Let's Play Link's Awakening, part 16: Link's Ghost

Here we are outside Angler's Tunnel. Unlike before, I can swim now! Time to put that ability to use!



But first, back into the dungeon.

Mightyblue:
I believe the room with the flying heart over a single patch of shallow water is a hint to the dungeon's hidden room?

Let's find out:



Sadly, it does not seem to be so.



I am Manbo, child of the Sun Fish! Have you got an Ocarina? Ahaha! Then I can teach you my song! Bloop!

I head back out and swim left, to find Manbo. Let's listen:



This arguably loses something without sound.



You've learned Manbo's Mambo! When you get out of the water, play it!

Good advice! But first, let's see if Manbo has anything else to say:



I am Manbo, child of the Sun Fish! When you play my Mambo, you can warp to Manbo Pond! Try this tune in the dungeons, too! Cha-cha-cha!

Hey, nice! Doing something at Manbo's pond is on my to-do list. But first I wanna explore around here.



I go back into Angler's Tunnel and try it out. I'm returned to the entrance. If I'd found Manbo before going back in to look for secret passages I could have saved myself some time. Oh well.



I head back out and continue exploring to the left, finding nothing. To the right, there's a cave:



Inside I find a Piece of Heart, putting me half-way to a new heart container. I'm not sure if diving was necessary to find it or if just swimming over would do.



I swim to the right and find my path blocked by rocks, so I head back to the left, climb out of the water, and try out the Mambo. Sure enough, I'm transported back to Manbo's pond.



While I'm there, I visit Crazy Tracy and top up my life potion. Hey, do you guys notice a... presence?



A ghost! I try to talk to it, leading Link to swing his sword. Fortunately, the entity he's being so rude to appears to be immune to injury.



Doing something at this gravestone is on my to-do, so it seems like the logical place to take a ghost. On the way I ram a few more trees, but don't find anything.



The ghost isn't interested in the gravestone.



So I head for the other graveyard. While I attack its spectral siblings, the ghost suddenly speaks! The house at the bay, or the dilapidated house as I've been calling it, is also on my to-do list, so this is fortuitous.



On the way to the bay we pass by Key Cavern and the bush I've been wanting to cut down. I'm sure the ghost won't mind a short detour.



Aww.



Second time's the charm though, and I score another secret seashell.



'BRRING! BRRING! This is Ulrira! Now you're being haunted by a ghost?! Well, how about taking him where he wants to go? Bye! CLICK!'

In other detours, I stop by a phone booth. Ulrira tells me to do what I'm doing. As I pass through the cave leading towards the house, I notice a suspicious wall. I've been looking for a suitable wall to poke with my sword (2020 comment: because of a suggestion in the forum thread), and I'm pretty sure there's a secret passage in here somewhere since there's an owl statue on the roof, so even though I can't kill the enemies in here yet I decide to take a look.



There we are! Can you hear the difference between when I poke northwards versus westwards? There's a secret here!



It's a secret no more.



Inside I find more cave. I poke around with my sword, but find nothing more.



The roof of the cave is a pretty small area. The statue promises secrets, and digging reveals a secret seashell.



I carry on towards the house, ramming a few more trees on the way. The ghost confirms I've got the right house.



...Nostalgia...
...unchanged...
...boo hoo...
...Enough...
...cemetary...
...take me...
...my grave...

Poor ghost... Also, the house is unchanged? Were the floors cracked when you lived here? And the cemetery? We were just there!



I take a shortcut to get back to the grave. I'm not sure what triggers the ghost appearing (finishing Angler's Tunnel? Entering Crazy Tracy's place enough times?), but if the developers were kind then learning the warp song might be a prerequisite.



...Thank you...
...a jar...
...in my home...
...look inside..
...bye...bye...

Fortunately the ghost is also transported by the song, and it's a short walk back to the grave. I've already broken all the jars in the ghost's house on previous visits, but I'll go have another look. After attending to a few other items on my list.



The ghost sinks into the ground and the owl appears again.



Hoot! It has been some time since our paths crossed, lad. You must dive into the waters of Martha's Bay to enter the Catfish's Maw... The closer you get to the Wind Fish, the more restless he sleeps. Carry onward! Hoot!

