Even playing this at 60FPS with the dogwater DOF removed, and all the little QOL touches, I can't help but feel I should have played DX instead. I like the renditions of the music in this for the most part, like I'm glad Nintendo acknowledged that bass wind instruments exist again, but I feel it was a horribly missed opportunity to flesh out the overworld with more than 4 themes, because unfortunately the game's soundtrack sounds a lot better in an album than in the game where half your time will be accompanied by 30-60 seconds of Overworld Theme a hundred times over. I'm also just really not a fan of how it looks, I've seen people beg Nintendo to give the Oracle of Ages/Seasons games and even A Link to the Past the same treatment and I think saying it looks "toy-like" is being extremely generous, as I would describe it as very sterile, albeit colorful in the most basic sense. It's not bad looking, but it feels very inconsistent in the look it's going for, too; I rarely looked at the dungeons and thought "toy-like", they just looked like a watered down version of A Link Between Worlds. I also just strongly detest the implication that retro graphics such as the NES, GB, or even SNES = "toys" or "childish", it's needlessly closed-minded about entire swaths of artistic direction. The more detailed look we get glimpes at by the photographer in DX looks so much better stylistically, it's sad to me they didn't go with that. Look how expressive they all are!! It's also ridiculous that the performance on actual hardware is weirdly terrible with constant frame dips despite being locked to 30FPS. The remake also weirdly draws out a lot of interactions and cutscenes, nearly every interaction with the owl takes 2X longer than it used to, as with every NPC interaction. I think this remake is "competent" at best, and I would generally encourage anyone to play DX instead.

inhale
ANYWAYS, enough about this remake specifically.

This easily has my favorite handling of "side"quests in any Zelda game and I deeply appreciate that this isn't yet another "FIND THA COOL RANCH DORITO OF MAKE GO AWAY". Another thing too is that everyone in this world seems genuinely so loving, in a very sincere way that doesn't reek of that usual quirky one-note Zelda stuff.

The dungeons themselves are probably the most complex and interwoven I've experienced in any Zelda game, though perhaps almost to a fault as I'd begun asking myself "alright, which of these 4 pairs of stairs are actually connected...". The game also expects you to use literally everything at one point or another, so even though the solutions at a couple points are a bit nonsensical I still also greatly appreciate they demanded that at all. It's something Tears of the Kingdom did horribly and I don't get why people aren't more bothered by it over there, to have the climax of the game be devoid of any meaningful statement about your progress because uhhh being able to say "erm you can finish it any time 🤓" somehow justifies how padded that game is with its unevolving, barely passable "temples" which don't build off of each other in any capacity.

Link's Awakening doesn't beg you to stop and smell the roses, it makes you, because goddammit they're romantic. It has my tied 2nd favorite ending in any Zelda game that touches on a thematic subject matter in a way I favor immensely, which I'll likely never forget, "or [her]"

Thank you /u/Nowhere for suggesting the game to me and referencing the photographer in DX.

sometime ago i played links awakening dx and i really wasnt impressed with it sure i had played a lot of zelda games and never finished them and truthfully i wasnt really enjoying them as much as i wanted to so i thought it was a really charming game but never finished it

boy did my fucking opinion change not only of the original but of this incredible remake daaaaaaaamn

links awakening feels true to the classic games and of course it is for a game that came right after the brilliant a link to the past a game too ahead of time for its own good and coming up with a rightful sequel to such a colossus of a game wouldve been really hard if it wasnt for nintendo fucking doing it again just constantly raising the bar its unreal

due to its predecessor being the game that it is you would think that they would exploit its success for this one but instead they cut every tie from what came before with a completely new world but with the same link

and what a fucking world

before going deep into the game i gotta say that this remake is jaw dropping i saw people not being a fan of the toylike art style but i honestly think this is such a great complementary style to the already incredible island of koholint it makes it feel like its a diorama in a snow globe a world sealed and confined in an alternate space and if you know the lore deets you know how much i loved this kind of style for this game in particular

every single character is brimming with details in its model every single part of the world is filled with hd gorgeous models that are both incredibly realistic and cartoonish the animations are splendid and really shine if you put a 60 fps patch like its just incredible art back to back to back and even though i really understand the complaints about the art style since its an important detour from the original ones art style but just leave nostalgia back and take this game at face value . its cute its really good im sorry theres no argument to be made here the enemies look so fucking amazing and the bosses are even better the overworld is beautiful and again the characters are great so whatever if you wanna be rude be rude to zelda II not to this

