The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

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The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
North American box art of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening for Game Boy
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer Nintendo EAD
Grezzo (Nintendo Switch remake)
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Game Boy
Game Boy Color
Virtual Console (3DS)
Nintendo Switch
Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda
Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online
Release date Game Boy:
Japan June 6, 1993[1]
USA August 6, 1993[1]
Europe December 1, 1993[2]
Game Boy Color:
Japan December 12, 1998[1]
USA December 15, 1998[1]
Europe January 1999[3]
3DS Virtual Console (Game Boy Color):
Japan June 8, 2011[?]
USA June 7, 2011[?]
Europe June 8, 2011[?]
Nintendo Switch (remake):
World September 20, 2019[4][5]
Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online (Game Boy Color):
USA February 8, 2023[?]
Japan February 9, 2023[?]
Europe February 9, 2023[?]
Australia February 9, 2023[?]
South Korea February 9, 2023[?]
HK February 9, 2023[?]
Genre Adventure
Rating(s) Game Boy and Game Boy Color:
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:7 - Seven years and older
ACB:G8+ - Eight years and older
USK:0 - All ages
Nintendo Switch:
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:7 - Seven years and older
CERO:B - Twelve years and older
ACB:PG - Parental Guidance
Gmedia:7 - Seven years and older
NMC:7 - Seven years and older
Mode(s) Single player
Format
Nintendo Switch:
Game Card
Digital download
Game Boy:
Game Pak
Game Boy Color:
Game Pak
Nintendo 3DS:
Digital download
Input
Nintendo Switch:
Joy-Con (horizontal)
[note 1]
Game Boy:
Game Boy Color:
Nintendo 3DS:

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is an adventure game in The Legend of Zelda series released in 1993 on the Game Boy. The game follows Link as he escapes on a mysterious island known as Koholint Island after he is shipwrecked and left stranded. The game features various elements from the Super Mario franchise, such as Goombas and Thwomps.

An enhanced port titled The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX was released for the Game Boy Color in 1998. A remake also titled The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019.

Gameplay[edit]

The player controls Link as he ventures across Koholint Island and its eight dungeons. Link has three hearts at the start, which Link can increase with Heart Containers and four Pieces of Heart. Whenever Link moves at the corner end of a map, it moves along with Link to reveal more of Koholint Island. Link is able to use a variety of items that he can switch at whim, including the Roc's Feather for the ability to jump across gaps, and the Power Bracelet to hold objects. In certain parts of the game, Link will need to have another character following them, such as when Link asks Marin to tag along in order to wake up a Walrus by singing the Ballad of the Wind Fish.

Super Mario content[edit]

Mamu and his frog choir performing the Frog's Song of Soul for Link.
Mamu in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
  • Tarin resembles Mario. He even transforms into a raccoon (or rather, a tanuki) reminiscent of Tanooki Mario by eating a toadstool. Similarly, the Henhouse Keeper resembles Luigi.
  • There are many enemies from the Super Mario franchise, though some of them were named differently in English guides. There are Goombas, Piranha Plants, Podoboos, Spinies (called Spiked Beetles), Cheep Cheeps (called Cheep-Sheeps), Bloobers, Thwomps (called Spiked Thwomps), Thwimps (called Thwomps), Pokeys, Boos, Shy Guys (called Mask-Mimics), and Sparks. Also, the Bombite enemy bears a striking resemblance to Bob-omb.
  • A Chain Chomp, under the name BowWow, is featured in the game and "befriends" Link as it actually helps him access the second dungeon, Bottle Grotto. Mini Bow-Wows named ChowChow and CiaoCiao also appear, and the latter is a speech-capable female that helps in a trading sequence.
  • A Yoshi doll is found at the Trendy Game in Mabe Village. Link can win the Yoshi Doll by controlling the crane and hovering over it. When the doll is received, the text box states that Yoshi has appeared in many games recently, another reference to the Super Mario games. In the Nintendo Switch remake of the game, the text is changed to state that the player cannot count how many games it has appeared in now.
  • When Mr. Write shows the player the picture sent to him by Christine, a goat living in Animal Village, the picture of "Christine" is actually one of Princess Peach. In the Nintendo Switch remake, promotional artwork of Peach with her parasol is shown.
  • The character Wart reappears in this game under his original Japanese name Mamu and acts as an ally to Link by teaching him the Frog's Song of Soul.
  • In Link's Awakening DX, green, red, and blue color variants of the Boo Blah enemy from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island appear in the Color Dungeon. They were initially localized as Camo Goblins, but later became known as Goo Specters in the Nintendo Switch remake.
  • In the Nintendo Switch remake, figures of BowWow, CiaoCiao, a Goomba, Spiny, Boo, Cheep Cheep, Blooper, Shy Guy, Piranha Plant, and Pokey can be acquired in the Trendy Game. With the exception of the Chain Chomp characters, all of the aforementioned enemies are referred to by their Super Mario franchise names.
    • Also, Cheep Cheeps and Bloopers can be caught in the Fishing Pond.

