The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
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The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening | |
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Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
Designer(s) | Shigeru Miyamoto (producer), Takashi Tezuka (director) |
Series | The Legend of Zelda |
Platform(s) | Game Boy, Game Boy Color |
Release date | JPN June 6, 1993[1] US August 1993[2] December 12, 1998 (DX version)[1] |
Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Rating(s) | ESRB: E (Game Boy Color version) |
Media | 4-megabit cartridge (Game Boy version)[3] 8-megabit cartridge (DX version) |
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, known in Japan as Zelda no Densetsu: Yume o Miru Shima (ゼルダの伝説 夢をみる島 Zeruda no Densetsu Yume o Miru Shima?, lit. "The Legend of Zelda: Dreaming Island"), is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy handheld console. It was released in Japan on June 6, 1993 and in North America later that year.[1][2] It is the fourth official installment in The Legend of Zelda series,[4] and the first for a handheld game console.
Link's Awakening is one of the few Zelda games that does not take place in the fictional land Hyrule, does not feature the fictional relic the Triforce or the primary antagonist of the series, Ganon. Instead the player's character Link begins the game stranded on Koholint Island. Learning that the island is watched over by a mysterious creature known as the Wind Fish, Link fights monsters and solves puzzles in order to find eight instruments which will awaken the Wind Fish— if the sleeping creature isn't awoken, Link will be trapped on Koholint Island forever.
Upon its release, Link's Awakening sold over four million units,[5] and later handheld Zelda games would follow it. A remake for the Game Boy Color was released in 1998, called The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX. It features compatibility with the Game Boy Printer as well as an exclusive color-based dungeon to capitalize on the Color's palette. Most publications rated the original game positively, despite technical restraints imposed by the absence of color; the DX version went on to receive higher scores than the original, including IGN rating it in the top 100 games of all time.[6]
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[edit] Gameplay
Like all main games in the Legend of Zelda series, Link's Awakening is an action-adventure game.[7] Most exploration and combat takes place from an overhead perspective.[8] The player explores the overworld of Koholint Island, fighting monsters and entering large underground dungeons. The dungeons vary in size and difficulty, but all end with a powerful Boss called a Nightmare that the player must defeat.[9] Success earns the player another heart container, which increases the amount of damage the player can take; when a player loses all of his heart containers, the game restarts from the last door that Link walked through before dying.[9]
In addition to the main quest to awaken the Wind Fish by completing a total of eight dungeons, Link's Awakening also offers numerous side quests and diversions. For example, hidden across the overworld and dungeons are collectible 'secret seashells'. If a majority of the shells are brought to a shrine, the player receives a more powerful sword which shoots beams.[10] In addition, Link's Awakening was the first Zelda game to include a trading sequence side quest. This mini-game consists of giving a certain item to a character, who in turn gives the player another item to trade to someone else.[9] Link's Awakening even allowed players to abscond with items from shops without paying, although the price to pay is the brand of "THIEF" for the rest of the game and instant death the next time the player enters the store.[8]
Like A Link to the Past before it, Link's Awakening introduced numerous new game mechanics to the series, including the ability for Link to jump.[8] Although Zelda II had the jump feature due to it being a sidescroller, Link's Awakening is the first top-down view Zelda that implemented the jump feature into its gameplay. Because of this feature, Link's Awakening also contains sidescrolling puzzles and elements, similar to those found in the earlier Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.[8] The player can expand his or her abilities with items, which are discovered in dungeons and through character interactions; additionally, these items access to previously unreachable areas, some items are often crucial for reaching or successfully completing a dungeon. Link's Awakening was also the first Zelda game in which both A and B buttons could be assigned to different items, neither of which had to be the sword, allowing for more inventive play styles. In some cases this allowed for combinations, such as the bomb and bow forming explosive arrows when used at the same time.[8] While the button assignment method was only used for subsequent handheld Zelda titles, jumping was only one of several mechanics which have since become standard in all Zelda games; also appearing for the first time in a Zelda game are fishing, flying around using a rooster, and the learning of special songs which are played on an ocarina (which would be central to the next Zelda game released, Ocarina of Time.)[11]
