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Oracle of Ages Walkthrough – Mermaid’s Cave –

6.1 Moblins at Rolling Ridge

NOTE: There is an optional nearby cave where you will need at least 20 Bombs and 20 Ember Seeds. If you don’t have enough Ember Seeds, you can visit the Mysterious Tree in Lynna City or Lynna Village. If you don’t have enough bombs, be sure you have acquired the Bomb Upgrade from Chapter 4.

 ~ Present ~ 

Outside of the Crown Dungeon, a Goron will appear before Link. Having dug a new tunnel to this ridge, the Goron will encourage Link to try the new games at Rolling Ridge. Head right one screen and enter the opening on the right.

Walk along the path right one screen and then head up the staircase at the end. Push the top stone of the first pair “right” and the one below it “down” into the hole. On the next set, push the rightmost stone “down” and the one beside it “left” into the hole, then exit the cave.

Head right one and up one screen, then cross the bridge above left one screen. Lift the middle boulder to uncover a time portal and activate it using the Tune of Echoes. Enter the portal to be sent to the past.

 ~ Past ~ 

Walk into the cave above and speak with the Goron inside. Choose to give him 20 Ember Seeds and 20 Bombs in exchange for half the discovered treasure, then leave the cave. Continue left one screen and dig in the bare spot between the bushes to uncover a Soil Patch, then head back right one screen. Walk right and stand between the boulders, just below the far-right cave entrance, and play the Tune of Currents to return to the present.

 ~ Present ~ 

Head right one screen and enter the cave, then take the staircase inside down to the lower level. Step on the button on the left to connect a bridge across the gap, then head across the bridge and left one screen. Exit the cave at the bottom to the base of Rolling Ridge.

Head down two and right two screens. Avoid the lone shrub here as it hides a Mean Old Man’s hideout beneath who will steal 100 Rupees from Link if spoken to. Instead, continue up one screen and enter the cave on the right to the Goron Dance Hall.

Walk up one screen and speak with the blue Goron in the center who will ask Link if he would like to dance. Choose to dance with the group at the cost of 10 Rupees, to which a perfect performance grants Link the Brother Emblem. With this, other Gorons will recognize Link as one of their own. When choosing to dance again, Link is given the option to choose between three levels of difficulty: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. A perfect performance at the Gold level gets Link a Magical Ring, while missing one or two sequences changes the prize to a Gasha Seed.

Head back down one screen and speak with the Goron blocking the steps. Noticing Link’s Brother Emblem, the Goron will move out of the way but also request that Link bring him some food later. Head up the staircase he was blocking to the upper-level, then use the Switch Hook to make it across the gap below. Continue left one screen, then hook to the diamond stone across the gap above and head right one screen. Open the chest here to obtain 10 Bombs, then head back left one screen.

Hook to the diamond stone across the gap on the left and head up the staircase to the upper level. Over on the right, head up the next staircase to the Big Bang Game location. Head up the next staircase on the right in this room, then jump off the ledge to the right and open the chest to obtain a Gasha Seed. Jump off this ledge to the right, then head down and up the steps on the left to exit the cave.

Head left one screen and enter the cave here. Walk down the staircase and navigate through to the left side as before, then exit into the Rolling Ridge Base. Head down and right two screens each and up one, then continue left one screen and slash the bush on the far left to uncover an inactive time portal. Play the Tune of Echoes and enter the active portal to the past.

 ~ Past ~ 

Head left and up one screen each and enter the cave. Bomb the cracked blocks at the top of the room to access a chest containing a Gasha Seed, then head right one screen. Use the Switch Hook to get across the gap using the diamond stones, then head up the staircase on the right and exit the cave.

Walk right one screen and bomb the cracked wall. Enter the opening created from the blast to a cave with a chest containing a Huge Rupee (worth 100)! Exit this cave and slash through the five bushes on the right. Play the Tune of Currents to momentarily be transported to the present.

 ~ Present ~ 

Walk up and grab Piece of Heart #8! Step back into the time portal to be transported back to the past.

6.2 Games at Rolling Ridge

 ~ Past ~ 

Head left and down one screen each, then jump off at the break in the ledge and continue down one screen. Use the Switch Hook to move the vine seedling onto the bare spot under the crease in the mountain on the right. Play the Tune of Currents to return to the present, where the sapling will have grown up the wall.

