Link's Awakening Remake Review: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening's Rebirth on Nintendo Switch 2

Hello Switch players! I'm your old friend, a seasoned gamer and critic with ten years of gaming experience. Today, we're going to talk about a classic remake, and one of my personal favorite Zelda games – The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Released on the Nintendo Switch in 2019, it's a remake of the 1993 Game Boy title of the same name. Today, we'll primarily explore its gameplay, graphics, music, and story, as well as how this game might perform and improve if it were to run on the future Nintendo Switch 2.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - A Classic Remake Full of Nostalgia

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening tells the story of Link, who is shipwrecked on the mysterious Koholint Island after encountering a storm at sea. To leave the island, Link must collect eight instruments and awaken the sleeping Wind Fish.

This game was renowned for its unique story and gameplay in the Game Boy era. The remake brings this classic work to players with a brand new look. The cartoon-style graphics, rearranged music, and gameplay that retains the essence of the original, allow veteran players to relive the emotion of the past, and also allow new players to experience the charm of this classic.

2. Gameplay: A Perfect Blend of Exploration, Puzzles, and Combat

2.1. The Joy of Exploration

While Koholint Island isn't large, it's full of secrets. Hidden caves, areas that require special items to enter, and collectibles scattered throughout, all encourage players to constantly explore. The game's map design is clever, guiding players deeper and deeper through various terrains and obstacles, allowing them to discover new areas.

2.2. The Challenge of Puzzles

Puzzles are one of the core elements of the Zelda series. Link's Awakening's puzzle design is ingenious and challenging, requiring players to carefully observe the environment, utilize the items at their disposal, and use their brains to find the answers. For example, you'll need to use bombs to blow up walls, use arrows to shoot mechanisms, or use the boomerang to hit distant switches.

2.3. The Thrill of Combat

The game's combat system is simple to pick up but doesn't lack depth. Link can use a variety of weapons for combat, including swords, shields, bows and arrows, and bombs. Different enemies have different weaknesses, requiring players to flexibly use various weapons and techniques to defeat them. In addition, the boss battles in the game are also extremely challenging, requiring players to carefully observe the boss's attack patterns and find their weaknesses to successfully clear them.

3. Graphics and Sound Effects: The Charm of Cartoon Style, the Reshaping of Classic Melodies

3.1. Graphics: Cute Cartoon Style, Full of Detail

The remake's graphics adopt a cute cartoon style, with bright colors and rich details. The characters and scenes have been redesigned to be more vivid and adorable. The game's graphics are fully utilized on the Nintendo Switch, with everything from the lighting effects of the scenes to the facial expressions and actions of the characters being very delicate. If it can run on the Nintendo Switch 2 in the future, with its more powerful performance, the game's graphics will definitely be taken to the next level. For example, higher resolution, smoother frame rates, and more detailed texture maps, nintendo switch2 first look can give us more expectations for future image effects.

3.2. Sound Effects: Classic Melodies, New Interpretations

The game's music was rearranged by the original composer, retaining the classic melodies of the original and adding new elements. The music style is fresh and lively, complementing the game's cartoon style. The game's sound effects are also well-made, with everything from the sound of swords swinging to the roars of monsters being very realistic, enhancing the game's immersion. The reshaping of classic melodies makes veteran players feel familiar and allows new players to experience the musical charm of this classic work.

4. Story: A Fairy-Tale Adventure, Thought-Provoking Themes

4.1. Unique Story Setting

The story of Link's Awakening differs from other Zelda series works. The story takes place on the fictional Koholint Island, where the island's inhabitants are created by the Wind Fish's dream. Link needs to wake the Wind Fish to leave the island, but this also means that the island's inhabitants will disappear.

4.2. Thought-Provoking Themes

The game explores philosophical themes such as reality and dreams, existence and nothingness. During his adventure, Link needs to face various choices and challenges, and ultimately needs to decide whether to wake the Wind Fish and let the island's inhabitants disappear. This kind of thought-provoking story setting makes this game not just a simple adventure game, but also a fable about life.

5. Controls: Simple to Pick Up, Slight Regrets

5.1. Simple and Easy to Pick Up Controls

The game's controls are simple and easy to pick up. Link can use the directional buttons to control movement, use the A button to attack, and use the B button to jump. The game also supports touch screen operation, allowing players to perform some simple operations directly on the screen.

5.2. Slightly Regrettable Jump

The game's jumping controls are slightly regrettable. Link can only perform fixed-distance jumps and cannot jump freely. This can cause some trouble for players in scenes that require precise jumping. If the jumping controls can be improved on the future Nintendo Switch 2, it is believed that it will bring a better gaming experience to players. Imagine if the Nintendo Switch 2's controller could provide more precise haptic feedback, it would greatly enhance the immersion of combat and puzzles in the game.

