The Great Deku Tree

In his omniscient creepiness, the Great Deku Tree asks us about our nightmares, and points out that their cause is the sources of evil in Hyrule are gaining strength and before we can set out to do anything about it, we must test our courage...so into the tree we go, which has been infested with vile monsters and other nasties.

This may just be one of the easiest dungeons in the entire series.  The entire structure is based off the main room (the trunk) and you must venture from there to several side rooms above and below it in order to grab the map, compass, dungeon treasure and fight the boss in the depths below.  To add to the ease, the boss of this dungeon is a walk in the park too.  She simply walks around, not really guarding her weak spot, and once stunned, just lays there and allows Link to go to town on her eye with his sword.  Not very difficult at all.

One way or another, we have successfully broken the curse...but the Great Deku Tree is still going to die, despite our valiant efforts.  Before he does, though, he entrusts the Kokori Emerald to our care, one of the spiritual stones (the value of which will become more apparent to us soon).  He instructs us to visit a "princess of destiny" and weaves a tale of an evil man from the desert who yearns for a sacred power left by the goddesses during creation.  Hmm...I smell a connection to A Link to the Past, don't you?  Well, we cannot disappoint the Great Deku Tree...let's be off!  (Though the Kokori won't understand...after all, anyone who leaves these woods will die, right?  I guess we'll find out.)

Master Quest Differences: This dungeon is only slightly harder in this version of the game.  While it still serves as a tutorial dungeon; it also serves as a deterrent: it automatically spells out to the player that this is not the same game as the previous and it will be far more challenging.  You are faced with enemies which you didn't have to face until your adulthood in this dungeon (the big deku-babas, for example) and the cerebral level of the dungeon is much more complex - you'll have to do a lot more thinking now that the puzzles have become harder, even though the dungeon's layout is nearly unchanged.  However, the step-up in difficulty isn't too difficult, it will simply serve as a warning to the nonchalant player that this isn't the game they should be playing.