Just wanted to say that I don't agree with the third chapter of this video at all anymore, was just a bit sour on the remake's changes and I let that cloud my vision. It is a great remake, and plenty of people now get to experience this game today. I wanted an entirely new 2D Zelda instead, which does actually tie into my thesis...but I didn't properly articulate myself at all. Of course, thank you for watching and providing counter arguments! I learned a lot from making this video. I still love Link's Awakening - that hasn't changed at all.
I just discovered your channel yesterday (your Wii Retrospective video was in my recommended) and I’ve been watching all of your Zelda retrospective videos in order, and I agree with almost everything in your video, except for the music. I grew up with 8bit and 16bit game consoles. I absolutely adore that style and era of game music. But, at the same time, I’m in love with the remake of Link Awakening’s Soundtrack. As soon as I watched the reveal in the February 2019 Nintendo Direct, I instantly said “I hope I can find the whole soundtrack one day. It’s a shame that Nintendo won’t release official albums of their games. This opening song is a banger.” I loved the soundtrack of the original Link’s Awakening, but I absolutely adore the remakes soundtrack. I really like what I’ve seen of your channel so far, I’m a sucker for Hour Long videos to listen to while I’m at my 12 hour shift job. I just finished this video, and as hard as it is to believe, I can’t wait to start “Yet Another Ocarina of Time Retrospective”
I mean, why not both? Since Nintendo proper isn't the one who handles all their remakes, it doesn't take any more resources to make. We can get an awesome remake, _and_ a new portable Zelda game... unfortunately, that portable title is also the console title... is "2D Zelda" gone for good? Hopefully not... in fact, why not let Capcom (makers of the oracle series) or some other company make a new 2D Zelda? Yeah, I have no idea what's going on at Nintendo... BotW2 is taking even longer than the original... _what are you guys doing?!_
"Should we remake this game if the message is to move on?" (paraphrasing) Keep in mind, some people have never played the original game and probably wouldn't if this remake didn't exist. It wasn't JUST made for those who played the gameboy version.
Yea, I was going to say something like this too. The game is like what, damn near 20 years old now? I think it's great that a new generation of players gets to experience an amazing game like Link's Awakening without the barrier to entry of a Gameboy Color.
@@noahhopkins1565 Well if you go by the _original_ version, then it's been ~27 years since it came out. Though, if you go by the DX (color) version, then it's closer to ~21 years. So yea... quite some time either way.
This game is older than I've been alive and I didn't have a way to experience it legally that's why they remade it, not just the $$$ ;-; That aside, I believe that there is value to having remakes if you enhance the message of the game. If they instead of adding more collectables instead focused on building your connection to the world even more, then the fact you would need to move on would become more personal. If they removed things like hero mode, then people wouldn't have the assumption in the back of their mind they are being told to play this game longer than needed. Enhancing the experience, not adding onto, I feel should be the priority, which is why I believe this remake could have done better in hindsight.
I can certainly understand why you need some time to prepare for the next Zelda game. Wand of Gamelon and Faces of Evil truly are nuanced masterpieces of their time and have to be analyzed as such.
Now if there were some games that needed modern remakes to get them to not suck, the CD-I games would definitely fit the bill. Nintendo could hire Koji Igarashi to turn them into proper Metroidvanias while maintaining the beautiful watercolor painting aesthetic that was their greatest asset. (I know this will never happen in a zillion years because Nintendo didn't make them, they would gladly throw every copy of them into a fire if they could, and they would be in copyright hell if they wanted to do anything with them, but one can dream, right?) You can't just remake good games after all.
Tbf if this game wasn't remade, I never would have played Links Awakening. I started gaming on the GameCube. Yes, it's ironic for Nintendo to pick this particular game, but MAN a game like this needed to be introduced to another generation
yeah I will never understand people complaining that it got a remake. Thousands of people that would have never played it get a chance to experience it. I know people say "go buy a game boy or just use an emulator" but like, if some 10 year old kid has a switch and nothing else, and they have to jump through hoops to play it, it's probably not going to happen.
New generations need this game in their lives. Wasnt gonna happen if it lived and died on the gameboy. Introducing my fav zelda game since childhood to my friends that never played it before makes me appreciate it even more. I love the remake. .
@@noahedwards3090 Agree. Not having to constantly switch items in a menu screen is a good update. I played Link’s Awakening when it originally came out on gameboy. Having items permanently mapped to buttons was a much needed improvement. It makes the game more replayable.
Exactly what I was gonna say. There are some games that would straight up disappear if they weren't remade. Yes, that also leans into the theme of things being temporary, but this is a lesson that new generations need to learn too, & while I wish companies would take the chance on letting new IPs tell similar life lessons & morality plays, companies also feel much safer remaking something that already succeeded in doing so (& made decent profits, not to mention became a cultural icon). Yes, that leans into the nostalgia angle too, as extra money will be made off the generation that grew up with the original, but people often forget that remakes often drive up viewership/playership of the original by a new generation. Many will be curious, want to see what it was like in its first iteration, to get a taste of that experience the older generation always rattles on about. I, for one, would never have seen the British 1970 musical film Scrooge if "Netflix" hadn't released a remake in Dec '22. I love seeing different adaptations, seeing how interpretations change, & so do many others. Thank god for ROM hacks & emulators, because big video game companies HATE the idea of sustaining old IPs & machines.
