After my lukewarm enjoyment of A Link to the past, I was seriously doubting if I even liked 2D Zelda. Luckily, this game changed that.
Link's awakening is a true journey. The premise is captivating, the music is unique for most zones so you don't just hear the same 4 songs every time, and the enemies you face are weird and interesting. Dungeons, bosses and enemies are all excellently designed, but that goes without saying. I want to focus more on what makes Links awakening so unique. ...It's mostly the story. I love the story.
It struck all the right chords for me. While comparatively simple, heck, some may go as far as call it "cheap" (which I strongly disagree with), the story holds emotional weight in a way that no other Zelda game does. I don't want to spoil it just in case you don't know what's going on, but I knew the premise and the turning point in the plot still hit surprisingly hard. You can credit this to the incredible atmosphere and music. It's hard to describe why I liked it so much, maybe it's the characters and the focus on the little things. There's a few meaningful interactions with the NPCs and the camera feature helps highlight everything pleasant on your journey. I want everyone to experience the story even if they feel only a fraction of the enjoyment I did.
The one real shortcoming of this game is the item management, which can become clunky with only two buttons. You can blame gameboy limitations for the bulk of it, but lifting rocks should be a passive ability at the very least. My other issue is how cramped the world can feel. The lack of shortcuts and limited fast travel options make Koholint a bit of a hassle to explore if you want to go for the extras. My third issue is just a nitpick, really. Why does the tutorial pop up every time you find a piece of power or an acorn? I straight up ignored the power-ups so I wouldn't have to stay still for two seconds.
The DX port is the greatest way to experience Link's awakening if you don't want to go the full remake route. Highly recommended, this game made me a 2D Zelda fan
Link's awakening is a true journey. The premise is captivating, the music is unique for most zones so you don't just hear the same 4 songs every time, and the enemies you face are weird and interesting. Dungeons, bosses and enemies are all excellently designed, but that goes without saying. I want to focus more on what makes Links awakening so unique. ...It's mostly the story. I love the story.
It struck all the right chords for me. While comparatively simple, heck, some may go as far as call it "cheap" (which I strongly disagree with), the story holds emotional weight in a way that no other Zelda game does. I don't want to spoil it just in case you don't know what's going on, but I knew the premise and the turning point in the plot still hit surprisingly hard. You can credit this to the incredible atmosphere and music. It's hard to describe why I liked it so much, maybe it's the characters and the focus on the little things. There's a few meaningful interactions with the NPCs and the camera feature helps highlight everything pleasant on your journey. I want everyone to experience the story even if they feel only a fraction of the enjoyment I did.
The one real shortcoming of this game is the item management, which can become clunky with only two buttons. You can blame gameboy limitations for the bulk of it, but lifting rocks should be a passive ability at the very least. My other issue is how cramped the world can feel. The lack of shortcuts and limited fast travel options make Koholint a bit of a hassle to explore if you want to go for the extras. My third issue is just a nitpick, really. Why does the tutorial pop up every time you find a piece of power or an acorn? I straight up ignored the power-ups so I wouldn't have to stay still for two seconds.
The DX port is the greatest way to experience Link's awakening if you don't want to go the full remake route. Highly recommended, this game made me a 2D Zelda fan