As usual, the owl tells me where to avoid so I can do everything I can think of before progressing with the game. I wonder what happens if you ignore the ghost's request? Can you make it to the end of the game while haunted? Do you get a different speech from the owl here if you've already been through the Catfish's Maw?



Anyway, the bay being to the south, I head north into the mountains again. A couple updates ago I speculated that there might be a secret passage here. Let's check:



Nope! I find nothing with the sword, then decide to try bombing it anyway to no effect. Darn.



I do some more poking, finding nothing, then head for the body of water that blocked my passage before. Swimming into it, I have the choice of going up the stairs or across to the right. I take the latter option.



It leads to a cave, the first room of which has a suspicious look. I try the sword, and sure enough it sounds different. I bomb my way through and carry on.



It leads to a room with five chests! Wow! I pause for a second to figure out how best to open them, then decide I'll just get what I can and pick up the rest on the way back. I manage four, each of which contains 20 Rupees.



Outside is a small platform with a chest containing a secret seashell. I think that makes 19 of them. Must be getting close to something good now.



Coming back, the rocks are reset, but now all the chests are open, even the one I couldn't reach. Hopefully it didn't contain anything unique. Perhaps smarter minds than mine can figure this out, but so far as I can see you can't reach all the chests in one go if you enter from the top. Totally doable from below, though.



I head back and carry on through the cave. There's a hole in the next outdoors area that I try falling down. Sure enough, the screen goes white, indicating I've found a path somewhere. How exciting!



Oh. This is the cave I found the Piece of Heart in earlier in the update. It's not exciting.



I retrace my steps and this time go up the stairs. They lead to a lengthy passage and a glimpse of a few more caves ahead.



Carrying on I come to a big hole. Better turn back and take the upper path.



But that just leads to another gap I can't cross, so I head back to the mountain pool and take the stairs.



It leads me to the house I saw when I was rescuing Papahl, a cave, and a path to the east.



I head east and find a secret seashell under a rock, taking me to 20. Carrying on I reach a small mountaintop area where I don't seem to be able to do anything. I thought maybe I could drop from the bridge to the area below, but I can't.



Chickens these days don't have the fighting spirit they used to! In the old days, they could fly, flap flap! But now, see? Cluck cluck!

Despite his complaints about them, this guy is feeding the chickens. I assume he's talking about flying chickens because there's one in my future, so I add finding it to my to-do list.



The path to the left is impassable at present, so I enter the cave. Heading left I see what appears to be a bird themed key. I can't reach it, though.



All these blocks at first look like they'll be hard to get past, but it's actually pretty easy.



This gap is beyond my powers at present, though. On to the list!



On the way back out I decide to see if these holes lead anywhere. They do! This waterfall is directly south of the cave entrance, and north of Manbo's cave.



'BRRING! BRRING! Hi, it's Ulrira! The Catfish's mouth is wide open? It sounds like a great place to dive! Bye! CLICK!'

I use the Ocarina to get out of the mountains, and call Ulrira. I'm not sure I agree with him re: the appeal of diving into a fish's mouth. Anyway, I expect I'll be doing that next update. For now, I head to the Seashell Mansion. I've had a tip about this place:

DeeMer:
The trees outside the Seashell Manor actually talk

Well that was a surprise! Hey! I'll tell you a secret! Use your sword to poke at dungeon walls... If you hear a hollow clank, you can break the wall with a Bomb!

They do! Both say the same thing. I've already been making use of this tip, thanks to the magic of Talking Time. I head inside with my 20 seashells, and the epilepsy warning spoilerpop on the next gif should give you a clue about how that goes:

Warning: Rapid flashing gif.

I get the level 2 sword. Nice! Let's try it out:



Kapow! It kills the moblins in one hit, and fires a projectile! Enjoy that in this gif, because it only happens when Link is at full health, which isn't often with me in control.



Since I'm pretty much in the area, I head for the stone field north of Animal Village. I find a fairy in the tree there, then head for the cave near the waterfall.



Do you want to challenge the river rapids on a raft? Proceed to the office at once, please!

It leads to a one-way drop to a staircase, which takes me to the area east of Angler's Tunnel, where a sign promises a raft ride. This should probably have been on my to-do since Sale mentioned it ages ago. I'll just add it on and check it off now.



