Link's Awakening's (all versions) what did you think?

[World B. SkiFree]

Link's Awakening is one of my top GB games, just under Donkey Kong 94 ... but probably closer to a 1B slot since those games are such different experiences.

I picked up the GB console/LA bundle back on release so I'm also partial to the original, although I'm not familiar with the differences between the OG and the DX version and only vaguely familiar with the pros/cons of the Switch release. I also played the GB game quite a bit on my Super Game Boy, along with DK94.

Interesting that others have mentioned preferring this over ALTTP; I never could get into the SNES one either although I was a very big fan of both NES games. Like others in the thread, I did take to ALBW on the 3DS ... that one really clicked with me. So is the 3DS game considered a remake of the SNES game?

I own the Game and Watch Zelda; didn't realize that is one of the few recent releases of LA that has the original, non-DX game. I need to fire that up again.

 

[eXistor]

I think the remake is a fine way to play the game, but the OG is still the best probably, even the DX version kinda took away from the thick atmosphere a bit.

 

[Dunban_Fyuria]

I like it but I always get a bit tired of the game when I reach the last 2 or so dungeons. I just don't find turtle rock and Eagle tower to be fun at all. The rest of the game is pretty fun. I liked the remake too but the dungeon creator thing is just boring.

 

[mhayes86]

I loved the original, DX, and the remake. I particularly loved the remake with its toy-like aesthetic and the music. It was such a a neat direction to go.

 

[denpanosekai]

Superb game. I have the whole island map on my wall.

 

[th1nk]

Fingers crossed the remake will run at locked 60 on Switch2. What an epic fail that frame rate is. Game is one of the GOATs. ♥️

 

[OrangeNova]

I like Links Awakening, LTTP is still my favourite 2D Zelda, but I really want all of them to get the Remake treatment in that style.

 

[Nessus]

Original Game Boy version is my favorite.

I just never liked the "badly colorized film" look of Game Boy Color games. Most of the time they somehow looked both worse than NES games due to the limited color options and worse than the 4 shades of grey of Game Boy games which had a much more cohesive look.

But yeah, tied with Link To The Past for my favorite Zelda game.

 

[entremet]

Curious what folks thought of the Create A Dungeon feature in the remake?

Personally, I thought it was rather weak. I would've preferred well designed mini dungeons from the Zelda team.

I get the appeal of create a dungeon, but dungeons are more complex than Mario levels a la Mario Maker series. It was a swing and a miss. Plus the asset reuse makes them less appealing.

 

[evilgenius]

played the remake on switch and loved it.

 

[Paper Wario]

Easily my favorite 2D Zelda and pretty close to being my overall favorite

 

[onibirdo]

Curious what folks thought of the Create A Dungeon feature in the remake?

Personally, I thought it was rather weak. I would've preferred well designed mini dungeons from the Zelda team.

I get the appeal of create a dungeon, but dungeons are more complex than Mario levels a la Mario Maker series. It was a swing and a miss. Plus the asset reuse makes them less appealing.

Click to shrink...

For me it felt like they were testing the waters for a full-fledged Zelda Mario Maker.

Made one basic dungeon and then never went back again.

 

[Bizkit Krueger]

the original's still my favourite zelda. hits all the right notes for me

 

[Jackano]

Link's Awakening -> Intemporal masterpiece;
DX -> It's the same really, cool color dungeon BUT the reward makes things even more easier and felt forced. Also forced, the photographer mice, kinda out of place. And the worst of all, the horrible cut on the credits music. For those reasons I rank it lower than the orignal.

Switch remake -> The worst version. It lacks the darker, underlying tone of the game by making it a sweat diorama. The musics also are dumbed down accordingly to the graphical choice, even if some of the dungeons tracks expansions are nicely done. What a waste, I always envisionned a remake more in the tone of a smaller Wind Waker.

Two Oracles games -> They are not Link's Awakening but they are OK. It's nothing like the perfect, self-contained adventure on Koholint. I think people tends to overrate those games because of some fuzzy memories and nostalgia perhaps. Some overworld/dungeon design were a mess (but that's a lot of content). Also forced additions from Ocarina's lore (like the gorons). They doubled down on the weird animals, it's like Link and his shitty friends. Overall it feels a bit like a rom-hack, and nowhere near what Majora's Mask achieved in its own way.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

It's my favorite Zelda game to this day. Particularly the GB/GBC version but the remake isn't bad either. I just don't find the 3D art style as charming as the original sprites.

