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
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
Dani1o
5 months ago