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
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  1. bingbang
    Jun 22, 2020
    8
    Has some dull stretches but the story in this one will stay with you for a long time.
  2. Niwai
    Jun 11, 2021
    8
    Хорошая игра. Стоит вашего внимания. Рекомендую
  3. Classy
    Jun 28, 2020
    8
    Very fun game, Like in a chill have fun type of way. I really enjoyed it it's not the best Zelda game but a very good game, if you don't take it so seriously.
  4. jamescastells
    Jun 28, 2020
    8
    As a fan of the original, this remake is beautiful and fixes some problems with the GBC version. However, people should still play the original, and the framerate in the Switch version has some issues which impacts the gameplay experience.
  5. alxs621
    Jul 1, 2020
    8
    A great little story that doesn't quite justify its original price point, but endears and entertains nonetheless.
  6. Cacasecaxxx
    Nov 14, 2020
    8
    Un juegazo, es como el original y contiene la esencia de la saga, pero el nuevo estilo gráfico hace la historia disfrutable para cualquier persona, haya o no haya jugado el clásico.
    Lo recomiendo a fans y a gente introduciéndose en la saga Zelda.
  7. anxotheboss
    Nov 22, 2020
    8
    This game is simply beautiful, it has amazing graphics and it is also a very good remake. Combat, dungeons, enemies... Everything is very fun and you will enjoy it a lot.
  8. MagicMikey
    Aug 23, 2020
    8
    Love the art style. Probably the only time i've ever thought good job Grezzo. it's one of the better 2d zelda games and they did a great job showing off the original and adding extra collectibles was so much fun for another run through this game. the dungeon maker let me down though
  9. smith7ba
    Dec 11, 2020
    8
    Admittedly I have never played the Gameboy version of this game so I was going in blind. Turns out to be a very well done game. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the visuals were unique. The narrow depth of field was like nothing I have seen before in a game and It looked like peering into a 3D toyland. 8/10.
  10. BeeSting1
    Jan 1, 2021
    8
    Charming atmosphere. Very well done remake.

    The Good: - Charming visuals, characters and dialogue - Game progression, gameplay, and level design are all true to the original, with custom dungeon addition. And unfortunately the shop keeper doesn't kill you for stealing. - Music is of course good as with any Zelda - Dungeon design is top notch. Makes you think hard sometimes. -    Charming atmosphere. Very well done remake.

    The Good:
    - Charming visuals, characters and dialogue
    - Game progression, gameplay, and level design are all true to the original, with custom dungeon addition. And unfortunately the shop keeper doesn't kill you for stealing.
    - Music is of course good as with any Zelda
    - Dungeon design is top notch. Makes you think hard sometimes.
    - Classic Zelda item progression. Fun to see where to use new items for new pathways.
    - The ending is bitter sweet.

    The Bad:
    - Some of the trade quests can be very ambiguous as to the whereabouts of the person you need to trade with
    - It's short, for a Zelda game. Mainly due to the world map being quite compact.    … Expand
  11. Abakass
    Jan 3, 2021
    8
    After finishing the game and collect everything you cant do anything else and thats bad but is very fun game
  12. DonnieTrump
    Jan 30, 2021
    8
    If Breath of the Wild is the poster child for an open world Zelda, Link's Awakening does the same for linear games in the Zelda franchise. It comes with a condensed world that is packed with eight dungeons where especially the latter ones can be a challenge. Due to the limited nature of the Game Boy it's heavily focused on gathering keys, but this makes some of the puzzles quite daunting.If Breath of the Wild is the poster child for an open world Zelda, Link's Awakening does the same for linear games in the Zelda franchise. It comes with a condensed world that is packed with eight dungeons where especially the latter ones can be a challenge. Due to the limited nature of the Game Boy it's heavily focused on gathering keys, but this makes some of the puzzles quite daunting.

    The remake stays true to the original and this is both a blessing and a curse. The diarama like graphics are cute and gorgeous, but are also hindered by blurred edges which I found disturbing at the start of the game. Personally I would have prefered a reimagining akin what A Link between Worlds did to A Link to the Past. Extras such as the dungeon editor are added, but are mostly forgettable.

