Looking Back on Link's Awakening

The original Legend of Zelda brought an epic adventure of exploration and discovery out of the imagination of the father of modern gaming onto television screens. In Link’s Awakening, Nintendo faced the challenge of bringing such as deep experience onto their handheld system. They succeeded in creating a memorable Zelda adventure so much so that they decided to make the game twice, the second time in color. The later version, Link’s Awakening DX for the GBC is now available for download on the Nintendo 3DS.

Even on such limited hardware, Link’s Awakening delivers an authentic Zelda experience: on open world to discover (provided you find the proper tools), eight dungeons to conquer, an arsenal of tool and weapons to utilize, and secret caves to delve into.

After navigating a vicious storm, Link awakens (see what they did there) in the home of the inhabitants of an island where he washed ashore. His ship is lost, and the only way to escape is to awaken the Wind Fish – the supposed guardian of the island. To revive the Wind Fish, Link must gather the eight instruments to awaken him, hidden in eight different dungeons. The narrative is pretty straightforward, but the direct approach is probably best for working with the constraints of the GBC.

Link has a good variety of weapons and tools to solve clever puzzles and defeat powerful bosses. He has his standard sword and shield, as well as bombs, a feather to jump, Pegasus Boots to dash, and some optional weapons like the mostly harmless shovel and powerful bow. All of Link’s weapons can be obtained before going to the sixth dungeon, and the final dungeons make clever use of all of Link’s acquired skills. Link finds his trusty Hookshot in one of the dungeons, one of my personal favorite weapons and one that became a mainstay in Link’s arsenal.

Link’s tools allow him to access new places on the map and further explore familiar places. There aren’t many heart pieces to find, most of them are rewards for defeating dungeon bosses. But it’s fun to walk around the island, finding all the little nooks and crannies and what lies within.

Link’s Awakening is a memorable handheld adventure, with a particularly memorable trade game and song: The Ballad of the Wind Fish. It’s a must-play for any serious gamer, and now it’s easier to play than ever. On the 3DS, the backlight makes it easier to play, and having it stored in the internal memory makes is easy to play anywhere.