In The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Link has several opportunities to enhance his health through two primary types of items: Heart Pieces and Heart Containers. Understanding the mechanics and locations of these items can significantly enhance your gameplay experience.

Heart Pieces
Heart Pieces are collectible fragments that contribute to Link’s overall health in a more gradual manner. Each Heart Piece collected adds to the total until four are amassed, which then forms one complete Heart Container, thereby increasing Link’s maximum health by one heart. There are a total of 28 Heart Pieces scattered throughout Hyrule, encouraging players to explore the game world thoroughly.

Notable Locations for Heart Pieces:
– Zora’s Domain: Behind waterfalls (requires Zora’s Flippers).
– Graveyard Area: Hidden in secret caves.
– Hyrule Castle: On the east side, surrounded by rocks.
– Blacksmith’s House: Requires the Titan’s Mitt to move a large obstructing rock.
– Eastern Palace Area: South of the palace, near AL Cove, needing the Hammer to clear wooden pegs.
– Death Mountain: Utilize the wall-merge ability to access hidden caves.

These pieces often require specific items or abilities to reach, such as Zora’s Flippers for swimming and the Titan’s Mitt for lifting heavy objects. This structure encourages creativity in exploration, making the hunt for Heart Pieces a rewarding aspect of the game.

Heart Containers
In contrast, Heart Containers are awarded to Link after defeating the bosses located in the various dungeons throughout Hyrule. Each Heart Container provides a complete heart increase immediately, making them a more direct method for health enhancement compared to Heart Pieces.

Key Dungeons and Bosses:
1. Sanctuary: Reward for escorting Princess Zelda.
2. Eastern Palace: Defeating Armor Knights.
3. Desert Palace: Defeating Lanmolas.
4. Tower of Hera: Defeating Moldorm.
5. Dark Palace: Defeating Helmasaur King.
6. Swamp Palace: Defeating Arrghus.
7. Skull Woods: Defeating Mothula.
8. Thieves’ Town: Defeating Blind the Thief.
9. Ice Palace: Defeating Kholdstare.
10. Misery Mire: Defeating Vitreous.
11. Turtle Rock: Defeating Trinexx.

By defeating these bosses, players gain a Heart Container as a reward, thus directly contributing to Link’s health without the need for additional collection of fragments.

Summary
To maximize Link’s health in A Link Between Worlds:
– Collect four Heart Pieces to form one Heart Container, promoting exploration through the diverse landscapes and utilizing specific abilities.
– Defeat dungeon bosses to receive Heart Containers, allowing for substantial health increases through combat challenges.

This two-tier health system not only encourages exploration but also rewards engagement with both the environmental puzzles and combat encounters throughout the game.