Bringing it back with funky fresh style.
I remember seeing the trailer for Link’s Awakening on Nintendo Direct earlier this year, and literally squeaked at the stylishly animated opening sequence. I’m definitely a major Zelda fan, and seeing a lovingly hand-drawn cutscene of the redesigned Game Boy game was just too much for my tiny Nintendo-powered heart.
I also didn’t play Link’s Awakening as a kid. I know, right, feel sorry for me. However, I was delighted to be able to make up for that by playing the new version being released for Switch.
Risky business
It’s always a risk remaking any fan favourite, as we’ve seen with recent Disney movies. At worst, it turns out to be a poor reinterpretation. At the very least, you know that the die-hard fans will find something to criticise. With Link’s Awakening, though, I’m fairly confident that even Zelda’s most rabid fans will be pleased with the way Nintendo’s chosen to approach the return to Koholint Island.
The story of Link’s Awakening is a mysterious one. Link is washed overboard a ship and ends up passed out on the beach of Koholint Island. Koholint is a tiny little island jam packed with dungeons and topped with a giant pink and white egg(?!?!). It’s an egg land. Little Marin, a cute girl who clearly has a crush on you the entire game, finds you on the beach and brings you to her village. Classically, Link has no memory of who he is or where he comes from. Very in character for him, but it doesn’t slow him down. He quests across the island to awaken the Wind Fish to help him save the island and get back home. However, things might not quite be as they seem…
First and foremost, not a lot is different compared to the Game Boy game. In regards to the map and playthrough, it’s basically a screen-for-screen port of the original game. Players get to enjoy a modernised, beautiful reinterpretation of the graphics, music, and characters, but the game itself is effectively exactly the same. It’s perfect for folks who want to re-experience the game of their youth, or share the world of Zelda with their kids for the first time.
Smashy smashy
In regards to the game experience, it’s a very typical Zelda game. Smash some pots, gather artifacts of power, and interact with adorable characters. As a first time player, I found the dungeons pleasantly challenging, with Angler’s Tunnel being a personal favourite. The puzzles are tricky, and sometimes you have to do major backtracks through the game to use a gained ability that you didn’t have before. Secret caves, underground tunnels, and hidden treasures abound! I also love the scavenger hunt side quest of delivering special items to various characters that runs through the game.
In a word, Link’s Awakening is adorable. The graphics are bright, squishy and look like they’re made from bits of Lego or Playmobil. The characters look like huggable friends, especially Marin’s dad and critters of Animal Village. The attention to detail is plain to see. You can tell that the developers truly loved Zelda and wanted to preserve the charm of the original game.
The World is Yours
The interface for items, maps, and controls is reminiscent of a simplified Breath of the Wild menu. This is great for current Zelda players. The control system is very similar to prior Zelda games, with two equippable items slots for things like bombs and arrows. The controls are simplistic and relatively easy to grasp, even for little ones.
The music has also been restyled and adds a huge amount of extra whimsical fancy to the game, with just a hint of the old school chiptune vibe in the background. There’s Nintendo references sprinkled throughout the game, and the occasional drop into a side-scrolling platform map just for kicks.
The map is cute, easy to read, and allows you to zoom in to figure out exactly where you’re trying to go. Additionally, there are Warp Points to allow you to get around the world faster. The world size is obviously a lot smaller than Breath of the Wild; I’m over halfway through the game with probably 6-8 hours of thorough gameplay on the clock. In 2019’s culture of huge open world gameplay and endless games, this might feel a little short. Honestly though, it’s the perfect length of game for someone who wants to actually finish something! The way the game’s structured, it’s easy to play on the way to work or school, then hit pause and come back later.
My only criticism is that the main NPC, Marin is a pretty empty character with little to no personality beyond being smoochy over Link. I know the game is an exact reproduction of the old game, but it would have been nice to bring her into 2019 with a bit more character development and personal agency, like they’ve done with Zelda.
Crafted with care
I didn’t have time to tinker around with the new Chamber Dungeon feature during my review, but this allows players to create their own traversable dungeons from the rooms they’ve already completed. For fans of the Maker games, this presents an exciting new way to customise your Zelda experience and have a shot at designing your own challenging dungeons.
Personally, I absolutely adored Link’s Awakening. I feel like it’s been carefully crafted with love and care, and it shows. It’s a great game for all ages, and is especially a perfect entry point for younger Zelda fans. Even I can’t resist the idea of grabbing some of the collectibles that are sure to come out around the game. The characters are just too cute!
Whether you’re a long-time Zelda fan, or just interested in giving the franchise a try for yourself or your kids, I highly recommend adding this title to your collection.
Link’s Awakening is a bright and festive remake of an absolute GameBoy classic.
- Overall
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