(This is the 85th game in my challenge to go through many known games in chronological order starting in 1990. The spreadsheet is in my bio.)

In this challenge I'm doing, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past or 'Zelda 3' is still my 2nd favorite game I've played up to this point. Knowing that its sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, was released on the Game Boy, I didn't have too high expectations because I've come to realize that most games on the Game Boy have not aged well due to the handheld's capabilities. Looking at Super Mario Land 2, I expected this to be one of the better games on the system though, and after having played it for a good while, I can confirm as much. It's absolutely one of the best games on the system. Unfortunately, I didn't have as much fun with this game as I would have liked, and it mainly has to do with the slow pace of it at all, mainly due to one issue.

Story-wise, Link's Awakening starts off as a follow-up to A Link to the Past in that Link travels by ship to other places and, on his return home to Hyrule months later, has his ship destroyed by a storm and washes ashore on a place that is not actually Hyrule, which makes this game the first Zelda game to not play in Hyrule. The island he is on is called "Koholint Island", and he is taken home by a girl called Marin, who tends to him until he wakes up. When he wakes up, Link can talk to Marin's father, Tarin, who looks suspiciously like Mario (and also likes mushrooms) to recover his shield. He makes his way to the beach to recover his sword, where an owl tells him that he needs to wake the Wind Fish, which is in an egg crowning the large mountain of this island. Only this way can Link escape the island. To do this, Link needs to collect 8 instruments out of 8 dungeons.

It's a pretty neat setup for this game and it's nice to see it be different from the typical save Hyrule from Ganon plot, which is by no means bad, but from there, the game plays exactly like A Link to the Past, but on the Game Boy. This is luckily also not a bad thing, as the concept put forth by A Link to the Past is rightfully praised all over. It is, however, on the Game Boy, so it just plays like a smaller version with fewer features. In addition, I want to say it is designed for children in terms of its difficulty, but one constant issue that "pops up" (pun intended) makes me think this was designed for 6-year olds, though even 6-year olds are unlikely to need this much help on this front.

What I am referring to are "message pop-ups" that constantly, and I mean constantly, interrupt your gameplay, to the point it drove me to near-madness and made me end my playthrough, as it just made the game straight-up unenjoyable. The way these games are set up is in a Metroidvania-style where you lack all abilities at the start and therefore can't enter certain areas until you find suitable items elsewhere. For example, pots and stones can not be carried unless you equip a "Power Bracelet". This presents the two main issues I had with this game. First, there are many items in this game (just like in 'A Link to the Past') but here, instead of having them be passive skills, you need to constantly manually equip the items you need at a given moment, with two items equippable at the same time. You need to switch a lot, which slows the game down too much for me and has led to many annoying deaths over the time I played. Second, which is the worst part, EVERY time you accidentally run into any item that you cannot interact with, a message screen pops up telling you that you cannot do that. I KNOW. And it's not like the message goes away once you have the Power Bracelet. No, every time you don't have it equipped, you get the message again. Why? For whom? You also get the same message about the same items you pick up in each dungeon explaining their functions. It takes so much time to constantly have to wait to skip through them and just felt so odd throughout.

Perhaps my fixation on these pop-ups was exacerbated by the fact that I found the puzzles in this game to be less clever (and more annoying because of the constant item-swapping) and "whimsical character wants an item to trade" as puzzle-solving multiple times didn't really translate to enjoyable content to me at some point. I think overall, it just felt like the worse version of A Link to the Past that it is and it couldn't really excite me enough to see through the story, which hadn't really moved along at all at the time I stopped playing apart from the Owl constantly sending me to different dungeons to collect instruments. It definitely didn't help that all of this was happening on my computer screen instead of on a handheld like initially intended, but I'm also not a kid anymore, haven't played this game back in the day and after thousands of games, both by and not by Nintendo, that copied Zelda's charm, as well as the monochrome graphics, I just couldn't really get excited about most of what I was seeing and playing.