Just beat Links Awakening dx on nso. I'm pretty sure my brother had this game when we were kids, but I didn't touch his Gameboy. I'm glad I finally got to experience it. Only now I really want to get the remake...
"Why attempt to change or iterate on something that already left a massive impact, especially something already viewed as fantastic?" So those who weren't around to experience it can have a chance to play it for themselves. This game came out more than 20 years ago, on a handheld that is nigh impossible for the younger crowd to gain access to. But now there are others who can become engrossed in this beautiful game as you guys had in your youth. Sure, remakes are made to get cash from nostalgic gamers, the same can be said for all games. The true beauty of a passionately made remake is to see your most cherished memories, beautifully made with modern hardware, and knowing that your children and other young folk can experience the same journey firsthand that made the game so beloved in the first place.
@@lordAgustin emulating is fine, but what if somebody just doesn't want to? I, myself, play on both emulators and original hardware, and I must say that I prefer the original hardware, and my Gameboy Color's screen is broken, and the game cart for Link's Awakening DX won't start in my GBA, so the remake was great for me
yeah this part of the video really lost me, I can understand his frustration, just like Majora HD frustrates me, but there is no reason to compare the two games because one doesn't erase the other, if you prefer the original, just go back and play it, both vesions still exist
Part of links awakening is the idea that nostalgia is good, and returning to memories is great, you just can’t linger on them. The remake perfectly fits this
This video was good until your conclusion at the end that Link's Awakening should not have been remade. Your reasoning is ridiculous. The remake was more for new fans then for old ones, and they deserve to have the experience of playing Link's Awakening in a legal, accessible manner.
ballroomscott yeah exactly the old versions are constantly getting harder and harder to play legally, this gives fans both new and old a way to play this game again allowing fans that grew up With this game to share something with there kids who are just getting into Zelda, and new fans can now easily experience this game for the first time without having to go buy an old game boy and original cartridge that might not work anymore, or emulate the game illegally
His reasoning is absurd yeah, but why make a 3DS game for the Switch, have it with some horrible performance that never got fixed, showcase the ability to design your own dungeons that feels so damn unfinished, lock meaningful content behind Amiibo, and put it up for full price? The remake imo is really undercooked, feels like Nintendo didn't really care about preserving the game, but like they just wanted to capitalize on the crowd BOTW brought with a half-hearted remake.
@@kyosilver1999They're also just literally harder to play, or for younger or modern gamers who don't have a lot of experience w older consoles or emulation to get into. People like graphical & mechanical spruce ups for classic game experiences.
It’s implied that Koholint lives on as long as Link remembers it, the same as your childhood memories. So while it conveys a message of moving on, it also encourages reflection on the past, because those memories made you who you are. Damn I love this game!
I love the remake so much, it's my favorite zelda game, and I'm so glad it exists cause otherwise I'd never played the original to the end. I tried the gbc and Gameboy versions a few times, but several parts of it made me not feel like finishing it. The remake however, hooked me, and I've completed it twice. Also I nearly got goose bumps in the transition to act 2 where you put in Marin singing.
It’s now on NSO and you really should play it. The original is amazing and it really is special. I love both of these games and going in the original with the knowledge of the remake makes the experience of the original so amazing. You really should give it another try.
You're right about accessibility. Most people these days don't own a GameBoy or Link's awakening. Technology becomes outdated at a dangerous rate. These remasters like NEW PEOPLE experience the game.
*shivers* The music from this game, my GOD... From sad to happy to tense to majestic, and many other notes inbetween. I haven't played many other small adventure games that accomplish so much with just its music alone. Marin's song and the ending orchestral bit in the remake will forever be personal favorites of mine.💗💗💗
please chill.. if it wasnt for this remake, i never would've been able to experience the game or its message :/ accessibility is important, like you said.
people who missed out on it way back when and kids who will potentially have their own childhood experiences with this game deserve a chance to play it too, i guess? personally i wasnt even alive when this game first came out, and i was about 3 years old when the dx remaster happened lol. there's absolutely no need for that kinda gatekeeping attitude here.
@@ThatFanBoyGuy good for you. But does it really matter whether it's on 3DS as well? What if you don't have a 3DS/the Switch is your first (Nintendo) console? I've played some Oracle of Seasons, and boy, was the constant switching of items etc a turnoff for me back then (played it on my GBA as the age of 12). If the virtual store was the only way to play it on an widely available system, I wouldn't have played the game at all
@@ThatFanBoyGuy at this point it's more likely for a kid to have a switch than a 3ds, and the 3ds will eventually lose support from Nintendo just like the Wii and such.
