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.
Bomb dash
This will place a bomb and start a dash charge immediately. In practice, this isn't often used because it's uncommon that players want to place a bomb and immediately dash away from it.
In major glitch speedruns, it does figure into some common trick setups as a way to automate Link's movement with the timing of the bomb's fuse.
Book dash
This is doable, but has basically no actual utility. All meaningful uses of the book (opening Desert, receiving the Bombos or Ether medallions) immediately activate a cutscene that interrupts whatever dash you'd want to charge.
Boom dash
An item dash with the boomerang is known as a boom dash. When performed, Link will throw the boomerang on the same frame that your dash starts (ie. 30 frames after hitting and ).
If combined with hitting different directions on the d-pad from the one Link is facing, you can have Link throw the boomerang in one direction while Link dashes is another. This also works with diagonal inputs. An application of this can be found in Hera's Tile room.
After canceling a boom dash, Link will stand still for 7 frames as he completes the boom toss animation, which is a solid amount faster than the normal boomerang animation (13 frames).
Bow dash
The bow dash is interesting as unlike most ranged weapons, the projectile from the bow isn't created until the end of the bow's animation. This translates to Link firing the shot after he finishes his dash instead of at the very start of the + press.
This quirk significantly reduces the effectiveness of bow dashing in speedruns, and it isn't often used in optimized strats. Despite this, the bow does have a quicker animation on a completed bow dash than it does when normally used (14 frames vs. 17 frames).
Bottle dash
When performed, Link will use the bottle and start a dash charge. This doesn't really have any practical utility due to bottles:
- Not having any "use" animation
- Generally being independent of environmental contexts (unlike say, the interaction with fire rod/lamp and torches).
So they can just be used at no cost during a bit of movement where Link is walking.
Byrna dash
When performed, Link will charge his dash and activate the Cane of Byrna's invulnerability effect. When Link cancels his dash, there will be 24 remaining animation frames from the cane before he can walk again normally.
A byrna dash is generally much more efficient than using it normally. Although it ends with a 24 frame animation, the cane's normal animation length is 41 frames.
Cane dash
Although there are two canes, the Cane of Somaria is far more important to speedrunners than Byrna is. So it gets to have the cane moniker.
Item dashes can be used to both place a block or explode an existing block. Link will do either action at the beginning of his dash charge. A cane dash has a slightly faster overall item-use animation compared to using the cane normally (11 frames vs. 13 frames).
Cape dash
A cape dash will activate the cape and begin a dash charge simultaneously. If Link is already using the cape, then a cape dash will deactivate the cape and begin a dash charge.
Cape dashes are much more efficient than using the cape normally. The cape's usual "poof" animation, whether Link is turning it on or turning it off, lasts 24 frames. A cape dash has zero cape animation frames.
Flute dash
There are certain situations where the flute will be on cooldown.
- Right after unlocking the duck at the weathervane in Kakariko Village.
- Right after having used the flute.
By performing a flute dash in these situations, you will bypass the cooldown and be able to use the flute more quickly than normal.
Hammer dash
Doing an item dash with the hammer will have Link dash with the hammer out. If Link has a sword in his inventory, hammer dashing allows Link to dash through multiple pots or pegs during the same dash.
A hammer dash also has 22 frames of hammer animation compared to 24 frames when used normally.
Lamp dash
A lamp dash will have Link use the lamp and start a dash charge simultaneously. Although this doesn't speed up the lamp use at all (which has no item-use animation), it does allow the player to begin those two actions at once, which can be helpful for optimizing a situation where the player wants to light a torch and immediately dash. An example of this is the first torches room at the top of Ganon's Tower.
Mirror dash
This will use the mirror and begin a dash charge. In most contexts, this isn't useful at all:
- On the Light World overworld, the mirror doesn't do anything.
- On the Dark World overworld, the mirror will immediately warp Link to the Light World. Link won't continue his dash charge after warping.
- Inside of dungeons, the mirror will immediately warp Link to last dungeon entrance he used, and again, Link won't continue his dash charge.
That leaves caves, where the mirror usually does nothing, but there's a small exception with the mirror-block erase trick. If the player wants to delete a block and immediately dash, then a mirror dash may be optimal.
Net dash
A net dash will have Link pull out the net and begin a dash charge. You'll still have 37 frames of net animation after canceling the dash, but that's a couple of frames less than the normal net animation of 39 frames.
Net dashes can also be used to collect fairies more quickly from fairy-containing bonk rocks or trees. When net dashed, Link will automatically collect the fairy without the player needing to hunt it down.
Powder dash
Powder dashing starts the powder animation and begins a dash charge. Link will not actually release the magic powder until after the dash is canceled.
Powder dashing makes the powder animation 1 frame faster than it is when using it normally (28 frames vs. 29 frames for normal use).
Rod dash
A rod dash is an item dash done with either the fire or ice rod. Outside of the innate differences in the fire and ice rods, they both function identically. Link will use the item and begin a dash charge at the same time. The projectile will spawn immediately, and the item-use animations will shorten from 13 frames (what it is when using a rod normally) to 11 frames.
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