6. Walkthrough Tips: Beginner's Guide, Advanced Progression

6.1. Beginner's Guide

• Familiarize yourself with the map: Koholint Island's map is large, so it is recommended that novice players explore more and familiarize themselves with the various areas of the map.
• Collect items: There are many hidden items in the game, collecting these items can help you better embark on your adventure.
• Talk to NPCs: Talking to NPCs can provide important information and quest hints.
• Make good use of map markers: Mark important locations and events on the map for easy reference in the future.

6.2. Advanced Tips and Strategies

• Use the boomerang: The boomerang can hit distant switches and can also be used to attack enemies.
• Use bombs: Bombs can blow up walls and can also be used to attack enemies.
• Find hidden shells: Collecting hidden shells can earn you extra rewards.
• Challenge mini-games: Mini-games can earn rich rewards and improve Link's attributes.

6.3. Level Walkthroughs and Completion Methods

• First Dungeon: Mysterious Forest - Find the exit of the Mysterious Forest and obtain the Power Bracelet.
• Second Dungeon: Bottle Grotto - Find the Bottle Grotto's boss key, defeat the boss and obtain the first instrument.
• Third Dungeon: Key Cavern - Use bombs to blow up walls, find the Key Cavern's boss key, defeat the boss and obtain the second instrument.
• Fourth Dungeon: Angler's Tunnel - Find the mermaid on Angler's Beach, obtain the key to enter the Angler's Tunnel, defeat the boss and obtain the third instrument.
• Fifth Dungeon: Face Shrine - Climb the Face Shrine, find the boss key, defeat the boss and obtain the fourth instrument.
• Sixth Dungeon: Catfish's Maw - Fish up the large fish, enter the depths of the Catfish's Maw, defeat the boss and obtain the fifth instrument.
• Seventh Dungeon: Ancient Ruins - Solve the puzzles of the Ancient Ruins, find the boss key, defeat the boss and obtain the sixth instrument.
• Eighth Dungeon: Turtle Rock - Climb Turtle Rock, find the boss key, defeat the final boss, and awaken the Wind Fish.

6.4. Best Equipment and Skill Combinations

• Weapons: Sword, Bow and Arrow, Bombs, Boomerang
• Equipment: Shield, Power Bracelet, Roc's Feather
• Skills: Spin Attack, Charge Attack

6.5. Speedrunning Tips and Hidden Element Walkthroughs

• Skip cutscenes: In some cutscene scenarios, you can skip the cutscene by quickly pressing buttons.
• Use glitches: There are some glitches in the game that can be used to speedrun.
• Collect hidden elements: There are many hidden elements in the game, collecting these elements can earn you extra rewards.

7. Game Recommendation: A Classic Masterpiece, Not to Be Missed

7.1. Suitable for

• Players who like the Zelda series
• Players who like adventure puzzle games
• Players who like cartoon-style games
• Nostalgic players

7.2. Purchase Advice

If you are a fan of the Zelda series, or you like adventure puzzle games, then this Link's Awakening is definitely worth buying. Even if you haven't played the original, you can experience the charm of this classic work through this remake. Considering that the future Nintendo Switch 2 may be backward compatible, nintendo switch2 compatibility can let us continue to enjoy this game on the future new console.

7.3. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Link's Awakening's price is moderate. Considering its excellent graphics, music, story, and gameplay, the cost-effectiveness is still relatively high. Especially after the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, the price of this game may decrease, making it more cost-effective to buy at that time.

7.4. New Game Release Information and Predicted Evaluation

There is currently no news of a sequel or related works to Link's Awakening being released. But I believe that with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo will definitely release more excellent Zelda series games, so let us wait and see. There's even the possibility of releasing a more graphically beautiful, more powerful Link's Awakening 2!

8. Score and Summary: A Timeless Classic, Worthy of Reliving

8.1. Score

Overall Score: 9.0/10

• Gameplay: 9.0/10
• Graphics: 9.5/10
• Sound: 9.0/10
• Story: 8.5/10
• Controls: 8.5/10

Authoritative Score Reference:

• IGN: 9.4/10 (IGN Link's Awakening Review)
• Metacritic: 86/100 (Metacritic Link's Awakening Review)

8.2. Reasons for the Score

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Remake is a very excellent Zelda series game. It retains the essence of the original and adds new elements, allowing veteran players to relive the emotion of the past, and also allowing new players to experience the charm of this classic work. The game performs well in terms of graphics, music, story, and gameplay, making it a masterpiece not to be missed. Although there are slight flaws in the controls, the flaws do not detract from the merits. You can even look forward to an enhanced version running on the future Nintendo Switch 2, with higher resolution and smoother frame rates, which I believe will bring a better gaming experience to players.

8.3. Summary

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a timeless classic that is worth reliving. It is not just a simple adventure game, but also a fable about life. On Koholint Island, Link needs to face various choices and challenges, and ultimately needs to decide whether to wake the Wind Fish and let the island's inhabitants disappear. This kind of thought-provoking story setting makes this game not just an entertainment product, but also a work of art.

I hope my review has been helpful to everyone, and you are also welcome to leave a message in the comment section to share your views and experiences on this game. If you are interested in the nintendo switch2 price, you can click the link to view relevant information. See you next time!