I remember watching an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation called "The Inner Light" and it reminded me so much of Link's Awakening. *SPOILER WARNING* In it Picard gets a weird flash of light from a probe found in space, this results in his being taken to an strange planet, in the middle of a populace Not even referred to as Picard or Jean-Luc, Just Kamin. He lives a complete life as Kamin, With no references to his life as Picard, with The Enterprise, with Starfleet. Nothing. He is to just live in this city as one of them, which he comes to accept, he even grows to old age. At the end of the episode it is revealed that the life he lived is a chronicle of a people now extinct from their star going Nova. It turns out Picard was only unconscious for about 20 minutes, but he experienced a full life time. At the end of it all, his other life never happend, but the memories of it were all too real, with a tear inducing moment when he hugs the flute in the probe to his chest in remembrance. Links Awakening felt strangely appropriate
The way the orginal affected you is the same way the remake affected me. Mind you this is my first LOZ I've ever played(at least all the way through) and I'm 27 lol
I remember playing this game in 97 when I was 10. The ending absolutely blew me away. I didn't know how to deal with it. It was so bittersweet. The Windfish is a magical and majestic being. It's a crime to keep it asleep and a joy to see it awaken, but all the friends I made will disappear forever. However, Marin now lives in the song of a gull. She finally got her wish: to travel to distant lands and share her song with the world. It's the most beautiful ending. In my eyes, no game has been able to replicate it since, regardless of how many colors or fancy effects are used. Thank you for making this video and showing respect to this wonderful piece of art.
At first I thought nothing much about this game and wrote it off as a decent yet short handheld. But after experiencing the remake, I really grew an appreciation of this game with it’s bizarre setting, laidback tone, and honestly heartfelt themes of dreams and how we interpret them. I still think the item switching in the original is kind of a handicap in the original game, but the remake completely nullifies that problem and know I can confidently say that Link’s Awakening is one of my favorite Zelda games, top 5 absolutely.
The item switching in the original is honestly not that much of a handicap because it’s fast and easy. I love that and it’s not that much of a handicap.
I see your point about remaking the game going against the message of moving on, but no message is a full-proof solution to life's problems. If the idea of remake itself is to be judged based on the themes, then you have to consider that moving on isn't always the best thing to do. There are times when a person needs to stop and look back to reflect on themselves and make sure they aren't straying from the path they want to take in life. As the story itself teaches, dreams end, everything does, but there's value in remembering them and what they have taught us. But dark times make us forget these happy memories and dreams we once had. They break our spirits and prevent us from moving on, making us forget everything we once learned. At times like these, reliving that dream, reliving the nostalgia, and being reminded of that message is important. But, it's not an easy thing to do. So many of us look at things that we liked in the past and scoff at them, failing to let them make us remember the wisdom they once gave us. I know so many guys who were Pokemon fans when we were all kids and were positively impacted by the show, but as they grew up, they started thinking that watching/playing Pokemon was a waste of time and instead they should have been *studying more* or just doing something they consider more productive. They did learn things from it when they were kids. But, they forgot. And now, even revisiting those games or the anime does not help them recall those things. And this happens with a lot of people as they grow up. Their mind gets occupied by so many things that they fail to see the beauty in simpler things they once immensely enjoyed. In order to remember those precious moments and important as hell messages, they need something more than just what they have had for 20 years. A remake, which could bring those past games to the forefront with obviously better visuals and other quality of life features, could be just what is needed to stop them from looking down on those games as old and archaic and revisit them properly. This comment ended up being WAY longer than I thought it would be, but I just wanted to express why I don't think remaking Link's awakening is in any way against the message of the original. Did Nintendo remake this game to earn money from it? Sure. But, any corporation makes any product to earn money from it. Did they remake this game *just* to earn money from it? I can confidently say - no.
It's kinda funny to me that you criticise nintendo for remaking the game, in a way, "re-awakening" it from "its end", and yet you say you will/would/have replayed the game either way. Isn't that the same?
Just because the game is about moving on doesn't mean you should never replay the game for the sake of the game, LA has some really good dungeons, man.
I feel this video is so convoluted, links awakenings remake was amazing and i personally think it eclipses the original, LA was the only zelda game i didnt finish as a child. It was annoying to play having to constantly pause and traversing the overworld was as annoying as could be . I later came back and played it as an adult via emulator just to be able to say i beat every zelda game but i didnt enjoy it , i absolutely loved the remake and completed it within days and its a game ill most likely play to completion dozens of times where as the original ill never touch again.
You’re wrong, the original is amazing and the menu switching is not annoying. I played both and for me the best is he original with its special charm. The remake has better controls but I don’t care because the original is magical. Both are amazing, but the original is lovable and the menu as I said is fine.
As someone who loved Link's Awakening as a kid, I for one felt the remake was a wonderful dream to have again. If for no other reason than the orchestrated Mabe Village theme, which always just hits me right in the feels.