 ~ Present ~ 

Lift the middle boulder on the left to uncover a Soil Patch for planting Gasha Seeds, then continue on up one screen climbing the vines. Head right one screen and enter the Target Carts Game. Speak with the Goron on the left to play at the cost of 10 Rupees. During the game, Link will ride along a track with only the Seed Shooter at his disposal, attempting to hit as many big rupees as possible. In order to win at least 20 Rupees back, Link must not miss any more than three targets. Getting a perfect score will earn Link a Rock Brisket! Link can play as many times as he wishes, with the game getting more difficult after the first time and a Huge Rupee replacing the top prize to be won.

Exit the Target Carts Game when finished and lift the top boulder of the two on the right to uncover an inactive time portal. Play the Tune of Echoes to activate it, then step in to be sent to the past.

 ~ Past ~ 

In this time period, the Target Carts Game is replaced by a Target Practice Game just like the one in Lynna Village. Enter the game room and speak with the Goron at the counter to play. Getting a score above 100 wins Link the Lava Juice! Choose to play the game again and score 400 points or higher to obtain the Boomerang!

Leave Target Practice when finished and jump down one screen through the break in the lower ledge. Swipe the Mystery Seeds down from the tree, stocking up on them and securing a warp point back to this location via Gale Seeds. Inside the cave above is a Great Fairy Fountain if needed. When done, jump down one screen from the seed tree.

Head down one screen and burn the lone shrub on the right, uncovering a Nice Old Man’s hideout. Walk in and speak with him and he will give Link 200 Rupees! Exit the hideout and head back up one screen. Now use the Tune of Currents to return to the present.

 ~ Present ~ 

Enter the Goron Dance Hall and speak with the hungry Goron next to the staircase. Give him the Rock Brisket in exchange for a Goron Vase then leave the Dance Hall and use the time portal created to return to the past.

 ~ Past ~ 

Walk inside the Dance Hall in this time period and speak with the Goron blocking the staircase on the right. Like the one in the present, this Goron will move once he notices Link’s Brother Emblem, then request something of Link after. This time, Link already has the item which the Goron requests in the Goron Vase. Speak to the Goron a second time to trade him the Goron Vase for some Goronade!

Walk up one screen and speak with the first generation Dancing Goron who will ask Link if he would like to dance. The three levels of difficulty to perform in this time period are Platinum, Gold, and Silver. A perfect performance at the Platinum level will earn Link a Magical Ring. Head back down one screen when finished.

Head up the staircase that is now accessible on the right to the upper floor. Use a Pegasus Seed and jump across the long gaps, heading left one screen, and then up the staircase on the left side of the room. Use the Switch Hook on one of the bushes on the right ledge, changing places with it so Link can access the chest there. Open the chest to obtain another Huge Rupee, then exit the cave.

Use a Gale Seed to warp to the eastern side of Rolling Ridge, then play the Tune of Currents to warp Link to the present.

 ~ Present ~ 

Head left one screen, then follow the path on the left side of the screen up one. Enter the cave here and climb the staircase on the right to the Big Bang Game. Walk up one screen and speak with the game owner who is admittedly too thirsty to even operate his game. Give him the Goronade and then choose to play his game.

The Big Bang Game consists of an open room with floors moving in all different directions while bombs are thrown on-screen before quickly detonating. If Link is hit by even a single explosion, he will lose and have to start over. As the game progresses, more and more bombs will be thrown on-screen to the point where it can become very frustrating. However, using a Pegasus Seed combined with the Roc’s Feather, Link can pick his speed up to help get away from the crowds of bombs thrown his way. Once Link has won the game, he will be given the Old Mermaid Key!

Go down one screen and descend the staircase on the left, then exit the cave back to the peak of Rolling Ridge. Head down one screen, then climb the vines growing up the wall back up one screen onto the ledge. Continue right one screen and play the Tune of Echoes to activate the time portal, then use it to travel back in time.

 ~ Past ~ 

Head left one screen and jump off the ledge down one. Walk back up one screen along the path on the left side of the trees and enter the cave. Speak with the Goron here who claims to be a friend of the Graceful Goron and will notice Link’s Mermaid Key. In exchange for the Lava Juice, this Goron will give Link the Letter of Introduction to be given to the Graceful Goron.

Exit the cave and use a Gale Seed to warp to the eastern peaks of Rolling Ridge. Jump off the ledge down one screen and enter the Goron Dance Hall. Walk up one screen and speak with the first generation Graceful Goron to give him the Letter of Introduction. Promising to deliver on his “brothers” request, the Graceful Goron will give Link his Mermaid Key if he can perform a dance session successfully.

Once the key is obtained, the dance can be performed again at the three levels of difficulty: Platinum, Gold, and Silver. A perfect performance at the Platinum level will earn Link a Magical Ring.

