Link's Awakening Retrospective

[@KingKlonoa]

I wanted to address something: I've recently moved into a new house, if the audio sounds weird that's simply me attempting to adjust to my new surroundings. There's nothing wrong with me, I'm perfectly healthy: thank you for your concern!

[@Michael.Hunt.14-52]

I wasn't sure whether you were sick or I was way behind on your videos

[@supersonicfan325]

Just wanted to clarify, Did you say you were uploading 7 video's today?..er, yesterday ...the 1st lol

[@TheRedBaron1917]

Glad to hear it!

[@GerFubDhuw]

BTW in OoT you can use a stick to light the bomb flowers.

[@dduuddeechil]

Thank you so much for making a video on a 2D Zelda, this is my 3rd favorite video of yours so far!

[@kyrroti]

My favorite thing to do was to go to the wind fish egg after each dungeon and play the song with one more instrument than last time.

[@WickedNPC]

I didn't know you could do that. I will make sure to do it the next time I play the game.

[@Alakaizer]

Pretty sure the earliest you could start that was partly through Level 3.

[@MegaZeta]

@@Alakaizer Sounds like a Boundary Break episode waiting to happen

[@The_Metroid]

Dude, I tried that on my first playthrough, and it scared the crap out of me because I thought I was about to face the boss unintentionally. Lol.

[@lellymapommscymbillnos336]

HOLY SHIT I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD DO THAT

[@hyper-thermal]

About the story: I always took the ending of Marin being a seagull as a strong implication that the residents of Koholint were other living beings trapped in the Windfish's dream, similar to Link.

[@Urammar]

This is the hottest take, I really like it. But doesn't that mean link was actually killing things too? Like, they went actually monsters, then. They were like.. Other seagulls and stuff

[@ilfirinms]

​@@Urammar Only good creatures, bad creatures are nightmare. Cheap, but works.

[@miamimagicians]

You should see the ending for sonic 2 four game gear

[@SP-nt4sr]

They were trapped souls of the damned. Each person on the island had committed terrible acts in life and the wind fish was their hell. Link released them on the world by waking the wind wlfish and would spend the rest of his life (eternity?) attempting to right that wrong. The real question is why was link sent there when he came so close to death? What dark secrets does this elfin adolescent hold?

[@ElleRoni]

So Tarin really was a raccoon/tanuki

[@STRONTIumMuffin]

Did you know you can use the stick to burn the bomb and open the shortcut.

[@justinparks8928]

Wait really? I didn't know that you can use the stick to burn the bomb and open the shortcut. I wonder if KingK knows this?

[@XmodxgodX]

BRB going to comment that on the OoT video.

[@januszeal6693]

Dick move

[@XmodxgodX]

@@januszeal6693 I actually didn't. Instead I told him about the Zora that hinted about giving the fish to Jabu Jabu.

[@everythingpony]

@@XmodxgodX or what about in Goron City there's a Goron or two that tells you that there is a certain song that Goron boss likes?

[@wompus_king]

Zelda Timeline is a myth. All games are recurring dreams of the Wind Fish.

[@Audiotrocious]

Steven Petrillo I support this idea XD

[@qunt100]

I agree. The wind fish just becomes a myth and a legend, and becomes forgotten, so no one mentions it. In twilight princess, shad be like, man who made the hylians yo? Is it the ooca? No shad, it was the wind fish, that is who.

[@IkanaMaskedMan]

I knew It!!! And they said i was a madlad

[@theconnected7234]

that makes far too much sense for Nintendo to get behind it

[@ItsMrstoyouboo]

Ok that got me way too hyped.

[@WhoIsSirChasm]

I want to agree with the "no wasted time" point, but if I have to read "Wow, this is pretty heavy! It looks like you won't be able to pick this up with just your bare hands..." any more than I already have I'm going to punch something.

[@KingKlonoa]

That... is a good point.

[@MarisaReset]

Also, Link's Awakening DX doesn't let you skip past that incidental text with the B button, for some reason. It's the one thing that kind of makes me prefer the non-color version.

[@ZipplyZane]

It should have just been removed from the DX version, at least, once you actually have used the bracelet.

[@PrinceValmont]

And don't forget the eternal "Guardian Acorn" song whenever you picked one up. Instant volume off.

[@ZipplyZane]

I guess I'm the only one who never really minded the song. And it was useful for knowing it was active.

[@ProtomanBlues87]

Funfact: This game had bomb arrows before Twilight Princess.

[@Benjamillion]

Even more interesting is the fact that in the 1989 Zelda cartoon, Link rides on his shield, long before it was a thing in BotW years later.

[@connerrobles-emery3672]

@@Benjamillion Breath of the Wild seemed to reference most of the games if you include the Leviathans and Blood Moon. There's no real easy timeline to place it in. I almost feel like BOTW is the real timeline and the old games were stories told by the people who survived, based on what they knew and their surroundings.

[@Alakaizer]

Link's Awakening also has the most OP combo: Flying Rooster and Boomerang.

[@dogsbecute]

@@connerrobles-emery3672 didnt nintendo say something along the lines of BotW being so far in the future that all timelines are irrelevant except skyward sword and its origin story

[@geschnitztekiste4111]

@@connerrobles-emery3672 That's such a cool theory

[@pyrrhickong]

