The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening was originally a 1993 Game Boy game that has been remastered for Nintendo Switch in 2019 with updated graphics and a unique art style that has never been attempted in a Zelda game before. Now I will address the elephant in the room and fully admit that I am not a Zelda expert as this is the first game from the Zelda franchise that I managed to finish completely. Still, even as a beginner to the franchise, I will say that I am looking forward to getting more into the lore and games of the Zelda franchise because this game is so adorable and poses a pretty good challenge for gamers of all ages.
Taking place after the events of A Link to the Past, Our Hero Link finds himself shipwrecked on a mysterious island where he is rescued by a lovely girl named Marion who takes him back to his father’s place in order to heal. Afterward, Link gets info from a talking owl that in order to get home he’ll need to collect several magical instruments that will wake the Wind Fish as the Wind Fish will be the key to get Link back home. This will be harder than it seems because many of the island’s enemies and bosses will try to stop Link from waking the Wind Fish seeing as they believe that the Wind Fish has ulterior motives, but is that really true?
The story for this game is not necessarily in the forefront compared to the gameplay, but it is without a doubt adorable with its laid-back attitude and cute character interactions. The player will be put in an adventure that takes place in a different setting compared to previous Zelda installments as you will meet a different set of characters that are new to the franchise and are most likely not gonna make any returns in other Zelda games. That makes this particular journey very memorable and interesting. There are some slower moments, particularly with Link and Marion that are charming and even deep in some cases. In fact, most of the characters you meet along the way carry decent amounts of characters quirks that are fun and endearing which is very common in all of Nintendo's most well-known and loved characters. This is just a charming and lovely story overall that is delivered to gamers on a sliver plater in such a delicate and fun way.
The gameplay goes for a simple but effective approach as you start off with nothing but along the way gain different tools and abilities that will help traverse the mysterious island Link finds himself on. Combat is very simple but will also require some thought as to how to get past certain enemies and bosses. The player will also have a map of the island Link crashes on and areas will start to become visible when explored. There are even teleporting areas that when found will help you to get from one area of the map to the next which can useful when backtracking to other areas. Dungeon areas will test your skills in knowing how to traverse the areas while using your newfound abilities to find hidden locations that will most likely end up being the way the player was supposed to go all along. One feature that is new to this remake is the ability to custom your own dungeons to explore which I personally never got that much into. It’s not bad, but it seemed like a pointless addition that is only there for replay value rather than helpful for gaining any new abilities or collectibles. Aside from the main goal, you’ll also see side quests that when completed will gain you a special award. Another thing that will be consistent in the game is collecting seashells. If you have enough, they can be traded for other amenities that will make Link’s journey a little easier. This is the type of gameplay that’s easily accessible to any level of gamer, but has enough complexity in the way the player executes its moves to make things interesting for seasoned players.
The graphics go for a different style compared to the style of the original Game Boy game. Where the original was a timeless 2D pixel sprite, the remake is a modern CGI world that still maintains the 2D look with its top-down camera and colorful settings. The game maintains the grid-like look from the original but in a 3D animated plain. This particular Zelda game is stylized in a way that looks like a toy set in all the best ways possible. The character designs are simple and adorable with a surprisingly really effected wide range of emotions despite their simple dot eyes. The areas have that classic fantasy island look with a few twists and the creatures you’ll encounter or fight are well designed despite being so simple and cutesy. Visual callbacks to other Nintendo properties such as Mario and Kirby will be present in this game as well and they are well implemented into this game without having them feel like advertisements. The game also features some classic 2D animated cutscenes more particularly in the beginning and the end. it’s very expressive and lovely to look at despite it not being in the game for very long. These are visuals that are much different from games like Breath of the Wild and Windwaker, but they are nonetheless charming and adorable in only the ways Nintendo can accomplish.
The music is surprisingly catchy and humble and will most likely not leave your ears even after you are done playing. Ryo Nagamatsu’s score makes the music from the original game boy game feel fresh and beautiful to listen to. Ryo is known for doing the score for Super Mario Galaxy 2 and it really shows as this score is just a joy to partake in no matter what type of gamer you are.
For my first Zelda experience, I was very impressed with how much I enjoyed Link’s Awakening in all the most wonderful ways possible. While I do have underlining issues with the addition of the dungeon building element and maybe some of the confusing layouts of some of the dungeons in the main game, The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening is without a doubt such an adorable and engaging game from the wonderful geniuses at Nintendo. I really do wanna check out any other Zelda games seeing how I really enjoyed playing this game, maybe I’ll even play the original Link’s Awakening on the game boy if I feel like it. Even if you are like me and you’re new to the Zelda franchise, this would be a good game to start on as it is one part adorable and another part challenging to gamers of all types.
(Final Grade: A-)