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Wake the dreamer: Link's Awakening Appreciation Thread
- Thread starter OnPoint
- Start date
yeah, there is something special about the way you hear pieces of that song so many times, then hearing it being played by all the instruments playing it at the same time. WoooVolcynika said:
I should really play it again. But I left it and my gameboy color at my parent's house
A Black Falcon
Member
Blablurn said:
Mystic Quest, as in the European version of Seiken Densetsu/Final Fantasy Adventure, correct? Exceptional game of course, and one of the original Game Boy's best (it's definitely in my top 5 or 10 for the platform)... but LA is better. LA is still the best handheld game ever made, in my opinion, in fact.
Oblivion said:
But it's a story told in a minimalist fashion, which I think is why people who dislike the amount of story in a 3d Zelda game (which I think is probably kind of silly, considering how little story the 3d Zelda games have compared to many other games, but anyway...) still would like LA. LA tells its story with an absolute minimum amount of text... it's the perfect example of how to tell a great story with the least writing possible.
On the other hand though, it does have text prompts in a few places where other Zelda games do not -- when you examine a chest, when you bump into a pegasus boots block or block you need the bracers for or something like that, when you get a piece of power, etc... I liked those added text pieces overall, and think more Zelda games should have had some of that... particularly stuff like the chests, Zelda games would be better if you could examine things in the world and get text descriptions of them, PC adventure game style.
Ferrio said:
Yeah, it's definitely the saddest Zelda game ever, there's no question about that.
But they weren't people though, they were dreams... so is that still killing? That is the question of the game...
Ysiadmihi said:
Indeed, LttP really doesn't hold up at all in comparison to LA.
A Black Falcon said:
Now, now Falcon. It's not like it was a night and day difference in any area aside from probably story. Whatever gameplay modifications that were made weren't that significant. Not to mention LttP is definitely a lot easier on the eyes.
i think people are still giving LA too much credit in the dungeon department though. all of the dungeons are short as hell and surprisingly easy. LTTP's dungeons get a lot more challenging later on (...while the story remains entirely forgettable).
also, i'm playing LTTP right now (on the last dungeon) and having just finished LA a week ago, it gets really obvious just how much it copied from LTTP: entire puzzles, locations, hidden spots and caves, items etc.
i still love LA but i think the unique premise, atmosphere and story make people prone to overlook a lot of its shortcomings in the gameplay department.
also, i'm playing LTTP right now (on the last dungeon) and having just finished LA a week ago, it gets really obvious just how much it copied from LTTP: entire puzzles, locations, hidden spots and caves, items etc.
i still love LA but i think the unique premise, atmosphere and story make people prone to overlook a lot of its shortcomings in the gameplay department.
KeeSomething
Banned
I started replaying LA again a few days ago, and it seems to get better with each playthrough. The characters are so charming and fun, the music is wonderful, the story is bittersweet, and the gameplay is the best the Gameboy has to offer.
I've praised LA a ton in the past, so I don't feel like making anyone essay on why it's so great. Here is a quick list of why LA is my favorite 2D Zelda:
-Best overworld design. The overworld is set up almost like one massive dungeon. Every screen requires you to either fight an enemy, solve a quick puzzle, interact with a character, or use one of your items. Which leads me to my next point...
-Best use of items in any Zelda game. Every item is used almost as often as your sword (except maybe the magic powder). You can even combine items for new abilities (bomb arrows, running long jump, jump spin attack, etc.).
-A bittersweet story that actually focuses on the characters and not on the whole "Hero's destiny" BS. This was also the first Zelda game to have the trading-quest, allowing you to interact with NPC in a fun way.
-The writing was charming.
-The soundtrack is possibly the greatest in any game ever. Considering that this is a GB game, it's shocking how wonderful the music is. My personal favorite is the catchy tune played as you search for your sword in the beginning of the game.
-LA is a timeless classic. No matter how many times I play it, I always want to replay after I see those ending credits.
I've praised LA a ton in the past, so I don't feel like making anyone essay on why it's so great. Here is a quick list of why LA is my favorite 2D Zelda:
-Best overworld design. The overworld is set up almost like one massive dungeon. Every screen requires you to either fight an enemy, solve a quick puzzle, interact with a character, or use one of your items. Which leads me to my next point...
-Best use of items in any Zelda game. Every item is used almost as often as your sword (except maybe the magic powder). You can even combine items for new abilities (bomb arrows, running long jump, jump spin attack, etc.).
-A bittersweet story that actually focuses on the characters and not on the whole "Hero's destiny" BS. This was also the first Zelda game to have the trading-quest, allowing you to interact with NPC in a fun way.
-The writing was charming.
