the Skeleton Woods instead. Once I beat that, I went back to the Ice Dungeon and beat it. I also got lost trying to get the blue tunic. I couldn't remember how to get it. I then finally did the second dungeon, and I saved Turtle Rock for last. I thought I would have a hard time in Turtle Rock, because I always do, but I remember blazing through it in about twenty minutes. I love this game. This was open-world in two dimensions, before Breath of the Wild.
52:28 - Bit late on the uptake since this is a compilation and also a month old, but...the Tower of Hera is designed to prepare you for the Dark World, which is why the Moon Pearl is the item here. The Moon Pearl is effectively your Dark World item, being the item you use to remain in your regular form in the Dark World. The basic mechanics of the Tower are changing details about the dungeon that result in you having to adjust your navigation, but without fundamentally changing the actual structure. This is pretty much how the Dark World works - it's Hyrule but with these critical changes in the layout details that force you to adjust how you deal with it. The point of the design is that, if you can keep the style of thinking from the Tower of Hera you can handle switching between the Light and Dark Worlds.
Two things about Helmasaur King: His mask can also be damaged by bombs. Even if you're new to Zelda and your sword doesn't work, I think you'd still try the dungeon item first since you had to use it so often before. Also, the spikes in the back only damage you as long as the boss is alive. As soon as he explodes, they can't damage you anymore. It's sweet how they don't give you any chance to die after defeating the boss. ♥
1:08:48 - I think for me, I figured it out because the trim on the floor didn't wrap against the wall clued me in. That and the Eyegore statue being bright cyan just invites you to interact with it. Also, this series is what made me first realize the details in the map screen on the left-hand segment: they're somewhat themed to that specific dungeon (ie: the Tower of Hera having a mountain background, Misery Mire being on water instead of ground etc.) and the basement levels are below the horizon line (the Ice Palace being the most prominent example). I can't believe I never caught that for over 30 years.
I like goofy burger worm boss too. I think it's a fun challenge prioritizing both your health and the need to stay in the ring focusing on the boss and it's movements to get clear shots at it's weak point whenever possible while avoiding it's attacks.
Hey a lot of people don’t know this but the levers that you pull that drops snakes in the room can be figured out. When you walk into a room the snakes in the room will be facing a specific direction. You want to use the lever they are facing.
I don’t really think that’s intuitive enough of a hint. Most of the rooms in which snakes spawn are dark, meaning you can’t see most of them before they start moving about. The lever room itself also has no snakes, only a pair of rats who spawn looking in opposite direction. If this was intended as a hint, it’s so cryptic that I don’t think it qualifies. But I’m more inclined to believe it was not meant as one and is a coincidence that they face right. A more likely hint is that Zelda only tells you the “pull” controls are when you approach the correct lever, which is more helpful for new players than returning ones admittedly
Finally a video on all the alttp! A link to the past is my favourite Zelda game (along with oot) misery mire and( dark palace and eastern palace for nostalgia reasons) are my favorite..also the Castle dungeons are pretty cool.
I mean this in the best possible way, but I get through this video every night before bed and then start it from where i fall asleep the last night. Get my dose of nostalgia and your relaxing voice before bed and i sleep like a rock- thank you
You are absolutely right. I guess I didn’t count it before since that room is strictly optional, though granted so is the entirety of Palace of the Four Sword. Good catch
Three Fun Trivia facts to add to the Hyrule Castle escape sequence, ala rescue Zelda. The first three chests before the boomerang, all have a 100% chance to be the Lantern, and if you have the lantern, the other two become rupee. If you somehow do not have the lantern by the time you get to Zelda, she will mention your lack of a Lantern and encourage you to find one before you go into the secret passage, as it is dark. And the top left gravestone in Hyrule Cemetary, next to the chapel Zelda hides in, can be pushed to open a drop hole that leads to the lit chamber where the two bombable walls are. 'Bonus' both of those walls can be charged into with the pegasus boots to open them.
mmhmm, I did know about these, but I didn't include them in this video haha. Thanks for sharing still. I actually did make a short about the lantern bit last year though th-cam.com/users/shortscNxGy3-dydc
@@CaptBurgerson I felt like commenting it as those bits help add to your argument of how good a beginner dungeon it is. Redundant fail safes to ensure progression without feeling like its handholding you for the first couple facts. Last one is just that, while I agree, its a bit annoying to backtrack, they 'did' add a shortcut as the exit after is one way only due to the push blocks if I recall.
I seem to remember the village of thieves or kakori village having a character that tells you to check the town center thingy and after the duck fast travel thing it made sense.
2:43:43 There's actually one other creature in the game, besides Ganon, which is both vulnerable to silver arrows and doesn't die in one hit to them. That's Vitreous, the boss of Misery Mire. Of course, under normal gameplay it's impossible to do this, since you need the crystals from both Kholdstare and Vitreous in order to unlock the big bomb to get the Silver Arrows. But if you do have them, Vitreous actually takes 2 whole shots to go down!
1:38:40 It's a soft lock prevention. Part of the gimmick for Skull Woods is dropping down into sections of the dungeon from holes in the woods and while there is only one useful drop down, they give you others to explore. If you fall into the hole to the left of the first entrance without a key you'd be trapped in the dungeon and have to restart the game to get out without that key to open the door from the inside.
I get that, it just feels pointless to design the dungeon that way if a bunch of those rooms are basically optional. Otherwise instead of a key and locked door it could have been a one-way-door
1:42:00 I'm not 100% sure, as it's been a long time since I've played LttP outside of the randomizer, but if I remember correctly there's either an NPC or one of the trees in town tells you about how the trident looks flimsy and like it could be ripped off of the statue.
My final comment on this video. :D Sorry for all the single comments but I couldn't watch it in one sitting. You, sir, earn serious praise for this amazing series! 💚 Rarely did I discover such passion for an amazing game like A Link to the Past. One might think pure dungeon design might become boring but no, you made me keep watching and it was so so so interesting. Also with all the little references to your childhood and not remembering how we figured out puzzles back then. :D And yeah, GBA graphics seem cramped just as for Yoshi's Island. :( NOW I'm looking forward to watching the Link's Awakening videos which is my personal favourite Zelda game of all time. Have a nice one! 🤗
Wow, thanks so much for the kind words and your generosity. I hope you enjoy revisiting Link's Awakening just as much. I'm still working through the game, but aiming to be done before Echoes of Wisdom is out haha. Thanks again! Means a lot
@@CaptBurgerson Fully earned! I'm sure I'm gonna enjoy LA just as much, if not more. Echoes of Wisdom will be my game of the year next to Visions of Mana. :D Have fun with both LA and EoW!
I... never noticed how important the central room is to Zelda's dungeon design. The only post-LTTP dungeon that comes to mind without one is the Shadow Temple from OoT. Every time I think I've thought of one, I remember something like "wait, no, Jabu-Jabu's belly loops back around to the lift room constantly" or think "wait, nevermind, the Divine Beasts are basically one big central room and nothing else."
@@efad3215 It likes to loop back to that one room that slowly disassembles itself as the big mecha-bird flies around outside, if I recall? I distinctly remember having to navigate the same room multiple different ways with the clawshot to progress, might be a different dungeon.
@CoralCopperHead TotK Goron temple. That place has no central room, and is a _nightmare_ to navigate (for more reasons than just that, but damn if that wouldn't help out)
@@efad3215 Oh, my bad, I was thinking of the Occa city from TP. Haven't had a chance to play TotK yet either, so I'm sure I'm missing some, but the fact that there's so few kind of proves my point.
Forgive my third comment but I finally finished. This was an absolute joy to watch. My gf and I will be pouring through your other videos. The analysis was fantastic and really helped me appreciate things I didn't notice way back in the 90s as a kid. Solid work, 10/10. Look forward to more!
At 12:50 there is a really vague hint as which lever to pull. Zelda will tell you how to pull objects only at the correct one as you approach it. So if it was a first time playthrough and one didnt know, when she explains it they'd be right by the correct one. I always figured anybody would pull both levers anyway to see what happens... so ya kinda get the snakes anyways. :-)
This reminds me a lot of ZoomZike's videos, and in a good way! This is one of my all time favorite games, and I loved seeing you go into these dungeons' design, (particularly appreciating your teardown of the Ice Palace, the game's only true low point in my opinion) Also heavily appreciate the coverage of the Palace of the Four Sword, a cool dungeon that nobody talks about ever
Your "Ocarina of Time Dungeon Design" really made me realize so much crap I never noticed! Namely the Spirit temple, so I just had to check this out and I can't wait to check all the others. Man you're so goated
Thanks for uploading a compilation, I was watching the second episode of your video about LTTP, until I stumbled upon this, I was trying to get some insight from another fellow player, truly learned something, using these insights for a Dungeon Maker to create levels xd
Yippie. This will be on my rewatch list. Especially with the inclusion of the palace of the 4 swords. My first experience of alttp was actually the gba port. Even tho thats what I grew up with I have to agree that the snes version is just a better experience overall (despite the failable ice palace puzzle) Thank you so much for this series its truly one of my favourites on all of youtube. (Still cant believe you actually did talk about palace. been waiting so long for that ❤)
Oh wow. Just realized I've always gone about the Skull Woods dungeon the hard way--dropping in first to the "southwest" portion of what you call section 1 and then working my way out and around into section 2. Tip noted for my future play throughs, thanks!