[edit] Synopsis
[edit] Setting
Unlike most other Zelda titles (and all Zelda titles up to the release of Link's Awakening), the game does not take place in Hyrule, and does not involve any of the characters or locations of previous games, besides a passing mention of Princess Zelda in the opening portion of the game.[8][12] Instead, Link's Awakening takes place entirely on Koholint Island (コホリント島 Kohorinto-tō?)[8] an isolated landmass which is cut off from the rest of the world. There are two major towns, located to the west and east portions of the island; the former, Mabe Village, is where the player begins their quest. The latter, Animal Village, is named due to its non-human inhabitants. In addition to a large mountain range to the north, Koholint contains a forest, plains, castle, swamp, beach, and desert;[13] game reviewers noted that the island, though small, contained a large amount of hidden secrets and interconnected pathways.[5] Scattered across the world are eight dungeons which contain the instruments needed to wake the Wind Fish, which sleeps in a giant egg at the top of the island's mountain range.[9]
[edit] Characters
The protagonist in the game is the titular Link, a defender of Hyrule who arrives on the island of Koholint after his ship is damaged in a storm. There, he is found by Marin, who nurses him to health. During his travels, Link is aided by an owl who serves as a guide throughout the game, and informs Link of the mysterious Wind Fish, whom the player must awaken for Link to leave the island and finish the game.[9]
Link's Awakening also features other characters who help the player figure out where to go next; this includes Ulrira, a shy old man who communicates to Link exclusively by telephone. Other characters Link meets on his quest include the scholar Mr. Write and the exiled prince Richard, who first appeared in the Nintendo title Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru.[14] The island is also inhabited by non player characters who continually break the fourth wall; for example, little children inform the player of game mechanics such as saving, although they have no idea what this means.[15]
[edit] Plot
After the events of A Link to the Past,[3] Link travels abroad to train to combat further threats. After a storm destroys his boat at sea, he awakens on Koholint Island,[16] and is taken to the house of a kind man named Tarin and his daughter Marin. Marin is fascinated by Link and the outside world across the sea he represents, telling him wistfully that she would like to one day travel across the sea. After recovering his sword from Koholint's beaches, a mysterious owl tells Link that in order to return home, he must awaken the guardian of Koholint—the Wind Fish (かぜのさかな Kaze no Sakana?) who is dreaming in a giant egg on top of Tal Tal Mountain and can only be woken by gathering and playing the eight Instruments of the Sirens.[13] Throughout Koholint Island, nightmare creatures attempt to obstruct Link’s quest to awaken the Wind Fish as they wish to rule his dreamworld.
After collecting all eight instruments from the eight dungeons across Koholint, Link climbs to the top of the Tal Tal Mountain range and plays the Ballad of the Wind Fish with all eight Instruments.[13] This causes the egg where the Wind Fish sleeps to break open, and Link enters to face off against a final boss known that takes the form of Ganon and other enemies from Link's past before it is defeated.[17] Link plays the Ballad of the Wind Fish and both Link and the Wind Fish awaken; Koholint Island and all its inhabitants disappear.[18] Link finds himself lying on driftwood in the middle of the ocean. If the player has lost no lives during play, a winged Marin is shown flying after the ending credits finish.[19]
[edit] Development
Development of Link's Awakening proceeded directly following the completion of the Japanese-only Game Boy title, Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru; as a result, Link's Awakening shares a game engine as well as design elements with this earlier title.[20] The game was directed by Takashi Tezuka, who had worked on the earlier Zelda titles as well as directing Super Mario Bros 3. In an interview, Tezuka stressed that his intent has been "to make games so that anyone —as many people as possible— can enjoy."[21] The game's background music was composed by Yuichi Ozaki, Kazumi Totaka, Minako Hamano, and Kazue Ishikawa.[22] As in most Zelda games, it includes the recognizable overworld theme which has become a staple of the franchise.[23] The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker's director Eiji Aonuma, talking about the evolution of the Zelda series, called Link's Awakening "the quintessential isometric Zelda game."[24]
To roll out the game for the North American release, Nintendo sponsored a crosscountry train competition, called the Zelda Whistle Stop Tour.[25] The event, which lasted for three days, had select players test out Link's Awakening in a timed race.[26] Not only was the event a way to showcase the new Zelda game, but Nintendo also wanted to tout the Game Boy's superior battery life and portability,[25] which would make or break the accessibility of a portable Zelda title.[8]
