The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

aka: A Lenda de Zelda: O Despertar de Link, Zelda no Densetsu: Yume o Miru Shima
Moby ID: 4267
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Description official descriptions

The fourth game in the Zelda series although it does not take place in Hyrule. After being attacked at sea, Link's ship sinks, and he finds himself stranded on Koholint Island. He awakens to see a beautiful woman looking down at him. He soon learns the island has a giant egg on top of a mountain that the Wind Fish inhabits deep inside. Link is told to "awaken the wind fish and all will be answered," so Link sets out on another quest.

Play is mostly similar to the SNES game with a top down perspective. However, there are short sections in dungeons where the game switches to a side-scrolling view with platforming elements. Link must go onto each of the 7 temples to retrieve a musical instrument that will help awaken the Wind Fish. Along the way, Link must search the land and uncover hidden treasures and items that will allow him to progress on his journey. With new items, he can open up new passages that will take him even farther on his quest and allow him to enter new areas that were inaccessible before. Link can attack his enemies with his sword or use items he finds during his quest to help him. Guarding every instrument is a temple boss, which must be defeated if Link is to awaken the Wind Fish.

Spellings

  • ゼルダの伝説 夢をみる島 - Japanese spelling
  • 撒尔达传说 - Simplified Chinese spelling
  • 撒爾達傳說 - Traditional Chinese spelling

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Credits (Game Boy version)

20 People (15 developers, 5 thanks)

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 90% (based on 29 ratings)

Players

Average score: 4.1 out of 5 (based on 108 ratings with 2 reviews)

Best game for the gameboy...ever

The Good
The way Zelda was successfully ported to the handheld system, the storyline, its interesting and different from the other zeldas. All the little subplots were good too, like the exchanging items bit, and collecting the sea-shells. all in all a true classic and one that kept me glued to my gameboy for weeks

The Bad
Nothing really, almost flawless game, so it would be impossible for me to find fault with it.

The Bottom Line
handheld RPG masterpiece

Game Boy · by Big C (56) · 2003

Perhaps the best game for the Gameboy

The Good
Lightning flashes, waters splash and Link (the hero and the person you play) is clinging desperately to the sinking ship he is on. Link is washed overboard, and drifts ashore on a beatiful tropical beach. A girl finds him, takes him home and nurses him back to life. When Link's awakes he talks to the girl called Marin and learns that sinister creatures has started to appear on the island. Link heads down to the beach to try and locate his sword, and there he encouters a owl. The owl starts telling Link that he is the one who has to awaken the Wind Fish, who is asleep in a giant egg on the top of a vulcano. From there Link's adventure starts...

This game is simply awesome! Let me first tell you that when I got and played this game I had never played a game in the Zelda series, and although I suppose I should have, it didn't affect the gameplay at all. There's no twisted plot or background story (like there usually is in these kind of games) that you have to know of in order to play it.

As you start playing you slowly begin to get completely drawn into this vast mystical island. You see the game from a top down perspective, but sometimes when you go undergound you switch to a side perspective. The progression in the game is nicely done. For example, you get new items such as shields and swords along the way, but also other things, such as the power bracelet that lets you lift and throw object. But you will also find many different items such as: a boomerang, a bow, bombs, a Yoshi doll (cute, huh?) and so forth. The quests you go on are both varied and exciting, and of course the skill level advances along the way (some very tricky ones too).

What I really like about this game is that there is also plenty of time to explore, and to earn money in different ways. For example, you can get a shovel; and when you dig in the ground you sometimes find money. There are also several small games within the game, such as the fishing game. I can't say how many hours I spent playing this one (many though). It should also be mentioned that you don't only travel by land, but when you find a certain object you'll also be able to swim and dive around in the lakes and rivers of the island.

You meet many different kinds of NPC's who either gives you quests or assists you. One such is the wise owl who can best described as the Dungeon Master characacter from the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon (if anyone remembers that), meaning it sometimes shows up giving clues, hints, sets you on quests and so forth (of course it vanishes mysterious). You can also buy and sell stuff to the NPC's and much more fun...trade things. The monsters you battle are typical "Nintendoish", and several subbosses awaits you.

The graphics in the game is lovely. Couldn't have been done better for the Gameboy. Character designs and the locations are topnotch; and has been done with great detail.

The music is nice too. It's perfect background music, and very dreamy and mysterious, which fits the game perfectly. The soundeffects are pretty standard though.

The Bad
It's hard to find anything that I personally don't like about this game. Though there are some small annoying glitches in the game where you get stuck and such.

The Bottom Line
This game is simply great! For me it personally rates as one of (if not THE one) best game ever made for the Gameboy. It's depth and vastness is simply amazing. If you like these kinds of games, play this game immediately, and if you don't like them...well you don't know what you are missing. ;)

Game Boy · by Apogee IV (2275) · 2005

Trivia

1001 Video Games

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Enhanced re-release

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX includes new features and areas to explore.

References

  • The platforming sections are clearly inspired by the Super Mario series, including pipes with hungry plants and enemies which can be killed by stomping on them.
  • Wart makes a short cameo in this game, as a music teacher. Wart was the final boss in Super Mario Bros. 2.
  • The character Richard, whom you help get five golden leaves for from his castle, is none other than Prince Richard from the obscure Japanese Game Boy game Kaeru no tame ni Kane wa Naru. In this game, both Richard, and the main character, Sable, were able to transform into frogs at key points in the game - which probably explains why there's a whole heap of frogs in Richard's villa. The music that plays while in the villa is also from the same game.

Timeline

There is much speculation over the chronological order of the Zelda storyline, so although Link's Awakening is the fourth Zelda game, it is unknown when the events in it occur. Many agree that it probably takes place directly after A Link to the Past, although one theory suggests it takes place in the middle of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (while Link is sailing to the east continent).

Awards

  • Electronic Gaming Monthly
    • November 1997 (Issue 100) - ranked #28 (Best 100 Games of All Time)
  • Game Informer
    • August 2001 (Issue #100) - #58 in the "Top 100 Games of All Time" poll
  • Retro Gamer
    • October 2004 (Issue #9) – #4 Best Game Boy Game

Information also contributed by Ben K, PCGamer77, Tiago Jacques and Zovni

Analytics

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Related Sites +

  • OC ReMix Game Profile
    Fan remixes of music from Link's Awakening.
  • The Legends of Zelda
    This site contains everything you ever wanted to know about the Zelda series. This page contains several FAQs and secret lists about Link's Awakening. There's also images and music from the game.
  • Zeldapower.com Forums
    Message Board for all of the Zelda games

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 4267
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Matthew Bailey.

Additional contributors: Xa4, rey_, Jeanne, Exodia85, Alaka, gamewarrior, Ms. Tea, Patrick Bregger, Thomas Thompson, FatherJack, GenesisBR.

Game added June 10, 2001. Last modified January 25, 2024.