    It's not a very large adventure - I clocked in at 25 hours when beating it - but these play hours yield a high fun factor, more so than other similar games. An often overlooked Zelda game, but it continues the tradition of rich gameplay and being a fun game.    … Expand
  13. TruthfulGamer67
    Apr 13, 2021
    8
    It's pretty good and honestly the best version of Links Awakening out there besides the GBC port

    The frame rate can be a problem but its not as bad as people say (to be fair my eyes aren't as sensitive to frame rate dips)
  14. yolautaro
    May 7, 2021
    8
    Es una pequeña joya, con un apartado artístico esquicito y la genialidad del original.
  15. Burzyk
    Jul 25, 2022
    8
    Beatiful game with great gameplay. Too bad it is one big maze with almost no directions where to go and what to do, but hey… it is how the games was done long time ago
  16. Lefty9088
    Jul 3, 2021
    8
    An amazing game, but it's only a remake. It looks amazing, but I feel Nintendo could have done somewhat better with the art style. The story is quite different from other Zelda games and it makes it quite unique.
  17. aragorn77
    Aug 13, 2021
    8
    I never played the original so I can't comment about the fidelity.
    I very much liked the graphics and art style and the gameplay was good.
    The negative point is that the framerate drops quite often.
  18. dalyw
    Sep 29, 2021
    8
    A beautiful game that's dense, full of detail and just so enjoyable. My favorite Zelda game.
  19. nowells5
    Dec 31, 2021
    8
    Un Zelda clásico de toda la vida. Espada, arco, escudo, etc y varias mazmorras muy divertidas con distintos puzzles. El diseño elegido para el remake me ha gustado mucho y creo que deberían usarlo para otros remakes futuros como Minish Cap. Otro punto bueno desde mi punto de vista es que no es excesivamente largo como otras entregas de la saga. Duración aproximada: 15 horas.
  20. BannerSiamang15
    Nov 15, 2022
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Everybody says this is really good but if you look closely you can see that they reuse a bunch of characters from Mario bros.… Expand
  21. Jollyolfun
    Mar 16, 2022
    8
    a perfectly servicable remake of an alright game. visually very pretty, gameplay identical than before, music great as always
  22. Elias373
    Mar 21, 2022
    8
    An sich ein schönes Spiel aber der Schwierigkeitsgrad ist selbst bei schwer noch viel zu einfach
    Aber es ist ein schönes Remake
  23. Kadaz
    Mar 29, 2022
    8
    Awesome game overall. The original was one of my favorite 2d Zeldas. I didn't like the art style much and mostly the link sprite. I wish they could get back to toon link for the 2d Zeldas. Also there were some performance issues.
  24. Gosaemasa
    Jul 25, 2022
    8
    El regreso del primer Zelda portátil

    Estamos ante un remake a escala 1:1 del juego original de Game Boy lo que ha muchos podrá gustar por su fidelidad y en cambio otros pueden encontrar algo de dejadez a la hora de tratar la vuelta de esta obra. Jugabilidad y contenido: Es un juego de aventura que combina la exploración de su mundo con la resolución de puzles y combates, su mapa, a    El regreso del primer Zelda portátil

    Estamos ante un remake a escala 1:1 del juego original de Game Boy lo que ha muchos podrá gustar por su fidelidad y en cambio otros pueden encontrar algo de dejadez a la hora de tratar la vuelta de esta obra.

    Jugabilidad y contenido:

    Es un juego de aventura que combina la exploración de su mundo con la resolución de puzles y combates, su mapa, a pesar de que hoy en día puede parecer pequeño en realidad es sorprendentemente grande para ser de una consola tan antigua como lo es la Game Boy y lo mejor es que está lleno de cosas por hacer, desde seguir la misión principal como hacer alguna de las múltiples secundarias hasta pasar el tiempo con sus divertidos minijuegos.