[edit] DX version
In 1998, Nintendo needed a killer application to launch their new Game Boy Color,[5] so Link's Awakening was re-released as The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX. Tezuka returned to the project in the role of a supervisor, with Yoshinori Tutiyama directing the remake.[22] As with other DX games, the game was fully colorized.[27]
In addition, the DX version added numerous gameplay features, such as an entirely new dungeon, based on color with enemies and bosses unique to it.[28] The dungeon could be found in the graveyard after reading a loose book in the library, and entered only while playing on a Game Boy Color and requires the Pegasus Boots. The reward for beating the color-based puzzles and the dungeon's bosses is the choice of a red or blue-colored tunic, which offer a boost in offensive power or resistance to damage, respectively. To change tunics again, the player only needs to walk to the end of the dungeon once more.[27]
The DX version also featured a camera shop where pictures are taken of the player's travels triggered by twelve in-game events. These pictures could be viewed at the shop, and printed using the Game Boy Printer accessory.[27]
[edit] Reception
Reviews | |
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Publication | Score |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 8.25 (GB)[29] 9.25 (DX)[30] |
GameSpot | 8.7 (DX)[31] |
IGN | 10/10 (DX)[7] |
Nintendo Power | 4.18/5 (GB)[29] 8.8/10 (DX)[30] |
Compilations of multiple reviews | |
Compiler | Score |
Game Rankings | 90% (GB)[29] 92% (DX)[30] |
The original Game Boy game garnered generally positive reviews at the time of its release, with Nintendo Power giving Link's Awakening a 4.18 out of 5, and Electronic Gaming Monthly giving the title 8.25 out of 10.[32] In a retrospective, EGM declared Link's Awakening the "best Game Boy game ever, an adventure so engrossing and epic that we can even forgive the whole thing for being one of those 'It's all a dream!' fakeouts."[33] In the 1993 Nintendo Power Awards, readers voted Link's Awakening number one in every Game Boy category—Best Graphics and Sound, Challenge, Theme and Fun, Play Control, and Best Overall.[34] The Washington Post declared that Nintendo had created a "legend that fits in the palm of your hand",[35] with their two complaints being the lack of color and slightly awkward method of control.[35] The Mainichi Shimbun praised the game's music and story.[36] On Game Rankings, the monochrome title has an overall rating of 90%.[29] Nintendo Power rated the game as the fifty-sixth best game made on a Nintendo System in the publication's "Top 200 Games" list.[37]
The Game Boy Color remake, Link's Awakening DX, received consistently better reviews than the original. IGN gave the title a perfect score, noting that "throughout the color-enhanced version of Zelda DX, it can easily be inferred that Nintendo has reworked its magic to fit new standards", removing nothing from the original game and adding in new adventures.[7] The game subsequently made #78 on IGN's list of the top 100 games of all time;[6] the previous year, Link's Awakening was rated even higher by IGN's readers.[38] Nintendo Power gave it 8.8/10, and Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it 9.25, all citing that the updated graphics and new additions to the content makes a significant difference; EGM also argued that with color, the title finally lived up to its promise.[31] Despite the improvements, publications such as AllRPG still took issue with fundamental parts of the gameplay, including the awkwardness of the two-button format.[39] RPGFan.com also felt that the colorization, though adequate, was not as fully detailed as possible.[39] For example, they felt that since the Game Boy Color can support more colors than the NES, Link should have been more vibrant.[39] Game Rankings rates the DX version of Link's Awakening at 92%, based on ten media outlets.[30] Overall, the original release of Link's Awakening sold approximately four million units worldwide.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Nintendo published Game Boy listing Nintendo. Retrieved on 2008-03-18
- ^ a b Zelda Universe - Link's Awakening. zelda.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ a b Nintendo (July 1993), "Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening", Nintendo Power. 56
- ^ GameSpot - Link's Awakening. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
- ^ a b c d Vestal, Andrew; O'Neill, Cliff, Shoemaker, Brad (2007). The History of Link's Awakening. Gamespot. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ a b Staff (2007-12-09). 78. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
- ^ a b c Cleveland, Adam (1999-09-17). Links Awakening DX Review. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Staff (2006-10-20). Legend of Zelda Retrospective: Part II. Gametrailers. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ a b c d e (1998) in Nintendo: Link's Awakening DX Instruction manual (in English).