Just started the video: The internet has permanently ruined the phrase "Have you ever had a dream?" Because of that cute kid struggling to get through a famous quote. Lol
What I perhaps love most about Link's Awakening is its connection to its development. Started as a passion project by a programmer on LttP, who was just seeing if he could recreate LttP on Game Boy, word spread among the office, and a little 'after work club' formed to work on what was perhaps the world's first, greatest fan game. That was so good, it became noticed by the higher ups an was released as a full game. Togetherness, how our experiences connect us, how we all work toward the same, positive ideas, and how our passion influences the future - those are the lessons from Link's Awakening that I take to heart more than anything else. That and Marin appearing as a seagull in the credits if you give her a happy date, that's really, really sweet in showing the extra effort you put into remembering her. ... Which, y'know, makes a remake of such an idea feel really, really bad and kind of burying that original passion. I'm so glad more people will be able to experience it, but I'm disappointed that it's not that original version of the game that thousands might get the chance to fall in love with. I didn't play this game until my 20's, but it gave me a child-like joy that I rarely got from many games at the time, not just Zelda games. And I appreciate the quality of life changes, I love the idea of not nudging a pot with my nose and a text box calling me a wimp. But, as you've said, I wish all this effort was spent on creating a new adventure. Thank you for the video. Viewing LA as a unified thesis for forward progress was something I hadn't considered - more focusing on it as a matter of nostalgia and reminiscence and finding strength in that. You're kinda good at this video thing. I'm glad to keep viewing this channel until the dream ends.
Just a minor correction... Marin doesn't appear as a seagull at the end because you "gave her a happy date". That only happens if you manage to finish the game _without dying._
This was my first Zelda game. I was 8 years old, and I played it on a gameboy pocket because I didn’t have a GBC. I finished it at school during recess, and I distinctly remember having trouble holding back tears when I finished it. It’s message had a profound impact on me that still informs the way I perceive the world today.
The Links Awakening Remake is actually my favourite 2D Zelda, enhanced my love for the original and brought it to an even higher place in my heart, I’m very thankful for the remake because without it I wouldn’t have my fav 2D Zelda
amazing work on this one, i’ve never played LA before but all the praise from videos like yours and KingK’s make me really want to try it out. shame that remake is so damn expensive though
Links Awakening on the switch allowed me to experience that journey for the first time. I had a game boy growing up, but I never played Links Awakening. Ocarina of Time converted me into a Zelda fan. As time goes on, younger gamers will be able to experience these journeys because of remakes. For those two reasons, I appreciate well done remakes like this.
When I beat the game on the switch, and heard the credits, it was triumphant, but when near the end of the credits theme with the section I call the 8-bit tribute to the original, brought me to tears, same thing when I got the true ending and say Marin having her wish granted. Now with this video, I had no idea about the allegory, and by watching this video I feel a sense of truth both in the game and myself
I think the remake has topped as my favorite Zelda credits song. The switching from small and sad to bombastic and triumphant, the nostalgic GBC callback, it's just fantastic
Cannot believe in the music section you didn't mention the remakes Animal Village music. It's a true masterpiece. Possibly the best musical number to be ever composed.
"Durr, new thing bad because I like old thing" A whole new generation a players got to experience this game whereas before it was announced, a fraction of them even knew it existed. Every con you said the remake had was something that messed with your nostalgia, going against your own and the message of the game about moving on to new experiences. You want to go into the menu to swap items every 5 seconds and early 90s gameboy combat/graphics? Go play the original, but stop gatekeeping this game to new players.
When you began building up to discussing the "best song in the game's soundtrack," I was genuinely dumbfounded when you chose the Face Shrine's theme. While I would by no means argue against the track's outstanding quality, I found your explanation of its thematic impact difficult to relate to. This may, however, be due in part to the unorthodox method of progression I found myself taking while playing the remake for the first time. I ended up acquiring the Face Key before it was possible for me to access its associated dungeon. This meant that I had another dungeon and several hours between the mural revelation, and actually arriving at the Face Shrine dungeon. This likely served to lessen the dramatic impact that one would otherwise have reflected in the music, since I was unintentionally afforded plenty of time to digest and move on from the game directly pointing out its core conceit. For me, the Face Shrine was simply another dungeon; albeit one with uncharacteristically foreboding music. That it would be possible to experience the story slightly out of order than intended is a testament to Link's Awakening's strong design and overall trust in the player's ability to guide themselves.
Same for me but on the other hand I already knew the truth of the island when I went to the date with Marin because I went there right after I read the stone tablet in the old temple. This made the scene on the beach really sad and impactful. Hearing Marin talk about her dreams while you know the truth. Link keeping silent was also really fitting because I imagined him not knowing what to say. Only later I found out that this was not the intentional way of the game.
Personally I loved Link's Awakening Remake. I started playing the original in a website that emulated it when I was in Highschool, unfortunately it was taken down and never got past the first two temples, seeing a remake coming out for Switch was so exciting for me, because I felt I could finally continue my journey with an updated a beautiful art-style that gives a unique personality (I hope they do this for the Oracle games in the future as well). I haven't played too many of the 2D Zelda games (just ALtP and ALBW, before playing this one), and this just made me fall more in love with the series and value even more the TLoZ 2D games even more.
