Zelda Link's Awakening Color Dungeon Walkthrough - How to Unlock the Color Dungeon

It appeared in the port of the original Link's Awakening game to the GameBoy Color, and now the Color Dungeon makes a return for Link's Awakening on Switch. In our guide to the Link's Awakening Color Dungeon, we'll be walking you through how to unlock the Color Dungeon, how to complete the dungeon with our Color Dungeon walkthrough, and much more.

Zelda Link's Awakening: How to Unlock the Color Dungeon

To go about unlocking the Link's Awakening Color Dungeon, you're going to want to head back to Mabe Village. Go into the library (the big stone building in the southwest corner of the village), and with the Pegasus Boots equipped, hold down L to run straight into the bookshelves in front of the entrance.

Doing this will knock down a conspicuous bright red book from the top of the shelves. Pick it up, and it'll ask you if you want to learn about "the world of color." Select 'yes' to read the book, and you'll receive the set of instructions below, in accordance with the "five gravestones."

The five gravestones that the book refers to are located in the cemetery, which is found east of the Mysterious Forest, and north of Ukuku Prairie. To unlock the Color Dungeon in Link's Awakening, you need to head to the bottom right corner of the cemetery, where you'll find the five gravestones that the book refers to. Below, we'll list out the order and directions in which you need to move the five gravestones.

• Push the bottom right gravestone downwards.
• Push the bottom left gravestone to the left.
• Push the top left gravestone upwards.
• Push the top middle gravestone to the right.
• Push the upper right gravestone upwards.

With all five gravestones moved in the correct order, you'll successfully be in the Color Dungeon! The Color Dungeon might have been an add on feature for the GameBoy Color version of the original Link's Awakening, so whereas the skeletons at the entrance would have previously asked you what colors their tunics were, this time they simply offer to sell you some magic powder for 100 Rupees.

Zelda Link's Awakening Color Dungeon Walkthrough

In the list below, we're going to give you the quickest and easiest route through the Link's Awakening Color Dungeon. We'll include all the boss battles and puzzles in the walkthrough below.

• In the first room, kill all the new enemies as they rise up from the floor.
• In the second room, you need to turn all the balls blue. Do this by hitting the corner balls to change the color of the two balls diagonally in the middle.
• Heading to the right, ignore this room with the flying enemy and the colored tiles, and head through the door on the right.
• In this next room on the right, hit the enemies to make them curl up, then throw them in the corresponding color holes.
• Head up. Turn all the balls the same color, and you'll be rewarded with a small key.
• Heading through the door on the left, you'll need to defeat more colored enemies that rise up from the ground.
• Heading upwards through the next door, it's time for a slimy boss battle.
• When the boss turns electric and green, use magic powder to turn it back into the blue form. Strike it with your sword a few times, and this boss battle will be over before you know it.
• Head through the door on the left to claim the Nightmare Key.
• Now backtrack all the way to where you encountered the two enemies that you had to pick up and throw, and head through the door at the bottom of the screen.
• Kill the two red enemies and two green enemies, then head through the door on the left.
• Open the chest in the area for a small key. Kill the two flying bomb enemies, and head through the door at the top.
• Ignoring this room again, use the key on the door at the top of the room.
• Boss battle time with Dekudon! Simply lay bombs at his feet, or hit him with the Magic Rod to defeat him, and jump whenever he hits the ground to avoid being stunned.
• In the next room, defeat both flying enemies, and move a vase in the top left corner of the room to uncover a pressure plate, that opens both doors when stood on.
• Heading up, defeat all the small Gel enemies in the room for a chest to appear, containing the map to the Color Dungeon.
• Head right through the door, and get all four enemies into their color-corresponding holes, to claim a small key.
• Head back left and then down, to the room with the pressure plate, and then head through the door on the left.
• Turn all the balls the same color, and then head through the door leading upwards.
• Defeat the four green Gels, and then use your small key on the door leading left.
• Walk along the lowered blue tiles, and hit the switch to raise them. Walk back to solid ground on the raised blue tiles, then head to the top of the area to meet the final boss.

Zelda Link's Awakening Color Dungeon Final Boss

It's time for the final boss fight of the Color Dungeon: the Hardhit Beetle. This boss looks a lot more intimidating than it actually is to fight. You're going to need either arrows or the Magic Rod to make it through this boss fight.

The simple way to make it through this boss battle is to hit the shell of the boss with as many projectiles as quickly as possible. Every time you hit the shell of the Hardhit Beetle, it'll change color, and if you don't hit it for an extended period of time, it'll change back to the color it was previously, meaning you'll have lost progress.

When you're halfway through the fight, upwards of 10 skeletons will drop down on you from above. If you've got any bombs, now is the time to put them to good use. Slay the skeletons as quickly as possible, and get back to laying into the Hardhit Beetle with any projectiles you have available.

After the boss fight is over, you can proceed through the doorway on the right, where the Fairy Queen will give you a choice: do you want red mail, or blue mail to wear? Choosing red means your attack power is permanently increased, while choosing blue means Link takes less damage. Pick wisely, because there's no going back on your choice.

If it's more Link's Awakening coverage you're after, then USG has you sorted. You can head over to our additional guides on the game, including our Link's Awakening Dream Shrine guide for how to get the Ocarina, our Link's Awakening Kanalet Castle guide for how to complete the trading sequence, our Link's Awakening Slime Key guide for the locations of all the Golden Leaves for Richard, or our Link's Awakening Wind Fish Egg guide for more.