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Let's Play Link's Awakening, part 14: Link's Desert



Welcome back. When we left off, I had just cleared the path to the Yarna Desert, the next area Link needs to explore. I had also realised I could get stuff by running into trees. So I turn back.



Nothing in this one!



Back in the village, Marin has set herself up in the previously vacant area. A lot of animals have come to listen. All of them are entranced.



Link listens for a while.



Oh, Link. I often come to this village to sing, too! It seems that just about everyone loves my 'Ballad of the Wind Fish!' Link, what is your favourite song?

I linked to one of my current faves in the last update, Marin! Aren't you reading the LP?



The bear chef has new dialogue, and the bunnies that were scattered through the village are now gathered with Marin. Otherwise, nothing has changed in the village. I take the teleporter out and start looking for trees.



Success!



I head down to the signpost maze, only to realise that what looks like a freestanding tree on my composite map is actually straddling a screen edge, which I think makes it unlikely to hold any secrets. Sure enough, nothing turns up when I strike it. The tree by Marin's house and one of the ones on the way to the fishing pond, however, are fruitful. I also restock my arrows while I'm in town.



Then I head back and finally enter the Yarna Desert. At the entrance are these two giant skulls. If they can be interacted with, I have not yet found the way.



I also kill a few spineys.



The next area has these cactus enemies. They come apart piece by piece, the segments flying away and potentially harming Link, before you can kill the head. The stationary cactus in the middle of the area doesn't respond to attacks, but will do contact damage to Link if you're not careful.



The area to the left is just a sandy cliff. Nothing up there that I could find.



Heading further in I find a path to a secret seashell. Surely something good will happen soon?



SEA BEARS FOAM, SLEEP BEARS DREAMS. BOTH END IN THE SAME WAY CRASSSH!

This one had me confused for a moment. Probably because I'd visited the chef not long ago, I took "SEA BEARS" to refer to an aquatic ursine, possibly rabid, and the first part of the message to be an instruction for them to go to sleep.



There doesn't seem to be much in this cave. There are enemies in each of the pits on the second screen, at least.



I take a shot at blowing holes in the wall, without success. Am I missing something here?



Annoyance! You are only getting in the way!

Heading back up, Link is insulted by an unseen party.



It's a sand worm! Link is dragged towards the centre of the area, but can easily walk out of it. The worm attacks by jumping out of the sand. Link can hit its head while it's in the air.



After a few hits it goes down, dropping a key. I move to snag it, but Link fumbles and it goes down the hole.



I follow it down and pick up the Angler Key. Presumably that's gonna fit in Angler Keyhole.



Hoot! The shape of the key shows a fish, swimming up a cascade of water! Go now to the mountain waterfall! A leap from the top and you will reach your goal!

The exposition owl shows up again. Link freezes mid-dig when it arrives, then turns to face it while maintaining the shovelling pose. Interesting that the owl's description of the key is the opposite action of what it tells Link to do.



I head back through town, then head south on exit. For a long time now I've had killing these electric jelly guys on my to-do list. Even though I've already managed it with bombs, I also listed arrows. I have a bow now. Will it work?



It will! One more thing to strike off!



I've got fifteen seashells, so I head to the Seashell Mansion to see if I'll get a reward. The answer is no. I also try ramming a few trees. This is mostly fruitless, but the tree to the right of the entrance to Kanalet Castle houses a fairy.



'BRRING! BRRING! This is Ulrira! Oh, I heard from grandma that there is something hidden behind the falls in the Tal Tal Mountains. Does that help? Bye! CLICK!'

I try some more trees and head for the Angler Keyhole. Let's give this key a shot!



It fits, stopping the waterfall and revealing the face of a fish, its mouth invitingly open.



What's this?! A letter for me?! I'm so happy! ...And look! The letter came with a photograph!

I check the in-game map for the first time in a while. I guess that building where I got the Face Key is the Face Shrine. Makes sense. Anyway, to get to the Angler's Tunnel I need to go up the stairs in the third screenshot here. As you can see, Link is walking past it to assault another tree and visit Mr. Write. Neither rain nor heat nor dungeons stays this courier from his appointed round. Apparently Christine is catfishing Mr. Write: the photo appears to be of Princess Peach.



Mmm... She's so beautiful... I must give you something for your trouble... Hmm... Well, it looks like all I have is this broom... how'll that be?

You got a Broom as your reward from Mr Write! But that photo was not of...


It's kind of sad that Christine doesn't feel able to be honest with Mr. Write, but hey! A broom!



Oh boy! Letter writing is such a great hobby!

Keep on believing, Mr. Write. I've got an idea who might want a broom, so I head back towards town, bumping some trees on the way.



YAHOO! YAHOO! A new broom?! For me? It is, isn't it?!

Okay! In return you can have this fishing hook I found when I swept by the river bank!


The trading quest continues. Things we know about Grandma Ulrira: She knows about Angler's Tunnel, she sweeps a lot, and she's a very enthusiastic person.



I try the obvious fishing hook user, but he shows no interest. So I strike some more trees, then head back to the Animal Village to see if Christine's dialogue has changed since delivering the letter. It has not. I also tried talking to everyone in the Animal Village, but found no takers for the hook. I didn't try everyone in Mabe, maybe it's someone there? I'm sure I'll work it out.



I head back into the mountains, up above the entrance to Angler's Tunnel. The big waterfall has dried up, allowing me to progress a little further than before before I'm blocked again by water.