that being said other elements of the remake are some good QoL needed here and there and i think some stuff got tweaked and streamlined but im not really sure since i didnt finish the original lmao i also got stuck for days on the mushroom quest

that being said the remake is pretty good if you dont like it i dont care just play the original maybe i WILL be playing the entirety of the original someday so that i can really have a complete opinion of this game with the knowledge of both versions but for the very “first” complete experience i had with this story it was pretty incredible nothing to say about this

so enough of the remake the game itself

link gets on a shipwreck and finds himself in the island of koholint where theres people that never appeared in the game before nobody knows what hyrule is everyone talks like they know some things they dont want to say to link theres a giant bird fish god thing and everyone is scared of him apart from link and youre absolutely alone if it werent for the very first person to talk to you . cute girl marin my fucking BABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

also theres super mario characters and enemies around and you can find kirby in a dungeon MMMMMMMMM THATS WEIRD

so whatever the prologue is basically this and as you might already realise this is just a story element to give you a motive to go in dungeons get the instruments and awaken the fish bird thing

the story is pretty straightforward but what really gives this game such a great personality are the characters and the little interactions they have with link first and foremost marin who is both the very first guide for link in this unknown world and also a place that feels like home for him

cute nothing terrible will ever happen amirite

characters are quirky funny and have some really great chemistry with both the other characters and the world itself koholint is brimming with joy and life and youre gonna fight to protect this peace

syke

gameplay is the usual zelda gist you get keys to dungeons with honestly pretty weird quests like the quests in links awakening are really out there with pacing and gameplay loop and shit like that you can go 5 hours with only side quests or only dungeons it has a strange sense of pace but i really like it nonetheless like alttp was just dungeons after dungeons so whatever

ok whatever dungeons are really cool even though maybe the main criticism for me will be that theyre kind of samey somehow ??? in progression and structure but again this is still a gameboy color game with a coat of paint on top of it so i wont demand too much stuff for it like even alttp dungeons were way more interesting but its FIIIIIIIIIIIINE its fine ok i love this game so whatever get in the dungeon take the dungeon item do puzzles and get the instrument rinse and repeat now yeah this is always the same in zelda game and yeah dungeons usually arents my fav part of these experiences and just so you know this game also has a bomb overworld filled with secrets here and there and its always such a great thing to get a new dungeon item and be able to traverse new parts of the overworld and get to places that were closed before so yeah this is great and also probably has one of my fav roster of items and rocs feather is peak i dont care

so yeah whatever this is classic zelda what the fuck do you want me to say

now the music here is incredible dont get me started the arrangements are absolutely top notch and theres not a single fucking bad this is one of the very first songs you will listen to just tell me you dont want to tear your hair out cmon i will wait and theres also something so beautiful about the town theme it has such a great sense of comfort of joy it just feels like home

also another fav one is tal tal heights absolutely gorgeous music i love videogames why are they so good i honestly dont even know anymore

so whatever after the meat of the game we need to get to the meat of the story

SPOILER ALERT

boy the ending got me . the fucking dread the enemies feel every time you say youre gonna awaken the bird fish thing has ground since theyre basically asking you to not destroy their world but you have to do it or else you cant go home and youre gonna get hints here and there that what youre gonna do is gonna destroy the whole world NPCs are already accepting their fate the owl is speaking in riddles but is trying to give you an explanation the writings you find in the overworld will tell you that the awakening of the big fishy fish whale is gonna bring a lot of grief and still you do it you go there play the instruments battle the ganon phantoms which is a staple now and talk with the big fish

he says its all a dream and now everything makes sense the way characters talked the out of context elements from other nintendo games the enemies trying to defend their existence it was all to let you know that what youre doing will delete everything

left with nothing else to do you just get to the ending scene while the island crumbles in front of you with marin and everyone else disappearing into nothingness just for you to remember them after everythings ended

the credits roll and youre left with a mental anguish and just cannot do anything else but cry i was OVERFLOWING OH GOD THIS GAMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE watching links sad face on the raft really got to me and then looking the seagull in the sky leaving place to the image of marin like she wished for the fish divinity thing like WHO THE FUCK UHGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH I HATE THIS GAME

like why would you make me suicidal im just asking that

links awakening is such a nice game and not only it is one of the most fun games in the franchise but also has a unique story to boot with an incredible existential crisis as soon as you finish the game and the fact that the developers could create such a gem of a game with this absolute banger of a storyline is pretty insane kudos to you and i said i hated the GBC but i think i need to rethink everything now

at the end of the day what remains of what we feel are the memories we take with us . marin i miss you every day

please dont forget this song - or me

When going into this, I expected a frustrating, poorly aged experience which has incredibly vague puzzle design and limited scope. I am happy to report this didn't come to fruition (mostly).

