The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Dodongo's Cavern

To enter Dodongo's Cavern, which Ganondorf has sealed off with a gigantic boulder, you must first speak to Darunia. He will give you the strength you need to continue on your quest.

Opening the Cavern
To quickly reach Goron City from The Lost Woods, as long as you have already opened the passage linking the two domains, head to the Target Practice area and turn left. There you go directly to Darunia, take out your ocarina and play Saria's Song. The song lifts his mood, and he begins to dance. After he finishes dancing, he tells you more of Ganondorf. Then he gives you the Goron's Bracelet. You can now pick up Bomb Flowers that are growing on the ground. You then leave Goron City, returning to Death Mountain Trail.

Outside Goron City, you bear right at the circle of rocks. There you see a lone Goron sitting by a lone Bomb Flower. If you look closely, you'll notice that Dodongo's Cavern is directly below. You'll also notice that the fence behind the Bomb Flower is a bit lower than the rest of the fence. Pick up the Bomb Flower and throw it over this low fence. With a proper throw, the bomb destroys the boulder in front of the cavern. Dodongo's Cavern awaits.

The Dungeon
You enter the first room, a small room with Bomb Flowers growing on either side. The wall directly in front of you seems to be made of a different kind of material. Taking one of the Bomb Flowers, you set it by this back wall and step away. Boom! The main cavern is revealed.

The Main Cavern
You move forward and see a platform that moves up and down and beyond that a larger platform with a Beamos on it. Up above is a giant Dodongo head. Some bridges are suspended from the ceiling. Along the west wall, the one to the left, is a barred door a bombable wall and a small grotto. Along the east wall is another 2 bombable walls and a passage whose entrance is raised. There are also Beamoses and Bomb Flowers against either wall. Down below, the floor is made of hot, cracked rock. Obviously, that would be painful to touch.

You quickly leap across the central platform and over to the west side, careful to avoid the blue beam of the Beamos. Bombing the wall reveals a treasure chest. It's the dungeon map! After taking care of the Beamos, you find a Business Scrub in the grotto. When he's defeated, he offers to sell you a Deku Shield. This may come in handy later...

The East Side
Since the door on this side is still barred, you head over to the east side. Behind the wall to the left is a Gossip Stone. The raised passage is inaccessible from here, so you move on. After killing the Beamos on this side, you use a bomb flower to bomb the other destructible wall.

Unlocking a Door
Enter and you find yourself in a hallway. As you move along the hall, Baby Dodongos erupt from the floor. Nearby is a destructible wall. Since the Baby Dodongos explode after death, you could try and use them to open this wall. At the end of the hall, you see a switch. You can step on it and unlock the door there, but when you step off the switch, the door locks again. Testing one of the statues, you find them movable. You push one of the statues onto the switch so it stays open.

A Nasty Pair
The next room has a pair of Lizalfos. Using L-targeting, you can lock onto them, dodge their attacks and retaliate with your sword. They run away after they've been damaged a few times, but they return. After defeating them, the doors unlock, and you continue on.

These Aren't Babies
In the next room you enter, you find three full-sized Dodongos. Their tails appear to be vulnerable, but be careful. They can swipe you with those tails. And when defeated, their explosions are much larger than the babies'.

Once they are defeated, you see the door exiting the chamber is still locked. You also notice a number of unlighted torches. Returning to the entrance of this chamber, you find some lit torches. With your Deku Sticks, you run down the line of torches. You must be fast, since these torches will go out after a short time.

To the West Side
You are in the center room again but you are in an area where you couldn't reach before, the slightly raised passage looking down from the west side. In front of you is a switch. Stepping on it causes the door across the room to unlock. You hop over the middle again and go through the door.

Onward and Upward
This next room is filled with bomb flowers. To the left is a destructible wall. You destroy it and enter the door into the next room. There four statues surrounding the middle. Hit each with your sword until one comes alive. Kill him then climb up and get the compass.

Now you go back to the room with all the Bomb Flowers. There is a gap between the bomb flowers where there is a missing one. You pick up the one that's separate from the others and place it where there is a gap. Boom! They all explode and a staircase descends. You climb up to the next level.

The Second Floor
In this room there are some fire Keese flying around. Be very careful that they don't burn your Deku Shield. You might want to equip the Hylian Shield now. After killing the Keese, you take a look at the central column. Around it stand four statues, but given your experience with those statues, you know they can be dangerous. You notice a ladder behind one. That statue does not spring to life when you hit it, so you move it aside and climb up. You press the switch on top and the door is unlocked.

You enter the main room once again, but now on one of the bridges spanning the top of the room. You run across the bridge, taking care not to get hit by the fire Keese. A door is at the far side, and you enter it.

Danger Around Every Corner
The next room is gray with a floor sunken in below the level of the entrance. In the room are many square pillars with narrow passages between. Looking around carefully, you notice a set of square spikes that looks suspicious. Carefully climbing down the ladder, you are not too surprised when those same spikes rush by you, narrowly missing you. Navi suggests that you use L-Targeting to peek around corners. Doing so, you make your way over to a ladder and up to the top of that platform.

On the platform is a small chest and a Bomb Flower. You open the chest and find some rupees. A ladder across from you leads to a destructible wall. This will take some timing. You pick up the Bomb Flower. Hold it. Hold it. And throw. The wall is destroyed, and you continue onward.

