The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

 Switch
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1698 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,413 out of 1698
  2. Mixed: 178 out of 1698
  3. Negative: 107 out of 1698
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Capitan_Cesar
    Oct 25, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Juegazo impresionante, todo un clásico para poder disfrutarlo de nuevo, imprescindible.… Expand
  2. crazymurdock
    Oct 21, 2019
    9
    A beautiful game that has a wonderful old-school simplicity, where the only survival mechanic is how many hearts you have. Feels a bit over-priced at £50, but hey ho, it's Nintendo, they have a habit of being the most expensive games on the market.
  3. JumpCut_Online
    Oct 20, 2019
    9
    Overall, despite my occasional frustrations, I did love this game, it was visually stunning and adorable, the gameplay was a lot of fun (aside from some minor hiccups) and it truly feels like I got the Link’s Awakening experience. One thing that it has done is make me want to play the original, which I think makes a remake a roaring success.
  4. raucha92
    Oct 18, 2019
    10
    Best childhood memories!! Great game!!! Recommend for ToZ beginners and long time players.
  5. Syl20
    Oct 17, 2019
    7
    If I would've reviewed this game after its first 2-3 hours of gameplay, it would've been pretty close to a perfect 10! Let's say 9.

    Problem is that now that I've been all the way through and only have the weak and dull dungeon creator remaining, I feel like it's been a very short experience that in the end was expensive at 79,99$ canadian dollars! I totally digged it for the first    If I would've reviewed this game after its first 2-3 hours of gameplay, it would've been pretty close to a perfect 10! Let's say 9.

    Problem is that now that I've been all the way through and only have the weak and dull dungeon creator remaining, I feel like it's been a very short experience that in the end was expensive at 79,99$ canadian dollars!

    I totally digged it for the first 2-3 dungeons and side missions but the "wow" factor of the remake graphics quickly faded and the very simplist errands began to feel more like a chore.

    The game is great, but it's hard to say it's worth it when you can have some very deep games like Breath of the Wild for the same price tag.    … Expand
  6. cogdotnet
    Oct 16, 2019
    9
    Circling back around, I ask again, what makes for a good remake of a classic game? Honestly, I don’t think there is a single correct response. But what I do believe is The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019) serves as a prime example of one way to do it: treat the source material as irreverent as possible and stick to a script that worked before. While the game doesn’t necessarily doCircling back around, I ask again, what makes for a good remake of a classic game? Honestly, I don’t think there is a single correct response. But what I do believe is The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019) serves as a prime example of one way to do it: treat the source material as irreverent as possible and stick to a script that worked before. While the game doesn’t necessarily do anything especially risky in this remake, I don’t think it needs to because it excels by sticking to the formula that made it work so well on the Gameboy. Link’s Awakening is a bizarre game with some incredible ideas and an unexpectedly emotional plot. It was well deserving of a remake, and I’m very excited that a new generation can experience this gem in the Zelda series. Even though the experience as a whole is marred by some truly unfortunate performance issues and an extra dungeon creator, I can say without a doubt this is the definitive way to play The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening in 2019.… Expand
  7. sumbodyshero
    Oct 15, 2019
    0
    Rename it to Link's BLURing. "Depth of Field" is a misnomer since it blurs anything just a few feet from Link's face! The blur seriously ruins the game!!

    I would take the original pixel art and chiptune any day over this mobile game looking garbage. Also, making the sword always equipped is just as bad as taking tank controls out of Resident Evil: you are fundamentally changing the    Rename it to Link's BLURing. "Depth of Field" is a misnomer since it blurs anything just a few feet from Link's face! The blur seriously ruins the game!!

    I would take the original pixel art and chiptune any day over this mobile game looking garbage.

    Also, making the sword always equipped is just as bad as taking tank controls out of Resident Evil: you are fundamentally changing the experience of what Link's Awakening was, and why it was different than any other Zelda.

