The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 51: Will Link’s Awakening Be The Apex of Legendary Remakes?

We took some recent gaming news, put it in a pot, and let it simmer for a while. Come hear our early thoughts about Apex Legends and our favorite news from the most recent Nintendo Direct, Tetris 99, Super Mario Maker 2, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening remake!

Mario Maker 2 and Zelda: Link's Awakening Remake Announced in the Latest Nintendo Direct

I've been wanting a Mario Maker port on the Switch for a while now, but a sequel may be even better! Coming this June, Mario Maker 2 brings more features and more things to do, with each iteration of Mario as expected.

But the big surprise for me was. the Link's Awakening remake! The 1993 Gameboy masterpiece was my favorite Zelda game for quite some time, so I'm glad to see it reimagined. The art style is very charmingly cartoony, like everything's made out of plastic. We don't know much about any potential gameplay changes, and we know nothing about a release date yet, except it'll be in 2019. The little teaser at the end will have to hold you over.

In addition to... Read All

Ty Anderson's Ura Zelda Project Remakes Link's Awakening With The Ocarina of Time Engine

Ty Anderson is remaking the gameboy classic Link's Awakening with original art assets using the Ocarina of Time 64 game engine.

"I work tirelessly for hours at a time every moment I can, building temples, creating new actors, animating them, writing scripts, designing puzzles and relentlessly studying the possibilities of the old Nintendo 64 Ocarina of time ROM. My aim: to create a completely original version of The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening in the Ocarina of Time Game Engine. "

This kind of project is interesting in that if it comes out could bring the game to an entirely new audience. With that, I wonder how well the game translates to 3D? The small 2D nature... Read All

Watch This Awesome 1h 17m Link's Awakening Speedrun

After recently completing Link's Awakening i've been watching some Speedruns and found this great run from 2004's AGDQ charity run. Guiocob expertly runs this and uses all manner of wall clips, text skips and shenanigans to get the run down to one hour and seventeen minutes. There are two speedruns in the above video and the first one runs a couple of rules such as no save and quit making it so you can't glitch out the game to get a much faster and also they don't allow out of bounds. The second run allows save and quit and out of bounds and drops the run to 6 minutes.

Link's Awakening is a retro classic and watching these people break the Wind Fish is fun.

Link's Awakening Is Still One Of The Best Games Around

Everyone has a handful of games that they love more than others. For me, one of those games is The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening. It's an interesting game that builds on it's Super Nintendo predecessor Link to the Past and in many ways improves on it. The story is tighter, the gameplay is often tighter and the music and graphics are great. Link to the Past might have a better control scheme due to the extra buttons of the SNES controller but Link's Awakening has a more immersive story and tighter gameplay.

From the start of the game you are tasked with finding all the instruments of the Sirens to wake the slumbering Wind Fish. I am not going to spoil anything but... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 02/29/2016 at 03:09am

I meant to mention it in the Roundtable, but we got onto another topic and I missed my shot: this is still probably my favorite Zelda game, even with its really limited technology. It's the pinnacle of GBC.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/29/2016 at 03:13am

I agree. It's such a great game and they did so much on the original Gameboy that it's fairly incredible to consider. When I play it I don't really think of any technical limitations as the game really shines beyond all that especially with the addition of simple colors. As I said above in my review I think the only real limitation is to the A/B buttons for the Gameboy.

JustAWeeaboo wrote on 02/29/2016 at 03:43am

Its so weird knowing i met you in person...hmm

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/29/2016 at 03:47am

JustAWeeaboo: Did you come out to the PIGSquad/Starship Rubicon/Cheerful Ghost booth for OMSI Game Masters?

GregoPeck Member wrote on 03/01/2016 at 05:15am

I've pretty much said this before, but I'll say it again. I got Link's Awakening some time around when it was released for the Gameboy. The Gameboy was my primary gaming device, I didn't have a Nintendo or Sega Genesis, although my cousin had all three. I did eventually also own a Sega Game Gear, but that's not too relevant to this post.

Anyway, I enjoyed the game and I probably still have it somewhere around here. I have played the Gameboy Color version, which was cool. I honestly don't recall very much about it other than the things you've mentioned and that it seemed unique in many ways, especially the music. But yeah, it was fun and I certainly enjoyed it. I'm glad you've been enjoying it.

rettisawesome wrote on 03/08/2016 at 09:52pm

Haven't played the newest Zelda's. But easily in the top 3. So great

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The Ballad Of The Wind Fish In 4K!

