The Legend of Zelda - Link’s Awakening: A Faithful & Fresh Remake

Link's Awakening is a remake of the 1993 Game Boy game of the same title. The story is set in Koholint Island, where Link landed after his ship got crashed in a storm. Link’s objective in this game is to collect the 8 Sirens’ instruments in order to wake up the Wind Fish and escape the island.

The game is notably balanced between staying faithful to the original version and having a few additions like attacking diagonally, jump attack, etc. which combined with fantastic art style make the game look really fresh and new. The graphics are absolutely stunning in both handheld and docked mode; Link, Marin, and the whole Koholint Island look more cute and charming than ever. While there are some frame drops here and there in the outer world, they do not affect gameplay.

It is one of the few games in the Legend of Zelda franchise that does not have Zelda or Ganon but has a mixture of completely different characters; and speaking about different, Nintendo was significantly innovative by adding characters from other Nintendo franchises like Kirby, Yoshi, Goombas, Boos, Piranha Plants, and many others.

Overall, Link's Awakening is a fantastic experience on the Switch. Nintendo brought back the 2D/2.5D Zelda formula in an exceptional way. It is not only one of the reasons to own a Nintendo Switch, but could also work as an introduction to the whole Zelda franchise. People who played the original will feel the nostalgia right from the start and those who never experienced the game before will definitely have a unique and memorable experience.