    They should have gone the route of Triforce of the God's 2 and just made it a sequel (minus the blur).    … Expand
  8. Kleptomacer
    Oct 15, 2019
    0
    Not sure why Nintendo went with such an ugly art style. It looks terrible and the frame rate consistently and significantly drops in certain sections.
  9. JMBest
    Oct 13, 2019
    10
    Another great Zelda game. Simple in design and still amazing to think this was a remake done from one of the first Zelda games.
  10. shedzao
    Oct 11, 2019
    10
    Zellda is a school for the rest of the games
    Zelda Link's Awakening have a amazing gameplay, a difficulty level that caters to most players, no doubt one of the best game franchises, and one of the best in the franchise.
  11. AMKrishnan
    Oct 11, 2019
    8
    Never played the original so I have no nostalgia with this game to make my opinion biased. I'm not eve a proper Zelda fan as this is my third game. Yet i find this to be such an enjoyable game to get through! The game is beautifully created with a smaller than usual map to explore, but packed with some really creative dungeons containing fun puzzle solving. The art style is really cute andNever played the original so I have no nostalgia with this game to make my opinion biased. I'm not eve a proper Zelda fan as this is my third game. Yet i find this to be such an enjoyable game to get through! The game is beautifully created with a smaller than usual map to explore, but packed with some really creative dungeons containing fun puzzle solving. The art style is really cute and the music (as usual with Zelda) is outstanding. I can't recommend this game enough for Zelda fans and people who aren't as familiar with the games (like myself - this is only the third Zelda game I've played and my first 2D Zelda game)>

    The only criticism I have for the game is the frame rate issues which can usually arise when you come out of a building. It only lasts for a second or two but a big budget AAA game like this shouldn't even have this to begin with.    … Expand
  12. sitebender
    Oct 10, 2019
    8
    Link's Awakening's remake is a good game with a lot of interesting tweaks to set it apart from the original. I just don't feel it is as great as it once was. Like I'd rather be playing A Link to the Past than this. Link's Awakening was a fantastic game for its system, I just didn't need a remake of it for $60, the same price that I can get better games for the same price.
  13. Breno92
    Oct 10, 2019
    8
    Never played the originals but always enjoy any Zelda game I do play. Loved this one, was a great filler game to fill in time while I waited for dq11 to release
  14. SquareLukester
    Oct 10, 2019
    10
    If you're familiar with the original Game Boy game The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, the Nintendo Switch version is a remake done perfectly. The graphics are beautiful and colorful, the mechanics are a improvement, and the music and gameplay brings back memories with a remake twist. There are also newer features in the remake that wasn't in the original.

    If you're a diehard &    If you're familiar with the original Game Boy game The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, the Nintendo Switch version is a remake done perfectly. The graphics are beautiful and colorful, the mechanics are a improvement, and the music and gameplay brings back memories with a remake twist. There are also newer features in the remake that wasn't in the original.

    If you're a diehard & nostalgic Legend of Zelda fan, this remake is just for you. But I recommend you wait for the price to drop until it's affordable. It's currently $59.99. But if you can't wait, I won't stop you.    … Expand
  15. patinete92
    Oct 9, 2019
    8
    Buen juego aunque deberían mejorar la caída de los FPS y el difuminado de bordes es algo exagerado. Por lo demás, juego increíble y muy recomendado.
  16. sanderdegrote
    Oct 8, 2019
    3
    The original was an amazing Zelda game at the time, so I was happy to see it being remade. Unfortunately the developers stayed too true to the original witch made it feel like it was an old game.

    What doesn't help is the terrible frame rate issues that happen at random. I don't really like the art style. It doesn't fit the game. It's lifeless and bland looking. The last point is the    The original was an amazing Zelda game at the time, so I was happy to see it being remade. Unfortunately the developers stayed too true to the original witch made it feel like it was an old game.

    What doesn't help is the terrible frame rate issues that happen at random.
    I don't really like the art style. It doesn't fit the game. It's lifeless and bland looking.
    The last point is the price. €60 is too much to ask for a relatively short game that's a remake from a game that's 30 years old.

    For me this game is a hugely missed opportunity to breathe new life in a fantastic classic. A shame.    … Expand
  17. GreenMenace
    Oct 8, 2019
    8
    Great game! I enjoyed every minute of it.

    Pros: Cute graphics Great soundtrack The game does a good job of grabbing your attention Cons The dungeon arranging is not what it could be and adds nothing to the game. It needs to be expanded. Not too much new--this is an old game remade and in my opinion that means it can't take full advantage of the new features designed to    Great game! I enjoyed every minute of it.

