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.'

Sanctuary
It is supposed to be a place of peace, but history shows that the Hyrulean Sanctuary was once the site of a brutal battle. One of the oldest structures in the land, it is where Zelda goes for help when she first escapes from Agahnim, and the Sage there offers her shelter. He is a kind man who will guide Link on the first steps of his legendary journey.

Sacred Ground
The great Hyrulean Cemetery lies just east of the Sanctuary. Buried there are some of the most famous people in Hyrulean history. It is an eerie and mysterious place, and ghosts seem to always hover nearby. It is said that some of the tombstones there hide, not bodies, but buried treasure.

The Castle
Hyrule Castle once welcomed all Hyruleans. It was the home to several generations of royalty who were worshiped by their people. Inside the castle, royal red carpets are rolled out over the stone floors, and rich tapestries from faraway lands adorn its walls. Many fierce battles were waged just outside the castle walls against attackers, but the Hyruleans prevailed—until Agahnim appeared with his sinister strategy.

Link's House
Like the other homes in Hyrule, the house where Link and his uncle live is simple. It is furnished with a bed and table, both hand-crafted from logs bought from the lumberjacks in the north. The only unusual furnishing is a finely carved chest that sits in one corner of the room. The home is south of Hyrule Castle, just at the edge of a thick forest where Link and his uncle hunt for their food.

Leaving Home
You hear words in the darkness; a plea from Zelda who is being held captive. You awaken suddenly and notice your uncle sheathing his sword. The old warrior looked grim. When your uncle is gone, hop out of bed and open the chest in the corner and take out the Lamp.

The Castle Gates
The castle itself dates back to early Hylian times, but its surrounding wall and gate were constructed in later years. Once long ago, people came from all over the kingdom to pass through them when they were completed. Now, however, one of Agahnim's spellbound guards refuse entry to anyone who arrives.

Outside in the driving storm, you hear another telepathic message alerting you to a secret entrance outside the castle walls. Cross the moat, then follow a path of stones until it leads to a bush. Pull the bush out of the ground, revealing a secret entrance.

Secret Passage
After falling through the hole, you will land in a puddle of water. You will stumble upon your Uncle, fatally wounded. With his dying breath he gives his sword and shield to you, and teaches you the secret Spin Attack technique, pasted down among the Hyrulean Knights (press and hold the attack button, on SNES or  on GBA, until the magic sparks reach the tip of the sword). Enter the door on the left.

The guards in the next room don't actively attack you but you will take damage if they touch you. The chest will contain a Lamp if you did not collect one back in your house. Otherwise, it will contain a blue rupee. After collecting magic potions from the pottery, you can use the now-powered lamp to light the room; this does nothing here, but lighting these floor lamps in other rooms can often reveal a secret or open a door. When you're finished, head for the stairs to the left.

The Castle Garden
Plants from the far reaches of the kingdom were transplanted in the garden courtyard the fronts Hyrule Castle. Fine marble tiles from the mountains line the walk, and colorful Rosehedge and Orangecap bushes dot the carpet of grass. Guards observe the garden from the catwalks on the castle walls.

Badly outnumbered, you have to battle your way past the enchanted palace guards that patrol the castle grounds. Hyrulean soldiers are heavily armed. Their shields bear warriors' crests and their swords are specially forged to withstand fierce blows. You must safely make your way to the double doors that serve as the Castle's entrance.

Hyrule Castle
Inside Hyrule Castle, fires burn brightly in many torches. A central staircase leads up to the throne room, and labyrinth-like hallways lead to other areas of the castle. All rooms—except for the dungeon below—are elegantly furnished.

Floor 1
You enter the grand hall of the Castle. Immediately, you have some choices to make. You can run straight ahead, but that way leads to the throne room, and you probably won't find Zelda there. If anything, she is locked in the dungeon below. You can take the left exit or the right exit, and in fact both ways will take you to the stairwell in the back that leads to the dungeon. Along the way, you'll have to battle past more possessed knights, but if you break the pottery that you find along the way, you may discover some rupees, or a life refilling heart. Eventually, you will come across the stairs you are looking for. Head downstairs.

Basement 1
When you arrive in the dungeon, you are immediately greeted by a guard. You must duel the guard in order to grab the Small Key he is holding in order to open the door below. Also open the chest in the middle of the room to discover a Map inside. Now you can view the map at any time. ( on SNES, on GBA).

Open the southern door to discover a room whose floor is erected over a deep chasm. If you are not careful with your footing, you could fall to your doom. However, the same is true for the guards that patrol the area. In some cases, it is easier for you to knock the guards into the chasm then to fight them to the death.

Follow the pathway around until you encounter a door next to the left wall. As you pass through it, the doors slam shut behind you. You must defeat the guard in order to reopen the shutter doors. Since the north door is locked, go east. Inside, you will encounter another angry guard that's holding a Small Key. Once you defeat the guard, open the treasure cheast to discovers your first alternate weapon: the Boomerang. This item can stun many enemies for a short time (such as the soldiers), and it injures or even kills very small enemies. Return to the previous room, and use the key to advance to the next stairwell down.

Basement 2 & 3
Head down the stairs to a very small second floor basement, and go immediately down the next staircase to the lowest level of the dungeon. First, you will find Princess Zelda safe but stuck inside of a cell. Then you will notice the gruesome guard wielding a morningstar. You can try to stun him with your new-found Boomerang, but it has little effect. If you take some damage during the fight, the pottery nearby contain hearts, just in case you run low on life. Better yet, you can throw the pottery at the guard, killing him even faster than with a sword. The guard slumps to the ground with a final groan, dropping the Big Key that keeps Zelda imprisoned.

Use the key to free Princess Zelda, who will update you with all of the information she has. She informs you that the destination she would like to reach is the throne room. You must guard and escort her there. There also happens to be a chest in the cell with the Princess. If by some odd chance, you had not obtained a Lamp from the house or from the secret passage, this is yet another opportunity for you to collect one. Otherwise, the chest will contain a blue rupee.

Floor 2
With the Princess in tow, fight past all of the guards who have returned to the first basement, and along the first floor hallways, and returns to the grand hall of the Castle. This time, follow the Princess' instruction and makes your way to the doorway at the top that leads to the throne room above. Even in the throne room, you will be attacked by guards. Once you defeat them, lead the Princess to the thrones where she will tell you the next part of her plan.

The Princess recalls a secret door that can be revealed by pushing a mantle aside. She asks you to push the mantle, but she politely assists. The mantle slides to the side revealing a hidden stairwell...

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.