Facebook – Top 100 FAVORITE Video Games: 40

40: Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (GB)
Developer: Nintendo
Year: 1993

Sorry, Zak. I know this is your favorite Zelda game (or, at least, very high up your list in regards to favorites), but it isn’t the best, and it doesn’t break top 30 for me. The original black and white(green) Game Boy classic (which was later colored and re-released on Game Boy Color with a fancy “DX” behind the title) is, however, a fantastic game and one to be remembered. I can’t think of a game on the Game Boy I’ve really played more than this one, in either format, really. One of those games you get, play the hell out of, and remember for the rest of your damn life, Link’s Awakening is another way to say “pure fun”.

Set after the events of of Link to the Past (I think, at least, regardless of which timeline you believe in for the series), Link is seen heading off into the wilds of the ocean to train for upcoming battles despite the fact that its a time of relative peace (he and Goku share a similar philosophy, I guess). His ship is wrecked and he wakes up on a mysterious island with Mario… er, Tarin and his daughter Marin. In order to free himself, he must first vanquish the evil “Nightmare” – a being which plagues the dreams of the Wind Fish (whom is neither of those two things), the only being who can provide him with a way home. As such, Link sets off to destroy the Nightmare’s minions, beings whom guard temples and castles and the like, all in the hopes of retrieving magical instruments and waking WF from his… giant egg. Its a trippy plot, to be sure, but can’t really be said to be any more or less trippy than other plots from the franchise. Other than the fact that it really, really is.

Gameplay-wise, Link’s Awakening borrows heavily from other Zelda games before it. The game is your basic 2D entry in the series, with a top-down view of Link as he wanders around the island, fighting M-M-M-Moblins and the like, gathering rupees from shrubs, and – yes – hacking and slashing at chickens. Link will go round-and-round, fetching new keys and battling through new dungeons until he can kill and/or destroy all the jerks that hold drums and trumpets and flutes, things he needs to use with his ocarina. One thing of note, though, is that this is the first Zelda game to rely heavily on a musical aspect, featuring – I believe (proof against this fact would be welcome, of course, but I’ll call you a damn liar, no matter what) – the first instrument Link uses in a musical fashion. This helps him do a ton of things, like woo Zelda… er, Marin, move a walrus, and even bring a legendary rooster back from the dead. Also, I believe, he learns a song from Wart, from Super Mario Bros. 2. But I don’t remember that well.*

For a game that introduced such heavy necessity for music to play a part, Link’s Awakening should have some catchy songs, right? Well, it does. From the main Zelda theme – reworked to be its own iteration of the beloved classic – to the three songs he learns how to play (especially the fact that you can hear the Ballad of the Wind Fish progressively if you play the song each time you get a new instrument), to the dungeon music and its murky bass tones, the game has its music at the best possible quality level. The other thing that’s awesome? The boss battles. Zelda games have a history of innovative and interesting boss battles, and this one is no different. Key battles to remember would be the Face Shrine’s … giant face… and then the surprise boss fight outside Level 8 (Turtle Rock Cove? If I remember correctly?), resulting in a dire and sudden boss that must fall in order to even ENTER the (really long and annoyingly difficult) level. One boss, though, is beyond mention… and that’s the giant bird of Level 7. I don’t remember its name or the dungeon’s, either… but it was a pain in the ass. Seriously.

All in all, Link’s Awakening is a game that holds a close spot to my heart. Some of it probably comes from the fact that my sister really loved the game and, before she passed, there were few games she really enjoyed. But this was one of them. Despite this nostalgia factor, the game provided hours of fun and Zelda-classic gameplay elements on a smaller scale, all without sacrificing any of the length or the fun of a console title. Also, I think (again, correct me if I’m wrong) this game introduced the trading system that is common, now, in other games. I don’t recall if its essential to beating the game or not (think it results in the magnifying glass which you can read to figure out the path to take inside the Wind Fish’s egg? Zak, help me out, here), but it did create a long-standing tradition for the series. I don’t know if this game is out for Virtual Console or not, but if/when it is, get it loaded up on your Wii and give it a go. You’re in for a great time.

Classic Moment:
Can I talk about how much Zak Bartels loves this game, for a moment? I think he could sit down with it, today, and just blast straight through it in one sitting, if he had a free day. And it wouldn’t take an overly ridiculous amount of time, either. The man used to have the path through the egg in pen on his tennis shoe, if I remember correctly. And he probably knows the trade system, item-for-item and could list it without wiki-ing it, once. Ugh.

Otherwise, I love the portion of the game where you have that ghost follow you around, taking him to his old haunts (see what I did there?) and then take him to rest in his old, abandoned home. Its touching and sweet, genuinely, for an old Game Boy game.

Why Link’s Awakening > Portal
Why?
It’s full of juicy beef!

---

Added March 16, 2017
Having just played through this game around half a year ago, I can state that it is one of the most well-rounded Zelda titles ever made, hands down. The exploration, rewards, dungeons, boss fights, and even the plot make it one of the greats. Possibly Top 3 Zelda games, the more time has passed.