The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Minigames

Through his quest, Link will have the opportunity to participate in a number of minigames. Although none of them are mandatory to complete, they often have rewards that are well worth obtaining. Many minigames can be completed multiple times, but after each special prize is obtained, the reward will usually be rupees. Detailed strategies and relevant maps will be provided for some of the more complex minigames.

Fishing
The fishing pond is located at Lake Hylia and can be accessed as both a child and an adult. It costs 20 rupees to rent a fishing rod, for an unlimited amount of time.

After renting a fishing rod, you can Z-Target a fish and then cast your line with B. Press A to brake the line while it is being cast. When the lure drops into the water, wiggle it with either the control stick or B Button. Reel in your lure with A, and hold down A and R to reel it in faster. If you feel a hit, press A and down on the control stick to set the hook, then use A and R to reel it in. Use the control stick to tilt the fishing rod left or right and hopefully pull the fish closer to you. After you cast, you can change your view with Z. If you have a Rumble Pak, you can feel the vibrations of a fish on your hook.

The biggest fish ever caught at the pond (by Link) is displayed in a fishtank on the counter. You can keep only one fish at a time. If you caught a fish smaller than your largest catch, throw it back. If you caught a larger fish, take it to the man at the counter to receive your reward. If you catch a fish weighing over 10 pounds or 15 pounds, you will receive a Heart Piece and the Golden Scale, respectively.

Fishing Tips
The best time to fish is right before the sun rises or sets; simply play the Sun's Song before entering the pond. Also, it is best to fish while it is raining inside the pond. This is a random occurrence; playing the Song of Storms will not help. There are two optimal fishing spots: near the small stream and on the log in the pond. The largest fish can usually be found near this log or near the group of three water reeds. Try not to attract small fish, as they will scare the bigger fish away if they bite.

To quickly and easily reel a fish in, turn the control hold right or left when the fish turns in the corresponding direction. This should surprise the fish. Once the fish gets so close that you can see Link, reel him in normally but hold the control stick either left or right to apply tension to the line. If you overdo this, however, the fish might get away.

It is sometimes helpful to equip the Zora Tunic and Iron Boots to go underwater to find big fish.

The Sinking Lure
As adult Link, it is possible to find the secret, illegal sinking lure somewhere in the pond. It is most commonly found in the grass along the wall of the pond, but is sometimes hidden by the rocks near the stream or on the log in the pond. With the sinking lure, it is much easier to catch any fish, including the mysterious Hyrule Loach.

Please note that the fisherman will not let you claim any prizes if you use the sinking lure because it is against the pond rules, and any fish displayed in the fishtank caught with the sinking lure will include the disclaimer, "With illegal sinking lure." After finding the sinking lure, however, if you talk to the fisherman he will eventually make the sinking lure legal for you to use.

The Hyrule Loach
The Hyrule Loach (often incorrectly referred to as the Hylian Loach) is a long, eel-like fish that appears very rarely in the fishing pond. The loach usually weighs about 35 pounds as adult Link and about 16 pounds as young Link. If you catch it, the fisherman will reward you with a purple rupee (50 rupees), but will not keep it in his fishtank because the loach is an endangered species.

The loach primarily resides on the bottom of the pond, and is thus very hard to catch. Every few minutes, the loach will come up for air for a few seconds. When it reaches the top of the water, it makes a sort of "thap" sound. This is the only time that you will be able to Z-Target the loach. More importantly, this is also the only time that the loach will try to bite the lure.

If you catch the Hyrule Loach, the fisherman says: ''Well, well... WOW! What a rare fish! This is a Hyrule Loach! For this fish, size doesn't matter. I'll give you this prize! Recently, the number of these fish has decreased tremendously, so I'm going to release this one.''

Oddities
As adult Link, it is possible to hook the fisherman's hat with your lure. He will get mad at you and ask you to return it. If you cast his hat into the pond, he will charge you a 50 rupee fine for it.

It is also possible to take the fishing rod out of the pond. After getting a rod, equip the Hover Boots and run onto the water. Quickly cast the line, hold Z, and do a back flip. If performed correctly, Link will still be able to walk around (but the camera view is weird) and leave the pond with the rod. Outside, Link looks like he is holding an invisible fishing rod. Trying to cast while outside will crash the game, however. You can get your sword back by re-equiping and selecting the Master or Biggoron's sword at the weapon select screen.

If you don't mind sacrificing a Heart Piece, you can get the Golden Scale as a child, which helps with various shortcuts and Heart Pieces. As a child, catch a fish bigger than the fish in the tank at the desk. After you do this, swim into the middle of the pond. Shift your view so that Navi is not hovering over any fish, then press and hold the Z and R triggers and don't let go. Make your way to the front desk and talk to the fisherman (don't let go through the conversation). Have him weigh your fish. Instead of giving you a Heart Piece like he should, he'll give you the Golden Scale.

Horseback Archery
After saving the carpenters from Gerudo Fortress and becoming an honorary Gerudo, you can participate in the Gerudo Horseback Archery game provided that you have a horse on which to ride. It costs 20 rupees to play, and if you score over 1000 points or 1500 points, you receive a Heart Piece and the biggest Quiver, respectively.

If you play, you get twenty arrows with which to score as many points possible while Epona follows a set course. Epona first passes a row of seven pots, with three large targets on the wall behind, then rounds a large target at the end before passing by the row of pots again, towards a final target on the opposite end of the course. On the first pass, it is advisable to aim for the pots (100 points) first, and then try to score at least two bulls eyes on the far target. When coming back, score as many points as possible on the targets on the wall, before shooting at the final target. With a modicum of practice, it is easy to obtain both rewards.