A Fiery Barrier
In the next room there are three platforms, but one is on fire. Directly in front of you, you notice an eye. Using your slingshot, you shoot the eye. The fires subside, and you jump across into the next room.

Another Nasty Pair
The next room is actually the same room you fought the Lizalfos in previously. However, this time you are at a higher level. But 2 Lizalfos await you once again. You battle them in the same way as before. On a section overhanging the lower level are some hearts for your use when necessary. You are, of course, very careful not to fall down!

Two Fiery Barriers
In the next room there are four platforms but the middle two are on fire. Once again you shoot up at the eye, but only the first fire dissipates. Hopping over to the next platform, you turn to the left and shoot the other eye to remove the second barrier. And out the door you go.

Into the Maw
In the next room you finally get the Bomb Bag. Now you can hold bombs with you. In the next room you find a switch. Pressing the switch causes one of the platforms in the main room to now extend to the second floor when it rises up. A plaque there looking out over the main cavern says "???". On the bridge above the giant dodongo's head, you find two gaps, one above each of the dodongo's eyes. Dropping a bomb through each gap puts fire in its eyes. When both eyes are lit, its mouth opens, revealing a door.

Before you enter, you may want to buy a new Deku Shield from the Business Scrub on the lower level across the way.

The Last Leg
Several fiery Keese are flying around in the next room. After taking care of them, you see a little square in the middle of the room. Inside this hole is a switch. Pressing the switch causes the door to unlock, but when you get of the switch, the door locks again. Something needs to push this switch permanently.

So go left into the next room. There are a few fire keys in this room also. Go through the room until you get to the exit of the room, but before that hit the pots in this room to get a fairy. I would request that you catch it in a bottle because you might need it for the boss. Go through the tunnel and push the block until it falls to the lower platform. Then push and pull it until it falls on to the switch. Then enter into the next room. Open the chest for bombs, then bomb the odd shaped floor and jump down.

Boss: King Dodongo
Right away you should be able to see the boss, KING DODONGO. What you have to do is throw a bomb in his mouth before he breathes fire at you. After you throw a bomb in his mouth it will blow up and he will be stunned. Run up and hit him with your sword. To inflict the most damage possible, do jumping slashes. Then he will roll around the room. The best way to avoid him when he rolls is to hide in one of the corners, but if you can't get to a corner in time, just stand on the crease bordering the lava pool. He shouldn't hit you. When he stops rolling he will try breathing fire at you again. Throw another bomb in his mouth. Do this about three to four times and you will defeat him. Get the Heart Container and leave.

Goron Jubilation
When you exit Dodongo's Cavern, Darunia meets you with great joy. He happily gives you the Spiritual Stone of Fire, but also reminds you that a Great Fairy lives at the summit of Death Mountain. The other Gorons then attempt to give you a hug, at which point you run for your life screaming.

To the Summit
''This section may be better-suited as a sidebar entry. It can probably be placed near the top. ''

As you head up the mountain, you come to fork. Bearing right would lead you to Goron City. You bear left and move farther up the mountain. A few boulders block your way, but they are easily taken care of by a few bombs. Once you get past these boulders, you hear a cow mooing! You can use another bomb to destroy the boulder atop the ridge. Drop down in the hole to find a cow and a treasure chest with rupees. Continuing farther up the mountain, your Hylian Shield comes in handy as fiery rocks rain straight down on you from above. Finally you reach a shear rock wall. Climb it, but watch out for the skullwalltula. At each platform, clear out the skullwalltula from above you. Finally you reach the top where you find the owl. After he speaks to you, you bomb the wall to the left of him. Entering reveals a fountain, but no fairy. When you play Zelda's Lullaby, however, the Great Fairy appears and gives you the Spin Attack ability.

Back to Kakariko
After exiting the cave, you speak to the owl, who is nice enough to carry you to Kakariko Village. He deposits you on the Impa's rooftop. Don't be too quick to drop down. Turn toward the windmill and drop down carefully at the back corner of the house. You should land on a wooden awning of sorts. There is a hole in the wall behind you. Go in and collect the Heart Piece next to the cow in the cage.

Gathering Cuccos
If it's night, play the Sun Song. Under the awning is a pen without any cuccos in it. Next to this pen is a woman. Her posture shows that she is in distress. She tells you that her Cuccos are missing and asks that you gather them and put them in the pen. There are seven cuccos scattered around the village.

You notice that there are two or three cuccos seemingly out of reach. One is next to the House of Skulltula. You can use your Fairy Slingshot to send the bird flying down to the ground where you can get to him. Another bird is up on the high ground by the windmill, and another is on the ground behind a large fence. Using an available cucco, glide from the raised land in front of the windmill over to the fence by the red building. You should land on the fence. Drop down, turn around and throw your cucco back to where you can get it. Then grab the cucco below and throw him over. Next, climb the ladder up to the high ground around the windmill and grab the cucco there. Gather all the cuccos now. There's one by the Hyrule Field entrance, one by the graveyard entrance and one by the Death mountain entrance. Finally, there's one in a box by the carpenters' house. Either roll into the box or use a bomb.

Once you've gathered them all, she happily gives you an empty bottle for your use.

The Next Destination
Since it seems your work is done in this area, at least for the time being, you wonder where next you should go. When last you met with Saria, she gave you a song by which to communicate with her at any time. Playing this song now, she tells you what she knows: the Zoras, an aquatic people living in the east, possess the Spiritual Stone of Water.