I have a theory about the nature of Koholint Island and the dream world in general. We know that Koholint Island was created by the Wind Fish's dream. This is something that is hinted at by the Nightmares confirmed halfway through the game when link gets to the Ancient Ruins. At some point the Nightmare invaded the Wind Fish's slumber in an attempted to take over his dream world and keep the Wind Fish unable to awaken. My theory is that Link's memories influenced parts of the Wind Fish's nightmare/dream- in particular, some of the enemies found of Koholint Island are ones Link has faced in his previous adventures such as Darknuts, Octoroks, Armos Knight, and Zoras. During the final battle, Nightmare takes the shapes that resembles the bosses from A Link to the Past, like Moldorm, Agahnim, and Ganon. Nightmare was using Link's memories as a way of trying to prevent Link from awakening the Wind Fish by using Link's memories against him. Link might have also contributed to Koholint's geography as Tal Tal Mountain could be created from memories of Death Mountain, Mysterious Woods from Lost Woods, Kanalet Castle could be the Koholint counterpart of Hyrule Castle. Lucky, the Wind Fish had its own tactics. His dream world had the necessary tools to awaken him- the Eight Instruments of the Sirens along with a person that knows Ballad of the Wind Fish to teach Link (Marin). There is also south of the Face Shrine which reveals the secret of Koholint Island and the help of the Wind Fish's subconscious/spirit in the form of the Owl. Speaking of Marin I like to think she was half constructed from both Link and the Wind Fish. At first Link confused Marin for Princess Zelda as well as being a good-natured girl who loves to sing and has a strong sense of morality. Like the Hero of Legend, she is very adventurous when she went hiking up Tal Tal Mountains to make her wish because she wants to see what's beyond Koholint Island. I think these would be qualities Link would look for so you might say Marin is Link's ultimate dream girl.
28:14 Oh wow... I like how the new version of the song sounds... Sad. And I don't mean normal sad. It sounds like mourning. It just gives off a palpable feeling of _grief._
Link's Awakening is my brother's favorite Zelda game. I put off buying the remake for years, but remembered it was here when I saw it on sale for Christmas. So I got my brother a copy, not just for him, but so my 9-year-old niece to make it her first Zelda game too.
I have to dislike this because your entire thesis is trash. Nintendo always remakes it’s Mario and Zelda for newer hardware. The game was already remade for the Gameboy Color from the Gameboy original. You shared the footage the whole time. Your review overall was just fine until you asserted the delusion that this game is about letting go and thus is ironic to be remade.
There is one upside to remakes... There are a _lot_ of people who never got to play the original. Children getting the game for their birthday or christmas, playing it for the first time, and they never would have been able to experience the game unless it was remade.
I don't want to be 'that person,' but allegory usually implies that the message or theme of a work is hidden or addressed indirectly and requires interpretation to unpack that hidden meaning. Link's Awakening is rather direct in its thematic exploration of dreams and dreaming; there is no hidden layer of interpretation behind the story. The focus on dreams exists entirely on the surface layer. Most of your argument is very astute on how Link's Awakening addresses dreams thematically, but the content of the game contradicts your thesis that the game is 'an allegory for dreaming.' An Allegory on Escapism might be a more accurate title. That said, aside from that bit of nitpicking, I very much enjoyed your videos on Link to the Past and Link's Awakening. Keep up the good work!
"and rather than attempting to create that same experience, cherish it with you for the rest of your life." I can only thank you for this. Every day i think about my grandparents old house and all the memories i have. How much I wish I could return to such a carefree and beautiful time. But I now know that I can't, and that's okay. This gives me such deep closure, almost unwanted... But necessary. I wont be able to recreate it. But it truly will be there with me for the rest of my existence.
Should we remake this game if the message is to move on? What? There’s a lot of books whose point is moving on, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t buy the hardcover copy that includes authors notes etc. I would even say the point isn’t to abandon dreams or escapism, the accompanying manga even moreso depicts the thesis as being that having our own version of perfection stops us from going places in life, dreams should stay dreams for a reason. Remaking the game doesn’t really hurt that message. In the accompanying manga, when he discovers the illusion link tries desperately to turn the island real, when he can’t do that he tries to sail away with Marin, but no matter what direction they go, they always end up back at the island, so link breaks down in tears and that’s when Marin shares the revelation that he just has to let them go to get anywhere else. The final boss then, is a representation of Link’s REAL struggles, not those out of imagination, because it metaphorically demonstrates that real struggles lead us to real change. Everything after the reveal, including the owl telling us it was a rumor, is Link coping with having to realize his fun little romp around the island can’t last forever because he has real responsibilities.
30:55 God that is such a cynical way to look at things... Remakes can be a great way to re-introduce a beloved game to a new generation, to fix the most dated aspects of the original and to just make it more accessible on a new console I would've never played this game if it wasn't for the remake, I have zero interest in playing an old gameboy game with dated map, two buttons and non scrolling camera, just how I dislike playing the original Ocarina of Time, the improvements on the 3DS version just makes the original obsolete, why would I even bother?
