Box Art
Game: Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
First Released: August, 1993, Gameboy
Developers: Nintendo
Platforms: Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Virtual Console
Rated: E, for Mild Violence
First Released: August, 1993, Gameboy
Developers: Nintendo
Platforms: Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Virtual Console
Rated: E, for Mild Violence
How I Came To Play This Game
Link caught in a storm
Back when I was just getting into the Legend of Zelda series, I had already played Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time. The next Zelda game I got my hands on was Link's Awakening. That was just because it was more affordable to my teenage self because it only costed 12 dollars used at Slackers. I also didn't have to buy a Gameboy as it playable on the Gameboy Advance. It was the original Gameboy version, not the DX version, so I had to deal with the monochrome graphics. I didn't really mind though, it's still the same game, and I'm lad it received a color remake because I think it deserved it. The game is so good.
Story
The many forms of the Nightmare
One night, our hero Link, is sailing home after completing a great adventure. He comes across a raging storm and is shipwrecked on Koholint Island, a tropical paradise. On the beach of the island, the unconscious Link is found by a young lady by the name of Marin. Link awakens, confused, in the house of Marin and her father Tarin, who gives Link his shield back. Link returns to the beach where he was discovered, retrieves his lost sword, and is suddenly approached by a giant Owl which tells him that in order to escape from the island, he must awaken the Wind Fish, the guardian deity of Koholint Island, from his sleep deep within the giant egg overlooking the island; a task that can only be accomplished with the help of the eight Instruments of the Sirens, found within the eight dungeons on the island. The Nightmares, evil creatures seeking to rule the island, do everything in their power to guard the Instruments of the Sirens and stop Link from ever waking the Wind Fish. With the help of the Owl, Link finds his way around the island, defeats the Nightmares and retrieves the instruments. All the while, Link seemingly falls in love with the beautiful Marin, who teaches him the "Ballad of the Wind Fish", a song of mysterious power, on his Ocarina. However, the true nature of the island is revealed when Link discovers a mural in a shrine. Here, it is inscribed that the island is merely a dream of the Wind Fish, and if he is awakened, the island will disappear. Link, confronted with a difficult choice, continues on his journey. The Nightmares attempt to discourage Link from waking the Wind Fish, as Marin will be gone when the Wind Fish awakens, as well. After collecting all the eight Instruments, Link approaches the Wind Fish's Egg and plays the "Ballad of the Wind Fish", causing the magical instruments to play along with him, opening a doorway into the maze-like interior of the egg. After navigating the maze inside the egg, Link meets the leader of the Nightmares, DethI. DethI transforms into many powerful shapes, some resembling enemies Link has fought before, but to no avail — it is finally defeated by Link. After its defeat, a staircase appears and Link is congratulated by the Owl, who reveals himself to be "part of the Wind Fish's spirit." Link plays the "Ballad of the Wind Fish" once more, awakening the Wind Fish. As it carries Link away, the island disappears. He comforts the troubled Link by telling him that while Koholint Island itself must disappear, it will remain in Link's memories forever. Link awakens, floating on the ocean, unsure about whether or not the events on Koholint Island was a dream. As he looks up into the skies, however, Link sees the massive silhouette of the Wind Fish and smiles. It is unknown what happened to him afterwards as he seemingly no longer has a boat to sail. If the game is completed without any deaths, Marin is shown to have been reincarnated as a seagull, as was her wish expressed much earlier in the game.
Pros And Cons
Story
Wind Fish Prophecy
The biggest joke about Link's Awakening, is that the entire story is all a dream. Many people like to make fun of the story, but I think that's the reason why Link's Awakening stands out from all the rest. It touches you on the inside, the feeling that such a great place such as Koholint Island and all the people living there are not real. That they are just a figment of the Wind Fish's imagination that you have been drawn into, and that if you awake the sleeper, then the whole place and all inhabitants will disappear. It makes you question whether you are doing the right thing, and there just isn't enough of that in our world. It also makes you wonder if the whole world besides Koholint is part of the dream and that Link himself will disappear if he wakes the Wind Fish.
Characters
Learning Manbo's Mambo
As a side game in the Zelda series, the characters and story of the game are completely new and are only significant in this game. The most prominent character besides Link is the girl Marin. She is used as sort of a love interest for Link, though only she shows it. Throughout the game both Link and Marin work together and overcome obstacles together, but they are separated by the fact that Link is a real person, while Marin is part of the dream. Tons of other minor characters appear, including many that are taken from other Nintendo franchises. Many references to Super Mario Brothers are made which I think compliments the fact that the island is a dream. The fact there are so many cameos is excusable.
