The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX

Last updated

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX
The Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening DX box art.png
North American cover art
Developer(s) Nintendo R&D2
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Yohinori Tsuchiyama
Series The Legend of Zelda
Platform(s) Game Boy Color
Release
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single player

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX is a 1998 action-adventure game developed by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. The game is a colorized version of the 1993 Game Boy title The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening , in which protagonist Link must fight monsters, explore dungeons and solve puzzles to escape from Koholint Island. The DX version of Link's Awakening features gameplay additions including a color-themed dungeon and support for the Game Boy Printer.

Contents

Upon release, Link's Awakening DX was critically acclaimed, with reviewers commending the game on the strengths of the original title and welcoming the addition of color graphics and new features, although noting the additions were largely insubstantial compared to the original game. The DX version of Link's Awakening has retrospectively been cited by critics as one of the best games for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color systems. It was subsequently re-released on the Nintendo 3DS via the Virtual Console and the Nintendo Switch via Nintendo Switch Online.

Gameplay

The graphics of Link's Awakening were colorised in DX to take advantage of the features of the Game Boy Color. Link's Awakening DX Screenshot.jpg
The graphics of Link's Awakening were colorised in DX to take advantage of the features of the Game Boy Color.

Link's Awakening DX is an action-adventure game played in a top-down perspective in which players guide Link, stranded on Koholint Island, through a quest to collect the eight Instruments of the Sirens to awaken the Wind Fish and leave the island. [4] [5] Players progress the game by exploring the open world island and completing a series of dungeons, requiring the completion of puzzles and defeating enemies, to acquire new items, such as a hookshot, that provide access to new and previously inaccessible parts of the island. [5] Link's Awakening DX is a version of the game that features fully colorised graphics, although it is backward compatible in monochrome with the original Game Boy. The game includes features compatible with the Game Boy Printer accessory through the addition of a photo album. The player also can visit an in-game Camera Shop, meeting a photographer who will appear to take pictures of Link over the course of twelve events in the game. Once taken, these pictures can be viewed by the player in the photo album or used to print out stickers using the Game Boy Printer connected via a Game Link Cable. [6] [7]

An additional hidden dungeon, named the Color Dungeon, is also included in the game, featuring color-based puzzles including color-coded enemies and switches. Completion of the dungeon allows the player to select one of two items: the Red Tunic, which increases the player's attack power, and the Blue Tunic, which decreases the damage taken by the player. [8] [9] Link's Awakening DX also modifies the hints given by statues in dungeons throughout the game to provide additional guidance to the player. [10]

Development and release

Development of Link's Awakening DX was led by director Yohinori Tsuchiyama and undertaken by the Nintendo Research & Development 2 team, a small team dedicated to hardware peripherals and software. [11] [12] [10] The game had minimal supervision from Takashi Tezuka, the director of the 1993 game, who was involved at the time as a supervisor for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time . [10] For the Color Dungeon, Yuichi Ozaki created a musical piece based on Koji Kondo's dungeon theme from the original The Legend of Zelda. [10]

An emulated version of Link's Awakening DX was released on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console on 7 June 2011. [13] The game received minor updates to make use of the 3DS hardware, including the extension of the game's display to the larger 3DS screen, analog controls with the 3DS Circle Pad, and the inclusion of options to suspend, save and restore gameplay at any time. [13] [14] In July 2013, Link's Awakening DX was offered as one of several Virtual Console games which "elite status" members of the North America Club Nintendo could redeem as a free gift. [15] Another emulated version was released as part of the Nintendo Switch Online service in February 2023. [16]

In December 2023, a fan-made port of Link's Awakening DX was released for PC, containing widescreen, zoom and high-framerate support, allowing the game to be played without transitions between screens. [17] [18] [19] The port was shortly taken down following release after a takedown notice was issued by Nintendo on the basis of copyright infringement. [20] [21]

Reception

Link's Awakening DX was critically acclaimed upon release, with many reviewers recommending the game on the basis of the merits of the original title and its continuing appeal both for new and returning players. [24] [4] [22] Critics generally agreed that the game's additions were welcomed but minimal in substance, [27] with Electronic Gaming Monthly finding it to be not too different from the original, [24] and Colin Williamson of Allgame describing the game as a "paint job" and "essentially the same game". [22]

