Link's Awakening

Synopsis

Link's Awakening takes place entirely on Koholint Island, a secluded landmass with no connection to Hyrule. Unlike most games in the series, it features no familiar locations or characters from earlier adventures, aside from the hero Link and a single mention of Princess Zelda. The island is small but packed with hidden secrets and winding paths that link together. In the Zelda timeline, this story occurs after Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past, but before Oracle of Seasons and Ages.

Players receive guidance from quirky non-player characters, including Ulrira, a shy old man who only talks to Link over the telephone. The game is filled with cameos from other Nintendo worlds: Wart, Yoshi, Kirby, a character named Mr. Write (based on Dr. Wright from the Super NES version of SimCity), and Prince Richard from The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls all appear. Mario series enemies like Goombas and Piranha Plants show up in underground side-scrolling areas, where Link can either stomp them like in Super Mario Bros. or attack normally, with each method giving different rewards. Director Takashi Tezuka noted that the game's loose development made it feel like a parody of The Legend of Zelda. Some characters break the fourth wall, such as children who explain saving and other mechanics but admit they do not understand what they are saying.

The story begins after A Link to the Past, when Link sets sail to train for future dangers. A storm wrecks his ship, and he washes up on Koholint Island. Marin, daughter of Tarin, finds him and brings him to her home. She is captivated by Link and the world beyond the island, wistfully saying she would become a seagull to fly away across the sea. Once Link retrieves his sword, a mysterious owl instructs him to awaken the Wind Fish, the island's guardian, to find a way home. The Wind Fish sleeps inside a giant egg atop Mt. Tamaranch, and only the eight Instruments of the Sirens can rouse it.

Reception

In June 1993, Link's Awakening became the top-selling game in Japan according to Famitsu, and by August of that year, it was the best-selling Game Boy title in North America. Its strong sales contributed to a 13 percent increase in Game Boy sales during 1993, making it one of Nintendo's most profitable years in the region at the time. The game stayed on bestseller lists for over 90 months, was later re-released under the Player's Choice label, and had sold 3.83 million units by 2004.

The DX version added another 2.22 million units in sales. In 2011, the Virtual Console release of Link's Awakening DX was the top-selling downloadable game on the Nintendo 3DS, moving over 338,700 units. Critics gave it an average score of 90% on GameRankings. Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewers praised it as likely the best and one of the most engaging Game Boy games, highlighting its story, characters, and graphics.

Jeremy Parish later called it the best Game Boy game ever, while Game Informer's Ben Reeves ranked it third best and noted its influence. The Washington Post admired its portability and depth. On the downside, some critics found the control scheme and monochrome graphics problematic, making it hard to see what was on screen and wishing for color. William Burrill dismissed the visuals as dim.

Both Carter and Bill Provick found the two-button controls awkward, requiring constant item switching. Katherine Monk described the dialogue as stilted but called the rest of the game ever-surprising.