- ^ Secret Seashell Locations. zeldaelements.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ Vestal, Andrew; O'Neill, Cliff, Shoemaker, Brad (2007). The History of Zelda, [pg 13]. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ Marin: I thought you’d never wake up! You were tossing and turning… What? Zelda? No, my name’s Marin! - Nintendo. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Game Boy Color, (vDX). (in English). (1998)
- ^ a b c Nintendo (1993). The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Nintendo Player's Guide (in English). Nintendo of America, Inc.. ISBN 045496690717.
- ^ IGN: Prince Richard. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-12-03.
- ^ Kid: Hey man! When you want to save, just push all the Buttons at once! ...Uh, don't ask me what that means, I'm just a kid! - Nintendo. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Game Boy Color, (vDX). (in English). (1998)
- ^ Marin: You must still be a little woozy. You are on Koholint Island! - Nintendo. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Game Boy Color, (vDX). (in English). (1998)
- ^ Staff (2006-10-20). Legend of Zelda Retrospective: Part VI. Gametrailers. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ Wind Fish: But, verily, it be the nature of dreams to end! When I dost awaken, Koholint will be gone... - Nintendo. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Game Boy Color, (vDX). (in English). (1998)
- ^ Nintendo (2006). Link's Awakening FAQ. zelda.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ カエルのために鐘は鳴る (Japanese). kroko.maxs.jp. Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
- ^ Edge (2007-06-27). In Conversation: Takashi Tezuka. Business Week. Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
- ^ a b 「ゼルダの伝説 夢をみる島DX」の攻略 (Japanese). i-njoy.net. Retrieved on 2008-02-11.
- ^ Staff (2006-10-13). Legend of Zelda Retrospective: Part I. Gametrailers. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ Staff (2004-03-25). GDC 2004: The History of Zelda. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
- ^ a b Williamson, Matt. "'Legend of Zelda' Still Growing", Rocky Mountain News, 1993-08-20, pp. C1. Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ^ Harrison, Bette. "Riding the rails for Nintendo contest", The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution, 1993-08-30, pp. B2. Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ^ a b c Link's Awakening - Game Boy Color Update. zeldaelements.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ Official Legend of Zelda DX Japan website, New Dungeon section Nintendo. Retrieved on 2008-03-18
- ^ a b c d The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - GB. Game Rankings. Retrieved on 2007-07-16.
- ^ a b c d The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX - GBC. Game Rankings. Retrieved on 2007-07-16.
- ^ a b Davis, Cameron (2000-01-28). GameSpot - Link's Awakening DX - Review. =GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-05-14.
- ^ GameSpot - Link's Awakening - Other Reviews. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-05-14.
- ^ Parish, Jeremy (2006-11-15). Link of A Thousand Faces. 1up.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ^ “Nester Awards Results”, Nintendo Power (Nintendo) (no. 60): 54-57, May 1994
- ^ a b Carter, Chip. "Nintendo Creates Legend That Fits in Your Hand", The Washington Post, 1993-08-04. Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ^ ゲームクエスト(ライブラリ) - ゼルダの伝説 夢をみる島 (Japanese). Mainichi Shimbun (2005-02-25). Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
- ^ “NP Top 200”, Nintendo Power 200: 58-66, February 2006.
- ^ Staff (2006). Readers' Picks Top 100 Games: 31-40. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
- ^ a b c Musashi (2007). The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX » Review. allrpg.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
[edit] External links
- Official Nintendo website (Japanese)
- Official Nintendo website (DX version) (Japanese)
- Link's Awakening page at Zelda.com
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening guide at StrategyWiki