Legend of Zelda : Links Awakening

Back in 1993, something extraordinary happened in the world of handheld gaming. Nintendo took everything brilliant about The Legend of Zelda and somehow squeezed it into a tiny grey Game Boy cartridge. Link’s Awakening wasn’t just another portable game—it was a full-scale adventure that proved handheld consoles could deliver experiences every bit as rich and memorable as their home console counterparts.

I’m very fond of the original Game Boy, which was a classic Nintendo product, using existing technology in a novel way, and focusing on addictive gameplay rather than flashy hardware. The software for the Game Boy could however be a bit hit and miss, with many games being rushed onto the market, and not translating particularly well to the format.

Nintendo already had a great series in the Zelda games, starting on the NES and continued on the SNES, with a huge fanbase. It was only a matter of time before a Zelda game was released on the Game Boy, and when the first game was announced in early 1993, there was a massive level of interest. This was uncharted territory—the first time Link would venture beyond home consoles.

Link’s Awakening Development Story: The After-Hours Experiment

Here’s something most players never knew: Link’s Awakening started life as an unofficial pet project. Director Takashi Tezuka and several team members—fresh off completing A Link to the Past—began tinkering with a Game Boy Zelda during their downtime, purely for their own amusement.

“Once we got it to a certain level of creation and completion that we wanted to show, then we took it to the company and got permission to continue developing it,” Tezuka later explained. “But initially it was just a little pet project of ours. Because we started it that way—just making a game we wanted to make—it may defy Zelda conventions. It might have interesting characters and situations we may not have had otherwise.”

And defy conventions it certainly did. The game featured enemies from Super Mario Bros—Goombas, Piranha Plants, and Chain Chomp-like Bow-Wows roaming Koholint Island. There was even a character called Mr. Write (named after SimCity creator Will Wright) and a trading sequence involving a Yoshi Doll. This wasn’t your typical Zelda adventure.

The Twin Peaks Influence on Link’s Awakening

Tezuka drew inspiration from an unlikely source—the David Lynch television series Twin Peaks, which was massively popular during development. He wanted that same dreamlike quality, that sense of a small community with deep secrets, where nothing was quite what it seemed. The result was Koholint Island, a mysterious place where reality blurred with dreams, populated by quirky characters who spoke in riddles and existential musings.

The development team included many veterans from A Link to the Past. Composers Minako Hamano and Kozue Ishikawa (for whom this was their first game project) created the memorable soundtrack, while Kazumi Totaka handled sound programming and effects. Yasahisa Yamamura designed the dungeons, carefully crafting room layouts, routes, and enemy placement. After eighteen months of dedicated work, Link’s Awakening launched in Japan on June 6, 1993, followed by North America in August.

Shigeru Miyamoto served as producer but deliberately took a hands-off creative approach. Instead, he participated as a game tester—and his feedback during playtesting greatly influenced the game’s second half, helping polish the experience into something truly special.

My Personal Link’s Awakening Journey

In 1993, I bought this game at the airport on the way to Tenerife, with a view to playing on the plane, or the odd moment between beers by the pool. I had heard about the Zelda series, but having never played any of the games (something I have since addressed) I was not sure what to expect.

Slotting the small grey cartridge into the small grey handheld, you were immediately immersed into the world of Link, and I’m not sure I actually put the Game Boy down for two weeks.

That opening sequence—Link washing ashore after a storm, being rescued by Marin, waking in a strange cottage—it grabbed you immediately. There was mystery here, a sense that something wasn’t quite right about Koholint Island. And then that music kicked in… the Ballad of the Wind Fish. Hauntingly beautiful, even through the Game Boy’s limited sound chip.

Link’s Awakening Gameplay and Mechanics

As hero Link, waking up on a desert island, you have to find eight magical instruments to wake the mysterious Wind Fish and escape. The game itself was an overhead scrolling action-RPG, and many of the classic Zelda features are there, including puzzles, dungeons, bosses, weapons and gadgets, bombs, chests, rupees, secret tunnels and side quests. It also had great music and effects for such a limited handheld console.

More than anything it had that magical ingredient that made you want to keep playing—to battle through the puzzles in each dungeon to the boss level, and to unlock the next special power or piece of equipment that would allow you to enter previously inaccessible areas.

Link’s Awakening Dungeon Design

The eight dungeons—Tail Cave, Bottle Grotto, Key Cavern, Angler’s Tunnel, Catfish’s Maw, Face Shrine, Eagle’s Tower, and Turtle Rock—each had distinct personalities. Face Shrine remains one of the most memorable locations in any Zelda game, with its cryptic murals hinting at the island’s true nature. “The truth of this island is in the egg,” one mural warned. Players who paid attention to these clues would discover the game’s philosophical twist long before the ending.