Jesus loves you everybody. Life is worth living through Him. He died and rose again to save you from your sins. He wants to save you, all you have to do is ask Him to and trust Him to and you will live with Him in paradise forever. John 3:16 Romans 8:35-39
Your analysis about the HD remake is embarrassingly bad-faith and narrow. Yelling "fuck artistic integrity" and writing off this game as a cash-grab is frankly pretty disrespectful to the developers who made clear enhancements to the game while remaining extremely faithful to the original and bringing it to life. Claiming you'd "always want something new instead" is easy to say - but it's unclear that the opportunity cost of this remake was a new Zelda game (it certainly wouldn't have been), and even if it was, who's to say that would have been any good? Suggesting that the fixing of irritating limitations of the originals (item slots, janky combat) removes "strategy" from the game is bizarre - what's the strategy involved in having to click the pause button repeatedly? There's no 'decision' to be made there in real-time, it's purely frustrating. You also simultaneously explain that the originals often had heart pieces you would see early and have to remember for later, then suggest that those new ones added destroy the linearity of the game. Heck, it's not even overt that the purpose or thesis of Link's Awakening is to move on to new experiences and leave the past behind - that's your interpretation and you seem to have steadfastly clung onto and projected it onto the team. There are valid alternative readings - to enjoy and revel in your dreams / to reflect on a childhood that has passed or to hold onto memories (you even say this!) / that its setting was simply a method to shoehorn in the bizarre. None of this is to mention that (a) the game is almost 30 years old and that many people wouldn't have even got the chance to play it / experience the message to begin with, (b) you of course didn't have to revisit it. Even if all your analysis holds, why didn't you berate the DX version - surely that one is equally, if not more guilty, as the original 'remake'? An otherwise good video completely derailed by incoherent ramblings that frankly amount to gatekeepy "I hate it because it's new!!" / "this game means X to me and any alternate view is awful"! Weird.
I feel like you may be a bit too cynical when it comes to LA remake. With the remake, a new generation can be taught the lesson you learned when you were younger. Perhaps they should have done what they did with A Link Between Worlds. Same but different, but tbh... that may not have worked. Maybe it would have. I dont know. Either way, recurring dreams do happen, and sometimes sharing your dream with a new generation can be a delightfully pleasant experience. All things do come to an end... but we can always revisit those things in our dreams and memories. And while the next generations experiences may mirror ours, they of course wont exactly be the same, but we can at least take solace in those similarities, and recognize that, dispite the subtle differences, we have things that we can share in common... I never had LA when I was a kid. It was before my time and it was a journey I sadly missed. I grew up with Ocarina of Time. Could I have, and would I have, tracked down a copy of LA and fired up my GBA SP, sure, but because of the remake, I was able to play it sooner than I would have, and I'm so very glad for that.
I've been gaming since the '80s. I can't with people who complain about making controls/item management less of a pain in the ass. That argument is ridiculous. I've played the original and the remake. It's a wonderful and beautiful game. You're being ridiculously petty. If you want the remake to be original, play the original.
Sadly while I enjoyed your videos up to this point I feel like I need to avoid your next installment. I always hear so much ridicule of Ocarina in this day and age that I just can’t stand it anymore. I’m not ready for more. Even though I’m sure it will be very well thought out and analyzed and well made I just don’t want to see it. Not anytime soon. Sorry. This video was excellent BTW. Glad to see I’m not alone in seeing more flaws in the Awakening remake than the frame-rate.
I don't think you have to worry about that Ocarina video. I admire it for plenty of reasons, and I think you'll enjoy the resulting video if you love the game.
Liam Triforce ok. I trust you. Been an exceptionally great series of videos so far so I am really excited for what you have to show. Ocarina is definitely my favorite game of all time. And it was no where near my first of the series.
I would disagree with your point that the remake destroys the original games thesis. I would say it actually helps the main thesis, as I would say, is that after the necessary end to the dream to a quest or adventure, you should remember the dream in your heart so that the things and people in your imagination so that they truly don't die. And that's what this remake does: keep the people in the dream alive so that others may know about it.
I love the video but I would say making a remake of something you made. To make it accessible to newer audiences. Doesn't mean you have a lack of artistic integrity unless your original artistic intent was for it to be inaccessible and unavailable. Which is totally valid but I don't think that was Nintendo's original intent.
Your point about the color dungeon devaluing collectibles is fair, and I agree. But I disagree that the temporary power ups devalue the collectibles in any significant way. Having a permanent bonus and not having to rely on a powerup dropping is a satisfying reward.
He didn't say he disliked it, just that it changes how you play the game. It's no different than having to pause to equip the iron boots in the water temple in OoT. We pretty much all would agree that it's "better" that it was fixed in the 3DS version, but it does alter the original feeling of completing the level, changing the dynamic somewhat.
...i mean...saying the remake is about the money is correct, every game is about that, but saying it ruins the meaning of the original? Hell no The game makes the experience even better, making it possible for new fans to enjoy it and for older ones to experience a better version of the same shared dream.