 

[Lemony1984]

I loved it when I was 7 years old. It doesn't hold up as well as I'd like.

 

[Eppcetera]

I don't get the dislike for the remake. For me, the remake fixes the debilitating flaw of the original by substantially reducing item switching. The Gameboy Link's Awakening was fine, but I liked it less than pretty much every 3D Zelda and most 2D Zeldas, too. My opinion of Link's Awakening went up a lot when I played the Switch version, even if I still prefer A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds.

 

[Stef]

Played the DX version to 100%, very good even though a bit too easy.

 

[o Tesseract]

It's funny, I've been playing through ALTTP recently on my Analogue Pocket and just keep thinking of how much more I enjoy Link's Awakening. I don't know what it is, but ALTTP feels a "dry" and dated even compared to ALTTP which feels tight and snappy. I think a lot of it has to do with how bad the hit detection is on Link's sword in ALTTP.

ALBW was always my preferred game out of ALTTP/ALBW, but replaying ALTTP makes me feel like it's my least favourite of all Zelda's, whereas Link's Awakening is probably top 5.

 

[New002]

It's a masterpiece. My favorite Zelda game and one of my favorite games of all time, and I'm not even a huge fan of Zelda games as a whole. All versions are great.

 

[OrvilleGateau]

The remake is the only 2D Zelda I played so far other than ALBW but I really liked it and I appreciated the harder puzzles compared to that game. Some stuff might've been a bit obtuse but I actually like and want that sorta thing from Zelda so I enjoyed it a lot, it was nice to feel stuck at times figuring out what I needed to do. Awesome soundtrack too, that Face Shrine theme is so intense.

 

[spman2099]

It is by far my favorite Zelda game.

 

[shadowman16]

Original - Legendary. Getting all that on a small lil GB while retaining the epic adventure that something like LTTP has is no small feat. Great little plot, great dungeons, and some great little cameos. Quite possibly my favourite Zelda game ever.

DX - Nice to have it in colour, great to have an extra dungeon, but its not really doing much more the original didnt do. But I still love it.

Remake on Switch - Absolutely gorgeous artstyle and the game is as good as ever. BUT the performance issues are baffling considering this actually runs worse than the original GB game did... so Im not impressed as Im stuck with a juddery frame rate whenever entering certain areas and its so damn noticeable. Should not have shipped like this.

 

[LumberPanda]

I never actually beat it. I got to the final boss, said "it's getting late, I'll finish this next time I play", but now there's not enough game left to pick it up for a whole session; and if I'm not intending to game for a whole session I'm not picking it either :/

Phenomenal game though. One of my favourites.

 

[lori]

I like the Hippo. Link should get concussed and dream about Animal Village more

 

[SJUG]

I love it so much. I was 10 when it came out on the 3DS eshop and it took over my summer break. I had dabbled in the DS Zelda games but this was the first LoZ game I beat.

I enjoyed playing the remake too, but it doesn't hit the same. DX's color palettes and the Game Boy soundtrack are way too integral to Link's Awakening for me.
I love the warm and nearly garish colors and the eerie dungeon tracks. It's my favorite LoZ game.

 

[SilverArrow20XX]

The DX version was great. I never bothered with the original, since it seemed exactly the same but with no color.
One of my favorite Zelda games.

I'll play the Switch version eventually, but at a glance, it seems less smooth.

 

[ghibli99]

Never played the GB original, but loved LADX on the GBC. Also really enjoyed the Switch remake, although the weird framerate hitches detracted from the otherwise beautiful presentation a little bit.

 

[Hell Egret]

I love Link's Awakening. The original and the remake are both lovely and I dig the melancholic vibe. They have a unique spirit and still play marvelously well.

 

[Otakunofuji]

Second best Zelda after LttP. And I also love the remake.

 

[Toupee]

Link's Awakening rules hard. I have a soft spot for it since it was an early childhood game that compelled me to learn how to read to play it. Super fond memories poring over the player's guide.

