Shovel

The Shovel is a useful tool not only for unearthing Rupees and other valuables underneath the soil, but also for finding hidden passages and air gusts that usually lead to other valuables. It was first seen in A Link to the Past and has since appeared in quite a few Zelda games such as Link's Awakening, Oracle of Ages and Seasons, with its most recent appearance in Phantom Hourglass.

Uses
The Shovel maintains the same purpose in each of its appearances, to dig up Rupees, hostile Ropes, bugs, and treasures from underneath the soil. However, the shovel can also be used to unearth air vents that Link can use to get to higher elevations, or secret holes that lead to other unreachable areas. However, in its more recent appearance, the Shovel has been used to solve a variety of puzzles in the Overworld and inside the various Dungeons of the game.

Appearances
In A Link to the Past, the shovel is given to Link by the Flute Boy in the Haunted Grove. The primary use is to find his hidden ocarina. After finding the flute, the flute will replace the shovel in its item slot and the shovel cannot normally be obtained again, but it can still be used in the Dark World's Digging Game located southwest of the Village of Outcasts. In the Gameboy Advance version, however, the Shovel is accorded its own item slot and is thus usable throughout the game. The "Deluxe Shovel" in Link's Awakening can be purchased from the shop in Mabe Village for 200 Rupees, and is used to find the Slime Key at the end of the Pothole Field. It is also used to find some of the Secret Seashells which are scattered across the island. It can be traded at the end of the Link's Awakening Trading Sequence to obtain the Boomerang. In the Oracle Games, it functioned the same way as in Link's Awakening and had minimal changes. However, Link could now find massive blue rupees which were worth 100 rupees by digging. In addition to this, enemies came up more often while digging. The shovel in Four Swords Adventures serves the same purpose as in A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening. However, a Level 2 Shovel can also be obtained. The Level 2 Shovel differs from the Level 1 in that it chimes whenever Link stands over treasure, a hidden passage, or other hidden secrets. In Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, Tingle can obtain the shovel by buying it in the Lon Lon Meadow from the character Duke. The shovel functions roughly the same as it does in the other games. However, when equipped, the weight of the shovel will cause Tingle to walk slower. To dig, Tingle must be 'tapped' on the touch screen. Only soft ground can be dug. Items, chests, and secret passages can be found by digging. In Phantom Hourglass, this shovel has more usefulness than any of the others, as it has the ability to uncover hidden passages. It can also unearth natural air vents, creating a means for Link to ascend. In addition to all of these uses, the shovel is used in the game on Harrow Island, where Link can dig up ten treasures for a price of 50 rupees.

Comparable Techniques
A digging function is also served, in games where the shovel is not seen, with the following:
 * Mole Mitts of The Minish Cap which still allowed Link to dig, although slowly.
 * Digging Mitts‎ and Mogma Mitts of Skyward Sword.
 * Wolf Link's abilities in Twilight Princess.
 * In Ocarina of Time, Dampé offers a tour in which he will dig selected areas.
 * In Majora's Mask, Link can help Dampé dig for the Royal Family's treasure under a grave in the Ikana Graveyard by providing light from Tatl.
 * In The Wind Waker, Link can use a large pig and All-Purpose Bait to dig for treasures, including a Heart Piece.