Crystal Switch

Crystal Switch
Artwork of a Crystal Switch from A Link to the Past
First appearance	A Link to the Past (1992)
Appearances	A Link to the Past Link's Awakening Ocarina of Time Majora's Mask Oracle of Ages Oracle of Seasons Four Swords The Wind Waker Four Swords Adventures The Minish Cap Twilight Princess Phantom Hourglass Spirit Tracks Skyward Sword
Found	Dungeons
Use	Changing Link's surroundings Opening/unlocking doors

"Part of the floor is raised. Tap the blue crystal."

— Owl Statue

Crystal Switches are recurring objects in the Legend of Zelda series. Crystal Switches are a common mechanism found throughout several games. When Link hits one with a sword, Boomerang, arrow, blast from a Bomb, or other damage-dealing item, these mechanisms trigger something in the area, such as the opening of a door or gate. Their appearances varies between games.

Appearances

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Crystal Switches are round and similar in appearance to a crystal ball. They start out either red or blue, and when hit, would turn to the other color. They control the rise and fall of color-matched block obstacles in the dungeon floors. When the switches turn blue, the blue blocks sink into square openings in the floor, allowing Link to walk across them. When the switch is red, the red blocks are lowered, and the red pathway is revealed.

The switches can only lower one of the sets of colored blocks at a time, and a single switch controls all other switches within the same dungeon, forcing Link to retrace his steps and find a Crystal Switch to lower blocks blocking his path.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

In the original monochrome release of Link's Awakening, Crystal Switches are gray, but otherwise operate exactly the same way as in A Link to the Past; the blocks they raise and lower are the same color, so the player must remember which ones were raised or lowered. In the color re-release Link's Awakening for the Game Boy Color, the switches and blocks are all blue, which closer resembles their color scheme from A Link to the Past.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask

In both games, Crystal Switches are different in both appearance and function from before. Here, they resemble diamond-shaped gems with orbs inside them. Hitting them results in either the opening of a door, the unbarring of a gate, or the lowering of a catwalk for Link to progress through to the next area.

Here, each switch works independently of each other, and the dungeons are designed to challenge the player to hit switches across wide gaps and behind obstacles, such as tall wire fences and growing vines.

In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest there is a different variation of Crystal Switches that turn red when first hit and blue when hit again. The effects of these switches do not run out over a certain period of time, and the effects can be reversed only by hitting the switch again. A similar switch can be seen in one of the rooms of the Water Temple in the original version of the game.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons

Crystal Switches have the same properties as those from A Link to the Past. Link can hit Crystal Switches to simultaneously change all of their colors from red to blue or vice versa. When the Crystal Switches are red, the red blocks are lowered and the blue blocks are raised, and when they are blue, the blue blocks are lowered and the red blocks are raised.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

Crystal Switches are somewhat common. They are, however, aesthetically different than the ones seen in other games, appearing as broad diamond-shaped crystals rather than the typical crystal ball style. The Links must pick these switches up and place them in empty pedestals found throughout the levels.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

The appearance and function of Crystal Switches are the same as in Ocarina of Time although they are smaller. There are often multiple Crystal Switches in the same area, and Link must hit them all in succession in the right order with the boomerang. This happens in the Forbidden Woods and in Ganon's Tower. In the overworld, crystal switches are usually placed in high areas, requiring the use of a Hyoi Pear to activate them.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Crystal Switches in Four Swords Adventures work the same way as in A Link to the Past. They are red or blue in color and lower the colored blocks that correspond with the switches' current color. Link can change the switches' color by attacking one of them. They are only found in the Temple of Darkness, the dungeon of the fifth level.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Crystal Switches generally operate the same way as in Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and The Wind Waker. Hitting them results in the opening of a gate. They are most commonly found in the Goron Mines. In the Temple of Time there are crystal switches that Link must hit with an arrow or his sword to open and close sets of doors during his ascent. Most of these switches alternate between blue and yellow light as opposed to the red and blue light of similar past incarnations. There is a different variation of the Crystal Switch that alternate between red and green. Unlike its blue and yellow counterpart, the effects of these switches can be reversed by hitting the switch again. Crystal Switches are not circular like past switches, but an 8 sided diamond shape.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Crystal Switches are reverted to their original design and function. Link is often required to draw a path for the Boomerang with the Stylus to hit a switch. In this game, the switches are available in three colors: a purplish-black, blue, or red. The red switches turn into blue switches when hit, and blue switches turn into red switches when hit, as in the previous games. Depending on the color of the switch, the corresponding red or blue color blocks will recede into the floor, opening up new passageways. The purplish-black switches perform many functions, such as making air jets stop blowing, or to make spikes go down into the floor, or to make flames disappear.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Crystal Switches are identical to Crystal Switches from Phantom Hourglass. However, only the purplish-black variation is found in the game. Several of these switches are spread throughout the boss arena during the battle with Skeldritch.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

A Crystal Switch from Skyward Sword

Crystal Switches appear pink and are made up of multiple, smaller crystals of the same shape; when Link hits a Crystal Switch with his equipment, it will drain of color and break into smaller crystals. Oftentimes, Crystal Switches will unlock barred doors, including the one leading to the Stalfos mini-boss in the Skyview Temple.