Head down one screen and exit the Dance Hall when finished. Swim across the river and head left one screen, then swim into the waterfall to discover a hidden cave. Walk up and insert the Mermaid Key into the door to open the way to the sixth dungeon…

6.3 Level 6: Mermaid’s Cave

 ~ Mermaid’s Cave (Past) ~ 

~First Floor~
Link enters the dungeon on the first floor, room G3. Bomb the cracked portion of the eastern wall and head right one screen to 1F-G4. One Red and two Green Wizzrobes occupy this room. Defeat them to have a chest appear on the yellow tile in the center. Open the chest to obtain a Gasha Seed, then continue right another screen to 1F-G5.

Use the Seed Shooter, equipped with Ember Seeds, on the Candleheads in this room to light them up, causing them to run about the room before exploding. When all are destroyed, head through the newly opened doorway up one room to 1F-F5.

Walk right one screen to 1F-F6, where four unlit torches rest in the waters above. These must be lit in order: Leftmost torch first, middle torch in the back row second, front torch third, and rightmost torch last. The middle torch in the back row will require Link to stand directly in front of the middle two torches and shoot an Ember Seed against the wall on the right. When all torches are lit, the rightmost wall will open, revealing a passage through the middle towards some very deep water on the right. Because Link cannot enter water this deep, head back left one screen to 1F-F5.

Enter the water and swim left one screen to 1F-F4. Continue swimming to the left side of this room to find a chest containing the Dungeon Map (past). Swim back right one screen to 1F-F5, then head down one and left two screens to the dungeon’s entrance, room 1F-G3.

Head up and left one screen each to 1F-F2. Jump over the central tile to reveal the locations of the color-changing Mini-Zols throughout the room. Slash them while visible to defeat them and when all are defeated, a chest will appear on the left side of the room. Open the chest to obtain the Compass (past), then head back right one screen to 1F-F3.

Head up one screen to 1F-E3 and take the steps on the right, then continue up another screen to 1F-D3. Defeat the three Candleheads and two Keese in this room to unlock the doorway on the right, then head through it right one screen to 1F-D4.

Defeat the two Shrouded Stalfos across the gap by hitting them with some seeds from the Seed Shooter and a chest will appear in the center of the room. Open the chest to obtain a Small Key, then head back left one and down one screen to 1F-E3.

Go through the locked door on the left side of the room left one screen to 1F-E2. Defeat the Blue Wizzrobe in this room to get him out of Link’s way, then create a block on top of the button on the right using the Cane of Somaria. Head over to the upper-left corner of the room and trash every vase except the middle one. Push it down twice and right three times onto the button to unlock the doorway above, then head up one screen through it to 1F-D2.

Go ahead and defeat the three Floormasters and Blue Wizzrobe in this room as they will become annoying, then bomb through the cracked blocks in the center to reach the top of the room. Poke Link’s sword against the center of the northern wall. Just to the right of the middle section, a hollow sound will reveal a hidden passage. Bomb this location to uncover the passage but do not go through it yet as Link requires a new item to progress further. Instead, head back down and right one screen each to 1F-E3.

Head down three screens to exit the Mermaid’s Cave, then swim across to the other side of the waterfall. Step onto land and play the Tune of Currents to be sent back to the present.

 ~ Mermaid’s Cave (Present) ~ 

Head into the cave above, where the Mermaid’s Cave is mysteriously still locked. Walk up and use the Old Mermaid’s Key to unlock the door, then re-enter the dungeon from this time period.

~First Floor~
Link enters the present form of this dungeon in room 1F-G3. Head up one screen to 1F-F3, where defeating the Ropes which fall from the ceiling can stop the torches from shooting fireballs at Link. Continue up another screen to 1F-E3, then head left one screen to 1F-E2. Use the Switch Hook on the diamond stone on the left side of the gap to cross, then open the chest above to obtain the Dungeon Map (present). Switch hook back across to the right side of the room and head back right one screen to 1F-E3.

Walk down the steps on the right and swim across the water above, then head up one screen to 1F-D3. Shoot the blue switch in the middle of the room and head towards the top-right along the newly arranged floor. Hit the switch again, changing it back blue and altering the floor again, then head right one screen to 1F-D4. Drop a Scent Seed from the Satchel to have the Ropes on blocked-off side of the room rush towards it and fall into the pits. Open the chest that appears to obtain a Small Key, then head back left one screen to 1F-D3.

Shoot the blue switch again to connect a path through the center, then head to the lower-left section of the room. Shoot the switch again to turn it back blue and change the floors, then head left one screen to 1F-D2.

Toss a bomb in the middle of the two red blocks on the southern wall to open a passage, then head down one screen through it to 1F-E2. Use the Switch Hook to get across the gap towards the bottom of the room, then bomb the weak wall here to reveal another passage and head through it to 1F-F2.

