Zelda – Link’s Awakening, Sheer Awesomeness! *Heavy Spoilers*

[retroborg]

Recently, I bought a used Black & White Gameboy with the Zelda cart for 5 Euros at a flea-market sale.

Soon after when I started playing it, I was shocked by the sheer awesomeness of the gameplay, the nicely designed 4-grey scale graphics, the gorgeous music generated by the tiny GB speaker and the cool Boss fights!
It took me 3 months to complete (I took my time there) and enjoyed every single detail of the game.

The story line and plot were very deep, sad and dramatic.
The Koholilt realm was just an allegory, a dream of another being. It would all end and fade into nothingness once the wind fish awakes.

I had an inclination, about the island not being quite right, especially after defeating the Slime Eel Boss at the Catfish dungeon and hearing its dying cries:

Slime Eel: TSSSK, TSSSK! You don't ssseem to know what kind of island this
iss... KEEE-HEE-HEEE! What a fool... KEE-HEE-HEH!!

But I was shocked when I first read the legend about the island, on the ancient tablet at the face shrine.

TO THE FINDER... THE ISLE OF KOHOLINT, IS BUT AN ILLUSION... HUMAN,
MONSTER, SEA, SKY... A SCENE ON THE LID OF A SLEEPER'S EYE... AWAKE
THE DREAMER, AND KOHOLINT WILL VANISH MUCH LIKE A BUBBLE ON A NEEDLE...
CAST-AWAY, YOU SHOULD KNOW THE TRUTH!

The Owl then appears and tells you that the only one that knows for sure is the Wind Fish it self! The Owl was the most enigmatic character of the game. I think it's an allegory and represents the Wind Fish’s (or maybe even Link’s) Consciousness!

Later on, The Facade Bosses’ agonizing death cries supported the terrifying truth:

Facade (end): Okay, listen up! If the Wind Fish wakes up, every-thing on this island will be gone forever! And I do mean... EVERYTHING!

And the dramatic inevitable end described by the Boss of the 8th Dungeon.
It’s so dramatic of how anxious and determined he is to prevent you from playing the instruments:

Hot Head: CRACKLE-FROOOWSH! You're finished! I will never let you play the
Instruments of the Sirens!!

+++(END)+++
Hot Head: C-C-CRACKLE! Why did you come here? if it weren't for you, nothing
would have to change! You cannot wake the Wind Fish! Remember,
you... too... are in... ...the dream...

When the Wind fish finally awakes, the dialogue that follows is very hopeful and sad at the same time:

Wind Fish: ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... I AM THE WIND FISH... LONG HAS BEEN
MY SLUMBER... IN MY DREAMS... AN EGG APPEARED AND WAS SURROUNDED BY
AN ISLAND. WITH PEOPLE, ANIMALS, AN ENTIRE WORLD! ... ... ... ...
BUT, VERILY, IT BE THE NATURE OF DREAMS TO END! WHEN I DOST AWAKEN,
KOHOLINT WILL BE GONE... ONLY THE MEMORY OF THIS DREAM LAND WILL
EXIST IN THE WAKING WORLD... SOMEDAY, THOU MAY RECALL THIS
ISLAND... THAT MEMORY MUST BE THE REAL DREAM WORLD...

The best element of this game must be Marin’s song, “The Ballad of the Wind Fish”, This is one of the nicest tunes I have ever heard! I would sit there and play it just to enjoy the melody. The full version of the song, when you play the 8 siren instruments in front of the Wind Fish’s Egg, is poetry!
Yes, music is very important in my book and I was deeply touched by this specific song. I'll definitely look for an mp3 re-mastered version of this tune!
I felt sad when Marin tells you that she knew you were going to leave for ever and that she didn’t want you to forget her.

Earlier at the beach, she tells you:
“If I was a sea gull, I would fly as far as I could! I would fly to far away places and sing for many people”.

I guess her wish was granted when at the end sequence, Marin comes onto the screen, a seagull flies through her, and she disappears.

I was deeply touched by this game and it definitely deserves to be placed in the hall of all time classics.

[BrandX]

Probably the best post ever regarding someones liking for a game. I know how you feel!

There's so very few games that really get to you in this way.

ATM I'm working my way through Zelda - The Minish Cap. How fantastic it is I cannot say, you just have to play. It's amazing how much depth developers can fit on such a tiny cart.

[Swafe]

For Zelda on the gameboy, duno what the rom size is 128kb? Amazering! If only they could cram such goodness in such a small space again, now you have games that aint half as good... and 4gb :|

[5lab]

i've not read the post (dont have time. will soon) but yes, links awakening is actually the best game i've ever owned. completed it about 5 times, start to end - the end sequence is just.. omg.

[Areku]

i remember getting this game for christmas when i was like 10 maybe 11. wow thats a while ago now. took me ages to finish it then, takes me about 2-3days if i can be bothered to play. definatly one of the greatest gameboy games of all time though.

great post as well. brought back some good memories.

[Rave]

I actually have a gameboy now, about 15 years after I first wanted one. I didn't read what looked like spoilers in your post, but I will check it out. Your screenshots are in colour? Is it a GBC game?

[5lab]

not gbc, although there *might* have been a colour-touched-up version (cant remember). it plays very very well in bnw. none of the other zelda games have (imo) lived up to the name..

[johnny02004976]

its an amazing game i love it, im just getting a GBA so i can start playing some classic games again

[streetster]

Twas a brilliant game, must've completed it a good few times, now, used to take it on holiday and ended up completing it at least twice

[Vibein]

Check out Sword of Mana as well.

[Stewart]

Said it before, say it again, when it comes to playability, fun factor and a little touch of magic, Nintendo are in a class of their own.

Microsoft and Sony might not be playing catch up on units sold, but they always will be on quailty of game play.

[directhex]

pfft, link's awakening isn't even in the same league as a link to the past!

[Swafe]

The color version is the same as the normal version, apart from is called Zelda DX, and had the odd color puzzle instead of the normal push the button with a statue and leg it towards a door puzzle.

A link to the past is also legendary, its a shame really, it was one of the first games I had (Zelda on the gameboy) Also had legend of zelda 1 and 2 on the NES since I was about 4 and was brough up on the Zelda games, its a shame really as ever since, theres only been one way for games to go gameplay wise, down

[RoGuE|SaBeR]

Fond Memories

And as has been said...

Said it before, say it again, when it comes to playability, fun factor and a little touch of magic, Nintendo are in a class of their own.

[TooNice]

pfft, link's awakening isn't even in the same league as a link to the past!

SNES vs GB - tough to compete.

But I agree with EVERY part of the original post. This is my fav GB game, and one of the reason I don't really want to part with my GB/games collection.

And yea, the Ballad of the Windfish was great!.

I finished the games completely three times. Once I ended up being called "thief" because I was too tempted to "borrow" a certain bow in the store. A second time because I didn't like that name (obviously) and did everything legitly. And a third time where I completed without dying and collected all the seashells. Note that I never used any guides and solved every puzzles on my own. I think I purposely made my last save before I cleared the last dungeon. So everytime I had to go over it again, collect the last instrument and play the music in front of the egg. There was definitely a "I don't want to leave this world" feel.

[Wyoming]

I have fond memories of that game, I must have replayed and completed it about 3 times. I possessed the aforementioned colour version. The game just blew me away.