Links awakening is a portable game that seems to have not been held back at all by the technical limitations of the Gameboy. I didn't realize the Gameboy was any more advanced than the nes but it seems orders of magnitude more impressive than the original game.
Lol I also freaking love the new rendition of the Face Shrine music. Absolutely love how the original instrumental kicks in towards the end there of the clip you played. That bit tugs hard as hell on the Nostalgia strings & absolutely nails it. It wouldn't have been the same had they not included the original instrument in that track.
Honestly such a good video on this game. Really haven’t thought about Link’s Awakening the same since watching it. Love coming back to watch it honestly
I love Link’s Awakening to bits. After BOTW it kind of feels like a mini version of that with a Metroidvania kick to it in a lot of ways. And as a platformer fan, the jump feather and 2D platforming segments in there really just made that side of me happy. I love the characters, story, music, etc. it’s all just a little slice of heaven to me.
Your forgetting that remakes allow people who never played the original game to experience the magic of that game in a new light. They aren’t really made for people who have played the original.
Hey! Just so you know, you're very good at voiceovers and narration. Thanks for putting all these videos together! They've been a nice distraction while I'm waiting for the next BOTW game to come out.
As a new Zelda fan I love that they remade this game because I probably wouldn't have played it if they didn't and I really hope they remake more Zelda games for the switch so I can finally play them
So I have never played the remake and I expected the face shrine song to be bad... then you started playing it in the video. I was so incredibly shocked and I started crying. I still can't believe how good that was
Link's Awakening instantly became one of my favorite games ever after playing it, and I agree with just about everything you say. But the fact that you have replayef the game completely invalidates your argument against Nintendo rereleasing it. You can't complain against nostalgia and this perfect "you must move on" mentality if you're willing to play it even more than once. Nintendo didn't rerelease the game just for you. I had never touched Awakening before the remake and never would have cared to have that experience if they just put it on NSO.
just wanted to mention that technically link's awakening DX (aka the color version) is kind of a remake in and of itself, the color dungeon and the photo quest (?, i played the original so i don't know how the photo thing works) wasn't in the original. just wanted to point that out since you talked about how it was a choice to re-do link's awakening despite its message. i agree with the message, especially with the ghost quest, but yeah, nintendo already remade it once, kind of ironic
Hell yeah man! So glad to see you give credit to that masterpiece of a track, aka the Face Shrine remixed theme. What a banger! It pretty much made the remake for me as well and is indeed one of the very best Zelda tracks of all time. I hope it gets the recognition it deserves from future Zelda fans.
Reasons I love Link's Awakening so much: _waves hands emphatically toward video_ While this game (the original Gameboy version) wasn't the first Zelda game I played, it was the first I beat, and it's the reason I'm such a fan of the series to this day. The first Zelda was too difficult for someone like me who was never super great at video games, and I never even bothered to try the second after watching someone else play it. But we ended up getting our hands on a Gameboy and LA, and I could not put it down. I loved the story and characters, and the difficulty didn't feel like too much for me to handle. The bittersweet ending resonated with me as a kid, too, as I played it during a particularly rough patch of my childhood. To this day I still consider it not only one of my favorite Zelda games, but also one of my favorite video games period. So it really is nice to see so much care and thought put into a video that not only covers its gameplay, but also its message and impact, which were pretty special for a monochrome title on a chunky handheld.
Link's Awakening was the first Zelda game I ever completed. I owned it on the gameboy as a kid and it left an immeasurable impact on me. I never understood why future games played it safe, creating a new link again and again and took the original dream away from me. I felt so connected to "his" journey. Oracle of Ages and Seasons brought my dream back momentarily but I that's all it was, a dream. No other era in the zelda timeline captured my heart like this one. Sure I enjoyed other entries, but simply as a game. I never really cared about any other link. Awesome video, man. It touched my heart that others actually care about this amazing experience and what it offered.
Love your highlights of the date with Marin and the dungeon 6 events as pivotal to the game. The former hooks you completely on the story and immersion in the game, and the latter puts a dagger in you, crystallizing your understanding of the game's destiny that the game has previously hinted at. For me the highlight of the entire game is beating the Armos knight and reading the wall in the Southern Shrine (along with that music) but paired with the Face Shrine atmosphere, it's a crushing amount of emotion for a Game Boy game.
Link's Awakening is my favorite 2D Zelda, and one of my top games ever. I've always been a Zelda fan, but it took me until 2015 to give the game a chance, and it blew me away. I never thought a 8-bit game could make me cry, but it did. I never wanted to wake up.
Just wanted to say that I don't agree with the third chapter of this video at all anymore, was just a bit sour on the remake's changes and I let that cloud my vision. It is a great remake, and plenty of people now get to experience this game today. I wanted an entirely new 2D Zelda instead, which does actually tie into my thesis...but I didn't properly articulate myself at all. Of course, thank you for watching and providing counter arguments! I learned a lot from making this video. I still love Link's Awakening - that hasn't changed at all.
Came to since I’m tempted to buy it for the switch.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence this comment was only a few hours after Dunkey’s video on the game
@@harshal1153 Absolutely not a coincidence! Great video, much better than mine.