I played the entire game without a guide (besides one puzzle at the start) and got through it quite well. I wasn't stuck that often, each solution felt obvious, and with the help of the phone guy, I was always on the right path. Even the item trading quest wasn't a big deal. I liked how bite size this game feels, dungeons can be cleared in less than 20 minutes on average, the world isn't too big, it's got very fast pacing which is nice. Eagle tower sucked, but the rest of the dungeons were fire.

Graphics are great, I like the art style, it may have a lot of jaggy edges, but the game is one of the better looking Switch games still. The framerate is... something, in dungeons its fine but the overworld does have consistent slowdown.

The story though is surprisingly endearing and proposes a lot of ethical questions even though it isn't dialogue or cutscene heavy. The implications of Link's actions are interesting, and the ending was pretty powerful to me. I liked this approach to story telling, one of my favorite Zelda stories imo.

To conclude, awesome 8 hour game

I definitely think, barring Breath of the Wild, I prefer the top down Zeldas to the 3D ones. They’re tighter paced, more creative in their puzzle and enemy design and they’re ironically more open compared to how guided the 3D Zeldas tend to be. Link’s Awakening has a vibe like none of the other Zeldas. Most of them have a certain darkness, some edge to them, this one is a lot more goofy and lighthearted, amplified in the remake by this glossy chibi toybox look. It’s not until the latter part of the game that some darker story beats sneak up on you, and I honestly think they hit a lot harder as a result, this is probably my second favourite Zelda story behind Ocarina of Time. If I had one complaint, it would be how obtuse some of the game’s puzzles are. If I had another, it would be how the framerate sometimes chugs on the Switch. If I had one more, it’d be that I miss having the big chest with the item stand out from the rest in the dungeon like in Link to the Past. I just think having it established as your goal right from the start was a lot more motivating than just having it hidden among all the other chests in the level.

This remake is a very charming recreation that still doesn't match the original Gameboy aesthetics.

Fun and whimsical with a pinch of sadness. Most of the dungeons are fairly straight forward aside from level 8 that has a lot of backtracking and those obnoxious, joystick bound, tile snake puzzles.

I played a fair amount of Zelda games, this is the first one that I beat.
It was a good time but it mostly made me miss my memories of the original. Given the game's theme, it's fitting.

Nunca joguei os Zeldas de GBC, mas sempre ouvi dizer que entre eles, Link's Awakening se destaca pela sua premissa criativa de estar preso dentro de um sonho de um ser maior. Isso não te bate como o spoiler que eu achei que era, mas desde o começo, implícito em dicas e diálogos de NPCs, rapidamente você percebe que há algo de errado com a ilha de Koholint. A ideia de que escapar do sonho resulta na destruição da ilha é plantada cedo e fica maior e maior à medida que você vai percebendo o quão gostoso é vive-la e explora-la.

Koholint é um paraíso, longe de lugares e convenções existentes na época. Eu já mencionei que esse jogo não se passa em Hyrule, mas não é só isso que o diferencia de seus antecessores (E muitos de seus sucessores). Link's Awakening não tem Zelda, Ganon ou Master Sword - ao invés disso têm inimigos do Mario espalhados pela ilha, um velho tímido que te dá dicas por telefone, e uma vila de animaizinhos falantes. As dungeons raramente possuem mais que um piso, e no lugar apresentam umas seções de plataforma com uma câmera estilo Mario. Meu favorito: os upgrades no tamanho do seu inventário são uns demoninhos que te "amaldiçoam a carregar mais tralhas para sempre". Visualmente o remake trata tudo isso perfeitamente - dando a vida que todos os cantos e habitantes da ilha mereciam no GBC. As cores fortes, o estilo de brinquedo/funko pop e o uso do blur nos cantos da tela dão um ar etéreo à tudo.

Devo admitir que sou muito enviesado à favor de Zeldas 2D, eu tenho um fraco pela fórmula de largar um lek no meio de um grande diorama para ser desvendado (Não sei se nesse quesito algo vai superar minha experiência com Tunic mas isso não vem ao caso). No mais, isso serve como uma recomendação geral, mas acho que alguém gostaria mais de Link's Awakening se já tivesse jogado um outro Zelda, ou ao menos tiver um conhecimento dos tropos da franquia que o jogo escapa. Se já tiver jogado qualquer outro Zelda 2D pode meter o Hero Mode logo de cara, confia

Link's Awakening is a perfect example of a remake, where it keeps what makes the original so good whilst also managing to improve on it in a way which doesn't sacrifice anything from the original, and for that I loved this game more than I expected.

