Pirate Hideout

The Pirate Hideout is an island in Spirit Tracks. It also hosts a minigame.

Location
Situated in the Ocean Realm just north of Papuchia Village, the hideout can only be accessed after Link receives a Force Gem from the Fish Saleswoman for bringing her Mega Ice to keep her fish fresh. By doing so, part of the Spirit Tracks of the Ocean Realm are restored, opening the Train Station for the Pirate Hideout.

Rescue Procedure
The Hideout is home to many Miniblins and a Big Blin, where they keep a captured resident of Papuchia Village in one of their cells. Link can rescue the man by taking part in a sort of mini-game that involves shooting as many Miniblins as possible using the bow and an unlimited supply of arrows. By shooting Miniblins consecutively, Link will receive more points. The first part of the mini-game consists of hitting the enemies as they walk across the upper part of the DS screen while Link stays on the other side of the hideout (in the same way the target shooting was played in Phantom Hourglass. Eventually, once enough Miniblins have been destroyed, the prisoner and Link will get on a small type of Mine Cart to escape the hideout. As they make their way out, Miniblins will continue to follow the pair. In both occasions, if Link takes too long to defeat a Miniblin, it will throw a cage at the young hero, and if it's not destroyed using an arrow, it will capture Link, ending the rescue.

At the exit of the hideout is a Big Blin. Link must shoot enough arrows at it to defeat it completely, making their escape successful. Once the young hero takes the resident back to Papuchia Village, he will reward Link with a Force Gem, which establishes more Spirit Tracks in the Ocean Realm and makes way to several shortcuts in the realm.

Link can go back to the Pirate Hideout and play the same minigame, except this time he will have to rescue a Goron. If he scores between 3000 and 4000 points, he will be rewarded with a bigger quiver. Scoring 4000 points or more will win him a Heart Container. If Link scores 5000 points or more, the Goron will admit that he let the pirates catch him so he could steal their treasures.

Glitch
By using the "Moon Jump" Action Replay code, it is possible to jump the gap separating Link from the Miniblins and explore the area of the hideout that is usually inaccessible. Link can even jump behind the jail bars into the cell. The walls of the cell can be walked through; if Link walks through the back wall, he will fall into a pitfall, and be brought back inside the cell. Jumping into the cart to the right activates the cart part of the mini-game (the Goron appears behind Link). This time, Link will be able to use all of his items, but the game will not keep score. Also, Link must play the game at the expense of his own arrows. While playing the mini-game in this way, it is impossible for Link to get captured by the Miniblins. Getting hit by the Big Blin at the end simply causes Link to lose a heart; the cart will pass right through the Big Blin.

Even after passing through the opening, the game will continue to show the inside of the Pirate Hideout. Link's health will slowly start to drain until empty, at which point the health meter will simply disappear. The glitch can be exited by restarting the DS.

Trivia

 * If Link enters the hideout without first talking to the Goron, he will find the Miniblins sitting around tables. The Miniblins cannot be attacked.
 * There is a place on the island which can be bombed to reveal a room filled with treasure.
 * This is the only secret area in the game with a Stamp Station.