Reviewers praised the colorisation of the game. Electronic Gaming Monthly described the graphics as "sharp" and adding "vibrant life" to the game. [24] Total Game Boy stated that the game's color was a major improvement on the graphics of the original game and helped objects and enemies in the environment "stand out tremendously". [27] Although noting its graphics were "primitive" by the standards of 1999, Jes Bickham of Planet Game Boy considered the graphics to also be "more sharply defined" and "smoother-scrolling" compared to the original. [4] RPGFan commended the "fair graphical improvement" of the game, but considered the colorization to be "shallow" and lacking in detail. [5]

The addition of the Color Dungeon received mixed reception. Describing it as "lame" and a "total disappointment", Electronic Gaming Monthly considered the dungeon to be too short, easy to complete, and limited in puzzle variety. [24] Paul Davies of Computer & Video Games considered the new dungeon to be "not so amazing". [23] RPGFan critiqued the decision to confine color-coded objects such as switches to the Color Dungeon. [5]

Retrospective reception

Many critics have retrospectively named Link's Awakening DX as one of the best games released for the Game Boy system, including Game Boy Official Magazine, [28] Pocket Games, [29] GamePro, [30] and Nintendo Power. [31] The game has also been identified as one of the best Game Boy Color games by Digital Trends, [32] GameSpot, [33] and TheGamer. [34] Luke Albiges of Retro Gamer considered the game's addition of a "vivid" color pallette and new features to "breathe new life" into the game, highlighting the Color Dungeon for "expanding upon what was possible" in the original title. [35] Gavin Lane of Nintendo Life described the game as "bursting with colour" and commended the pixel sprites, but felt the game did not add any "unmissable" additions to the original title. [36] Stuart Gipp, also for Nintendo Life, considered DX to be a downgrade from the original due to its "unenjoyable extra dungeon" and "garish lick of paint that doesn't do the visuals any favors". [37]

Several critics also provided favorable reviews of Link's Awakening DX upon its release on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Nintendo Power describing the game as one of the best games available on the eShop. [38] [25] Jacob Crites of Nintendo Life found the game's port to the 3DS to "play better" than its predecessors, citing the "more fluid" analog controls and the inclusion of restore points. [13] Similarly, Lucas M. Thomas of IGN generally praised the game, but considered the upscaled graphics to not be as sharp as the original and lamented the omission of the Game Boy Printer features. [14] Abraham Ashton Liu of RPGFan similarly commended the value and quality of the game's addition to the eShop and the additional functionality of a save state compared to the "unwieldy and archaic" design of the original save system. [26]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Legend of Zelda</i> Video game series

The Legend of Zelda is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Flagship, Vanpool, and Grezzo. Its gameplay incorporates action-adventure and elements of action RPG games.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time</i> 1998 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a 1998 action-adventure game by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in November 1998 and in PAL regions the following month. The game is the first in The Legend of Zelda series with 3D graphics.

<i>The Legend of Zelda</i> (video game) 1986 video game

The Legend of Zelda, originally released in Japan as The Hyrule Fantasy: Zelda no Densetsu, is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. The first game of The Legend of Zelda series, it is set in the fantasy land of Hyrule and centers on an elf-like boy named Link, who aims to collect the eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom in order to rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon. The player controls Link from a top-down perspective and navigates throughout the overworld and dungeons, collecting weapons, defeating enemies and uncovering secrets along the way.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past</i> 1991 video game

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the third game in The Legend of Zelda series and was released in 1991 in Japan and 1992 in North America and Europe.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask</i> 2000 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a 2000 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was the second The Legend of Zelda game to use 3D graphics, following Ocarina of Time (1998). Designed by a creative team led by Eiji Aonuma, Yoshiaki Koizumi, and Shigeru Miyamoto, Majora's Mask was completed in less than two years. It features enhanced graphics and several gameplay changes, but reuses elements and character models from Ocarina of Time, which the game's creators called a creative decision made necessary by time constraints.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker</i> 2002 video game

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. An installment in The Legend of Zelda series, it was released in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, and in Europe on May 2, 2003.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons</i> and <i>Oracle of Ages</i> 2001 video games

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages are 2001 action-adventure games in the Legend of Zelda series. They were developed by Flagship and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color.

<i>Zelda II: The Adventure of Link</i> 1987 video game

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is an action role-playing game developed and published by Nintendo. It is the second installment in the Legend of Zelda series and was released in Japan for the Famicom Disk System on January 14, 1987—less than one year after the Japanese release and seven months before the North American release of the original The Legend of Zelda. Zelda II was released in North America and the PAL region for the Nintendo Entertainment System in late 1988, almost two years after its initial release in Japan.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening</i> 1993 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a 1993 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It is the first installment in The Legend of Zelda series for a handheld game console. Link's Awakening is one of the few Zelda games not to take place in the land of Hyrule, and it does not feature Princess Zelda or the Triforce relic. Instead, the protagonist Link begins the game stranded on Koholint Island, a place guarded by a whale-like deity called the Wind Fish. Assuming the role of Link, the player fights monsters and solves puzzles while searching for eight musical instruments that will awaken the sleeping Wind Fish and allow him to escape from the island.

