The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Hyrule Castle

'A broad bridge spans the river in front of Hyrule Castle and leads to the main entrance. The bridge connects the royal fortress to the forest area, Link's house and regions farther south.' The game opens with a telepathic message from the imprisoned Princess Zelda. Link's uncle hears it and sets off to rescue her. However Link also heard it; naturally he leaves the house to go save her. To leave the bed press any direction. Go open the chest to get the Lamp, an item that will be very useful later on. Head outside.

You can't really go anywhere at the moment as the guards bar your way. If you go north, just before you reach the bridge; Princess Zelda will tell you there's an entrance hidden in the garden. Find it by following the brick path to the right, pick up the bush then drop down the hole.

Once under the castle you'll come across your Uncle, fatally wounded. With his dying breath he gives you his sword and shield and teaches you how to perform a 360° slash; for reference, simply hold down the attack button ( on SNES or on GBA) until the magic sparks reach the tip of your sword. Head down and to the right for a chest and some magic meter refills. The guards in this room won't actively attack you but you do take damage if they touch you. The chest contains a blue Rupee (worth 5), or a Lamp; if you haven't already got one. If you wish you can use the now-powered lamp to light the room; this does nothing, but in other rooms lighting these floor lamps will almost always reveal a secret or open a door.

When you're ready head up the stairs to leave. Outside, slash the bushes out of your way. As before the gold-shield guards don't attack but there is a new guard type who will home in on you if he spots you. Make your way to the double doors exactly west of your starting position.

Hyrule Castle
First off, save the Princess, and pick up some goodies along the way. From the entrance room head east and then north. Take either path, both lead to the dungeon. Once you reach the door head west and down the northern stairs. Kill the guard for a Small Key, and open the chest for the Map. You can now view the map at any time ( on SNES, on GBA). Unlock the door and head south.

In this new area you can knock the enemies off the edge with a little effort, but make sure they don't do the same to you! Follow the path until you reach the room with the horizontal overpass. Go to the far left here and up through the door. Kill the guard and the doors will unlock. Head right. Kill this guard for aSmall Key and open the chest for theBoomerang. This stuns some enemies for a short time (such as the soldiers) and injures or even kills other types of enemies. Head back to the left and then up through the door. Go down the stairs and down the other stairs, and prepare for battle! This miniboss wields a morningstar-like weapon that he can swing quite a distance. The boomerang will stun him, but unlike other enemies he shakes himself straight away and so recovers almost instantly. The pots in the left-hand cell all contain hearts, so refill there if you need to. However he can still attack you through the bars so you aren't safe there. After eight hits he goes down. The best strategy for killing him is to grab the pots with the hearts under them and throw them at the enemy, they attack at a range and it only takes 2 pots to do it. Grab the Big Key and use it to open Princess Zelda's cell. There's a Lamp in the chest if you don't have one already. Be sure to get it if you didn't before, as you can't progress without it.

Now with the princess in tow, return to the central room of the castle. From the southern entrance go directly up and don't stop until you come to the ornamental shelf. Zelda explains you can push it. Go in.

Sewers
Once inside the sewers it's very dark. Watch out for rats in this room. They typically run in a straight line and turn at right angles meaning they're mostly at the edge of the room, but they do run into pots or across the central areas. Make your way up and to the right and through the door to the next area. This one has snakes. They move much the same, but if they see you they'll dash towards you at faster than usual speed. The door is directly to the left of the one you came through.

In the next room are more snakes, as well as a chest with aSmall Key. The moment you come to a fork in the room's layout head right to find the chest. The door it opens is directly north of where you entered from.

In the next area all the rats are on a northern stretch of flooring. They can't swim so won't bother you as much as in the previous rooms. A solitary rat runs madly around on a tiny island in the middle. You can hit all the rats on the northen flooring with the boomerang then kill them all for Rupees. Exit to the West.

The next room is much the same. The moment you enter head up and then left. You'll only encounter a Keese this way, the other enemies are all on other floor areas. You can smash the pots scattered around the room for hearts if you wish. Anyway head north.

In this room a rat to your left has swallowed aSmall Key. Get it and then head to the top-right corner for the door, watching out for the Keese and the two other rats.

In the next room you can see again. Take note of the cracked walls on the left-hand side, once you have bombs you can knock them down. For now just kill the rats and head up and through the door by moving the middle block north one square.

In the next room just head down, killing or avoiding rats on your way. But now you're presented with a choice. The left-hand lever releases seven snakes, while the right-hand one opens the door.

Now you get a short cutscene where more of the story is revealed. Once they finish talking open the chest for a Heart Container. Now head off west and then south to explore Kakariko Village.