I hate desert regions in 3D video games. Yes, even in Zelda games. It’s a completely personal choice for me. I think it’s hard to make a vast, open area like that very interesting. I mean, that’s the whole point of a desert, right? It’s supposed to be a vast, open, empty area. It’s, as they say, deserted.
All that being said, I’ve never met a 2D desert that I didn’t like. They’re usually much smaller and easier to traverse. Making a 2D desert interesting can be done quickly and efficiently with one word: quicksand. Oracle of Seasons has a great desert section in the Samasa Desert, located in the deep southeast part of Holodrum.
Samasa Desert is full of pits of quicksand. It’s truly mind boggling how many sandpits the developers were able to fit in such a small area. What sets this desert apart from other 2D Zelda deserts is that the sandpits don’t always lead to an underground cavern. Some of them are just sandpits for the sake of being a sandpit. They’re there to make the player tread carefully while traversing the desert.
The plot relevant part of Samasa is the pirate ship in the south. Well, half of a pirate ship. You see, the Piratians have somehow gotten their ship stuck halfway between Subrosia and Samasa while trying to get out to sea. They can’t leave without the Captain’s bell. This has been a problem for a while considering they have all become skeletons. However, the Piratian who knew where the bell was died. But, like, REALLY died. He’s a ghost, not just a skeleton.
In the ship, the Pirate Skeleton Ghost tells Link to find his head near the oasis to the northeast in order for the ghost to pass on to the afterlife. When Link finds it, he has to carry it around the desert until it starts chattering. That’s where the bell is. There’s quite a bit of fun to be had while carrying this skull around. You can throw it in the sandpit! You can throw it in the sand! You can throw it in the water! Depending on where you throw it, the head says something different, which is a nice little touch.
While trying to find the correct sandpit, Link will probably stumble into the wrong one a few times. In some pits, you can find a Deku Scrub who will sell you a shield. In others, it takes you to a cave full of Like-Likes, which may in turn lead you to finding the Deku Scrub who will sell you a shield. Finally, in the bottom left, you can fall in a pit that will take you to a treasure chest with a Lv. 1 Rang Ring.
Once you find the Bell, your quest in Samasa is over. The ship acts like a quick travel point into Subrosia, where you will have to get the bell shined up before the Captain will allow them to set sail.
As a side note, the Piratians are some of my favorite side characters in this game. They’re so goofy. They get seasick after finally setting sail. Bro, how can you get seasick?! You’re a pirate and you don’t have a stomach! You’re a skeleton!
Anyway, if you return to Samasa, you’ll find that the Pirate Skeleton Ghost actually did not pass on to the next realm. These ridiculous Piratians spent too long stuck in the desert that he forgot how to enter the afterlife. What a goof.
Samasa Desert is a small area, but it’s full of fun characters and genuinely treacherous obstacles. I can’t count the number of times I almost died because I ran into too many cacti. Is it enough to change my opinion on desert areas in video games? No. Not even a little. But it does help me appreciate what they could be if done correctly.
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