Deepak
Professional procrastinator
Towns Folk
Legend of zelda: link's awakening (nintendo switch)
Legend of zelda: link's awakening was originally a gameboy title. It's actually the first zelda game on a handheld console. A few years later, an upgraded version was released for the game boy color titled link's awakening dx. And now, more than 20 years after both those games released, we get an absolutely beautiful remake. But here's the question? Is it still fun and worth it? Let's find out.Story
The game actually picks up from "A link to the past". But you don't need to play that game to understand this game because the stories aren't related. Link is on his way to explore new places when all of a sudden, he's caught in the middle of a huge storm. He wakes up at an island called "Koholint island" and is greeted by the inhabitants. As he goes and retrieves his sword, a mysterious owl tells him that he can't leave the island unless he wakes up the "wind fish". And to wake up the wind fish, he must collect all 8 instruments around the island. Why is he stuck on the island? What is the wind fish? Instruments? These are questions any normal human would have, but link sets to find all the instruments and wake the wind fish anyway. As you progress through the story, you learn of the wind fish's fate. And the ending has a huge twist. All I can say is that the ending is more sad than happy (Not in a bad way though. It's amazing nonetheless).
Difficulty
This game isn't too hard. Most of the monsters can be defeated in 1 or 2 hits but there are quite a lot of them throughout the game. It's mostly straightforward except for some cases like bosses and some enemies in specific dungeons. These require specific methods to defeat usually related to the tool found in the respective dungeon. Even if you lose all your hearts, you can continue from where you died without any repercussions. There are handy telephone huts around the island which you can visit to get hints on what to do next. And in dungeons, if you collect a stone owl's beak, there are owl statues around the dungeon to help you out. The game might be too easy for some. So, there's an optional hero mode for those who complete the game which amps up the difficulty. Enemy hits do twice the damage as before and they don't drop hearts when defeated. It truly is challenging and is only advised for those that feel that the main game was too easy.
Gameplay
Gameplay isn't too different from other top down zelda games. If you have played games such as "A link to the past" or "A link between worlds", this will feel familiar, gameplay-wise. The game is top down but there are some side-scroller-esque sections. These side scroller sections are made to resemble mario games. There are even enemies such as goombas and piranha plants. There are lots of mario references scattered throughout from dolls to a pet chain chomp and even an enemy that looks a lot like kirby. The game plays out like a typical zelda game: you go to various dungeons and obtain items to embark further on your journey and finally go and beat the final boss.
Overworld
The overworld is truly amazing. The whole map feels alive. There are lots of different climates and areas with different enemies in each area. And there are many different NPCs scattered around to interact with and understand more about the island and it's people. Instead of being split into various sections, the map is presented as one giant map. In past games, it was split into grids and it would take a couple seconds to go from grid to another. But the smooth transition when travelling the map makes it feel more lively. I loved when the whole tone suddenly turned dark and ominous when I was entering the forest but once i exited it, everything was bright and cheery again. There are enemies scattered throughout and they respawn once out of sight. There are also collectibles which i'll get to later.
Dungeons
There are 9 dungeons that must be completed to finish the game. Each dungeon has a boss to face and 8 of those dungeons have instruments to collect, which are needed to enter the last dungeon. Some dungeon also give you a new tool to use like a feather (to jump) or a hookshot (reach places far away). These dungeons have many puzzles to incorporate the item found in the dungeon as well as the items found in previous dungeons. These puzzles are all unique and some of them will definitely have you scratching your head for a while. There's even an optional color dungeon which rewards you with either a tunic that reduces the damage you take or increases your swords damage. Each dungeon has a map, a compass, and a stone beak. The map shows the whole layout but doesn't show where the treasure chests are. The compass shows the locations of treasure chests as well as keys.And the stone beak is used to get hints from owl statues in the dungeons. Before entering each dungeon, a key is required. This is really good because this forces the player to interact with the overworld and the characters rather than rush through the dungeons. You acquire the keys for each dungeon in many ways. For example: collecting 5 golden feathers for a prince to access his basement, where the key is hidden. All this is put together seamlessly.
