The Legend of Zelda (NES)

Unlock Level 1 Door Without a Key

As soon as you enter Level 1, exit. Then, go back into Level 1. You will notice that the northern door is now unlocked.

by skcin7 (Source)

Automatic Health Restoration

When your health gauge is low, visit a lake of a Great Fairy to restore your life. When you approach the lake, your health will slowly fill. While your health is being restored, press start to enter the item selection menu, and your health will continue to fill. Using a controller in port 2, press Up + A to return to the save menu. Select SAVE, and load your character’s file. Once loaded, instead of remaining at the default of 3 filled heart containers, Link will have his health fully restored at the start.

by K4t4m4ri_d4m4cY (Source)

Walking in HUD

Although the video shows gameplay on the Wii Virutal Console version of the game, this glitch is possible on the original version as well as documented. To perform this glitch, Link must go one screen to the left from the start and walk along the rocks on the top of the screen. Once Link gets to the corner, walk to the right while avoiding the break in the wall and turn to go straight up. If done correct, Link will be walking on the top and appearing to be walking on the HUD. To end the glitch, walk down from the rocks.

by mattdog1000000 (Video), Titanium69 (Source), and Zeldapedia (Source)

Level 4 Loop

Sometimes, when exiting the Level 4 entrance screen, the Red Octorok will spawn on the dock, so as you come down from your raft, he will hit you, causing you to sail back to the top without you being able to counter it. He will appear there every time you try to go back. You will either have to use the whistle if you have it, or go deep enough in the dungeon that it will reset the Octorok spawn, then come back out.

by Vaughn

Moving Attack

To perform this glitch, Link must walk towards a door, and just as he touches the door, attack with the sword. He should now attack and walk through the door at the same time. This is completely cosmetic and will not effect gameplay at all.

by Zeldapedia (Source)

Quick Gannon Kill

Unconfirmed: Using the Red Candle, and a turbo button controller, you are able to shoot the Red Candle immediately after entering the room, allowing Link to move around before he is supposed to. Make sure to hold the “B” button down as soon as your start the transition in between rooms. Now that you can move around before you are supposed to, you can switch to the Silver Arrow to defeat Gannon before the battle even starts. Although the video shows the Second Quest , the author claims it is possible in the First Quest as well.

There is questions to whether or not this is possible due to many not being able to confirm it based on YouTube comments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqf9-bWDRgw

by mchenrynick (Video)

Gleeok Second Quest Easy Kill

By blowing the whistle when fighting Gleeok (the Level 4 boss), leaving the room, then entering the room again, the boss will be gone or killed.

Questions & Theories: Why would this not be possible on the First Quest, has anybody tried? Does this work with any other bosses or rooms?

by Zorn77k (Source), confirmed by RetroBowser

Grey Screen Gleeok

Missing Information: According to the report, you are able to turn your screen grey if you place a bomb on the Gleeok (Level 4 boss) room, then play the whistle before the bomb explodes, the screen will stay grey.

Questions & Theories: Does the screen turn grey permanently? Why does this only work on the Gleeok screen? Is it possible to reproduce on other bosses or rooms?

by ss4cypher_666 (Source)

Grey Screen Candle Glitch

When you are in a dark room that calls for use of a candle, place a bomb first. Then, quickly switch to the blue candle, then fire the candle onto the bomb. If done correctly, the room will be in grey.

by Kristen Stewart (Source)

Petra Dislikes Physics

Unknown Causes: For unknown reasons, the Petra enemy shown in the video below started using strange rotation patterns, which seems to return to normal after some time, before entering the weird rotation once again.

by Darkwing_Duck_sda (Video)

Wizzrobe at the Top of the Screen

Unknown Causes: Similar to the glitch where Link can appear at the top of the screen upon rare circumstances, once in a while it is possible for a blue Wizzrobe to go through a doorawy at the top of the screen and end up at the top, where the map and life meter are located. If this happens, just leave the room after killing all other enemies, then return to find the Wizzrobe where it belongs. Note: If there were any pink Wizzrobes in the room, this Wizzrobe may transform into a pink one while you’re out of the room.

by dvdmth (Source)

Solid Walls?

