Glitches in Link's Awakening

These are the glitches which are possible to perform in Link's Awakening. Please read the Glitch Disclaimer Notes before attempting any of the glitches on this page.

Screen Warp Glitch
Risk: Depends on what you do with it.

Go to the very edge of a screen that you can walk to another screen from. Move towards the edge of the screen and just before it begins to scroll press "Select". Press "Select" again to get rid of the map and you should now be on the new screen but in the place you were on the old one. This glitch will only work in some copies of the original Link’s Awakening, and select copies of the DX version.

Marin Forever
Risk: Minor, but may mess the progress up.


 * 1) Complete the third 'dungeon'.
 * 2) Go to the Animal Town and screenwarp past the sleeping walrus.
 * 3) Get the key in the desert area.
 * 4) Screenwarp back past the walrus.
 * 5) Go and get Marin.

Marin will now follow you forever. Later on in the game when you normally see Marin up in the mountains, you won't. If you go swimming - she will walk on water behind you. After you beat level 4 and the ghost starts following you, Marin's sprite will look like a ghost too. To turn her normal again, get rid of the ghost, then take her back to her house. To get rid of Marin, take her and wake up the Walrus.

Money bug
Risk: None


 * 1) Go to the shop.
 * 2) Pick any item. The more expensive - the better.
 * 3) Take it to the counter. Buy it.
 * 4) As soon as the game starts to take your money press Start + Select + A + B and choose Save & Quit.
 * 5) Reload your game.

You'll have the item, and you'll have money depending on how fast you were (based on the money that wasn't deducted)

Stuck
Risk: High


 * 1) Once you have used up 3 keys in the fourth level, go to the room 5C.
 * 2) Jump up, north, over the water towards the switch. The jump looks impossible to manage, but you can do it. Once you make the jump, go north and unlock the block. This puts you in a Moment 22 situation - you cannot get the fifth key without the flippers and you can't get the flippers without the fifth key. The only way to get out of this is by screen warping.

This is impossible in the DX version, due to an added tile of water.

Mountain Hut
Risk: Neglible


 * 1) Start a new game.
 * 2) Get the shield back from Tarin. Don't leave the house, though.
 * 3) Go to the map. It will say that you're somewhere in the mountains at the top of the map. Once you leave the house, this will fix itself again.

Corruption
Risk: Very Dangerous


 * 1) Go to the main menu to delete a save game. (Preferably, one where you have done everything.)
 * 2) Select a file and the instant you click OK to delete it, turn the Game Boy off.
 * 3) Turn you game back on and see if the save file is still there. If it is, see if anything has changed.

This is because of the way the Game Boy handles the data. By turning off the Game Boy, it stops the deletion of the file. First goes the map, then dungeons and caves, then hearts, chests and rupees, and finally items and the file. Not as much of a glitch as corruption. It is also possible to perform this glitch by removing the cartridge completely after clicking OK.