-The soundtrack is possibly the greatest in any game ever. Considering that this is a GB game, it's shocking how wonderful the music is. My personal favorite is the catchy tune played as you search for your sword in the beginning of the game.
-LA is a timeless classic. No matter how many times I play it, I always want to replay after I see those ending credits.
I agree with the first sentence, but I still believe ALttP is probably the most "perfect" Zelda game. With that said, I don't think it is the best.Ysiadmihi said:
KeeSomething
Banned
I agree. that Link's Awakening dungeons were weaker compared to ALttP's.Oblivion said:
cartman414
Member
jarosh said:
I always felt that LttP's dungeons was less challenging. Not to mention that LttP's greater sense of size didn't work in its favor by comparison. It really did feel more bloated IMO.
And it did take a few cues from LttP, but that's about it.
KeeSomething said:
I do have to ask about this, since I see this thrown around a few times. Virtually every item in LA is present in LttP (with the exception of Roc's feather). Those items you happen to use in near equal frequency in both games. So I never really understood why the items in LA tend to have the best use simply by virtue of being in smaller number. I don't know, it just seems to me like having a choice to pay the same amount of money for a burger, or a burger that comes with free fries. It's not like it's costing you extra or anything.
dude, you really might wanna go back and replay both of them. i'm in the last dungeon in lttp right now and godfuckingdamnit**ç)*/)ç+*èçéà§1""è+£_. there's NOTHING in LA that comes close to this at all. nothing. i never once had to use a potion in LA and i just played it two weeks ago. in lttp i have used at least 6 of them in the last couple of dungeons. and there's no portals mid-dungeon here either. if you die close to the boss you go back to the beginning - if it's a big dungeon you're pretty much screwed.cartman414 said:
there are a fuckton of puzzles it copied directly from lttp. i had never noticed this before either but after replaying it just before lttp it becomes REALLY obvious.cartman414 said:
Talladega Knight
Member
Funny, because I always thought it was highly regarded. It's my fave definitely.Merino said:
cartman414
Member
jarosh said:
The most challenging things in the final dungeon was the Somaria's Cane moving platform maze and probably the boss.
Besides, in terms of dungeon challenge, Oracle of Ages trumps them both.
I've replayed both games several times, but aside from general stuff like shooting arrows into the eye of a cyclops and the block crystals, not THAT much.
lol, except that's not in the final dungeon.cartman414 said:
but seriously, i can only laugh at anyone who would ever claim that LA's dungeons are more challenging than LTTP's. there really is no argument to be had here. LTTP is objectively harder. the difference in difficulty is huge. i never ONCE saw a game over screen in LA. i was revived maybe 3 times by fairies. in LTTP i saw the game over screen at least 10 times already and was revived by fairies countless times.
cartman414
Member
jarosh said:
Whoops, my bad.
I think LttP's only claim to difficulty is its greater dungeon size, but even that's offset by the fact that you have more at your disposal (i. e. bottles and armor tunics). I personally found LA to be a bigger gameplay challenge pound for pound.
Talladega Knight
Member
I didn't find LTTP harder at all. I don't remember dying much in LA, maybe once or twice, but I can say the same about LTTP.jarosh said:
keep in mind that i'm not trying to discredit LA. it's still my favorite zelda game. i prefer it over LTTP, which i'm merely defending here because the hate it gets sometimes (especially in LA love threads) is completely ridiculous. it's a great game and there's a ton of stuff about it that i love. it doesn't deserve most of the hate it's getting, especially since LA borrows so many of the things that made LTTP great.
lastendconductor
Put your snobby liquids into my mouth!
I've written a lot of elaborated praise for this game on these boards already, so let me summarize
BEST ZELDA GAME EVER
BEST ZELDA GAME EVER
â Narayan
Member
Personal favorite Zelda of mine, with Majora's Mask tailing it.
For people saying the best Zelda game ever, go back and play it again. I'm in the middle and while it is good, the boss battles are really really easy, as in stupid easy, not even getting hit once easy.
So it might be the best Zelda game on a handheld (I still prefer the twin package of Seasons+Ages) but by far LTTP is a more enjoyable game for the challenge and depth it brings.
So it might be the best Zelda game on a handheld (I still prefer the twin package of Seasons+Ages) but by far LTTP is a more enjoyable game for the challenge and depth it brings.
KeeSomething
Banned
Yeah, I think I remember discussing this with you before. To be honest, I only beat ALttP once, and that was over 5 years ago. I can't really remember how often I used the items.Oblivion said:
I'd rather have less items, but have them used more often. I can't help but feel cheated when you get an item that you worked hard to get, and it's virtually useless except for maybe one or two specific tasks. Then again, that's just me, but I feel it is lazy game design to give the player a large array of inventory when maybe only half is useful.