This always comes to mind when I think of the greatest games ever made - not only has it stood the test of time, but when it came out it was as, if not more, groundbreaking than the original Zelda was during its time. The whole Light/Dark world thing really was a genius way to make a complex game out of what felt like a manageably sized map.
Excellent video and a great reminder of what makes a link to the past such a classic! I will say this, and call me dumb, but the swamp Temple kicked my butt just as bad as the water Temple for ocarina of time! I'm sure many of you probably had easier time but I certainly didn't!!!😂
3:05 "The game guides us with subtle clues, like a giant blinking X as the only thing on the map, guards blocking every other path for no well-explained reason, and Zelda telepathically screaming at us: "Get a move on, you lazy git!" every 15 seconds. Ahh, the art of subtlety."
I mean, yeah if we ignore all the nuance then you have a point! These things you mention are all the game giving us a clear overall objective. It's saying "here's where you need to go" but it is not saying how to actually get there. That's up to the player to explore and figure out
@@CaptBurgerson I just thought it was funny, how you called it subtle, coming off of a blind playthrough, where every time he tried to do something Zelda would interrupt him, like: "Did you forget?... you know, from 15 seconds ago? ...Is anyone there, hallo-ohhh?"
Scrubbing through and see a massive spike of activity at Trinexx and no preceding ad... Guess I'll find out what's so worth re-watching there in 2 hours and 40 minutes!
By far my favorite Zelda game! Heavy bias because it was my first Zelda and one of the first games I ever finished as a kid. But, watching and listening to this I had a thought. There is something about the atmosphere and style of this game that really vibes me, it's hard to describe. But when you played the isolated audiotracks in your video, it made it clear to me: The soundtrack at parts is really dark, moody and even eerie at times. It complements the light / dark world dichotomy perfectly. In general, I feel like the overall tone of the Zelda series after this juncture shifted somewhat. Even though I really like Ocarina of Time, I never connected with it as much as I did with this game. The first three games possess a certain 80's fantasy / sword and sorcery tone and feel, whereas after and currently there is a way brighter and more anime inspired look and feel to the Zelda Universe (Barring Majora's Mask, that game is dark). Just rambling here... Great video! Got to replay this game ASAP!
I distinctly remember cracking into Thieves’ Town for the first time just by messing around - and I was in without too much time wasted. I’m not really sure _why_ I pulled on the entrance, it might have just been on a whim. I’ve definitely got no memory of any kind of hint on the way to get in. The guidance on _why_ you have to let the light into the dungeon for the boss also felt… muddled. We learned early on Blind hated bright light, but at the time I was thinking “okay, how is that relevant?” and had forgotten all about it by the time I reached Thieves’ Town. It just felt like world building (not a bad thing in itself). As a result I didn’t even make the connection that it was Blind I was fighting, even after he said “Gyaah! Too bright!” It’s very possible I was just a dumb kid. I also agree with your issues with the ice dungeon.
When talking about Thieves' Town, I'm surprised you didn't spend more time talking about the 'missing' boss and how the player finds Blind. It's not mentioned how the 'maiden' actually protests to being taken outside of the dungeon if you lead her to the entrance (despite her asking you to take her outside when you find her), nor is the significance of blowing open the hole in the ceiling of the boss room really explained. This is something we all just 'know' by now (without knowing how we know, like accessing the dungeon in the first place), but what I consider to be the dungeon's largest puzzle got really downplayed here! I'm currently still watching as I pause to type this, but so far this has been a really interesting compilation/analysis!
I can tell you an Ice Palace fix. Swap the Blue Mail location with the Ice Rod (and make the area where that was found inaccessible without the Hammer), then redesign Kholdstare so that it starts in it cloud eye form, but bigger as the 3 are fused, that you can't hurt with your sword until you freeze with enough Ice Rod hits (hitting it with the Hammer or Bombs hurts more) before breaking into the 3 smaller cloud eyes that you have to do the same thing to. It also puts the Ice Rod somewhere required, preventing you from getting blindsided by the boss of Turtle Rock that can't be beat without it similar to how Ganon can't be beat without the Silver Arrows (at least there's an exit out of his fight and a hint about the Silver Arrows). While I'm at it, scrap that block push puzzle. Make the Stalfos freezeable in their broken state, then able to be pushed around like a block. Or put something down there that can fulfill the same purpose, giving the new Dungeon Item a puzzle purpose rather than it just being a good weapon.
1:42:24 So, for those of us who played the game on its original release and hardware, Nintendo provided a small booklet with a set of clues for some of even the later game areas. One of those clues pertains to entering Thieve's Town within the Village of Outcasts. But even without the booklet of hints, you're given the EXACT POSITION of the entrance of each of the dungeons, so opening the entrance is simply a matter of experimentation. I don't think it's too obscure considering what the player was given though there were times where both me and my dad were stumped about how to proceed on the first time through ALttP. One of those places was a room in the Ice Palace where you had to pull the tongue on the statue to open the door leading to the Big Key. What's especially amusing is that I was in 2nd grade at the time, and she was in Kindergarden, so it really goes to show that even a Kindergardener could solve those puzzles so long as they're attentive and willing to indulge their curiousity.
if you ask me, i understand not being a fan of backtracking or going back once you finish a dungeon, but i think that truly only applies to completionists or someone that wants to do everything in a playthrough. like unless youre after all the skulltulas, im not going back to the bombable wall in the deku tree, i wont go back to the dodongos cavern as an adult, i very rarely take the time to learn the scarecrow song for the fire temple. now, you most likely will if you want to kill the skulltulas for their rewards. in MM, the skulltula houses or even collecting any masks outside of the transformation masks or the story masks are optional unless you want the Fierce Deity mask (it does make beating majora easier but you dont really need it to beat majora). in TP, i never bother with the poe souls and i never bother with that chest in the city in the sky. in WW, it helps with the triforce quest but very rarely do i bother to visit every island fish but you can make it through just with what the game gives you. if im honest, i never really go after the treasure charts either. in SS, i very rarely bother going after the goddess cubes. for me, in BOTW and TOTK, i only do the shrines because i want the master sword and you get more hearts but even those are optional. i mean, we are in 2024. you can look up alot of this stuff. theres sites to tell you where everything is and it tells you where all those hidden paths go, but most of it is completely optional. now, im sure it was different when games like LTTP and OOT and TP were considered new or if you want to figure it out for yourself (i know the feeling of satisfaction of figuring out a puzzle for yourself). All in all, i think it really depends on what coming back to bomb that wall in the castle, or collecting every poe soul, or doing every shrine, or collecting every mask really means to you as the player.
@@CaptBurgerson not saying its a bad thing. i know alot of people want to do EVERYTHING EVERYTIME in every zelda game they play. but personally, im the kinda fan that just wants to play through the game. now, i might collect heart pieces or kill skulltulas or go after goddess cubes but maybe not every single time i do a playthrough. im in no way a hater, but ive watched enough of your dungeon design videos to know.
@@Brockbuiltmore definitely wasn’t accusing you of being a hater or anything, just was saying you were definitely able to look at that critique and identify the root of that criticism pretty well. And hey, thanks for watching, means a lot
@@CaptBurgerson appreciate that. and i always try to. gonna look forward to the other games now. not sure how the minish cap or the oracles or the DS games would go, but im sure youd have something to say for them...
1:42:50 The talking tree in the village mentions the gargoyle statue and how you can hear a woman screaming coming from underneath it. As for figuring it out I have no idea. Im pretty sure most people just asked their friend with a nintendo power subscription.
Skull Woods prepares you for Thieves' Town. "Don't presume, and move your feet." I also remember how I figured how to find the entrance to Thieves' Town (Thieves' Hideout). It was through dialogue in either Thieves' Town, or possibly in Kakariko, in the that basement of that storage house or whatever it is, that mentioned a thief named Blind. That made me explore that town, and that trident at that statue - which is also curiously where you activate the flute in the light world - made me suspect things. There's a sound when you start pulling, similar to pulling a lever, so I just continued to pull, and boom. I did try other things before trying to pull, I just didn't never gave up. Bombs? No. Arrows? No. Bombs from evil trees? No. "goddamnit, there has to be some way! A+DirDown, A+DirDown, wait, what was that sound? A+DirDown(Hold)". It looked like a barred entrance, and this game do not use fake doors. I refused to give up.
15:57 for whatever reason it feels like new games expect players to have never picked up a controller before and just need to explain every single thing. Old games though, it’s sink or swim, learn the game or quit the game. However l, with games from the snes and 64 era, they take a liberty of assuming if you’re playing the game you know that pressing certain directions moves you and that a and and b do something. but slap in a nice fun tutorial level for you. That way you learn the very basics Developers now seem to forget people can learn through doing. The closet I can think of to an old style tutorial is Helldivers 2, where its tutorial is got funny dialogue and takes a short 10 minutes or so. Lethal company is a better sink or swim game example however giving you little details about what you’re doing.
