Ocarina of Time Beginner's Guide: 15 Tips for New Players

How does combat work?

1. Lock on to everything. Lock-on (called Z-targeting on the N64) keeps the camera and Link facing the enemy. Almost every fight is built around it, and in the remake it also aims your ranged items.

2. Keep your shield up and wait for an opening. Most enemies attack, then pause. Block, then strike during the pause. A jump attack while locked on deals double damage.

3. Use Deku Nuts and Deku Sticks. Deku Nuts stun nearby enemies with a flash. A Deku Stick hits hard, and a lit one can carry fire from a torch to another torch.

How do I know where to go next?

4. Talk to everyone, and listen to Navi. Characters often say exactly where to go next. Navi also gives hints, and in the remake she pops up short tips.

5. Check Threads of Time. The remake adds a tapestry that shows your story progress and your next objective. Use it whenever you’re stuck.

6. Learn every ocarina song. Songs open doors, call your horse, change day to night and warp you across Hyrule. Our songs guide lists where to learn each one.

What should I collect early?

7. Every Bottle is precious. A Bottle holds fairies, potions, fish and more. A fairy in a Bottle revives you if you run out of hearts. There are only four in the original.

8. Hunt Heart Pieces. Every four pieces add a heart. Many are easy to grab as a child. Our Heart Piece checklist shows them all, area by area.

9. Kill Gold Skulltulas. Each one gives a token. Turn them in at the House of Skulltula in Kakariko Village for a bigger wallet, the Stone of Agony and other rewards. See all 100 Gold Skulltula locations.

10. Plant Magic Beans as a child. Buy beans from the man at Zora’s River, plant them in soft soil, and come back as an adult to ride the bean platforms to hidden rewards. In the original, each bean costs 10 more Rupees than the last.

How does time travel work?

11. Child and adult Link can reach different places. After an early story event, you can switch between child and adult. Children fit through small gaps and use the Slingshot. Adults use the Hookshot, Bow and heavy gear. If a place seems impossible, try the other age.

12. Get Epona early. As a child, learn Epona’s Song at Lon Lon Ranch. As an adult, it calls your horse, which makes crossing Hyrule Field much faster.

13. Day and night matter. Some characters and Gold Skulltulas only appear at night. In the remake, the day-night cycle runs everywhere, including towns.

How do dungeons work?

14. Find the map and compass, then the keys. Each dungeon has its own Small Keys, a Boss Key, a map and a compass. Small Keys only work in the dungeon where you found them.

15. Use Iron Boots in the Water Temple. The Water Temple is the hardest dungeon for most players. Put Iron Boots on to sink and take them off to float. The remake keeps colored guide lines that lead to the water-level switches.

What is the dungeon order?

Here is the usual order in the original, without spoilers about the story:

1. Inside the Deku Tree
2. Dodongo’s Cavern
3. Inside Jabu-Jabu’s Belly
4. Forest Temple
5. Fire Temple
6. Ice Cavern, then the Water Temple
7. Bottom of the Well (as a child), then the Shadow Temple
8. Spirit Temple (as both a child and an adult)
9. Ganon’s Castle

Our walkthrough covers each step in order. To see what you can collect with your current items, use the collectible tracker. Before launch, check where to buy the remake and everything we know.