The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Reviews

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is ranked in the 96th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9 / 10.0
Oct 5, 2019

If you’ve never played Link’s Awakening because you never owned a Game Boy or are too young to have given it a chance, you have absolutely no excuses to miss the game again now. Link’s Awakening is simply a joy to play, and remains a love-letter to the franchise.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 6, 2019

The Nintendo Switch version of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a great way to (re)discover a once-forgotten Zelda game with a refined gameplay and an audiovisual overhaul, even if its most notable new feature is underwhelming.

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Nintendo News
Top Critic
9.5 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2019

Link’s Awakening has always been a super-solid entry in the Zelda series, and it easily lives up to today’s standards. It’s also a love letter to some of Nintendo’s greatest in its purest form. To top it all off, it has an alluring soundtrack with familiar tunes — including Marin’s soothing voice — that instantly warm your heart.

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Gamers Heroes
Johnny Hurricane
Top Critic
85 / 100
Jan 2, 2020

If you need a nostalgia trip or haven't played Link's Awakening before, then you won't be disappointed with this release. Just note that it is a bit more bite-sized when compared to more recent entries in the series.

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7.5 / 10.0
Nov 16, 2019

Link's Awakening is a joyous adventure and a treat for the eyes, marred by some minor performance hiccups. It's truly a shame that this title is following up the most ambitious entry in the series' history and feels dissapointingly small in comparison.

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A-
Nov 11, 2019

Whether you’re someone who played Link’s Awakening before or someone who never has, this is one of the best entries in the series and should be played by all. Don’t sleep on this one.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 13, 2019

Even so, Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening perfectly evokes the original game's presentation on the Game Boy, while bringing the visuals up to date using ingenious toy-like character and diorama world designs. With a top-notch presentation and charming gameplay, Link's Awakening is the living proof that any good game, no matter how old it is, can be revived and brought to new audiences.

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9.5 / 10.0
Oct 10, 2019

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is an almost perfect remake of a classic title.

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8.6 / 10.0
Sep 27, 2019

Young or old, new player or returning player, Link’s Awakening is a game everyone should experience. I’m happy to have in in my collection next to my original copy of the Game Boy title that I acquired in my youth. Check it out as soon as possible, you will not be disappointed. It is worth every rupee.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 28, 2019

Link's Awakening is a cute little game from the past with updated visuals, but the outdated gameplay mechanics and overall simplicity kind of broke its charm.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 27, 2019

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening brings back the charm of classic 2D Zelda games with a modern touch. It is arguably one of the better old school Zelda games for newcomers to dip their toes in since the upgrade to the visual design has made it a great looking game. This does come at the cost of performance.

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4 / 5.0
Sep 26, 2019

An incredible achievement for its time and with the incredible makeover it has not lost its luster. It might be short by today's standards, but it's a dense and rich experience with a captivating charm.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 24, 2019

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a delightful remake of an excellent game. A lot of its strength is predicated on the fact that it was built on an already exceptional Zelda game, and if you have any nostalgia for the Game Boy version, you'll be charmed by this update. The game's only real flaws are its overall short length and the frustrating frame rate issues. If you're a Zelda fan, it's still absolutely worth checking out, and if the frame rate issues get patched, this title will be the best way to play the handheld classic.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 23, 2019

Good Old Link is awakened and he is still in good condition, ready to entertain Nintendo Switch players.

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Drew Hurley
Top Critic
9 / 10
Sep 20, 2019

For the new generation who never even held a Game Boy (or picked it up in Virtual Console), this is a chance to experience this gaming masterpiece in its best form to date.

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Sep 20, 2019

Anyone who has never played Link's Awakening before should absolutely play Link's Awakening. It's a damning reflection on the entire industry, in terms of the respect that it shows for the artistry of video games, that a remake, rather than a re-release, was ever even contemplated as the way to give people renewed access to this classic.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2019

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening it's a phenomenal remake of a timeless classic. Grezzo took everything that made the original great and implemented lots of quality of life improvements that make it a joy to play. It also has a great art direction that took our breath away. We can't wait to play more remakes like this one in the future.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2019

A classic game that should not be missed by any adventure gamer on the Nintendo Switch

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2019

The selection of smart fixes makes the game less of a grind and mostly an experience that keeps on trucking. While I don't think much of the Chamber Dungeons and other added trinkets, the refinements made to the overall flow make the journey worth it. For newcomers or Zelda veterans, Link's Awakening is a hoot from beginning to end.

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8.1 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2019

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening was a wonderful game when it first released and this new Switch version may not deviate much from the original but it definitely looks and sounds great.

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