A Dream Come True - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Review
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- Опубликовано: 30 июл 2024
- In many ways, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a game of firsts. It was the first Zelda game made for a handheld console, the first to be set outside of Hyrule, and the first to introduce several later staples to the series, such as unique dungeon themes and Trading Sequences. But more than a mere game of firsts, Link's Awakening is also perhaps one of the most especially beloved entries in the entire Zelda series. Does it deserve such an illustrious reputation? In today's Review, I shall analyze this game in excruciating detail to answer that very question.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: a Dream Made True
04:39 Aside: Zelda Stories, and a Change in Format
05:50 Opening: The Sword Search
08:21 The Overworld: a Blend of Linear Design and Open Exploration
20:43 Story, Part 1: The Strange Island of Koholint
24:34 Pre-Dungeon 1: The Forest of Mystery
25:46 Dungeon 1: Tail Cave
34:39 Dungeon 1 and 2 In-Betweener: a High Stakes Rescue
36:38 Dungeon 2: Bottle Grotto
39:40 Aside: Trade Sequences
42:06 Dungeon 2 and 3 In-Betweener: Monkey Business
44:45 Dungeon 3: Key Cavern
50:55 Change in the Formula: Branching Out Like a Fan
55:03 Story, Part 2: The Illusion Begins to Crack
1:00:17 Dungeon 4: Angler’s Tunnel
1:04:16 Dungeon 4 and 5 In-Betweener: Spooky Scary Side Quests
1:05:52 Dungeon 5: Catfish’s Maw
1:12:38 Dungeon 6: Face Shrine
1:18:15 Dungeon 6 and 7 In-Betweener: When Roosters Fly
1:20:27 Dungeon 7: Eagle’s Tower
1:24:34 Dungeon 7 and 8 In-Betweener: Marin’s Rescue
1:27:23 Dungeon 8: Turtle Rock
1:34:37 Final Boss Fight, and the Ending: Link’s Nightmare
1:43:34 Aside: The Story’s Impact
1:44:26 Story, Part 4: Link’s Awakening
1:50:30 Conclusion: The Zenith of 2D-Zelda 
Игры
I find it interesting how Richard is listed as a positive NPC interaction while the ghost is a negative as I have always felt completely opposite. I honestly didn't even remember Richard existed - let alone his name - until you mentioned him, while the ghost is something that has stuck with me since my very first playthrough of the game 25+ years ago. I feel the ghost fits well thematically, the feeling of loss, moving on, and the overall bittersweet feeling of the whole encounter. He didn't need a name - or even to be alive - to be memorable.
That being said, I greatly enjoyed your lengthy review of what has always been one of my favorite games. I was so happy to see a quality remake as it meant it would be more easily accessible to a whole new generation (my young nephews included), but the care that went into the Zelda game with the most working against it hardware-wise is something I will always be grateful for, so it's nice to see someone strictly covering the original. Was an enjoyable watch!
Also, that soundtrack? ~chef's kiss~
Wut? Who would ever pick poshy Dicky over the melancholic ghost? That's crazy!
Thanks for all that! I'm also glad this game has seen a resurgence in popularity due to the recent remake. And I understand your points about the ghost's story holding some thematic weight when put in the context of the story, but the gameplay was my main concern when I was talking about my problems with it; Richard has a great side quest associated with him, while the ghost does not. Perhaps Richard is a bit bland, but I still enjoy the gameplay associated with his little side story, so he ends up being far more impactful for me than the Ghost ever was. I understand where you're coming from though, and I don't think you're wrong for thinking that way - I guess some things just come down to the individual player and his own priorities when it comes to a specific game.
When I played this game as a kid I felt like they developed it specifically for me. It's certainly not a perfect game but it's always been my favorite and it was great to see a 2 hour love letter devoted to it. Great job! I guess I'm off to watch the rest of your Zelda reviews now.
It is a perfect game.
thats exactly how i felt playing minish cap on the 3ds. i was one of the first adopters of the 3ds back in the day. i was only 11 and didn't have much experience with video games. I always love bugs and biology so downloading a zelda game for free that was about shrinking down and fighting bugs was so special
I really do enjoy how you go into a proper dissection of the game's level design. Even as a budding game developer myself I don't tend to pick up on the macro-scale design of a dungeon. I also never picked up on the final boss taking the shape of Link's fears specifically. I was under the impression it was just pulling from his memories.