@@Robert-hc way better view & graphics before grand theft auto games & that was on PlayStation 1, Nintendo really out did themselves here for this game
I recently started this game for the first time as part of my several years long "timeline" playthrough of the series (I played the other two timelines first because I've actually played those games before, and I wanted to end with the newest (haha, ironic oldest games being the newest to me) experiences). So far i've only beat the first two dungeons: Hyrule Castle: while not easy by today's standards, it fills the same role as BotW's Great Plateau, as Capt pointed out. The atmosphere is exhilirating, especially after you take up the mantle from your dead uncle (nah lets just leave him in a sewer somewhere). The pounding rain, the infiltration, and then the bombastic castle theme are an awesome way to start your adventure. Navigation isn't too jard, and the enemies are managable. And then you get to the ball and chain knight. This guy kicks your butt. If you're used to the more generous slash attacks of the newer games, this guy will not give you a break. After a few attempts, I finally beat the guy, and then getting Zelda out is a great way to end the dungeon. (I did guess wrong on the 50/50 choice at the end, oh well) The Eastern Palace was a noticable but not too extreme jump in difficulty. The bow being given to you in this dungeon is awesome, a way to deal with enemies while not getting into harms way, albeit with a need for more precise maneuvering to use properly. The jumping Stalfos are always a fun challenge, and once you get the bow its so rewarding to shnipe these guys. The boss was an interesting one, with the interesting foreshadowing that sahasrahla gives you of the knights defending the pendant. Navigation in this temple is great. Although none of the puzzles really stick out to me, I feel like the navigation is more of the puzzle in this dungeon anyways, seeing as this is the first real dungeon in the game. There's a lot of winding between rooms and backtracking and side areas, so even though you are going in basically a straight path, it feels like you're going through the dungeon a bunch cuz of the way its structured. The gauntlet battle at the end is awesome, followed by the interesting boss. Great, if not easy, dungeon.
I like how a link to the past backtracks in hindsight. the game design is very apparent when you play through the game, it's very streamlined and thought through. meanwhile in totk (one of my if noy my favorite zelda game) they had to give you a whole super power to ascend through ceilings to make the caving mechanics more s treamlined.
As a kid I was never able to play any further than dungeon 5 because I didn’t know that you can unlock the bird in kakariko… 😟 (I was 6 and couldnt read English…) So I played the game over and over again until that point 😂
6:25 - An interesting detail here: The soldiers with the shorter 'dagger'-like weapons aren't actually hostile. Sure they'll still hurt if you touch them, but they won't go after you either, you can just walk past them. Story wise, I imagine those are the guards that weren't affected by Agahnims magic... yet. (F in the comments for that 1 soldier on the outside edge of the castle that notices something weird going on. 😮💨) 12:40 - It's not something you'd realize your 1st time through, but there's a "hint" of sorts revealing which is correct. As Zelda will only give you the 'tutorial' for pulling things when you're near the right switch. 🤓 46:44 - Well, its "attack" does change slightly when there's just one left. When it emerges rocks get sent out in 8 directions, instead of just 4 diagonals. Not too interesting, but it's something at least. (Side note: It's not a/the dungeon item, but they actually have a weakness to the Ice Rod. Probably not something you'd find this early your 1st time through, but useful for replays at least.) 47:44 : I think it's less that it makes you walk all the way back up/around to it that bothers people and more with the fact that falling off means its health resets and you need to start over. 1:31:47 - Damn. That fireball has quite the hitbox. That top Gibdo walked _nearby_ while it was _fading_ and _still_ got lit on fire. (Also, wow, that was some _intense_ knock-back, especially for an indirect hit.) 1:36:21 - You know what _else_ you can use during this fight? _-My Mom!-_ Bees. If you happen to find the Good/Golden Bee and use it here, that sucker can very nearly solo this boss. (However, it's also _immune_ to Spin Attacks from the Tempered Sword and the Golden Sword entirely.) 2:06:52 - You can save yourself a lot of magic in the 1st phase by using the Bombos Medallion instead. (I think that's the only time any of the medallions actually have an effect of the bosses too.) When it splits up in phase 2 the Fire Rod does extra damage so hit them as much as you can with it.
Finally someone mentioned the GBA version sword swing yells! Upgrading the sword gave it a progressively deeper swiping sound that I enjoyed. You can hardly hear it over Link’s HYAHs.
Funny you mentioned the Green Eyegore statue . I have very VERY distinct memory of not being able to progress in that dungeon or know what to do. I first played this game back when I was 7 or so in the era pre net so there was no way to find the info I wanted. That was until the nintendo power issue came out covering the game and said what to do. I can remember being frustrated but determined and finding every item i could in the game,.
12:50 The real purpose of the snake-trap room is to test the player on the new pulling mechanic. Prior to this in the Zelda series, you could only push objects (blocks), but now you can pull them as well. On a more personal anecdote, I remember my very first night playing A Link to the Past clearly. It was evening on my birthday in mid-July, and it just so happened that a potent thunderstorm was making its way through my area, so the sound of rain hammering on the roof of my home, along with the thunder and lightning elevated things above vicarious. Sadly, it also prompted my folks into ushering me into bed early and to unplug the electronics to keep them from getting nailed by lightning. (it was an old ass country house with bad electrical insulation) I got to the snake-trap section and...got it right the first try. But curiosity got the better of me, and I pulled the other switch...I nearly took my first death there, but managed to slay the snakes ('Ropes') with 3 quarters of a heart remaining.
I honestly enjoy listening to these dungeon compilations, it's nice background noise when I'm working on building card decks, though the more I listen, the more I can reflect on my own opinions with yours, as an example, I originally hated Swamp Palace, but hearing your perspective, I have a new outlook on the dungeon as a whole. As a response to not only my perspective towards this game's dungeons and as an answer to your comment on the Thieves Town entrance, I owned a walkthrough booklet for the game, and as a child, Id go to auctions with my Mom and Dad and would read over and over the booklet, I don't own it anymore, haven't owned it anymore for a long time, but I remember little tidbits and secrets, however from what I remember from it, if you talk to an NPC in the Dark World Town, think it was in the Bar, they give you a hint to the dungeon. Link Between Worlds makes a callback to this with its Thieves Hideout dungeon where you do the same thing.
I do have a few little gripes in regards to the Ice Palace, and admittedly this is because of the same booklet I had as a kid. The order of the dungeons could be altered as mentioned before Swamp Palace, you can technically do the next two dungeons before Swamp Palace, Thieves Town and Skull Woods, which is funny, but what's even funnier is that you can do Misery Mire before Ice Palace. Since you're doing them in order, your gripes are fully understandable, but if you do Misery Mire first, you can get the Cane of Somaria and completely bypass the lowest level's block puzzle, thus preventing the loops in the Ice Palace, however it's a double edged sword since Misery Mire is somewhat difficult without double defense, especially in regards to Vitreous. Still doesn't forgive the many unfortunate attempts at the game where I've gotten to Kholdstare with not enough magic to thaw it out. I always have to stop progressing to fully stock on Blue Potions Everytime now, but I digress. (Editor's Note: I find it funny that the Cane of Somaria trick was mentioned by the guest, very funny)
I believe using arrows in Helmasaur's gem deals more damage, and is obviously safer than running up to it with a sword or hammer while it's moving faster and doing its attacks. Coincidentally or not, Palace of Darkness is where the Eastern Temple is in the Light World, where you originally got the Bow and fought a boss that's made easier, though isn't necessary for, by using it. Don't know if that was intended, but it's a nice way to connect the two worlds.
The boomerang is meant to showcase how a dungeons' weapon can often be useful against the boss. The boomerang hits from out of his range, and iirc, stuns the ball and chain guard with Zelda, so he's easier to defeat, since (as you mentioned) he's a bit tougher.
One slight mention: On the Lanmolas fight, when there is one left, it DOES slightly change its strategy. When it emerges from the sand, instead of just shooting 4 projectiles, it shoots 8 in all directions. Otherwise, it is pretty much the same.
So for thieves town gargoyle entrance. If I recall right there is something that actually mentions there is something under the statue. I dont recall if its a sign NPC or a book but something in the town mentions there is something under the statue. And in your video you can clearly see the stairs behind the prongs. Just like there is someone who mentions blind doesnt like sunlight in the Light world Jail I think.
I remember on my first playthrough a long time ago, getting stuck after the 4th dungeon, because i completly missed the Titan Mitts and did not figure out, how I can get to the next dungeons.
Place of Darkness holds a special spot for me. Besides also using bombs to take off the mask of the boss (you don't have to use the hammer, something I like) the part where you needed to use the bow and arrow on the statue's eye to open up that room stumped me pretty hard as a kid playing their 1st Zelda game...to the point where it was the last dungeon in the dark world I beat lol.
Thing about Armos Knight: I'm pretty sure you can skip the 2nd Phase altogether if you manage the damage on the Knights carefully so a simultaneous attack (Spin Attack) can take them out. Similar to how in DMC3, you can skip the merged phase of Agni & Rudra if you balance the damage on them and take them out around the same time. Not saying Armos Knights are hard enough to need to do that, but it's possible and makes the fight more interesting, especially for the first boss.
