The power bracelet was an excellent choice. Fast travel via four "warp spots" on the Overworld.
This handy shop is hidden one screen down and to the right from Level 2. Just stopping by to get a large Hylian shield.
Oh man, the blues and greens of this game are fantastic. So vibrant, and something you couldn't get away with doing in games today (well... most likely, anyway).
Sadly, Level 2 is pretty much the most worthless level in the first quest... It could be done absolutely last out of the 8 dungeons, and the only penalty would be the a late magic boomerang and heart piece.
However, if you are key hunting (for later levels), Level 2 is awesome, as you can snag a lot of keys if you use bombs wisely.
Time to go rootin' around in here. These pesky Ropes are annoying as hell.
Where's Steve Irwin when you need him?
As mentioned before, the blue boomerang is the only thing of note in this dungeon, and it could be skipped without much issue. Though it seems odd they give you the blue boomerang immediately after the dungeon where you get the yellow boomerang...
Well that's an... Interesting monster. A flaming rope thingy? Possibly Moldorm? At any rate, it moves slowly, so it's pretty easy to kill.
You can blow holes through the walls all over this level! And again, this is the key to gathering keys for later dungeons (in case you're trying to run through without the Lion Key or you're just new to the game).
Also, don't stab the old man. He'll get pissed off, and his two little burning flames will shoot fireballs at you, lol.
Awww sweet, I can't wait to bomb some Dodongos!
At any rate, just a single Dodongo, so it is trivial to take him out. You'll need at least one bomb to take him out. Your two strategies for taking him out are either:
1) Drop two bombs directly in his mouth, OR
2) Drop a bomb right below him so that it stuns him when it explodes, then stab him with your sword. He will almost always drop more bombs if he is killed this alternative way.
Shard 2 of 8! And an extra heart container.
Better stop by and get some red medicine while I have the money and think about it. Might need it later.
Cowabunga dudes, more flying pizza! Radical!
Alright, Level 3. One of the easiest levels in the game, except for the pesky red darknuts.
Good thing I have the white sword, or those guys would suck. If your attack is too weak, stabbing them splits them into two of those "gel" blobs.
I see the map looks like a... a uhhh... an ummm... Manji. Yeah, that's it... Errr... Oh look, red darknuts!
Also, that bombable wall right there? One of the greatest shortcuts in any dungeon.
But that... That's not fair.
:-(
Alright, the raft! Because apparently there was too much of a shortage of driftwood and rope for Lunk to build his own.
You can skip quite a bit of this level by the wonder of bombs. So many shortcuts; even one that goes right into the boss room!
Another Manhandla. I placed my bomb better in Level 8... Got him in one shot there. This time, I had to finish him off with 3 bombs and a sword after he smacked me around a bit. Fission mailed.
Another heart container (oh look, start of a second row!) and the 3rd triforce shard!
[Editor's note: At this point, a vote was taken on heading to level 4 or getting another heart piece.]
Such cruelty. The one overworld heart piece that is so obvious... And yet, you can't get to it until after you get the item from Level 4.
I'm sailing away...
Set an open course for the virgin sea...
Cuz I've got to be free...
Free to face the life, that's ahead of me...
Excellent. 10 hearts so far!
And a quick raft ride later and... Level 4!
Ugh, what a terrible color palette. Baby shit yellow.
Damn these shield eating like-like's. I conquer them and get a finely crafted ladder of sawed lumber. Where they got a sawmill or power tools from, I will never know.
And why I couldn't just use the raft as a ladder, I will never know...
Ugh, I hate respawning enemies. If you leave just one enemy alive in the room, then they won't respawn... But likewise, if you have to kill all the enemies to open the shuttered door, it's irrelevant.
However, the ladder makes crossing this floor pattern so damn easy!
Crickey Manhandla, where'd you spring from!?
Alas, the start of previous level bosses as mini-bosses within dungeons has begun!
It's a ruse. He's just trying to get me to pay his cousin money for crap I already know!
Using this secret little room you can circumvent several rooms and I believe even some key uses. You can blow a hole through all 4 directions in here, if you wish. And 10 free rupees, whoo.
Also, if you had the map from this dungeon, this room is actually a black spot on the map, so it truly is a "secret", so to speak.
Finally, an actually HARD boss. But at least this is just a two headed Gleeok, instead of the four head that comes later. Cut his heads off, then they turn into these red flying demons that spit fireballs at you.
Another heart container, and the 4th shard of the triforce!
[Editor's note: At this point, a choice was given to go to either Level 5 directly, or go get another heart container so we can pick up the Magical Sword.]