Mini-Games




The games are back and better than ever! Below is a chronological list of mini-games found throughout the game, some originating from earlier Zelda games, especially the beloved fishing hole. You'll also find my traditional star ranking system that ranks the fun level of each game. Enjoy!


Fun Meter:
*= boring
**= fair to good
***= fun
****= very fun
*****= fasten your seatbelts!


Target Practice
Where: Kakariko Village, after obtaining the Hero’s Bow at the Goron Mines dungeon
How: Use the Goron by the Bomb Shop to be propelled to its roof, climb up the ramps to the Highest Building, use the Goron there to be propelled to the high ledge, talk to Talo
Cost: Free
Basics: Shoot two red & white targets that Malo sets up, then shoot the pole by Talo on the Highest Building
Strategies: The targets are easy, just aim at the bulls-eye. As for the pole, to distinguish it from the rest of the village, look to the highest building just to the right where you can faintly make out two sticks on either side of the building. Aim for the left one.
Reward: Heart Piece
Fun Meter: **




Falbi’s Flight-by-Fowl
Where: Lake Hylia
How: Pay Fyer 10 rupees to launch up to the site
Cost: 20 rupees (+ 10 for Fyer)
Basics: Use a cucco to fly across to the multi-tiered platform below and collect prizes from the chests on the levels.
Strategies: Save before playing in case you mess up countlessly and you can reset without losing rupees. Pick up a cucoo and stand on the edge. Use your point-of-view camera with the C-stick to spot the multi-tiered platform below. Your aim is to reach the high tier that is not spinning around. When you fly out, ignore the big rupees in the sky as they only distract from the bigger prize. Speed up and slow down continuously and pull the C-stick down to keep a bird’s eye view of the platform. The lower you are to the chest, the likely you will drop to it, so make sure you’re close enough when you land. Reward: 100 rupees (highest moving platform), Heart Piece (highest non-moving platform), the next tiers contain 50 rupees, 20 rupees, 10 rupees.
Fun Meter: **


Lantern Boat Ride
Where: Upper Zora’s River after getting the Second Bomb Bag from Iza
How: Inside her shop, talk to Iza
Cost: 20 rupees
Basics: You’ll be rafting down the river again, but this time there are lanterns hanging above you. Use Bomb Arrows to shoot them, earning points (yellow= 1, red= 2). If you hit walls or wood, you lose a point. You can earn a maximum of 30 points, but the minimum goal is 25. Strategies: Save before playing to use the same strategy as Falbi’s game (if you fail numerous time, reset and start over with your original cache of rupees). Retain a point-of-view angle on the C-stick camera to maintain neutral control of the boat and nab the lanterns. Avoid the walls and wood by gently steering with the Control Stick. Allow the current to move you along the course naturally.
Reward: Earn 25 or more points (maximum of 30) for the Giant Bomb Bag
Fun Meter: ** 1/2


Plumm’s Fruit Target Ride
Where: Lake Hylia, after finishing Lakebed Temple, talk to Plumm, a parrot sitting by the Bird Grass off Fyer’s place, then howl at the Bird Grass to summon your ride
Cost: Free
Basics: Fly through the rocky obstacle course to Zora’s Domain and hit the fruit targets for points (watermelon= 1, oranges= 3, strawberries= 10). Hit any rocks or walls and you lose.
Strategies: Hit the same fruit target as many times as you can in a row to double your points and really rack up a large total. Focus on the strawberries for this strategy as they are the most points.
Reward: Score at least 10 000 points for a Heart Piece.
Personal High Score: 51 214
Fun Meter: *****


STAR, Part I
Where: Castle Town, west road, down the southern path, look for a colourful tent and enter
Cost: 10 rupees
Basics: Use your Clawshot to collect all the star orbs within the metal cage, using the platforms as leverage, within the time limit.
Strategies: Try to collect several orbs in a row by looking for groups of stars. You have to act quickly and towards the end, you may find yourself nabbing a single star a few times in a row to finish it up.
Reward: Big Quiver (60 arrows max)
Fun Meter: *** 1/2