Considering I played the Game Boy DX version not too long ago, I still found this incredibly fun to play through even though most of the dungeons and puzzles were easy to do as I remembered them, and I'm glad to see they kept some of the contrived puzzles that even I couldn't remember how to complete as it wouldn't be the same without them. Making items a lot more convenient was also a great move, and having the pegasus boots and shield to just be the triggers saves a lot of time compared to having to switch them out when you need them. However, I think the weakest part of this game is definitely the dungeon maker, as whilst it's a cool idea it isn't very fun in execution, and I only played it for the secret shells and heart containers you get from it.

Overall, Link's Awakening for the Switch is absolutely awesome and it surprisingly managed to recapture the joy I had when playing through the original.

This review will contain mild spoilers

I was originally going to play the DX version but remembered that I had a half finished save file of the remake so I decided to just finish that instead of playing the whole game through the switch Gameboy collection. Im going to be kinda combining two reviews in one here, talking a lot about the original game but referring to the remake when it comes to gameplay and visuals.

I was a big fan of Links Awakening having played the DX version on the 3ds years ago, but I put off getting this remake for quite a long time until it went down in price. I ended up getting it late last year after playing Tears of the Kingdom and being in a bit of a Zelda phase. Whilst the DX version has a lot of charm to it, this is the definitive way to play this game in the modern day.

Links Awakening is the first Zelda game in my opinion to really prioritize its story. It's the first game chronologically not set in Hyrule and not to feature Zelda or Ganon (Kind of). Instead Link is washed up on Koholint Island after a deadly storm, he is tasked with waking the mysterious wind fish with the eight instruments of the sirens in order to get back home. On the surface its very clean cut, but features a secret that is gradually revealed as Link progresses through the dungeons which really effects the atmosphere of the game. One thing I noticed was that this game makes it very obvious that it is set after A Link to the Past which I think is one of the only times that it is specified what order the games take place in outside of Ocarina/Majora and BoTW/ToTK. There are a lot of similarities in characters and locations but most obviously is that in the final boss fight, the entity takes the form of both Agahnim and Ganon from Alttp. This was a really cool detail that I never knew and thought it would be interesting to add here.

Gameplay wise the remake makes all the right changes. The Gameboy version was heavily restricted due to hardware but was great for its time, the remake removes a lot of the hindrances that the original version had. Most notably, making some items usable without having to equip them, this is done with the Pegasus boots and power bracelets and means you dont have to constantly be switching things out in the menu. Im not a huge fan of having some items only be obtainable through the shop instead of being in a dungeon, but im pretty sure the whole game is possible without buying anything so it isn't a massive issue. Link's awakening also is a lot easier to blindly play through with the addition of phone huts where you can get a small hint as to where you need to go next. In the remake you can replay NPC conversations to catch any info you missed. Unfortunately not everything is told to you and you can still be left wandering around without a clue but I played everything from dungeon 5 to the end of the game without following a guide and only had to check up on stuff twice so its already way better than all previous games. I'm not a huge fan of the map as it seemed that there is always one very specific way to get to each location and loads of paths seemed needlessly blocked off just to confuse you.

The dungeons in this game are on par with Alttp in terms of size but I found them way more confusing to get through. Im not sure how the remake compares to the original but most dungeons, especially the last three, are very confusing to get through, but still enjoyable enough where it doesnt get frustrating. Eagle Tower is my favourite one by far.

Visually I do like the remake art style but I much prefer the DX retro look over the more toy like style the remake has. One of my favourite parts of this game is its score. They really started to add more diversity in their music at this stage with most buildings having music, multiple overworld tracks and each dungeon has its own track as well. My favourite part however is that dungeons 1 to 5 all have these booming action pieces until the twist is revealed in the 6th dungeon and from then on all the dungeon tracks are much more creepy sounding, my favourite is the eagle tower track, I'd recommend checking it out, either the OG or remake. The remake does ditch the retro sounding score for a more modern one and it works really well with the new look. I do prefer the retro score a little bit but I would happily listen to either. I also liked the anime style cutscenes for the beginning and credits, a good improvement from the old versions

Graphics wise I noticed a lot of frame drop, most notably in the grassy plains areas beside the main village. Since the remake ditched the screen style the original had and has massive areas all loaded in at once, plus enemy sprites and destructible objects plus the fact the switch's hardware is very outdated, makes for a bit of frame drop. Nothing game breaking by any means but something to note.