What I think I love most about Link’s Awakening is how tight-knit it feels. The game was developed essentially as a passion project from devs just wanting to throw in their own ideas as it expanded from a simple test of trying to port LttP. So cute stuff like “throw in Goombas” or “what if Wart from Mario 2 were an NPC” were thrown in really early, and eventually the kitchen got a bunch of cooks in it all just trying to contribute their best and tighten it up, so much so that Nintendo just let them keep their passion project and release it as a full game. I love the sense of camaraderie the game provides, weaving the trading quest into story progression so that you really do get to bond with the islanders and just enjoy this wacky world where there are pet Chain Chomps and the guy from Sim City really wants to have a girlfriend. It all just feels so playful and fun, and like everyone will have to go their separate ways after this project is over, but they’ll always have this project to learn from and grow from. Probably one of my favorite reflective meta-narratives in games. I really do adore Link’s Awakening, it’s in my Top 3 Zeldas somewhere with Majora and the NES Original, all of them because they deviate from the formula (or I guess were deviated from in the case of Zelda 1) and are just so proud of their own identities, so unabashedly happy to be their own games instead of the “next great Zelda”. Love your points on the items, something I didn’t even consider during my playthrough, and how that limits unnecessary or underutilized mechanics supremely elegantly. And just… yeah, I wish more Zelda games were more neat and compact whilst also having a strong bond with the world around them. As for the dream ending, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance actually does something rather similar. The entire world is changed from a realistic place where shit sucks, a kid’s dad is a loser alcoholic, and your brother is crippled to a fantasy world where that alcoholic loser dad is like a superhero knight policeman, everyone can get cool magic powers, and your brother isn’t crippled anymore. And the main character has to wake everyone up because turning to your fantasies isn’t realistic, which… feels a bit mixed and muddled since he’s re-crippling his brother, but y’know, it’s a similar message here. But I prefer it here, as the regret feels organic - Marin isn’t a seagull who wanted to be human please don’t make me a seagull again, you just want her to be okay because you really like her and no one seems any the wiser. I really prefer and enjoy that kind of organic world building and connection - I dunno, I just thought it was an interesting point of discussion and something to look into. Vid’s good. That’s pretty consistent feedback from me, I know, but vid’s good!

[@gon3302]

pyrrhickong no more gay anime avatars

[@Lyoko1309]

If FFTA had leaned into the problems Ivalice was causing for people, it would have flowed better. You find the bullies from the start as zombies in a later mission, and it's implied not everyone is better off in Ivalice, but the game doesn't try enough.

[@wc3tutor253]

@pyrrhickong - well said :)

[@Nuisance_Bear]

You perfectly encapsulated my feelings about this game. Link's Awakening is my favorite Zelda game no contest - I'm probably kind of biased as it was the first one I played and completed, but I love the game itself as well as the story behind it. Koholint Island is beautifully fleshed out while also leaving a lot to the imagination. eg, whenever I think about this game I always think about the ghost that starts following you and who they are.

[@Atlessa]

are we related somehow? :p @topic: I personally think LA has the best story and some of the best world building out of all the Zelda games.

[@miguelb5661]

"I don't envy the child that had to contend with something this complex." Oh yeah, that child right here. i remember being stuck in that dungeon for what felt like ages. navigating the dungeon wasn't the problem. i didn't put two and two together and realize u had to use the iron ball to knock down the pillars. once i figure that out, the rest of the dungeon was pretty easy. love the boss fight as well.

[@florentchif4551]

Same here, I started to play this game when I was 4... I was not able to read... when I was stuck I was asking someone in my family to read to make sure I was not missing something. I took me months to finish the game, but damn for a 4 years old child these months were so epic.

[@kylehart8829]

That dungeon cemented this as my favorite Zelda game. It's what every Zelda dungeon should strive to be, where the whole dungeon and its layout slowly piece together to make one cohesive puzzle, requiring you to think out of the box and use earlier items creatively. As opposed to having 5 simple, discrete puzzles focused around a boring single mechanic that are designed to be solved in under half an hour.

[@lapthom]

In this game, as a 10 year old, I was really only stuck at level 2: " First, defeat the imprisoned Pols Voice, Last, Stalfos." Took me awhile to figure out what that obscure clue meant, as I had no idea that it referred to names of the enemies and the internet wasn't a thing back then.

[@qunt100]

I remember being stuck in turtle rock for a long while, and it took a while to figure out eagle's tower as well. I almost found it really difficult to defeat the boss in eagle's tower without the sword upgrade. If not impossible. The hidden bombable wall in the last dungeon, and that one mini boss that you kill, and then you have to leave to go to the top ledge, just so you can reach the chest it spawns. As a new player, you will end up killing it twice. Other than that, it wasn't super hard, but i remember being stuck in link's awakening on turtle rock for a while. I got to the actual mini boss, killed him, and found myself unable to get the magic rod. Because of that one crystal switch that i absolutely could not find.

[@EnzoDraws]

I played this game for the first time last week and I was stuck for several HOURS because I had the exact same problem: I didn't know you could carry the iron ball to other rooms because, well, in this game every item you carry dissappears when you cross another screen. So there I was, not even considering it for the longest time. I am 26 years old.

[@connerrobles-emery3672]

I had a dream when I was a teenager that lasted two weeks over a single night. I made these friends and we were fighting to save this town. It was dark, magical, and colorful in ways I wish I could describe. We hit a setback, but we all still had hope that we could win. And then I woke up. I started crying as I realized I would never see my friends again and that I'd eventually forget who they were on an individual level. And that's what happened. I still remember scenes vividly to this day. The giant grey snake on the moon who offered us guidance. The city made of colorful cardboard that looked like a diorama contrasting with the real and expansive night sky. The people are gone. The enemy is gone. But the places and what I felt are something that drift back into my head every now and then. I remember waking up having this understanding that this was what death is like. A sharp ending and eventual peaceful forgetting. I obviously can't know if that is true, but I like to think it is. I've had many strange and esoteric dreams before and since, but they all were usually a day or two and none felt like the loss of a living life the way that one did.

[@rokor3578]

That's crazy dude. You reminded me about how I made a friend in a dream once and how real it felt in the moment. Dreams are kinda scary sometimes.

[@connerrobles-emery3672]

@@rokor3578 Yeah, they're super weird like that. When I was younger I treated them as equal to real memories and experiences, which might be why they used to be much more vivid. It led to some horrifying shit, though, too. I think the worst was when I accidentally killed a guy with a shovel. After freaking out, I buried him on a hill under a tree. Everything except a rectangle where you could still see his piercing gradient green-blue eyes. (Picture the colors from The Sims 4 CAS backgrounds. It is eerily similar and is a constant signifier of death for me, for whatever reason.) I woke up and was relieved it was a dream. Got ready for school, only to receive a phone call from the man saying he was coming for me. I woke up and my chest was beating, but eventually calmed down. When I walked into the living room, he was there knocking on the door. I realized it was a dream that time and tried desperately to wake up. When I eventually did, I turned over in bed to find him looming over me. Then I actually woke up. I swear my brain just hates me. That one fucked me up for a few hours.