I play through Link's Awakening every couple years and each time I am really floored by the Ballad of the Wind Fish. This time I decided to take a 4K video of the song playing on my handheld.

Link's Awakening Facts In Image Form

Link's Awakening is my most beloved Zelda game. During last years Portland Retro Gaming Expo I finally broke down and repurchased it as our family copy was lost to time or sold. I have it on my list of games to replay and hopefully I can do it this year. That said I found this Imgur album of a few collected facts on the game and though I would pass it along.

http://imgur.com/gallery/CXPIw

And for extra credit, here is the ballad of the wind fish on YouTube. That song is still one of the saddest songs I can think of from the 8 bit era.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dhzm7HJiMA

The Easter Egg Hunter's Top Gameboy Games

The Easter Egg Hunter brings us another great video, this time cataloging his top 10 Gameboy games. I can't say I really disagree with him on much here as the games he lists are great. His number one is no surprise as that would be mine as well. Link's Awakening is not only the best Gameboy game but it tops my list for Zelda games too. The more I think about Zelda games the more I realize, yeah, for me it's the best one.

Link's Awakening: The Overworld Map

Someone awesome person decided to create a map of the entire overworld of Link's Awakening. Looking at it all in its Gameboy pixel glory is pretty awesome to behold but I also realize how small the overworld really is. That said, it takes quite some time before you have the ability to go everywhere and in the game it really does feel larger than it actually is.

Hand's the best part of the overworld in Link's Awakening was Animal Village. I also had a pretty high appreciation for the part where you collect leaves to enter the slime dungeon.

Magical Games That Never Leave You

If I had a list of games that impacted how I think about art and life, The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening would be on my list. I come back and play this game every three years or so simply because the story is absolutely stunning. I plan on writing more during my next playthrough on Cheerful Ghost, so expect more at some point.

I was never moved more by any video game ending than this one. Plenty of games brought me to thinking about life in certain ways, like Final Fantasy III and how frail humans really are. But this game sticks with me as a game that really made me feel invested in the world and I cared what happened to it. Being that the game was on the Gameboy... Read All

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/10/2012 at 08:52am

Watching that video took me back! It's been forever since I played it. But it was so rad.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/10/2012 at 04:54pm

I know, it is!

GregoPeck Member wrote on 01/24/2014 at 02:12am

From someone who grew up with a Gameboy (yes the very original), and one who got this game when it was released, I greatly appreciate this post! =) I'm not sure I have it anymore, but in recent years as I was playing through the Zelda series, I played this game again on the emulator.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/24/2014 at 02:22am

This game is on my list of games to play again this year. I think I am going to play it after Pokemon Blue.

GregoPeck Member wrote on 01/24/2014 at 02:31am

That's awesome, Jon! I remember my college years, I set out to play Final Fantasy VIII at least once each year. Well, that lasted a few years. The last time I played that game was pretty interesting because I now have a 50" Plasma and played the game on my PS3, although I didn't finish it. It is awesome that there are certain games that we truly cherish, that mean so much to us. You're making me think of the days when I lived in Texas and was playing this Zelda game, I really enjoyed it and I really enjoyed having a Gameboy. I wasn't fortunate enough to have a NES or SNES until I got older, the Gameboy was my system. I think my old Gameboy (along with my sister's Gameboy) may still be around here. It was such an amazing thing when it came out. I believe this Zelda game did get a remake for the Gameboy Color, maybe that's the version I played in recent years in an emulator.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/24/2014 at 04:48am

Yeah, this was one of those games that really stuck with me. Still does.

Have me thinking that the next time I play this one, I should play the color version. I've only played it black and white, but I heard the color version comes with an extra dungeon that has some color based puzzles.

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The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 51: Will Link’s Awakening Be The Apex of Legendary Remakes?

Mario Maker 2 and Zelda: Link's Awakening Remake Announced in the Latest Nintendo Direct

Ty Anderson's Ura Zelda Project Remakes Link's Awakening With The Ocarina of Time Engine

Watch This Awesome 1h 17m Link's Awakening Speedrun

Link's Awakening Is Still One Of The Best Games Around

The Ballad Of The Wind Fish In 4K!

Link's Awakening Facts In Image Form

The Easter Egg Hunter's Top Gameboy Games

Link's Awakening: The Overworld Map

Magical Games That Never Leave You

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