    El juego premia al jugador curioso ya que con ciertas habilidades que vas consiguiendo a lo largo de la aventura puedes desbloquear caminos ocultos y conseguir objetos que resultaban inalcanzables en zonas que ya habíais visitado antes por lo que os recomiendo que volváis a explorar el mapa de vez en cuando. Posee algunos de los puzles más jodidos de toda la saga y por contra los combates son realmente sencillos aunque si vais sin cuidado puede que os jueguen una mala pasada.

    Como guinda del pastel se incluye el modo héroe que mejora la experiencia de manera exponencial al ser todo muchísimo más desafiante, eso sí os recomiendo encarecidamente jugar este modo solo después de terminar el juego en modo normal para no estropear la experiencia.

    Novedades:

    Vale, el juego en sí es una maravilla pero ¿que novedades trae para los que ya lo hayan jugado? Pues no muchas la verdad, lo más notable es su lavado de cara gráfico ofreciendo un apartado artístico que si bien no termina de convencer al principio una vez en movimiento hay que admitir que se ve precioso, asimismo también se añade para esta versión un dungeon maker que nos permite crear nuestras propias mazmorras con partes de las que ya hayamos visitado aunque es bastante básico y, por alguna razón incomprensible, no se pueden compartir online. Se agradece el añadido aunque acaba cansando rápido.

    Nota y conclusión:

    El equipo de Grezzo (el estudio nipón detrás de este remake) se ha encargado de darle una nueva vida a esta joya añeja de la saga más legendaria de Nintendo y nos permite comprobar por nosotr@s mism@s que por su calidad no pasan los años, sigue siendo tan divertido y mágico como siempre. Si bien no puedo obviar el hecho de que para tratarse de un remake se han dejado las novedades por el camino y es que a parte del lavado de cara gráfico y el creador de mazmorras es exactamente el mismo juego que salió al mercado en el ya lejano año 1993. Aún con ello si nunca lo jugaste es muy recomendable.

    Nota: 8/10    … Expand
  25. FireBroFilms
    Aug 15, 2022
    8
    ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎
  26. DanielGG91
    Nov 15, 2022
    8
    Muy bonito y disfrutable, adapta perfectamente el juego clásico para ofrecer una experiencia más pulida hoy en día.
  27. Davosh
    Jan 10, 2023
    8
    Good gameplag, great visuals, the controls are very good, The story is packed, and it is an overall amazing adaption, my only problem is that it drags on at the beginning.
    -alden
  28. Bagel_Game
    Feb 5, 2023
    8
    Bagel ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎
  29. azathoth_91
    Apr 23, 2023
    8
    Quick review: "Middle Ligue" of Zelda series, but still high quality. 20 hours of fun and relax
  30. JJtheTexan
    May 2, 2023
    8
    The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX for Game Boy Color is one of my very favorite games, so I should have been much more excited when this HD remake was announced. Instead, my feelings were tempered by the "plastic toy" art direction. At any rate, I picked up and played this game on release day... and finished it in one session, of roughly ten hours.

    I have played the GBC version    The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX for Game Boy Color is one of my very favorite games, so I should have been much more excited when this HD remake was announced. Instead, my feelings were tempered by the "plastic toy" art direction. At any rate, I picked up and played this game on release day... and finished it in one session, of roughly ten hours.

    I have played the GBC version many times, so I had no difficulty finding my way through the remake. I like it, and it's very charming, but I can't see myself picking it up again. I guess I have just too much nostalgia for the simpler 8-bit graphics and music.

    Positives:
    - Extremely faithful to the Game Boy and Game Boy Color versions
    - Outstanding soundtrack
    - Wonderful story and memorable characters
    - Great sense of humor; never takes itself too seriously
    - Perfect Zelda game for introducing new players to the series

    Negatives:
    - The art style is not my cup of tea
    - Maybe *too* faithful to the originals; not much new content here
    - The newly-added "dungeon maker" is not very interesting
    - Not very challenging, especially for veteran Zelda fans

    Recommended for:
    - Legend of Zelda fans
    - Anyone interested in trying the Zelda series for the first time

    You might enjoy this if you also liked:
    - Any top-down 2D game in the Legend of Zelda series
    - Tunic
    - Crystalis    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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 »