It's funny Link's Awakening is the first Zelda post here, but that's what I'm playing rn. The Legend of Zelda is the best video game series hands down and I have no qualms saying it. Starting on the OG Nintendo they remain top-notch adventure games today, balancing recurring themes with new wrinkles while featuring exploration and puzzles, sword/bow combat and unexpected humor. Ocarina of Time (N64) has always been my favorite, but I'm now undecided after Breath of the Wild (Switch) and the sheer size of its world.
Link's Awakening on Switch is a remastered version of a classic Game Boy game from 1993. I played it way back when, probably the Game Boy Color version. It's always stood out as a bit of an odd duck in the series, because (as design) it's considerably different. You're not trying to save Princess Zelda and Hyrule, you're trying to wake the Wind Fish and escape a weird island where you washed ashore. After completing the dungeons and accomplishing this, you find out everything was a dream. I hated this as a kid. It was the only time I've disliked anything Zelda and always got annoyed when it appeared on a best game list. Playing it over again I should've known. There are all kinds of non-Zelda characters that appear, like Goombas and Chain Chomp, and the dungeon bosses even warn you.
Whatever, the games are meant to be played and enjoyed on their own. It shouldn't matter that the main quest is so different and separate, and in the end the Zelda timeline doesn't make much sense anyway. I decided to get the new version and give it another try because it's Zelda and I literally buy Nintendo systems to play Zelda games.
It's clear this game came out immediately following Link to the Past (SNES), one that really set the precedent for how the Zelda series would work, adding a more fleshed out story and a number of repeating elements. Link's Awakening functions a lot like it, with a top down perspective on a (mostly) 2D world where you explore while adding items and abilities. This is the pattern: explore using what you have, do a task to find a key, open and beat the next dungeon, find a new item, repeat. The cartoony graphics are a delight and it still feels like a Game Boy game. I've actually played it more on the Switch screen than the TV, and it's a perfect game for that system and its portability.
At first I was a little disappointed. After an annoying early challenge forced me to look up the solution (gah), the game progressed quickly and I saw the world was super small. But it's also built well and there's a lot packed in. The second half dungeons get considerably more tricky and I needed to take a break in each of 5, 6 and 7 after getting stumped. I haven't played 8 yet but expect the same. There are a few fun little games spaced throughout the world too. So while it's still not super long, it's definitely enjoyable. Unlike a lot of games I'm not hopelessly addicted either. I play about once a week, for an hour or so at night, at most beating one dungeon before turning in.
The game includes a couple things I didn't expect, outside of the seemingly random Mario characters. There's an owl, just like everyones favorite Ocarina of Time character, that 'helps' you as a guide. The conversations aren't nearly as long though. Plus Dampe, also from Ocarina, is included as part of a dungeon creator, something new to this version following the popularity of Mario Maker. After beating the main story I plan to come back and check it out more, as the options at your disposal come from beating the dungeons in game. It's definitely a cool addition in theory.
In the end, I've had a lot of fun with it and it's a fine addition to the series. Just don't expect it to consume a lot of time or have the depths of the console games. Hey, maybe that's a point in its favor.
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