Bombchu Bowling
The Bombchu Bowling Alley is located in Hyrule Market as young Link. For 30 rupees, you are given 10 Bombchus, with the goal of using the Bombchus to hit three targets. The reward for each game is different, and is not revealed until after you decide to play. These rewards include Bombs, Bombchus, a bigger Bomb Bag, a Heart Piece, or a Purple Rupee. The first target and the final target are always in the center on the screen. The middle target, however, can be either on the left, right, or center. It is easiest to hit the target if it is in the center. In general, it should take no more than five Bombchus to hit the first two targets.

First Level - In the first level there is only one obstacle, a spike trap sliding back and forth, and the target is relatively close.

Second Level - In the second level an additional obstacle is added--a small Cucco. The Cucco waddles left and right and occasionally stops for a moment.

Third Level - The third level and final level includes a large Cucco in addition to the other obstacles. Careful timing is needed to win a prize.

Horse Racing
The first horse race in which Link can participate is against Ingo, the proprietor of Lon Lon Ranch after Link first becomes an adult. Pay Ingo to let you into the corral, and then use Epona's Song to call Epona. Ride her around the corral for a bit, and then talk to Ingo while on her to change him to a race. You will race Ingo around the corral twice. Always try to stay on the inside of the track, and use carrots wisely. If you win if will let you keep Epona, but he will lock you inside the ranch. To escape, you can either try to jump over the gate he closed, or jump over one of the ranch walls.

After Link obtains Epona, Malon will allow him to try an obstacle course. You will have to race around the circumference of the corral twice, using your carrots to successfully jump over gates. You do not need to use carrots to jump over the very small gates, but you must approach every gate head-on to make Epona jump. If you can complete the course in under 50 seconds, Malon will deliver a cow to your house to provide you with an endless supply of Lon Lon Milk. If you race again and beat your old record, she will give you a Purple Rupee (?).

Shooting Gallery
As a child, Link can test his accuracy at the Shooting Gallery in Hyrule Castle Market. If he manages to break all ten of the targets, he will be rewarded with a bigger Deku Seed Bag, or a Purple Rupee.

As an adult, Link can test his accuracy at the Shooting Gallery in Kakariko Village. If he manages to break all ten of the targets, he will be rewarded with a bigger Quiver, or a Purple Rupee.

Treasure Chest Game
The Treasure Chest Game can be played in the Hyrule Castle Market as young Link, but only at night. In each room, you are presented with two chests--one contains a rupee, the other a key to the next room. As you progress, the value of the rupees increases, until you reach the final room which contains a Heart Piece (or Purple Rupee).

The game is entirely dependent on luck until you have the Lens of Truth. If you equip the Lens of Truth, however, you are able to see the contents of each chest and easily reach the final room.

Racing Dampe
As an adult, there is one additional grave in the Kakariko Village Graveyard. Pull back the gravestone to reveal the grave of Dampe the Gravekeeper, whose ghost is all too willing to race you.

The first prize for racing Dampe is the Hookshot, which can be obtained simply by successfully following Dampe to the finish. A map of Dampe's grave will be provided later.

The second prize for racing Dampe is a Piece of Heart, which can be obtained only by beating him to the finish. On foot, it is nearly impossible to beat him. However, if, in the room with a winding ramp before the finish, you use the Longshot to grab a torch near the doorway, you should reach the finish before Dampe's ghost.

Diving Game
The diving game can be found in Zora's Domain as a child, at the top of the waterfall near King Zora's Throne Room. After paying 20 rupees to play, the game's proprietor will throw green and blue rupees into the water below. Dive off the waterfall and try to collect them all within the time limit to receive the Silver Scale. If you play the game after that, she will sometimes throw more valuable rupees into the water.

This game relies on being able to quickly locate and collect the underwater rupees. The dispersion of the rupees is random, and sometimes they are easier to collect than others.

Skull Kid Jam Session
Enter the Lost Woods and take a right to find two Skull Kids. Hop on the nearby stump and show them your ocarina, after which they will invite you to play a musical memory game with them. They will start by playing, twice, a three note tune, the notes of which you will be able to see on the staff. You will then have to repeat the notes, and they will add a note to the tune until you either fail to repeat them correctly or they are satisfied with your performance and reward you with rupees and, eventually, a Heart Piece.

It is not overly difficult to remember the tune, but the easiest way to win is to simply write down the notes as they are played.

Musical Frogs
As young Link, there are five frogs near a log in Zora's River. Use your ocarina and they will assemble into a choir of sorts, waiting for you to play a song. First, play the Song of Storms to receive a Heart Piece, then play the other five "white" songs--Zelda's Lullaby, the Sun's Song, Saria's Song, Epona's Song, and the Song of Time--to make the frogs grow and, as a reward, receive rupees.

After all five frogs have grown, they will ask you to play along with them. A butterfly will appear over one of the frogs, and you must play the note on your ocarina that corresponds to that frog to make it jump and eat the butterfly. Feed all of the frogs to earn a Heart Piece.

The notes you must play are: A-left-right-down-left-right-down-A-down-A-down-right-left-A

Dampe's Gravedigging Tour
Dampe the Gravekeeper's Heart-Pounding Gravedigging Tour can only be accessed at night, from 18:00 to 21:00 Hyrule Time. Dampe will walk around the Graveyard with a shovel, and dig wherever you tell him to for a nominal fee. He can only dig on patches of soil, uncovered by cobblestones, and will eventually unearth a Heart Piece.