So, you’re stranded on a tropical island with a giant egg on a mountain. Classic Zelda, right? If you’re playing the 2019 remake of Link’s Awakening on the Switch, you’ve probably realized pretty quickly that this isn’t Breath of the Wild. There is no paraglider. You can't just climb over the frustration. You’re locked behind specific items, old-school puzzles, and a map that feels like a giant Rubik's Cube.
Honestly, the hardest part of a Link’s Awakening Switch walkthrough isn’t the combat; it’s figuring out which weirdly specific bush you need to cut or which NPC wants a pink bra—wait, they changed that to a necklace in the remake. Right. Let’s get you moving before the Mabe Village music drives you totally insane.
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Getting Your Bearings (and Your Sword)
Most people mess up within the first ten minutes. You wake up in Marin’s house, talk to Tarin, and he gives you your shield. Cool. But you can't do anything yet. You need to head south to Toronbo Shores. Look for the black urchins blocking your path. Don't try to slash them; you don't have a sword. Just hold your shield button and push them out of the way.
The sword is sitting in the surf. Once you grab it, an owl—who is arguably the most talkative bird in gaming history—tells you the deal: you need Eight Instruments of the Sirens to wake the Wind Fish. If you don't wake him, you don't leave. It’s a bit of a grim premise when you think about it too long, so let’s just focus on the Tail Cave.
The Mysterious Forest and the First Key
Before you hit the first dungeon, you need the Tail Key. It’s in a chest in the Mysterious Forest, but the forest is a bit of a loop. You’ll find a raccoon who claims his nose is sensitive to dust. You need Toadstool from the forest, take it to the Witch’s Hut (east of the forest), and she’ll give you Magic Powder. Sprinkle that on the raccoon. Surprise! It’s Tarin. He was high on mushrooms.
The Dungeon Grind: Tail Cave to Key Cavern
Tail Cave is basically a tutorial. You get the Roc’s Feather here, which lets you jump. This is a big deal. In the original Game Boy version, you had to swap items constantly. On the Switch, your sword and shield are mapped to dedicated buttons, which is a literal godsend. Use the feather to jump over pits and reach the boss, Moldorm.
Pro tip: Moldorm is a jerk. If he knocks you off the platform, the fight resets and his health refills. Just stay in the center and timing your slashes at his golden tail.
Why Bottle Grotto is a Difficulty Spike
The second dungeon, Bottle Grotto, is where the game stops holding your hand. You need the Power Bracelet to lift jars and rocks. The boss, Genie, is annoying because you have to break his bottle against the wall after he retreats inside. Most players get stuck on the Pols Voice (the rabbit thing) and the Shrouded Stalfos. You have to kill them in a specific order in one room to get a key: kill the Pols Voice first (push blocks or use jars), then the Keese (bat), then the Stalfos. If you do it wrong, no chest for you.
The Trading Sequence: Do Not Ignore This
Seriously. If you ignore the trading sequence, you are going to have a bad time. It starts in Mabe Village at the Trendy Game (the crane game).
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- Get the Yoshi Doll.
- Give it to Mamasha for a Ribbon.
- Give the Ribbon to the small Chomp in the doghouse for Canned Food.
- Give the food to Sale the crocodile for Bananas.
- Give the Bananas to Kiki the Monkey near Castle Kanalet to build a bridge.
This isn't just flavor text. You literally cannot enter the third dungeon without those bananas. The game forces you to be a delivery boy. Embrace it.
Navigating the Mid-Game Slump
By the time you hit Angler's Tunnel and Catfish's Maw, the map starts to get complicated. You’ll need the Flippers to swim and the Hookshot to cross gaps. The Hookshot is the best item in the game, period. It stuns enemies, pulls you across screens, and makes you feel like Link-man.
The Ghost Problem
After the fourth dungeon, a ghost starts following you. It’s spooky and the music changes to something melancholic. You can't enter dungeons while he's there. He wants to go to his old house (south of the graveyard) and then his grave (west of the cemetery). Do this immediately. It’s a bit of a detour, but you get a reward, and more importantly, the music goes back to normal.