The game makes sure you won't miss the lantern. If you don't pick it up in your house at the beginning (which is impossible for me nowadays but back then, you might have been overwhelmed with everything), it will be in the chest next to Zelda. And didn't we all just get the 5 rupees first, then talked to Zelda? :D
A minor note on the chest after your Uncle (and in Zelda's cell). They only have 5 rupees if you grabbed the lantern from your house or the other chest, otherwise they have the lantern themselves. Since you're stuck in the castle until you get to the sanctuary once you fall down in the garden, and the lamp is needed to see the way there (while *technically* possible if you know its layout, a first-time player who managed to miss the chest in Link's house certainly isn't going to have great luck groping their way in the dark), these chests ensure that you can't softlock yourself.
Indeed! I didn’t mention it in this video, but I did make a short about that last year. It’s such a neat little quirk of the game th-cam.com/users/shortscNxGy3-dydc?si=bpfjFuO2LAfy99zA
RE-UPLOAD ALERT:
Hi friends! This is another re-upload / compilation video! BUT WITH A TWIST! *I have actually ADDED an entirely new section at the end of the video, examining The Palace of the Four Sword, which I did not cover at all during my original run of Dungeon Design in A Link to the Past. So, hey, this is both a compilation AND new content!*
A few things to note. I began production into this series originally in February of 2023, and as you'd expect given that time window, Tears of the Kingdom released about halfway through production of the series. If I recall correctly, I was working on the video for Thieves' Town when TOTK launched. That said, I pushed through and continued covering this game, and tried juggling that with TOTK content, with mixed success. I'm still, overall very proud of how this series turned out, I think the finished products are some of my best work ever, with narration that I'm actually happy with, a custom 3D intro I made in Blender, and overall pretty refined editing.
A teensy thing that bugs me though is that it took until the dark world dungeons for me to notice that I'd been recording footage in 30FPS (frames per second) when the game actually runs at 60FPS! So, you may notice a jump in the smoothness of the footage around the Palace of Darkness section.
Anyways, that's enough rambling, I hope you enjoy revisiting the dungeons of A Link to the Past!
EDIT: Hey, don't worry, *I know you can use magic powder on fire-fairies aka anti-fairies.* There's text on screen at 19:12 acknowledging that, but even then it goes by fast and I gloss over it, so that is on me for not being clear enough.
My reason for including that line about them in the script is because it is highly unlikely that players are going to even have magic powder at this point of the game, unless they have prior knowledge/experience and go pretty far out of their way to get it. I myself almost never bother grabbing the magic powder that early, instead getting it at the same time I go up to get the flippers.
But technically you could I suppose, so I probably should have been more clear in my original script about that instead of just breezing past it.
Thanks still for watching!
I think it's Nostalgia!
I my self liked it quite a lot.
I also began with NES.
For me I've got most Nostalgia for OoT and TP.
Yet Zelda 2 Linx adv is special to me.
But I like the 3D more Even if I'm an old Man now and almost 40 when I played TP.
For Dark world my prefered order is 1/2/4/5/3/6/7.
I like the extra hearts for the boss fight as well as the better sword. sneaking out treasures the best I can before hand.
I have found that 3 is my least liked... then I remember 7 and go no this is the worst in game. Over all of Zelda I have not thought about it enough. But probably my least liked then is 4 or 5 in Zelda 2. so much hard to avoid danger between the 2 and unlike final palace they did not need to be hard to navigate..
As to fave dungeons of this game... probably like 2 most; Hera 2nd most and 3rd is 4.
I hate Turtle rock because Mirror Shield is not helpful to me outside of dungeon; the lay out gives me migranes thanks to the float puzzles NEVER going the direction I need... as far as I know its pure R&G and out of my hands. The numerable involurable threats. The Boss's final form. and all the eye lasers.
The only positive thing about its design is the chutes and Mario references.
3 has many of the same flaws in that I have no directional memory most of the time so I get stuck quite often. That boss fight is just no fun to me.
I like all in one place dungeons that give items as versatile as possible. At the very least they need to feel interesting to me
The final Dungeon for instance as at minimum interesting to me.
Ocaranna's Shadow Temple is ideal because I never got stuck or bored and required the well and some set up then to top it off I love the levitation boots; used them for everything I could.
@@kodytiffany5686 Oh are you referring to the platforms you make and ride on using the cane of somaria?
If so, it isn’t RNG. You directly control the direction it moves using the Dpad
@@CaptBurgerson In that case I really just do not get the timing then.
is it exactly at the point they meet?
Is it before?
Because regardless I do not get any real responsiveness; its more a feel of when the game wills it.
To be clear I am meaning 100% of the times; my play throughs make it feel more like a 50/50 than an actual Guarantee.
SNES or whatever system its on.
Leading to the final point of I am not catching how its a me problem, hence the questions I started with. I have no clue if its before or exactly when you reach the 4 way that I am supposed to push the direction.
I do not like timing puzzles/rthymn puzzles because I just do not see good (or as I word it; I have slow vision). It turns those type of puzzles into "must" trial and error each attempt rather than get a feel for it proper. So like lighting the torches with fire rod is also annoying.
I will ask if you ever tried the PS1 title Alundra. You doing a dungeon exam of that game I think would be really interesting. But I will warn you that the game is a tough exact jump platformer and has some dungeon puzzles that are difficult to figure out on your own thanks to the clues being a bit to cryptic. But as far RPG stuff goes I always thought of it as one that was Zelda inspired. Since the puzzles stuck out to me more than the fights. Never beat it personally but I also am not sure what I am doing wrong at my current stuck point. Follow the guide I found and still not getting it. Honestly think my version is either bugged or I somehow am in an area I was not meant to be yet. The guide says to go where I was on the dungeon I am stuck on and yet I hit a point where I am somehow not able to jump far or high enough... so if it is a me issue then the timing of button push is to exact or as its a downloaded version the chance of a glitch or bug also exists. either way last spot I was stuck on before this took me over a decade to solve so eventually I will beat it. I just have to pause on games when I get to heated in repeat trying. But no Alundra is a game where some dungeons are the dream of people you enter to help slay their inner demons. So level design is weird at times to reflect it being a dream.
I can't wait to fall asleep to this, then wake up and rewind it then go back to sleep, then repeat this for 6 nights until i finally finish it
@@jayv9070 been doing the same exact thing
Ah yes it puts me straight to sleep
The best way to TH-cam
I feel so seen!
Exactely the same
My six year old has a review for you: “The dungeon design videos are MY FAVORITE.”
Thanks for these long compilation videos! They’re soothing and safe choice for when this mama needs a mid-day nap!
Always a pleasure to work with you Daniel. When things are more stable for me, we should do more together. Thanks again.
A small note for the Desert Palace and the Tower of Hera, Noting the color of the pendants you get actually gives you a clue as to why certain design choices were made. The Desert Palace is mode about exploration and thinking, solving puzzles and as you said, unravelling the cord. This is because this place is meant to be a test of your wisdom, not really your combat ability. Where as the Tower of Hera is built like a straight gauntlet, because it's asking you to prove your battle prowess, and ability to think on the fly while in combat.
Also in the Dark Temple when you fight the Helmasaur King, the blade traps in the back are to dissuade players from even trying to hit him from behind, which wouldn't work
@@edwarddavis7858 So here’s the interesting thing with that… in LttP, Wisdom and Power have their colors reversed from today’s formula. Wisdom is red and Power is blue. You got the Pendant of Power in the Desert Palace, and the Pendant of Wisdom in the Tower.
@@TriFye90 Oh, interesting. So much for the dungeons matching their virtues, then
That block puzzle in the Ice Cavern is why I always do Misery Mire first and use the Cane of Somaria to make a block that way.
Sooo saaame! I wouldn't even know how to solve this puzzle without the Cane of Somaria. Well, after this video, I now know. :D I even do dungeon 4 before 3 because I like to have the tempered sword for Mothula. Thanks, Burger, I didn't know that tempering the sword doubles the damage. I thought it's 3 times the basic sword.
About Kholdstare: You can unfreeze the first stage immediately with the Bombos Medallion (which I also use for the penguin rooms). And I think the boss's second stage is quite tedious with the three fluff balls and the falling ice. It's just easy because you have so many hearts which are basically doubled by the blue mail.
Yes. What I did not realise till years later is you can free flow the dark world dungeons. Nowadays I just go through them first to collect all key items for full access to both over worlds and then return the second time with the better gear, spells and hearts for a boss rush up to Ganon's tower and endgame. Thinking back I remember the challenges I playing the linear way.
@@TwinFlyDSW It's interesting to try to get the gold sword as soon as possible
@@TwinFlyDSW I like playing the randomizers so on a normal play through I'm always looking for ways to do things differently
@@yami122 I always like getting it before Mothula at least because you can one shot her with a spin attack which is nice because screw that whole fight.
A Link to the Past is probably the Zelda game closest to my heart. It was the first Zelda game I ever played, in fact the first game ever I really played, and I was introduced to it by my dad and we used to play it together. Whilst I went on to continue playing the series, my dad never did but it is still a series I always connect with him.
I couldn't watch this video straight away because the 3 year anniversary of my dad's death was pretty recent and as it is such an emotionally charged time, I couldn't face this video. But I am happy I have now managed to watch it.
