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 1, 2019

Despite its modest handheld origins, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a true console experience. With updated aesthetics and superior controls (especially for inventory), it's shaping up to carry on the Game Boy legacy and be both a critical and commercial hit. An innovative, generally light-hearted installment that's full of surprises, Zelda enthusiasts won't want to overlook this game. Link's Awakening is also an ideal entry for those who aren't Zelda fans.

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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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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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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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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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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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Sep 24, 2019

With a host of enhancements that more than make it worth playing for newcomers and old fans alike, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening remains a brilliant example of impeccable design.

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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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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 / 10
Sep 19, 2019

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is just as magical as it ever was, and, in being remade, has lost none of the charm that made the original so special in the first place.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 27, 2019

From start to finish, Link’s Awakening was a delight. Its setting, cast, and quest stand apart from the rest of The Legend of Zelda series; and with its gorgeous visuals and added conveniences, it marks the perfect way to revisit this Game Boy classic.

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9 / 10
Oct 2, 2019

EXCELLENT - The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is a fantastic experience from start to finish. With an incredibly adorable art style and stunning soundtrack the most noticeable upgrades, it’s the improved control scheme that really makes this game more approachable than ever before. Newcomers can expect at least 15 hours of game (more if you want to collect everything), whereas veterans should have no trouble blowing through the game at a much quicker pace. The value will be in the eye of the beholder, but after seeing the credits roll I felt the $60 price tag was more than fair.

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90 / 100
Oct 7, 2019

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is one of the cutest and most unforgettable experiences you can ever had on a Nintendo Switch. The game is almost carbon copy of the original one but has that little touches to improve the experience. That is the kind of remake we always want to see.

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9 / 10
Sep 23, 2019

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on Nintendo Switch is an amazing fresh remake, that makes it look like this game never really came out whole 26 years ago. It manages to bring new visuals, amazing remastered soundtrack and still maintain the old level design to bring you the ultimate Link's Awakening package.

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9 / 10
Sep 20, 2019

A great remake of a great game, one that still has the power to capture your imagination.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Sep 26, 2019

While it isn’t technically a new game, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening looks and feels as fresh and inviting as any new game released on the Switch. It preserves all the strange, playful fun of the original while utterly transforming it visually and mechanically, and preserves everything that made Link’s Awakening a classic.

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Fintendo
Kasper Honkanen
Nov 4, 2019

"No nightmares allowed."

Review in Finnish | Read full review

Nov 7, 2019

Overall, I’ve very much enjoyed my time with the Nintendo Switch remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. I’m glad for the addition of the Chamber Dungeons mode, and that the hidden Color Dungeon returned. I also think it’s nice to go back to a more standard Zelda experience after Breath of the Wild. There are plenty of proper dungeons (plus custom chamber dungeons) here. The main game’s dungeons give you the satisfaction of finding new items and abilities, and using them to access new areas. Some will be happy this time that Link doesn’t have to deal with annoyances like not being able to climb because of incessant rain, or annoying breakable weapons (some of which make the weaponsmiths of Hyrule look bad). The smaller world in Link’s Awakening also means the core Zelda gameplay is more condensed compared to Breath of the Wild (where it is comparatively more diluted). I have spent 30+ hours adventuring on Koholint Island so far. In that time I’ve completed everything in the game except for a few of the gold tier challenges in Chamber Dungeons mode at this point. The game is available both at retailers and in the Nintendo Switch eShop for $59.99. Can you acquire all eight Instruments of the Sirens and make it to the Wind Fish?

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9 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2019

Condensing the evaluation of a production like the remake of The Legend Of Zelda Link's Awakening, with a simple vote is, at times, demeaning towards the work itself.

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8.9 / 10.0
Sep 18, 2019

Disappointing chamber dungeon building aside, TLOZ Link's Awakening for Switch is the best version you can play right now. The updated animations are somewhat cutesy, but the improved controls, which cut out annoying item switching, should be the biggest selling point for newbies and hardcore fans alike.

Review in German | Read full review