Hey, Listen! ‘Link’s Awakening’ Hits Switch Today, And It Sure Looks Like A Must-Buy

There are few things that excite gamers of the past and present quite like a remake. As the likes of Spyro and Crash Bandicoot have proved, throwing a classic into that mix can turn trepidation into mild hysteria.

With the latest addition to this ever-growing remake list, millions of people worldwide are about to be whipped into an outright frenzy after months of waiting for a ground-up recreation of one of the greatest games of all time.

Today (September 20), The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening reappears in glorious 3D, bringing the Game Boy classic to the Nintendo Switch. With it, a whole new generation of gamers is being introduced to what’s arguably the best title in the series, even if Breath of the Wild has seemingly pushed the franchise to the limits of greatness.

You might’ve found a rock big enough to shield you from the relentless commentary that the game has rightfully garnered. If so, let me be the first to tell you that Link’s Awakening sound like an experience that’s nothing short of exceptional: a lovingly curated remake that retains the top-down charm, combining it with a tilt-shift focus, delightful child-like art style and the gameplay that made the game an all-time great.

Of course, you shouldn’t just take my word for it. Here’s a Reader’s Digest version of reviews that should tip you over the edge–if you’re inexplicably on it in the first place.

What the critics say about Link’s Awakening

First up is Forbes’ very own Ollie Barder, who gave the game 10/10 and said of the experience:

Seeing a game you played through as kid brought to life like this is really remarkable, and what makes it so much more special is the fact the gameplay itself hasn’t been compromised. […] Overall, this is an excellent remake of an already faultless Zelda game. If you never played the Game Boy original, then you absolutely need to pick this up.

Following this perfect points score is USgamer’s Nadia Oxford, who bestowed the game with a 5/5:

The remake’s charming graphics, epic soundtrack, and hugely welcome improvements to its control scheme […] make it well worth Nintendo’s asking price. It’s a great game bestowed with great improvements. It is, in a word, dreamy.

Next is Joe Skrebels of IGN, who awarded Link’s Awakening a 9.4:

Just like a good time-travel yarn, the 2019 remake is out to correct mistakes and make more perfect what came before. I’m happy to say that, having finished this latest version of the story, all of my praise for Link’s Awakening remains intact, and my reservations have practically disappeared.

Jeff Cork of Game Informer gave it a 9/10, but was no less enthusiastic:

Link’s Awakening has always held a special place in my heart, but asking someone to go back to the original release is tough. With this remake, people don’t have any excuses for not playing through one of the best (and strangest) entries. I envy those of you who will be experiencing this for the first time, though revisiting it all these years later is still an absolute pleasure.

Finally, Nintendo Life’s PJ O’Reilly bestowed it with another 9/10 and said:

This beautiful Switch remake rebuilds all of this from the ground up in fine style. It adds modern conveniences, a dungeon creator, amiibo support and lots of little quality of life improvements whilst infusing every single square inch of Koholint – every secret passage, Piranha, Pokey and Pig Warrior – with a level of detail and depth that totally reinvigorates both its timeless story and classic Zelda gameplay for a whole new generation of gamers.

As for my thoughts? Annoyingly, my copy’s still at the mercy of the Royal Mail. For what it’s worth, my Zelda-mad friend–who received his preordered copy a day early–has already described the 10-rupee “Trendy Game”, which is essentially a claw crane challenge, in purely four-letter-word terms, but added that it’s otherwise perfect.

Don’t wait for my opinion; in the meantime, be sure to check out Ollie’s review in full here.