Jump across the gap and head over to the puzzle block. Push block down one and left two onto the Red tile, clearing it in the process. Next, push the block right two and up, left, down, and right once each, then up, left, and down once each and right three times, clearing the Yellow tile. Finally, push the block left two, up one, left one, up one, right one, up one onto the Blue tile to have a chest appear in the center of the room.. Open chest to obtain a Small Key, then head back up one screen to 1F-E2.

Switch hook across the gap again and continue up one screen to 1F-D2. Jump across the gap above and head through the passage up one screen to 1F-C2. Step into each rotating platform so that Link reaches the steps at the top of the room, then head up them and up one screen to 1F-B2. Make a circle back to the last rotating platform by heading left, down, and right one screen each, then step onto the platform again. Make another circle back to this same platform and this time when Link steps on it, it will turn him towards the lower path. Follow this path left one screen to 1F-C1.

Walk along the path towards the left side of the room, then head up one screen to 1F-B1. Walk up the steps above to reach a chest containing a Small Key. Grab the key, then jump off the ledge on the right and head down and right one screen each to 1F-C2. Step onto the rotating platform to have it turn Link towards the northern steps again, then head up one screen to 1F-B2.

Jump off the ledge and head back down one screen to 1F-B2 through the path in the middle. Walk all the way down to the rightmost rotating platform and step into it, turning Link towards the middle of the room. Take the leftmost rotating platform next again towards the northern steps, then head up one screen, jump off the ledge, and back down one screen through the middle path the same as before. Walk into the rightmost rotating platform which will now face Link towards the eastern steps. Walk up them and head up one and right one screen along the ledge to 1F-B3.

Follow the path along the ledge until Link reaches a locked door on the northern wall. Head through to 1F-A3, the location of the dungeon’s mini-boss “Vire”.

* Mini-Boss: Vire *
Claiming to be Veran’s loyal henchman, Vire will attempt to stop Link by flying about the room and shooting a variety of orbs. For the first few runs, Vire will charge towards Link after each sequence of blue orb is shot. About this time, Vire will “get serious”, making his charges towards Link less frequent than before. Keep waiting on Vire to come close to Link and continue slashing him when he does until he splits into two smaller versions of himself. The mini-vires will hover shortly before charging towards Link, so slash them when they do and Vire will be beaten.

After Vire flies off, head right one screen through the newly unlocked doorway to 1F-A4. Toss a bomb over the yellow gate towards the cracked block, timing it perfectly so that it explodes on the block instead of falls down the hole, then use the Switch Hook to change places with the diamond stone in the center. Walk up the steps above and open the chest to obtain the Mermaid Suit! With this, Link can now swim faster and in the deepest of waters, even those in the ocean! The controls will also change for swimming with this suit, as tapping the direction desired to swim towards on the D-Pad will replace the A Button.

Jump off the ledge with the chest and head back left one room to 1F-A3, then step into the portal to warp to the dungeon’s entrance, room 1F-G3. Head right one screen to 1F-G4 and light up all three Candleheads to have them explode, unlocking the doorway on the right. Continue right one screen through it to 1F-G5.

Have the Roc’s Feather ready as two Giant Blade Traps will come at Link throughout the passage in this next room. At the end of the passage, head through the locked doorway on the northern wall, up one screen to room 1F-F5. Switch hook to the vases on the northern ledge across the water, then head right one screen along this ledge to 1F-F6. Open the chest at the end of the path to obtain the Compass (present).

Jump off the ledge below the chest and head down the staircase to a dungeon area below. Jump across the ledges and head right one screen, then jump onto the moving green platform to ride to a blue ladder on the right side. Head up the ladder to resurface in 1F-E8.

Walk left one screen along the path at the bottom of the room to 1F-E7. All the way at the end of this path, open the chest to obtain 10 Rupees, then head back along the path right one screen to 1F-E8. Head up to the top of the room and unlock the block with a small key, then head left one screen along this northern path to 1F-E7.

At the end of the path, take the passage up one screen to room 1F-D7. Two levers stick out of the ledge above, each either causing Ropes to fall throughout the room or making a chest appear on the blue tile beside the owl statue. Which lever is correct will always be random, so pull one until the chest appears and open it to obtain the Boss Key!

Head back down one and right one screen to 1F-E8, then take the staircase back down to the dungeon area. Navigate left one screen until reaching a ledge too high to jump on. Use the Cane of Somaria to create a block here, allowing Link to reach the blue ladder and take it back to room 1F-F6.

