Gorgeous Toy-Like Graphics
Let’s get the most obvious thing out of the way first, the best and biggest update to Link’s Awakening is its absolutely gorgeous graphics.
While the original game doesn’t necessarily look bad, like many early Game Boy games, it was a bit rough around the ages. Nintendo has traditionally done a fantastic job with visual upgrades to Zelda games, like with Wind Waker HD, and that holds true with Link’s Awakening.
The island of Koholint is much more detailed now, with lush greenery, dense swamps, colorful characters, and more.
While initially strange, the toy-like aesthetic that Nintendo chose for the remake really works well. It makes the entire game feel like some kind of playable diorama, and there’s a kind of sheen to everything that reinforces that idea even more.
Link’s Awakening generally runs at 60 FPS, which makes the graphical upgrade feel super crisp. I say generally because there are occasionally framerate drops when too much is happening on-screen, as you can see in this framerate test from ContraNetwork.
Still, Link’s Awakening is a stunning visual upgrade that’s definitely worth seeing on your own.
A Weird and Wonderful World to Explore
Majora’s Mask is widely regarded as the weirdest Zelda game out there, but the only other title that can hold a candle to it is Link’s Awakening.
At the start of Link’s Awakening, the titular hero shipwrecks on the mysterious Koholint Island, and in order to get off of it he’ll need to collect instruments and awaken the Wind Fish.
Koholint is filled with really strange residents, like the talking alligator that runs an item shop and wears a sun hat, or the lady that keeps a massive pet chain chomp just outside her house.
Link’s Awakening actually features quite a few Mario references, including Goombas and Piranha Plants as enemies.
The game also features some of the best dungeon design you can find in the Zelda series, and the difficulty slowly ramps up across the entire experience.
Link’s Awakening retains that air of strangeness and mystery that the original had, just with that shiny new art style. There’s plenty to see and do, and if you’ve never played Link’s Awakening you’re in for a treat.
Dungeon Editor
Link’s Awakening is a pretty one-to-one remake of the original, however, there is one notable new addition that you might want to check out.
The building that used to have the Photo Studio (remember that giant Game Boy Printer) has now been replaced with a house for Dampe the gravekeeper, where you can access the dungeon editor.
By clearing dungeons, or using amiibo, you’ll be able to unlock new dungeon rooms that you can then place in any order you want.
It’s not nearly as complex as something like Mario Maker, and sadly there are no online features, but you can mix and match dungeon rooms and elements as you see fit.
Dampe will give you challenges or restrictions to abide by while placing rooms, like not being able to use a sword in a specific area.
While it’s disappointing that the dungeon creator isn’t more involved, it’s still a nice little addition that gives you more to do outside of the main story.
Gameplay Improvement And Changes
While Link’s Awakening doesn’t make any content changes or additions, it does have some seriously great quality of life changes that make the game better than ever.
For one, using items is much easier this time around. The Pegasus Boots are now mapped to the left bumper, while the sword and shield get their own buttons each. On top of that, the Power Bracelet now works automatically once you get it, and you don’t have to equip it at all.
This means you don’t have to go into the menu to change things out nearly as often, allowing for more seamless play. To help this even more the game now has a continuous scrolling world, instead of how the original loaded a new screen whenever you moved to the edge.
Dungeons have also received some adjustments, the best of which is enemies not reappearing in areas. In the original game if you beat all the enemies in a room then left and came back, you’d have to do it all over again. That’s totally gone in the remake.
There’s nothing drastic, but all the small changes pile up to make Link’s Awakening an easier, modern Zelda experience.
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