The puzzles were clever without being impossibly cryptic (well, mostly). You’d encounter owl statues offering hints like “the walls have eyes” or “smash the pillars in order.” Sometimes you’d be stuck for ages before that eureka moment when you realized you needed to sprinkle magic powder on a torch, or push blocks in a specific sequence.

Revolutionary Features in Link’s Awakening

Link’s Awakening introduced several series firsts that would become Zelda staples. It was the first game where Link could jump—opening up platforming sections and allowing for creative dungeon puzzles. It introduced fishing as a minigame (though you could spend hours trying to catch the legendary Ol’ Baron, the lunker fish). The trading sequence was unprecedented in its length and complexity, involving a dozen different characters across the island.

Musical instruments played a central role beyond just being collectibles—you’d learn songs like the Frog’s Song of Soul and Manbo’s Mambo, each serving gameplay purposes. And those side-scrolling sections? Completely unexpected in a top-down Zelda, adding variety and showing off what the Game Boy could do.

Link’s Awakening Tips, Secrets and Hidden Content

The Secret Seashells in Link’s Awakening

Hidden across Koholint Island were 26 Secret Seashells (50 in the DX version). Collect enough and you’d receive the Seashell Sword from the Seashell Mansion—a powered-up blade that made the late game significantly easier. Finding them all required exploration, careful attention to suspicious-looking spots, and occasionally just bombing random walls to see what happened.

The Infamous Shoplifting Mechanic

Link’s Awakening let you steal from the item shop—a feature that shocked players and remains infamous to this day. If you walked past the shopkeeper while he faced the wrong direction, you could nick an item and leave. But return to the shop and… well, let’s just say the consequences were severe. From that point forward, every NPC in the game would call you “THIEF” instead of your chosen name. Some players deliberately did this just to see what would happen. Dark stuff for a Nintendo game.

Link’s Awakening Screen Warp Glitch

Speedrunners and glitch hunters discovered the screen warp exploit in the original cartridge—pressing Select at precise moments could warp Link across screens, allowing for massive sequence breaks. You could beat the game in wildly different orders, skip entire dungeons, or access areas impossibly early. The glitch was patched in later revisions, but early cartridges became prized for this feature.

Link’s Awakening DX: Five Years Later, Fully Colorized

Five years later, and having long ago put away my original Game Boy, Nintendo introduced an updated version of the game for its current platform, the Game Boy Color. Taking the original game, Nintendo used the colours available to introduce new puzzles, and also the ability to take screenshots for printing on the new Game Boy Printer. Playing this game again brought it all back to me—just hearing the music at the start of the game and I was back in Tenerife.

What Link’s Awakening DX Added

Released in December 1998, Link’s Awakening DX wasn’t just a simple colorization. The entire game received a vibrant color palette that brought Koholint Island to life—the green forests, blue waters, and red-roofed villages looked gorgeous on the Game Boy Color’s screen.

But the real addition was the Color Dungeon, an entirely new dungeon that could only be accessed on the Game Boy Color (attempting to play it on an original Game Boy just showed a message that color was required). Complete it successfully and you’d choose between a red or blue tunic—red increased attack power, blue increased defense. This gave players a meaningful choice and added replay value.

The Camera Shop replaced certain features, letting you snap photos at twelve specific story moments. With a Game Boy Printer, you could actually print these photos—a novelty that seemed impossibly futuristic at the time, even if the prints looked like blurry thermal receipts.

Link’s Awakening Commercial Success and Critical Reception

In Japan, Link’s Awakening topped the Famitsu sales charts in June 1993. In North America, it was the best-selling Game Boy title in August 1993. The game helped boost Game Boy sales by 13 percent that year—making 1993 one of Nintendo’s most profitable years in North America up to that point. Total sales would eventually reach over four million copies worldwide.

Nintendo supported the launch with the Zelda Whistle Stop Tour—a three-day cross-country train competition where select players raced to complete the game. The event showcased not just Link’s Awakening but the Game Boy’s superior battery life and portability. Nintendo Power magazine published a guide to the game’s first three areas in its July 1993 issue (Volume 50), which featured Link’s Awakening on the cover.

Critics praised the game’s depth and feature set. Nintendo Power awarded it top honors in multiple categories at the 1993 Nintendo Power Awards—Graphics and Sound, Challenge, Theme and Fun, Play Control, and Best Overall for Game Boy. The main complaint focused on the control scheme, since the Game Boy only had two buttons, meaning you constantly switched between items. (The DX version later received even higher scores once players experienced the color graphics.)

The Emotional Impact and Story of Link’s Awakening

What separated Link’s Awakening from other Zelda games was its story—not the plot mechanics of collecting instruments, but the emotional undercurrent running beneath everything. Marin, the girl who rescues Link at the beginning, becomes a genuine character with hopes and dreams. She confesses she wishes she could leave the island and become a seagull, free to fly anywhere.