A solid remake of a classic game. Falters in a couple places for me compared to the original but still makes for a fun experience.

Artistically, I love this game. The island setting is really refreshing and Koholint is so lovely to just exist in. The dreamlike nature of the narrative is super different for Zelda and the way it all wraps up at the end is so nice, finally meeting the Wind Fish, waking up, hearing Marin's song. Beautiful. And the visual style? Oh my god. I adore how this game looks so much, I want every game to look like this. It is so, so full of charm and colour and personality. Give me a Mario game that looks like this, give me a Pokemon game that looks like this, give me a fuckin GTA game that looks like this!! Genuinely what I would love more than anything else in the world is for the Zelda series - after Tears Of The Kingdom to come back to this style for the next mainline game. Don't just keep this relegated to remakes if you do Oracle Of Seasons & Ages, give me a full-on, original, top-down open-world game with this visual style. Drop me in a place as beautiful and mysterious as Koholint, tell me very little and let me discover it all on my own.

Unfortunately! When we talk about moment-to-moment gameplay, we're talking about a game that made me feel legitimately insane on numerous occasions! This sure is a game remade very faithfully from the 90s! Perhaps a bit too faithfully? Forget about the boss theme that is a 10-second loop of the most annoying sound you've ever heard in your life, this game has many methods of making you feel like you've actually gone crazy at its disposal. I understand that making any mechanical changes would fundamentally change the game's dungeons and thus make its status as a remake a bit wonky, but the fact that you can only push a block once in one direction before having to leave the room to reset it is nuts. NOT QUITE AS NUTS however as the fact that every block in the game that you could push looks exactly the same! There is no visual indication as to which blocks you can and can not push until you try, which leads to constant trial-and-error situations where you just push your fuckin face up against every block you see in the hopes that you can maybe move ONE of them to solve a puzzle! Even if you can push it, whose to say which direction you can push it? Because some randomly can't even go in certain directions! This is something you could change Nintendo! We won't crucify you! Give us a tiny little visual clue to suggest that that block is one we can push!

Dungeons are generally okay in this game, but almost all of them - at some point, want you to notice a random-ass bombable wall in the corner of a room to progress. In the Eagle's Tower, this drove me nuts. I spent a good hour or so trying to figure out how to get to the fourth pillar, I got the iron ball I need to use to smash it down in the room with it, but I myself had not managed to reach the room. I looked at the map and used my BRAIN POWER to ascertain that there was a big chasm on the 3rd floor I could fall through which lined up almost perfectly with the room with the 4th pillar in it on the 2nd floor. I do everything in my power to progress on the 3rd floor so I can reach that chasm, but eventually I go as far as I possibly can, still utterly blocked off from that chasm. As it turns out, there's a bombable wall in the bottom left-hand corner of the room with the 3rd pillar in it that you need to blow up to get to the 4th pillar. A bombable wall almost entirely enveloped in shadow, I might add. Between unintuitive block puzzles, random-ass bombable walls and some ridiculous "puzzles" like one in Bottle Grotto where you literally just have to kill the enemies in the room in a specific order, it often felt like I - the player was too smart for the dungeons in Link's Awakening. Frequently, I'm thinking about the dungeon as a whole and how my actions in one room might affect things in another, when it turns out the "puzzle" is actually some dumb shit tucked away in the corner of the room I was just in.

The critical path is similarly obtuse and old-fashioned. At no point is it so much as suggested that the game's ongoing item-trading quest will be key to beating the game, yet you can't enter a castle about halfway through without giving a banana...To a nearby monkey?? Who then builds a bridge for you to get across a river to get in? A monkey whose dialogue never remotely suggests that he will do that?? A banana that you only get from progressing far enough in - what has until now seemingly been a totally optional sidequest? And by the way! Do you remember how to get to the desert on the East side of the map? I'll tell you how I got there! An enemy threw a bomb at a completely inconspicuous bush on a totally ordinary floor tile which revealed a flight of stairs that I took to go through a cave and wind up on the other side of a river I couldn't cross - THAT'S how I got to the desert. The game tries to throw you a bone in regards to its obtuseness by giving you Owl Statues that give you hints in dungeons and letting you talk to a helpful old man on the phone in these little Phone Hut things, but on numerous occasions I found both of these things gave me misleading advice!

