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[Guileless]

People had strong reactions to Nintendo's announcement of the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening remake, with some people showing some real reverence towards it.

I never had a Gameboy myself and so never played it after its release in August 1993. So what's the big deal? Does it deserve it's rapturous praise, or is that mostly nostalgia creeping into people's perceptions of such an old game?

 

[Shifty]

My first Zelda game ever, probably my first action-adventure title too. I had it on GBC.

I'd say it holds up well as a Zelda title- there's mystery behind the story, and the world is well-realised and full of interesting (and weird) characters. Dungeon design is solid, and the stuff you do between dungeons to open the next one is generally varied and interesting. Plus it has some good optional side content, which reminds me a bit of Ocarina. The trading quest is still legendary to this day.

I did get stuck in the face shrine as a kid though. No idea how because I went back years later and couldn't find the sticking point for the life of me, but I have a vivid memory of bumbling around with "the walls have eyes" as my only clue.

Spoiler: A different Zelda game

Spoilering this for fear of sparking a derail-tastic argument, but I find the game much more accessible and enjoyable than Link to the Past, its closest contemporary in the 2D games. Link's Awakening is smaller in scope by comparison, but feels more richly-designed, having taken certain cues from Ocarina of Time. I can go back to Link's Awakening no problem, but can't for the life of me get around to finishing LttP. The whole light world / dark world thing and accompanying difficulty shift complicates things way too much for me.

Really looking forward to the remake.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Best game in Gameboy and one of the best Zelda game that i play in my life ( The best is a Link to the past and Majora Mask).

I play it all the time with a special AC adapter.

I Usually finish the game with the wall Glitch in less of 4 minutes.

Almost everytime i pass the time in the shop to steal some items xD or i enjoy the Crank Game a lot

Also i see one of my Waifus of gaming ... Marin and the mermaid girl.

Point of curiosity:

Spoiler: Spoiler of the game

The Japanese is a uncensored version. USA Version is the censored

Actually the mermaid lost a bra and not a necklace. thats why she run away when you try to dive near of her

 

[AV]

For me, it's the 2D Zelda sweet spot, along with the Oracle games (I think those are actually better, but that's just personal).

Great story, characters, map, dungeons, progression, puzzles, music, all of it. It's the whole package. ALttP is obviously a classic, but I feel as though they were still figuring some things out. The Minish Cap was also great but by that point Zelda was way easier and a lot more mainstream. LA (and the Oracles) fit snuggly in the middle, something about those three games just feels perfect.

Can't wait for the remake.

 

[iconmaster]

OP hasn't played it, so we can't actually say why it hit so many of us so hard.

You'll just have to trust us on this, Guileless .

 

[Deputy Moonman]

I never played it either, so I'm actually kind of excited to try it out. No, I don't have a Switch yet. Yes, I'm planning on getting one in the near future Good times ahead!

 

[Glacia]

I played it pretty recently, last year. It's great 2D Zelda game with it's own charm. It's not super easy, there is no hand holding like they do nowadays. If you liked Link to the past you'll enjoy Link's Awakening. The only bad thing about Link's Awakening is that gameboy had only two buttons and the game expects you to use various items so you have to go to menu all the time which is kinda annoying.

 

[AV]

OP hasn't played it, so we can't actually say why it hit so many of us so hard.

Yeah, that's a point. If you don't already know about the true nature of the game, do yourself a favour and don't look it up. And hope no one here spoils it (you could hardly blame them, it's a 26 year old game).

 

[kunonabi]

I personally couldnt stand it. The quirky nonsense, the godawful fetch quest chain, and the slow as molasses exploration all bugged the hell out of me. I get that much of the games issues are due to the hardware but I still hated playing it.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

as a child i remember it being difficult. never beat it. almost got to the end. forget where I stopped. prob had 2/3 - 3/4 of the instruments

didnt like that massive fetch quest.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

My view: it marks the perfection of 2D top-down Zelda.