So I jump off the edge down to the entrance. Now, into the tunnel, or the stairs leading down?



I rarely progress without checking my other options, so I take the stairs. They lead to the other side of a cave I was unable to progress through before. From this side, I can push the rock into the pit and jump over, opening a shortcut to the Tunnel entrance. Now I just need to go back down the stairs and head for the dungeon:



What.

The rock reappears, meaning I haven't opened a shortcut at all. I guess I'm taking the long way. Again.



Here's the path back. It's a long way. On the plus side, putting this image together I noticed that the entrance to the room with the piece of heart in the third cave sort of aligns with the first cave's eastern wall. I'll add trying to blow the wall to my list. Also, belatedly I realise I have gotten past the cracked but non-explodable rocks in the centre-left of this image. I didn't go through them, but I'm coming to suspect they can't be broken and happily my list says "get past" rather than "get through", so I'm counting it.



After that hike, I go straight for the Tunnel this time.



That's it for today!

Next Time:

I take on the Angler's Tunnel. Hey, I wonder if I can use my fishing hook in here?

Map:



Something slightly different today: when I started looking at the map for trees that might be hiding stuff, I realised it was hard to tell which trees were on the boundary of screens (and so I assume unlikely to hold secrets and too numerous to pursue if they do) and which were in the middle. So I made an overlay for the map that would show the borders. I won't be using it every time, but I thought it might be an interesting change.

To-Do:
  • Reach the stairs south of the Mermaid statue.
  • Find another way to cross long gaps.
    -Reach the last signpost in the signpost maze.
    -Cross the gap to the left of the Kanalet Castle gates.
    -Cross the river east of the Seashell Mansion.
    -Cross the water east of Angler's Tunnel.
    -Get the chest in the north cave in the Mysterious Forest.
    -Get the chest near the crystals in the cave in the mountain to the east of Mt. Tamaranch.
    -Cross the gap over water to the south-west of the Animal Village.
    -Get the piece of heart in the cave at the north-east of the Animal Village.
  • Learn to swim.
    -Explore the waters and caves near Angler's Tunnel.
    -Visit the person swimming in Martha's Bay.
    -Explore the waters of Martha's Bay.
    -Cut the bush on the island southwest of the Mermaid statue.
    -Cut the bush on the island in the lake north of Richard's place.
    -Cross the water to the east of the waterfall in the mountains near where Papahl got lost.
    -Check for secrets under the bridge south-west of the Animal Village.
    -Do something with the statues on the island north of the Animal Village.
    -Reach the cave entrance north of the stone field north of the Animal Village.
    -Continue exploring up above Angler's Tunnel.
  • Ram any trees I come across.
    -By the teleport in the prairie.
    -By the fairy cave in the prairie.
    -By Mr. Write's house.
    -South of the northern chest in the mysterious forest.
    -South of the pond in the mysterious forest.
    -North of the southern chest in the mysterious forest.
    -South of the fishing pond in Mabe Village. (x2)
    -By Marin and Tarin's house.
    -Near Tail Cave.
    -In the signpost maze.
    -Near the phone booth north of the signpost maze.
    -North of the Witch's hut.
    -East of the dilapidated house.
    -East of Kanalet Castle.
    -South of the Seashell Mansion.
    -Further south of the Seashell Mansion.
    -South-west of Angler's Tunnel.
    -West of the Animal Village.
    -South-west of the Animal Village.
    -South of the Animal Village.
    -By the owl statue north-east of the stone field.
  • Find a way to get past cracked (but non-explodable) rocks.
    -Get past the cracked rock north of the phone booth near Write's place.
    -Get past the cracked rocks on Mt Tamaranch.
    -Get past the cracked rocks on the mountains east of Mt Tamaranch.
  • Find the key to Angler Keyhole.
  • Do something with the Flying Rooster statue.
  • Do something with the Mermaid statue.
  • Do something at the grave west of the witch's hut.
  • Do something at Manbo's Pond.
  • Give the goat's letter to Mr Write.
  • Find a use for the broom.
  • Find a use for the fishing hook.
  • Grasp Schule's art.
  • Help Mr Write receive a letter.
  • Get to the owl statue to the right of the lake above Richard's place.
    -Figure out how to kill the moving skulls and explore the cave under the owl.
  • Kill the moving skull in the cave under Richard's house.
  • Kill the electric jelly.
    -Try arrows.
  • Do something in the cave on the beach.
  • Reach the piece of heart in the cave in the mountain to the east of Mt. Tamaranch.
    -Try bombing the eastern wall of the first cave east of Mt Tamaranch.
  • Get to the other side of the hole in the cave two screens east of Angler's Tunnel.
  • Do something in the house east of the beach.
  • Do something in the vacant area in the Animal Village.
  • Get into the closed off area northeast of the house east of the beach.
  • Jump down the well in the Animal Village.
  • Collect a lot of secret seashells.
    -Have something pretty ordinary happen.
    -Have something good happen.
  • Learn to play many songs.
    -Learn to play the "Ballad of the Wind Fish".
  • Find a use for the Face Key.
  • Get a magnifying glass.
    -Read 'Dark Secrets and Mysteries of Koholint'.
  • Explore Angler's Tunnel
  • Find the five remaining instruments.
  • Play the eight instruments in front of the Wind Fish Egg.
    -Wake the Wind Fish.
  • Get off the island, I guess?

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