Topic: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX Impressions

[TJ Spyke]

Looks like you mixed up the SML and LOZ threads.

Was there any mention of the GBC version ever coming out on the service?

[NWR_Neal]

Go back to a time when "DX" was used to append ports instead of "3D" or "DS."

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressions/24833

Nintendo had two demos of the 3DS Virtual Console on display at their event in New York City. One of them was The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX. The title is the 1998 Game Boy Color re-release of Link's Awakening, which initially came out in 1993 on the Game Boy.

Link's Awakening looks great on the top screen of the 3DS, and it especially benefits from actually being in color unlike its Virtual Console counterpart Super Mario Land. It's exciting to know that this gem of a Game Boy title will be out right away when 3DS Virtual Console hits.

The controls for the game show up on the bottom screen. This might have been just for this demo, but I personally hope that feature stays in the final release. It's nice to be able to see what each button does on the fly, though I hope they use the bottom screen in more interesting ways, such as displaying your online friends list or letting you access the game's manual while playing.

There is no set release for the 3DS Virtual Console. However, Link's Awakening is slated to be a launch title for the service when it hits. No pricing has been announced.

[NWR_Neal]

Fixed.

What GBC version? Are you referring to Super Mario Bros. Deluxe?

[UncleBob]

I have to say, I'm excited about this.  Who needs that other crappy Zelda - *THIS* is not only the best Zelda game ever, but is the best video game ever made period, ever and ever, past, present or future.  No other game can ever hope to surpass this game.

I've had some of the music from this game in my head most of the day.  I was thinking about replaying it... so the question I'm left with, should I go ahead and replay it again now, or wait for the downloadable version?

Also, curious as to how the VC will handle the photo hunt/printing.  I wonder if it'll just export the pics to the 3DS's memory so you can print them that way.  That'd be neat.

[TJ Spyke]

Legend of Zelda. This made more sense before you switched it because I replied to your Zelda impressions.

[MegaByte]

If they aren't going to do anything else with the bottom screen, it'd be nice if they let you turn it off to save power.

[gojira]

This is my favorite Zelda game and since my copy of Link's Awakening DX has gone missing I may have to pick this up.

[Kytim89]

If they aren't going to do anything else with the bottom screen, it'd be nice if they let you turn it off to save power.

I agree with the turning off of one screen to conserve power, but I would not mind having the ability to toggle which screen I want to use (bottom screen) via a menu like the original DS and Lite.

[ejamer]

Having played through the original Game Boy version last year, this game holds up extremely well.  I would recommend waiting to replay it until the 3DS is available though (unless you have a GBA SP).  Seeing the game on a beautiful screen like in the video makes it look so much better than on older hardware.

[NWR_Neal]

Legend of Zelda. This made more sense before you switched it because I replied to your Zelda impressions.

For the record, the Link's Awakening game IS the GBC one.

[KDR_11k]

I might pick it up, my flea market LA cart died shortly after I beat the game.

[SupaKirb]

Hey Neal Is there any word on the price of VC games such as this? Unless it's posted here and I missed it.  Do you imagine it will be sorta like the Wii, where games were either 1000 or 500 points? I imagine this would be one of the more expensive GB games you could purchase. Do you have a guess at what the base price would be for most of the 3DS's VC games though?

[Ian Sane]

This is the greatest game I have played in my life.  I'm glad that I am not alone in thinking that.  This is the only title of any significant length that I have beaten twice.

Link's Awakening just has incredlble balance.  For those that think Wind Waker is too silly or Twilight Princess is too serious this games is the ultimate balance between the two "tones" of Zelda.  It has some really fun light-hearted stuff and a bit of comedy but also has some dark overtones to it, particularly as more information about the Wind Fish is revealed.  Skyward Sword's graphics are going for a combination of light-hearted and epic.  This is the standard it will be compared to.