Seashells
There are secret seashells hidden throughout the game. These are one of the collectibles. There are 50 in total. Some are really easy to find while others will take longer. They are found literally everywhere. You can find all the seashells on your own or you can use a guide. But it's way more fun to do it on your own. You'll find many from just exploring the map. But what do the seashells actually do? They can be used to receive a variety of prizes at a mansion. The prizes range from a heart piece to the koholint sword. The koholint sword is actually the strongest in the game. So the seashells are definitely worth collecting. And to make things easier, you get a seashell sensor after collecting 15. It alerts you when there is a seashell nearby.
Heart pieces
If you have played a zelda game before, you probably know what heart pieces are. These are pieces of a heart which can be used to make link stronger and add one more heart to him. These are scattered throughout the game just like the seashells. But instead of getting various rewards, all the pieces only do one thing. You need to collect 4 heart pieces to get one heart. These too, can be found just by exploring the island. There are 32 heart pieces in total which means a maximum of 8 hearts. These are 100% optional but they are also 100% helpful. They are definitely worth your time and it's a must for completionists.
Minigames
There are a few minigames scattered across the map too. 3 to be exact. But each minigame is unique and fun in its own way. And you some heart pieces and shells are earned through these. There's a fishing minigame, an arcade claw grabber minigame and a rapids riding minigame. Each of these costs money to play, but you can earn your money back most of the time. And the claw grabber game has an item that's essential to complete the game. So you basically have to play it or never complete the game.
Dungeon maker
When mario maker first came out, I immediately wanted a zelda maker. In link's awakening, there's a dungeon maker and it might be the closest thing to zelda maker we will ever get. In the dungeon maker, you get to put together rooms of previously completed dungeons and make your own mash up. And after making it, you get to go through the whole dungeon. You get to keep all the money you collect, so that's a good thing. There are also challenges which give you fixed rooms and you have to connect those rooms and complete the dungeon. You're then rewarded with heart pieces, rupees or chamber stones. Chamber stones are basically new room types. They can be collected by completing challenges, participating in mini games, or buying them from the shop. The dungeon maker is also where amiibo compatibility comes in. Only legend of zelda amiibo can be used though. The amiibos give you new effects and new rooms to use. One bad thing is that these dungeons can't be shared to other users online or locally.
Visuals
I don't think I need to say much on the visuals. If you have been reading this review so far, then you must have seen how the graphics are amazing and how the game looks absolutely gorgeous. Everything looks like a toy and that's not a bad thing. It gives everything a cheery vibe. But then you enter the dungeons and everything looks dark and ominous while maintaining the same toy-like features. Anyone that played the original game, would immediately stare in awe at the wonderful world which looks even better than it did before. I have no complaints with the visuals whatsoever as I absolutely love them.
Music
Legend of zelda is quite memorable for the gameplay as well as the music. And just like past games, link's awakening come with some amazing music. The main goal is to collect instruments to wake up the wind fish. So it's not a surprise that the music is really good. There's the usual overworld theme that's bound to get stuck in your head, the mysterious music in the dungeon that helps with the atmosphere and of course "the ballad of the wind fish", which is basically the main theme. It's wonderful how they make the ballad a happy song at the beginning but after finishing the game, it's more of a sad song due to the ending. The music is extraordinary and I expected nothing less from a zelda game.
Replay value
After finishing the game, your save file leads you back to the moment before you face the final boss. So you can continue collecting seashells or heart pieces. Or you can play the minigames till you get sick of them. There is also a hero mode. As mentioned before, it's a harder version of the game. But it's not for everyone. There's also a secret ending if you finish the game with 0 deaths. So you can aim for that. There isn't too much considering replay value but there is some replayability for those interested.
Conclusion
It's now time for the conclusion. So far, you may have noticed that I haven't said anything negative about the game. That's because there's nothing negative to say. There is one thing that may be a deal-breaker for some though. The game isn't too long. Most people can finish it under 15 hours. Maybe a bit longer if you're new to zelda and maybe 5 more hours if you're trying to be a completionist. But this game isn't too long. But it makes up for it by giving you an amazing gameplay experience. It may seem a bit pricey but I say it's worth it. This game definitely deserves a perfect 10/10 but the length drags it down by a bit.
Final score: 9.5/10
