Secrets & Glitches

While Holodrum is a vast land full of challenges and puzzles, it also hides a few delightful secrets and even some unintended quirks that can be exploited. This section will guide you through some of the most interesting discoveries to enhance your adventure.

Hidden Rings

Beyond the standard Ring Appraisal Shop in Horon Village, several valuable rings are tucked away in less obvious locations. Finding these can significantly boost your abilities!

Friendship Ring: This ring is a must-have for linked games. To obtain it, you need to link your Oracle of Seasons game with an Oracle of Ages game. In your linked game, visit the Ring Shop in Horon Village. The shop owner will recognize your linked status and offer you the Friendship Ring for free.
GBA Time Ring: If you're playing Oracle of Seasons on a Game Boy Advance (or GBA SP), you can acquire a special ring. Head to the Ring Shop in Horon Village. The shop owner will comment on your GBA and give you the GBA Time Ring. This ring doesn't have a direct in-game effect but is a neat collector's item.
Red Ring: This powerful ring increases your sword damage. To find it, you'll need to venture into the Subrosian Dance Hall. After successfully completing the dance sequence (which requires learning the steps from the Subrosian in the house to the east of the Dance Hall), the Subrosian leader will reward you with the Red Ring.
Blue Ring: The Blue Ring reduces damage taken. This ring is found within the Explorer's Crypt, the fifth dungeon. Specifically, it's located in a hidden room accessible after solving a block puzzle on the second floor. Look for a cracked wall that can be bombed.

The "Secret" Shop

There's a hidden shop in Subrosia that offers some unique and useful items, including a Piece of Heart and Gasha Seeds. It's not immediately obvious how to access it.

Locate the Subrosian Volcano: Travel to the Subrosian Volcano area.
Find the Bombable Wall: On the eastern side of the volcano, near the entrance to the Volcano Dungeon, there's a screen with a single Subrosian standing near a wall. This wall looks ordinary, but it's actually bombable.
Use a Bomb: Place a Bomb against this wall. It will reveal a hidden cave entrance.
Enter the Shop: Inside, you'll find a Subrosian shopkeeper selling items like a Piece of Heart (for 200 Ore), Gasha Seeds (for 100 Ore), and occasionally other rare goods.

The Cucco Glitch (Item Duplication)

This well-known glitch allows you to duplicate certain items, which can be incredibly useful for obtaining multiple Gasha Seeds, Bombs, or even Fairies. Be aware that exploiting glitches can sometimes lead to unexpected game behavior, so use at your own risk!

Acquire a Cucco: The easiest place to find a Cucco is in Horon Village, near the Mayor's house. Pick one up by pressing the A button.
Find a Screen Transition: Stand near a screen transition (where the screen scrolls to a new area).
Perform the Glitch:
- Hold the Cucco above your head.
- Walk towards the screen transition.
- Just as Link is about to transition to the next screen, quickly open your inventory (Start button).
- Select the item you wish to duplicate and assign it to either your A or B button.
- Close your inventory.
Observe the Duplication: If performed correctly, Link will transition to the next screen, but the Cucco will remain on the previous screen, still held above Link's head. You will also have the item you assigned to A/B in your hand. You can now drop the item (by pressing A/B again) and pick up another Cucco, or simply walk back to the previous screen to find the original Cucco still there. This effectively gives you an extra instance of the item you assigned.
Repeat for More Items: You can repeat this process as many times as you like to duplicate items. This is particularly useful for Gasha Seeds, as you can quickly accumulate many to plant and grow Gasha Trees for powerful rings.

Important Note: This glitch is most reliable with items that Link holds above his head, like Bombs, Mystery Seeds, or even the Power Bracelet when picking up rocks. It's less effective with items that are used directly, like the Sword or Rod of Seasons.

Early Power Bracelet (Requires Glitch)

While not a traditional secret, using the Cucco Glitch can allow you to obtain the Power Bracelet much earlier than intended, giving you access to heavy objects and new areas before completing the second dungeon.

Prerequisites: You need to have access to the Cucco Glitch (see above) and a Bomb Bag.
Head to the Western Woods: Travel to the Western Woods, specifically the screen where the Moblin's Keep is located.
Locate the Heavy Rock: On the screen directly south of the Moblin's Keep entrance, there's a large, heavy rock blocking a path to the west. Normally, this requires the Power Bracelet.
Perform the Cucco Glitch:
- Find a Cucco (there's often one in Horon Village, or you can find one in the woods).
- Bring the Cucco to the screen with the heavy rock.
- Stand near the heavy rock and position Link so that when you transition screens, the Cucco will be "stuck" on the current screen, and Link will be on the next.
- Hold the Cucco, walk towards the screen transition (e.g., to the screen south), and just as Link transitions, open your inventory and assign a Bomb to A or B.
- Close your inventory.
"Lift" the Rock: If done correctly, Link will be on the new screen with a Bomb in hand, but the Cucco will still be "held" on the previous screen. Now, walk back to the screen with the heavy rock. Because the game still registers Link as "holding" the Cucco, it will allow you to interact with the heavy rock as if you had the Power Bracelet. Press A to "lift" the rock.
Access the Power Bracelet: The path beneath the rock leads to a cave containing the Power Bracelet. You can now collect it!

This early Power Bracelet can significantly change the order in which you tackle certain areas and puzzles, offering a unique playthrough experience.