Awesome video all in all. I'm really curious to see how many of your points here compare to the Oracle games, especially in level design. Take your time though, these videos are top quality and shouldn't be rushed.
I'm really glad to hear all that. Sometimes when I make these reviews I get so caught up in my own head, after months of reading or hearing myself utter the same words over and over again, that I become unsure of my own work and whether or not what I'm saying is even helpful to anyone. But I think after every video, seeing a comment like yours finally puts an end to my doubts, and makes the whole long process worthwhile. I'm glad my analysis is contributing to others' understanding of game design, and helping relate what works and what doesn't about each game I review. I hope you go on to make some amazing games in the future, because I'd love to play them.
I miss playing this on my Gameboy as a little kid..
A dream come true is an almost 2 hour retrospective/review of my very first Zelda game!! Thank you, this is glorious
Another great video! LA was always one of my faves, and I gotta say I'm a fan of the unique commentary on various aspects you're able to give that I don't think I've encountered elsewhere. Looking forward to the next one--no rush though!
I’m so glad you’re using the original black and white version here instead of DX like every other review. This is the version I grew up with.
It's also the better version, in my opinion - and that's despite me having played the DX version first.
I just woke up. Saw the notification. Hit it. Good... then I saw the length... I watched the whole thing. I like how you use some well timed swear words. Great form. See ya!!
Thanks! I think I’m getting better with my comedic timing; much better than my first video was, at least. Glad to see others are thinking it’s getting better, too.
Anglers Tunnel... that is how you rant about a crappy dungeon. Was it Angler's Tunnel or Catfish Maw? Either way... the crappy one... See ya!
Excellent video
Thanks!
Man this video deserves more views, amazing video as always. Link's Awakening is one of my favorite games. If you don't mind me asking where does it rank on your Zelda list?
Well it’s my highest rated game from my review series so far, sitting at a 9/10. I have yet to give all the games the same analytical treatment that I have for the first four, but off the top of my head, I can only really imagine Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess being any better, although the Jury is still out on that second one. Personally though, it’s probably my third favorite behind the original Zelda and Ocarina of Time.
@@octorokreviewsYeah oot is hard to beat, but Link’s awakening’s ending ma managed to top it. Oot is second for me and LA is first.
Nice man, perfect timing 😄
Thanks! Sorry it took so long to make, though. At least it didn't take as long as the Link to the Past Review haha.
I actually found the piece of heart underwater by Richards castle without any assistance owing to the massive amount of time I spent in the world of links awakening . I've probably dived in every single divable tile just because
Man, cheers to you. I suppose that's the only way it could have actually been found by someone legitimately back in the day. In your case, I assume discovering a secret like that must have been a magical experience, no?
@@octorokreviews I was in the right age to have an og game boy which I could take to my grandmother's house easily so while this was not the first Zelda game I played as a kid it's far and away the most time I spent on one.
The final item of the trading quest (not the boomerang) is actually required to read the book in the library to know the final puzzle of the game.
i think you bring up a really good analysis on the dungeon design of LA. i agree they some some of the best dungeons in the series despite their simplicity although i don't fully agree on face shrine. i do think the first half is pretty good because of its navigability but the latter half is where it becomes underwhelming. the frustrating part in LA though is that in the original/DX versions, with a well timed jump you can get the level 2 power bracelet, but naturally need the hookshot to get the rooster. you also need the mirror shield to reach turtle rock when it is in fact not required to defeat the boss of eagle's tower.
while i do think it is the best dungeon in the game, it also had room for more improvement. the locks for example were not well placed. the first one is in the same room where you get the small key while the next two are irrelevant key blocks. one of them does unlock a shortcut but it is not really necessary especially when you can jump down from the third floor before the pillars are all destroyed. then you have a key block that does nothing except troll the player. here is where the third floor should have required the player to reach one of the pillars.
also the original does have arbitrarily placed push blocks which was fixed in the remake. there is also a potential soft lock bug because of the ball's interaction with tiles can make it ungrabbable and it does not respawn at the starting point which again was fixed in the remake. then you can carry the ball through the rotating door which once again the remake fixed. what the remake though i argue made worse was adding too much information on the map (which is not really the fault of the dungeon design), combined some rooms and added more cracks in bombable walls which ruins navigational puzzles. it also did not fix the key block shortcomings or the mirror shield item check as well.