To perform this glitch, Link must find any dungeon that has doors on both the north and south walls in the Second Quest. In Level 2, the wall that borders the north side of the Whistle room will suffice. Start on the north side of the wall and walk south through it, then immediately turn north and go through it again. Once Link finishes going through it, part of him will still be in the wall. Push to the south and he’ll enter the wall as if it were an open doorway. Walk through the wall and Link will come out on the other side and move a full tile away from the wall, disregarding anything in the way.

by Zeldapedia (Source)

No Hearts/Items Glitch

As shown in the video below, the author shows a saved game with no hearts, and upon playing it, Link seems to only have one heart and no items besides the sword. Some other oddities are shown in the video such as getting another heart when being healed by a Fairy Fountain. This is most likely due to a corrupt save game caused by battery age, resetting/turning off power on save, or a variety of other corruption possibilities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiE5-3F-wW4

by HardWiredGaming (Video)

Erase Game Data! (Warning)

Do not attempt this if you care about your game data. In order to do this, all you need is a NES Advantage controller. Turn on the game and then unplug any controller that you have in slot #1. Now plug in your NES Advantage into slot #1. The game will freeze at this point. Once you reset, you’ll find that your data in the first save slot will be erased!

If you wish to switch to a NES Advantage in the middle of a game and avoid data loss, do the following: First, unplug whatever controller you have in slot #1. Before you plug in the NES Advantage, move the switch on the controller over to controller 2. Now you can plug the first cord into slot #1 safely, but just be sure that it’s the first cord and not the second! Once it is in safely, you can move the switch on the controller back to controller 1.

by David Wonn (Source)

Wand Glitch

The hitbox/collision mask when swinging the wand is disjointed. Whenever you swing in any direction, not only can the Wand hit behind you when you retract it, but when swinging down, left, or right, it hits 1 grid square above you. As demonstrated here, this glitch can be an invaluable asset to any swordless quester.

by spyrodi (Video)

Overworld Music In a Cave

This works best with stairway entrances in the Overworld, but normal caves (with the fancy entrance cinema) can also be used. After making a large transaction (such as buying the Blue Ring or uncovering a 100-Rupee secret), leave the cave, then either re-enter that cave or go into another one. The only requirement is that the Rupee count is still increasing/decreasing as you enter. About 50% of the time (does not work on all occasions), the Overworld music will continue to play even while you’re indoors! If you enter a Dungeon this way, the Overworld music will play until the dungeon is fully loaded, after which the dungeon music takes over.

by dvdmth (Source)

Door Collision Detection Oddities

While standing in or around a door, sometimes damaging spike blocks or projectiles will not cause any damage. There seems to be a field around and in the door that will make things not cause damage to you, such as Wizzrobe wand attacks; however, if an enemy walks into the door frame, they will damage you as per normal. The video below showcases this happening with spike blocks.

by Vaughn and aybe81 (Video)

Leave a Fairy Fountain Before Reaching Full Health

To do this, you must be in the Second Quest and have finished the first four dungeons. Blow the whistle so that you are taken to the location where Level 5 used to be. Remember, Whistle drop-off locations remain at the First Quest locations, and where you can go is dependant on which Triforce pieces you have not received, not the on screen level number. When you arrive, the Fairy will start the healing process BEFORE Link appears, and Link will actually be able to move around, even leave the fountain. Better yet, your Life Meter continues to go up even though the fountain isn’t onscreen any longer! Any damage that Link receives will automatically be recovered while his hearts are filling.

by dvdmth (Source)

Hidden Block

There seems to be a hidden push block located in Level 9 which can be pushed after placing a bomb down. This is most likely a remnant of the development process and left in the game inadvertently.

by KlydeStorm (Video)

Keeping Food

To perform this glitch, Link must approach the Hungry Goriya blocking his path in certain dungeons. After feeding the Goriya the Food and the Goriya fades after the “secret found” jingle plays, go to the subscreen to end the game. Select continue on the options list and the game will restart with Link at the dungeon entrance. The Food will still be in Link’s possession, but the Goriya will be gone when he returns to its room.

by Zeldapedia (Source)

About Vaughn

Well look at this? Another gaming site project? I must have all the time in the world! (sarcasm alert) On a serious note, this site hopes to be an extremely comprehensive source and collaboration project for documenting video game glitches, bugs and other errors. Filled with info, sources, pictures and videos.