You cannot use the Stone of Agony in the Ocarina of Time remake, because it is not in the game: the 20-token Gold Skulltula reward is now the Echo Gem. Equip the Echo Gem from the pause menu, and it shines a green light, chimes and vibrates whenever a Gold Skulltula is close.
The catch is that it only reacts to Gold Skulltulas. If you came here wanting the old Stone’s trick of flagging hidden holes, the remake has no item for that. Below is what changed, how to get and read the Echo Gem, and how to find grottos without a detector.
What Replaced the Stone of Agony
| Version | Item | What it points you to |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo 64, 1998 | Stone of Agony | Hidden holes and grottos, by shaking the Rumble Pak |
| Nintendo 3DS | Shard of Agony | Hidden holes |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Echo Gem | Gold Skulltulas only |
Our list of everything that changed has the remake’s other swaps, and our 3DS comparison covers what that version did differently.
How to Get the Echo Gem
Collect 20 Gold Skulltula Tokens, then take them to the House of Skulltula in the southern part of Kakariko Village. It is the house covered in cobwebs. Go in and talk to the family: you collect each reward in person, so nothing arrives on its own.
| Tokens | Reward |
|---|---|
| 10 | Adult’s Wallet, which holds up to 500 rupees |
| 20 | Echo Gem |
| 30 | Giant’s Wallet, which holds up to 1,000 rupees |
| 40 | Bombchus |
| 50 | Piece of Heart |
| 100 | Gold Rupee |
Our Gold Skulltula guide has the count for every dungeon and region, so you can plan your first 20.
How to Equip and Read the Echo Gem
The Echo Gem does nothing until you equip it.
- Press + to open the pause menu.
- Go to the equipment screen. It is where tunics, swords and shields live, as our quick swap guide explains.
- Select the Echo Gem. Leave it on while you explore.
Once it is on, here is what to watch for:
- A green light in the area around you, plus a chime. That means a Gold Skulltula is nearby.
- Vibration. You feel it through the controller as you get near.
- The speed of the shine. The closer you get, the faster it shines, so walk toward whatever speeds it up.
It only tells you that one is close. You still have to spot the spider and collect its token yourself.
Why It Goes Off When Nothing Is There
A signal in an empty-looking spot is easy to misread. The Echo Gem reacts to where a Skulltula spawns, even in daytime, so a gem that fires by day can mean a Skulltula that only comes out after dark.
The fix is simple: play the Sun’s Song and look again at night. Some spots also depend on your age, so a signal you cannot chase down may need young or adult Link. The map helps with both, since it now shows how many Gold Skulltulas you have found in each area.
Bring the right tool as well. Young Link’s Boomerang and adult Link’s Hookshot both reach tokens out of arm’s range.
How to Find Grottos Without the Stone
With no detector, grottos come down to knowing where to look. These are the tells to check for.
| What to look for | What to do | One example |
|---|---|---|
| A stone that stands out on a path | Bomb it | The hidden grotto with a cow on the Death Mountain Trail |
| A corner of long grass | Walk through and cut the grass | The Forest Stage grotto in the Lost Woods |
| A crack in the ground | Bomb it | The woods in the south of Hyrule Field, between Lake Hylia and Lon Lon Ranch |
| A circular plant or a lone spot in shadow | Play the Song of Storms | The first area of Sacred Forest Meadow |
Two more changes help here. The two Hyrule Field Heart Pieces no longer sit in hidden grottos: they now use Fairy Notes that you read as adult Link and act on as young Link, as our Heart Piece guide explains. And the Mask of Truth lets you talk to Gossip Stones and read the inner thoughts of the people you meet. Our mask quest guide covers how to earn it.
Every remake guide is on our Zelda hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Stone of Agony in the Ocarina of Time remake? No. The 20-token reward at the House of Skulltula is now the Echo Gem.
What replaced the Stone of Agony? The Echo Gem, a new item that signals when a Gold Skulltula is nearby.
Where do you get the Echo Gem? From the family in the House of Skulltula in Kakariko Village, once you have 20 Gold Skulltula Tokens.
Does the Echo Gem find grottos? No. It only reacts to Gold Skulltulas, so grottos have to be found by looking for bombable stones, long grass and Song of Storms spots.
Why is the Echo Gem going off when I can’t see a Gold Skulltula? It also reacts by day to spots where a Skulltula only appears at night. Play the Sun’s Song and check again after dark.
Do you have to equip the Echo Gem? Yes. Select it on the equipment screen in the pause menu, or it will not signal anything.