tail cave is probably the closest to a perfect dungeon if you ask me. although simplistic, this is what i want to see as a gold standard for dungeon design. it is non-linear, teaches the players mechanics in a non intrusive manner to veterans where many tutorials are optional by recontexualizing the backtracking through unlockable shortcuts and obstacles that tease the player early in the dungeon. the item is used in a meaningful way where it is not just some glorified key that is applied for an irrelevant item check such as having a rusted switch in the fire temple in a room you cannot reach until after getting the megaton hammer or the moles in the ice temple in alttp.
also in angler's tunnel, you can sequence break with a well positioned dash jump however this is no longer possible in the remake without glitching. one knock i have against catfish's maw is that the master stalfos is unkillable without bombs if i remember correctly and you can reach the boss without the hookshot with a perfectly timed dash jump however i believe this was fixed in the remake. also there is a bug/oversight where if you kill the stalfos with bomb arrows, it will drop a small key, thereby allowing 3 extra small keys.
10:50 first time I I played this game, I hit every parts of every walls with my sword to find bombable walls and dived in every diveable parts of the game to be sure I had found everything. I also rammed every trees, not just the lone ones. I had so much free time back then...
1:02:30 in the DX version, they change the order so that it's the absence of flipper that make the puzzle unsolvable.
1:48:30 you get the alternative ending by choosing to simply not finish the game. You go back to Mabe village after the 8th dungeon and spend the rest of your life with Marine... I mean, it's not like you can save after you have awakened the Windfish...
0:32 Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks are all direct sequels. Same with Minish Cap, Four Swords, and Four Swords Adventures. And A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, are a quadrilogy. All of this is said and shown in-game, so it's not a matter of the timeline just saying so.
It's possibly my personal favorite Zelda too. Was a bit disappointed in the remake just being a visual remake without much other change, plus I didn't like the style they went with. When I first played Breath of the Wild I thought; this engine would be perfect for a Link's Awakening remake. Do the whole island to scale and really explore the concept of a dream/nightmare world. One where the lush jungle can turn into a ravenous terror of brambles and deadly beasts at night. A trippy experience maybe.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the alt/true ending of the DX version where you see Marin as a seagull, and how that changes how you could interpret the ending.
Looking forward to your OOT video, even if I will heavily disagree with you calling it the best.
I purposefully left out any talk about the DX; all of my Zelda reviews are of the original releases (that's why the game capture is the black and white original). Any discussion about remakes will be limited to their own, separate videos. And thank you for the support; it means a lot!
Absolutely blew my mind when I realized that I was the villain this whole time!
Man link’s awakening is the best Zelda game and one of the greatest games I’ve ever played.
Thank you for using the og gameboy version, it leaves more to the imagination and lets the sprite art shine.
Hot Take: I will play 20 Link's Awakenings over one Breath of the Wild.
Somehow, you manage to insult Zelda while at the same time to like it.
Hetsu's gift is not meant to be obtained, the fact anyone felt compelled to get them all to "complete" the game is very silly, the fact you don't get any more rewards after getting less than half of them, the game even telling you that, is exactly why any normal person would stop haha. For the average player, they're great, you don't need to be out on the lookout for them, they are just on the way to whatever else the player is doing that provide fairly unnecessary, but appreciated, rewards.
I review all parts of any given video game I critique on this channel; I won't ignore large swaths of a game just because they technically can be skipped, because that would riddle my reviews with bias. In BotW's case, the Korok seeds contribute to the 100% meter in the bottom right corner of the game's map; i.e. if you want to 100% the game (which I would say a significant portion of Zelda players do, myself included), then you HAVE to collect all 900 Korok seeds. Therefore, the Korok seeds deserve to be judged for what they are; I won't ignore the tedium of collecting all 1000 of these things (God damnit it Tears of the Kingdom) just because it's technically "optional."
I think that is an important point for BotW in particular, because technically speaking: ALL content in BotW is optional save for 4 shrines and five final boss fights. If I ignored Korok seeds based on their optional nature, then I would have to ignore, like, 99% of the entire game. So I don't think that argument really works, here.
By the way, I noticed that you commented on all four of my Zelda reviews. I just want to say thank you for watching my content, and I really hope you enjoyed my videos. Have a nice day!
@@octorokreviews I think it's fair to mention that collecting all of them is tedious as it's own activity, you're not wrong there. I just personally believe that the intention of the design plays a part here that changes the framing of them. The importance of them is definitely downplayed in the game itself, which is why I see it this way.
Good videos btw, however I'm still half way through this one, was going to make a second comment if there was anything related to links awakening that I wanted to say haha
Any ocarina of time review?