[@clayosiris6002]

musta been some good korok leaf you were smokin

[@lomarivosa1]

Maybe you should right a book.

[@scottgrohs5940]

I have a running theory that some dreams are actually alternate realities your consciousness transfers to while you sleep. I too have had several recurring dreams, including multiple ones in the same resort hotel, and even one where the NPCs were all expecting “me” to go comatose right before I woke up.

[@LaBarata12]

Did you know that you can jump on the goombas with the roc's feather for an instant kill and a guaranteed heart?

[@arvindhmani06]

Thankfully yes

[@Njbudesa]

My favorite Zelda ever. Such a unique feeling to this Zelda with enemies not seen in any other Zelda. Also, the island and it’s people have a very sad, fatalistic aura about them. Such a great game.

[@khav11]

you look like a kid no wonder you have such a ridiculous take on the zelda games pencil neck.

[@Njbudesa]

@@khav11 LMAO. Cute.

[@rokor3578]

@@khav11 were you born stupid or do you strive to be?

[@khav11]

@@rokor3578 16 yo dinosaur fan says what? you mad cuz you're still a virgin? NEXT!

[@rokor3578]

@@khav11 so born stupid and strive to be wow incredible

[@coreymack6208]

i just like how technically impressive the game is. The world isn't as big as Link to the past but it's still a complete world with 8 main dungeons, a side dungeon, plenty of heart pieces, seashells, and rupees secretly hidden every where. My only complaint is the controls. I feel the power bracelet should have been passively equipped. I honestly didn't mind the bosses being easy because getting to that point of the dungeon was challenge enough and i just wanted it to be over

[@Tiana_atr]

Problem with doing something like passively equipping the power bracelet is the lack of buttons. This was an original gameboy game. Your buttons are the directional pad, A, B, Start, and Select and that's it. There really isn't any place to keybind something that's permanently equipped unfortunately.

[@ZipplyZane]

It could be done. It would just require the concept of an action button. Make it where, if you push up against a bolder, then the A button changes to the bracelet. But that concept wasn't a think until Ocarina of Time. And it would be weird if it wasn't used for anything else. And I didn't find the bosses to be all that easy. I'll agree the Angler fish was easy once I realized I could spam the attack button, but that took some work. But I found the genie pretty hard in that last phase due to the low heart count. The eyeball was hard enough, too. So was the Eagle and Hothead. And the Slime Eel, while not particularly hard, felt satisfying. Facade was easy, sure, but after the dungeon itself being so hard (using full 3D map knowledge and the hardest puzzles in the game) it was a welcome bit of respite. Then again, this was my first Zelda game, and the first game I ever beat. Maybe it would seem easier to me as an adult.

[@unknownghostx]

Lmao I'm playing Link's Awakening for the 1st time, got to agree with you, the bosses are really easy, anyway it's ironic considering the next dungeon I have to do is Eagle's Tower

[@DarthFennec]

"When you have to go back to Kokiri forest and get Saria's Song to cheer up Darunia, there aren't many hints available that would lead you to that conclusion." What are you talking about? Doesn't Navi, the designated hint-giver, nag you constantly to go talk to Saria during that part of the game? That's what I remember happening anyway.

[@turtleanton6539]

Yes

[@davidabest7195]

This dude isn't very educated when it comes to zelda games. All off the things he listed about LA as new ideas/items were just rehashes from ALttP. Even the music tracks he said he liked were from ALttP originally lol. Zoomers gonna zoom I guess.

[@Reir0o]

When i was little and First played the game i was like "what do you WANT, NAVI? So annoying. What? Saria? What would Saria possibly help me with right now? Cant you see im trying to get past Darunia? Shhooosh! Stop bothering me."

[@Buttington_Headerson]

"Despite the game not incentivising you to (talk to the npcs)"? Aside from all the information and lore you get from them, the entire point. ???????

[@thomastroster60]

And it's not the kind of nag where you have to press C to listen to her. She literally interrupts you again and again telling you to go to Saria xD

[@pancakekun7178]

This video is about to blow up

[@orinp2701]

And act like it dont know nobody

[@michaelroberts4435]

GET DOWN!!

[@TheJazzMan333]

Considering this was the first Zelda game I ever played, I greatly appreciate the inclusion of the first cut scene, and the final cut scene (with the Wind Fish). That final cut scene had me drudging nostalgic feelings I didn't expect to have today. Great video.

[@unclerichardssmokedetector9769]

Link’s Awakening DX is my favorite Zelda game... ever. Out of all other 2D games, and even all of the 3D ones, I always enjoy this game over every other Zelda. I am so happy you made this, and I hope you remember happy that you made this analysis aswell.

[@mistertagomago7974]

I think this game is just the most pure fun of all the Zelda games. Itsnot perfect and on paper Alttp is the superior game but this is the one thats most satisfying to play. I think part of it is how good it feels to swing your sword in this game.

[@Atlessa]

@CabinDoor "people calling OoT the best game ever created and the game falling way short of that" That's how I feel about BotW...

[@spaghettiioassassin8151]

Pyrrha Nikos nah OOT deserves all of its praise. BotW sucked tho.

[@1122markj]

I hope you remember happy too!

[@Ethan-wx5pz]

Then you must be excited for the remake

[@chipset_reload4346]

I had the original game (black&white). This is definitely one of my top 5 games of my childhood. Watching this video bought back some really good memories.

[@Sebby_Nineteen]

I'm very sure DX stood for Deluxe, not Director's Cut.

[@KingKlonoa]

You know what, it probably does, but Sonic Adventure DX made me think that DX meant Director's Cut.

[@BenHowe901]

@@KingKlonoa Understandable. It's kind of an inconsistent naming thing throughout video games.

[@xianicarus8770]

@@KingKlonoa Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut meant "Deluxe: Director's Cut"

[@hotdogfingerz9674]

It means directors deluxe cut and knuckles

[@PiousMoltar]

I always thought Sonic Adventure DX also meant deluxe

[@thatonestormtrooper2760]

I once dreamed up an entire person and came to care about that person deeply. Waking up and realizing that person never existed was a strange feeling to say the least.

