Zelda II: The Adventure of Link – All Heart Containers, Magic Containers, and Dolls

For all its innovation and influence on later ARPGs, Zelda II remains the “black sheep” of Nintendo’s flagship franchise. For starters, it’s the only 2D game in the series to use a side-scrolling perspective, dramatically changing the game’s level and encounter design. Further, Zelda II makes some interesting changes to the in-game economy and collectibles, adding towns, NPCs, and random battles in the overworld map. Surprisingly, Zelda II shares more in common with a game like Dragon Quest than the original Legend of Zelda. One of the primary areas where Zelda II‘s differences are keenly felt over the rest of the series is with its collectibles, especially its heart containers.

Rather than display Link’s remaining hit points as rows of hearts, Zelda II adopts a life bar. Players can extend this life bar by collecting Heart Containers hidden across the game’s rendition of Hyrule, but there are only 4 to find. In the place of more health-extending options are Zelda II‘s Magic Containers and Dolls. Magic plays a pivotal role in Zelda II‘s combat and traversal (way more than its brief introduction in the original), and the game’s unique take on lives, gaining experience, and light RPG mechanics make the collectible 1-Up Doll items incredibly valuable. Zelda II is a challenging game, and collecting all these items gives players more of a fighting chance than they would have otherwise.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Overworld Map

Unlike the original Legend of Zelda, Zelda II splits its adventure across two large landmasses. This new version of Hyrule contains overworld sections and caves, towns, or dungeons that Link can enter. Like in other Zelda games, there are plenty of collectible items and upgrades that Link can discover both in the overworld map and within the game’s various interior spaces. Our guide to Zelda II‘s Heart Containers, Magic Containers, and Dolls below shows close-up shots of their locations on the overworld map. Use the large-scale version of the overworld map above for reference if you get stuck.

Heart Containers

There are 4 Heart Containers for Link to find in Zelda II, each of which will extend his health bar. Except for the first Heart Container players can obtain, each of these items also requires Link to have other equipment in his inventory to reach them.

Heart Container 1

Location: Parapa Desert

Requirements: N/A

How to Obtain: Head south from Parapa Palace and enter a small valley. You will eventually get to an area where Link must jump over water and avoid bubbles. Keep following the road until reaching the forest with a small patch of grass in the middle. Entering this patch of grass leads to the Heart Container and a fight with a Goriya.

Heart Container 2

Location: Midoro Swamp Cave

Requirements: Hammer

How to Obtain: After getting the Hammer, use it to destroy the rock just south of the Town of Rauru. Afterward, use the Hammer to destroy the rock blocking the cave on the right and head inside. At the end of the cave is the second Heart Container.

Heart Container 3

Location: North of Palace on the Sea

Requirements: Boots

How to Obtain: Once Link has the Boots, head to the Harbor Town of Mido and walk east into the ocean. Once the Palace on the Sea becomes visible, change direction to head north. Link will eventually find the hidden path north and can then start walking east until Link enters the secret area with the Heart Container.

Heart Container 4

Location: East of Three Eye Rock

Requirements: Flute

How to Obtain: As soon as players have the Flute they can use it to calm the River Devil and enter the Kasuto region. Just east of the town of Kasuto is a strange triangle-shaped rock formation. Maneuver Link along the southeast coast near the rock formation to enter a secret area with the Heart Container.

Magic Containers

Similar to the Heart Containers in Zelda II, there are a total of 4 Magic Containers to collect. Each one of these that Link obtains will increase his magic meter by one point. However, unlike Heart Containers, Link must acquire all 4 Magic Containers to complete Zelda II‘s main quest.

Magic Container 1

Location: Cave due south of North Castle

Requirements: Candle

How to Obtain: Head south from the North Castle and look for a cave along the mountains. While it’s not necessary, having the Candle makes this cave much easier. There are plenty of Lowder and Octoroks inside for Link to fight, which is much harder to do in the dark. At the end of the cave is the first Magic Container.

Magic Container 2

Location: Death Mountain; cave beneath a boulder just west of where Link gets the Hammer

Requirements: Hammer

How to Obtain: Once Link has the Hammer, head directly west from the cave where he acquires the item to smash a boulder and enter a cave. Once inside, Link will fall down a pit and find the second Magic Container waiting there for him.

Magic Container 3

Location: Secret passage on Maze Island

Requirements: N/A

How to Obtain: Once Link enters Maze Island, begin to explore the southwestern paths. Eventually, Link will fall into a secret pit containing the third Magic Container.

Magic Container 4

Location: Hidden Town of Kasuto; inside a house

Requirements: Have the other 3 Magic Containers

How to Obtain: After collecting the other three Magic Containers and gaining access to Kasuto (with both the Hammer and Flute), talk to the Old Woman outside one of the houses. As long as Link has the other three Magic Containers she will invite him inside for the fourth and final one. Inside the house, head down to the basement to collect the final Magic Container.

Dolls

Along with the Magic Containers, Zelda II‘s Doll items are unique to this entry of the franchise. Unlike other games in the series that give Link unlimited chances to respawn after dying, Zelda II uses a Lives system. In other words, once Link hits zero Lives it’s Game Over. Of course, the trade-off is that Zelda II’s RPG mechanics and progression systems give players a distinct advantage if they engage with them. To improve Link’s pool of remaining lives, it helps collect the doll items hidden throughout Hyrule. These Dolls only appear once per playthrough and do not respawn after Link gets a Game Over.

Doll 1

Location: Western Hyrule; Moruge Swamp

Requirements: N/A

How to Obtain: Head south from the Town of Ruto and enter the cave. Upon exiting the cave, Link will be in the part of Western Hyrule leading to the Moruge Swamp. Exactly one square southwest of the boulder blocking the entrance to the swamp is the first Doll.

Doll 2

Location: Western Hyrule; King’s Tomb

Requirements: N/A

How to Obtain: Just southwest of the King’s Tomb area in Western Hyrule is another Doll. Head west from the graves and walk along the coastline to enter a secret area containing the next Doll.

Doll 3

Location: Eastern Hyrule; near Maze Island

Requirements: N/A

How to Obtain: In the northern part of Eastern Hyrule is a stretch of coastline near Maze Island. Have Link walk along this southern coast to enter a patch of desert and obtain the next Doll.

Doll 4

Location: Eastern Hyrule; south of the River Devil

Requirements: N/A

How to Obtain: Head south from where the River Devil is to see a patch of gravestones. Just north of the graves is a swamp area. The Doll is in a hidden area players can access by having Link travel to the northwest corner of the swamp.

Doll 5

Location: Three Eye Rock Palace

Requirements: Obtain before beating Barba and clearing Three Eye Rock Palace; Jump Spell

How to Obtain: The 5th Doll is inside Three Eye Rock Palace and players can obtain it just before they fight Barba. A few rooms before the boss arena, Link will drop into a hole as he walks right. Make a careful jump to reach the right side of this room, minding the collapsible platforms. Having the Jump Spell makes this much easier. Link will find the Doll just to the right of an encounter with a Blue Iron Knuckle.

Doll 6

Location: Great Palace

Requirements: Obtain before beating Thunderbird and clearing the Great Palace

How to Obtain: As Link nears the end of the Great Palace he’ll wind up on an elevator that can take him further down, left, or right. Taking the left path leads to the final Doll.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©CheatCC/Matt Karoglou.