Link (<i>The Legend of Zelda</i>) Protagonist in The Legend of Zelda

Link is a character and the protagonist of Nintendo's video game franchise The Legend of Zelda. He was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Link was introduced as the hero of the original The Legend of Zelda video game in 1986 and has appeared in a total of 21 entries in the series, as well as a number of spin-offs. Common elements in the series include Link travelling through Hyrule whilst exploring dungeons, battling creatures, and solving puzzles until he eventually defeats the series' primary antagonist, Ganon, and saves Princess Zelda.

<i>Super Mario Bros. Deluxe</i> 1999 video game

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe is a 1999 video game developed by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color as a version of the 1985 game Super Mario Bros. for the NES. The game contains a largely unmodified version of Super Mario Bros. with an unlockable version of the 1986 Japanese sequel Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. In addition, the game includes several new gameplay features, such as a single and two-player race mode, a challenge mode for individual levels, and miscellaneous toys and collectibles, some of which utilize the functionality of the Game Boy Printer.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap</i> 2004 video game

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is an action-adventure game and the twelfth entry in The Legend of Zelda series. Developed by Capcom and Flagship, with Nintendo overseeing the development process, The Minish Cap was released for the Game Boy Advance in Japan and Europe in 2004 and in North America and Australia the following year.

<i>Blaster Master: Enemy Below</i> 2000 video game

Blaster Master: Enemy Below, known in Japan as Metafight EX (メタファイトEX), is a video game for the Game Boy Color. It was also re-released for the Virtual Console on the Nintendo 3DS system in 2011, and on the Nintendo Switch Online service in 2023.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past</i> and <i>Four Swords</i> 2002 video game

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords is a compilation of two action-adventure games co-developed by Nintendo R&D2 and Capcom and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The game was released in December 2002 in North America and in March 2003 in Japan and Europe. The cartridge contains a modified port of A Link to the Past, originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991, and an original multiplayer-only game titled Four Swords, which serves as the 9th installment in The Legend of Zelda series.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D</i> 2011 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a 2011 action-adventure game developed by Grezzo and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console. A remake of the original 1998 Nintendo 64 game, it features updated graphics, quality of life changes, stereoscopic 3D effects, and mirrored versions of the rearranged dungeons from Ocarina of Time Master Quest. The game was released in June 2011, with digital release via the Nintendo eShop arriving in 2012.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds</i> 2013 video game

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a 2013 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. The game is the 17th in The Legend of Zelda series and is a sequel to the 1991 title The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Announced in April 2013, A Link Between Worlds was released in Australia, Europe, and North America in November, and in Japan a month later.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening</i> (2019 video game) 2019 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a 2019 action-adventure game developed by Grezzo and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. Released worldwide on September 20, 2019, Link's Awakening is a remake of the 1993 game of the same name for the Game Boy. It retains the original's top-down perspective and gameplay, along with elements from the 1998 re-release Link's Awakening DX.

<i>Daikatana</i> (Game Boy Color video game) 2000 video game

Daikatana is a 2000 action-adventure game developed by Will and published by Kemco for the Game Boy Color. It is based on the first-person shooter of the same name, which was released earlier in 2000. Players control a swordsmaster who travels through various time periods in an effort to obtain the eponymous Daikatana, a powerful sword tied to the fate of the world.

The Nintendo data leak, also known as the Nintendo Gigaleak, is a series of leaks of data from the Japanese video game company Nintendo on the anonymous imageboard website 4chan. The leak started in March 2018, but became most prominent in 2020. Ten main sets of data leaked on 4chan, ranging from game and console source code to internal documentation and development tools. The name "Gigaleak" mainly refers to the second leak on July 24, 2020, which was 3 gigabytes in size. The leaks are believed to have come from companies contracted by Nintendo in the design of these consoles, and/or from individuals previously convicted of intrusion into Nintendo systems. An earlier, much smaller leak had also occurred in 2018 which contained the Nintendo Space World 1997 demos for Pokémon Gold and Silver.

