The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening first released on Game Boy back in 1993, marking the start of portable Zelda adventures. For many, Link’s Awakening holds a special place in their hearts, not only because it was the first portable Zelda experience but because it was one of the most unique ones in the franchise. Even today, the game feels fresh and modern, especially in the Nintendo Switch remake, which will release by the end of next week. After spending a couple of hours with it, it’s safe to assume this game is going to steal a lot of new hearts.
A complete remake
Since the original game is simply too old for a classic remaster, Nintendo decided to give their classic the remake treatment, rebuilding the world from the ground up, providing a new style and modern visuals. The result is a gorgeous game, especially in handheld mode. Since I played to original on both Game Boy and Game Boy Color, I decided to play this version in handheld mode only, I wanted to compare the versions and it must be said, nothing compares to the Switch version. The colorful graphics, the redesigned characters, that gorgeous clay-like 3D world, it all looks incredibly crisp while playing. It’s still the same game as I remembered but everything looks way better. I love this new visual style since it gives a new distinct character to classic 2D Zelda games. By recreating everything in this cute new style, it feels like a completely different game. Even though the story and map layout remained the same, the game still feels and plays like a modern Zelda game, although being a lot more classic than the most recent entries in the franchise.
Back to the old formula
If you only played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it’s important to understand that Link’s Awakening is a lot different. It was originally released as the first portable Zelda game, meaning it played by the old rules. There’s no big open world or Shrines to conquer here, no, this is a traditional Zelda game; meaning you’ll go from dungeon to dungeon and face off with the final boss at the end of the game. It’s a more traditional approach but it still works in 2019. Going from dungeon to dungeon, solving puzzles, defeating weapons with new items and weapons, it’s a simple idea but it still works. On paper, this simplistic idea might sound like a step back, but don’t get me wrong, this isn’t an easy game.
Don’t let the cute graphics deceive you, this is a true Zelda game where you’ll need to find your way to your next location by solving mysteries. It often revolves around finding the right object to unlock new paths but it’s never really clear where you’ll need to go right from the start. The game doesn’t hold your hand and although there are places where you can gather extra information, in the end, you’ll need to deduct the puzzles yourself. During my first hours in the game, I was pleasantly surprised by this challenge, it reminded me of the old days where you couldn’t look for information on the internet and had to figure things out on your own strength. Needless to say, once you find the right solution, you’ll instantly feel rewarded. In a world flooded by complex and huge open-world games, it’s fun to play a modern classic too.
Early Conclusion:
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is shaping up to become the perfect remake and another great addition to the Nintendo Switch library. Although it’s a classic Zelda adventure, the new visuals and redesigns make it feel right at home in our modern days. I’m sure this one will conquer a lot of hearts and I can’t wait to tell you so much more about it. As for now, it’s safe to say that this might become another big hit on Nintendo’s hybrid console.