OVERALL | 66/100

To call The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening a competent game would be my way of saying that it is not a bad game at all, and if you love Zelda games, you will really enjoy this one as well (though I'd opt for the remake at this point). But calling it competent is also my way of saying that the game did little 'wrong', however the things it did do wrong (message pop-ups, item switching) hampered my enjoyment of the game a lot. It doesn't help that this game follows the same rigid collect a certain number of things to beat the game like seemingly all first-party Nintendo Game Boy games (which I presume is due to the limitations of the Game Boy), so even though it had the Zelda coding on it, I couldn't help but feel unimpressed from an enjoyment-perspective. From a technical perspective, it is undoubtedly impressive how much the devs were able to get out of the Game Boy with this game.

What a banger can fit on such an ancient handheld. For obvious reasons the game looks and feels more simplistic than ALttP, but the world, the NPCs and the interactions with them are so much more interesting in LA. The dream island setting is so charming and a nice change between the classic Triforce/Zelda themed titles, also appreciated the references to other franchises.
The dungeons became less challenging, yet still really well designed and fun. Constantly changing items in two slots was a bit annoying sometimes, but that's understandable, considering that the Game Boy only has two face buttons. Some people don't like that you sometimes need to unequip your sword, but it actually adds flexibility - many puzzles would've been impossible if one of the buttons was strictly dedicated for the sword.
Easily my favourite game for the OG Game Boy.

After the series had seemingly lost its footing with the good, yet incredibly frustrating Zelda II, The Legend of Zelda had gotten right back to its roots with A Link to the Past, and it was all the better for it. It is still a really great Zelda game even to this day, with plenty of different things to do, dungeons to face, enemies to conquer, and treasures to find, while also establishing plenty of tropes that would become a staple for the series even to this day. The game was also pretty successful too, selling over 6 million copies to this day, and with this success in mind, Nintendo wanted to take it a step further. Sometime after the game’s release, development then started on a port of the game to be released on the Game Boy, but that project quickly got scrapped, and instead, transformed into an original game. One that didn’t have as many restraints on it as others, one that was aiming to be weird, and one that would successfully bring the series onto the smaller screen. After one and a half years of development, this new game would be released to the public as The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.

This was actually the very first Zelda game that I have ever played. I remember buying the DX version of the game on the 3DS eShop, and I remember thinking it was ok at the time. It did seem appealing, but it wasn’t something that personally interested younger me, who didn’t like any video game that wasn’t Mario, Kirby, Pokemon or Sonic. Then, later on in my life, I got to play the original Ocarina of Time, and I loved it, which led me to fall in love with the Zelda series, and to give this game a proper shot. After that, I ended up loving the game, so I figured since it has been long enough, I thought I should go ahead and revisit the game once again to see how it held up. And yes, I did decide to play through the original version of the game rather than the DX version. What does that version have over this one, COLOR? BLEH, GROSS! Nah, I want everything to be all black and white and boring, just like my soul. So anyway, after playing through it again, I would still say it is a pretty great Zelda title as a whole, and a great way of bringing the series to handhelds. Sure, it isn’t better than A Link to the Past, and there are some annoying aspects about it, but it is still a pretty solid entry for this series.

The story is a bit of a departure from your typical Zelda plot, where Link crashes onto the mysterious Koholint Island, and he must gather musical artifacts in order to make a wish to the Wind Fish to escape the island, which is a pretty interesting setup, despite the fact that it also takes place all in a dream (the game isn’t called Link’s Awakening for no reason), the graphics are Game Boy graphics, but they do manage to do a great job at making the game feel like a Zelda game, with all the typical types of enemy designs and series motives that you would expect, the music is pretty good, with there being plenty of great tracks throughout that not only remix previous themes, but also new ones that will stick with you after an initial playthrough, the control is basically what you would expect from a Zelda game, and it works out well for the most part, although there are some instances where it could be better, such as with the fishing minigame, and the gameplay takes everything that A Link to the Past did well and brings it onto a smaller console, and it manages to do so wonderfully, with it remaining fun to experience to this day.