I've played ALttP more times than I can count and I never get tired of it. I really loved watching this video and seeing somebody else have as much love and passion for this game and its dungeons (except the Ice Palace) truly brought me joy.
Personally, I don't mind the Ice Palace (except that block puzzle which I too hate), my real strong dislike in this game is Misery Mire, I just can never bring myself to enjoy it. But I can, as always, respect your views and opinions and even agree with them objectively whilst still having my own personal subjective bias towards certain things.
Just a few stray thoughts (sorry for rambling but I am nearly done):
I too love Ganon's Tower and personally think it is the best final dungeon in any Zelda game purely because it feels like a final test, as you said, of everything you've learnt without just outright rehashing dungeons like other Zelda games do. Also, the Ganon fight is the best fight against Ganon for me, hands down. It feels like a true challenge. I haven't replayed TotK yet so I can't accurately compare those Ganondorf fights with ALttP Ganon, but I still don't think they'll be as monumental and exhilirating.
Regarding Kholdstare, you can actually make that first phase even easier by simply using Bombos. It one shots the ice shell and takes you straight to the second phase. Actually, you can also use Bombos on the Pengators to one shot them.
Also, I always thought of the sometimes twisty pointless layout of Skull Woods being a reference to it being the Dark World counterpart to the Lost Woods, but that's purely my own headcanon and I have zero evidence to back that up.
Sorry for the ramble but I really wanted to have some space to emotionally digest and respond to this video, I doubt you are still reading but if you are, sincerely thank you.
This game means so much to me, it now holds an even more special place since the passing of my dad and honestly watching you break down these dungeons made me emotional and kind of bittersweet and nostalgic. I haven't been able to play this game since losing my dad but I think, after watching this, I should maybe dig out my old copy and fall back in love with it all over again.
So thank you again for this video and thank you for (unintentionally) giving me a safe space to revisit something so fundamentally important to me.
I’m so sorry for your loss, and also many thanks for the generosity and thoughtful comment.
It absolutely warms my heart that the video connected with you that way. Makes all the toil worth it.
Cheers
12:40 - Technically, there is a way to know which is the correct switch to pull. If you approach the correct one, Zelda gives you an added explanation of how to pull it. She doesn't do that if you approach the wrong one.
True, but a first-time player won't know that.
1:05:42 I'm pretty sure those spikes are there to prevent you from running up behind the Helmasaur King and trying to stab him in the butt. After all, that's how you defeat the smaller helmasaurs before you get the hammer, and a non-creative player might have never thought to hammer them in the face after obtaining it to make the connection on breaking the King's mask.
I imagine that playtesters kept trying to run back there and the spikes were placed to prevent them trying to get behind the boss and dying to no avail because that isn't actually his gimmick.
I think you’re right about that. Keeps players positioned front and centre in the fight
@@CaptBurgerson
I'm so happy I got to grow up with this game.
I'm also happy people are still talking about it.
I was young back then, and my thoughts is that those blade traps are his feces or something.
Came looking for this comment. My thought exactly!
Bombs also work against the mask though you probably need more skill to use them against it.
I think the Helmasaur King has spikes behind him to stop players fruitlessly going back there, since, "undamagable because of frontal mask...better get behind him." is a reasonable train of thought. So this keeps people on the right track towards discovering his weakness
Wow ❤❤❤❤ when I can’t sleep, I often go through all the dungeons of LttP in order, in my mind until I fall asleep. I didn’t realize anyone else thought about the dungeons this deeply! Thank you for making this!
I do the same thing with OoT, cool that it's not just me
Playing the LttP Randomizer made me appreciate the world and dungeon designs of this masterpiece even more than I already did -- there are so many ways to get around that I never thought of until the randomizer made me!
A Link to the Past is like an old friend to me. I recently had a playthrough of the game, and I attempted to beat the Dark World dungeons in the weirdest order possible. I started with Dungeon 1. After getting the hammer, I went all the way to the Thieves' hideout. From there, I got the bird for fast-tracking, and I went to Misery Mire. From here, I tried to go to the Ice Dungeon, but I couldn't get beyond the first room because I couldn't kill that ice skeleton thing without the fire rod, so I left there and went to the Skeleton Woods instead. Once I beat that, I went back to the Ice Dungeon and beat it. I also got lost trying to get the blue tunic. I couldn't remember how to get it. I then finally did the second dungeon, and I saved Turtle Rock for last. I thought I would have a hard time in Turtle Rock, because I always do, but I remember blazing through it in about twenty minutes. I love this game. This was open-world in two dimensions, before Breath of the Wild.
A link to the past has literally some of the absolute BEST zelda music. 100%
The ambiance is just *chefs kiss
Always thought it was a weird choice to have a defence buff in the Ice Palace when the Ice Rod is literally stuck in some random cave somewhere.
especially when the Ice Rod is necessary to beat Turtle Rock's boss
52:28 - Bit late on the uptake since this is a compilation and also a month old, but...the Tower of Hera is designed to prepare you for the Dark World, which is why the Moon Pearl is the item here. The Moon Pearl is effectively your Dark World item, being the item you use to remain in your regular form in the Dark World. The basic mechanics of the Tower are changing details about the dungeon that result in you having to adjust your navigation, but without fundamentally changing the actual structure. This is pretty much how the Dark World works - it's Hyrule but with these critical changes in the layout details that force you to adjust how you deal with it. The point of the design is that, if you can keep the style of thinking from the Tower of Hera you can handle switching between the Light and Dark Worlds.
Two things about Helmasaur King:
His mask can also be damaged by bombs. Even if you're new to Zelda and your sword doesn't work, I think you'd still try the dungeon item first since you had to use it so often before.
Also, the spikes in the back only damage you as long as the boss is alive. As soon as he explodes, they can't damage you anymore. It's sweet how they don't give you any chance to die after defeating the boss. ♥
ooh the "all dungeon" series compilations are getting into the 2d Zeldas , this day is getting better and better
1:08:48 - I think for me, I figured it out because the trim on the floor didn't wrap against the wall clued me in. That and the Eyegore statue being bright cyan just invites you to interact with it.
Also, this series is what made me first realize the details in the map screen on the left-hand segment: they're somewhat themed to that specific dungeon (ie: the Tower of Hera having a mountain background, Misery Mire being on water instead of ground etc.) and the basement levels are below the horizon line (the Ice Palace being the most prominent example). I can't believe I never caught that for over 30 years.
Looking forward to rewatching these are the type of videos I appreciate the most and seeing you're perspective on there is pretty cool.
This is one of the most impressive Zelda videos I've ever seen. Thank you so much!
I like goofy burger worm boss too. I think it's a fun challenge prioritizing both your health and the need to stay in the ring focusing on the boss and it's movements to get clear shots at it's weak point whenever possible while avoiding it's attacks.
Hey a lot of people don’t know this but the levers that you pull that drops snakes in the room can be figured out. When you walk into a room the snakes in the room will be facing a specific direction. You want to use the lever they are facing.
I don’t really think that’s intuitive enough of a hint. Most of the rooms in which snakes spawn are dark, meaning you can’t see most of them before they start moving about. The lever room itself also has no snakes, only a pair of rats who spawn looking in opposite direction. If this was intended as a hint, it’s so cryptic that I don’t think it qualifies. But I’m more inclined to believe it was not meant as one and is a coincidence that they face right.
A more likely hint is that Zelda only tells you the “pull” controls are when you approach the correct lever, which is more helpful for new players than returning ones admittedly
@@CaptBurgerson yeah, it was 1991 after all lol (I think alttp was 91)
Finally a video on all the alttp! A link to the past is my favourite Zelda game (along with oot) misery mire and( dark palace and eastern palace for nostalgia reasons) are my favorite..also the Castle dungeons are pretty cool.
I mean this in the best possible way, but I get through this video every night before bed and then start it from where i fall asleep the last night. Get my dose of nostalgia and your relaxing voice before bed and i sleep like a rock- thank you
The rebound from the Pegasus Boots collision is used in the base game to access a resupply room in Ganon's Tower.
You are absolutely right. I guess I didn’t count it before since that room is strictly optional, though granted so is the entirety of Palace of the Four Sword. Good catch
I love these Compilations, there great to pass the time and learn lots about Zelda Dungeons all at once.
Three Fun Trivia facts to add to the Hyrule Castle escape sequence, ala rescue Zelda.
The first three chests before the boomerang, all have a 100% chance to be the Lantern, and if you have the lantern, the other two become rupee.
If you somehow do not have the lantern by the time you get to Zelda, she will mention your lack of a Lantern and encourage you to find one before you go into the secret passage, as it is dark.
And the top left gravestone in Hyrule Cemetary, next to the chapel Zelda hides in, can be pushed to open a drop hole that leads to the lit chamber where the two bombable walls are. 'Bonus' both of those walls can be charged into with the pegasus boots to open them.
mmhmm, I did know about these, but I didn't include them in this video haha. Thanks for sharing still.
I actually did make a short about the lantern bit last year though
th-cam.com/users/shortscNxGy3-dydc
@@CaptBurgerson I felt like commenting it as those bits help add to your argument of how good a beginner dungeon it is. Redundant fail safes to ensure progression without feeling like its handholding you for the first couple facts.
