Forbidden Woods

Written by Hutz

The opening lobby area has several paths to take, and is filled with green Chu Chus. Wade your way through the enemies to the right and open the treasure chest, which contains the dungeon map. Now head to the other side of the room and pick up the large nut, then bring it to the door in the middle and toss it at the plant that's boarding it shut, making sure to keep a fair distance. If you get too close, the plant closes and becomes invulnerable.

Directly in front of you in the next room is a Deku bulb, which you've used before. Bring out your Deku Leaf and jump in the flower. It'll propel you through the air. As you reach the highest point of the jump, open the Deku Leaf and glide to the platform on the right, being careful not to collide with the green tentacle. The next bulb can propel you to the next door, so hop in and soar up towards it. There's a lot of tall grass to the side, with a Bomb Flower hidden within. Stab at the bomb with your sword and run back, letting the resulting explosion kill off the Chu Chus in the vicinity. Once the flower re-grows, pick it up and throw it at the door, again keeping some distance so the blockage doesn't become invincible. If you like, you can work your way higher through the room later on to snatch a Treasure Chart, after you've gotten the Boomerang. Once you're finished, head on through the next door.

To your left is a pedal propeller. Use your Deku Leaf to fling a gust of air towards it. It's connected to a rickety platform that will move towards you once the propeller starts spinning. Jump on the platform and face away from your destination, using repeated Deku Leaf blasts to propel yourself across the room.

The next room contains two Peahats (enemies with propellers on their heads). To defeat them, stun them with a gust of air from the Deku Leaf, then attack them while they're down. If you'd like more Golden Feathers, use the Grappling Hook to pry them away from the beasts. Ahead are a few Boko Babas. You can defeat them with repeated sword attacks or by using the Deku Leaf first to stun them. You can also grab Boko Baba Seeds from them with the Grappling Hook. The Baba on the right turns into a bulb, so jump in and fling yourself to the next platform, which also has a bulb. Use it to get to yet another blocked door. Directly under the platform you're on, you can find a chest with 20 Rupees in it.

Do what you did in the other room and send a gust of air to the pedal propeller near the door, activating a platform. At the other end of the room is a large nut. Grab it and carefully place it on the platform, then continue on back towards the locked door. Use the nut to destroy the blockage, and continue on.

As you inch forward, you'll notice that the Nut in the middle of the room is protected by tentacles that will protrude through the floor to protect it. Blow the nut out of their reach with the Deku Leaf, then use it to open up the next door.

Head right in this large room and use the Grappling Hook to swing across to the next platform. To proceed here, wait until the wooden platforms move close to you, then jump on. Grab the nut on the next platform and jump on the middle, suspended platform. Go right and jump across, then throw the Deku Nut at the door's blockage.

This room is pretty straightforward, except near the middle where a bunch of spiked balls will try to latch onto you. You can collect the chest with 10 Rupees in it, but you'll get covered with the spiky critters. While they won't hurt you, they will slow you down, so break free with a Spin Attack. Make your way to the next room.

Be careful when walking around in this room, as tentacles will shoot up out of nowhere to block your path. Make your way to the left side of the room where the Bomb Flower is. Destroy the wood nearby with the bomb to attain the Compass, then grab the Bomb Flower again and hurl it through the tentacles to the wood that bars the more important item: a key. Make your way to the chest and claim your prize, hugging the walls and tentacles to feel your way through. Don't try going through too fast, unless you don't mind getting cut up. Once you have the key, make your way up the platforms and collect the items inside the jars, then use the bulb to fly towards the entrance of the room.

Get back to the large room and head left to the door that's locked with an actual steel lock for once. The next room contains the now familiar propellor and platform setup, but a Peahat has been added to the mix. Stun it with the Deku Leaf and head to the next room quickly.

There are several enemies that are just asking to be defeated. Use your skills to dispose of them, remembering that the large bug creatures open up for a Parry attack occasionally. The brown hive that are suspended overhead can be cracked open with the sword to reveal items, but you'll mostly just find rupees. Use a bulb on the ground to fling yourself to the top of the room, then leap even higher with the next bulb. You'll find a few Peahats that can simply be ignored if you wish, and two doors. Go through the one that's not blocked off.

This mini boss is fairly easy to defeat, and is covered in the Boss Strategies section. The spoils of victory will be made available when you've won, the main one being the Boomerang. This staple item of almost all Zelda games has a new twist: it can now target up to 5 things at once before being thrown, hitting each target in the order you targeted them. Above the door are two crystal switches. Aim at both of them with the Boomerang, then let loose. Your path will be opened.

Not only can you now easily defeat many enemies in this dungeon (with the Boomerang, of course), but the annoying plant blockages on doors can be removed! Go back to the door you couldn't enter before, and use the Boomerang to target both plants at once, then cut them off.

Flying through this room is impossible now, but using your Boomerang, it's easy to remove the dangling brown nests. Target five of the strings and release the Boomerang, repeating as many times as necessary. With the path clear, you can soar to your destination with the Deku Leaf.

The first thing you'll probably notice here is five strings that suspend a large flower overhead. Target them all at once and let your Boomerang fly. If you didn't get them all at once, the strings will re-grow, giving you another chance. The flower will fall and bust through the floor below. Jump onto the soft flower that will cushion your fall. Head on through the next door.

The only thing blocking your path here is a spiky critter. Or rather, a few dozen of them. Use your Boomerang's power to target them from side to side and destroy them in large clumps. When they've all perished, jump along to your right. The blue tentacle creatures that pop up out of the ground can be cut with the Boomerang or sword. The next room awaits.

First, jump ahead through the room towards the treasure chest, which holds a measly 10 Rupees. Cut all the strings at once from the flower that you just stepped on, and follow it to the floor below. Using the Bomb Flower to open the way, you can enter the blocked-off hallway to go on a small quest for a Treasure Map. Basically, make your way to the top of that room and grab the Bomb Flower, hurling it into the hollowed tree stump to remove the plant creature from it. Jump in and claim your prize, heading back out to the large flower.

This flower is pretty light, and can be propelled forward using Deku Leaf blasts. After ricocheting the Octorok's projectiles back at them, simply stand facing away from your destination on one of the end petals and use repeated Deku Leaf gusts to travel across the room, defeating another two Octoroks on the way. The next room contain the Boss Key.

You must solve the puzzle here before receiving permission to leave, as the exit is barred off. Perch atop the large tree stump and look around. Notice the five crystal switches. You have to activate them all quickly, so start targeting them with the Boomerang. Remember, though, Start at the side of the tree and work your way to the other side in sequential order, otherwise you'll fail. The stump's door will open and reveal the Boss Key, but you'll also be ambushed two Moblins. Deal with them carefully, using the Boomerang to stun them temporarily, and head swing from the top of the tree stump towards the exit.

Now you're backtracking to find the Boss Chamber. Go back to the big blue flower, use the Deku Leaf to activate the nearby propeller, and launch yourself towards the air funnel, opening the Deku Leaf to send yourself upwards. Around you should be a door with two plants blocking it. Dispose of the annoyances and continue through.

The room is full of enemies and goodies. When you're ready, proceed onward. The boss is near. In the room before the boss chamber, burn off the wood that blocks the warp pot with a flaming stick. You'll use it if the boss battle goes awry. When you're ready, step up to the final challenge of this dungeon. The Boss Strategies page details how to defeat the boss.