Enter the water and swim left two screens to 1F-F4, then get out of the water at the end of the path and continue left another screen to 1F-F3. Head down two screens, exiting the dungeon. Enter the area of deep water on the left and dive down. Open the chest in this underwater area to obtain a Magical Ring which later appraises as the Toss Ring, increasing Link’s throwing distance. Resurface in the same spot Link dove down from and exit the cave back to the base of Rolling Ridge. Play the Tune of Echoes to activate the time portal in the lower-left, then step into it to travel to the past.

 ~ Mermaid’s Cave (Past) ~ 

Swim into the waterfall and re-enter the Mermaid’s Cave. Head right two screens to 1F-G5 and defeat all the Candleheads to unlock the northern doorway, then head through it up one screen to 1F-F5. Walk right one screen to 1F-F6, where Link can now dive into the deep waters on the far right side of the room. Do so to dive into the basement level, room F6.

~Basement First Floor~
Swim left one screen, then take the lower path beneath the purple blocks back right one screen. Swim down the staircase at the end of the path to an underwater dungeon area. Swim right one screen, then up and out into B1F-E8, where many flowing floors will attempt to send Link into a bottomless pit.

Swim left one screen along either path and then up one screen to room B1F-D7. Defeat both Ropes in this room to obtain a Small Key, then head back down one and right one screen and back down the staircase to the underwater dungeon area. Swim left one screen, then up and out of the dungeon area back to room B1F-F6. Head left one screen along the lower path, then back right one screen along the upper path and resurface in the section of blue tile to 1F-F6.

~First Floor~
Swim left one screen and head down one screen to 1F-G5. Continue left two screens to the dungeon’s entrance, 1F-G3, then head up two and left one screen to 1F-E2. As before, place a block on the right switch with the Cane of Somaria and push the middle vase on the left onto the opposite switch to unlock the doorway. Head up to 1F-D2 through it.

Blast through the cracked blocks to reach the top half of the room and head through the passage up one screen to 1F-B2. Step onto the rotating platform, then walk around the path and through the platform twice more until it turns Link towards the right side of the room. Head over to the deep waters on the left side and dive down to the basement level, room C2.

~Basement First Floor~
Head up one screen to B1F-B2 through the leftmost passage and swim up to a chest containing 30 Rupees. Swim right passed the arrows that shoot, or avoid them by heading back down one screen and up one through the rightmost opening, then head right one screen to B1F-B3.

Swim through the flowing waters towards the upper-right section of the room to a passage and take it up one screen to B1F-A3. Head left, then swim along the upper side of the purple blocks back towards the right side of the room as arrows shoot down towards Link. Use the Switch Hook to attack the two Ropes in this room, unlocking the doorway on the right, then take it right one screen to B1F-A4.

There are six yellow tiles at the top of this room, one for each of the diamond stones scattered about. Place each diamond stone on a section of yellow tile using the Switch Hook until all are filled, causing a chest to appear in the center of the room. Open the chest to obtain a Small Key, then head left, down, left, and down again one screen each to B1F-C2. Swim to the blue tiles in the lower-left corner of the room and resurface to the first floor.

~First Floor~
Head left one screen to 1F-C1. Unlock the block on the left, then step on and off of the button above it. Place a block using the Cane of Somaria onto the button so that the red bars on the left are turned towards the blue switch. Equip the Seed Shooter and stand so that Link can aim at the second-to-last vertical red block on the left. Shoot a seed and it should bounce off the red block, pass through the red bars, and hit the blue switch, connecting the bridge to the top half of the room. Walk along it and head up one screen through the locked boss’ door to 1F-B1.

** Dungeon Boss: Octogon **
Swim to the middle platform in the room. Octogon will swim around this middle platform and often turn its face towards Link to shoot a rock at him. When Octogon does this, retaliate with a seed from the Seed Shooter to damage the boss. With some practice, Octogon can be hit while facing away from Link by shooting a seed so that it ricochettes off the wall behind the boss and hits him in the face.

Periodically, Octogon will submerge its head underwater, to which Link may dive under and shoot at him from below to damage him. While underwater, however, Octogon will come after Link wherever he is and shoot out bubbles to try and capture him for an attack. If Link runs out of seeds, the vases on the central platform will respawn each time he dives underwater and comes back up and be filled with Scent Seeds. After shooting Octogon enough times, the boss will be defeated.

A Heart Container will appear on the central platform once Octogon has perished. Grab it and head right one screen to the altar room of the sixth Essence of Time. Walk up the steps to claim the Bereft Peak!

After clearing the dungeon, the Maku Tree will inform Link that Queen Ambi has left her palace, giving him the chance to possibly save Nayru from Veran’s grasp…