Last one is just that, while I agree, its a bit annoying to backtrack, they 'did' add a shortcut as the exit after is one way only due to the push blocks if I recall.
This video is amazing. I been listening in parts or while sleeping
I really enjoyed this video. I hope Link Between Worlds is on your list as well.
It’s definitely on the list!
I seem to remember the village of thieves or kakori village having a character that tells you to check the town center thingy and after the duck fast travel thing it made sense.
OH BOY! Another video to sleep to! Yippee! It’s going in the playlist!
2:43:43 There's actually one other creature in the game, besides Ganon, which is both vulnerable to silver arrows and doesn't die in one hit to them. That's Vitreous, the boss of Misery Mire. Of course, under normal gameplay it's impossible to do this, since you need the crystals from both Kholdstare and Vitreous in order to unlock the big bomb to get the Silver Arrows. But if you do have them, Vitreous actually takes 2 whole shots to go down!
1:38:40 It's a soft lock prevention. Part of the gimmick for Skull Woods is dropping down into sections of the dungeon from holes in the woods and while there is only one useful drop down, they give you others to explore. If you fall into the hole to the left of the first entrance without a key you'd be trapped in the dungeon and have to restart the game to get out without that key to open the door from the inside.
I get that, it just feels pointless to design the dungeon that way if a bunch of those rooms are basically optional. Otherwise instead of a key and locked door it could have been a one-way-door
1:42:00 I'm not 100% sure, as it's been a long time since I've played LttP outside of the randomizer, but if I remember correctly there's either an NPC or one of the trees in town tells you about how the trident looks flimsy and like it could be ripped off of the statue.
My final comment on this video. :D Sorry for all the single comments but I couldn't watch it in one sitting.
You, sir, earn serious praise for this amazing series! 💚 Rarely did I discover such passion for an amazing game like A Link to the Past. One might think pure dungeon design might become boring but no, you made me keep watching and it was so so so interesting. Also with all the little references to your childhood and not remembering how we figured out puzzles back then. :D And yeah, GBA graphics seem cramped just as for Yoshi's Island. :(
NOW I'm looking forward to watching the Link's Awakening videos which is my personal favourite Zelda game of all time. Have a nice one! 🤗
Wow, thanks so much for the kind words and your generosity.
I hope you enjoy revisiting Link's Awakening just as much. I'm still working through the game, but aiming to be done before Echoes of Wisdom is out haha.
Thanks again! Means a lot
@@CaptBurgerson Fully earned! I'm sure I'm gonna enjoy LA just as much, if not more.
Echoes of Wisdom will be my game of the year next to Visions of Mana. :D Have fun with both LA and EoW!
I... never noticed how important the central room is to Zelda's dungeon design. The only post-LTTP dungeon that comes to mind without one is the Shadow Temple from OoT. Every time I think I've thought of one, I remember something like "wait, no, Jabu-Jabu's belly loops back around to the lift room constantly" or think "wait, nevermind, the Divine Beasts are basically one big central room and nothing else."
Sky Keep? Maybe?
@@efad3215 It likes to loop back to that one room that slowly disassembles itself as the big mecha-bird flies around outside, if I recall? I distinctly remember having to navigate the same room multiple different ways with the clawshot to progress, might be a different dungeon.
@@CoralCopperHead Mecha bird outside....? I was talking Skyward Sword's layout-puzzle final dungeon where you get the Triforce
@CoralCopperHead TotK Goron temple. That place has no central room, and is a _nightmare_ to navigate (for more reasons than just that, but damn if that wouldn't help out)
@@efad3215 Oh, my bad, I was thinking of the Occa city from TP. Haven't had a chance to play TotK yet either, so I'm sure I'm missing some, but the fact that there's so few kind of proves my point.
Forgive my third comment but I finally finished. This was an absolute joy to watch. My gf and I will be pouring through your other videos. The analysis was fantastic and really helped me appreciate things I didn't notice way back in the 90s as a kid.
Solid work, 10/10. Look forward to more!
0:36 you could say it’s a link to your past
BADUM TSSSSS
At 12:50 there is a really vague hint as which lever to pull. Zelda will tell you how to pull objects only at the correct one as you approach it. So if it was a first time playthrough and one didnt know, when she explains it they'd be right by the correct one. I always figured anybody would pull both levers anyway to see what happens... so ya kinda get the snakes anyways. :-)
I finally watched every bit of this whole video!
Thank you for making this
This reminds me a lot of ZoomZike's videos, and in a good way!
This is one of my all time favorite games, and I loved seeing you go into these dungeons' design, (particularly appreciating your teardown of the Ice Palace, the game's only true low point in my opinion)
Also heavily appreciate the coverage of the Palace of the Four Sword, a cool dungeon that nobody talks about ever
Thanks so much! I’ve never heard of ZoomZike haha but I appreciate the kind words!
Your "Ocarina of Time Dungeon Design" really made me realize so much crap I never noticed! Namely the Spirit temple, so I just had to check this out and I can't wait to check all the others. Man you're so goated
Thanks for uploading a compilation, I was watching the second episode of your video about LTTP, until I stumbled upon this, I was trying to get some insight from another fellow player, truly learned something, using these insights for a Dungeon Maker to create levels xd
This is the best deep dive in lttp I've ever seen. Great job!
i really love your insightful and interesting analysis
Great work on this vid. Worth the watch. Still love this game
Growing up in the late 80s and early 90s was awesome.
One could even say it was rad. I wouldn't, but it could be said.
Thanks for inspiring me to play this game yet again! 😊
Yippie. This will be on my rewatch list. Especially with the inclusion of the palace of the 4 swords. My first experience of alttp was actually the gba port. Even tho thats what I grew up with I have to agree that the snes version is just a better experience overall (despite the failable ice palace puzzle) Thank you so much for this series its truly one of my favourites on all of youtube. (Still cant believe you actually did talk about palace. been waiting so long for that ❤)
Great vid, glad I watched the whole thing! Never played ALttP myself
Oh wow. Just realized I've always gone about the Skull Woods dungeon the hard way--dropping in first to the "southwest" portion of what you call section 1 and then working my way out and around into section 2. Tip noted for my future play throughs, thanks!
1:52:17
Big key blocked by requiring dungeon item. 10/10 design.
Yeah that was my b lol
My brain was at “boss key needed for boss door” forgetting that ALTTP does the big chest thing
I miss super long complex dungeons like we had in ALTTP and the oracle games.
This is a great video, thank you!
This always comes to mind when I think of the greatest games ever made - not only has it stood the test of time, but when it came out it was as, if not more, groundbreaking than the original Zelda was during its time. The whole Light/Dark world thing really was a genius way to make a complex game out of what felt like a manageably sized map.
Excellent video and a great reminder of what makes a link to the past such a classic! I will say this, and call me dumb, but the swamp Temple kicked my butt just as bad as the water Temple for ocarina of time! I'm sure many of you probably had easier time but I certainly didn't!!!😂
3:05 "The game guides us with subtle clues, like a giant blinking X as the only thing on the map, guards blocking every other path for no well-explained reason, and Zelda telepathically screaming at us: "Get a move on, you lazy git!" every 15 seconds. Ahh, the art of subtlety."
I mean, yeah if we ignore all the nuance then you have a point!
These things you mention are all the game giving us a clear overall objective. It's saying "here's where you need to go" but it is not saying how to actually get there. That's up to the player to explore and figure out
@@CaptBurgerson I just thought it was funny, how you called it subtle, coming off of a blind playthrough, where every time he tried to do something Zelda would interrupt him, like: "Did you forget?... you know, from 15 seconds ago? ...Is anyone there, hallo-ohhh?"
Misery Mire is my favorite dungeon in this game
Watergate for me
@@Clyde-S-Wilcox this one is actually pretty neat! Especially the item
Scrubbing through and see a massive spike of activity at Trinexx and no preceding ad...
Guess I'll find out what's so worth re-watching there in 2 hours and 40 minutes!
I’m not even sure what it is tbh 😅
@@CaptBurgerson My only guess is the pronunciation of trinexx?
@@kirbs0001I came to the comments wondering if anyone commented on the pronunciation of Trinexx.
So happy to see this! (+Bonus)
Thank you for this. It takes me to my childhood.
Ahh alttp.
Sadly I can only play it on emulator but that also gives the fun of doing randomizers
I don’t know if this was mentioned, but I always grab the Cane of Byrna for the skull dungeon boss fight. Love this video by the way!
By far my favorite Zelda game! Heavy bias because it was my first Zelda and one of the first games I ever finished as a kid. But, watching and listening to this I had a thought.
There is something about the atmosphere and style of this game that really vibes me, it's hard to describe. But when you played the isolated audiotracks in your video, it made it clear to me: The soundtrack at parts is really dark, moody and even eerie at times. It complements the light / dark world dichotomy perfectly.
In general, I feel like the overall tone of the Zelda series after this juncture shifted somewhat. Even though I really like Ocarina of Time, I never connected with it as much as I did with this game. The first three games possess a certain 80's fantasy / sword and sorcery tone and feel, whereas after and currently there is a way brighter and more anime inspired look and feel to the Zelda Universe (Barring Majora's Mask, that game is dark). Just rambling here... Great video! Got to replay this game ASAP!
