Ocarina of Time Switch 2 Water Temple still uses three water heights and plenty of backtracking, but it’s much less awkward to navigate. You can toggle Iron Boots without pausing, and Nintendo has replaced some solid walls with latticework so you can see the rooms beyond.
When you’re stuck, check the water level before anything else. The hidden passage beneath the central tower is especially easy to overlook. After that, your two big milestones are defeating Dark Link for the Longshot and finding the Boss Key.
How to enter the Ocarina of Time Switch 2 Water Temple
As adult Link, travel to Lake Hylia with the Iron Boots from the Ice Cavern, Hookshot, Fairy Bow and Zelda’s Lullaby. Put on the boots to sink to the underwater entrance, then use the Hookshot on the switch above the gate. The Zora Tunic makes underwater exploration easier, and Serenade of Water gets you back to the lake.
The Ocarina of Time Switch 2 Water Temple starts flooded. It isn’t a straight sequence where you finish the ground floor, climb upwards and never return. Expect to revisit the main hall repeatedly as the water level changes.
How to switch Iron Boots without pausing
In the Ocarina of Time Switch 2 Water Temple, tap down on the D-pad to toggle Iron Boots. Put them on to sink to the floor and remove them to swim upwards. If Link won’t rise towards a doorway, check your boots before trying another route.
This shortcut removes the constant pause-menu detours associated with the original Water Temple. Nintendo says faster item switching was a deliberate change, alongside clearer views through some walls.
Where to change all three water levels
Play Zelda’s Lullaby at one of the three Triforce markers to set the water low, middle or high. Each marker has its own location. The lowest control is reached through Ruto’s route, the middle one sits in the central tower and the high control is reached along the upper passages.
| Setting | Control | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Triforce reached along Princess Ruto’s route | Exposes lower passages |
| Middle | Inside the central tower | Raises a floating platform and reveals the area beneath it |
| High | Upper-level Triforce marker | Opens elevated corridors towards Dark Link and the boss |
In the Ocarina of Time Switch 2 Water Temple, think about height whenever you reach a dead end. A doorway may be above you because the water is too low or hidden beneath the surface because it is too high.
Ocarina of Time Switch 2 Water Temple: Where is the central tower Small Key?
When you set the water to middle inside the central tower, a platform rises and exposes a hole beneath it. Put on the boots and drop into that opening. Follow the crystal-switch and enemy puzzle in the lower chamber; this is the route many returning players forget to check.
If you’re still missing a Small Key, check the cracked wall in Ruto’s route as well as the chamber below the central platform. Bombable walls and passages opened by water-level changes are easy to miss when you’re concentrating on locked doors.
How to get the Longshot after Dark Link
Once the upper passages open, follow the moving platforms to the reflective chamber. Walk towards the far door and look back to reveal Dark Link near the tree. He counters predictable sword attacks, so vary your timing rather than repeatedly thrusting.
Once he falls, open the chest beyond the fight to obtain the Longshot. Its extended range is necessary for later grapple points. Our Dark Link guide explains the fight, including optional Biggoron’s Sword and Din’s Fire strategies.
Ocarina of Time Switch 2 Water Temple: Boss Key and Morpha route
After defeating Dark Link in the Ocarina of Time Switch 2 Water Temple, play the Song of Time behind the Longshot chest to uncover the passage into the whirlpool river. Later, lower the main chamber water again and revisit the south-side eye-switch gate and red block, where the Longshot opens a route the ordinary Hookshot couldn’t reach. These passages lead you towards the remaining keys and the north-side Boss Key route.
For the Boss Key, continue through the boulder and block-pushing rooms, then return to the main hall and restore high water. Use the Longshot to reach the northern boss door and cross its spike-trap slope. Morpha’s pink core takes damage only after you pull it out of the water. Our Morpha guide explains the fight.
What changed in the Switch 2 Water Temple?
Nintendo retained the underlying dungeon mechanics but shifted some object placements and replaced certain solid walls with lattice sections. The remake is easier to read, not an entirely redesigned open-world temple. Old walkthroughs can still help with the main idea, but some exact routes differ.
If you’re lost in the Ocarina of Time Switch 2 Water Temple, return to the main hall and check the waterline. The three Triforce controls, the tunnel beneath the tower, Dark Link’s chest and the Boss Key route are the landmarks that keep you moving.
Official source: Nintendo’s Water Temple remake discussion.
