![]() ![]() The hardest parts of the game really boil down to finding where it wants you to go next, and usually, an owl shouts those guideposts at you. The first four dungeons are simple and can be breezed through at lightning speed. The upside of being welcoming to newcomers comes with a downside: The bulk of Link’s Awakening will be incredibly easy for anyone who has played a Zelda game in the last decade. ![]() Of course, over time, those options broaden, with new equipment opening up new regions of the map, but it’s hard to get into trouble before that happens. Those first few areas, including a forest teeming with moblins, have limited threats, offering an opportunity for a new player to wrap their heads around a relatively small set of decisions about what to do next. Link’s Awakening gates its map so the opportunity for exploration is extremely limited at the outset, allowing players to access just a few small areas. Within moments of waking up, Link is given a task: Head to the beach to find a sword. Link’s Awakening is more guided and, frankly, easier. The first two Zelda games on NES were broad, directionless, and incredibly difficult for their time. Link’s Awakening is a top-down Zelda game that finds Link waking up on a mysterious tropical island before doing his usual Link thing (breaking pots, clearing dungeons, delivering love letters) to help the local inhabitants. The graphics are dramatically different, sure, but otherwise the two releases are damn near identical. Link’s Awakening on Switch is effectively the same game that was originally released on Game Boy back in 1993. Which is why the new remake of The Legend of Zelda : Link’s Awakening on Switch feels like the perfect gateway drug. There’s no great way to ease someone into the Zelda series, especially someone younger who might be overwhelmed by the scale of recent entries. The Zelda games, for better or worse, have their own play language that has evolved across decades of games. ![]() I know to always check under pots for secret switches and to shove suspiciously placed rocks, but players new to the series may miss secrets and details that are obvious to me. I’ve played every major Zelda release, and the newer games are often informed by the older ones, making them far easier for seasoned players. It’s weird to think of a popular Nintendo franchise as being intimidating, but the Legend of Zelda series has, over the years, gotten to that point. ![]()
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February 2023
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