    Pros:

    Cute graphics
    Great soundtrack
    The game does a good job of grabbing your attention

    Cons
    The dungeon arranging is not what it could be and adds nothing to the game. It needs to be expanded.
    Not too much new--this is an old game remade and in my opinion that means it can't take full advantage of the new features designed to enhance gameplay.

    Yes, the overworld's edges are blurry, but after the first five minutes of play, I stopped noticing it. Yes it's a short game (I beat it in fifteen hours and it was my first time playing the game), but it's meant to be a separate experience from BOTW. It compliments BOTW well. While it doesn't have the depth in gameplay or customization as BOTW, it has a memorable soundtrack and compelling characters that BOTW lacks. The sounds in Link's awakening are surprisingly satisfying--I don't recall ever enjoying hitting moblins as much as I did in this game.

    I would not want more games like this even though I'm a huge Zelda fan. I enjoyed Grezzo's work, but I've heard people asking for Game Boy Color games to be remade into these graphics. While I wouldn't be averse to having ports of those games to the Switch, I'd sooner have a new handheld-based Zelda game because of the price of the game.

    Again, it's a fun game and I would recommend it.    … Expand
  18. BlunderBuck
    Oct 7, 2019
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not horrible but not the game I remember. With wildly out of place Mario references and tons of missed potential, I wouldn't spend that kind of money on it.… Expand
  19. StrikerXL
    Oct 7, 2019
    10
    They don’t make games like this anymore.
    What a wonderful charming, mystical and unique Legend of Zelda experience!
    The music is so beautifully composed and faithful to the original. A must have game for all true gamers from then and now. ❤️
  20. gusman
    Oct 7, 2019
    9
    Por fin un zelda de verdad. BotW me decepcionó en extremo, era cualquier cosa menos un zelda, ni estilo a los 2D ni a los 3D, solo era otro juego de mundo abierto que bebía demasiado de Shadow of the Colossus.
    El aspecto gráfico puede gustarte o no, han elegido un aspecto chibi a lo pin y pon que puede no gustar a todos pero a mi parecer le pega muy bien a los Zelda 2D y está bastante    Por fin un zelda de verdad. BotW me decepcionó en extremo, era cualquier cosa menos un zelda, ni estilo a los 2D ni a los 3D, solo era otro juego de mundo abierto que bebía demasiado de Shadow of the Colossus.
    El aspecto gráfico puede gustarte o no, han elegido un aspecto chibi a lo pin y pon que puede no gustar a todos pero a mi parecer le pega muy bien a los Zelda 2D y está bastante pulido.
    Solo lamento que hayan tenido que recuperar un juego antiguo para que Zelda vuelva a ser lo que era, espero que saquen un nuevo Zelda de este estilo en un futuro y no otra castaña como el BotW.    … Expand
  21. StickyVicky
    Oct 7, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Links awakening: what all remakes dream to be.
    As someone who has never played links awakening going into this remake I was excited to play a game that is held at such a high standard and loved by many for the first time. The second I booted the game I could tell this game would be challenging but a good challenging. This game is also a true remake in the sense of everything from the original game still exists, including the crazy and bizarre story where link gets lost at sea and drifts onto the island of koholint, where an owl sends you on a journey to destroy a giant egg atop a mountain where the wind fish resides ( I told you this story was bizarre.) Everything on Koholint island makes a return from the original game except the camera shop since there is no longer a gameboy printer or camera, but is replaced with a new dungeon maker that is run by dampe. Now what makes links awakening truly special is that while you are making your way through Koholint island you will encounter many different characters throughout the Nintendo universe. You’ll fight and stomp on Goombas while making your way through dungeons, run into Kirby trying to being eaten, save a chain chomp and even give someone a picture of princess peach. The previous 8-bit world has now been transformed into this artificial plastic world to emphasize that link is living in a dream world. The game has also incorporated the masterfully crafted cutscenes adding even more significance to the story and allows you to build a connection with these characters. Koholint island has also been turned into one single world that you can traverse seamlessly. The games biggest con comes at the price of this stitched together world. Some areas are a little too much for the switch to handle causing frame rate dips both on handheld and docked mode. You’ll also experience these dips when there are too many enemies or other elements on the screen. While this issue is quite rare, when it happens it is extremely noticeable and can be quite jarring. Unlike in other Zelda games where you’ll find the dungeons main item and solve puzzles centered around the item, in links awakening you will end up spending more time trying to figure out how to get into a certain room rather than solving unique, difficult puzzles allowing you to progress in the dungeon. One major disappointment comes in the dungeon maker. Something that at first looked so extremely promising and could have even lead to a main line Zelda dungeon maker game similar to Mario maker, ended up being this very mediocre add on with no other way to share your dungeons other than with the link amiibo, which seems like a huge oversight. They would have been better off keeping the camera shop allowing you to go around taking pictures and share them to Facebook or twitter through the photo albums app. Although links awakening suffers from a couple of mishaps along the way, it’s pros greatly outweigh the cons delivering one of the most beautiful, unique and bizarre Zelda games to date.    … Expand
  22. Leomatic
    Oct 7, 2019
    9
    This game was charming and fun from beginning to end. I loved every second of playing this game and exploring the island of Koholint. The dungeons were fun to explore, even if they were a little easy, the puzzles felt rewarding to resolve and the game feels truly nostalgic as a fan of the original game. They did an amazing job bringing the game to Switch, although the game does drop FPS atThis game was charming and fun from beginning to end. I loved every second of playing this game and exploring the island of Koholint. The dungeons were fun to explore, even if they were a little easy, the puzzles felt rewarding to resolve and the game feels truly nostalgic as a fan of the original game. They did an amazing job bringing the game to Switch, although the game does drop FPS at times. Truly worth the buy!… Expand
  23. Douglazzz
    Oct 6, 2019
    10
    Buen juego lo amé! Nintendo debe hacer aún más remakes y mejor aún si son de esta calidad es sublime el trabajo de animación y las historia. Queda demostrado que no son necesarios gráficos ultra HD para divertir a los gamer de corazón
  24. Shane_IL
    Oct 6, 2019
    9
    This game has the usual Nintendo level of polish. It looks amazing and seeing the old Gameboy graphics and mechanics redone was amazing. It still has some annoying puzzley aspects towards the end and some noticeable frame rate drops, but that cannot really detract from how much fun this game is to play.

