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Mine Carts,(OoS | SS | BotW)[1][2][3] also known as Rail Carts,(OoS)[4] and High-Speed Carts,(TMC)[5] are recurring Objects in The Legend of Zelda series.[name reference needed] They serve as a short-term means for transportation in the games in which they appear.

Characteristics[]

Mine Carts, simple vessels with wheels, appear mostly in Dungeons (usually fire- or mine-themed) and certain Mini-Games. They are essential to the navigation of the Dungeons in which they appear, as they are often able to break open doors that Link cannot. Mine Carts always run automatically along a defined track, though Switches that alter the Cart's path can often be found near the tracks. In all its appearances except in The Minish Cap, Link can use his Items while riding in the Cart, either to defeat Enemies or to flip the Switch that will change the Cart's path.

Appearances[]

Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages[]

The Mine Cart is first introduced in Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. In these games, Mine Carts are of a bluish color. They are heavily featured in Dungeons throughout the games. The rails they are set on can sometimes have their direction changed, should Link hit a nearby Rail Switch. On occasion, gates will block the Cart's path, which can be lifted by a nearby Switch. Mine Carts are featured in the Gnarled Root Dungeon, the Dancing Dragon Dungeon, the Unicorn's Cave and the Sword & Shield Maze in Oracle of Seasons; and in the Wing Dungeon and the Skull Dungeon in Oracle of Ages.

The Mine Cart is the centerpiece of the Target Carts Mini-Game on Rolling Ridge in Oracle of Ages. The object of the game is to hit crystal-like targets using the Seed Shooter while riding in a Mine Cart.[6]

The Minish Cap[]

In The Minish Cap, the High-Speed Cart appears exclusively in the Cave of Flames. Compared to its other appearances, the High-Speed Carts in this game travel at an extremely high velocity, practically flinging Link out of the Cart when it comes to a stop. Since Link must hold on to the Cart with both hands to avoid being thrown out, he cannot use his Items while riding in the one. Occasionally, High-Speed Carts are found flipped upside-down, and must be righted using the Cane of Pacci.

Oblivious to the speed at which the High-Speed Carts travel, Link and Ezlo are greatly startled and dazed after their first ride in the Cart.[7] However, Link smiles afterwards, suggesting that he enjoyed the ride. Contrarily, Ezlo does not share Link's humor.[8]

Spirit Tracks[]

The Mine Carts of Spirit Tracks have no wheels and run on one single rail, therefore they are more of a monorail than a conventional Mine Cart. When the Cart reaches the end of its track, it will dump Link out, causing him to fall face-first to the ground.

Mine Carts are featured heavily in the Fire Temple, where they are the centerpiece of a puzzle on the final floor of the Dungeon, where the Boss Key is obtained. Switches that alter the Cart's tracks are flipped by using Arrows or the Boomerang,[9] the only weapons Link is able to use while riding in the Cart. The Mine Cart is also essential to defeating the Dungeon's Boss, Cragma.

The Mine Cart also appears in a part of the Pirate Hideout Mini-Game, where Link must rescue a prisoner kept within the hideout while fighting off Miniblins coming in on their own Mine Carts.

Skyward Sword[]

Main article: Rickety Coaster

Skyward Sword is the first console Zelda game to feature Mine Carts. They are found throughout Lanayru Desert, Lanayru Mining Facility and Lanayru Gorge. Link can ride empty Carts to traverse the terrain. In the Rickety Coaster Mini-Game, he can control the speed and direction of the Cart with the Wii Remote to remain stable on the sharp turns of the track. Other Carts carry Timeshift Stones which move and change the surroundings when Link activates them. Mine Carts in the Lanayru area levitate, seemingly with magnetism.

Tri Force Heroes[]

In Tri Force Heroes, Mine Carts appear in several Levels of the Volcano, operating on looping tracks that will branch off once certain objectives are completed.

In the second Stage of Hinox Mine, the Mine Cart passes by a ledge with Bomb Flowers, which the Links must grab with a Boomerang and use to destroy a nearby Block, revealing a Shock Switch. When the Mine Cart loops back around, they must form a Totem to hit the switch with an Arrow, re-routing the track toward the Triforce Gateway.

