Relaxing With The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening at E3 2019

I feel as though the Game Boy Zelda titles have never really gotten as much love as they deserve. They’re really fantastic titles that work well on the go, so it makes sense that Link’s Awakening, one of these fantastic gems, would get remade for the Nintendo Switch. It was for this reason that I was stoked to try out the remake at E3 this week, and I was certainly not disappointed.

My demo began at the very start of Link’s Awakening, with Link getting lost at sea during a storm and waking up on an unfamiliar island. The demo’s time limit was long enough for me to reach the game’s first dungeon after navigating through a mysterious forest while being tricked by a mischievous raccoon. If this sounds charming, just wait until you see the game’s visual style.

It’s hard to pin exactly what inspired the visuals of the Link’s Awakening remake, but I’d describe it as a combination of creative toy-like designs with a storybook-esque color scheme. It’s all kinds of whimsical, and it really suits the dream-like atmosphere of Link’s Awakening. The upbeat but relaxing remixes of the original game’s tracks contribute to this feeling as well, making Link’s Awakening a rather relaxing demo for the increasingly-hectic E3 showfloor.

“My short time with the demo of Link’s Awakening could best be described as comfortable and fun.“

The remake’s gameplay is just like that of the original, which is exactly what I wanted. The fast-paced hack and slash gameplay of the portable 2D titles has always been my favorite type of gameplay in the Zelda series. It’s as quick and satisfying as ever, with a bit of extra challenge coming from enemies that no longer just wait to get attacked.

There was lots to do outside of the story too, though I didn’t get the chance to do much of it since the time limit was pretty strict. The crane machine store was in town, as was the shop (that you can still steal from!). The ever-intimidating Chain Chomp still bounces around on its leash in the starting area, which is still a nice little nod to Mario.

My short time with the demo of Link’s Awakening could best be described as comfortable and fun. It looks wonderful, sounds great, and plays exactly as it should. If the full game is as high-quality as my demo was, then its September 20th launch can’t come soon enough, and if this opens the doors to remakes of Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, then this could be the start of something truly excellent.