You can find the iconic bombs and bow early on in The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, but there’s a trick to make getting at least one much easier.
Every Legend of Zelda game contains unique items to find, but there are a few that Link gets no matter what game you’re playing. Link’s bow and bombs are two of the most classic items in the Legend of Zelda series, and you’ll use them several times in Link’s Awakening. While it’s possible to go without either item, since you discover them on your own as you play the game, you’ll find it’s much easier with them.
How to get bombs in Link’s Awakening
Bombs are easy to find in The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. You can find them in the first village you visit. Head to the tool shop in Mabe Village, and you can pick up a 10-pack of bombs for 10 rupees. It’s a steal for how useful they are. You can easily use those bombs to find many more valuable secrets by blowing up false walls and other debris.
If you’re really on a tight budget, you locate bombs in dungeons or sometimes dropped by random enemies. In a way, it’s probably harder to avoid picking up a bomb during the game than to find them.
How to get the bow in Link’s Awakening
Getting the bow in Link’s Awakening is a little trickier. You can buy the bow from the same tool shop in Mabe Village where you purchased the bombs, but not right away. The bow only appears in stock once you’ve progressed through the game by completing a few dungeons. Check back in at the shop every time you’ve finished a couple of dungeons or whenever you’re nearby. They’ll eventually be in stock.
The real trick to getting the bow comes with its price tag. It’s worth a whopping 980 rupees. The bow is likely well out of your price range when you first see it. You can eventually round up enough money to buy it, either by venturing into dangerous territory to find more valuable rupees or by breaking enough items to pop out the rupees you need. Given how useful the bow is, we highly recommended you acquire it as quickly as possible.
How to steal the bow in Link’s Awakening
For a kid who washed up on the beach a little while ago, getting 980 rupees together is no small task. Fortunately, there is another way of getting Link’s bow, if you’re willing to get your hands dirty.
It’s possible to steal any item from the shop, but only the bow is worth it. While you’re in the shop, the shopkeeper turns to look at you several times. You can use this to your advantage by running in circles around him, getting him to look toward the back of the shop, then dashing out the door with the bow before he can turn his head back to you. There’s another price to pay for getting the bow this way. For one thing, your name changes to Thief, and everyone in the game call you that from now on. Also, be sure to buy everything you need from the shop before stealing, because once you do, the shopkeeper becomes hostile, firing a magical spell at you that kills you in one hit if you ever return.
