A Link to the Past
Item dash
An item dash is done by starting a dash on the same frame you use an item (pressing and on the same frame). This will have different effects depending on which item you currently have equipped.
This glitch is exclusive to the Japanese 1.0 version of the game, and the speedrun community considers it a minor glitch.
Items that Dash
With these items, Link will combine Link starting a dash charge with him also using the item. With some specific item dashes, there are additional considerations, and those will be enumerated on below.
Many of Link's items have an "item-use" animation that locks Link in place for a short time. For item dashes, the following two things are generally true for items with an animation:
- If Link fully charges a dash, he will finish the item-use animation after the dash is canceled. However, the total amount of time Link spends locked in the "item-use" animation for that item will be shorter than normal.
- If Link does not fully charge a dash, the amount of time Link spends locked in the "item-use" animation for that item will be longer than normal.
This means it's basically never a good idea to tap + together such that Link would use the item and start up a dash charge but not actually go into a full dash. Link will be saddled with a longer animation for using the item than he would if the player just pressed alone. But if the player wants to immediately dash after using an item, then an item dash is frequently an optimal choice.
Some item dashes allow Link to dash turn like normal, but some of them don't. With items where it doesn't work, if the player is holding a direction Link isn't facing when the dash charge completely, Link's dash is canceled entirely, and he just uses the item.
Some item dashes handle all room and screen transitions normally, however other item dashes don't handle spiral stair transitions or underworld/overworld entrance transitions properly. In both cases, Link will seem stuck in a portion of the item-use animation, and his position will slowly drift in the direction of the previous item dash. This effect can be canceled by pressing .
Specific item behavior
| Item | Normal animation (frames) | Item dash animation | Dash turn? | Glitchy stair/entrances? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bomb | 0 | 0 | ✔️ | ❌ | |
| Book | 0 | 0 | ✔️ | ❌ | |
| Boomerang | 13 | 7 | ❌ | ✔️ | Link will throw the boomerang as soon as the dash charge completes. The item dash action can be combined with same frame inputs to have Link throw in a direction he isn't facing. |
| Bow | 17 | 14 | ❌ | ✔️ | Unlike most other projectile items, bow dashes fire the projectile after Link cancels the dash. In practice, this makes bow dashing not especially useful. |
| Bottle | 0 | 0 | ✔️ | ❌ | |
| Byrna | 41 | 24 | ❌ | ✔️ | |
| Cape | 24 | 0 | ✔️ | ❌ | Can be used when turning the cape on or off. |
| Flute | 0 | 0 | ✔️ | ❌ | Special side effect of skipping the flute cooldown. |
| Hammer | 24 | 22 | ❌ | ✔️ | If Link has a sword in his inventory, this will allow him to dash through multiple hammer pegs or pots. |
| Lamp | 0 | 0 | ✔️ | ❌ | |
| Mirror | 0 | 0 | ✔️ | ❌ | |
| Net | 39 | 38 | ❌ | ❌ | If Link net dashes towards bonk rocks or a tree that contains a fairy, Link will catch the fairy instantly. |
| Powder | 29 | 28 | ✔️ | ✔️ | Sprinkles the powder after Link's dash has been canceled. |
| Rod | 13 | 11 | ✔️ | ✔️ | Works the same for both rods. Projectile fires at the same time Link starts his dash charge. |
| Somaria | 13 | 11 | ✔️ | ✔️ | Works whether Link is placing a new block or detonating an existing one. |
Items that Arm Superspeed
There are four items that don't enter a dash charge when Link item dashes using them. The items' normal animations play, and then Link will come out of it with armed superspeed. These items are:
- Hookshot
- Ether
- Quake
- Bombos
Item dashing with the hookshot is also part of some other tech in the game:
- Sword climbing
- 0 cycle Arrghus
- Various clips and out of bounds tricks