I distinctly remember cracking into Thieves’ Town for the first time just by messing around - and I was in without too much time wasted. I’m not really sure _why_ I pulled on the entrance, it might have just been on a whim. I’ve definitely got no memory of any kind of hint on the way to get in.
The guidance on _why_ you have to let the light into the dungeon for the boss also felt… muddled. We learned early on Blind hated bright light, but at the time I was thinking “okay, how is that relevant?” and had forgotten all about it by the time I reached Thieves’ Town. It just felt like world building (not a bad thing in itself). As a result I didn’t even make the connection that it was Blind I was fighting, even after he said “Gyaah! Too bright!” It’s very possible I was just a dumb kid.
I also agree with your issues with the ice dungeon.
When talking about Thieves' Town, I'm surprised you didn't spend more time talking about the 'missing' boss and how the player finds Blind. It's not mentioned how the 'maiden' actually protests to being taken outside of the dungeon if you lead her to the entrance (despite her asking you to take her outside when you find her), nor is the significance of blowing open the hole in the ceiling of the boss room really explained. This is something we all just 'know' by now (without knowing how we know, like accessing the dungeon in the first place), but what I consider to be the dungeon's largest puzzle got really downplayed here!
I'm currently still watching as I pause to type this, but so far this has been a really interesting compilation/analysis!
I can tell you an Ice Palace fix. Swap the Blue Mail location with the Ice Rod (and make the area where that was found inaccessible without the Hammer), then redesign Kholdstare so that it starts in it cloud eye form, but bigger as the 3 are fused, that you can't hurt with your sword until you freeze with enough Ice Rod hits (hitting it with the Hammer or Bombs hurts more) before breaking into the 3 smaller cloud eyes that you have to do the same thing to. It also puts the Ice Rod somewhere required, preventing you from getting blindsided by the boss of Turtle Rock that can't be beat without it similar to how Ganon can't be beat without the Silver Arrows (at least there's an exit out of his fight and a hint about the Silver Arrows).
While I'm at it, scrap that block push puzzle. Make the Stalfos freezeable in their broken state, then able to be pushed around like a block. Or put something down there that can fulfill the same purpose, giving the new Dungeon Item a puzzle purpose rather than it just being a good weapon.
Well, well… My day just got infinitely better.
1:42:24 So, for those of us who played the game on its original release and hardware, Nintendo provided a small booklet with a set of clues for some of even the later game areas. One of those clues pertains to entering Thieve's Town within the Village of Outcasts. But even without the booklet of hints, you're given the EXACT POSITION of the entrance of each of the dungeons, so opening the entrance is simply a matter of experimentation.
I don't think it's too obscure considering what the player was given though there were times where both me and my dad were stumped about how to proceed on the first time through ALttP.
One of those places was a room in the Ice Palace where you had to pull the tongue on the statue to open the door leading to the Big Key.
What's especially amusing is that I was in 2nd grade at the time, and she was in Kindergarden, so it really goes to show that even a Kindergardener could solve those puzzles so long as they're attentive and willing to indulge their curiousity.
if you ask me, i understand not being a fan of backtracking or going back once you finish a dungeon, but i think that truly only applies to completionists or someone that wants to do everything in a playthrough. like unless youre after all the skulltulas, im not going back to the bombable wall in the deku tree, i wont go back to the dodongos cavern as an adult, i very rarely take the time to learn the scarecrow song for the fire temple. now, you most likely will if you want to kill the skulltulas for their rewards. in MM, the skulltula houses or even collecting any masks outside of the transformation masks or the story masks are optional unless you want the Fierce Deity mask (it does make beating majora easier but you dont really need it to beat majora). in TP, i never bother with the poe souls and i never bother with that chest in the city in the sky. in WW, it helps with the triforce quest but very rarely do i bother to visit every island fish but you can make it through just with what the game gives you. if im honest, i never really go after the treasure charts either. in SS, i very rarely bother going after the goddess cubes. for me, in BOTW and TOTK, i only do the shrines because i want the master sword and you get more hearts but even those are optional.
i mean, we are in 2024. you can look up alot of this stuff. theres sites to tell you where everything is and it tells you where all those hidden paths go, but most of it is completely optional. now, im sure it was different when games like LTTP and OOT and TP were considered new or if you want to figure it out for yourself (i know the feeling of satisfaction of figuring out a puzzle for yourself). All in all, i think it really depends on what coming back to bomb that wall in the castle, or collecting every poe soul, or doing every shrine, or collecting every mask really means to you as the player.
In some respects you do have me nailed down- I am absolutely a completionist. Sometimes to a fault
@@CaptBurgerson not saying its a bad thing. i know alot of people want to do EVERYTHING EVERYTIME in every zelda game they play. but personally, im the kinda fan that just wants to play through the game. now, i might collect heart pieces or kill skulltulas or go after goddess cubes but maybe not every single time i do a playthrough. im in no way a hater, but ive watched enough of your dungeon design videos to know.
@@Brockbuiltmore definitely wasn’t accusing you of being a hater or anything, just was saying you were definitely able to look at that critique and identify the root of that criticism pretty well.
And hey, thanks for watching, means a lot
@@CaptBurgerson appreciate that. and i always try to. gonna look forward to the other games now. not sure how the minish cap or the oracles or the DS games would go, but im sure youd have something to say for them...
1:42:50
The talking tree in the village mentions the gargoyle statue and how you can hear a woman screaming coming from underneath it. As for figuring it out I have no idea. Im pretty sure most people just asked their friend with a nintendo power subscription.
Skull Woods prepares you for Thieves' Town. "Don't presume, and move your feet."
I also remember how I figured how to find the entrance to Thieves' Town (Thieves' Hideout). It was through dialogue in either Thieves' Town, or possibly in Kakariko, in the that basement of that storage house or whatever it is, that mentioned a thief named Blind. That made me explore that town, and that trident at that statue - which is also curiously where you activate the flute in the light world - made me suspect things. There's a sound when you start pulling, similar to pulling a lever, so I just continued to pull, and boom. I did try other things before trying to pull, I just didn't never gave up. Bombs? No. Arrows? No. Bombs from evil trees? No. "goddamnit, there has to be some way! A+DirDown, A+DirDown, wait, what was that sound? A+DirDown(Hold)". It looked like a barred entrance, and this game do not use fake doors. I refused to give up.
15:57 for whatever reason it feels like new games expect players to have never picked up a controller before and just need to explain every single thing.
Old games though, it’s sink or swim, learn the game or quit the game. However l, with games from the snes and 64 era, they take a liberty of assuming if you’re playing the game you know that pressing certain directions moves you and that a and and b do something. but slap in a nice fun tutorial level for you. That way you learn the very basics
Developers now seem to forget people can learn through doing.
The closet I can think of to an old style tutorial is Helldivers 2, where its tutorial is got funny dialogue and takes a short 10 minutes or so. Lethal company is a better sink or swim game example however giving you little details about what you’re doing.
@@Robert-hc way better view & graphics before grand theft auto games & that was on PlayStation 1, Nintendo really out did themselves here for this game
I recently started this game for the first time as part of my several years long "timeline" playthrough of the series (I played the other two timelines first because I've actually played those games before, and I wanted to end with the newest (haha, ironic oldest games being the newest to me) experiences). So far i've only beat the first two dungeons:
Hyrule Castle: while not easy by today's standards, it fills the same role as BotW's Great Plateau, as Capt pointed out. The atmosphere is exhilirating, especially after you take up the mantle from your dead uncle (nah lets just leave him in a sewer somewhere). The pounding rain, the infiltration, and then the bombastic castle theme are an awesome way to start your adventure. Navigation isn't too jard, and the enemies are managable.
And then you get to the ball and chain knight. This guy kicks your butt. If you're used to the more generous slash attacks of the newer games, this guy will not give you a break. After a few attempts, I finally beat the guy, and then getting Zelda out is a great way to end the dungeon. (I did guess wrong on the 50/50 choice at the end, oh well)
The Eastern Palace was a noticable but not too extreme jump in difficulty. The bow being given to you in this dungeon is awesome, a way to deal with enemies while not getting into harms way, albeit with a need for more precise maneuvering to use properly. The jumping Stalfos are always a fun challenge, and once you get the bow its so rewarding to shnipe these guys. The boss was an interesting one, with the interesting foreshadowing that sahasrahla gives you of the knights defending the pendant. Navigation in this temple is great. Although none of the puzzles really stick out to me, I feel like the navigation is more of the puzzle in this dungeon anyways, seeing as this is the first real dungeon in the game. There's a lot of winding between rooms and backtracking and side areas, so even though you are going in basically a straight path, it feels like you're going through the dungeon a bunch cuz of the way its structured. The gauntlet battle at the end is awesome, followed by the interesting boss. Great, if not easy, dungeon.
I like how a link to the past backtracks in hindsight. the game design is very apparent when you play through the game, it's very streamlined and thought through. meanwhile in totk (one of my if noy my favorite zelda game) they had to give you a whole super power to ascend through ceilings to make the caving mechanics more s treamlined.
