The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening is a truly important game. This was the first major Zelda game to truly have a deep narrative, since While A Link To The Past had a story and NPCs, the story was not very unique and dint stand out. It may have been the first attempt at a major storyline, but it just wasn’t there yet. The townsfolk were also fairly nondescript and didn’t have anything to make them stand out. Link’s Awakening on the other hand, is different in that it had both characters with real and distinct personalities and a story that dealt with existential themes. This started a trend that has continued to the present day with Breath of the Wild. Everything feels unique from the townspeople who have real personalities to the enemies who actually feel like characters. The game also helped solidify the dungeon design that the series uses, where you defeated a miniboss to get an item that was then used to navigate the dungeon. People may be surprised that A Link To The Past did not have this formula, but here it is and it was put to good use in Ocarina of Time.
Obviously, the game has a great past, but what about its present? The Switch remake has just been released and after spending time with it, I must say that I am impressed. This is a full-on remake. and rebuilt the world from 8-bit sprites into a new 3D world and gave some much needed improvements. For instance, your sword, shield, the Power Bracelet, and the Pegasus Boots are always equipped like in A Link To The Past, and frees you up from needing to always switch between items. This is just the beginning though, as some bosses have been changed to be more of a challenge than before, some puzzles are now explained better, and puzzle rooms do not reset constantly. To be more specific, the infamous horsehead puzzle has been tweaked to be more explanatory of its chess motif. The pot puzzles are likewise altered by having an image of pots placed on certain doors. These are nice touches and I like what was added here. The pieces of power and guardian acorns are tweaked as well, and no longer interrupt the flow of the game.
There are also some other major changes as well, such as how warping is handled. Rather than having to continuously jump into a warp point, you will be given a choice of where to warp to. You can also use the Ocarina to warp to locations as well. The trading game has had some slight tweaks to it as well, though I do not wish to spoil what that tweak is. I will just say that you will like it. The minigames have also been vastly expanded on, and rafting, fishing and the crane game all have a lot more to offer now. Rafting functions differently here, since the memorization aspect of the original game wont work as well, and I like the changes made. Hero mode is also back from recent entries and gives good challenge to anyone looking for more.
It is not all for the better though, as there are flaws as well. The dungeon maker mode was hyped by many at first, but sadly does not live up to expectations. This is a feature that fans have wanted for a long time, and what we finally got was lacking as the dungeons do not really feel like a significant add on to the game and they cannot be shared online. The game also does not let you use the dpad to control movement which is very odd considering you are locked into eight-way movement. Lastly, I must comment on the framerate, as it dips significantly at times. It is not as bad as many are making it out to be, but it is an issue that should be addressed in a future patch by the development team.
Despite these flaws though, I still love this game. I got the original for my ninth birthday, and I have found memories of it. Playing this version is like stepping back into a familiar dream. Joining Link on his quest to wake the Windfish and leave the island is something that will never get old for me. There is a timelessness here that many modern games just sadly do not have.
In conclusion: Even with its flaws, The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening Remake is a marvelous game and one that everyone should experience. Recommended!