The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Symmetry City and Skull Dungeon

Items:

Return to Labrynna
Shortly after leaving Moonlit Grotto, you will see three Tokai near Dimitri, who is washed up on the shore. To resuce him, you need to give some ember seeds to the Tokai, who will eat them. Dimitri will offer his services for now, and let you ride his back to return to Labrynna.

The strange flute
To progress, you will need a. One of three possible flutes can be obtained, and is associated with the animal companion:


 * Purchasing it from the Lynna City Shop for 150 rupees. This leads to Dimitri to becoming your animal companion.
 * Winning the shooting game gallery by scoring 50 points. This leads to Ricky as your animal companion.
 * Performing the rescue in Fairies' Woods without doing either of the other two tasks. This leads to Moosh as your animal companion.

The choice (or lack-thereof) remains the same for the rest of the game, as well as any linked game you start. It also affects the region east of Symmetry City, requiring your companion's assistance to traverse.

Symmetry City
To reach Symmetry City (also known as Symmetry Village in the past), head north-west of Lynna City. Use the Seed Shooter to burn away the tree, and hit the switch to extend the bridge. Proceed north, and look for the bridge supervisor and speak with him. Return south, and a fairy will ask for your help to find an animal within their woods.

Search the Fairy's woods for the animal. Once you find him, he will either identify the flute as belonging to him, or provide you with a Flute. With the flute, summon your animal companion, and search for the three workers east of the bridge. When it is built, cross and head north to Symmetry City, which is currently in ruins. To find the cause, cut the grass next to the gale tree, and use the time portal to move to the past.

The center building tells you what happened - the was cracked and needs to be repaired. While you're there, you can head down stairs, and give the dumbbell to receive a Mustache. Exit the city to the west, and reach the top of the peaks. Swim to the end, dive, and locate Tokkey to receive the. Return to the third platform on the peaks, and head to the south-west corner and play the song.

In the present, head south as far as you can, walk east to the stairs and climb them. Use the time portal to head to the past. In the past, push the vine seed to the right, and move north into the cave. Take the right path, and redirect the water flow to the left. Return to where you entered the past, and travel back to the present. Climb the vines and swim across the water to reach the next time portal. Travel back to the past, and follow the only path to the bottom.

Climb restoration wall to find Patch. He will play a repair minigame, where you have to push hardhat beetles into a hole. The only concern is a cart that will smash against the nut, which can be redirected by standing on a switch just before it strikes. When the four beetles are pushed into the hole, the repair is complete. Bring the Tuni Nut back to Symmetry City. You may now return to the present, and enter the newly revealed dungeon under the former volcano.

Skull Dungeon


When you enter the Skull Dungeon, you will first need a key. Head north, and follow the rooms to the west. The first room has two, and a. The second had two Stalfos and 1 Shrouded Stalfos which must be killed to open the door. Turn to the north, being careful as you jump across the lava pit. Cross the room to the west exit, keeping watch for the incoming spark.

When you enter the first south room, push the eastern-most block downward to get the Compass from the chest. In the last room, can get the first key. After dealing with the monsters, jump over the lava, and push the block onto the designated square, blue facing up. The shortest path is pushing the cube down four times, right, up, left, down, and left twice.

Backtrack to the first lava room (you can also take a shortcut on the right), and continue east. In the room before the locked door, make the series of jumps toward the center. When you jump on the center floor, push a block left to make the jump across the lave safer and jump across. Push the next block to the right, and you can now reach the door.

First minecart
After the first door is a room with 4 Stalfos and 1 Spark, and an east exit leading to the first minecart. You should first get the map. Hit the switch and enter the minecart to reach the chest containing the Map, and return. Return the switch to the normal position, and ride to the southern end.

To get the key from this room, use the seed shooter to hit the switch. When you get the key, enter the cart but hit the switch on the way back to stop in the middle room. Unlock the door on the right, and exit to the right.

To the North
You will see the first blade trap. Move right and quickly reverse to safely spring the trap, then jump over the lava tor each the north exit. Equip the power bracelet, and pull the lever until the lava flow stops. Quickly cross the floor to reach the next north exit.

Defeat the four Stalfos, then go through the left door. The enemies are best handled by cornering them, and striking them as they land. Defeat or evade the Hardhat Beetles. The Seed shooter can work, although a quick advance works just as well. To unlock the left door, jump over the tiles to match the pattern on the right. There are few enemies which can also be defeated.

Run past the blade traps before they hit, and defeat any stray enemies that will hinder you. You now need to get the block into position. First, spring the trap, and circle around the block as they retract. Push the block down two squares. Spring the trap once more, and quickly push the block left before the traps or floor catches you. The gate opens once the block is in position, allowing you to use the minecart.