The game is your basic action-adventure game, where you take control of Link, explore the many different locations of Koholint island, talk to many friendly faces that will either give you good advice, give you helpful items to aid you on your quest, or just say useless bullshit, fight many enemies of varying size and shape along your way, gather plenty of items to help you out along the way, and take on plenty of dungeons, where you will solve plenty of puzzles, take on much more powerful foes, slay a set of big bad bosses, and gather the musical artifacts that will lead you towards your ultimate goal. For the most part, it is pretty standard for a Zelda game, but it still remains pretty fun throughout, and for being the first game in the series to be placed on a proper handheld, the gameplay still holds up remarkably well. Not to mention, there are several elements that do make this game standout from other titles in the series.

In terms of new additions to the series, this would be the first game in the series to feature a trading side-quest, where you would need to go around to various places and talk to plenty of people, giving them specific items that allow you to get one BIG item at the end of it all. While I myself personally don’t like these kinds of quests, as I find it pretty tedious to go around and talk to multiple people just to get all of these random things, there is a reason why it has become a staple in the adventure genre, as what usually awaits at the end of that tunnel is worth it. Alongside that, there are also several sections that would diverge into side-scrolling sections similar to Zelda II, but unlike that game, these sections are actually FUN to traverse through. They don’t last too long, but there are plenty of them, and they are usually pretty well thought out. And finally, as I mentioned earlier, we now have…. fishing minigames. I’m not really a fan of fishing, both in video games and IRL, so I don’t really like these, but hey, I can see the appeal for those that do.

Alongside all of this, there is one other aspect of Link’s Awakening that stands out from other Zelda games: how fucking weird it is. For the most part, it is your typical Zelda game through and through, with no real strange gameplay elements or anything of the sort, but there are weird things that you will be seeing throughout your entire journey, such as inhabitants that are just big ol’ animals, some of the items that you can get that can allow you to jump, and even the Wind Fish himself, who is pretty odd for being an all-powerful god. Not only that, but there are also a lot of elements of this game copied over from other Nintendo series. Since there weren’t that many restrictions placed on the development of this game, they were able to place plenty of enemies and characters from Mario in here, such as with Goombas, Piranha Plants, Chain Chomps, and Yoshi. Hell, even Kirby and Gordos makes an appearance in this game at several instances, which is bizarre to see, but they somehow fit right in alongside everything else.

Now, despite how much this game has going for it, the game isn’t perfect. As I have mentioned already, I am not really a fan of the fishing minigame or the trade-sequence sidequest that you can take part in throughout the game, but then again, both of those things are optional, so they don’t really drag the game down entirely for me. But there are one or two other elements that do. First off, there is the bigger issue of the item system in the game. With all of the major items in the game that you obtain, such as dungeon items or even your main equipment, you have to equip them to the A and B buttons, but you can only hold one item in those positions at a time. Needless to say, having to constantly stop what I am doing in order to switch out these items can be pretty tedious and annoying at times, which does kinda suck, especially when two of the items you have, AKA your sword and shield, should just be part of you already, and not something separate. Thankfully, the remake fixes this, so it isn’t that big of a deal. And secondly, while I didn’t mind it too much, I will say that Eagle’s Tower isn’t really that fun of a dungeon. Having to constantly find your way around it while getting these big balls to knock into the towers to bring it crashing down, I will admit, is a creative approach to a Zelda dungeon, but one that I just personally am not a fan of, and I don’t typically look forward to it whenever I come back to this game.

Overall, despite a tedious item equip system and some annoying parts here or there, the original Link’s Awakening is still a great entry in this series, and it is still fun to go back to to this very day. While it wasn’t the game that led me to loving the Zelda franchise, I am glad that it was the first one that I ever played, as it is unique enough to stand out, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I would definitely recommend it for those who are fans of the Zelda franchise, or for those who have already played through the remake of the game, because while it may not be as visually appealing, it is still a great time all the same. Just, you know, stick to the DX version if you are, because it is the definitive version of the original game. And also, while you’re at it, make sure to not steal anything from the shop, alright? You don't wanna be a dirty scummy THIEF, do ya?

Game #392

They put a jump button in this one and it's game-breakingly good.

