The Legend of Zelda : Link’s Awakening
- Genres : Adventure, Action
- Publishers : Nintendo
- Developers : Nintendo
- Players : 1
- Consoles : Nintendo Switch
- Languages : Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Dutch, Russian, Chinese
- Release date : September 20, 2019
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening on Nintendo Switch is my December game crush. After Dragon Quest Builders 2 this summer, I was really spoiled on a heart throb level.
The release of this “new” Zelda on Switch really comes at the perfect time! I have to say that I really, really wanted to play to a Zelda to plunge back into a video game universe that was familiar to me. This remake of Zelda Link’s Awakening has fulfilled all of my wishes on a soundtrack level (nostalgia) than on a gameplay level and what about those superb graphics. This game is a gem!
A little bit of history
Well yes, The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening is not a “new” game. It is a good idea to put it back into its context.
The original game was released in 1993 on Game Boy. It is developed and edited by Nintendo and encounter a great success. Unfortunately, I wasn’t fully into the world of video games at the time… In 1998, the game was reedited in colour version on Game Boy Colour under the name of The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening DX. Here I finally had my first console, my nice Game Boy Color Purple, But I didn’t know the Zelda license at that time…
Then in 2011, a dematerialized version on 3DS came to be. Then, I bought it, but didn’t play immediately and forgot about it…
Finally, this September 2019, a remastered version (soundtrack reworked, graphics entirely redone) was released on Switch. I was finally going to be able to go into the adventure… no way I was going to let the game onto a shelf this time.
I then discover the game entirely with this version and it is a real treat.
This story of buying games without finishing them reminds me of someone… Ah yes, it’s Hirumaze! He said “You might be better off finishing the games that you have before buying new ones! It would do your wallet well…”.
How can I say that… it’s not entirely a lie! I am going to try and do it, but Zelda seemed so good that I bought it…
After historical story… the game’s story
Like in every Zelda, you incarnate Link. He got stranded on the mysterious island of Cocolint after a storm at see as he was trying to go back home.
He finds himself a prisoner of this Cocolint island. In order to get out, Link is going to have to wake the “Dream-Fish” up. Of course, the monsters that are on the island are against this idea and locked up the music instruments allowing to wake up this fish in dugeons that they are ferociously guarding. Link goes to the assault of those dungeons to get the instrument to wake the fish up.
The game in itself
So from the launch of the game, my eyes sparkled! The graphics are magnificent and the soundtrack is a treat. I really wanted to play a Zelda and Link’s Awakening really came at the right time. The music of the game woke in me the nostalgic memories of when I was 12 years old when I played Ocarina of Time. Anyways, after this nostalgia moment, the game stays beautiful graphically with a soundtrack that makes you want to play with the sound quite loud.
On a graphics level, we find the sensations of the 2D games that we had on the Game Boy. And I really, really got hooked!
The game pushes the player to curiosity, to go and play with all the NPCs to unlock the secondary quests, to farm a little the rubies to get yourself a bow, to explore the map to find hidden dungeons… It’s a true pleasure!
Even the main story pushes the story to advance to understand the ins and outs of this mysterious island. The secondary quests allow you to go further into the main story, everything is LINKed ?! It’s really nice! I am having a lot of fun.
Actually, we find the nice sides of an old game, but with the design and the music worthy of today.
I can’t find anything bad to say about it. It really invites the player to plunge into the world of Cocolint, to think and to be clever to solve the enigmas of the different dungeons. By playing it, I even surprised myself thinking that it would be a game I would love to share with my children… Well the game is there, only the kids missing… LOL
To conclude
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is really a very good game! Beginners like more advanced players will find their pleasure in playing. It’s a great idea to have released the game on Switch having worked on it so nicely. Thank you Nintendo!
I was amazed by the graphics and the music, it made me go back into my childhood and with its gameplay I had a lot of fun playing with it. It took me about 20 hours to do the game calmly and without knowing the game beforehand: 18 hours of pleasure and 2 hours scratching my head to find the keys and other well-hidden objects. It’s a real heart throb, a little bit like Dragon Quest Builders 2 all the way back in July at the beginning of the summer.
Anyways, if you are hesitating buying it, don’t anymore it is worth the 50 euros that I paid. It really is worth the detour be it if you already explore Cocolint… or not.