Gameplay
Fighting a Darknut
The gameplay of Link's Awakening was absolutely amazing. Being on an the Gameboy, you would expect the game to play a lot like the original Legend of Zelda or it's sequel. However, the developers really outdone themselves. They managed to take the gameplay from A Link to the Past and put it on an 8-bit handheld. Absolutely amazing. Whatever you could do in ALTTP, you can do in this game. It makes you wonder why the NES Zelda games weren't as fluent. Many items such as the Magic Powder, Pegasus Boots, and Mirror Shield make a return and are used for similar puzzles. The Power Glove is replaced by the Power Bracelet but it functions the same. Many new items such as Roc's Feather are also introduced, which adds a new jumping action to the game. There are several sections of the game where it shifts to a side-scrolling view and you use Roc's Feather to jump across platforms similarly to Adventure of Link. Goombas and Piranha Plants actually appear as enemies in these gameplay sections, an obvious reference to Super Mario Bros. The only major difference from ALTTP is that the selective Z-axis is gone. You can hit an enemy with your sword even if they are above or below you. As long as your sword makes contact with the enemy, it will register a hit. This makes the combat much easier than ALTTP. You can use Roc's Feather to jump and kill enemies, and they won't be able to hurt you. Your sword reach is also considerably farther than in ALTTP. I think they made it that way because it was a handheld game and they thought it would be hard to see if they made it like ALTTP. However, I think the one thing that separates Link's Awakening from the rest of the handheld Zelda games is the fact that it is really fun to play through. The dungeons are designed very well so that they aren't too difficult to figure out on your own. The puzzles are actually fun to solve. Unlike the Oracle games where the puzzles were too complicated and they halted your progress through the games. They were no fun at all. In Link's Awakening, the puzzles are completely satisfying to solve and you progress through the game at a modest pace. It doesn't start to get tricky until the final dungeons, and even then it's not too hard. The game also includes the traditional upgrade system that ALTTP started, consisting of Heart Pieces and storage upgrades. There are many Secret Seashells hidden throughout the land that if you collect 20 of them, you get an upgraded sword. This game also started the Trading Sequence, where you trade items with several people throughout the game in order to get a massive upgrade in the end. A quest that has been reused in many Zelda games including Ocarina of Time.
Graphics
The graphics are great
As with the gameplay, the graphics are like they were in A Link to the Past. However, they have been slightly downgraded due to the limitations of the Gameboy. However, this downgrade doesn't get in the way of the gameplay and it still looks amazing. The only bad thing I could say about the graphics is that the monochrome color might hurt some people's eyes. I didn't mind them so much. Luckily for those that get headaches from monochrome have a color remake they can play comfortably instead.
Music
The music in Link's Awakening is amazing for a Gameboy game. It includes many great locational tracks such as Tal Tal Heights and the Overworld, as well as music played inside towns, dungeons, and caves. Music is also a hug part of the gameplay as you learn many songs for the Ocarina that activate certain puzzles. The highlight track of the whole game is the Ballad of the Wind Fish. It is the most beautiful song I have ever heard on the Gameboy, and it really compliments the plot.
Releases
Link's Awakening was first released for the Gameboy in August of 1993. Then a color remake of the game called Link's Awakening DX was released on December 1, 1998. Then later on June 7, 2011, the DX version was released on the 3DS Virtual Console.
Color Remake
DX Box Art
Link's Awakening DX was a color remake of the original game released for the Gameboy Color. It was exactly the same as the original version except the game was colorized. All the monochrome graphics have been replaced by colorful graphics similar to how they are in the Oracle games. It also included many new side quests such as one where a mouse photographer takes pictures of you on your adventures. Also, a completely new dungeon called the Color Dungeon was added. All the puzzles in the dungeon were based on colors, and the reward for completing it is a choice of colored tunic. The Blue Tunic halves the damage you take, and the Red Tunic doubles the damage you deal to enemies.
My Rating
I give this game a 10/10. In the same way as A Link to the Past, this game brought it to the Gameboy. Being able to take such a great Zelda game on the go is a priceless ability. Absolutely fun and amazing.