In the final dungeon, the Owl Statue gives you a hint that reads: "fill the holes with the rock that rolls." I assumed he was referring to a boulder or something of some kind that I was yet to encounter - but instead he was referring to that dungeon's weird-ass unique mechanic where you a control a vaguely rock-ish looking fuckin RC Car thing that fills in holes or lava with rock? But it doesn't roll! There is no rolling in its animation and when you're controlling it, it barely looks or feels like a rock - it's more like some kind of gadget - idk, it's really hard to explain what it is but it does not at any point come across as "a rock that rolls"! And when I'm stuck trying to get into Kanalet Castle and haven't figured out that I have to give a monkey a banana to get in, old cunt on the phone tells me to "annoy the crow by the castle" to progress. I look around everywhere I can near the castle, no crow! Why? Because the crow is IN THE CASTLE. Why couldn't you tell me about the monkey you fuckin inbred? Then I'd have at least developed some inkling that this fetch quest was crucial to the game's main path!

Anyway, wow what a gorgeous game. Love those crocodile guys, peak character design. Mmm. Just beautiful.

I liked everything about this other than the gameplay!

Has a cutesy artstyle but is probably one of the most emotional Zelda games out there. The "it was all a dream" trope is actually used to a poignant effect here as you learn early on that Koholint and all of its inhabitants are a figment of a dream and that waking up will cease their existence altogether, despite this being your main goal the whole game. Perhaps the memory alone can keep something alive and thinking back on it can give yourself closure in a way? Everything beautiful is temporary I suppose...

I finally decided to play this after having it in my collection for 3 years, and out of the two Zelda games I've actually bothered to finish, this is probably my favorite. Granted it's not perfect, the image is a little blurry; the game drops frames a lot, and the new dungeon maker they added is kinda lame, but besides those little dumps this game was an absolute joy to play.

I love the new art style they gave for this game, it stands out among the other handheld Zelda games and Windwakers cartoony style; it stands alone as its own thing which fits really well for this Zelda game in particular because it's such a strange experience (for a Zelda game I mean).

I love the residents of Koholint Island, each character is so eccentric and bizarre in their own ways; but it makes each character stand out even though you barely spend that much time with most of them.

The gameplay is solid, and the music is OOOOOHHHH SO GOOOOOOOOOD, I loved the exploratory of this game, the map is somewhat big, but everything is recognizable and memorable; even if I didn't have a map I'm pretty sure I could still remember where everything was just from memory alone, map design like that is amazing.

I could probably keep going but I think you get the idea, this game is super good and I love it very much.

It's obvious that as time goes on, more video game remakes will be released. The amount of games that exist is always increasing, and the more that exist, the more there are to remake. And with an ever expanding player base, there will always be a market for them; both for players that are wishing to play their old favorites on modern consoles, and for new players who want to experience the classics in the best way possible. But while it can be great to get these legacy titles on modern hardware, it's also an area that's ripe for nostalgia exploitation and disappointment. Obviously any resources spent on a remake could have instead been directed towards a new project, but even beyond that, many of them aim to do the bare minimum, offering barely any improvements dressed up with a $60 price tag. With this context, it's especially important to acknowledge when a remake actually does it right-by taking the core of a beloved game, fully repurposing it, giving it modern amenities and graphics-and competently recreates the feeling that the original gave players years ago. And if you're looking for an example, look no further than Grezzo's 2019 remake of Link's Awakening.

Link's Awakening was the 4th game in the Zelda series, first released for the Gameboy in 1993, so for a modern title, there was a lot to improve. The graphics were the first step, and beyond obvious advancements in tech, the 2019 effort's improvements suit the story as well. As the title implies, Link's Awakening takes place in a dream setting, and while hand-drawn animations bookend the game, all of the gameplay has a toylike, retro-modern design which is equal parts lovely and off-putting. It almost feels like the game takes place in a shoebox diorama, and it's a bold yet fitting aesthetic choice for a game that is defined by its subversion of norms. Both visually and sonically, Link's Awakening is respectful of its past without being a slave to it, and as a result, the music-box laden soundtrack and the tilt-shift layout help in successfully recreating the feeling of the original, while breathing new life into the title.

