14 DAY TRIAL // 
For those who didn't have the chance to play the original Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening when it was launched back in the 90s, the remake faithfully recreates the charming atmosphere while bringing the visuals up to date. Just like Ni no Kuni, the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening doesn't add any new content that wasn't available in the original.
Even so, veterans of the series who want to take a trip down memory lane will find Link's Awakening a joyful ride that's perfectly faithful to the source material. It's been 26 years since the original Link's Awakening, the fourth installment in the Legend of Zelda series, made its debut on the Game Boy, but the remaster truly captures the essence of the old game.
Unlike some other remasters, Nintendo's Link's Awakening feels both new and old for those who've played the original game. New because of the updated visuals and many quality-of-life improvements, and old because it will certainly awaken melancholy feelings.
Just like in the original game, you play protagonist Link who starts his adventure on the Koholint Island, a place guarded by a strange deity called Wind Fish. His only hope to escape from the island is the sleeping Wind Fish, who will only wake up when eight musical instruments are played.
The problem is the eight musical instruments are hidden on the island and guarded by dangerous monsters. Many of them are buried deep in dungeons inhabited by terrible bosses. A mysterious owl is serving Link as to where he can find the next musical instrument and while she'll always indicate a dungeon, you'll have some work to do before you'll be able to enter these dungeons.
Link's Awakening is full of puzzles that will get you one step closer to your objective. Although there's some backtrack involved, traveling across the island is much easier with the addition of teleportals positioned in key spots.
The island of Koholint isn't as large as you might think, so everything's been condensed to fit a rather small map, which makes backtracking more bearable. Not to mention that many shortcuts connect areas that you'll visit often, you'll just have to reassess the situation every time you find a new musical instrument or item that gives you access to new abilities.
Puzzles are quite clever, but if you don't really understand what you need to do next, Link's Awakening does have a network of “telephones,” huts that will give you direct hints as to where you have to go or what exactly you need to do to take another step towards your freedom.
Speaking of dungeons, one of the new features that were not available in the original game is the new dungeon-designing tool, which lets players build their own dungeons from tiles unlocked as they advanced in the story.
You'll have to visit a specific character to be able to build your dungeons, but I didn't feel particularly compelled to play my own dungeon, probably because those offered by Nintendo were so good that I didn't want a half-baked experience.
Another quality-of-life improvement is the ability to mark locations on the map using a selection of different icons. Also, you now have the option to revisit past conversations in the map menu, which is quite useful if you don't remember what hints you were given at some point during your playthrough.
The most obvious changes are absolutely charming visuals. I can't think of a better way to offer both veterans and newcomers to the series a fulfilling experience other than this diorama style graphics. The same goes for the classic tunes, which have been modernized to go with the art style.
Boss fights aren't particularly hard because Link's Awakening mainly focuses on how you get to the boss, so being good at solving puzzles is a plus. The remake of Link's Awakening can be experienced in short gaming sessions while on the go, but if you're starting a new dungeon be ready to spend some time since these usually take about an hour or so.
The Good
- Faithful to the original
- Gorgeous presentation
- Charming characters
- Great, diorama-like visuals
The Bad
- Uneven performance
- New features are a bit bland
Conclusion
While I understand Nintendo's choice to not add any new content, I am a bit disappointed by the uneven performance of the game, especially outdoors in landscapes with a lot of grass. The frame drops are quite obvious and while it's nothing game-breaking, I was expecting a flawless experience from a Nintendo game.
Even so, Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening perfectly evokes the original game's presentation on the Game Boy, while bringing the visuals up to date using ingenious toy-like character and diorama world designs. With a top-notch presentation and charming gameplay, Link's Awakening is the living proof that any good game, no matter how old it is, can be revived and brought to new audiences.