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.
  • The Yoshi Doll

    The Yoshi Doll

  • The Trendy Game

    The Trendy Game

  • The photo of "Christine"

    The photo of "Christine"

  • BowWow, trapped in the Moblin Cave

    BowWow, trapped in the Moblin Cave

  • Piranha Plants and Goombas

    Piranha Plants and Goombas

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ゼルダの伝説 夢をみる島[?]
Zeruda no Densetsu: Yume o Miru Shima 		The Legend of Zelda: Dreaming Island
Italian La leggenda di Zelda: Il risveglio di Link (in-game)[?] The legend of Zelda: Link's awakening
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ゼルダの伝説 夢をみる島DX[?]
Zeruda no Densetsu: Yume o Miru Shima DX 		The Legend of Zelda: Dreaming Island DX

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Joy-Con horizontal is only supported in Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online.

External links[edit]

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening coverage on other NIWA wikis:

References[edit]

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening coverage on other NIWA wikis:
  1. ^ a b c d Nintendo (June 19, 2018). The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia. Dark Horse Comics (English). ISBN 1-5067-0638-X. Page 7. Retrieved November 27, 2024. (Archived May 25, 2019, 03:10:12 UTC via Internet Archive.)
  2. ^ November 11, 2010. Retroradar: Planner. Retro Gamer (No. 83) (English). Page 17. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  3. ^ Nintendo of Europe GmbH. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX. Nintendo (official UK site) (English). Archived June 29, 2012, 20:11:32 UTC from the original via archive.today. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  4. ^ Andrew Webster (June 11, 2019). The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening on Switch launches in September. The Verge (English). Retrieved November 27, 2024. (Archived June 11, 2019, 18:21:58 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  5. ^ Chris Ip (June 11, 2019). The Link's Awakening reboot launches September 20th. Engadget (English). Retrieved November 27, 2024. (Archived June 11, 2019, 18:22:04 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
[Edit]
Game Boy games
Super Mario franchise Alleyway (1989) • Baseball (1989) • Super Mario Land (1989) • Golf (1989) • Dr. Mario (1990) • Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992) • Donkey Kong (1994) • Mario's Picross (1995) • Picross 2 (1996)
Donkey Kong franchise Donkey Kong (1994) • Donkey Kong Land (1995) • Donkey Kong Land 2 (1996) • Donkey Kong Land III (1997)
Yoshi franchise Yoshi (1991) • Yoshi's Cookie (1992) • Tetris Attack (1996)
Wario franchise Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (1994) • Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman! (1994) • Wario Land II (1998)
Miscellaneous Tetris (1989) • The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (1993) • Game & Watch Gallery (1997) • Game & Watch Gallery 2 (1997)
[Edit]
Game Boy Color games
Super Mario franchise Super Mario Bros. Deluxe (1999) • Mario Golf (1999) • Mario Tennis (2000) • Mobile Golf (2001) • Mario Family (2001)
Donkey Kong franchise Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong (2000) • Donkey Kong Country (2000)
Wario franchise Wario Land II* (1998) • Wario Land 3 (2000)
Other Game & Watch Gallery 2* (1998) • The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX* (1998) • Game & Watch Gallery 3* (1999)
* Backwards compatible with the Game Boy
[Edit]
Nintendo Switch games
Super Mario franchise Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017) • Super Mario Odyssey (2017) • Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (2018) • Mario Tennis Aces (2018) • Super Mario Party (2018) • New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (2019) • Super Mario Maker 2 (2019) • Luigi's Mansion 3 (2019) • Paper Mario: The Origami King (2020) • Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020) • Super Mario Bros. 35 (2020) • Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (2020) • Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021) • Mario Golf: Super Rush (2021) • Mario Party Superstars (2021) • Mario Strikers: Battle League (2022) • Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023) • Super Mario RPG (2023) • Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2024) • Princess Peach: Showtime! (2024) • Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2024) • Luigi's Mansion 2 HD (2024) • Super Mario Party Jamboree (2024) • Mario & Luigi: Brothership (2024)
Donkey Kong franchise Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2018) • Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (2025)
Yoshi franchise Yoshi's Crafted World (2019)
Wario franchise WarioWare: Get It Together! (2021) • WarioWare: Move It! (2023)
Arcade Archives Mario Bros. (2017) • VS. Super Mario Bros. (2017) • Donkey Kong (2018) • Donkey Kong Jr. (2018) • Donkey Kong 3 (2019) • VS. Pinball (2019) • VS. Golf (2019) • VS. Wrecking Crew (2020)
Crossovers Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition (2017) • Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (2017) • Minecraft: Bedrock Edition (2018) • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) • The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (2019) • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (2019) • Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (2022) • Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (2024)
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