[@gamingguru2k6]

My favorite handheld zelda. I am always very nostalgic for it.

[@Atlessa]

MY favourite Zelda, handheld or otherwise. Closely followed by TP, with MM being a strong third place. And for the record, I think BotW doesn't deserve to carry the "Zelda" title, and I'm convinced it would have scored 5s and 6s if it were of a different franchise.

[@zworm99]

@@Atlessa What are you talking about? Botw is a fantastic game, sporting lots of exploration in line with how the original Zelda was: an exploration-adventure game.

[@Atlessa]

​@@zworm99 Except that there's nothing TO explore. The world is as empty and boring as the worlds of Skyrim, Oblivion, GTA and Far Cry before it. I played for 18 hours and I found exactly ONE type of "dungeon" texture, scattered across 12 or so of those shrines that give you this game's version of heart pieces. But YAY! EXPLORATION! Now excuse me, I'll go back to playing Twilight Princess. At least that had interesting level design.

[@zworm99]

@@Atlessa Alright, fair enough. I agree that the world has some empty space, but many of the dungeons, koroks, and even storybits are entirely optional and up to the player to discover (and there's A LOT of each to collect). The dungeons unfortunately blend together thematically a little too much, especially in the case of divine beasts which you'd think would be more uniquely designed but whatever. However, to say that there is NOTHING to explore is down right offensive; there's an abundance of secrets behind bombable walls, puzzles you need to solve etc etc. Everyone has their own opinions of course and while some dungeons can be a bit underwhelming the process of discovering them is not (in my opinion at least).

[@baltoderpfish9471]

hope your heart can handle that nostalgia attack of the 2019 links awakening remake!!!

[@aprince009]

This game is one of my all time favorites! I still do a playthrough every other year or so, since you can bulldoze the game pretty quickly if you’ve beat it before. The mini games like the claw machine or the photo album quest give it so much more stuff to do as well. My favorite thing ever was playing side by side at a buddies house one night, and he noticed that I was grinding for rupees to buy the bow... Well he then showed me that I could run around the shop keeper with the item in hand and confuse him long enough to steal it! I was ecstatic to get the bow without having to pay the hundreds of rupees I surely would’ve taken forever to acquire... But my friend also purposefully forgot to mention that he would insta-kill you the next time you entered his shop! I loved all the little things in the game like that moment. They didn’t have to be there, but if you really tried different things all the time, the game rewards you. On a handheld it was legendary to experience as a kid. Awesome video I watched it start to finish and subscribed I loved it so much. Keep on making great content!

[@drishy94303]

Also people call you "Thief" for the rest of the game if you steal the bow =)

[@zigfaust]

To this day, one of my greatest accomplishments was beating Link's Awakening (original version) with no help whatsoever when I was 6.

[@StarlitWitchy]

Woah😮

[@olbericaegis206]

Same, but with Zelda Oracle of Ages

[@zigfaust]

@@StarlitWitchy If you think thats impressive, me and my Lil Bro beat Simons Quest with no internet access or Nintendo Power probably a few years later. THAT is my greatest gaming accomplishment, bar none. We were poor growing up so we were playing hard af regular Nintendo games when other people owned PS2's T_T. Made me the gamer I am today.

[@Overbound]

Zelda and Metroidvanias are very similar but besides the obvious perspective shift I think what separates them is that Metroidvanias feel like one big area and Zelda games have a more clear definition between overworld and dungeon. For a side scrolling game that does something similar to Zelda I'd look at Monster World IV.

[@joshwhite5730]

Something like ori and the blind forest is like Zelda games

[@spacedoyster7686]

This was my very first Zelda game. I absolutely loved simply exploring the island after every dungeon and stumbling upon the next story thread.

[@meowmers2512]

This was my first Zelda game to play - I could not have been older than 9 and was absolutely mesmerized. Although I have played dozens of other Zelda games since, several at nearly the same young age, it is a testament to how unique this game is thinking back about how many emotions it invokes. What's crazy is I can still specifically remember where exactly I was when I faced some of these challenges because of how unique they felt (something I cannot attribute quite as much to other Zelda games with the exception of OOT) - I was riding a train when I faced the Slime Eel in Catfish Maw and it probably took about at least an hour as I thought that pulling it out with the hookshot was damaging it, and didn't realize you had to swing your sword as well. I thought it just had a fucking million HP. I remember finally defeating Evil Eagle in Eagle's Tower right after leaving the doctor's office on the way home and being ecstatic - for an 8 year old that dungeon was complicated as fuck - I think it took me weeks to beat. I also remember crying twice - once when I showed the ghost his former home with that incredible song, and the second time when I read the Windfish wall in the Southern Face Shrine - oh snap that was good. LA has such a good soundtrack for the Gameboy - Tal Tal Heights alone is worth it. When my friend first told me about Animal Village I genuinely thought he was playing a prank on me because I could not fathom the game being that big - a whole other village?!! With ANIMALS?!?! Man I was pumped to see that someday. So many aspects of this game felt so mysterious to me - Kanalet Castle, the Dream Shrine, etc. etc. Anywho, I could go on. Great video, great game, great memories, and I still replay it every few years or so and it still feels just as damn good. Nostalgia rant over.

[@dynamosaurus2072]

3:37 - 4:45 Love the way you phrase that, it's how I felt when playing the game. Although I disagree about the implication that Marin "survived" as a seagull. The more I think about it, I see it as a bleak ending where Link sees an ordinary seagull and imagines it's Marin because of what she said in the dream, about wanting to fly away. Beautiful.

[@dynamosaurus2072]

Toight.

[@ssjgokuhan]

Played the original as a kid when it first released, and still to this day hearing Marin's chirptune singing at the end touches my soul.

[@samus88]

If you don't cry your eyes out when you see Marin turned into a seagull: you're a monster.

[@turtleanton6539]

Too true

[@darkmonger6244]

Aww, she survived? God damnit

[@Alakaizer]

At this point I tear up at Ballad of the Wind Fish.