Not yet, but I’m working on it! I’ve got another video I’m working on concurrently, so hopefully it should be out before Christmas.
Phantom Hourglass is fantastic, Spirit Tracks is the shitty one
It's contradictory to say that Korok seeds are bad because you're not meant to collect them all, yet praise seashells because you don't need each of them for the grand prize.
Also how is Catfish's Maw not the worst dungeon? The backtracking hunt for the skeleton is nothing more than just time wasting guesswork.
The knight chess piece moves little like in chess. Three spaces forward, then one to the side.
The Angler tile puzzle was changed in the Switch version (or maybe Dx?), making it impossible to do in the right order without flippers (the 2nd tile is surrounded by water).
You have some cool points but I'm not gonna bother with 2 hour videos sorry :D
I've said all of this before in response to another comment, but to recap: I review all parts of any game that I review on this channel. The fact of the matter is: there are 900 Korok seeds in BotW, and you have to collect all of them in order to 100 percent the game. This isn't some arbitrary rule that I just decided to make up; the game literally gives you a percent meter, and you have to collect every single Korok seed in order to fill it up. I understand that you can technically choose not to do every bit of side content the game has to offer, but in that same vein, you could just as well not do all the shrines, or the dungeons, or hell: literally any part of the game besides the Great Plateau and the final boss battle. For that matter: I could just turn the game off and stop playing before I've even finished the opening tutorial.
The point I'm making is this: strictly speaking, all video games are optional. You don't have to play them if you don't want to. But when I decide to take the time to review a game, I choose to critique all aspects of it (in case the insane length of my videos didn't already communicate that). As such, BotW doesn't get a pass on this. And it isn't hypocritical of me to point out how much better the seashell system is; I literally only brought up BotW because it served as a perfect point of comparison and contrast to this much better system. Link's Awakening only requires that you collect 20 out of 26 seashells; you're literally, physically unable to collect more than 20. BotW, on the other hand, requires that you collect all 900 Korok seeds in order to fully beat the game. The difference is night and day.
Thank you for watching. I appreciate it.
"the incoherent story line these games supposedly share"
The hell they do. They're 20 some odd games spread over a period of 40 years. There is no shared story, as how could there be. Ganon is killed in every damn game pal. Do the math.
12:00 Dude, can't you see how wrong you are? "You HAVE to collect them all ..." Are you listening to yourself? Or are you just trolling?
Did you not listen to the second part of that sentence? The full quote, which you so conveniently cut off, was "you have to collect every single one in order to one-hundred percent the game." That statement is fact: the game literally tracks your progress in the bottom right of the map, and collecting all 900 seeds is required to max out that progress. I don't know how that's a "troll" statement to you; could you please explain?
@@octorokreviews I did, but that hardly changes the sentiment you were trying to get across: Fuck BOTW just coz of the 900 seeds, because you HAVE to 100% it. That's just ridiculous. You know quite well that BOTW isn't meant to be 100% for the seeds. If you still decide to do it, don't blame the game because it gives you a well deserved pile of poo.
@@k.b.7718 And how, pray tell, am I supposed to "know quite well" how BotW is and isn't meant to be played? Did you talk to the developers? Did I? No, but even so, the Death of the Author dictates that we apply close reading in order to examine what the meaning of a work of art is and isn't, and in the case of BOTW, the 100% meter being dictated by your seed collection, as well as the precedent set by literally every Zelda game before BotW and video games in general, implies that achieving 100% in BotW is an expected achievement for the player to tackle.
Link's Awakening knew that, and so it made the Seashells disappear after you collected twenty - why should BotW, which came out 24 years later, get a pass for not doing the same with Korok Seeds? At best, the seeds were a sick joke, but more than likely, especially considering just how recycled the content behind them is, they were meant to pad-out the game due to a distinct lack of unique content. BotW did this with its side quests too, the majority of which are fetch quests, and its shrines, all of which use the exact same aesthetics and assets. It's clear to me, based on several sets of evidence from the game, that Korok seeds were just another way to lengthen the game for marketing purposes.
Finally, if your argument is that optional content shouldn't be judged when critiquing a video game, then I have this to say: literally ALL video games are optional, and in no particular game is that more relevant to discussion than BotW. Do you want me to review only the necessary parts of BotW? Then that's only 4 shrines and five boss fights. I would have to ignore the overworld, the dungeons, the story, the characters, the DLC, and pretty much everything that makes the game good. If I did just that for a BotW review, people like you would be (rightfully) pissed at me because I'm intentionally ignoring vast parts of the game. So why do Korok seeds get a pass in your head?
