Its Miss M here and I’m ready to talk about something old. Gaming in Retrograde is a chance to relive retro modes of gaming from board games to video games. Today we are going to look back at one of the fabled adventures of Link, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. For decades now Link has been starring in a slew of adventures on various Nintendo platforms. For the most part each game has been beloved by fans, if not mostly ignored by me.

I wish I could say I have played every Legend of Zelda game, but the only experiences I have dealt with have been the first two titles on Nintendo, the beloved A Link to the Past on Super Nintendo, and a brief dabble with the Ocarina of Time. My interest in these games has mostly felt satiated. Each of those Zelda games was unique in their own levels of fun. The first Legend of Zelda is pure perfection. There was nothing like it at the time. Its sequel, The Adventure of Link took the first game and spun the series on its head. (I still have yet to beat that ridiculously difficult game.) Life changed forever though with A Link to the Past. It took everything that was wonderful about the first game and expanded it into a masterpiece. The Ocarina of Time shifted how we saw Link, literally.

There have been numerous Zelda titles since then, but I simply never found the interest to play more. Until now. Ever since the joy of virtual console on devices like the Nintendo Wii and the various DS systems, playing old school video games is right at our finger tips. A few weeks ago I had a free credit to purchase Link’s Awakening DX for the Nintendo 3DS.

The DX version was a re-release from the original Link’s Awakening in 1993 for the Game Boy. The DX version originally came out for the Game Boy Color in 1998 and sported an extra dungeon, color, and a camera function. I knew a little bit about the game from older issues of the defunct Nintendo Power, but playing it for the first time proved to be quite the experience.

The game starts off on a dangerous journey.

Link is lost at sea and ends up washing ashore on a place called Koholint Island.

Rescued by a girl named Marin, the two learn all kinds of things from each other. Marin finds Link very interesting, especially where he is from. She wants to learn all about Hyrule and his life. As Link explores the island he comes across various characters, particularly an owl that gives him hints about finding the Wind Fish.

In order to leave the island Link will have to find various instruments to wake up the Wind Fish.

Though this game plays like certain Zelda games, it certainly has that action-adventure style with the usual “Zelda” items, there are also many departures. Nothing takes place in Hyrule. There is no Triforce, but there are a set number of dungeons as well as heart containers. Playing this game was quite an experience, it felt similar enough to A Link to the Past, but the story line really set this game apart.

I won’t give away any spoilers to this game. I will say though that the ending is pretty cool, even though it is very likely that the player can totally figure out the “twists” of the story early on. However, I feel like if I had played this game when it originally debuted on the Game Boy in 1993 I probably would have been more moved by the events, but even though I sort of knew what was coming; it was still a nice ending.

Playing this game is a must though for anyone who has yet to enjoy it. Replay value is also pretty great since there are many things a player could miss out on the first go round. I finally beat the game last week, and since the saving features are strange for virtual console games on the 3DS, I have to actually back track quite a bit now. I’m fine with that though, because there is some fun charm with this game that I still don’t mind playing.

Link’s Awakening took Link to a new world with some unforgettable characters. The game play felt familiar (even though some of those dungeons were incredibly different than other Zelda games.) The score to this game was also new and added a thrilling sense of adventure (especially in those pesky dungeons!) All in all, Link’s Awakening was a nice game to experience, all these years later. That’s about it for now folks, stick around and see what will come up in the next Gaming in Retrograde. Take care everyone.

P.S. I do apologize for the uneven look of the pictures. It is a strange experience capturing pictures from a screen!

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