The minecart stops at the north of the dungeon. Head right towards the first key. Use the seed shooter to hit the switch to reveal the chest - you can do so either on or off the moving platform. Get the key and move two screens left. Use the key on the block, return east, and enter the second minecart.

Reaching the center
The minecart will enter a room with a long track and three stalfos at the top. Equip the seed shooter, and destroy all three stalfos before you reach the end. This allows you to continue to the left.

Jump across the moving platforms, and go south. Jump onto the colored platforms and match them with the block shown on top, and collect the key that drops. Return north, unlock the key block, and board the minecart. When you reach the end of the track, head through the left door.

Mini-boss: Armos Warrior
The will boast about his mighty sword and mighty shield. In the first phase, it will control the sword and fling it towards you. Its sword travels in a straight line, and if guided correctly, can be used to hit the Armos Warrior. After three hits, the sword and shield shatter.

The warrior can now be defeated through conventional means, but it is safest to attack after it charges and hits a wall. Exit through the south door after defeating the Armos Warrior.

Switch Hook
There is only one path south of the mini-boss, which you will follow until you see a cracked wall. Drop a bomb at the crack, and go through the hole. You enter a room, where you need to change each square from blue to read. With abbreviated directions, one possible route is L, U, R3, D, R5, U2, L2, D, L2, U, R, U, R2, U, R, U2, L5, D, R3, D, L5, U2, L, D4, R2, U, R. This reveals the chest, which contains the Switch Hook. Return to the mini-boss room. The fastest route is to the left, where you can use the switch hook on the diamond.

Reaching the Basement
From the mini-boss room, head right, and climb the stairs to exit north. Switch hook the diamond, exit south and east. To avoid problems with the Shrouded Stalfos, you may lay a scent seed. Continue by switch-hooking the first diamond. Walk onto the button, and use the switch hook on the other diamond. Exit south, and follow the path to the down staircase.

Crossing the Basement
Head north, and remove monsters that are in your way. Switch with the diamond from the bottom, then switch with the urn. Use the switch hook to move the diamond onto the button (which will require multiple uses of the hook). Exit through the newly opened door, then move left.

Cross the lava using the switch hook on the urns. If you slip, exit and re-enter the room. Exit the room to the south. Jump onto the center tile to make the mini-gels visible (and vulnerable). Eliminate them and exit west. Continue west past the lava and blade traps.

The next room requires changing all tiles from blue to red. Abbreviated directions: L, D, R, D3, L2, U5, R2, U, L, U, R, U, L2, D, L, U, L9, D2, R, D3, L, D3, R, U2, R, D2, R7, U2, L2, D, L, U, L, D, L, U, L, U, L, U3, R, U, R, D, R2, U, R2, D, R, D, L6, D, R, D, R, U, R4, D, L2. Open the chest for a small key, and exit north.

Jump across the moving platforms to reach the stairs. You will need to first switch with the diamond, move onto the second platform, and jump across the lava to reach the stairs. There is also a hard hat bettle, which may be a problem, but easily handled. Since you do not yet have the boss key, climb the stairs.

Boss key
The stairs lead to a vertical platform-jumping room. It is easiest to switch with the pots, but you can also jump over them. After climbing the stairs, unlock the keyhole-block, and use the Switch Hook on the diamond.

You are now at a series of three lava puzzle rooms. The first requires pulling a lever up as far as you can, and making a run for the other side of the lava. You can barely make it across, as the lava starts when you'r just about to reach the end.

The second room requires pulling the lever to turn off the lava. Cross the open area, until you reach the first pot - switch or lift it, and enter that square (the lava won't enter the tiles that originally contained pots). Switch with the remaining pots until you reach the top-left corner, then do a diagonal jump.

In the final room on the left, you will need to plan your approach. If you fail, leave and re-enter the room. Climb the steps, lift the first pot, and push the second pot to the right. Switch with the first pot in the upper-right corner, and push the second pot to the top. Switch with the pot to the left, and push the other pot onto the button. Switch back to the upper-right corner, and open the chest to get the boss key.

Boss: Eyesoar
You will face Eyesoar, which will engage without introduction. Eyesoar will defend itself with four orbiting eyes that will block attacks, and resists direct attacks. If the outer eyes are destroyed, they are quickly regenerated.

It is vulnerable to the switch hook, but it must connect directly with the large central eye. To reach it, you need to damage the outer eyes to create an opening, or approach it when it moves its eyes further out. When the switch hook connects, the outer eyes will scatter chaotically, allowing you to inflict damage with your sword. The eyes will attempt to reform, but won't resume the orbit until all four eyes are in place. When the Eyesoar is destroyed, you may head north and collect the.