You May Be Playing Link's Awakening Totally Wrong.

Some of Link's Awakening's features aren't clearly explained. As a result, you might be playing the game all wrong. But don't worry; we're here to clear things up. Early on in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, you'll find a harried mother who's pining after a Yoshi doll.

When you pop into the Trendy Game shack, where you can play Link's Awakening's take on an arcade crane game, you'll see a Yoshi plush sitting among the prizes. It's pretty clear what happens next: you win the prize and give it to the mom. And thus, the trading quest begins.

In the trading sequence, you'll schlep goods all over Koholint Island, bartering with needy residents until you end up with the magnifying glass, the ultimate prize. At first, this seems like an optional sidequest. It's not. You'll need to trade to access Kanalet Castle en route to the game's third dungeon, and you need the magnifying glass to learn how to navigate the Wind Fish's egg at the end of the game.

Trading is also required to get the boomerang, which is very useful. Thankfully, the trading sequence follows roughly the same path as the main campaign. If you start early, you won't have to go too far out of your way to finish it. From its Game Boy debut to its current revival on the Switch, Link's Awakening was always meant to be a portable adventure, but enjoying Zelda on the road comes with a few sacrifices.

If you're surrounded by other people, you might be tempted to turn your Switch's volume all the way down. Bring along a good pair of headphones instead. There's one room in the second dungeon that requires you to beat a set of enemies in a certain order, and the buzz that sounds when you do it incorrectly is the only indication that there's a puzzle at play.

Also, the compass doesn't show all of the hidden keys on the map; instead, it plays a tone when you enter a secret-filled room. In addition, you'll need to dig up hidden warps to unlock fast travel on Koholint Island; the sound that the warps make is the only real indication that you should be looking for something.

You can muddle through Link's Awakening without the sound cues by relying on trial and error, but the noises will make your experience less frustrating. Even by Zelda standards, Link's Awakening is a weird game. Its strangest feature? It's absolutely crammed full of cameos by other Nintendo characters.

Kirby appears as an enemy in the seventh dungeon. A Yoshi plushie features prominently in the trading quest. A goat-lady catfishes a lonely writer using a photo of Princess Peach. See what we mean? Weird. Link's Awakening doesn't just borrow some Mario characters, though.

Occasionally, it plays like Mario, too. Link's Awakening is littered with brief side-scrolling platforming sequences, many of which are filled with classic Mario foes. Play these stages like a Mario game, and you'll be rewarded, too. Basically, if you're running low on health when you run across a Goomba, don't smack it with your sword.

Take a cue from your favorite plumber instead. Unless you're playing on Hero Mode, which eliminates health drops from enemies, jumping on a Goomba using Roc's Feather will kill it and net you an automatic heart. The plumber would be proud. The items that Link collects during his time on Koholint Island make him more powerful.

When he uses them together, he's almost unstoppable. One of the big tricks to mastering Link's Awakening is learning how to use your items together. For example, you can use Roc's Feather to leap over small holes, but for bigger gaps you'll need to combine the Feather with the Pegasus Boots.

Link can pick up and throw bombs, which is required to beat certain enemies, but he can't chuck explosives very far, and you'll have to time your tosses so that bombs explode at the right time. The better solution? Equip the bow and the bombs, then activate both at the same time.

That creates a "bomb arrow" that'll send the explosive hurtling across the room, making it explode on impact. Much easier. The fishing minigame returns for the Switch edition of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, and it's absolutely worth your time.

By fishing, you'll be able to score two pieces of heart, a couple of seashells, and a Fairy Bottle. That's not bad for a few minutes of work. Still, if you're not patient, you might find that you're having trouble reeling in your catch. Occasionally, bigger fish will break the line and swim away, leaving you with nothing for all of your hard work.

Link's Awakening never says why this happens. Here's the deal: if you're reeling in a fish while it is facing away from you, there's a good chance the line will break. In other words, don't just mash the button as fast as you can. Wait until the fish is facing Link.

When it turns around, stop. The fish will make some distance while you wait for it to face the right direction, but you'll eventually win the battle of tug-of-war and walk away with your well-earned prize. Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more SVG videos about your favorite games are coming soon.