Glitches in A Link to the Past

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

Turn Red Shield Blue

 * Effect: Changes the color of the Red Shield to blue
 * Prerequisites: Red Shield, Ether Medallion
 * How To: Go to an area where a Pikit resides. Let it take as many items from you, until it takes the Red Shield. Quickly use the Ether Medallion, kill it, and pick up the Red Shield. It will turn blue until you go to the next screen.
 * Notes: The shield will turn back to its normal color when you change screens.

Mushroom Glitch

 * Effect: The lower half of the screen's graphic will be messed up.
 * Prerequisites: Not having the Mushroom, nor the Magic Powder
 * How to: In the Dark World, go to the location in the forest where the Mushroom would be in the Light World. Warp into the Light World using the Magic Mirror. You will re-appear on the Mushroom, causing the graphics and tiles of the lower part of the screen to go strange due to the interruption of loading the Light World data.
 * Notes: If you leave the area, then come back, the mushroom will have re-appeared on the warp spot, and taking the Mushroom will automatically take Link to the Dark World, freezing the game. This glitch was fixed in the later versions of the game, making it possible to execute only in the SNES game.

Cane of Somaria Skull Woods Glitch

 * Effect: Causes the game to crash (screen blacks out in the SNES, but not in the GBA port)
 * Prerequisites: Cane of Somaria
 * How to: In the second entrance of Skull Woods where the door leads to the room with the big key, a weighted floor switch initially requires a movable statue placed on it. If you enter Skull Woods and use the Cane of Somaria to place the block on the switch, then exiting from the dungeon entrance while the rested block that holds the door open still remains will cause the game to freeze in both versions.  Resetting the game is the only way to reverse it, but may cause a loss of saved data.

Go Anywhere Glitch 1 (SNES/Wii/Wii U)

 * Effect: Go anywhere
 * Prerequisites: None
 * How To: Go to any ledge and jump off of it. As you just enter the air, save and quit. Re-enter the file, and be hit by any enemy. You will turn invisible, and be able to go anywhere (similar to the Ocarina Glitch in ).
 * Notes: This can only be performed on the SNES, Wii or Wii U version of . Technically, Link will not become invisible, but go underground: Link can be seen under pits, although only his head will become visible. This glitch was used for speedruns of the game, making it possible to finish it in a few minutes. If the game is completed in this fashion, it will visually alter the ending credits a bit: a static, transparent image of rain will appear over most of the normal epilogue and the credits, complete with the sound of the rain falling. Resetting the game from the "The End" screen and choosing the glitched save file will start the game off on top of the Pyramid of Power, as a bunny. Many enemies will appear glitched, with some of them appearing in impossible places. Saving and quitting the game, then starting the save file again will start it off from the start of the underground passage where Link's Uncle died, as normal.

Go Anywhere Glitch 2 (GBA)

 * Effect: Go anywhere
 * Prerequisites: Magic Mirror, Pegasus Boots
 * How To: Go to any ledge in a dungeon and jump off of it. As you enter the air, use the Magic Mirror to warp to the entrance. Run into a wall with Pegasus Boots. You will turn invisible, and be able to go anywhere (similar to the Ocarina Glitch in The Minish Cap).
 * Notes: You can't do the SNES/Wii method on GBA because the saving function is different, and you can't use the GBA method on SNES/Wii because it just makes Link move slower. This glitch is very useful, because it allows you to move screens endlessly, eventually allowing you to enter Dark World dungeons from the Light World, (including the Palace of the Four Sword) and vice versa. One small problem while trying to go to a certain place; watch out for enemies (they activate the glitch when hit). Some certain cliffs activate the glitch too (i.e. the cliff at Link's House). This glitch doesn't allow you to go up stairs, making it useless in Ganon's Tower, and the Palace of the Four Sword.

Flute Glitch

 * Effect: Run fast
 * Prerequisites: Pegasus Boots, Flute
 * How To: Go somewhere in the overworld where there is a pair of wooden stairs. Use the Flute, and just before the bird grabs you, use the Pegasus Boots. When the map appears, cancel. When you land, start going down the stairs, but then come off. You will run very fast.
 * Notes: Depending on when you are picked up by the bird (e.g. actually charging, and preparing to charge), you may also crash into things infinitely and get caught between two solid surfaces. Crashing into an object while running fast cancels the effect of the stairs and you must reactivate that part of the glitch. When this glitch is in effect there is a possibility of jumping off angled border walls (e.g. into the water on the side of town) if there is no path back out of the water, diving and swimming towards the shore may let you jump back on to land (though it may take a while).

Boomerang Glitch

 * Effect: Boomerang loops across the screen, possibly destroying terrain.
 * Prerequisites: Pegasus Boots, Flute, Boomerang (Ordinary or Magic version)
 * How To: Go to the town. Clear the enemies along the path you chase the red hatted kid. Throw the boomerang away from you and dash down the path to the other side. If done correctly, the boomerang will fly rapidly across the screen and can destroy bushes as well as squares of terrain.
 * Notes:
 * The Boomerang does not give you any of the things it would pick up, and it does not affect enemies.
 * The Boomerang must pass over a bush twice to destroy it.
 * The Boomerang eventually slows down and follows you as you move up or down, sometimes stopping where you are.
 * If you leave the area, you get the boomerang back.
 * This glitch is easier to do if you use the flute glitch.

Ghost of Misery Mire

 * Effect: An invisible enemy in Misery Mire. There are three of them throughout the swamp.
 * Prerequisites: Flute, Titan's Mitt
 * How To: Enter the Swamp of Evil using the portal in the Desert of Mystery, and then immediately use the Bombos Medallion. An invisible enemy will catch fire and then die. It is also possible to find this phantom enemy using other weapons.
 * Notes:
 * The Golden Bee is unable to detect the ghost.
 * Hitting a ghost with the Pegasus Boots makes the sound of the Hookshot.
 * Unlike most enemies, the Ice Rod will instantly kill a ghost.
 * According to the game's code, the ghost is a Ku that has been accidentally placed on shallow water, causing it to exist in a state it was never programmed to be in.

Glitch Your Way Into Palace of Four Sword (GBA)

 * Effect: Enter the Palace of the Four Sword without using the multiplayer function.
 * Prerequisites: Magic Mirror, access to Thieves' Town
 * How to: Start in Thieves' Town. At the first ledge, as soon as you jump, use the Magic Mirror. Make sure that Link said "hup" as you warp or it will not work. Then, using only stairs to move between floors, make your way one room north, then one room east without getting hit. Go to the northeasternmost corner, destroy the pot and dash into the railing. If you are underground, you are doing the glitch correctly. Go right until you enter a black screen, then go one screen left then down in to a large square room. Get the north and south sides of the wall into view (you can't see the blue of the walls, so just make sure you see the little pattern against the wall), then dash west letting go of the d-pad. If done correctly, you will be stuck in a wall at a river. Make sure you don't try moving up. If you do, you must restart the glitch all over. Move down, then left. You should be in the river now. Go down (even though you can't go up), then leave the water. If you light the torch, the water will slow down, allowing you to either go north and fight Arrghus (the boss of the Swamp Palace), or east and explore other rooms.