I remember this being my first action adventure game i ever played and ive been in love with the genre ever since
As a kid I was never able to play any further than dungeon 5 because I didn’t know that you can unlock the bird in kakariko… 😟 (I was 6 and couldnt read English…) So I played the game over and over again until that point 😂
I hope one day you were able to finish it
6:25 - An interesting detail here: The soldiers with the shorter 'dagger'-like weapons aren't actually hostile.
Sure they'll still hurt if you touch them, but they won't go after you either, you can just walk past them.
Story wise, I imagine those are the guards that weren't affected by Agahnims magic... yet.
(F in the comments for that 1 soldier on the outside edge of the castle that notices something weird going on. 😮💨)
12:40 - It's not something you'd realize your 1st time through, but there's a "hint" of sorts revealing which is correct.
As Zelda will only give you the 'tutorial' for pulling things when you're near the right switch. 🤓
46:44 - Well, its "attack" does change slightly when there's just one left.
When it emerges rocks get sent out in 8 directions, instead of just 4 diagonals.
Not too interesting, but it's something at least.
(Side note: It's not a/the dungeon item, but they actually have a weakness to the Ice Rod.
Probably not something you'd find this early your 1st time through, but useful for replays at least.)
47:44 : I think it's less that it makes you walk all the way back up/around to it that bothers people
and more with the fact that falling off means its health resets and you need to start over.
1:31:47 - Damn. That fireball has quite the hitbox.
That top Gibdo walked _nearby_ while it was _fading_ and _still_ got lit on fire.
(Also, wow, that was some _intense_ knock-back, especially for an indirect hit.)
1:36:21 - You know what _else_ you can use during this fight? _-My Mom!-_ Bees.
If you happen to find the Good/Golden Bee and use it here, that sucker can very nearly solo this boss.
(However, it's also _immune_ to Spin Attacks from the Tempered Sword and the Golden Sword entirely.)
2:06:52 - You can save yourself a lot of magic in the 1st phase by using the Bombos Medallion instead.
(I think that's the only time any of the medallions actually have an effect of the bosses too.)
When it splits up in phase 2 the Fire Rod does extra damage so hit them as much as you can with it.
Finally someone mentioned the GBA version sword swing yells! Upgrading the sword gave it a progressively deeper swiping sound that I enjoyed. You can hardly hear it over Link’s HYAHs.
Funny you mentioned the Green Eyegore statue . I have very VERY distinct memory of not being able to progress in that dungeon or know what to do. I first played this game back when I was 7 or so in the era pre net so there was no way to find the info I wanted. That was until the nintendo power issue came out covering the game and said what to do. I can remember being frustrated but determined and finding every item i could in the game,.
12:50 The real purpose of the snake-trap room is to test the player on the new pulling mechanic. Prior to this in the Zelda series, you could only push objects (blocks), but now you can pull them as well.
On a more personal anecdote, I remember my very first night playing A Link to the Past clearly. It was evening on my birthday in mid-July, and it just so happened that a potent thunderstorm was making its way through my area, so the sound of rain hammering on the roof of my home, along with the thunder and lightning elevated things above vicarious. Sadly, it also prompted my folks into ushering me into bed early and to unplug the electronics to keep them from getting nailed by lightning. (it was an old ass country house with bad electrical insulation)
I got to the snake-trap section and...got it right the first try. But curiosity got the better of me, and I pulled the other switch...I nearly took my first death there, but managed to slay the snakes ('Ropes') with 3 quarters of a heart remaining.
did you mention that the bug net can reflect Agomon's spells and not just the master sword? xD
I didn’t because I was pretty sure everyone already knew that one haha, sorta like the bottle in OOT
Oh man am I first? Can't wait to be able to comment on this video and share my thoughts, options, and general knowledge of Zelda
3:03:59 There's an interesting bug where if you fall off the edge after defeating Ganon, he respawns and you have to fight him again.
Maybe Aonuma should take a look at this series instead of reductively accusing the fans interest in dungeons to just "nostalgia".
@@ROFLdude_Lv.99 nostalgia is a useful tool
I honestly enjoy listening to these dungeon compilations, it's nice background noise when I'm working on building card decks, though the more I listen, the more I can reflect on my own opinions with yours, as an example, I originally hated Swamp Palace, but hearing your perspective, I have a new outlook on the dungeon as a whole.
As a response to not only my perspective towards this game's dungeons and as an answer to your comment on the Thieves Town entrance, I owned a walkthrough booklet for the game, and as a child, Id go to auctions with my Mom and Dad and would read over and over the booklet, I don't own it anymore, haven't owned it anymore for a long time, but I remember little tidbits and secrets, however from what I remember from it, if you talk to an NPC in the Dark World Town, think it was in the Bar, they give you a hint to the dungeon. Link Between Worlds makes a callback to this with its Thieves Hideout dungeon where you do the same thing.
I do have a few little gripes in regards to the Ice Palace, and admittedly this is because of the same booklet I had as a kid. The order of the dungeons could be altered as mentioned before Swamp Palace, you can technically do the next two dungeons before Swamp Palace, Thieves Town and Skull Woods, which is funny, but what's even funnier is that you can do Misery Mire before Ice Palace. Since you're doing them in order, your gripes are fully understandable, but if you do Misery Mire first, you can get the Cane of Somaria and completely bypass the lowest level's block puzzle, thus preventing the loops in the Ice Palace, however it's a double edged sword since Misery Mire is somewhat difficult without double defense, especially in regards to Vitreous.
Still doesn't forgive the many unfortunate attempts at the game where I've gotten to Kholdstare with not enough magic to thaw it out. I always have to stop progressing to fully stock on Blue Potions Everytime now, but I digress.
(Editor's Note: I find it funny that the Cane of Somaria trick was mentioned by the guest, very funny)
1:52:16 you wouldn't even be able to reach the big key without the dungeon item if you placed it there.
Oops, you’re right about that
I believe using arrows in Helmasaur's gem deals more damage, and is obviously safer than running up to it with a sword or hammer while it's moving faster and doing its attacks. Coincidentally or not, Palace of Darkness is where the Eastern Temple is in the Light World, where you originally got the Bow and fought a boss that's made easier, though isn't necessary for, by using it. Don't know if that was intended, but it's a nice way to connect the two worlds.
The boomerang is meant to showcase how a dungeons' weapon can often be useful against the boss. The boomerang hits from out of his range, and iirc, stuns the ball and chain guard with Zelda, so he's easier to defeat, since (as you mentioned) he's a bit tougher.
One slight mention: On the Lanmolas fight, when there is one left, it DOES slightly change its strategy. When it emerges from the sand, instead of just shooting 4 projectiles, it shoots 8 in all directions. Otherwise, it is pretty much the same.
So for thieves town gargoyle entrance. If I recall right there is something that actually mentions there is something under the statue. I dont recall if its a sign NPC or a book but something in the town mentions there is something under the statue. And in your video you can clearly see the stairs behind the prongs.
Just like there is someone who mentions blind doesnt like sunlight in the Light world Jail I think.
I remember on my first playthrough a long time ago, getting stuck after the 4th dungeon, because i completly missed the Titan Mitts and did not figure out, how I can get to the next dungeons.
The span of lttp oot mm and the oracles really was just a slam dunk for zelda
The best tutorials don't feel like tutorials.
Place of Darkness holds a special spot for me. Besides also using bombs to take off the mask of the boss (you don't have to use the hammer, something I like) the part where you needed to use the bow and arrow on the statue's eye to open up that room stumped me pretty hard as a kid playing their 1st Zelda game...to the point where it was the last dungeon in the dark world I beat lol.
Thing about Armos Knight: I'm pretty sure you can skip the 2nd Phase altogether if you manage the damage on the Knights carefully so a simultaneous attack (Spin Attack) can take them out. Similar to how in DMC3, you can skip the merged phase of Agni & Rudra if you balance the damage on them and take them out around the same time. Not saying Armos Knights are hard enough to need to do that, but it's possible and makes the fight more interesting, especially for the first boss.
The game makes sure you won't miss the lantern. If you don't pick it up in your house at the beginning (which is impossible for me nowadays but back then, you might have been overwhelmed with everything), it will be in the chest next to Zelda. And didn't we all just get the 5 rupees first, then talked to Zelda? :D
Indeed! I made a short about that little quirk last year haha. I love that detail
th-cam.com/users/shortscNxGy3-dydc?si=1oYmtNcdLhnLoJMW
@@CaptBurgerson Thanks a lot! I didn't know there's even another chest that could contain the lantern. :D
3:16:12 The beam function is used in that one conveyor belt room in Gannon's tower if you're out of bombs but that's pretty much it lol
Fair point! I’ve always used bombs for that, never even thought about using the cane of somaria
A minor note on the chest after your Uncle (and in Zelda's cell). They only have 5 rupees if you grabbed the lantern from your house or the other chest, otherwise they have the lantern themselves. Since you're stuck in the castle until you get to the sanctuary once you fall down in the garden, and the lamp is needed to see the way there (while *technically* possible if you know its layout, a first-time player who managed to miss the chest in Link's house certainly isn't going to have great luck groping their way in the dark), these chests ensure that you can't softlock yourself.
Indeed! I didn’t mention it in this video, but I did make a short about that last year. It’s such a neat little quirk of the game
th-cam.com/users/shortscNxGy3-dydc?si=bpfjFuO2LAfy99zA