    It's not as 'deep' as some Zelda games so was really easy to play through in short    This game has the usual Nintendo level of polish. It looks amazing and seeing the old Gameboy graphics and mechanics redone was amazing. It still has some annoying puzzley aspects towards the end and some noticeable frame rate drops, but that cannot really detract from how much fun this game is to play.

    It's not as 'deep' as some Zelda games so was really easy to play through in short sessions and the puzzles were generally challenging but not frustrating.    … Expand
  25. scuhbee
    Oct 5, 2019
    9
    If you grew up with Link's Awakening it will give you nostalgic feelings. It really is like experiencing it all over again. Since it's just a remake you can't expect much extra. Still would've been nice if they would've added some post-game content like optional extra dungeons/items or something (the chamber dungeons are tedious and unrewarding so not a terrific addition) ... Also priceIf you grew up with Link's Awakening it will give you nostalgic feelings. It really is like experiencing it all over again. Since it's just a remake you can't expect much extra. Still would've been nice if they would've added some post-game content like optional extra dungeons/items or something (the chamber dungeons are tedious and unrewarding so not a terrific addition) ... Also price tag is too high for what it is. Even though I loved it it's still only a $40 experience at best.… Expand
  26. Kacek1996
    Oct 5, 2019
    9
    Today I finished this game for the first time in my life, which means that I have no nostalgic aspect towards this game and yet I think it's a great game worth 9/10.

    It is a shame that you cannot use D-pad for movement but everything else was excellent. Also, I do love the change over the dungeons, especially the aspect of the last 3 dungeons before the last boss in the egg. In those 3    Today I finished this game for the first time in my life, which means that I have no nostalgic aspect towards this game and yet I think it's a great game worth 9/10.

    It is a shame that you cannot use D-pad for movement but everything else was excellent. Also, I do love the change over the dungeons, especially the aspect of the last 3 dungeons before the last boss in the egg. In those 3 last dungeons I had to think a lot more to finish them. However, fights weren't that hard. I struggled a little in battles against Gohma, Grim Creeper, Slime Eel and against the second and forth form of Shadow Nightmare, these fights were harder but fun and satisfying (still I died about 14 times only in the room where you get ocarina, since I tried it a lot before obtaining the boots). I like the map a lot as well. On the other hand, I got stuck at the time when I had to find the slime key, since I had no idea that it would be at the farm (even when I unlocked this location before the google time xD), so I googled the localization. Everything else was nice and easy to understand and achieve.

