You can use the Magic Mirror to get the Magic Cape early by warping to the area the headstone is in from the Dark World.

Miyamoto had originally planned for "A Link to the Past" to have a party system where you could switch between three characters and utilize their individual abilities. The characters would have been a mix between an elf and a fighter, a magic user, and a girl.

There is an unused item called "The Letter" that occupies the same inventory space as the Magic Mirror. It uses the same sprite as the map, similar to the letter item from the original Legend of Zelda.

There is a secret room, called the Chris Houlihan room, that is not accessible via normal means. It contains a telepathy tile and 225 Rupees and is used as an error handler if you fall into a hole but the game can't find a proper destination.

This room appeared as a result of Chris Houlihan winning a Nintendo Power contest and being promised an appearance in a Zelda game. Many of the glitches used to access the room were removed in the GBA port though, along with any mention of Chris.

There are several portraits of Mario hanging in houses of Kakiriko Village.

Concept Art for A Link to the Past shows Zelda in futuristic attire. The original Legend of Zelda was planned to be set in both the past and the future. This art could be an indication that Nintendo considered reusing the concept for A Link to the Past.

An unused enemy soldier with a cannon is fully programmed in the game, but never used. He includes full AI, graphics and animations.