As you progress, the game drops increasingly heavy hints that something isn’t right. The Wind Fish is said to be dreaming. Characters occasionally mention strange things, as if aware they’re not quite real. That philosophical owl keeps appearing with cryptic warnings. And then, in the late game, you learn the devastating truth—Koholint Island exists only in the Wind Fish’s dream. Wake the Wind Fish, and the island vanishes. Everyone you’ve met, every friend you’ve made, will cease to exist.

This was heavy stuff for a Game Boy game in 1993. The ending remains one of gaming’s most bittersweet moments—Link escapes, but at what cost? As the island fades away, you see Marin one final time in the clouds (in DX), and perhaps—just perhaps—transformed into a seagull, flying free. The game asks uncomfortable questions about the nature of reality, the value of dreams, and whether experiences matter if they weren’t technically “real.”

Link’s Awakening Legacy and Lasting Impact

My son is now the biggest Zelda fan in the house, and he has the latest 3DS, and is looking forward to getting hold of Ocarina of Time. I’m not sure about all the 3D effects, but I know I shall be giving this a try when he has gone to bed to see if the magic is still there.

Link’s Awakening proved handheld Zelda games could stand alongside console entries. It paved the way for the Oracle games, Minish Cap, and eventually Breath of the Wild on Switch. Characters first introduced here—like Malon and Talon (clearly inspired by Marin and Tarin)—would reappear in Ocarina of Time. The wise owl became Kaepora Gaebora. Even the emphasis on character development and emotional storytelling influenced future entries.

The game received multiple rereleases—on 3DS Virtual Console in 2011, and a stunning full remake for Nintendo Switch in 2019 developed by Grezzo. That remake, with its toy-like diorama aesthetic, introduced a new generation to Koholint Island while preserving everything that made the original special.

Link’s Awakening FAQ

Is Link’s Awakening Worth Playing Today?

Absolutely. Whether you play the original Game Boy version, the DX version, or the 2019 Switch remake, Link’s Awakening remains a masterclass in game design. The dungeons are clever, the world is densely packed with secrets, and the story hits emotional notes most modern games can’t reach. For newcomers, the Switch remake is the most accessible version with quality-of-life improvements like permanently equipped sword and shield.

How Long Does Link’s Awakening Take to Beat?

A first playthrough typically takes 10-15 hours for the main story. Completionists hunting all Secret Seashells, fishing for records, and completing trading sequences can extend this to 20+ hours. Speedrunners using glitches can finish in under an hour, but that’s hardly the intended experience.

Which Version of Link’s Awakening Should I Play?

For authenticity, track down the Game Boy or Game Boy Color versions—the monochrome original has a certain austere charm, while DX adds color and the Color Dungeon. For modern convenience, the Switch remake is gorgeous and plays beautifully, though some purists prefer the original’s aesthetic. The Game & Watch: Zelda edition also includes the original version if you want a collectible way to play.

Why Are Original Link’s Awakening Cartridges Expensive?

Original Game Boy cartridges, particularly early revisions with the screen warp glitch, have become collector’s items. Complete-in-box copies with manual and box can fetch significant prices. The game’s status as one of the greatest Game Boy titles ever made, combined with nostalgia, drives up prices in the retro gaming market.

Is Link’s Awakening Connected to Other Zelda Games?

According to Hyrule Historia, Link’s Awakening is a direct sequel to A Link to the Past, featuring the same Link. After defeating Ganon and restoring peace to Hyrule, Link embarked on a training journey overseas. On his return voyage, a storm destroyed his ship, washing him ashore on Koholint Island. The game takes place outside Hyrule—one of the few Zelda games to do so—with no Triforce, no Zelda, and no Ganon (though the final Nightmare does take Ganon’s form briefly).

Link’s Awakening Sources and Further Reading

For those wanting to dive deeper into Link’s Awakening‘s development and legacy, several excellent resources exist. The Iwata Asks interviews feature Takashi Tezuka discussing the game’s origins. Hyrule Historia provides timeline placement and development details. The original Nintendo Power July 1993 issue (Volume 50) contains contemporary coverage and player guide material.

The 2019 Switch remake brought renewed interest, with numerous retrospectives examining why this Game Boy adventure continues to resonate. Fan communities on Reddit and Zelda forums share speedrun strategies, glitch discoveries, and memories of first playthroughs. The game has appeared on countless “best games of all time” lists from IGN, Nintendo Power, GameSpot, and more.

For those wanting to play today, Link’s Awakening DX is available on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, while the 2019 remake is available on Nintendo Switch. The original Game Boy version can be found on the Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda edition released in 2021.

More than three decades after its release, Link’s Awakening remains a testament to creative game design, emotional storytelling, and the power of limitations to inspire innovation. It proved you didn’t need cutting-edge graphics or massive worlds—just brilliant design, memorable characters, and a willingness to take risks. That’s why it’s not just one of the best Game Boy games ever made, but one of the finest Zelda adventures, period.