Level Three - The Manji

This level is one of interest to note.  Perhaps the Japenese weren't sensitive to this at the time, but the manji and the schwastika are synonymous images...perhaps it wasn't the best of choices to use for a floor design for a dungeon in a game geared towards young adults, teenagers and children.

Level III - The Manji

 For some reason, I just don't have a good feeling about this place...and the color strikes me queer.

Yet again we have a dungeon that is rather straightforward, although here we finally encounter some difficult enemies found only in the underworld coupled with a path that isn't straightforward -- the boss is somewhat well hidden, although it is still rather difficult to get lost.  This is one of the primary reasons that the game travels at a rocket's pace...the first three dungeons have no step of difficulty between them, and this accounts for, since your game only has one real objective (assemble the Triforce of Wisdom) 33% of the game.

This Old Man is Blind, But Speaks Well.

Can't you see that sword is in my hand...stupid old man, what are you, blind?!  Oh...my mistake.

This may be, though subtly, one of the only useful hints that you are given.  See, at this point in the game, the Wooden Sword is absolutely useless...it takes at least two hits to kill any enemy for the most part, and there are now enemies that divide when you hit them with the Wooden Sword.  This is the game's way of saying "You'll regret it if you don't get the White Sword NOW!"  This dungeon offers a non-straightforward path and the presence of bombable walls so that we have secret rooms -- in effect, we have somewhat of a puzzle, which is one of the primary reasons we play Zelda!

Underworld Boss III - The Manhandla

What is this thing exactly, a man eating plant?  Freaky.  I told you that I didn't have a good feeling about this place.

Manhandla is the first boss who offers us up a little bit of a challenge.  He moves quickly (most bosses in Zelda games actually move quite slowly, making the challenge for us to figure out how to use the weapon we got in that dungeon to defeat them).  There is a trick to defeating him that I have heard of from friends and from GameFAQs, however, I have never seen it works: and that is to repeat what you did with Dodongo and lay a bomb in his path to get rid of most of his limbs.  I take care of this guy the old fashioned way; I fire sword-beams from afar until fireballs remove that option, then I slice and dice away until I'm all cut up and he is no more.  After all, the Triforce heals me up completely.  That's a nice little gesture!

Triforce of Wisdom Piece #3

Huzzah!  The third piece of the Triforce!  Almost halfway there to saving Zelda and restoring some peace to this monster-infested land!  That's the part I'm enraged about...all the monsters running about.  Interferes with my personal life, and makes my professional life as a hero harder!

There you have it folks; the third piece of the Triforce is obtained and the game is now 33% complete.  Just need to collect five more pieces and slay Ganondorf...nothing big!  : )