I have the biggest problems with items like the sail in The Wind Waker. Sure, you NEED it to travel, but it is useless anywhere else but on the see. Developers could have easily given the player the ability to use it as the Deku Leaf as well. Or, they the designers could just allow you to sail without having to equip the sail; like, it could be a attached as a default so it doesn't waste an item slot on the hud. You should have also been allowed to use other weapons like bombs, arrows, and the boomerang while you are sailing. It was a stupid move not to allow that.
In fact, this may be the problem I had with ALttP's items. Perhaps they were all needed, but they were very limited in there uses. Maybe... I don't know, I'll have to go back and replay it some day so I can back up what I'm saying.
Was the orchestration of the final Wind Fish theme messed up for anyone else? I remember playing the original gray cart as a kid, and when all the instruments came out to open up the Wind Fish's egg, they started playing at different times and with different tempos. It sounded terrible.
No one I know seems to have this problem. Maybe I just got a cacophonous cart. :lol
No one I know seems to have this problem. Maybe I just got a cacophonous cart. :lol
The amount of damage you get from enemies is probably around the same for both games. But Zelda's never really been about combat, especially the 2D ones. The bigger issues regarding difficulty were definitely the dungeons. The first 3 in LA especially don't even seem to attempt to have you solve any puzzles.
cartman414
Member
jarosh said:
I wouldn't call it hate that LttP gets. Just demystification of what seems to get a disproportionate amount of attention amongst the top-down Zeldas.
And while it is true that LA, as with almost every other traditional top-down Zelda since, has borrowed from the LttP template, I've felt that they've enhanced the overall experience in different ways, barring the Minish Cap, which could have used a little more challenge and a couple more dungeons.
rhfb said:
The LTTP bosses weren't really challenging once you got to know what to do against them.
And personally I found LA to be much more enjoyable for the better sense of flow, and a few outside the box puzzles to boot.
Jason's Ultimatum
Member
Remake the game cel shaded plz.
KeeSomething said:
I get what you're saying, but the thing is, I don't think you ARE using those particular items more. I mean, getting the magic cape in mean you'll be using the hookshot a lot less, though you might not be using the cape that much anyway. That's why I used the burger/fries example. Getting the free fries doesn't mean you'll be getting a smaller burger, and if you don't like the extra fries, well you don't need to eat them.
That's why I didn't have any problems with some of the extra items in LttP, because there wasn't anything that you wouldn't need for more than a few instance that were mandatory for you to progress through the game. A good example would be something like the spinner in TP. You HAVE to get it to progress through the game, but there's not much use for it outside the Arbiter's Grounds.
AZ Greg
Member
Gotta agree with jarosh about the dungeons/difficulty of LA when compared to ALttP. Between the difficulty issues and how much it borrowed from ALttP, LA really felt like ALttP Jr. Of course, that is what made the Gameboy so great, giving you nearly the same experience as what you could have at home but rather on the go.
LA had a great atmosphere with charming characters and a good story by Zelda standards. I just didn't feel like LA had the great exploration and challenge that ALttP and the original Zelda before it had. It would have really been interesting to see how LA would have turned out if they weren't constrained by the limitations of the original Gameboy and instead could have designed the game for the SNES.
I'm glad to see the game get so much love though. I have some great memories with it. I just hope most of this LA love isn't one of those cases of hardcore gamers choosing the often overlooked gem in a series that was once a more hardcore franchise that has since gone more mainstream. The same sorta thing you see with FF8 or Sonic CD.
LA had a great atmosphere with charming characters and a good story by Zelda standards. I just didn't feel like LA had the great exploration and challenge that ALttP and the original Zelda before it had. It would have really been interesting to see how LA would have turned out if they weren't constrained by the limitations of the original Gameboy and instead could have designed the game for the SNES.
I'm glad to see the game get so much love though. I have some great memories with it. I just hope most of this LA love isn't one of those cases of hardcore gamers choosing the often overlooked gem in a series that was once a more hardcore franchise that has since gone more mainstream. The same sorta thing you see with FF8 or Sonic CD.
This is the best portable game ever imo, not sure about the best Zelda because LttP it's a perfect game, both are the best two Zeldas of course. So many memorable moments in this game, the 2D parts were great, the music is AMAZING, the way some zones are blocked until you have done a specific mission or have some specific item is genious.
Of the Zelda games with side-stories I always loved this and the Oracles games, I think that if you guys liked LA you should try the other two.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ErE4l1EKM <3
Watching the ending still makes me feel sad and with a strange feeling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBqkLx4AMrg
And some funny vids:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpNAf2G13Kc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsbXKy4Y5F0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGrFEB5EM1U
Of the Zelda games with side-stories I always loved this and the Oracles games, I think that if you guys liked LA you should try the other two.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ErE4l1EKM <3
Watching the ending still makes me feel sad and with a strange feeling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBqkLx4AMrg
And some funny vids:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpNAf2G13Kc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsbXKy4Y5F0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGrFEB5EM1U
cartman414
Member
AZ Greg said:
Saying LttP had better exploration is one thing, but the original?
