Zelda: A Link Between Worlds guide – Turtle Rock

Part fourteen of our complete Zelda: A Link Between Worlds guide, Turtle Rock.

Turtle Rock

Unlike the A Link to the Past, Turtle Rock is located in Lorule's lake, just east of the Swamp Palace. Before you go, be sure to purchase the Ice Rod if you haven't already – you need it to enter the dungeon. Shift back to Hyrule and head for the lake to the southeast. Go past the shield shop on the west side of the lake and hug the southern cliff. Merge into the cliff and wrap around to the ledge behind there. Slip through the cracked portal to end up back in Lorule.

Turtle Rescuing

The dungeon cannot be reached at this point, so swim to the southeast and talk to the large Turtle Mama. Her babies seem to be missing, and you'll need to help her out. There are three turtle babies in the area you need to free. Check the list below.

-Turtle 1: Southeast corner of the lake. Pick up the turtle and toss it into the water.
-Turtle 2: Just north of Turtle 1. It's stuck in shallow water; free it by defeating the surrounding enemies.
-Turtle 3: Stuck in the north bluff's central section. Ascend the ladder near the shop, then merge into the wall in front of the bushes and go right. Slip behind the turtle and burst out of the wall to free it.

Enter Turtle Rock

With all three babies returned, Turtle Mama offers you a ride around the lake. Ascend the turtle's back and use her to reach the dungeon's entrance. Save your game at the weather vane. To get inside Turtle Rock, freeze the fire blaze blocking the entrance with the Ice Rod, creating a large block you can merge into. Slide around it to enter the dungeon.

Turtle Rock – 1F

Freeze the Fire

Lava blocks you from entering the main hall of the dungeon. Cast the Ice Rod on the fire to create two frozen pallets you can cross to reach the other side. The next hall is a room you'll be returning to quite often.

Small Key

Approach the platform saw ahead and freeze its center part (covered by a lava rock). This will stop the saw from moving. Ascend the saw to reach the east catwalk. Follow the catwalk and take a right. Merge into the wall here and slip over to the northeast ledge to claim a small key.

The Compass

Merge back and return to the catwalk. Follow the catwalk to the center platform. Wait for some fire to emerge to your left, and then freeze it to create a large block. Use the block to land on the center platform. On the center platform, you'll see four crystal switches around you. Trigger them all using the Ice Rod to spawn a chest. Open it up to claim the compass.

From the center platform, head left and freeze the fire bursts that rise. Cross over and use your Ice Rod again to reach the western catwalk. Follow the path north to come across another table saw. Freeze it so it sticks up north, and then hop off its tip to reach a switch. Step on it to unlock the upper north door.

Merge back to the room's entrance. Go back up the east catwalk by freezing the saw, then turn right and merge into the east wall. This time, slide around counterclockwise in the hall to land on southwest catwalk. A floor switch is just below the ledge; drop down and stand on it to unlock the southwest door below.

Head inside the 1F's southwest room (on the lower level). Defeat your foes inside with the Ice Rod, then freeze the saw platform so it points upward to the high ledge. If you head through the upper floor portal, it leads to a Piece of Heart (you'll need to create ice pallets across the lava to get outside). Otherwise, warp back to this room and merge into the east wall, then drop down. Enter the portal on this ledge to land in 1F's northwest room. Claim the small key beside you, and then return to the main hall.

From 1F's main hall, head through the north passage. Here, you'll battle some wizard foes that shoot beams at you. You won't be able to reach the second two, so use the Ice Rod to defeat them. Once they're dealt with, a chest appears on the high ledge above you, and the north door leading to B1 opens. (To reach that chest, merge into the upper-east wall from the main hall and wrap around to the north door).

Turtle Rock – B1

Another Key

Run by the large chest above you and enter the south passage. Ignore this hall for now and head inside the northeast chamber. Quickly form an ice block from the lava gap, merge into it, and then wrap around the other side to claim a small key behind the Beamos.

The Big Key

Return to B1's main hall and hit the crystal switch to the north (raising a ledge), then freeze the see-saw on the west side. Ascend carefully and cross to the west edge, evading the flames. Wait for some fire to emerge and freeze both eruptions to create two blocks. Use them to reach the west wall. Merge into it and head for the north door. Unlock it and claim the big key inside.