Deep Dive into the Later Dungeons
Eagle's Tower (Dungeon 7) is usually where people quit and look up a Link’s Awakening Switch walkthrough in a panic. It’s a multi-floor tower where you have to carry a heavy metal ball and smash four pillars to make the top floor collapse.
- Pillar 1 & 2: Relatively easy to find on the second floor.
- Pillar 3: You have to throw the ball over a fence to reach it.
- Pillar 4: This is the one everyone misses. You have to push blocks out of the way and loop around the outer ledge.
If you lose the ball down a hole, don't scream. It resets to its original pedestal. Just breathe.
Turtle Rock: The Final Hurdle
This is the longest dungeon. It’s in the mountains. You’ll need plenty of bombs and the Magic Rod (found inside). The boss is Hot Head, a flaming cloak that bounces around. Douse him with the rod. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Make sure you have a Secret Medicine from Tracy’s house before you head up there. It restores your hearts automatically if you die. It’s basically a fairy in a bottle but more expensive.
The Color Dungeon: The Switch Exclusive Secret
Since this is the Switch version (based on the DX Game Boy Color version), there is a hidden Color Dungeon in the Graveyard. You need to push the gravestones in a specific order found in a book in the library (you need the Pegasus Boots to dash into the shelf to drop the book).
- Bottom Right: Down
- Bottom Left: Left
- Top Left: Up
- Top Center: Right
- Top Right: Up
Completing this gives you the Red or Blue Mail. Pick the Red Mail. Doubling your attack power is objectively better than doubling your defense because in Zelda, the best defense is just killing the guy before he touches you.
Common Pitfalls and Misconceptions
People think you can get the Boomerang early. You can't. You need the Magnifying Lens from the very end of the trading sequence to even see the guy who trades it to you. Go to the hidden cave on Toronbo Shores once you have the lens. Trade your shovel for the boomerang. The boomerang is brokenly powerful in this game; it kills almost everything in one hit, including the final boss's forms.
Another common mistake is ignoring the Seashells. In the original, you only needed 20. In the Switch version, there are 50. You get a better sword at 40 shells. It shoots beams when your health is full. If you're struggling with combat, go shell hunting. Use the Seashell Sensor you get from the Seashell Mansion; it beeps when one is nearby.
The Final Ascent: Mount Tamaranch
Once you have all eight instruments, go to the Egg. Play the Ballad of the Wind Fish on your Ocarina (which you get from the Dream Shrine in Mabe Village). The Egg cracks. Inside is a maze.
Wait! The maze is different for every save file. You have to go to the library in Mabe Village and read the "Dark Secrets of Koholint" book. It will give you a series of arrows (e.g., Left, Left, Up, Right, Right, Up, Left, Up). Write these down. If you don't follow your specific path, the maze loops forever.
Defeating the Shadow Nightmares
The final boss is a gauntlet of forms:
- Giant Blob: Use Magic Powder.
- Agahnim: Hit his energy balls back with your sword.
- Moldorm: Same as the first boss, just faster.
- Ganon: Use the spin attack when he throws his trident.
- Lanmola: Use the Magic Rod or Hookshot.
- DethI: The big eye with swinging arms. Jump over the arms and shoot the eye with arrows or the boomerang.
Actionable Steps for Completionists
If you’re looking to truly master the game, don't just rush the credits. The Switch version added Chamber Dungeons (Dampe’s shack). Most people find them tedious, but they are the only way to get some Heart Pieces and the +1 capacity for bombs and arrows.
- Check the map frequently: The Switch map lets you place pins. Use them for cracked walls you can't blow up yet or chests you can't reach.
- Visit the Crane Game: Every time you finish a dungeon, new items (like Mario figurines) appear. They don't do much for gameplay, but they look cool in the villagers' houses.
- Keep the shovel: Even after you get the Boomerang, buy the shovel back. You’ll need it to find at least a dozen secret seashells buried in random corners of the map.
- Learn the songs: Manbo's Mambo (learned from the giant frog near Angler's Tunnel) is a lifesaver. It teleports you to any Warp Hole on the map, saving you minutes of walking.
Getting off the island is a bittersweet ending, but getting there is half the fun. Just remember: when in doubt, sprinkle some powder on it or hit it with a hookshot. Usually works.