The Game Boy Zelda, and one of the greatest games ever released. Link washed up on Koholint, eight dungeons, dreamlike writing that haunts. Level design mastered to perfection, OST burned into collective memory. Shorter than a console Zelda but absolutely elegant. Essential, full stop.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player7+
Description
Zelda adventure with shipwrecked Link on Koholint Island seeking to awaken the Wind Fish to return home. Published by Nintendo, released in 1993 in Europe and North America. Top-down exploration, eight dungeons, interactions with island characters, subtle humor, and a memorable ending.
Legend of Zelda, The - Link's Awakening review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
On a simple palette of greys, the island of Koholint overflows with life: lively villages, sunlit beaches and dungeons with clearly distinct moods. The care of the sprites and the expressiveness of the inhabitants transcend the limits of the hardware. This graphic density, full of dreamlike charm, remains a peak of the monochrome handheld.
At the heart of Koholint's dream, the "Ballad of the Wind Fish" weaves a melodic thread of poignant beauty, reprised from one end of the adventure to the other. The themes by Koji Kondo and his team transcend the Game Boy's limits with a rare emotion. This sonic magic remains unforgettable for anyone who roamed the island.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Exploring Koholint Island means unravelling a tangle of dungeons and puzzles with a coherence rare for a handheld. Each item unlocks new passages, and the world's layout rewards curiosity at every step. The controls stay crystal-clear, the pacing flawless: few 2D adventures age this well, and this one is still a joy to play in one sitting.
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Exploring Koholint, clearing a dungeon then finding the item that opens the next area sets up an adventure loop of remarkable smoothness. Seashells to collect, scattered secrets and interlocking puzzles always give you a reason to push a little further. Dense and tender, this portable odyssey keeps a pull few games still match.
First 1993 version of the handheld Zelda, predating the DX colour revision, in the Canadian bilingual run whose English French coexistence shows up on the box and world map. That Canadian edition is noticeably less common than the US one and stays prized among Francophone Zelda collectors, who see in it a rare local entry point to the adventure grammar later revived by Link's Awakening DX and then the Switch remake.
Memorable bosses
Far from Hyrule, the island of Koholint hides Nightmares guarding each dungeon, from the worm Moldorm to a giant eel, each beaten with the item found on site. The final clash, where the foe takes on several mythic forms, crowns a bittersweet adventure. Inventive patterns and an ambient melancholy give these duels a place apart in handheld memory.
A cult cover
Link, sword raised on a spray-swept beach, his gaze fixed on a horizon where the Wind Fish's egg looms: the painted illustration sets up the island mystery and the dream's melancholy from the start. Soft hues and a contemplative layout contrast with the action and make you long to uncover Koholint's secret. As spellbinding as ever.
Is Legend of Zelda, The - Link's Awakening still worth playing in 2026?
Link's Awakening remains one of the greatest games ever made for a handheld, and time has only confirmed its status. Shipwrecked on Koholint Island, Link explores eight dungeons of unashamed dreamlike strangeness, supported by writing that still surprises and a score etched into the medium's collective memory. The level design is remarkably precise, the inventory turns into an instrument and the ending leaves a lasting wake. Shorter than a console Zelda but utterly elegant, it stays essential for anyone interested in adventure games, in any era.