I support this contention by pointing to the world design. It's incredibly well planned; every single screen, every rock placement feels deliberate; secrets of many types are everywhere; there isn't dead or repetitive space; the varying paths through inventory and access (eg., chest you can see but not yet reach) puzzles keeps it all interesting.

Second, the dialog is actually entertaining, something I don't find to be true at all of LttP.

Third, the plot has a wonderful sense of mystery, particularly since this island isn't our familiar Hyrule, and the sense of curiosity only grows across the arc of the story.

Finally, the dungeons showcase the great clockwork style of Zelda puzzle design, with a ton of variety and countless unique ideas that aren't repeated.

Edit:

Spoiler

 

[J-Roderton]

Nintendo Power or some mag had a guide in it and I remember tearing those pages out and studying them so I could beat some of the harder parts of the game.

 

[jshackles]

I held off on buying a Gameboy when they first came out, because there weren't that many games for it I was interested in. However, when Link's Awakening was announced, I knew I had to get one.

I saved up and picked up the bundle pack:

I also sent away for the Link's Awakening strategy guide from Nintendo Power:

By the time it arrived though, I had already beaten the game. The guide helped me find a few hidden secrets though!

Finally, I remember learning about the select hack/exploit the game had on the rev 1 cartridges. I glitched through several of the dungeons and felt like a god. The game had some surprisingly interesting dead / hidden zones.

All said, I absolutely loved Link's Awakening, it's probably my second favorite Zelda game after A Link to the Past.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

Another key element of this game's brilliance: Koizumi was behind its story (truly the 2nd most wonderful mind at Nintendo, behind only Miyamoto, IMO, and increasingly taking his place now)--and one of the inspirations for the feeling of odd characters & dialogue found throughout the game was Twin Peaks.

 

[Andyliini]

I had it on Game Boy as a child. I remember playing it. and getting stuck from time to time for I couldn'r understand English too well. The game is till fun, though. I recently beat it on 3DS too. As the previous poster said, this was one of the first major games for Yoshiaki Koizumi, but many seem to forget that Kensuke Tanabe was also a writer for this, when he still worked hands-on on games.

It's a great game and I have high hopes for the remake. Hopefully they'll show more at E3.

 

[Ellis]

It's the best game in the series, and the fact that it was done for the Game Boy is even more impressive. I was blown away that I was playing a fully fledged Zelda on such hardware. Mainly because I also had a Game Gear at the time too.
It also wasn't bogged down by another retelling of the same-ish story all over again, instead it told a completely new story that still stands above anything else in the series that come before it, and after it.


and....
OG >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> DX

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

It's the best game in the series, and the fact that it was done for the Game Boy is even more impressive.

and....
OG >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> DX

Yes, I couldn't agree more. I don't expect the remake to surpass that pixel-perfection of the OG either.

 

[thegreatwb]

I remember playing it religiously while my mom was in choir rehearsal. I remember running out of batteries and hearing that putting them in the freezer would recharge them.................................Yea I did it and it did give me a few minutes of play time.

 

[zeorhymer]

Ah the classic 3-3-3 journey.

 

[Queso de Grande]

I was so excited because Link’s Awakening is the second best Zelda game. I have replayed the original and the DX version too many times to count. It quick, fun, quirky, and surprisingly deep for a GameBoy game.

 

[ODESZA]

I remember being amazed at something like that being on the game boy.

I remember it being the must-buy for Game Boy Color owners. I also remember the exclusive dungeon and items in the first remake.

What a great game. it deserves a console experience.

 

[Shy Fingers]

Loved it, and have played through multiple times. The seventh dungeon still sucks, but it did have a neat premise.

 

[Zephir]

My parents bought me a Game Boy Color plus Link's Awakening DX as a "reward" for finishing elementary school.
I had Pokemon Blue at the time but i was still blown away by the true colors of that game.

Honestly, at that time i didn't understand english very well, so most of the dialogues and where i was supposed to go was hard to understand, but that made it even more of an adventure.