Block Sliding
Where: Hyrule Field, warp to Castle Town, then take the path north, up the cliff to the south end around east (represented as northwest on the map), bomb the cave & enter
Cost: Free
Basics: Use the Ball & Chain to destroy the icy wall ahead, then go forward. Slide the blocks along the icy floor to rest one on the switch(es) to activate the door ahead. Complete three puzzles total.
Strategies: I’ll label each block A, B & C to make the instructions easier. If you have any troubles, check out a cool diagram of the three puzzles at GameFAQs.com by video game freak2090. A is to the southwest, B at southeast, and C at northwest. Push C south to meet A, then push B north to the corner. Push A east, north, west, then south to meet C. Push C east, then B south, then A east onto the switch. Head north to the second puzzle. A is southwest, B is southeast, and C is northwest. Push B north, then C south, then east. Push B west, south, east, then C north, west, south, and east onto a switch. In an added twist, there is a second switch to hit. Push A north, east, south to the second switch, then head forward to the third and last puzzle. This one takes a while to do (20 positions). A is southwest, B is southeast, and C is northwest. Push A north, B west, then north, and C east. Push B east, then north, and A east. Push C, west, south, then east. Push B north, west, south, east, then north. Push A west, then (finally) C west, north, and east on the switch. Open the chest at the far north end.
Reward: Heart Piece
Fun Meter: * 1/2


Snowboarding
Where: Snowhead
Cost: Free
Basics: Talk to Yeto to race him along the snowboarding course. Win and race Yeta for a prize. Use the Control Stick to navigate and press A to crouch then release to jump gaps.
Strategies: Racing Yeto is fairly straightforward, just follow the map and use the shortcut if you want. Yeta requires the use of the shortcut at left at the very beginning of the ) shaped curve on the map. Just jump to the left plane at the tree stumps and collect the rupees, jumping the gaps. Stay on the shortcut even when Yeta jumps off and slow down near the end to land well and hug the right side a little more.
Reward: Heart Piece
Fun Meter: ****


Cat Hide ‘n’ Seek
Where: Hidden Village
Cost: Free
Basics: By the Howling Stone, talk to the cucoo to begin. There are 20 cats in the open and some hidden in the buildings and alleys of the village. As a wolf, find each one and talk to them to keep a running total and to distinguish them.
Strategies: Most are in the open. Check the top of the stack of crates in the front, in front of Impaz’s house, the very back of the village, by the horse trough, in a barrel, on the rafter, and in the alleys surrounding the buildings. The key is to break the windows to reach otherwise impassable spots. You will have to change into human Link to clawshot any webbing you find throughout. To reach the opposite building, dash as wolf Link across from the reachable building. When you have all 20, return to the cucoo.
Reward: Heart Piece
Fun Meter: **


STAR, Part II
Where: Castle Town, west road, down the southern path, in the colourful tent
Cost: 15 rupees
Basics: Now that you have the Double Clawshots, the game is that much more difficult with a bigger prize, but it’s really fun. Save before attempting this to salvage rupees if you go broke trying to beat this. Just reset and you’ll recover your rupees. To play, use the clawshot to grapple the wall and stick to it to collect even more star orbs along the way up to the highest point of the cage.
Strategies: The easiest way to navigate is to collect all the star orbs at the bottom and work your way up, trying to grab them in groups of 3-5 and try to limit the number of single orbs to collect at the end.
Reward: Giant Quiver (100 arrows max)
Fun Meter: ****





Fishing
Where: Hena's Fishing Hole off Lake Hylia to the north
Basics: A recurring activity from Ocarina of Time, new & improved with a boat and variety of lures and fish species; all fish caught are recorded in your Fishing Log on the game menu
Cost: 20 rupees to rent a canoe and lure fishing rod, extra 100 rupees for an optional guide (not worth it)

Controls:

Boat-
Control Stick- navigate
B- take out fishing rod
A- options (return, change lures, quit)
Z- info/help (guide’s advice when present or read guidebook)

Fishing-
C-stick down- throw out line
Control Stick- wiggle line
B/Control Pad down (hold)- reel in empty line
B + Control Stick down (hold)- reel in catch
A- bring in fish when close to boat
Control Stick up (hold)- relaxes line if fish jumps