And, even more importantly, the gameplay is modernized right along with it. This was originally a Gameboy game, so simplicity was key. Link's Awakening did the best it could at the time, but what is a remake for if not to address the limitations of previous hardware? The sword and shield each have their own buttons now, many of the game's combat techniques feel far more natural to pull off, and you'll find yourself switching items in menus far less often. This isn't a complete redesign, so some of the dungeon bosses are still a bit simple, and this is still the Nintendo Switch, so it's customary to say that the game comes with some minor slowdowns and framedips. But it's emblematic of a game with no overworld loading screens that LA's menuing, just like its gameplay, feels as seamless as possible.

A lot of these elements would fit perfectly in any other 2D Zelda remake, but what sets Link's Awakening apart from the crowd is its utter commitment to a unique setting. After over 35 years, Koholint Island is still the series's most interesting; a curious and concise world that takes only a minute to venture across, but is filled with enough nooks and crannies and secrets to keep you engaged for hours. And while many point to this game as the one that was always a totally different Zelda experience, only time has revealed it to truly be so. There's the obvious things that stick out; no Zelda, no Hyrule, characters from other Nintendo franchises. But it's what just beneath the surface that makes LA such a jewel of the Zelda series. There's no conflict (at least, not immediately), and there's certainly no world-ending threat. Link acts only for his own preservation, and while the Wind Fish is saved by its awakening, the primary goal is always clear, just as the title states.

Perhaps that makes Link's Awakening the only Zelda game without a hero. As the game progresses, it becomes clear to Link that waking the Wind Fish will end the dream, and as a result, Koholint Island (and its inhabitants) will disappear. Of all the worlds you visit as Link, this is probably the most welcoming. Is their reward for their hospitality their own destruction? Did they ever exist at all? And if so, is Link responsible for their dissolution, or is the player? Beyond being an incredible game, LA is great because the memory of its themes persist like an oft-forgotten dream; carelessly floating in and out of our minds, directing our thoughts, guiding our actions. In a series of almost 20 games, Link's Awakening has no trouble remaining one-of-a-kind. Its seemingly simple premise is the springboard for an incredible amount of philosophical thought. And it's an incredibly fun game, updated with the modern charm and quality of life that it's deserved since 1993. This is one of Link's best adventures, and on the Switch, it's better than it's ever been.

Not much needs to be said about Zelda: Link’s Awakening. It’s a traditional Zelda experience with a healthy dose of quirkiness and a charming art style. It has satisfying puzzles and progression. Exploration and curiosity is constantly rewarded. It’s also got beautiful, classic Zelda music and sounds. The story is simple but really enjoyable. It was originally a Gameboy game but this kind of makes it even more impressive. They did a great job with this remake. It looks modern and has modern conveniences but feels and plays old school.

Maybe the price point is about $10 too much. There are some minor technical/performance issues. Also working out what to do or where to go can at times lean towards being a little too obtuse, especially if you gave this to a younger gamer. But it is mostly just a great time.

Zelda: Link’s Awakening is an easy recommendation. It is a must play for every Zelda fan and is a great entry point for newcomers.

9.0/10

I love 3D Zelda. I like 2D Zelda.

This game was weird. Much like Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, it's really odd to play a simple Game Boy game with HD graphics. In an attempt to make a classic game grander, it actually feels more underwhelming.

When you play an old, simple game, the dated graphics are part of the experience. They remind you of the time capsule you've opened, and you're playing the game just as it was meant to be played back in '93. The game design is a product of the hardware's limitations, and it makes sense in that context. But when you leave that gameplay mostly unchanged while giving the visuals a gorgeous overhaul, it creates a disconnect.

There are a few things that this version does much better than the GB original. The biggest is simply having a controller with more buttons. The constant switching of button assignments in the original seems horribly tedious after playing this new version. The visuals are certainly pretty and the music has been arranged very well, but I don't know if those upgrades actually improve the experience.

When it comes down to it, Link's Awakening is a GB classic. But hiding that same old game under a lavish mask only creates a gaming experience that's more forgettable than the original masterpiece.

I have a frustrated love for the Zelda series. Perhaps I love what it COULD be rather than what it is, and the gulf between the two creates discontent.

Unfair? Maybe. In any case, this remake is a mostly enjoyable return to the first portable Zelda title, but each tweak to the original is a two-edged sword, e.g.:

- The plasticine environment successfully demarcates the dream world from the “real” world of the animated cutscenes, yet its misleading veneer of cuteness clashes with its existential theme. "But the original Gameboy graphics were cute too!" you might protest. A little, yes, but more by limitation than design. The dot eyes and simple shapes were necessary due to tiny screens and monochrome palettes, but in the remake they're retained out of unthinking reverence, not with a mind toward the story's dark heart.