[@scooterthefrog]

I was happy to see it. I came to grips very early with the fact that the world was a dream and the only "real" things, Link and the windfish, needed it to end to live. The only thing holding me back from perfect acceptance was marain, the only person on the island who even considered that there could be a world beyond the shores. It was quite nice to see her fly away and explore the real world instead of just fading away. I always assumed it was the windfish manifesting that part of his mind as a reward but am coming around to the possibility that she always was a seagull that got caught in the dream and presented as a human in its confines. Either way it allowed the only creature from the dream that could cope with the concept of a world beyond the dream a chance at life.

[@TheWeirdo879]

That storyline with the whole "Ravaged by monsters, or a quick and glorious eradication" reminds me of the Painted World of Ariandel from Dark Souls 3, where the kindled ones have a choice, between burn their world away with all its beauty, or let it rot, tortuously postponing and slowing its demise

[@huey2k2]

I am so glad you did a retrospective on this game. Honestly, I have spent more hours playing Link's Awakening than any other Zelda, and it is not only my favourite Zelda game...but one of my favourite games period. The pacing is so tight, the dungeons are so expertly crafted, it is smaller than most Zelda games, but it doesn't feel short or compact. It is a perfect example of great game design, and you can tell that the developers put their heart and souls into making it. Looking back I am amazed that I was able to get through all those dungeons as a child, and that I didn't just give up half way through... it is a testament to just how good the game is. The game shaped so many of my opinions and beliefs on what a good game is and should be, and I am glad to see you get as much joy out of it as I did as a child.

[@SamuelWaggoner]

I love your retrospectives. I seriously cannot get enough of them. I admire the depth of thought that goes into your writing.

[@train4292]

So this what you were planning....a Zelda marathon! Right? R I G H T ?

[@christchex91]

Yeah let's do this since you missed Zelda month

[@mrossignol3458]

I’m really glad you enjoyed the game. It’s one of my favourite Zelda’s and you had some really great criticisms and views about the game. Love what you do my man keep it up!

[@Audiotrocious]

LA is what I call “Teaching Existentialism to Children.” Such a delightfully twisted game

[@Matanumi]

Dude most of this would blow past a child's mind

[@Audiotrocious]

@@Matanumi but of course, because it is about a WIND fish 😜 -BA DUM TISS

[@bcl3341]

Link's Awkening^^

[@nickwooden5661]

this and majora are definitely the best because of stuff like this

[@kqlin34]

This was my first Zelda. I'm from Argentina, so not many Nintendo consoles came here (at least not for cheap), and we didn't have much money when I grew up. I had to emulate most games that barely got here. In my rom collection, I had A Link to the Past, but barely could play it because my compute broke down. My sister bought me a used green Gameboy Color when I was 10. Later, I got a small job handing out flyers for a pet store near home, and after a month of doing that, with the first 50 pesos bill i I bought a used copy of Link's Awakening. 20 years later, I have a small (but I'm very proud of) Zelda collection, and had the chance to introduce my nephew into the franchise. This was quite a nostalgia trip. Thanks a lot KingK, this was marvelous.

[@Rodrigo_Schilling]

this game deserves a remake. one of my personal favorites

[@Lenare]

I honestly wouldn't like that... it's perfect the way it is in my opinion.

[@WickedNPC]

It doesn't need a remake. But I would gladly pay a little to be able to play it on my switch.

[@andrebrynkus2055]

There was a remake - the DX version. The original felt whole while the remake felt like it had content duct taped on.

[@MegaZeta]

I'm not sure a remake would do anything but diminish this game's charm... so much of it depends on the SNES-era look. More ports would be nice, though.

[@bobcow]

It’s getting one.

[@AnimatronicBadgerlord]

So this was actually my first Zelda game I ever played and it always holds a special place in my heart. The Ballad of the Windfish is one of my favorite Zelda songs.

[@E-102]

This is a great game, I'm currently playing it so this video came right in time

[@gamingguru2k6]

It may just be the best zelda handheld game, but that could be my bias talking.

[@imfake1116]

@@gamingguru2k6 my fav handheld zelda is breath of the wild

[@E-102]

I have only played Phantom Hourglass, Minish Cap and Link's Awakening that I just finished, I think this is the one that I have enjoyed the most.

[@TehJellyLord]

I’ve only really played the Switch remake of this game, and I understand why some of the changes might not be to some people’s liking, but for time the remake was still an amazing game all around. Great world, characters, sound design, art style, etc. it was just a little slice of heaven for me. I love it to death.

[@doop3933]

I was doing homework, but KingK is more important.

[@thegrannyspolice1421]

that's a fact

[@LieutenantStandby]

This game is pure Legend of Zelda distilled. I enjoyed this wayyyyy more than LTTP. Absolutely pure LoZ experience, distilled. I'm 35 years old and the music came flooding back in my head and I just had to youtube "links awakening retrospective".

[@MsJeffreyF]

Link's Awakening is what indie games should strive to be

[@fumomofumosarum5893]

as an indie game dev i agree

[@MsJeffreyF]

@@fumomofumosarum5893 same. it's my dream to make something as good as LA with a few buds some day

[@turtleanton6539]

For sure

[@Andres.Guzman]

In 1995 I received, for my 7th birthday, a Gameboy and Link's Awakening. I was too young to understand the game then. By age 10 I got as far as the Turtle dungeon, but halted when I couldn't find the fire wand. I finally beat the game 10 years later! This game was challenging, memorable, charming, and heart breaking. You did it justice with this video. You earned my upvote and respect

[@JetblackJay]

Bomb Arrows the unsung hero of this game

[@turtleanton6539]

For sure

[@Zeldarulah]

Watching him get hit by the moving spike things every single time was extremely triggering

[@zencyn4682]

"I don't know if it's more difficult because of lack of hearts or..." Or maybe it's difficult because you mindlessly charge into any area without paying attention. Watching his clips makes it harder to take his opinion on difficulty and design seriously.

[@Zeldarulah]

@@zencyn4682 Yeah, I unsubbed about a year ago because so much of it became hard to watch and just felt so ridiculous.

[@epicsimii3299]

Anyone here from the direct?

