Readers will recall that our recent attempt to swab the Sandship’s deck with the Abyssal Leviathan Tentalus ended in our capsizing ourselves, not defeating the giant squid. We decided to undertake something more soothing, so that Itzal could regain his mojo, something in which he was not facing a Game Over screen time and again. Hence, we exchanged the Skyward Sword cartridge for another Switch remaster, Link’s Awakening.
Unlike SSHD, Link’s Awakening was not a game we’d played in the original. The game had come out in 1993, when, it happens, Itzal and Demelza had coincided in the same city for the first time in a quarter-century or so. But we were not playing Nintendo together then. We fancied ourselves adults with Dates for National Holidays, Grownup Furniture, and Very Important Jobs. (Also, who are we kidding with the jobs comment, Link’s Awakening was made for a handheld device, the Game Boy, and neither of us had one. It’s also possible that neither of us had dates for national holidays.)
We had read that Link’s Awakening was a beloved entry in the Zelda series and that the Switch remake was well-regarded. Thus, it was with some excitement that we hit the Start button on this new (to us) adventure.
Immediately, we saw a vision of a grimacing Link buffeted on the seas in a sketchy looking boat. Shoot, did he just capsize? Was he also drinking Diki Dikis? Was this the game in which the Tentalus made its Nintendo debut?! We wanted a relaxing game, not another go at dying on the high seas – ah, but wait.
This is more like it. A sparkling beach. A fair maiden. A young lad asleep, castaway in gentle climes. (Seriously, is Link four years old in this game, or does he just appear a toddler because of the toon graphics?)
The fair maiden brings Link to her home to recover. Upon awakening, he mistakes her for Zelda (oops, her name is Marin, buddy, don’t make that mistake again, trust us on this), receives his shield, and is directed to the beach.
It might be said that the sweet, toony graphics caused us to drop our guard. After all, in Breath of the Wild we had freed the Divine Beasts and defeated Ganon, and in Skyward Sword we’d already conquered numerous bosses, albeit not the Tentalus. Not to mention all the Lynels and Hinoxes and Bears, oh my, of the past year. We could handle ourselves in this kids’ game, surely.
It might also be said that we ignored the hint to go to the beach. Or perhaps we were just tired of being told what to do, whether by Impa or by Fi the Obvious.
Whatever. Fact is that we marched into paradise with nothing but a shield – might as well have been a fig leaf – and logged a record two and a half minutes before receiving our old friend the Game Over screen.
Well, this wouldn’t do at all. Itzal needed his confidence restored, not obliterated.
Back we went to see Marin and her dad, Ulrira or Ulrich or whatever. We used the island Telephone and visited the Library for good measure. And this time, we found Link’s sword, apparently where he left it, on the beach. Where we’d been told to go in the first place.
We explored the island for an hour or so, until Itzal’s blood pressure was in the normal (for him) range again and Demelza had to return home. Here are our initial takeaways:
The game is fun. It’s relaxing. And it made us feel young again, reminding us of when we, too, had cute, curling hair, and round faces too big for our little bodies.
Despite the fact the game does not take place on Hyrule, there are plenty of ties from this game to others in the Zeldaverse, including the previously mentioned sword and shield. We had fun collecting rupees, for example, and pieces of heart. There’s a Great Fairy, although she’s much more modest than her bosomy counterparts in BOTW. Old enemies like Moblins made their appearances, too. (We still loathe Octoroks but they are easier to defeat in this game than in BOTW.)
Links to other Zeldas aside (okay, surely that was punny?), there’s a Mario-ishness to the game. We know we’re not the first to notice that; we’re three decades behind in noticing, in fact. But these are our takeaways, so shaddup.
We can’t speak to how the game played on the Game Boy, nor its later remake on the Game Boy Color, but we found it to display well on the Switch. We were troubled, however, that the button to swing the sword is B, not A. Can’t we have some continuity in the controls, Nintendo?
And finally – um, we interrupt this post to bring you this message, from Nintendo, which apparently is monitoring Demelza’s computer and knows when she’s drafting a blog and even its subject matter. Did they hear her take the company’s name in vain? No, really, it’s true; while typing away, she received an email encouraging the purchase and use of the “adorable” (Nintendo’s words, not hers) Link’s Awakening Amiibo figure to enhance gameplay. After perusing the email, she can report that, oh dear, the Amiibo in question is indeed adorable; but can you imagine how Itzal would feel if he were helped by an elfy cherub? (Itzal interrupts this post to say he’d be fine being helped, especially if the elfy cherub knows anything about the damned Tentalus in SSHD because his blood pressure isn’t starting from a “normal” place!)
Which brings us full circle: We enjoy Link’s Adventure, and we look forward to playing it more. But squaring our shoulders, we will return to fight the Tentalus next week.
And there’s no cocktail for this blog post, since all the characters involved, even the Octoroks, are sorta cute and childlike. We might have a chocolate milk, if it comes to it. Shoot, we have some standards.