Save Time

Exit back to the previous room, but before dropping down, merge into the wall beside you and burst out behind the leaning bridge. This comes in handy in a bit. Drop back down to B1's main hall on its first level and enter the northwest chamber. Defeat the flaming gargoyle statues with the Ice Rod to access the checkpoint portal. Save your game if you like, then warp back to B1's main hall.

Be sure the north crystal is deactivated and not glowing, then freeze and ascend the west see-saw like before. Take the same merging route as before to the big key's ledge, but this time, you'll land in front of the lower passage. You can head inside the north chamber to obtain a Purple Rupee if you'd like. Go back to the main hall afterward and do not drop. Instead, merge into the wall and slide over to the northwest ledge. Defeat the wizard guarding this section. Now it's safe to drop back down to the main hall's lower level!

It's finally time to clear B1's main hall. If you noticed when defeating the wizard, it assembled a piece of a bridge in the hall's lava pit. The idea here is to eliminate the remaining wizards in this chamber to form a platform and spawn a grand prize. You can easily defeat the other wizards with the Ice Rod. One hangs on the west catwalk, and the other rests on the northeast ledge. Once they're dealt with, the platform fully assembles, and a large chest emerges from the lava.

To reach the chest, nail the crystal switch to raise the north ledge again (where you got the small key). As before, merge your way there from the west wall with the help of the Ice Rod, freezing the see-saw and fire eruptions. When you land on the north ledge, merge behind the bridge on the wall and pop out to knock it down (if you haven't already). The bridge leads you to the large chest that holds the almighty Hylian Shield! You have now collected the main treasures of the dungeon. Feel free to explore additional areas and chests if you'd like (mostly Rupees); otherwise, continue reading to complete the dungeon.

With a nifty new shield in your possession, return to B1's main hall and move across the west side again, freezing the first see-saw. Continue to the south section across another see-saw, and unlock the southwest door with your key. Don't mind the statues that spit fire; they can easily be blocked now with your Hylian Shield. Get across the lava using the Ice Rod. In the corner, smash all the skulls to discover a floor switch. Stepping on it forms a bridge back in the main hall.

Backtrack to the main hall and cross the bridge you formed to the east side. Unlock the southeast door. In this chamber, form ice pallets to get across the lava gaps. Much like the other room, a hidden floor switch can be found underneath the skull heads. Stepping on this forms another bridge on the south end, allowing you access to the southern chamber with the boss gate.

Access the Boss Chamber

Perhaps one of the trickiest puzzles in the game, this one requires a bit more thinking. Freeze the lava to create ice pallets, allowing you to reach the south crystal. Activate the switch using the Ice Rod. This assembles two lifts in the room that ascend and descend periodically. Form more ice pallets to reach one of the lifts and ride it up. At the top, merge into the wall and slide over to the large gate. Carefully cross the catwalk to the north, avoiding the spike pillars. Stepping on the floor switch spawns two more wizards that you must defeat to open the passage in the floor. Win the fight and then drop down into the hole to reach the boss's lair.

BOSS! GRINEXX

At first, Grinexx seems like a simple old rock, but that's not the case. He moves around the lava below you, only spurting out fire occasionally. There are two ways to avoid his attack: freeze the fire waves and merge into them, or simply move around. It's not too difficult to get around them, so save your power meter for the Ice Rod. When the boss swims underneath one of the openings of the catwalk, it's your cue to fire the Ice Rod and drop ice blocks on its body.

When you’ve inflicted enough damage, the boss emerges from the lava and decides to fight Link face-to-face. Grinexx is a large turtle that has a protective shell from the reptile of the same name, but more often than not, he peeks his head out. His head or neck can both be damaged with your sword or Ice Rod. Prevent the boss from biting by blocking its teeth with your shield. You're capable of getting several sword hits when his head is exposed, so take advantage of it.

Occasionally, Grinexx will slip his head inside his shell and roll around the room. Move away from the boss at this moment, and freeze the fire waves if you need to merge into them. The best time to merge is when the boss performs his long-range blast attack. Steer clear and keep moving until his head is exposed again, and repeat the process to defeat him.

Portrait Six

After your victory, claim the full Heart Container and examine the painting to rescue Impa, Zelda's close companion. There's only one more dungeon and painting you need, so let's get to it!

Don't get lost! Head back for the rest of our Zelda: A Link Between Worlds guide.