As a reviewer, if you can't tell by the vast length of my videos, all parts of a game, optional or not, matter to me, because they're all there for the player to experience. I won't ignore a blatantly bad part of the game just because I can skip over it; that would be doing a disservice to the viewer, and would mar my critique with bias. I therefore review EVERY facet of a video game in order to get as accurate an assessment as possible: every dungeon, every boss, every story beat. My Link's Awakening review here is proof of that. I treat BotW no differently, and will complain on end about the issues with Korok seeds when I eventually get to that game as well.
@@octorokreviews you accidentally gave in to my argument by using the word OPTIONAL yourself. Getting to know BOTW just a little bit makes it very clear to the player that you use the seeds to max your pouch. When you have done that as much as you deem appropriate, you can stop collecting them. They're not there to make the game longer, they're there in this large number to make sure the player gets enough chances to find them.
If you don't believe me, just watch what Aonuma and Miyamoto told the Completionist in an interview. They literally told him "No, you won't 100% THIS one."
Now I've got no problem if you still choose to 100% it, but there had been enough warnings that it won't be worth it. Doing it out of stubborness just to whine about it later and take a dump on BOTW for it is nothing but pathetic.
I Had quite enjoyed your retrospectives so far and I like the praise you heave on LA, but here you're so far off and unwilling to acknowledge counter arguments, that it's not funny at all.
Also "Fuck BOTW" seems way too harsh and not very objective, which makes me question wether to take your content seriously at all.
Anyway, it's your vid, you be you, all I've been trying to do is make you think twice about complaints like that.
@@k.b.7718 I did not "give in" to your argument. My point, as I made clear in the video itself, was always that collecting 100% of Korok Seeds, just like collecting 100% of seashells, is optional content that is meant to strengthen the overworld. But the seashells succeed where the Korok seeds fail, by eliminating the remaining ones after receiving the associated prize. Why, I ask you, was the same not done for BotW? It's a simple curtesy that makes completing the game's optional content so much more intuitive and fun for the player - there's no need to torture them by holding the proverbial carrot on a stick that is the 100% meter at the bottom of the map.
I appreciate that you're a long time viewer - it really does mean a lot to me, and I want to at least make that much clear. But if you really have watched my reviews up until now, then you should know that I critique every facet of a game's content and the quality of it, not just the parts you have to do to get to the credits. And personally, I take offense to the statement that I'm "unwilling to acknowledge counter arguments." Have I not been doing so by providing these comprehensive replies? I could have ignored your comment - or removed it if I wanted to be a real dick - but I didn't, because I care about my viewers' opinions and want to engage in healthy debate about the different facets of the game.
If you were expecting me to change my tune and agree with you, then it's not a debate you're after: it's confirmation. I could do just that, and pretend that every game I play is amazing and that every commenter is right when they criticize an argument of mine, but I'm not a shill nor a tool. I put months of research, writing, and editing into these videos; to call my criticisms "whining" and to say that I'm "pathetic" is an insult and does nothing to convince me that you're coming from a rational place when making these arguments; especially when you're blatantly ignoring vast parts of my arguments in each of your replies.
Again, I appreciate that you're a long time viewer, and I understand that you didn't like my - admittingly hyperbolic - declaration of hatred for BotW and its Korok seeds. But my point always was and still is that 100 percenting Link's Awakening is a far more intuitive process than in BotW, and even other Zelda games. I love Twilight Princess, but I showed it as an example of what I don't like about collectables in other Zelda games because it suffers from the same problem with its Poe souls. But BotW is the worst example of what I was complaining about, which is why I used it as my proverbial punching bag.
That's why I don't like the Korok seeds; I never once said you always have to collect them. I made it very clear, in fact, that it was only necessary in order to 100% the game. But that's a valid criticism all the same, because players DO 100% these games; we can pretend all day that no one will ever attempt collecting all the items in a Zelda game, but the fact is that it's a common and widespread way of playing these games, and Link's Awakening made the process much less painful than its sister's did, which is why I praised the seashells so much. I don't always 100% these games, but when I do, BotW is easily the least fun.
I hope you don't take too much offense to all that, but I just want you to understand why I have yet to budge on this matter. Please understand that just because I have yet to do so doesn't mean I'm being an ass or that I'm stubborn; I just find your arguments thus far to be unconvincing. Thank you for watching my videos, all the same.