This week’s Nintendo Direct sure brought a ton of surprises, including the announcement of a full-fledged 3D remake of the Game Boy classic Link’s Awakening.
“Originally released for the Game Boy system more than 25 years ago, one of the most beloved games in the Legend of Zelda series returns. In this modern re-imagining, players once again return to the mysterious island of Koholint to guide Link on a perilous adventure.”
Link’s Awakening released in 1993, and remains one of my favorite Zelda games, handheld or otherwise. The GameBoy color version, Link’s Awakening DX, shipped five years later, in 1998, with a number of colorful additions.
Some have complained about the Switch version’s “chibi-inspired” design, while others feel it’s a great callback to the graphics and perspective of the original. I’m getting some very 3D Dot Game Heroes vibes, myself. It pops.
Nevertheless, Link’s Awakening has always been an offbeat entry in the series. I think of it this way: Link’s Awakening was to A Link to the Past what Majora’s Mask was to Ocarina of Time, so some strangeness is to be expected.
Link’s Awakening on Nintendo Switch will release later this year.
