In addition to the Heart Containers earned after defeating dungeon bosses, there are several hidden Heart Containers scattered throughout the Overworld. Each of these grants Link an additional full heart to his Life Meter, significantly increasing his survivability. Finding all of them is highly recommended, especially before tackling the later, more challenging dungeons.
Here are some notable locations:
- Waterfall Cave: In the northeastern part of the Overworld, there's a waterfall. Bomb the wall behind the waterfall to reveal a cave containing a Heart Container.
- Graveyard: In the graveyard area, push the gravestone that is second from the left in the top row. This reveals a secret passage to a cave with a Heart Container.
- Spectacle Rock: In the Death Mountain region, there are two large rocks resembling spectacles. Bomb the left rock to reveal a cave with a Heart Container.
- Lost Hills: In the Lost Hills area (the screen with the three armos statues), push the middle armos statue to reveal a cave with a Heart Container.
Always carry a good supply of Bombs and be observant of suspicious-looking walls or objects in the environment. Many secrets are hidden in plain sight, waiting for a keen-eyed adventurer to discover them.
While the original game rewards exploration with static locations, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages introduces time-travel puzzles to reach its hidden Heart Pieces.
While the original game features full Heart Containers in the Overworld, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening introduced Heart Pieces that require collecting four separate shards.