References

  1. ↑ "Zeldaの伝説 – Introduction" (in Japanese). Nintendo Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on January 16, 2008. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Guide 64: Game Boy Release Schedule". Archived from the original on October 9, 1999.
  3. ↑ "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX". Nintendo of Europe GmbH. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Bickham, Jes (June 1999). "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX". Planet Game Boy. No. 1. pp. 34–5.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Musashi (2001). "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 11 December 2004. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "Sticker Sensation". Game Boy Official Magazine. No. 1. p. 8.
  7. ↑ "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 116. February 1999. p. 80.
  8. ↑ "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX - Instruction Booklet". Nintendo Power. No. 116. January 1999. pp. 100–104.
  9. ↑ The Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening DX. Nintendo. 1998.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "開発スタッフアンケート". ゲームボーイ＆ゲームボーイカラー 任天堂公式ガイドブック ゼルダの伝説 夢を見る島DX (in Japanese). Shogakukan Inc. February 20, 1999. pp. 108–111. ISBN   978-4-09-102679-8.
  11. ↑ Calderon, Anthony (25 July 2005). "The Nintendo Development Structure". N-Sider. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  12. ↑ "Nintendo 1101 Interview - Kirby Tilt N' Tumble". Kyoto Report (Interview). 31 October 2012. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024. Our division was handling the deluxe remakes of Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening for the Game Boy Color.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Crites, Jacob (15 June 2011). "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX Review". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 Thomas, Lucas (15 June 2011). "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  15. ↑ Goldfarb, Andrew (July 15, 2013). "2013 Club Nintendo Elite Status Rewards Now Available". IGN Entertainment, INC. Archived from the original on July 18, 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  16. ↑ Plant, Logan (2023-02-08). "Nintendo Switch Online Adding Game Boy and Game Boy Advance Games". IGN. Archived from the original on 2023-03-05. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  17. ↑ Fenlon, Wes (14 December 2023). "This fan-made HD PC port of Zelda: Link's Awakening is so cool I can't believe Nintendo hasn't taken it down yet". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  18. ↑ Welsh, Oli (13 December 2023). "Check out this stunning PC port of Zelda: Link's Awakening while you can". Polygon. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  19. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (14 December 2023). "Link's Awakening DX HD Is an Unofficial PC Remake of the Game Boy Color Classic". IGN. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  20. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (15 December 2023). "Unsurprisingly, Nintendo Has Unofficial Zelda: Link's Awakening PC Port Pulled Offline". IGN. Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  21. ↑ Hagues, Alana (16 December 2023). "Fan-Made 'Link's Awakening DX HD' Port Taken Down By Nintendo". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  22. 1 2 3 Williamson, Colin. "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX". Allgame. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  23. 1 2 Davies, Paul (March 1999). "Zelda: Link's Awakening DX" (PDF). Computer and Video Games. No. 208. p. 52. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-03-29. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 "Link's Awakening DX". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 116. March 1999. p. 135.
  25. 1 2 Hoffman, Chris (August 2011). "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX". Nintendo Power. No. 270. p. 30.
  26. 1 2 Liu, Abraham Ashton (2012). "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  27. 1 2 3 "Zelda: Link's Awakening DX". Total Game Boy. No. 2. 1999. pp. 14–16.
  28. ↑ "5 of the Best". Game Boy Official Magazine. No. 104. May 2001. p. 12.
  29. ↑ "The Game Boy Elite: 30 Must-Own "Classic" Game Boy Games" (PDF). Pocket Games. No. 6. Summer 2001. p. 48.
  30. ↑ Elektro, Dan (Winter 1999). "Top 25 Game Boy Games". GamePro Presents Handheld Games. p. 55.
  31. ↑ "Game Boy Top 10". Nintendo Power. No. 123. December 1999. p. 12.
  32. ↑ Gurwin, Gabe (20 March 2021). "The best Game Boy Color games of all time". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  33. ↑ Bonthuys, Darryn (22 April 2022). "Best Game Boy Color Games of All Time". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  34. ↑ Newsum, Jovan (18 October 2023). "14 Best Game Boy Color Games Ever, Ranked". TheGamer. Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  35. ↑ "Ultimate Guide - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening". Retro Gamer. No. 199. October 2019. p. 56.
  36. ↑ Lane, Gavin (6 June 2023). "Talking Point: Which Version Of Zelda: Link's Awakening Is Your Favourite?". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  37. ↑ Gipp, Stuart (4 March 2021). "Feature: Why Zelda: Link's Awakening Is Literally My Dream Game". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  38. ↑ "The Nintendo 3DS eShop". Nintendo Power. No. 277. April 2012. p. 68.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.