The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
| The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening | |||||||||
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 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 | ||||||||
| Genre | Adventure | ||||||||
| Rating(s) |
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| Mode(s) | Single player | ||||||||
| Input | Nintendo Switch: Game Boy:
Game Boy Color:
Nintendo 3DS:
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- Everyone
- Seven years and older
- Eight years and older
- All ages
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a 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 to the Mario series, including Wart and Goombas.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening had two remakes. The first remake, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, was released for the Game Boy Color in 1998. The second remake, also titled The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019.
Gameplay
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 Piece of Hearts. 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 Ballad of the Wind Fish.
Mario series references in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
- Tarin resembles Mario. He even transforms into a raccoon by eating a mushroom, as Mario transforms into Raccoon Mario by using a Super Leaf. Likewise, the Cucco Keeper resembles Luigi.
- There are many enemies from the 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-Sheep), Bloobers, Thwomps (called Spiked Thwomps), Thwimps (called Thwomps), Pokeys, Boos, and Shy Guys (called Mask-Mimics). Also, the Bombite enemy bears a striking resemblance to Bob-omb.
- 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 Mario franchise names.
- Also in the remake, Cheep Cheeps and Bloopers can be caught in the Fishing Hole.
- A Yoshi doll is found at the Trendy Game shop 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 it has appeared in many games recently, another reference to the 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.
- BowWow, known in the Mario franchise as a Chain Chomp, is featured in the game and "befriends" Link as it actually helps him access the second dungeon. Another, smaller Chain Chomp named CiaoCiao also appears.
- 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.
- 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 version, promotional artwork of Princess Peach with her parasol is shown.
Gallery
The Yoshi doll
The Trendy Game
The photo of "Christine"
BowWow, trapped in the Moblin Cave
Piranha Plants and Goombas
BowWow in the Nintendo Switch remake
Goombas in an early version of the Nintendo Switch remake
Goombas in the final version of the Nintendo Switch remake
Artwork of BowWow and its owner Madam MeowMeow in the Nintendo Switch remake
Spinies in the Nintendo Switch remake
Boos in the Nintendo Switch remake
Cheep Cheeps in the Nintendo Switch remake
Bloopers in the Nintendo Switch remake
A Shy Guy in the Nintendo Switch remake
Piranha Plants in the Nintendo Switch remake
A Pokey in the Nintendo Switch remake
External links
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on Zelda Dungeon Wiki
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on Triforce Wiki
| 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) |
| 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) |