    Right now I plan to play it one more time but this time on hard difficulty + on the old save file I will get last secret seashell, 2 last heart pieces and I will max out the dungeon generator (I miss some chambers)    … Expand
  27. Domn81
    Oct 4, 2019
    10
    Excellent pairing between the simplicity in the graphics and a simple and fun game. This is a game that is always fun to play thanks to a great story and lovable characters. The improved game mechanics in the Nintendo Switch version make it even easier to like. A timeless classic for Legend of Zelda fans.
  28. Kosama
    Oct 3, 2019
    10
    Como juego en si es un grandioso zelda, diría que de los mejores, como remake es un juego perfecto! ademas de hermoso.
  29. NorwayGamer
    Oct 3, 2019
    8
    I only tried the original game for a few minutes, so this was a completely fresh experience for me. I've read that this game is almost completely true to the original aside from the visual makeover. So if that's the case I must say I'm impressed at how well it's held up, considering it is originally a 1993 release.

    The two last dungeons were surprisingly complex and challenging for a    I only tried the original game for a few minutes, so this was a completely fresh experience for me. I've read that this game is almost completely true to the original aside from the visual makeover. So if that's the case I must say I'm impressed at how well it's held up, considering it is originally a 1993 release.

    The two last dungeons were surprisingly complex and challenging for a Zelda-game that was originally made for the Gameboy in 1993, I really had to use my brain finishing those two, so that was also impressive.

    I'm a bit torn on the graphical style, sometimes I really like it, and other times I wish they went another direction. One thing about it that's a bit bothersome is the blurry effect on the top & bottom screen, I don't know what that's supposed to imitate, but it's slightly annoying.
    The frame-rate also dips quite frequently, and it's very noticeable. It isn't game-breaking mind you, but it's hard to understand how Nintendo could let this slip, especially with such a simple art-style.
    I guess we'll just have to settle with the fact that the Switch just isn't powerful enough..

    In many ways this is classic Zelda at it's finest, with catchy music, an interesting world to explore, and complex dungeouns, but something that kind of ruined the experience for me, was the ending. The thing I like best about the Zelda-franchise, is that the games makes you feel like a hero that is on an important quest to save the world from evil. I didn't necessarily get that here unfortunately.. There are also no memorable characters in the game, so the story feels a bit dated in that regard.

    All in all a really fun game, classic Zelda in many regards, but with some disappointments regarding story especially.    … Expand
  30. Namiko
    Oct 3, 2019
    10
    I have been playing Zelda games since the early 2000's but this is the first I have finished. Never played the original but I can hands down say this is my new favorite Zelda game. Followed by Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild. Love the Oil Clay texture, text speed and smooth frame rate. I have had no frame rate issues but I also cant see frame rate issues unless they are supper obvious.I have been playing Zelda games since the early 2000's but this is the first I have finished. Never played the original but I can hands down say this is my new favorite Zelda game. Followed by Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild. Love the Oil Clay texture, text speed and smooth frame rate. I have had no frame rate issues but I also cant see frame rate issues unless they are supper obvious. I have not noticed any slow down mentioned by other people. Just wish there was more to the dungeon builder. Normally I get lost or hit a timing/skill wall with Zelda title that prevents me from finishing did not happen with this one. I played it in normal mode.… Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Best Switch Game of 2019
5
#5 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 111 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 108 out of 111
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 111
  3. Negative: 0 out of 111
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 29, 2020
    95
    I can only hope that its sales success will lead to a patch that fixes the framerate dips, and more importantly, the development of more Zelda games in this style. [Issue #43 – November/December 2019, p. 10SH]
  2. Gamers Heroes
    Jan 2, 2020
    85
    If you need a nostalgia trip or haven’t played Link’s Awakening before, then you won’t be disappointed with this release. Just note that it is a bit more bite-sized when compared to more recent entries in the series.
    Read full review
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Dec 6, 2019
    86
    Awakening’s world is much smaller than Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule. But within the island’s depths lies something that was missing from the last game – eight difficult, multi-layered dungeons, each with its own theme, traps and puzzles. [Issue#241, p.66]
See all critic reviews »