Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch)
The Wind Fish is in name only as it is neither.
No Zelda, No Problem!
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Grezzo
Platform: Switch
Originally released on the Gameboy in ‘93, Link’s Awakening was able to show that it could pack a big adventure on a small handheld. What started as fun side project after work messing around with Gameboy’s limitations in the early 90s, came pretty far along that it was given the go ahead from the higher ups to make them a hit. With more structure and arguably covering more ground than its NES predecessors, and almost the size of the light world from its most recent SNES entry, it offered, intrigue, adventure, and a quest that didn’t involve getting some sort of Triforce. It was redone in ‘98 for the Gameboy Color, which as it sounds, colorized it, adding an exclusive dungeon that took advantage of said color. It was a certifiable best seller for the system, though in the grander scheme of Zelda titles, has been lost or overlooked when looking at many all-time Zelda lists. Essentially a parody title per the developers, it offered a great cast of humans, anthromorphs (Some go as far as saying the seeds of Animal Crossing were planted here), beasts and bosses that laughed at the supposed systems limitations.
Cut to nearly 19 years years, Link’s Awakening was back, now re-imagined with a new look, on the sometimes-handeheld-sometimes-console system known as the Switch. Developed by Grezzo, who at this point, did the remakes for Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask on the 3DS, were trusted to bring this classic to the 21st century. It also came off of Breath of the Wild, which deconstructed and reconstructed the formula and structure which Link’s Awakening solidified all that time ago. How it would hold up to A)Its pixel art ancestor B) Last WiiU/First Switch title that upended how Zelda game is to be played? Let’s find out.
Sound: Big Sound on a Big Handheld.
Jumping from 4 channels of sound to just about whatever you can imagine, it had the challenge from keeping the spirit of familiar melodies, sound effects intact, while bringing it to a modern platform. And it did, as it nails that what-if question gamers had back in the 90s what it would sound like today. Its orchestral score is indeed epic, but still light hearted as is the nature of Link’s Awakening. This is a title that takes place in on an island, and our characters dimensions are from realistic. The sound effects too, sound just as iconic whether playing handheld, docked on a full sound system. Hearing the basic version of “Ballad of the Wind Fish” (The earliest you can summon it when you have the ocarina and a few instruments from the dungeons) to when you put it all together brought a smile to my face the same way I heard it on headphones on the Gameboy Pocket.
Graphics: Slick n' Simple.
Nearly 17 years after Nintendo introduced the cel-shaded look, much to the dismay of gaming population at the time in Wind Waker, time has largely forgiven this with many titles in this style following suit. This version of Link’s Awakening takes a step further and goes from a look that could pass for a serialized cartoon, to a slick, retro, clay-mation style that came out of the 50-60s. No real arguments against it this time around, as it fits the original vision of it being a spoof of the prior Zelda titles which had higher stakes. Like before, no longer limited to either monochrome or 8 bit color palettes, the colors are whatever they could conjure. Simple enough that the optional Link’s Awakening Amiibo matches the game 1:1, but packs enough creativity and imagination in that simplicity. The monsters and bosses are just as cute, but still threatening if you’re careless. The environments now have a life of their own, fitting for a dream-like world as the grasslands, forests, desserts, lakes and dungeons exhibit a mild sense of the surreal, but still feels like we’re in a diorama, playing with punched-up legos.
Controls/Gameplay: Setting the Standard.
As mentioned in the first paragraph, this where the Legend of Zelda structure and formula was finalized, and used in every main title until Breath of World re-imagined it 24 years from its original release. Story wise, we start with Link after his adventure in Link to The Past taking a boat to go on a journey of training, gets shipwrecked to Koholint Island. He meets Marin, daughter of the Tarin in this island that has suspiciously varied environments. The only way to get home though, is by waking the Wind Fish, who sleeps in an egg atop a mountain, per a talking owl that takes great interest in your new quest. And to wake it, we’ll need 8 instruments that are sealed away in dungeons that are across the entire island. Link will have to take his shield, sword, and many, many tools, to not only head home, but learn he truth about this island that has many forms of life that help and hinder his progress.
In Link to The Past, getting to the next dungeon was hardly straight forward, though at times, you couldn’t help but feel lost as it didn’t always keep you on task. Here, getting the next dungeon involve solving a series of challenges and requests, dropping hints about your next destination. Starting with the owl that flies in from the start, it will give you the general direction first, then you’ll have to either find a tool, person or creature to get you there. Though to get said tool or creature may involve its own quest (and could open up future side quests). For example for the second dungeon that’s in the swamp, its blocked by plants that can’t be slashed, burned, or sprinkle magic powder on. No, you’ll need to find a pet named named Bow-Wow, a chain-chomp from Super Mario Bros 3 that will eat these gladly. But where are they? Time to go pet searching.
From there, you can enter the dungeon, usually solving puzzles, or clearing rooms. Though now, you’ll get the map first to see all the rooms, the compass that shows where all the treasure is. Then, there’s a mid-boss battle, you’ll get the dungeon’s tool/treasure that usually makes defeating certain enemies in the dungeon easier. Optional is a stone piece that will offer a hint for the dungeon, if you haven’t already figured it out already. Finally the Nightmare Key, which is the key to the boss. The bosses are capable of speech, even if its just saying “Food, foood!” to dropping lore bombs about the island. You’ll use your newly acquired tool/treasure to defeat them, get the instrument, some cryptic hints on where to go next, and the owl gives the next objective.
In the interim, you can now explore parts of the island that you couldn’t before to go to new areas, meet new people/intelligent, friendly beasts, do new sidequests as you get to know the citizens of the village, and much later Animal Village. There are perpetual sidequests like finding secret seashells to get more loot and getting a special prize if you get them all. The ‘trading game’ where you start with a simple item, only to trade it up (or down) to the next person until it ultimately gives you a reward started here.
No longer confined to 2 action buttons, the Switch remake makes use of all the buttons, cutting down time between switching tools. In the original, you could assign anything to the A and B buttons, no longer needing to have the sword on hand. This meant breaking up the action at times when its just getting good, with the remake, is less of a chore. With other activities to other buttons, you can focus on making interesting tool combinations if slashing your foes isn’t enough for you.
Aside from using references to other Nintendo titles like Mario, and Kirby of all things, they took influence from famed series Twin Peaks, of David Lynch fame. The air of mystery, the light surrealism, the townspeople, to uncovering the secret of the island was presented in an easier to swallow format in 93, and even more so in ‘19. Exclusive to the remake is Dampe’s Dungeon, which can be best described as a build-your-own-dungeon. Taking a cue from Super Mario Maker, you’ll be given the basic blocks, triggers, enemies and such to start once you get there. As you get closer and closer to waking the Wind Fish, you’ll get more to work with, and can take your work with compatible Amiibo to a friend’s house.
Fun Factor: You Can Take a Chain Chomp for a Walk. Say Less.
Link’s Awakening on Switch does what an ideal remake is supposed to do: Keep the original spirit of its predecessor intact, while taking advantage of modern hardware/software to execute a vision that was limited to bits, bytes, beeps and bloops back in the day. Grezzo understood the proverbial assignment, and delivers the idealized journey, realized at the close of the ‘10s. The ability to create your own dungeons is a neat extra, though I wouldn’t hold my breath for an official, full-fledged Zelda Maker. If you wanted to know where the Zelda gameplay foundation was fully realized, this is where it started, compare it to later entries down the line to see how much has remained intact, noting what was added on over time. If you’re a fan of the light hearted, more jaunty romps such as Wind Waker, the Four Swords sub-series, etc, this is a no-brainer.