[@leftovernoise]

I'm returning to the video yes haha! I'm super stoked

[@CanPoreotics]

Yep

[@Eulogatos]

Yep gotta re-watch to get hyped

[@MoistSquirrel38]

Yup

[@francoperalta5986]

yes

[@Reliken]

First of all, this was an incredible review! Thank you for taking the time to do it. I always love how thoughtful and deliberately you explore these games. Secondly, your tease at the end got me SO EXCITED. Maybe more than I've been for any other video I've known was coming. Thanks for what you do!

[@pokeaura554]

Glad to see you doing Zelda retrospectives again.

[@pastelshoal]

I'm so glad to hear someone un-biased (as I am towards this game as it's my favourite game) praise this game so much. I agree with everything you said, it just feels so well put together. I played the original without colour when I was young and it left a massive impression on me. The story, although short and begging to be more developed, really touched me back then. I cried when it ended. I loved the characters, I loved the locale, the music is so excellent (tal tal heights, ballad of the windfish!). The limited world map was like an open world game to me. As a kid, it took me forever to complete, so each time it got more opened up to me I was shocked. There's more?! I already thought it was big. I guess it just shows how perspective means something. Still my favourite Zelda, still my favourite game. I've played it countless times. Despite all the nostalgic haze, I too would say that considering the technology it had to work with, it is a most excellent game. Great review!

[@EyedOmally]

Dreams where you fall in love and are happy, just to wake up and realize that it was all in your head, that's some fucked shit dude.

[@DunantheDefender]

It makes me genuinely happy to hear that a younger player who didnt grow up with this game can still appreciate how good the soundtrack is. It frequently sets the mood perfectly. Themes like Tal Tal Heights, the Overworld Theme were absolutely my shit back then.

[@xelusshnider1607]

Can't wait for the Oracle games! Oracle of seasons was my game of choice when making long car trips with my parents.

[@lancewilliams6614]

i love your retrospective videos they sum up perfectly whats so unique and special about each game. i havent got a chance to play links awakening yet and assumed i wouldnt enjoy it but after watching this i have a newfound respect for just how special this games lore really is and how much it stands out hope you keep making these totally worth taking time out of my day to watch

[@ModelJames13]

This game sure looks great in color.

[@turtleanton6539]

Sure does

[@TheJadeyCat]

The green and black original was my first foray into the wonderful Legend of Zelda series. I was 12 years old at the time (don't do the math, I'm old). Having only played Super Mario Bros 1, 2, and 3, Mega Man, and Ducktales on the NES at that point plus Paperboy, Tetris, and Super Mario Land 1 and 2 on the Gameboy (my family didn't have loads of money to buy a lot of games when I was a kid), Link's Awakening was literally like nothing else I had ever seen! My twin brother and I would fight over the game cartridge and play it for hours on end! It still holds a special place in my heart and I remember feeling like a genius when I figured out a puzzle. My brother was stuck at the beginning forever because he didn't talk to the NPCs and couldn't figure out that he had to use the powder on the raccoon! One thing I'll note is that with the original (or if you choose defense in the color dungeon) you are nearly required to get the Level 2 sword to be able to beat the Eagle Tower boss because nothing else will whittle away his health enough without tons of hits, especially if you fall off! That was where I got stuck for the longest time in my beloved first play through. As a pair of 12 year-old twins sharing one game cartridge it took us both several months to each beat the game. That long time spent with the game, dreaming of it, listening to my brother play it as I played Paperboy or Mario Land for the millionth time made me nearly obsessed with the game! When we were made to get off our Gameboys and play my brother and I would theorize about the game and wonder about what the other Zelda games were like (I didn't get to play Zelda 3, as we called it back then, until I was 17 and bought a friend's old SNES and her large collection of games after she got a Playstation and didn't play Zelda 1 or 2 until the promo disc on the Gamecube when I was an adult). It feels like the forgotten gem in the Zelda lexicon all these years later. Thanks for giving it a review!

[@chromonastiri2446]

Link's Awakening's tied with my favorite Zelda games (MM, LBW, & BotW), but it's always gonna hold a special place in my heart. I can't really pin down what makes me feel that way, but every time I hear the Ballad of the Wind Fish, I get a chill down my spine and a healthy dose of nostalgia. Always makes me think back when I was around 12 or 13, back to a cozy winter night in my room, dark except for the light emanating from Christmas lights around my window and the screen of my old 3DS. Just makes me feel all warm inside, you know?

[@yelsahblah3270]

Man, this was my first Zelda game and ultimately spurred me onward to find more games like it. I didn't play them much before that but this game, the puzzles, the music, the gameplay. I was hooked. But also it was before the days of internet everything so I was left to wonder who the heck Zelda was for a long time. I also got stuck in the Bottle Grotto, in the room you had to kill certain enemies in an order, only I had no idea that's what the game meant and I had no game guide to tell me this. I was stuck forever until I got a hold of a game guide in a Toy's R Us one day. Once I had that small piece of information I sailed off into the sunset with this game. It's still like my favorite one even today. I have all the Gameboy editions as well as a digital copy. I love it. I love hearing people finding it years later and being floored by just how good it is. It's an epic adventure and the plot was so nice. Particularly learning the whole thing was a dream, what a twist! Looking forward to your chat about Oracle of Ages and Seasons cause those were my second games I got a hold of. Man, I still argue Ages was the better but that's cause the flow of time was such a fun thing to mess with,

[@Painted_Owl]

15:05 - 15:10 "Let's be real here; you've already watched Boss Keys" I don't appreciate being called out like that 🤣🤣🤣💀

[@TonyStarkCLC]

This game ranks 3rd as my top 3 Zeldas ever. And it has the distinction of having the only ending that has managed to make me cry. Midna's farewell ALMOST doest it, but this one was very sad.

[@HollowJay]

i did not know there was manga for this game am going to look it up right now

[@1122markj]

Yep! There is an Akira Himekawa Manga for every single game except the first two! Plus! Twilight Princess's Manga has been releasing new chapters every couple of years since the game came out! And their not even done yet! The next chapter comes out in July! And it may not even be the last one! Including that one, so far we have 5 books! All the other games only had one, except for Ocarina of Time having two! ALSO! There are japanese only Mangas for some of the games as well! It's a big world out there for all things ZELDA!

