The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX

"On par with the original...It's a VERY good thing."

Ah, my memories with this one go way back.

My first ever Game Boy game, along with Pokemon Red. While the latter has become old and outdated, this one never has gotten old. It is in every aspect as good as the original, and probably my 3rd favorite Zelda game, behind #1 Ocarina of Time and #2 Link to the Past, just beating out Wind Waker and Majora's Mask.

Gameplay: 10/10

Absolutely perfect.

For those who don't know, 2-D Zelda games are (almost) all overhead advenure games that involve a young man named Link trying to save the land, be it the traditional Hyrule, Labryanna, Holodrum, or the mythical island of Kolohint, the setting of this game. The games involve taking Link through a collection of Dungeons (usually 8) whose entrances are scattered throughout the land. In each dungeon, Link gets a special weapon or other item that can be used to complete the dungeon, as well as other dungeons.

The game remedies many of the complaints with the previous Zelda games, like the ability to equip two different items at the same time (instead of one item and one sword). This allows you to, say, switch between the bow and the bombs on the fly.

As for everything else, controls are precise, and items never become useless (except maybe the shovel, but you can trade that in for a boomerang eventually). It's a great adventure that isn't hard to pick up, and is VERY hard to put down.

Graphics: 10/10

Virtually the most beautiful title on the Game Boy ever. Link moves around with unmatched splendor, and a wide array of well-animated enemies, dank dungeons that are likely to intimidate you at least a bit, and fearsome bosses provide him quite a challenge. Towns are cheery, mountains feel like...well, like mountains, swamps, dark forests, and deserts, and none feel out of place.

Sound: 10/10

This game has some of the best tunes in the Zelda franchise. Maybe I'm just a sucker for old-school video game music, but I found the music in this title more appealing than even Ocarina of Time. No sound effects are out of place, and the music is perfect for each individual area.

Replay Value:8/10

Not perfect, but still great. You've got the traditional trading side-quest that was first established in this game, then built upon in Ocarina of Time, as well as quite a few well-hidden Heart Pieces to make Link as strong as he can possibly be, and hidden Secret Seashells to make Link's sword more powerful.

Story: 9/10

This game starts out with Link sailing away from Hyrule, seemingly on a quest of self-discovery, when a storm engulfs his ship and causes him to wash up on a mysterious island where he is rescued by a young girl named Marin. What he finds, however, is that the island exists only in a dream world, and if he ever hopes to leave, he must seek out a mystical entity only known as the Wind Fish.

Although it is almost directly a rip-off of Super Mario Brothers 2, it's still pretty interesting and captivating, as Link struggles to let go of the denizens of the imaginary island that he has come to know and love.

The best part of the story, though, is the multitude of references to other Nintendo games. Speaking of Super Mario Brothers 2, Wart, the main villain of this game, makes an appearance, under his Japanese name of Mamu. Enemies from Mario include Goombas, Pirana Plants, and Chain Chomp (appearing as "Bow-Wow"). Kirby makes an appearance as an enemy named Anti-Kirby, who attempts to suck Link up. Yoshi also appears as a doll, and is the first item in the trading sequence.

In general, this game is definitely one of the best titles in an already amazing series. Pick it up if you have a Game Boy/Color/Advance/SP/Micro; even if you aren't a fan of Zelda, you will NOT be disappointed. It's a fun game, and is probably one of the very best Game Boy titles of all time.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/04/06