The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX has been one of my favorite Zelda games of all time for several years now. Recently, I had the chance to replay this classic game again.

 

 

Let’s talk about my experience with this beloved game today.

 

Game Basics

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX is a top-down adventure game that was developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. This is actually a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening that was originally released on the Nintendo Game Boy. Unlike the original game, this remake is in color and has a bonus dungeon. In both games, you take on the role of Link who is shipwrecked and stuck on a mysterious island called Koholint.

 

 

You will need to explore Koholint as you go on your main quest, but your progress will be impeded by many different challenges. These challenges can be overcome with the help of special items and equipment that you can find in dungeons or secret areas. As you explore the mysterious island, you will be able to unravel its true nature.

 

 

Like other Legend of Zelda games, you have a health meter in Link’s Awakening DX in the form of hearts which you can upgrade as you progress in the game. Once your health meter runs out, it’s game over. The game has a save system with three save slots, but you can only save a playthrough in one slot. You can purchase an item that will refill your health meter when it runs out, serving as an extra life.

 

Moves and Equipment

In Link’s Awakening DX, movement is controlled by the D-Pad. The A button let’s you talk NPCs and inspect the environment. Then, you can assign your different items to the A and B buttons. Pressing these buttons will activate the item assigned to them.

 

 

Link’s Awakening has an excellent selection of items. In addition to the usual staples like Bombs and the Bow, you also have the classic Hookshot that you can use for grappling. The Pegasus Boots will allow you to dash and charge into enemies and obstacles. The Power Bracelet lets you lift heavy objects. And the Ocarina can let you play up to three magical songs that you can learn as you progress.

 

 

The Fire Rod also makes an appearance as a late game weapon that shoots balls of fire. The Shovel lets you dig into soil to reveal buried secrets. This can be traded for the Boomerang later on, which is a reusable ranged weapon. Out of all these items, what really stands out is the Roc’s Feather.

 

 

The Roc’s Feather grants Link the ability to jump, which is something that you usually can’t do in 2D topdown Zelda games. With this item, you can jump over holes and gaps in the ground, as well as enemies and even on top of some objects. This also let designers add some side scrolling platforming sections to the game which really adds some variety to the experience. These sections are quite memorable because they often feature enemies that are usually limited to Super Mario games.

 

The Mysterious Island

Despite the entire game happening on a small island, Link’s Awakening DX offers a diverse world to explore. Koholint has a desert area, a deep forest, grassy plains, a small mountain range, and even a body of water you can swim in. Sure, these areas are quite small. But the diversity in the environments really help increase the immersion.

 

 

And of course, this wouldn’t be a Legend of Zelda game if it didn’t have a bunch of secret caves to explore. These caves are everywhere, hidden behind walls you can bomb or holes in the ground. These caves contain anywhere from Rupees to important bonuses like hidden Heart Pieces or item upgrades.

 

 

Finally, this game has eight dungeons that you can tackle. Despite Link’s Awakening DX being a Game Boy Color game, these are full-fledged dungeons. Some even consist of multiple floors that you’ll need to explore.

 

Legendary Side Quests

Link’s Awakening actually features the first appearance of the Trading side quest that’s become a staple of the Legend of Zelda games since then. This side quest gives you an extra incentive to speak to Koholint’s NPCs. Completing the Trading side quest will give you the Boomerang as a reward. The Boomerang is a powerful weapon that will surely be helpful in your quest.

 

 

Link’s Awakening DX also has Secret Seashells that you can hunt for. Hidden all over Koholint, finding twenty of these seashells will make your sword stronger. You can surrender your Secret Seashells at the Seashell Mansion and claim your rewards there.

 

 

Finally, this game has Pieces of Heart that are also hidden across Koholint. Finding four of these will add one Heart to your health meter. Finding all the Pieces of Heart will give you a maximum of 14 Hearts for your health by the end of the game.

 

Legendary Boss Battles

The Legend of Zelda games are known to have really good boss battles which will test a players ability to identify and work against enemy movement patterns, and Link’s Awakening DX is no exception. Each boss is so fun to fight, especially once you figure out its weakness.

 

 

For example, to beat the Genie (second dungeon boss), you need to wait for it to enter its bottle. Once inside, you have to attack the bottle with your sword to stun it. This will let you pick the bottle up with the Power Bracelet. Toss the bottle against one of the walls to damage it. Rinse and repeat until the bottle is completely destroyed. This will leave the Genie finally vulnerable to your sword attacks.

 

 

The game saves the best boss battle for last. The final boss has several forms, transforming into a new one every time you beat the current appearance. Each form requires a different strategy and everything you learned in the game will really get tested.

 

Visuals, Sound and Presentation

Despite being designed originally for the Game Boy, I thought Link’s Awakening had really good graphics. The addition of color really made everything look a lot better. Despite the technical limitations, all the sprites are able to clearly depict what they’re representing. Locations are distinct and have their own identities. And Link’s depiction in this game is my favorite amongst the first Legend of Zelda games.

 

 

The music of this game is what I really love about Link’s Awakening DX. The Game Boy rendition of the original Legend of Zelda theme is really good, and so is Ballad of the Wind Fish, the game’s key soundtrack. But the one that really stands out the most to me is the Tal Tal Mountain Range theme. This track references the Legend of Zelda theme but somehow makes it more action-oriented. Even to this day, I enjoy listening to this game’s tracks.

 

 

Finally, let’s talk about the game’s presentation. To be honest, the item selection screen and the dialogue boxes of Link’s Awakening DX are a bit too plain for my taste. But I can’t really complain, knowing the technical limitations involved. I appreciate that the game’s resources went to more important aspects like the in-game graphics. I also can’t knock how the developers included actual cutscenes in this game, which really got me invested in the game’s story even more.

 

Final Thoughts

For a long time now, the Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX has been one of my favorite Legend of Zelda games to date. After replaying it again, I can honestly say that this is my favorite 2D Zelda game of all time, even over A Link to the Past. This game does a lot of things right despite the technical limitations of the hardware it was developed for. It is also not too long of a game, making it replay-friendly for an adult that has a lot of real world responsibilities.

I can no longer remember how many times I’ve played this game from start to finish, and I’m 100% certain that I’ll play this game again in the future. While a Nintendo Switch remake of Link’s Awakening is already available, I would strongly recommend the Game Boy Color version to anyone who enjoys playing Legend of Zelda games.

 

Click here for all the Legend of Zelda games that I’ve played! And click here to check out every Game Boy Color video game that I’ve played!