In the third Stage, a Shock Switch must first be struck from the moving Mine Cart to direct the Cart into a large loop, where the Links must activate three more Shock Switches using carefully-placed Bomb Flowers or Arrows. This opens a door to the next Triforce Gateway.

In the fourth Stage, the Links board a two-car Mine Cart and are soon met by Hinox the Eldest riding in his own Mine Cart on a parallel track. The Links battle the Hinox by catching and returning the Bombs it throws, while the Mine Carts take them around the entire Stage's perimeter. After the Hinox takes enough damage to be knocked out temporarily, he will be joined by Hinox the Elder in another Mine Cart. The Links must survive their barrage of Bombs and defeat both Hinox Brothers to clear the Level.

Mine Carts are later seen in the second Stage of the Fire Temple, where the Links appear on octagonal platform above a pool of lava. A Hinox emerges on a Mine Cart, looping around the platform and continuously throwing Bombs, which the Links can retrieve and throw back. After the Hinox is defeated, two more Mine Carts carrying Hinoxes will emerge. Once all have been defeated, a stairway lowers onto the platform, leading to the Triforce Gateway.

Breath of the Wild[]

In Breath of the Wild, Mine Carts are physics objects found mostly through the areas on and surrounding Death Mountain, usually derailed from the linear rails they would run. Link must use the Magnesis rune to place the metal Mine Cart onto a nearby track, and then power the Mine Cart by placing an explosive (generally from the Remote Bomb rune) into the receptacle and detonating it, or by using Stasis on the Mine Cart to generate momentum.

A popular glitch allows Link to nest one Mine Cart inside another, and then use Magnesis on the outer Mine Cart while standing inside the inner one to create a makeshift flying machine.

Tears of the Kingdom[]

Mine Carts return in Tears of the Kingdom, functioning similarly to Breath of the Wild. They are once again present on Death Mountain, but are also very present in the Depths, especially the Fire Temple, and in certain Shrines of Light. They appear in a wider variety of styles representing different groups such as YunoboCo. and the Zonai, some with and some without an explosive receptacle, and are now powered primarily by attaching a Zonai Device using the Ultrahand rune.

Mine Cart rails in Tears of the Kingdom are more complex than those in Breath of the Wild, featuring obstacles such as track switches and rail damage, which must be accounted for when using Mine Carts.

Like other physics objects in the game, Mine Carts have a wide array of uses thanks to Link’s new runes. They can be ridden as normal, used as a chassis for a land or air vehicle using Ultrahand, Fused with a weapon to act as a hammer or with a shield to create a skateboard, or as a moving platform with Recall.

Nomenclature[]

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in other regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
LanguageNameMeaning
JapanJapaneseトロッコ (Torokko)[10]Same as English.
This table was generated using translation pages.
To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference.

Gallery[]

See Also[]

References

  1. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages — Official Strategy Guide (Pocket Guide), BradyGames, pg. 52(OoS)
  2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword — Prima Official Game Guide, Prima Games, pg. 107
  3. Creating a Champion, Dark Horse Books, pg. 296
  4. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages — Official Strategy Guide (Pocket Guide), BradyGames, pg. 51(OoS)
  5. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap — The Official Nintendo Player's Guide, Nintendo of America, pg. 32
  6. "Welcome to Target Carts! Fire your Seed Shooter while riding in a cart. If you hit enough targets, you win a prize!" — Goron (Oracle of Ages)
  7. "This must be what the humans who built this mine used to get around in here. Maybe we should hop in. Hm? What? After all this, you don't expect me to believe you're scared! There's nothing to be afraid of here! Come on, let's go!" — Ezlo (The Minish Cap)
  8. "Sweet jumping jellyfish, that was awful! Hey, kid, what are you smiling about? I knew it was madness to risk our lives in that rickety human contraption! From now on, let's just stick to our feet! Well, I mean...your feet." — Ezlo (The Minish Cap)
  9. "Jump in the cart and keep an arrow ready for when you find the switch." — Gossip Stone (Spirit Tracks)
  10. Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Shogakukan) pg. 35
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