Played the DX version for the first time this year (on an Analogue Pocket), and it was fantastic. Game holds up so freaking well. It's so well crafted, such a perfect size and scope, looks stunning, feels great to play.

I wish they still made Zelda games of this size (meaning, not BOTW/TOTK-scale). I played A Link Between Worlds for the first time about a year ago, and that game blew me away. I also realize that it's over 10 years old now, heh.

The Switch version is also great (despite the awful framerate issues). Pretty excellent remake - kept the spirit of it perfectly intact and didn't add needless filler. And the music is terrific.

 

[Empyrean Cocytus]

It's great. The Oracles games are significantly better (as long as you play them together).

 

[Empyrean Cocytus]

The Switch version is also great (despite the awful framerate issues). Pretty excellent remake - kept the spirit of it perfectly intact and didn't add needless filler. And the music is terrific.

Click to shrink...

Am I the only weirdo who didn't think the framerate issues were that bad? I mean, yeah, it stuttered every now and again, but it was never anything unplayable. I've played WAY worse.

 

[iksenpets]

Best 2D Zelda

 

[ArtemisLunar]

One of the most influential games for me as a child, and easily a top 5 on their original form and DX.
I still have some mixed feeling with the Remake, as I loved the art style, the music and the "no loading" for the map, but hated the controls, the hitboxes, and somehow, I fell the dungeon's rooms more tight compared to their original counterparts.

 

[Ry.]

DX GBC version is still my favorite by a large margin, and I also enjoy it more than ALLTP. (Not that ALLTP isn't a freakin all time great as well haha)

 

[WildArms]

It's alright. It's no Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, BotW or A Link to the Past though.

 

[KingDrool]

Not the first Zelda game I played, but it was the first Zelda game I finished. I like all versions. And that widescreen fan remake is pretty sweet, too. Looks gorgeous on my ROG Ally.

 

[Vaenyr]

I grew up playing the GB version and it's one of the best Zeldas out there. I gotta admit, playing ALTTP for the first time a decade and a half after this one was pretty underwhelming and disappointing. It's still a great game but doesn't come close to LA's greatness.

 

[Sax]

It's my favorite 2D Zelda. The Switch remake was... ok but I don't prefer it. The best one is that PC port that was up for like a week it's sooooo good. I hope one day the Oracle games ported in that engine will magically appear on the internet as well.

 

[TheWildCard]

Oh, one of the best games Nintendo has ever produced? It's pretty good.



Not the biggest Nintendo cheerleader but I'll go to bat for this goat. Still holds up like a champ.

 

[GamerJM]

Played both the remake and the Gameboy Color version back in 2019. I think it's simultaneously impressive for being a worth companion to aLttP, and also something that was way outclassed by the N64 games that came a few years later, and the few future 2D games as well. Obviously not a fair comparison, but the design just isn't up to snuff.

It's a very solid and consistent lil game in its own right.

 

[Spaggy]

I have no idea, I'm just a kid!

 

[JudgmentJay]

All versions are fantastic. I like A Link the Past a little more, but all versions are a 9.5/10 to me.

 

[Fer]

Is this the first modern open world go fight end boss whenever you want game??
(considering the SELECT trick)

 

[Piccoro]

I do wish the original GB version would be made available as well.

Click to shrink...

Game & Watch, Legend of Zelda

Buy Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store.

www.nintendo.com

 

[hydruxo]

My favorite Zelda game. Every version of it is great, but I'm partial to the DX version. Great puzzles + combat, lots of variety, and a very unique story and vibe to the whole game that no other Zelda has ever really come close to except maybe Majora.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

I love the game but I did not like the remake at all, I feel like the original GBC game, the only issue for me is how you have to pause all the time in the OG game... but that is solved in the PC port that appeared recently, I think that might be my favorite version of the game now.

 

[Randam]

We had the original Gameboy version when it came out.
Was 9 or so when I first played it.

Got stuck in the woods right at the start. Friend at school told me what to do.
From that point I managed to beat the game without any more big issues.

Replayed it 2 weeks ago.
I was able to download load the fan-made DX HD version.

Game is still great.

Only negative is the scale and amount of content. Especially compared to ALttP.

 

[BeefTengoku]

My favorite Zelda game.

Just a marvel of design - due to the extreme limitations they had, just about every screen has something to do. Just super dense and fun.