The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX

"A definite must-buy"

This was my very first Zelda game. I got it in September of 1999, and was surprised at how good it was, both in appearance and in game play.
GRAPHICS: 10/10
This is excellent for a Gameboy game. Everything still fits on a tile, but you can move ''between'' them, which gives you the impression of more freedom. The animation is really good too, like when Link jumps or runs with the Pegasus Boots. The enemy designs are cool too. Overall, a perfect score.
MUSIC/SOUND: 10/10
The music is good. It features the classic Zelda theme, and does a good job of getting you into the game. The graphic help as well, and you can forget where you are in the real world. The music suits the mood, like in the mountains you hear a sort of hiking music, and in caves it's darker and more gloomy.
The sound is just as great. I was surprised at how much work this went into. Practically everything you do has its own special sound. Heck, if you hit different parts of the wall with your sword, the sound changes! This, along with the music and impressive graphics, really draw you into the game.
STORY: 9/10
This is the only Zelda game that has nothing to do with Zelda. You are stranded on a foreign island, and to get back you have to awaken this entity known as the Wind Fish. Unfortunately for you, he is sleeping in this big egg, and to wake him up you must collect these eight instruments. There are a few twists and turns as well. Not an incredibly new story, but certainly not bad either.
GAMEPLAY: 10/10
This game has a top-down view, allowing you to see much of what's in Link's field of view. I never found the camera to be annoying (it's only in 2D, but I don't care) as you can see everything equally well. You rarely have to squint, since you can see stuff pretty well even in the darker dungeons.
Besides the eight instruments, you have an inventory, which increases as you meet people and complete dungeons. This can be anything from the standard shield to the powerful magic rod. The dungeons have a good combination of puzzle-solving and baddy bashing, and don't get too frustrating. The only thing that gets annoying is that to switch items, you have to access your inventory with the START button, and switch. It's pretty fast, but gets on your nerves. Still, it's not too bad.
CHALLENGE: 10/10
This game is just right, with just the right amount of difficulty. However, it gets much harder around the 7th dungeon or so, where the puzzles are long and complicated, and the later bosses are quite tough if you don't know how to go about beating them. Still, a good level.
REPLAY VALUE: 6/10
Well, once you've beaten the game, you can go back to find more Secret Seashells, die less times, or find all 12 heart pieces... standard RPG stuff. There's an extra ending, but it's not really different from the normal one. This one's merely average.
OVERALL: 10/10
This game is one of the best ever made. It combines fun gameplay with a good immersion factor. If you're looking for a long-lasting game, get this. You won't be disappointed.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/14/01, Updated 02/14/01