- Permanent buttons for sword and shield improve convenience, but they also destroy Awakening's unique mechanical voice among the Zelda pantheon; in the original GB release, no tool was so sacrosanct that it couldn't be tucked away. You could let the shield gather cobwebs in your pouch if you wished, and could even make a challenge of using the sword as little as possible. But now? On the Switch? They're permanently a button tap away. And there aren't enough additions to the sword-and-shield play (besides stunning the blade-brandishing rushers) to warrant its new front-and-center presence on the gamepad.

But back to undue reverence -- if the remakers were willing to tinker with the above elements, why didn't they add more to the plot as well? The existential story of LA demands a sidequest or two, enough to give players some agency (at least the possibility if not the actuality), some room to react to the dreadful truth of the island. This unwillingness to build on the legacy, to treat flaws as sacred as virtues, is the most frustrating aspect of Nintendo's remakes.

+this game alone is the most influential in terms of zelda dungeon design from my perspective. virtually all of them are based around finding a particular item in the first half to solve puzzles in the second half, with plenty of interlocking room layouts and smart backtracking. many of the lttp dungeons felt more like gauntlets with less critical thinking involved, whereas these dungeons require the player to think about the dungeon as a whole, where to go to next, and how the item they just got affects the area around them. eagle's tower particularly stood out for me: though the mirror shield is not used much within it, the ball-throwing puzzles to drop the fourth story down really stood out as a smart puzzle that required thinking through the layout of the whole dungeon
+really useful QoL upgrades, with sword always being available, pegasus boots and shield getting their own shoulder buttons, and two item slots to work with on top of that
+the game is pretty good at telling you your next objective; a useful side effect of how linear the game is compared to lttp and even oot. having hint centers all over helps significantly as well
+very manageable trading quest. it's well-planned so that as long as you keep up with it you'll always be near the next place you're supposed to go
+I like how the overworld is segmented behind item unlocks, so that more and more opens up as you progress
+jumps are much appreciated. it can be hard to remember to use them because I'm not used to using them in a top-down zelda game, but when it's incorporated well it's really good
+item variety overall is very smart, as it retained all the good ones from lttp while removing the more situational ones. I also thought it was smart that the bombs/bow are in the shop from the get-go, so as to put focus on the other items

-this remake has poor frame pacing and it's extremely noticable. I don't even think the bloom effects look that good... why didn't they just disable it entirely?
-the overworld is intricate to the point that it can be difficult to find out where you are supposed to go, especially around the halfway point. not so much because the world is confusing, but rather that the warps are limited in scope and backtracking can be very tedious due to your lack of movement options. really dampened my impression of the game thanks to this
-in relation to the above point, I really did not feel pushed to re-explore parts of the world I had already been to thanks to how slow it is to get around sometimes. the world isn't very large but even so I often just wanted to move on instead of revisiting areas to possibly find new collectables
-dampe's dungeon maker looks stupid. didn't even bother setting foot inside
-would have really liked d-pad support, since this game is 8-way movement only. would have also appreciated being able to remap one of the shoulder buttons... I don't use pegasus boots all that often since many room layouts don't work well with it
-thanks to the much higher resolution of the switch over the game boy, it makes many of the areas seem oddly small since you can often see what were previously multiple rooms all at once. the cutesy art style is very appealing as well but it removes some of the unsettling atmosphere as well

the dungeons really blew me away here after being unimpressed by those in lttp. however, I still had some reservations on aspects of it outside of the dungeons, and this port has some notable issues that really should have been taken care of, especially since this is not grezzo's first rodeo. I still have yet to play the gbc version outside of the opening sections, but overall I would say this is definitely a solid modern way to experience the original, with a lot of the positives (and some negatives) poking out from below the new coat of paint.

It's Link's Awakening. My second favorite Zelda game so I obviously enjoyed it but I was hoping for this to be a bit more special as a remake. (For reference I gave the original a 4.)

I had a bit of a rough go with the art style (it did grow on me) but the big issue was the blur effect. I acknowledge that it was an aesthetic choice and I know why they did it but it was awful for me. Add in the choppy framerate when transitioning between "areas" and this was the closest I've come to experiencing motion sickness in a game. I'm sure this all fares a bit better docked/on a tv but Link's Awakening is a handheld game through and through for me.

Ocarina of Time 3D stays the best example of a remake in the series. At least this one didn't mangle whole gameplay elements like Majora's Mask 3D did.