Types of Fish:

Gillfish- most common smallfry, found almost everywhere
Hylian Bass- next most common fish, fatter species, found mainly everywhere, especially at west end of south bank
Hylian Pike- long, slender species, found mainly in the north or northeast area
Ordon Catfish- fatter long species, found around the northeast area
Skullfish- attack fish found in Lakebed Temple, safely fish them in front of the boss door, forbidden & unrecorded species
Reekfish- stinky species found in Zora’s Domain by Mother & Child rock formation on west side, must use Coral Earring hook
Hylian Loach- found around north or northeast area of the fishing hole and in a secret underground pond in Lake Hylia by the Howling Stone (dig south in the spot sensed as a wolf, which includes a beehive for larva bait); average length of 15 inches, grows up to 27 inches


How to Catch the Legendary Hylian Loach

Found in Hena’s Fishing Hole by the lily pads in the northern cove (look for frogs and listen for bubbling or gurgling sounds), only in summer season with the frog/sinking lure and Coral Earring hook; not too hard to catch, just use regular fishing tactics; if caught, the fish is kept in the tank and your photo is taken for display. Mine was 27 inches, but it supposedly varies in size. Not as exciting to catch or as big as the Ocarina of Time Hylian Loach.


Other Items Caught

Empty Bottle- fish in the pond east of the bridge just past the no-littering sign to fish it and reel it in
Heart Piece- at north on the rock structure, fish it and reel it in
Bag of Rupees- random amount found
Junk- random useless trash found


Types of Lures:

Starting- basic general lure
Popper- noisy lure for deep water fish
Spinner- active lure for big fish by waterfall, especially useful in fall or winter
Frog- unlocked lure (complete level 1-8 of Roll Goal), wait 2 ½ seconds after a bite before reeling, good attraction for Loach
Sinking- acquired in secret by catching one each of Bass, Pike & Catfish at the fishing hole using lure fishing (rent a boat for 20 rupees); at the southwest corner by the shack, use your rod to fish it from the water; confiscated by Hena if she catches you using it (so don’t use her as a guide afterwards); cannot be wiggled, but sinks lower than other lures and attracts the Loach


Types of Hooks:

Bone- starter hook on own fishing rod
Coral Earring- acquired in walkthrough through Prince Ralis, attracts bigger, better fish


Types of Bait:

Bee Larva- found by knocking down a beehive using an arrow or hawk; scoop into a bottle; found at Ordon Village, Hena’s Fishing Hole, and secret pond in Lake Hylia (see Hylian Loach)
Worms- found in Lake Hylia by the entrance sign inside, dig at the three mounds of dirt; scoop into a bottle; also found in Hyrule Field from the eggs of the fast-moving bird enemy


Seasons:

Seasons change in their natural order every time you leave the fishing area and return from Upper Zora’s River area.

Winter- snowy
Spring- pink cherry blossom trees
Summer- very green, lily pads to the north
Fall- red leaves


Weather Conditions:

Morning- sunny, clear waters, increasing fog during the day
Night- rainy, murky waters


Personal Fish Length Records

Ordon Catfish- 15 inches
Greengill- 11 inches
Reekfish- 27 inches
Hyrule Bass- 20 inches
Hylian Pike- 21 inches
Hylian Loach- 27 inches

Rewards: Peace & tranquility; also Heart Piece and Empty Bottle
Fun Meter: ****


Roll Goal
Where: Fishing Hole, inside the shack, use the C-stick point-of-view angle to find the game sitting on a table
Cost: 5 rupees
Basics: Use the Control Stick to gently tip the table, moving a marble along an elevated course to the goal (a fish dish!) in 2 minutes. There are 64 courses in total to play. Use the C-stick to change camera angles.
Strategies: Move the marble gently about one section of wood at a time. Ignore the clock as it only distracts from the goal. Only use the C-stick if you can’t tell where to move the marble.
Reward: 10 rupees per win. Winning level 1-8 unlocks the Frog lure.
Fun Meter: ***



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