Ocarina of Time Has Secret Way to Get to Hyrule Castle That You Probably Didn’t Know About

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time might be 27 years old at this point, but that didn’t stop one player from discovering a new way to enter Hyrule Castle. As shown in a post by Reddit user Ok-Adeptness-9973, players can enter Hyrule Castle merely by paying the guard at the main gate after they’ve been caught and thrown out.

The fact that players like Ok-Adeptness-9973 are still discovering new ways to play Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a testament to its timelessness. According to Metacritic, the beloved Zelda classic originally released on the Nintendo 64 is the highest-rated game of all time, with a Metascore of 99/100. Today, players still return to Ocarina of Time, whether it’s for nostalgia, speedrunning, or experimenting with the game’s mechanics that continue to surprise even decades later.

Players Can Pay the Guard to Get Back Into Ocarina of Time’s Hyrule Castle

Getting into Hyrule Castle in Zelda: Ocarina of Time is one of the game’s most memorable moments, as it marks the beginning of a major turning point in the narrative. Normally, players are required to climb a vine to the right of the main gate, after which they can leap down from the ledge and begin the first stage of the stealth guard section. If they successfully make it through that section, they can proceed with using a Cucco to wake Talon and then creating a platform of crates to leap over the moat and crawl through the spillway door.

If they happen to get caught in that first segment, though, they can apparently pay the guard at the main gate a small amount of rupees to get back through. According to Ok-Adeptness-9973’s video on Reddit, after being caught during the first stealth guard section in Ocarina of Time, there’s no need to climb the vine again. Instead, upon speaking to the guard, he acknowledges Link’s determination to get inside and says he can pass through for a measly 10 rupees.

According to a comment by HiMyNameIsMark82 on the post, this only works if players “fail a lot or after you’ve managed to sneak into the castle,” and user unknownyoyo and others clarified this only works on the first gate, as the other guards will still catch Link if they see him. Comments like those are few and far between, however, as most express bewilderment at the fact that paying the guard is even possible. “Mind blown” seems to be the sentiment among most Ocarina of Time fans here, with others making humorous remarks about how easy the Hyrule guard is to breach.

Ocarina of Time’s Long Legacy Keeps New Discoveries Possible

When discoveries like this continue to happen, it’s impossible not to reflect on the long history that keeps Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the radar. The game first launched on the Nintendo 64 in 1998, where it quickly became one of the most influential 3D action-adventure titles ever made. Its narrative, gameplay, and exploration influenced not only future Legend of Zelda games but a whole generation of games that followed. Even today, many of Ocarina of Time‘s design ideas are instantly recognizable because of how much impact they’ve had on the genre.

The renewed interest in Ocarina of Time over the years has a lot to do with the ways Nintendo has kept it accessible as well. In 2011, the game received a full remake on the Nintendo 3DS, granting it enhanced visuals, better item management, and it made Ocarina of Time‘s infamous Water Temple less of a headache thanks to easier Iron Boots swapping. That version introduced Ocarina of Time to an entirely new audience while reminding longtime players why it had such a strong reputation to begin with.

More recently, the Nintendo Switch Online service brought Ocarina of Time to both the original Switch and the Switch 2 through its Nintendo 64 library. While the emulated version remains faithful to the original Nintendo 64 version of Ocarina of Time, occasional quality-of-life improvements and the convenience of modern hardware continue to make it a worthwhile way to revisit the classic. As a result, unique and often comedic discoveries like Ok-Adeptness-9973’s Hyrule Castle guard interaction still have a steady flow of curious players trying things out and stumbling upon details that have been hiding in plain sight for decades.

Systems

Released

November 21, 1998

ESRB

E10+ for Everyone 10+: Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes

Developer(s)

Nintendo

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Engine

Zelda 64 Engine

•