The Legend of Zelda is a classic NES title released in 1987 and was a huge commercial success. Even with NES emulators, it still remains popular even today. Here are a few classic cheats for the traditional NES user and some cheat codes for the NES emulator user.

Legend of Zelda Cheats for NES emulators

There are various custom codes that people develop throughout the net to customize and work around the Legend of Zelda as they see fit, but they lack uniformity and are usually difficult to work with. Game Genie codes offer the best cheats without drastically altering the game’s setup, and works fairly well within an NES emulator. The Game Genie was a nifty device back in the late 80s that developed specific cheats for all of your NES favorites. Some NES emulators integrated the Game Genie cheat programs into their software to add to the already nostalgic effect of playing the NES. The fact is, everyone used cheats back in the day and still love to today. It’s good for a fun, relaxing run of the game after you’ve nearly died of frustration through the game normally. Nestopia is a very good NES emulator that incorporates the Game Genie cheat codes.  You can download Nestopia free from the internet and install on your hard drive or on custom USB drives for portability.

The Legend of Zelda Game Genie NES cheat codes:

• Be invincible (Take zero damage from enemies) – AVVLAUSZ
• Make all items available for free – SZVXASVK + AEVEVALG
• Infinite weapon: Bombs – SZNZVOVK
• Make character with 8 life hearts – YYKPOYZZ
• Make character with 16 life hearts – NYKPOYZX
• Wear a red ring – OSKUILTA
• Wear a blue ring – ESKUILTA
• Keep rubies when purchasing items – SZVXASVK

Legend of Zelda Cheats for NES

Save game without dying

Here’s how you save the game without taking the time to die properly. For this you’ll need a second controller. Press start on controller 1 (this is the controller you’re using for 1^st player). This will bring up the pause screen menu. Then press Up + A button on controller 2. The save screen will then appear but you won’t have the option of retry.  You can also press Up + Start on controller 2 for a quick save.

No charge for a broken door

For this you’ll need a second controller. Press both A and B buttons on controller 2 immediately after the old man asks Link to pay for the broken door.

Steal items without being noticed

Go to the store in the game. Take an item off the shelf and walk around the guy behind the counter in a clockwise direction. Leave the ship when he has his back turned to still the item.

Start game at Second Quest

In order to do this you would have needed to beat the game at least once. When you start, enter your name as ZELDA. You’ll start at the second quest with most of the items.

“The Case of the Missing Door”

This is a pretty well known cheat (although technically it’s a glitch). When you first enter Level 1 in the First Quest of the game, immediately leave and re-enter the area. The locked door in the area will be gone.

Kill Gohma quick and easy

Before you enter Gohma’s room, get your bow and arrows ready. Go inside and quickly shoot an arrow. Gohma will be right in front of you with his eye open so you end up killing him with one shot.

Refill Red-colored Water of Life

Once you use a red-colored Water of Life it will turn blue. This basically means that you can only use it one more time before you no longer have it. You can “refill” it without buying a second Red-colored Water of Life. When you’re Red Water of Life is blue, go to the Old Woman and buy a Blue Water of Life. This will make your Blue Water of Life into a Red one.

Fewer Enemies in an area

Kill all the enemies in a particular area screen except for one. The next time you go through this area there will only be the one enemy you left there, so you don’t have to fight all of them again.

Restore your health automatically

For this you’ll need a second controller. Go to a Lake of a Great Fairy when you health gauge is low to restore it. As you approach the lake, your health gauge will slowly begin to fill up. As this is happening, press Start on controller 1 and enter the item selection screen. As you do this, your health gauge will continue to fill up. Press Up+A on the second controller to return to the Save menu. Select Save, a load your character’s file. Once it’s loaded, instead of remaining at the default of 3 hearts, you character ill have its health fully restored right at the start.