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World Maps, sometimes referred to as Maps of Hyrule are recurring Items in The Legend of Zelda series.[1]

Overview[]

The Legend of Zelda only displayed a plain gray square on screen, which represented the Overworld. A flashing red rectangle indicated Link's location.[2]

Full World Maps have been available during gameplay since A Link to the Past. Oftentimes, key locations will be marked on World Maps, such as Towns and Link’s next destination.[3][4] In A Link to the Past and every game since The Wind Waker, it often possible to magnify an area of the World Map to get a keener look at the layout. When Warping is possible, some of the titles in the series would display the World Map to show where Link can warp to. The World Map is not always used only for navigation; in Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures, the World Map is used for selecting different stages. The World Map of Skyward Sword allowed Link to place light Beacons to guide the way to a chosen destination. There are diverse methods of obtaining and using World Maps throughout the series.

Sometimes, Link begins an adventure with a full World Map. In A Link to the Past, the World Maps are available in their entirety from the start.[5] Link's Awakening's World Map starts out blank, but an atlas in Mabe Village's Library reveals every location on Koholint.[6] Though only a level select screen, Four Swords' Map can also be wholly viewed from the start, with a few minor additions as the game progresses.

Most commonly, the areas of the World Map must be filled in. Link’s Awakening includes a World Map with a grid, and is the first game in the series where each location on the World Map is labeled.[7] Each section of the grid is obscured until explored. Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages use the same mapping system.[8] Similarly, the World Map of Ocarina of Time shows only places that have been visited, though a grid is not in place.[9] Similarly, Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword also mark new regions on the Map when Link first enters them. New Islands and Train Stations in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks can also be viewed through the World Map only after they are discovered.[10]

Sometimes, parts of the World Map can only be viewed by buying or otherwise earning them first. Maps for each region in Majora's Mask must be purchased from Tingle, even if a region has already been explored.[11][12] The Sea Chart in The Wind Waker can only be updated with images of islands by tossing Fishmen All-Purpose Bait.[13][14] Smith gives Link a World Map early in The Minish Cap, though its regions on the Map must be uncovered as described earlier.[15]

While useful, the World Map was not necessary to move forward in most Zelda games. However, Maps were crucial for exploration in both Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. No region of the Overworld in Phantom Hourglass could be explored until Link had a Sea Chart for that area, each of which could be found in the Temple of the Ocean King.[16] Together, the World Map was separated into quadrants. This is much like the Rail Map in Spirit Tracks, which had also had four parts, one for each of the four realms. A part of the Rail Map must be attained from the Spirit Tower to visit the Realm detailed on it.[17] To travel across either of these Overworlds, a course must be charted on the Maps themselves.[18][19]

Nomenclature[]

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in other regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
LanguageName
This table was generated using translation pages.
To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference.

Gallery[]

Overworld Maps[]

Map Icons[]

ST Ferrus Artwork
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Twilight PrincessPhantom HourglassSpirit TracksSkyward Sword

References

  1. "You got a map of Hyrule! Now, you'll never get lost!" — N/A (The Minish Cap)
  2. "...Look at the top left of the main screen. You see a little map there. This is Link's radar. You can use it to check roughly where he is." (The Legend of Zelda manual, pg. 27)
  3. "That mark on your map must be your destination." — Soldier (A Link to the Past)
  4. "On the Map Subscreen, you will also see a flashing dot showing you which way you should go next." — Kaepora Gaebora (Ocarina of Time)
  5. "I see you brought a map so you don’t get lost. (Press the X Button to see your map)." — Soldier (A Link to the Past)
  6. "'Atlas Of Koholint Island' You can move the cursor and look up the name of a place... Do you want to look at this map?" — N/A (Link's Awakening DX)
  7. "'You can see an island map by pressing the SELECT Button. The dark parts of the map are places you have not yet visited. Move the cursor and press the A Button to get more information about an area, or to replay the message you got there...' Ahhh! How convenient!" — Atlas Of Koholint Island (Link's Awakening DX)
  8. "Press SELECT to view the map. Move the cursor and press A to see place names. Dark regions are ones you have not yet visited." — Know-It-All Bird (Oracle of Seasons)
  9. "If you are lost and don't know which way to go, look at the Map. The areas you have explored will be shown on the Map." — Kaepora Gaebora (Ocarina of Time)
  10. "Look there! That island isn't marked on our charts, Link! And it looks like we can dock there! There! I've just added the isle to your chart! Why not set a course for it?" — Ciela (Phantom Hourglass)
  11. "Initially, the entire map will be covered in clouds, but as you purchase maps of areas, the clouds covering these areas will lift, revealing that area on the world map." (Majora's Mask manual, pg. 36)
  12. "Will you buy one of Tingle's maps?" — Tingle (Majora's Mask)
  13. "I don't know where you got your mitts on that Sea Chart you got there... But it looks to me like it's pretty much got nothing but seas drawn on it!" — Fishman (The Wind Waker)
  14. "If you see a fish leaping out of the water when you sail near an island, sail up to it and spread bait out on the water's surface. Trust me, this is good advice, fry. See, the baiting process allows you to get a chart of the island, along with any info that might be of use to you." — Fishman (The Wind Waker)
  15. "You got a map of Hyrule! Now, you'll never get lost!" — N/A (The Minish Cap)
  16. "You got the Northwestern Sea chart! Now you can explore a new area of the sea!" — N/A (Phantom Hourglass)
  17. "You got the Forest rail map! Some of the lost Spirit Tracks on it are reappearing!" — N/A (Spirit Tracks)
  18. "Tap the Feather Pen icon to access your navigation chart. Just draw a line and the ship will follow that exact path." — Linebeck (Phantom Hourglass)
  19. "There's something strangely powerful about the rail map you recovered. If you trace your stylus over the tracks, it will set a path to your destination! Go on and try it, Link!" — Anjean (Spirit Tracks)
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