Today is International Music Day, which means today is a perfect day to talk about frogs and zombie chickens. Just keep reading, it’ll make sense eventually.
As I played through the Link’s Awakening remake, I found myself moving through the story at the pace I expected. I had cleared six of the dungeons, and now it was time to ascend to the dizzying heights of the Tal Tal Mountain Range to reach the seventh dungeon, Eagle’s Tower. That was the simple part. Arriving at the tower was a matter of making Link climb the perilous cliffs, slay any of the spiteful and persistent enemies that often try to get in his way, and find the entrance to his trials and tribulations. I had been making Link do similar things throughout the entire game, so what was one more trek at this point?
The tricky part of entering the Eagle’s Tower is when you see the keyhole and realize you don’t have the key. “What am you do to? Where is the key?” It can be a conundrum — except when you know exactly what to do. As you might assume, I knew exactly what to do.
This was the remake of Link’s Awakening, after all, and I had played the original version about half-a-dozen times, so once I started on this version, it was only a matter of adjusting to what was new and letting my subconscious and memory lead me. Some might say it sounds boring to know what to expect, but I saw it as knowing what to joyfully anticipate.
My meeting with Mamu was something I anticipated.
To find the key, I needed to find a bird. A rooster, to be precise. The only roosters I knew though were the jerks living in Mabe Village and the one that was busy being dead in the same village. As bad luck would have it, I needed the help of the dead one. When it comes to having an unsettling need to recruit the help of those beyond the grave, Link has a knack for it. Well, there was no choice. It was time to go full Dr. Frankenstein on some poultry. I couldn’t do it by myself, but I knew the right giant frog to help me play Hylia.
Southeast of Mabe Village was my destination. Nestled within a batch of trees was a clearing marked with a number of signposts. This was the Signpost Maze, as named for it
That first time I saw Mamu all those years ago, I had the reaction I’m sure most people had: “Hey, it’s that guy.” I of course meant he was Wart from Super Mario Bros. 2. I also did remember that his name was Wart, but the amount of interest Wart was able to summon from me only ever equaled a “that guy” level. There’s a reason he never showed up in another Mario game, and the reason is that he’s as forgettable as a boring dream. None of this actually matter though, since his name in Link’s Awakening was “Mamu.” (Yes, I know Mamu is Wart’s name in Japan, but there’s no way I was going to know that back then.)
Mamu was different than I expected, mostly because I expected him to try to kill me. I suppose I was judging a book by its cover. He looked like Wart, so I assumed he quack like a duck too. (Or however the saying goes. You know what I’m trying to say.) Instead, Mamu was more interested in putting on a stirring performance.
Mamu was the leader of a musical group comprised of other amphibious vocalists. Singing was his passion, and he loved to share his passion with others — but not for free. After paying him the steep fee of 300 rupees, Mamu and his pals let their vocal cords wow their one-man audience as they sang their signature song, the “Frog’s Song of Soul.”
This performance seemed to have a strong effect on Link. Very strong, actually, because he learned to play the song on his ocarina immediately after hearing it. Either Link’s a genius with perfect recall, or the frogs put some kind of spell on him with their music, and I don’t know which option worries me more.
But that’s a concern that didn’t need to be addressed. The important thing was that I now had the power to commit sins against nature and resurrect a bird. Link wanted off the island, and when Link wants something, even death cannot get in the way of his goal.