[@pudgyhydreigon5511]

I love how in depth you can go on a topic. like parts of the game that i wouldn't think be so interesting is totally disproved by ya. Like, for instance, the Roc's Feather. you show how well it interplays with the game as a whole, then going on to show that about other items found in the game. You add an angle that shows the true beauty, and that, my friend, is pretty rad.

[@Styrman85]

This game will always have a special place in my gamer heart.

[@ericnorthmen4118]

This game was incredibly difficult as a kid in 90s without money for internet or friends who had it/strategy guides. That bombable wall before 8th dungeon with no cracks took me MONTHS to find. Also fire rod is most Over powered weapon in zelda history!

[@sparky8251]

I see no mention of one of the coolest small details. Did you not find out about it? You can steal from the store! If you watch, you'll see that every so often the shopkeep turns away from the door and at that point you can just walk out with the item. Of course, next time you return to the store he kills you, even through extra lives... He far more terrifying than any boss in the game! BUT at least you got some bombs for free!

[@ciao_fiv5118]

i never watched ur update video cause i wanted to be surprised. I AM NOT DISAPPOINTED THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD SURPRISE!!!!!

[@t4washere384]

Yeah I'm not gonna lie, this is my favorit Zelda.

[@Brawler_1337]

I think I was around five years old when I got a Game Boy Color and this game. I wasn’t too interested in it at the time, likely because my still-developing brain couldn’t comprehend a game that lasts more than a couple of screens. But I’ve revisited it many times, and while I still haven’t beaten it despite having a strategy guide (it’s more that I lose my attention span and move onto some other thing that I invest many hours into), my appreciation for this game has only grown. At this point, Link’s Awakening is a part of me, and I continue to be amazed at how powerful this little game can be. Also, Marin is best Zelda girl, bar none. It’s a shame she doesn’t receive the sort of recognition modern Zelda girls do.

[@Jisawbam]

Oh snap, a review of one of my favorite Zelda titles. How the hell did the doggone GAMEBOY have an entry that trumped every other title at the time?

[@turtleanton6539]

Magic

[@Kyango]

Your description of the storyline, explaining how you feel when you wake up from a dream, gave me chills and almost brought me to tears. I don't know why, as I've 100%ed this game numerous times, but something about your perspective really resonated with me. Thank you.

[@DoctorFalchion]

I think you explained why you like the temples that I and basically everyone else hates better in this video than you did in any of the 3D Zelda videos, oddly enough. Where in those videos I felt frustrated by the disconnect, now I get it - especially as a kid, but even now, I hate that feeling of being lost. It causes every fiber of my body to tense up with frustration as I try to figure out what the game is telling me to no avail. Don't get me wrong, I like problem-solving, trying to understand a puzzle or see the wider picture - I've had great fun, for example, thinking about how best to tackle encounters in Breath of the Wild (I mean, you can cheese them a lot with parries, but that doesn't mean you *can't* approach them tactically), or even how to reach a far off mountain in that game. However, when it comes to claustrophic corridors where I end up either going in circles or obsessively consulting the map, not to mention which often punish you for getting lost and backtracking by making you fight the same enemies thirty times. . . . . no thanks (it's worse in 3D games than 2D ones, but even 2D Metroid and Zelda have me consulting a walkthrough just to get me back on the right track to actually progress more often than I'd care for). Of course, maybe it's just a 'me' thing - I have a horrid sense of direction in real life, too.

[@ChristianSedaPlays]

To be honest that's a sign of old outdated game design. Searching a giant map for the one npc or clue in order to progress is objectively not fun.

[@francisthompson3772]

J

[@EduardoWeidmanBarijan]

One of my favorite Zelda titles. The history is so good and the feelings you have in the end can't be put into words. The music was nice and even though it is different from other Zelda titles, the experience will keep you having the same dream over and over.

[@UNDY91]

Who's here after watching the new announcement for Switch?!

[@MoistSquirrel38]

I am. Link looks so cute on the switch!

[@fort5732]

Not me

[@ladictator6920]

Me

[@kippicalequations9242]

This retrospective was awesome, and the callbacks to bosskeys made me feel as if you and Mark are creating this amazing encyclopedia of all sections of Zelda and I love getting such awesome content from both of you, cant wait to see the oracle videos. Great Job.

[@CutMan567]

Knew you'd love the story because you're such a big fan of Klonoa. Also it takes a lot to reasses your own opinions on a game like with OoT. Even if you were still within your right to have such an opinion. I know you probably never saw it or w/e, but I'm sorry for complaining about your Metroid Prime review in much the same way that people did about the bomb and the rock thing in OoT.

[@soliddragon2041]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KING K! YOU ARE HONESTLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE KZbinRS AND BY FAR MY FAVORITE GAME REVIEWER/CRITIC. GOD BLESS YOU MAN

[@CarlMakesVideos]

Next up are the Oracle games? Ages was actually my very first Zelda game, interested to hear your thoughts on it. I never played an actual linked game of the two until years later on the 3ds, but when I was a kid for a second playthough I looked up some codes to make Ages the "second" of the two I played (since I didn't have Seasons)

[@soppysock]

This is my favorite Zelda and I'm glad you were able to enjoy it as much as you did! Glad someone as insightful as you enjoyed it too!

[@ethannotley3621]

You do realize that in OOT for Saria's song you can light a deku stick on fire in Goron City then light a bomb flower on the wall to create a shortcut to the lost woods right? :D :D

[@spaghettiioassassin8151]

Ethan Notley I don’t think he knows about it.

[@Anewbyss]

Well this just made my night. Perfect timing for my birthday in a few. Thanks kingk. I'm truly grateful for you and your work. :)

[@christianwalls7994]

KingK: “Let’s be real, you’ve already watched Boss Keys.” Me, having watched Boss Keys: “GET OUT OF MY HEAD”

[@ralphthejedimaster]

it's funny, i put off watching this until I played the game myself, and I hadn't watched boss keys yet, but now I have

[@famowx]

Boss Keys, KingK and Nerrel are the holy trilogy of KZbin Zelda content

[@TimBartja]

Happy birthday! I'm a huge Zelda fan, and this was my very first game (you nailed in with the pillar dungeon. I was in that thing for hours). This whole video was an incredible nostalgia trip for me. Thank you for helping me relive the game!