I remember being UTTERLY SCARED by the "shock jelly" as i called them, because when i hit them, the whole screen buzzed and shaked (you know what i mean)

love that game, i still have the (pretty ruined) package and the manual!

 

[Yagami_Sama]

A few. I played this for the first time, like 15 years ago. And one thing that I do remember, is that I hated inventory management.

 

[Ozrimandias]

At that time, when i was a kid, i consider it like a continue to Link To The Past....never played tho.
I was very excited when it was released, but didnt have a Gameboy.

 

[ROMhack]

I liked it when I first played it about five years ago. It's a bit of an off-shoot, like Majora's Mask but for the 2D games.

1. OoT
2. Breath of the Wild
3. Majora's Mask
4. Link is Awakening
5. A Link to the Past

 

[cireza]

Same disappointment I had with a Link to the Past.

Coming from Zelda I and II on NES, these were casual games, not the hardcore experience I loved being a small kid.

 

[Shifty]

OG >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> DX

Say what? Are there major differences past the addition of color?

 

[Cattlyst]

Played it on the original gameboy to the end in the summer of 99. In that weird green monochrome. It took over my life for about a week. Good times.

 

[Touch fuzZy. get BizZay]

Windfish in name only, for it is neither.

An all time favourite that I got lost in for hours as a kid. Great humour too. Will play the remake but it probably won't compare to those perfect pixels.

 

[Ellis]

Say what? Are there major differences past the addition of color?

This page is the best write up on all the differences between versions

https://tcrf.net/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Link's_Awakening/Version_Differences

 

[Deputy Moonman]

I liked it when I first played it about five years ago. It's a bit of an off-shoot, like Majora's Mask but for the 2D games.

1. OoT
2. Breath of the Wild
3. Majora's Mask
4. Link is Awakening
5. A Link to the Past

Whoa no love for TP?

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

Say what? Are there major differences past the addition of color?

The big factor for me isn't the list of specific differences, it's just the way the color distorts my image of the game. In monochrome, its world was mysterious, dark, and seemed more substantial. The GBC made it look too primary-colored and candyish for my tastes, with bright greens etc and only a few selected hues per screen (much of this is due to inherent limitations of the GBC's color capabilities).

 

[Grinchy]

I never had a Gameboy and never knew this game existed. I am really looking forward to this remake though.

 

[Doczu]

It was my first Legend of Zelda.title, got the DX version for my Color. I fell in love with the game, i think i finished it at least ten times, and at least once i've 100% it.
But it took me around a year to finish it the first time...
Thing is, the game was in German - Nintendo games in Poland were really rare at the time and all of them were imports. I got stuck at the beginning, couldn't get past the woods. I didn't know a single word in German and didn't know you had to use the magic powder on Tarin.

One. Full. Fucking. Year. I started doing all kinda of shit in the game because i was bored. Became the master of the crane game, best shoplifter on the island. Eventually i started burning everyone with the powder and BAM! I GOT IT!

My most favorite 2D Zelda, bought in on the 3DS when it launched in the digital store.

And the Windfish theme is magical.

 

[Arkage]

Probably the first action/adventure game I ever played. So the gameplay was pretty amazing, and dungeons were pretty difficult for me as a kid.

The script had a melancholic tone throughout, with characters contemplating their fate in nihilistic sort of ways. Where you feel bad for continuing on but it's the only way out. Still holds up really well IMO as an emotionally moving story.

 

[kingbean]

I'm not going to fact check this memory, so I could be misremembering.

I didn't have a handheld until a hand me down GBA and I never managed to get a copy to play myself.
So I briefly played it on my friends yellow GB color and I vaguely remember being able to jump with a certain item equipped and it blowing my mind, because I had only ever played NES Zelda and it didn't have jumping.

Now if I'm wrong, I don't know what I'm remembering.

 

[Geki-D]

I'm not going to fact check this memory, so I could be misremembering.