Want to go on a raft ride for a hundred Rupees? Okay, the raft is ready for you outside! Enjoy!

I pay the man and get on the raft. Initially it takes me along a gentle current above some waterfalls, then I drop down the last one and into the rapids.



It's a pretty big area, with lots of flying rupees, hearts, bombs, arrows, and powder to collect. All of the water is flowing in one direction or another, and the raft cannot be ridden against the current. I manage to take the path with probably the least stuff on it and to miss most of what is on that route. I also fail to fully explore it. I'll have to take another shot, going down the waterfalls on the first screen of the rapids. There's also a chest next to a stairway. I think I'll have to reach that from underground. At the end of the rapids I reach the cave that led me to the entrance earlier.



Here's a fairly representative gif of my trip through the rapids.



I activate the statue on the island and find a cave. Unfortunately it's got another gap I can't cross in it, so I head back up. I also get a glimpse at another dungeon entrance (I presume). The keyhole there might take the Face Key?



Being able to swim makes the trip across the river easier. I plan to talk to the swimmer in the next update, so I pass her by for now. I thought there'd be something under the bush on this small island, but I don't find it. Those stairs in the bushes, though...



Man, I could have done this ages ago!



Wouldn't have been able to cross this deep water, though. It leads me to another skull altar.



Using some fairy dust summons a demon.

Hey, Kid! You woke me up from a fine nap!! ...Thanks a lot! But now, I'll get my revenge! Are you ready?! Okay, I'll let you carry more Bombs! He He He! Are you ready?!

Sounds good! (More flashing in this gif)

Heh Heh Heh! You deserve it! Now look at all that junk you have to carry! Hah! Take care! See you again!

Oh no! Link's poor back! This is just like when my powder carrying capacity was doubled earlier in the game. Presumably at some point I'm going to get my arrow capacity doubled, too. Maybe I should add that to the list.



I head back out and to the house to get my reward for helping the ghost.



I smash all the pots and get nothing for my troubles. What's the deal here? I think what's going on, here and with the bush on the island a few minutes ago, is that I've gotten 20 seashells and the reward, so they aren't dropping any more. Or I'm missing something.



Anyway, that's enough for today.

Next time:
I guess I'll dive into the Catfish's Maw? Unless I find too many other things to do first.

Map:


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.
  -Cross the gap (going east-west) in the cave at the very north-east of the map.
  -Cross the big gap (going north-south) in the cave at the very north-east of the map.
  -Cross the gap in the bridge west of the Chicken Man's house.
  -Cross the gap in the cave below the Chicken Man's house.
  -Cross the gap in the cave under the statue on the island north of 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.
  -North of the Witch's hut.
  -East of the dilapidated house.
  -Further south of the Seashell Mansion.
  -West of the Animal Village.
  -South-west 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.
• Do something with the Flying Rooster statue.
• Find a flying chicken.
• Do something with the Mermaid statue.
• Do something at the grave west of the witch's hut.
• Do something at Manbo's Pond.
• Check the jars in the ghost's house.
• Find a use for the fishing hook.
• Talk to the trees outside the Seashell Mansion
• Poke suspicious walls with the sword.
• Ride the rapids on a raft.
  -Fully explore the rapids.
• Reach the chest on the island in the rapids.
• Grasp Schule's art.
• 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.
• 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.
• Do something in the house east of the beach.
• Get into the closed off area northeast of the house east of the beach.
• Find a demon to double my arrow carrying capacity.
• Jump down the well in the Animal Village.
• Check for a hidden room near the flying heart in Angler’s Tunnel.
• 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".
  -Learn to play "Manbo's Mambo".
• Dive into the waters of Martha's Bay to enter the Catfish's Maw.
• Find a use for the Face Key.
• Use a key in the keyhole north of Animal Village.
• Get the bird key in the cave below the Chicken Man's house.
• Get a magnifying glass.
  -Read 'Dark Secrets and Mysteries of Koholint'.
• Find the eight instruments.
  -Find the Full Moon Cello.
  -Find the Conch Horn.
  -Find the Sea Lily's Bell.
  -Find the Surf Harp.
  -Find the four remaining instruments.
• Play the eight instruments in front of the Wind Fish Egg.
  -Wake the Wind Fish.
• Get off the island, I guess?