[@UmbreonMessiah]

I've watched this video like seven times, and it only just dawned on me: most of the complaints you have about the bosses are actually rectified *in the original game.* A lot of the bosses and dungeons were *nerfed* in the DX port because the developers thought they were *too* hard.

[@Overglock]

Here's a fun fact: the original release of Link's Awakening didn't have "owl statues" but "stone tablets." You would find a stone fragment in the dungeon and that would let you read the ONE stone tablet for a single hint to a single puzzle. The owl statue that tells you to move the block in Tail Cave wasn't there originally, and as such, little 7-year-old me had NO FREAKING CLUE what to do in that room and didn't beat the first dungeon for almost a year until a friend finally told me to push the block.

[@mellykyay]

It's my favorite zeldaaaaaaaaa. Glad you liked it

[@jayleota5222]

This by far is my favourite video of yours, not only did you shine some light on a underrated Zelda title but the structure of the video itself was amazing. I love you xoxo

[@danielwilliams7161]

"Human, monster, sea, sky... a scene on the lid of the sleeper's eye."

[@dynamosaurus2072]

DAMN I got so lost in that intro, I forgot I was watching a retrospective until your voice came in and scared me!

[@oliverhees4076]

Happy birthday

[@kingofsiamgt]

I'm surprised to hear you died a lot. I always thought of this as an "easy" zelda game, and I always die exactly twice on my playthroughs: once for stealing the shovel and again for stealing the bow.

[@holdenmuganda97]

Nice I saw this was posted 1 minute ago. Love your stuff. Though still waiting on the mario 3D retrospectives to be finished

[@KingKlonoa]

soon

[@Masckerdoom]

Bruh

[@NintendoDeepDiver]

My name is Holden

[@Masckerdoom]

Wtf

[@bretflixmazursky2112]

Fo real

[@Joe-ti9bf]

This feels like a pretty relevant video to get recommended on the day they announce the remake.

[@marche800]

"It's a little bit more tedious to track them down when there are 45 of then" 45? But that's an odd number you would be left with 1 heart container you couldn't complete.

[@FlukerFiction091]

Most likely referring to Twilight Princess needing 5 pieces for a container.

[@UnicornStorm]

@@OverbiteGames Twilight Princess was padded as hell.... but to be honest, thw whole mindless filler business had already started with Wind Waker... and maybe even, to an extend with majoras mask, where you had to complete some minigames 3 times before you got the reward... but at least there it was mostly for optional stuff..... well, now that I think about it, the pirate fortress was an unnecessary timesink. In Windwaker, they had you traverse huge stretches of empty ocean to find maps, then you had to grind money, then you had to travel to tingles island (was there a warp point?), pay him to decipher the map and then you had to travel to random locations to collect 1 of 8 triforce pieces. Not to mention the back and forth all the time across half of the map to complete tiny tasks that took maybe a minute Twilight Princess made you scour the map to find some statues to open a dungeon... And you can't activate those statues when you find them on the way, you HAVE TO go back. The begining takes ages and you have to traverse and clear the forest 3 or 4 times before you get into the first dungeon . Well... and Skyward Sword let'S you backtrack over and over through the same areas, finding and collecting different things. there are some neat areas hidden in this game, but it's always a chore to reach them. Link between Worlds was truly refreshing after this

[@francisthompson3772]

@@UnicornStorm That statue thing made me stop playing for a month. The one where you have to find piece of bridge randomly hidden in gerudo desert was the worst.

[@johnbarrett6835]

@@francisthompson3772 Except you never actually had to find the piece of Edlin Bridge. By that point you're able to warp, so it was just an optional shortcut. Not to mention it was sticking straight out of the ground on a hill in the almost entirely flat Gerudo Desert; it's not that hard to see.

[@spacialbov9109]

I've been waiting fot this for so long links awakening is my favorite zelda game cause its the first i finished by myself when i was 10 and the one i bought with my own money. Playing it on my lime green gameboy color back then was the best when things would get rough with family life, i could always get lost in this world if things werent going so good. I love this game to death and nobody could ever love it more than i do

[@person_guy3505]

Did you know that Vire from Turtle Rock can also be killed with the sword or Boomerang? Magic Powder is actually a pretty obscure way to kill him.

[@KingKlonoa]

I tried to kill him with a sword for a long time so that's kinda funny, the magic powder was the first thing to give me results so I assumed I just had to use that.

[@asmylia9880]

You can also kill it with the magic rod. Like you can kill everything with the rod. I honestly skipped that enemy mostly by accident because when I was younger my reaction time wasn't that well and as such I mostly missed him while ran out of the screen. But I managed to get him down with the magic rod once I had beaten the turtle rock to that point (it was a long time between entering the turtle rock and getting the MR). Also the sword V2 works great as well against him.

[@ZipplyZane]

I seem to remember it taking a ridiculous number of hits with the sword though. But I always used the boomerang once I had it. It was great on all fire enemies. Got you a fairy on those glowy things (buzzes?)

[@majora_90]

I always kill him with a my sword (whirling attack)

[@Alakaizer]

Magic rod was so powerful, it could even kill the chickens. The powder could, too.

[@Incrypt3d]

This is why its my favorite zelda simple straight to the point but oddly relaxing and while simple is complex but to the degree that 7yr old me could solve the puzzles and so could an adult but be equally confused by different parts of the game such as the final small key in bottle grotto that one still gets me killing in a certain order or 7yr old me stumped on how to kill the eye untill I realized I needed to use the boots so many great memories

[@GLOw7125]

But now it’s coming to the Switch.

[@Scroteydada]

And looks like Sonic Suggests

[@GeoffDaCow]

I was honestly feeling nostalgic about this game when I decided to look up if any new youtube videos on it went up and lo and behold I find this, thank you. Love this game dearly

[@superapm9620]

*_OH LINK'S AWAKENING SWITCH REMAKE HYYYYYYYYYYYYPE!!_*

[@kingnewcomer2029]

Really cool to see you do Retrospective videos on Zelda handhelds, KingK! :D Can't wait to see more of them from you! HAPPY REALLY LATE BIRTHDAY!!!!! :D