I didn't have a handheld until a hand me down GBA and I never managed to get a copy to play myself.
So I briefly played it on my friends yellow GB color and I vaguely remember being able to jump with a certain item equipped and it blowing my mind, because I had only ever played NES Zelda and it didn't have jumping.

Now if I'm wrong, I don't know what I'm remembering.

Yes, you could jump. But you're wrong about your friend's Gameboy. He wasn't your friend, you actually stole it.

 

[kingbean]

Yes, you could jump. But you're wrong about your friend's Gameboy. He wasn't your friend, you actually stole it.

Nah I never had a game boy color. Weird story though someone stole my Final Fantasy 8 strategy guide and sold it for 50 cents. The person that bought it was my friend and like 10 years later I found out and he gave it back to me.

Fun tangent complete.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Simple and mysterious game, one of the many GB titles that revealed its layers as you played it but looked stupid-simplistic on the surface.

I remember swapping hints and suggestions with friends. Blew my mind when a friend told me how to complete the full trading quest. I couldn't believe that a sidequest in a little handheld game could be so complicated.

I think that aspect of the title (and all the games like it in the pre-internet era) will forever be lost unless the player chooses to ignore all info.

 

[Lionel Richie]

A bit of an old picture so I apologize for the low quality, but I have a tattoo based on a great character in Link's Awakening. This game really means a lot to me and I'm so happy it's getting a remake.

 

[entremet]

It was my favorite GB game. My little brother donated my brick GB and Link's Awakening like a dummy without my permission lol.

I later rebought it as the DX version on the GBC. I still prefer it over LTTP.

 

[Queso de Grande]

Was Link’s Awakening the first Zelda to have the bartering quest? I remember you have to get special items for so many people.

Also, it was the only one you could steal from the item shop. I would name my character THIEF because the first thing I did each game was steal a shield or shovel.

 

[Scopa]

My memory of it is buying it for the original Gameboy, but never really playing more than an hour of it because I didn’t really get rpgs back then. I bought it though because I understood it was a classic.

And then I remember my mum holding a garage sale at my house and forcing me to sell some of my things. I think she made me sell Link’s Awakening for like $10-15. Devastating.

She let me keep my Gameboy though. With no games.

Since then, I’ve owned the game in various ways, but never managed to play it. I will one day, but maybe I’ll play the remake first.

 

[Geki-D]

Was Link’s Awakening the first Zelda to have the bartering quest? I remember you have to get special items for so many people.

Also, it was the only one you could steal from the item shop. I would name my character THIEF because the first thing I did each game was steal a shield or shovel.

Yes and you didn't need to name your character thief, the game would pretty much switch your name to thief on it's own if you stole a few times.

 

[BusierDonkey]

First game I ever played where I called my character Buddy. Every game I've played since I've called the playable character Buddy if the name can be changed.

I also remember my brother figuring out a ton of really cool Game Genie codes for this game including one that let us use the shovel to dig anything including walls. We could dig our way through dungeons, and often dig into different areas of the game. Tree blocking your path? dig through it!

 

[Geki-D]

I remember I knew a guy who had a broken cartridge of the game. For some reason all items were unlocked from the get go but it would just crash not too long after the beginning. Cartridges were pretty odd things compared to our modern day discs.

My copy was normal, honestly one of my favorite games of all time. This remake makes me regret not having a Switch but then I look at all of the games and there are only 3 or 4 that interest me so it's not worth it. Maybe if they do realise that Switch mini and it's way cheaper.

 

[JordanN]

I actually thought the main character was called Zelda.

It wasn't until Ocarina of Time did I discover "Link".

 

[Geki-D]

I actually thought the main character was called Zelda.

It wasn't until Ocarina of Time did I discover "Link".

So did I. In fact naming the character Zelda did something special (I think it activated a hard mode?) so I was pretty adamant in my belief.

 

[Torrent of Pork]

Many AA batteries were sacrificed on the alter of this game when I was a child.