Another thing I love about it is the dungeon-to-sidequest ratio.  A lot of the really popular Zeldas like A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time get into a funk later in the game where it is just dungeon, dungeon, dungeon.  Then you have something like Majora's Mask that doesn't have enough dungeons.  The pacing for this one is perfect.  Each dungeon requires a special key to access.  Therefore between dungeons you involve yourself in sidequests to obtain the key.  The game never throws multiple dungeons in a row at you but also doesn't make you wait around forever for the next dungeon.  It just has tremendous pacing.

If you don't have this buy it the first day you get a 3DS!  It is an essential purchase for not just a Nintendo fan but any fan of videogames period.

[UncleBob]

If you don't have this Even if you already have multiple copies of this, buy it the first day you get a 3DS!  It is an essential purchase for not just a Nintendo fan but any fan of videogames period.

Fixed that for you, Ian.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Never really got that far in Link's Awakening, so I'm looking forward to downloading this and playing through it.

[TheBlackCat]

I love link's awakening, but I am a little sad that I won't be able to do the map teleport glitch.

[GK]

Have the original but missed out on DX. Looks like I'll have the chance to rectify this.

[SonofMrPeanut]

@NWR_Neal  He's not referring to a color remake but rather the color added to old GB games by the GBC automatically.    E.G. - On my GBC, Super Mario Land 2 inserted light greenish blue to the existing black and white.

[KnowsNothing]

For once I have to agree with Ian; Link's Awakening is my favorite game of all time.  I really have nothing to add that hasn't been said...I just feel this strange urge to express my opinion whenever people are talking about this game.  It's just so perfect.

On the subject of LA, here is an OC Remix album based on the game's soundtrack.  I have yet to give it a proper listen but I know there's a lot of talent over at OC Remix so I suspect it's pretty good.  If nothing else it'll provide some nostalgia.

[King of Twitch]

Aw heck yea. Thank you KN.

[Mop it up]

Wow. If Ian Sane calls something a great game then it must really be the best videogame of all time.

I don't really see its greatness myself. It was certainly a good game, but it had issues. Like collecting Secret Seashells to get the level 2 sword, which was pretty tedious and couldn't be obtained until the end of the game, when it didn't matter anymore. With the Power Tunic you can get from the added Dungeon of Color, it also made it kind of redundant.

[UncleBob]

Wow. If Ian Sane calls something a great game then it must really be the best videogame of all time.

I don't really see its greatness myself. It was certainly a good game, but it had issues. Like collecting Secret Seashells to get the level 2 sword, which was pretty tedious and couldn't be obtained until the end of the game, when it didn't matter anymore. With the Power Tunic you can get from the added Dungeon of Color, it also made it kind of redundant.

Actually, you can get the Level 2 sword pretty early in the game - it only requires 20 seashells and there are 26 total in the game.  I believe the earliest you can grab the sword is before entering Level 5 - or less than half-way through the game.

As for the tunics... meh.  I *think* that the Red Tunic stacks with the sword, making you super-strong.  While I do love the photo hunt and the colorized graphics of the DX re-release, I do have to agree that the extra level was a bit of a let-down.

[GK]

It's not like you needed the sword to beat the game. I pulled it off without ever getting it.

[Mop it up]

I'm not saying you need the sword, but the process of obtaining it is simply not fun. I didn't even get it on my first playthrough because some seashells are hidden in very random places. I like to get 100% on a game if I can, and Link's Awakening is not fun to do that. But yes, the game's pretty easy so a stronger sword isn't needed.

[GK]

I'm not saying you need the sword, but the process of obtaining it is simply not fun. I didn't even get it on my first playthrough because some seashells are hidden in very random places. I like to get 100% on a game if I can, and Link's Awakening is not fun to do that. But yes, the game's pretty easy so a stronger sword isn't needed.

I get what you mean. Yeah, it wasn't exactly enjoyable & I only put effort into looking for those shells after getting killed by the last boss a few times. I ain't gonna lie, I'll probably use gamefaqs or something if/when I download this on 3DS for shell locations.