Let's Play Link's Awakening, part 17: Link's Necklace

Link's back, and still outside the ghost's house.



I take a left. Let's check the list:

To-Do:
Get off the island, I guess?

I can swim, and here's a beach. Let's do it!



Oh.



While I'm in the area, I head for the beach cave:

To-Do:
Do something in the cave on the beach.

I poke around with the sword, but don't find anything. The purpose of this cave remains a mystery.



I head back east and prepare for something else on my list:

Mightyblue
Oh, right, since you have both bombs and arrows now, try equipping both and hitting both buttons at the same time.

Let's be honest: this is overkill. And, given these guys can talk if you powder them, maybe murder?



When I was swimming in the bay, the waves took a very important necklace from around my neck! If you find it, I will let you take a scale from my tail!

I pop into the water to talk to the mermaid. She's missing a necklace, but I haven't got one. Yet.



I made a gif of the mermaid's idle animation. This was harder than it seems: she's out of sync with the water animation. I thought I'd made a note of the difference when I was making it, but it seems I didn't. I think her bob-up-and-down animation is 64 frames and the water is on a 80-something frame cycle, which is kind of odd. The gif is made from a few cycles, but there's still a pause in the water at one point from the mismatch.



Anyways, I head north and check out the waters around Richard's former castle.



I'm rewarded with a piece of heart. Almost there!



I also check out the little area between the castle's main entrance and the bridge built by monkeys, but don't find anything.



I head back to the raft shop to try the path I didn't take last time. While I'm there, I remember something:

Sensenic
Another hint: now that you have the L2 sword, you might wanna try hitting different things with it, particularly ceramic ones; you might find the gameplay has gotten a bit more streamlined and hassle free.

Sadly, the gameplay doesn't seem to be any more streamlined or hassle free. Oh well.



I head for the extreme left path, but fail to reach it.



As a result, this chest is out of reach.



I get the one on the next screen, though. No idea what the owl statue is talking about. Maybe I should try opening the map on this screen? Maybe I'll get a telescope or something later? Maybe there's just a secret somewhere far away from here? That's not a helpful tip if so. Could it be that talking to this owl statue activates a secret in the far-away beach cave? That's probably wishful thinking.



I try digging in case there's a secret here, but no dice. The next screen has an unreachable island, but there's probably nothing there either.



On my next attempt I make it to the other chest. What's inside?



20 Rupees! Not very exciting! It occurred to me when I was putting the update together that I should have checked the wall behind the chest for bombability, so I'll add that to the list.



On my way to the Animal Village I try out my L2 sword on a different obstacle, but it doesn't work.



Ahhh... Yess... That dust was so refreshing... For that, I'll tell you a hint! Use a Bomb in a place where the sand swallows you... There is a treat on the other side of the wall... Bye!

I head through the village and back to the desert. Powdering the skull here makes it talk, suggesting a secret in the cave under the area's boss. I did actually use some bombs in there, but looking back at the gif, I missed the north wall. Full disclosure here: when Marin was with me I checked a Link's Awakening secrets list online so I wouldn't miss anything she reacts to, and that's where I found out about this skeleton, though I forgot it was there on my first pass at the area. I've been trying to avoid looking stuff up, so I feel a little like I let myself down.



Anyways, I head to the cave and poke the walls with the sword.



Success!



Another heart!



I head back to the cave by the Animal Village and this blocked gap. I have a tool for unblocking it now:



I still can't make the jump, though. Oh well. I think the intended solution to the cracked block is to throw a bomb over the barrier above it, which implies there's some way into that section of the cave.



I find a hidden passage in an earlier room of the cave, allowing me to reach that area. But I can't do anything there.



I head back out and bump a few more trees on my way to the bridge south-west of the village. A few updates ago, an owl statue suggested there might be something under it.



Sure enough, diving nearby causes the screen to fade.



Oh! What is that you have in your hand? It's not a fishing hook, is it? You had better let me have it. I'll give you my next catch if you let me have it...

There's a fisherman down here, and he wants my hook.



He uses it to fish up a necklace! I've been looking for one of those. L-l-lucky!



Ahh! That's it! That's my necklace! Give it! Give it back! I will give you a scale as I said!

I head back out and revisit the mermaid.



I give her the necklace, and Link dives underwater to pluck a scale, then she swims away.



I try taking the scale to Schule, since he made a mermaid statue, but he shows no interest. I'm guessing I'll be using the scale at the statue itself, but I can't get there yet.



While I'm in town I notice a quirk of the engine: if you cross a screen edge moving diagonally and change direction during the transition you can make Link go backwards.



After that I head one screen south from where the mermaid was to find the Catfish's Maw. Diving at the inlet leads to an underwater passage. Ulrira's current phone message gives a clue about this.



Heading inside, I find Level 5 -- Catfish's Maw, and that's it for today.

Next Time:
Level 5 -- Catfish's Maw

Map:



To-Do:

• 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.
  -Further south of the Seashell Mansion.
  -West of the Animal Village.
  -South-west of the Animal Village.
• 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.
• Find the mermaid's necklace
• Find a use for the fishing hook.
• Return the mermaid's necklace
• Find a use for the mermaid's scale.
• Poke suspicious walls with the sword.
• Equip bombs and arrows and hit both buttons at the same time.
• Try hitting different things with the L2 sword, particularly ceramic ones.
• Ride the rapids on a raft.
  -Fully explore the rapids.
  -Bomb the wall behind the first chest.
  -Open the map near the second chest.
• Reach the chest on the south-west island in the rapids.
• Grasp Schule's art.
• Figure out how to kill the moving skulls
  -Kill the moving skulls in the cave to the right of the lake above Richard's house.
  -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.
• Find a demon to double my arrow carrying capacity.
• Jump down the well in the Animal Village.
• 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.
• Explore 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?