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.
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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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 3, 2019

After 26 years, returning to Koholint Island was a pleasant escape that provided a thoroughly realized game world that I had forgotten how much I loved. Most players will finish Link’s Awakening in under 10 hours, though collecting every seashell and piece of heart, or journeying through Hero mode after finishing a normal playthrough, will extend that game time dramatically. To some gamers’ dismay, this game is priced at $59.99 retail and in the US eShop. Complaints range from the relatively short campaign and cartoonish graphics to the fact of it not being a new game at all, but I would be challenged to find a more polished and charming game in 2019. For me, the weird, wonderful world of Koholint Island, with all of its funny characters, clever dungeons, and inspired background music, made the price tag worth every penny.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2019

While it has a few flaws, mostly in the performance department, don’t be fooled. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is still a dream come true.

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 24, 2019

Link's Awakening brings us back to a simpler time, when subtler changes to the Zelda formula were much more novel. It's just as charming now as it was back then, but some rough edges and a poor dungeon maker hold it back.

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 23, 2019

In the end, though these complaints cannot weight down the gaming experience that is The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. From the gorgeous visuals to the excellent puzzle design, this game offers a top-notch experience.

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 22, 2019
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8.4 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2019

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is an amazing remake that gives new life to a game 26 year old, with a brilliant art style and a perfect progression tied to the finding and the use of accessories. The only technical flaws is represented by some frame rate issues during the transition from an area to another one.

Review in Italian | Read full review

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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Metro GameCentral
Top Critic
8 / 10
Sep 19, 2019

The lack of any meaningful additions is a surprise, but it only underlines what a fantastic game the Game Boy original was, in what is still a classic Zelda title that thoroughly deserves the star treatment.

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GameSpot
Top Critic
8 / 10
Sep 19, 2019

Link's Awakening on Nintendo Switch is a smart remake that enhances the spirit of the original while upholding the things that made it a classic in the first place.

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8 / 10
Sep 19, 2019

With a quirkiness to it that stands out from the rest of the series, Link's Awakening still holds up beautifully well as a modern 2D Zelda game. Outside of some nagging performance issues, Link's Awakening is a wonderful remake of a Game Boy classic.

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Alex Donaldson
Top Critic
Sep 19, 2019

With a gorgeous presentation and smart and minimalist tweaks, it’s as charming and enjoyable now as it was in the nineties.

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4 / 5.0
Sep 23, 2019

Link's Awakening was a massive hit when it was first released, and today it's still just as amazing as it was 26 years ago.

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Guardian
Top Critic
Sep 20, 2019

Fans of the GameBoy curio will enjoy endless nostalgia with this 3D remake – but is it too faithful to the original?

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Sep 27, 2019

The Legend of Zelda has always had its delightful idiosyncracies --aggressive chickens, sultry fairies, Tingle-- but 1993 Game Boy adventure Link's Awakening has always been one of the most curious.

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Sep 24, 2019

Everyone can agree that it is a remake done right from the charming graphics and great music, and there couldn’t have been a better choice of Zelda game to bring to the Switch.

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Sep 27, 2019

Despite the single-trackness, the journey itself is filled with wonderful side characters, colorful enemies and a certain mystery not found in other Zelda games. We can almost explain it as a small resort, a place where we can sit back and recover the forces after the hard fight against Ganon in Breath of the Wild.

Review in Swedish | Read full review

8 / 10
Sep 19, 2019

Link's Awakening returns, this time under the guise of a marvelous-looking game for the Nintendo Switch with plenty of new content, a very improved item system that brings its gameplay to our days, and a higher difficulty level that does wonders for its level of challenge. The new Chamber Dungeon component ends up delivering less than it promised but the overall experience is not affected and this new version of Link's Awakening instantly becomes a new classic and the ultimate incarnation of one of Zelda's most beloved games.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

EGM
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2019

The remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is stuck between two places—the past and the present. Chances are that you've already made up your mind about whether or not to play it. It's a classic Zelda game given a second chance with a striking visual language and evocative, haunting musical reinterpretations. Making the jump from the Game Boy to the Switch means that you'll spend a lot less time changing items in the menu and much more time appreciating the meticulous clockwork of Koholint Island's challenges.

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4 / 5.0
Sep 19, 2019

This remake is absolutely charming, stunning, and visually striking, making it one of the prettiest Switch games out there.

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