10 Ocarina of Time beginner's tips that will save you some time

4 hours ago 7

Published Nov 5, 2026, 12:01 AM EST

Hey! Listen! Use these tips!

Link sleeping in his bed while Navi tries to wake him up in Ocarina of Time.

The original The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a tricky and difficult game, especially so when it first came out. The Ocarina of Time remake follows in the same footsteps, but just a bit more modernized. Some puzzles and quests are a tad easier now, but that doesn't mean you'll have a nice stroll through the Lost Woods. Ocarina of Time is still a challenging game that will put your brain to the test.

Here are 10 beginner's tips and tricks to help you on your journey across Hyrule.

Change your settings

Before you start exploring, head into your settings and adjust them to your liking. You can change how fast the camera moves, turn off motion-control aiming, swap jump from X to B, simplify your HUD, and more. It's best to change all of these settings as soon as you start playing, so you don't acclimate to the original settings.

Run and jump across Hyrule

If you didn't play the original Ocarina of Time, this may seem a bit trivial as every game has some way to sprint and jump. However, in the original, players would constantly forward roll to move faster and let the game do the jumping for them. Luckily, the Ocarina of Time remake has been modernized a tad.

To sprint, press A once and then hold it down. Unfortunately, you can't adjust it to be a toggle, but at least you don't have to mash A anymore. To jump, press X, but you can also adjust it to B in the settings. It's also important to note that you can jump attack, which will deal double damage.

Navi is here to help

Navi telling Link the name of a Deku Babu, which is a plant enemy, in Ocarina of Time.

When you encounter new monsters and enemies, wait for Navi to fly over them and press Right on the D-pad. Navi will tell you what the creature is, and sometimes, she'll give you tips on how to beat them or even their weakness.

Talk to everyone

As you travel to new areas in Ocarina of Time, it can be hard to figure out what you should do first to progress. Talk to the townspeople and guards, and they'll provide you with little snippets of what's happening in the area. However, sometimes they'll tell you that you should avoid certain dangerous areas, but you're the Hero of Time! Sometimes you can and should ignore the townspeoples' advice and head straight into danger.

Look out for Fairy Thoughts

Link looking at a Fairy Thought, and Navi telling him what it says in Ocarina of Time.

Fairy Thoughts are, well, a fairy's thoughts scribbled onto a surface. You can find them on walls and trees all around Hyrule. Make sure to read them, because they'll tell you about secrets hidden around the area.

Don't save your items

Like in every RPG, you'll accumulate a bunch of items. In Ocarina of Time, you'll have a bunch of bombs, Deku nuts, arrows, magic power, and more. Make sure to actually use these items rather than horde them. It's very easy to get more of these items and resources as every blade of grass, every flower, and every tree has a chance of dropping them.

Have something in your bottles at all times

Link holding a bug in a bottle in Ocarina of Time.

As you progress through the story, you'll accumulate multiple bottles that you can store things in. Fill up your bottles with bugs, red potions, fairies, Lon Lon Milk, or literally anything that you can as you explore. You never know when you'll find a pile of soft soil that needs a bug or if you'll encounter a dire situation where you need to restore a few hearts. Additionally, if you know you're going to enter a dungeon, stock up on some healing items!

When in doubt, time is the answer

You'll come across many interesting-looking things that you can't interact with. In due time, as you complete dungeons and progress in the story, you'll unlock more key items and abilities. This does mean you'll need to revisit areas that you've already been to, but you'll be rewarded with more secrets and collectibles that are worth your while if you do.

Listen to Navi

And I mean that literally. Ocarina of Time is full of helpful sound cues. You'll hear Skulltulas and Gold Skulltulas skittering about, ominous noises when an enemy is targeting you, icicles cracking just as they're about to fall, and, most importantly, delightful music in each area. The sounds you hear will help you progress through dungeons and solve difficult puzzles.

Link standing in front of the Kokiri Shop in Ocarina of Time. and the corresponding map from Zelda Notes.

Zelda Notes is a feature on the Nintendo Switch App that has quizzes, your play data, the Threads of Time, and even additional quests. However, the most useful feature is its map, as it'll track your location in game in real time and show you the locations of collectibles.

Before you use it though, it's important to note that the app can and will show you spoilers for Ocarina of Time, so it might be best to play through the game first, especially if it's your first time playing. Whenever you're ready to use Zelda Notes, make sure to head to the Settings and enable it. Then, download the Nintendo Switch App on your mobile device, and link your account. As soon as you walk out of your house, the app will be good to go.

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