ETA: LttP wasn't necessarily any harder either. The enemies at the very least were less threatening IMO. And while LttP may have had better exploration, the overworld design wasn't as interesting, save for overlap points between the Light and Dark Worlds.
flintstryker
Banned
This game is factually better than your favorite handheld game, yep i am talking to you who who is reading this right now.
flintstryker
Banned
its just that good.Cyan said:
Grimm Fandango
Member
Orellio said:Edit: In fact I have such a soft spot for this game I rehosted this wallpaper I had saved on my HDD for all of you. Please enjoy
Using now, thanks!
And did you make this? I'd love to see one with Marin and Link sitting on the beach.
Rezbit said:
Disco Dan's remix of the song is awesome as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZEwRVgKE_I
And I still believe this Zelda game has the most potential of all of them.
A serious remake of the story with the characters intact could be epic.
KeeSomething
Banned
I understand your side. I just perfer games to be trimmed of their excess. I like when you get all your major abilities/items in the beginning of the game, and the progressing game design tests you with them, and makes full use out of them (like Majora's Mask did perfectly; you get all your major abilities outside of dungeons). That way, I don't feel like I'm wasting my time with a tutoral when I'm like more than half way into the game. I'm not saying ALttP does this, but you mentioned Twilight Princess which is very guilty of this.Oblivion said:I get what you're saying, but the thing is, I don't think you ARE using those particular items more. I mean, getting the magic cape in mean you'll be using the hookshot a lot less, though you might not be using the cape that much anyway. That's why I used the burger/fries example. Getting the free fries doesn't mean you'll be getting a smaller burger, and if you don't like the extra fries, well you don't need to eat them.
On a side note, were you upset that the only area in Twilight Princess that really tested your skills was an optional, uninspired Cave of Ordeals? See, that's what I mean. The whole game could have tested your abilities (like sword combat, your hidden skills, and quite a few of other items), but the team decided it would be best to leave that to one small area, specific area in the game. It just feels like wasted potential. Moreover, Wolf Link is completely pointless; the game design really never shined in wolf gameplay.
I know I'm taking a lot of jabs at TP, but that's just because it is such an obvious offender of giving you items and abilities only useful for VERY specific parts of the game. Twilight Princess is the extreme example, but I feel it helps me get my point across better. So, in that game, the burger/fries example doesn't apply because giving the player a bunch of useless items/abilities is just lazy game design.
I was going to say everything that jarosh said so I don't really need to now.
I enjoy LttP and LA as much as each other and I try not to compare the two, because it'd just be like the petty comparisons between OoT vs MM. But the people hating on LttP need to get a grip.
I enjoy LttP and LA as much as each other and I try not to compare the two, because it'd just be like the petty comparisons between OoT vs MM. But the people hating on LttP need to get a grip.
cartman414
Member
Where are the people who hate on LttP? Aside from perhaps AniHawk, who didn't expound on it in this thrread, I don't really see them.
cartman414 said:
I don't hate ALttP, I just found it average (as in, if a game isn't at least this good in the franchise, it shouldn't have been made. See Phantom Hourglass and Oracle of Seasons for details). It has none of the charm that LA or even Oracle of Ages or TMC has (better than FSA and especially Oracle of Seasons though). I like the dungeons, and the dungeons are a big part of Zelda games for obvious reasons. It just felt by the numbers. If I had played it when it first came out, I could have appreciated it on the improvements it made over the previous two, but because I first played it in 2000, there was a different gold standard for me. Well, two, really. One, as a 2D Zelda, where I appreciate LA much more, and Two, as the classic 'good vs. evil', kill the bad guy, save the princess Zelda found in Ocarina of Time.
What most people got from the jump to LoZ -> ALttP, I got from LA -> OoT, and going back to ALttP demonstrated just how far the series had come.
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
My very first Zelda game. It's been far too long since I've played it (I really should find my cartridge sometime soon and give it another playthrough).
I'd rank it as #3 on the Zelda list, behind Wind Waker and Link to the Past. But it is definitely very, very good.
I'd rank it as #3 on the Zelda list, behind Wind Waker and Link to the Past. But it is definitely very, very good.
Orellio said:Edit: In fact I have such a soft spot for this game I rehosted this wallpaper I had saved on my HDD for all of you. Please enjoy
Grimm Fandango said:
I made that. And I have a larger size stored on my hard drive so I'm rehosting that version. I also have another version, for those that prefer untouched coloring, that I've rehosted as well. Thanks and enjoy!