If not my first video game ever, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is my first Zelda game. I vividly remember playing this game on my dad's big clunky Game Boy with my mom over my shoulder watching what i did and giving me suggestions of what to do. If this game was terrible, it would still hold a special place in my heart as the game my mother and i went on an adventure through.

But this game is particularly good, despite being on the Game Boy. I think that's something to temper your expectations with before going into it. It's a Game Boy game, and those always pale in comparison to their console counterparts. But Link's Awakening is one of the best Game Boy games ever. It's a simplified Zelda game, but it holds its own. If you need proof of this, it's been remade twice (once in color on the Game Boy Color, and then a full on 3D HD Remake on the Nintendo Switch).

There's a lot that makes this game so remake-able, and to that extent, enjoyable to play, and the most noteworthy is the intriguing story. But that story would be slightly less interesting if there wasn't a colorful (considering this review is on the black and white Game Boy version of the game, i'm using colorful with a bit of poetry here) cast of characters to interact with and adore. Marin in particular is a very lovable character, and she's lovable enough to play through the game without getting a single game over. Do it for her. She deserves it.

Link's Awakening falters for me in an interesting way, but I have to explain the good part about it first. It chooses to let you use the two face buttons on the Game Boy for any item however you want. For example, you can equip the sword to either the A or B button, or neither of them because you have the bow and shield out because you're low on hearts and don't want to get in close. This trait actually lets you use the first instance of Bomb Arrows in a Zelda game, beating Twilight Princess to it by over a decade. (Just press the bomb button slightly before the arrow button).

The way the game falters is that because it's on the Game Boy, and you only have two buttons to work with, you're constantly pressing the pause button and waiting a split second for it to show up so you can swap items and then wait another split second for it to go away so you can go back to the game. It's a little thing, but considering how many times i pause to swap the Roc's Feather out for something else and then pause again to swap back to the Roc's Feather adds up.

This brings us to the Roc's Feather. I like the Roc's Feather in the same way a crackhead likes Crack. The Roc's Feather lets Link jump, and jumping diagonally increases Link's speed. It feels incredible to play. But at the same time, playing without it for whatever reason makes the game feel less fun. It feels stiffer, it feels stunted. It shouldn't feel that way, it's a fine game on its own. But that feather changes everything. It's Crack. Thankfully, the 2019 Switch remake doubles the face buttons you can use and then adds a few more for good measure, so your Roc's Feather can always be on hand.

Despite this, the original is still worth playing. Any shortcomings you might find are balanced with cuteness and silly charm.

I have played this game so many times I know it by heart. I've played every version of it multiple times. I've glitched the DX version to do a full Damaged Sprite Tunic playthrough just because i liked how it looks. I adore the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. My biggest gripe with it is that it's not long enough, i want more.

Extremely ambitious in terms of size, storytelling and aesthetics. It is indeed a significant achievement in software development and game design that something like that even existed on the Game Boy so early in its lifespan. The black and white graphics are absolutely gorgeous--they fit the "dream" aesthetic wonderfully and leave a lot to be imagined by the player. Dungeons get extremely complex and labyrinthine near the end of the game, and the final boss fight is one of the coolest and most difficult I've ever experienced in retro gaming. Really well encapsulates the quintessential "frustrating and confusing, but satisfying and engaging"

Some of its structure frustrated me a bit; the overworld is filled with random cul-de-sacs and can be extremely frustrating to navigate even w/ the map and warps. Imagine Dark World in ALTTP but twice as difficult to navigate. At times this made me disconnect from the game and brought me significant frustration as there is so much backtracking and getting lost. Some puzzles in the dungeons are pretty dumb too, i.e. there is some Zelda 1-esque "go bomb this random wall that has no cracks" bullshit in some dungeons, which is unforgiveable in my mind for a game released after ALTTP.

Yet, Link's Awakening is indeed a statement in story telling for Zelda, it's difficult, and it's one of the most beautiful Game Boy games I've seen. It's a great game in many regards, and I definitlely want to try playing the remaster in the future.