I just discovered your channel yesterday (your Wii Retrospective video was in my recommended) and I’ve been watching all of your Zelda retrospective videos in order, and I agree with almost everything in your video, except for the music.
I grew up with 8bit and 16bit game consoles. I absolutely adore that style and era of game music. But, at the same time, I’m in love with the remake of Link Awakening’s Soundtrack. As soon as I watched the reveal in the February 2019 Nintendo Direct, I instantly said “I hope I can find the whole soundtrack one day. It’s a shame that Nintendo won’t release official albums of their games. This opening song is a banger.”
I loved the soundtrack of the original Link’s Awakening, but I absolutely adore the remakes soundtrack.
I really like what I’ve seen of your channel so far, I’m a sucker for Hour Long videos to listen to while I’m at my 12 hour shift job. I just finished this video, and as hard as it is to believe, I can’t wait to start “Yet Another Ocarina of Time Retrospective”
I mean, why not both? Since Nintendo proper isn't the one who handles all their remakes, it doesn't take any more resources to make. We can get an awesome remake, _and_ a new portable Zelda game... unfortunately, that portable title is also the console title... is "2D Zelda" gone for good? Hopefully not... in fact, why not let Capcom (makers of the oracle series) or some other company make a new 2D Zelda? Yeah, I have no idea what's going on at Nintendo... BotW2 is taking even longer than the original... _what are you guys doing?!_
"Should we remake this game if the message is to move on?" (paraphrasing)
Keep in mind, some people have never played the original game and probably wouldn't if this remake didn't exist. It wasn't JUST made for those who played the gameboy version.
Yea, I was going to say something like this too. The game is like what, damn near 20 years old now? I think it's great that a new generation of players gets to experience an amazing game like Link's Awakening without the barrier to entry of a Gameboy Color.
@@noahhopkins1565 Well if you go by the _original_ version,
then it's been ~27 years since it came out.
Though, if you go by the DX (color) version, then it's closer
to ~21 years. So yea... quite some time either way.
This game is older than I've been alive and I didn't have a way to experience it legally that's why they remade it, not just the $$$ ;-;
That aside, I believe that there is value to having remakes if you enhance the message of the game. If they instead of adding more collectables instead focused on building your connection to the world even more, then the fact you would need to move on would become more personal. If they removed things like hero mode, then people wouldn't have the assumption in the back of their mind they are being told to play this game longer than needed. Enhancing the experience, not adding onto, I feel should be the priority, which is why I believe this remake could have done better in hindsight.
Agreed. Probably would've never played this game if it wasn't remade
I probably would eventually have played it since it's a fraction of the price on the 3DS eShop, but I doubt I would have liked it as much honestly.
I can certainly understand why you need some time to prepare for the next Zelda game. Wand of Gamelon and Faces of Evil truly are nuanced masterpieces of their time and have to be analyzed as such.
T H I S
@@somebaker2613 I S
Poe’s Law is in full effect
Now if there were some games that needed modern remakes to get them to not suck, the CD-I games would definitely fit the bill. Nintendo could hire Koji Igarashi to turn them into proper Metroidvanias while maintaining the beautiful watercolor painting aesthetic that was their greatest asset. (I know this will never happen in a zillion years because Nintendo didn't make them, they would gladly throw every copy of them into a fire if they could, and they would be in copyright hell if they wanted to do anything with them, but one can dream, right?) You can't just remake good games after all.
@@The_Wandering_Nerd yes you can?
Tbf if this game wasn't remade, I never would have played Links Awakening. I started gaming on the GameCube. Yes, it's ironic for Nintendo to pick this particular game, but MAN a game like this needed to be introduced to another generation
yeah I will never understand people complaining that it got a remake. Thousands of people that would have never played it get a chance to experience it.
I know people say "go buy a game boy or just use an emulator" but like, if some 10 year old kid has a switch and nothing else, and they have to jump through hoops to play it, it's probably not going to happen.
New generations need this game in their lives. Wasnt gonna happen if it lived and died on the gameboy.
Introducing my fav zelda game since childhood to my friends that never played it before makes me appreciate it even more. I love the remake. .
3DS eshop: am I a joke to you?
@@Paradox-xm9zq Nintendo in 2023: yes
@@noahedwards3090 Agree. Not having to constantly switch items in a menu screen is a good update. I played Link’s Awakening when it originally came out on gameboy. Having items permanently mapped to buttons was a much needed improvement. It makes the game more replayable.
Exactly what I was gonna say. There are some games that would straight up disappear if they weren't remade. Yes, that also leans into the theme of things being temporary, but this is a lesson that new generations need to learn too, & while I wish companies would take the chance on letting new IPs tell similar life lessons & morality plays, companies also feel much safer remaking something that already succeeded in doing so (& made decent profits, not to mention became a cultural icon). Yes, that leans into the nostalgia angle too, as extra money will be made off the generation that grew up with the original, but people often forget that remakes often drive up viewership/playership of the original by a new generation. Many will be curious, want to see what it was like in its first iteration, to get a taste of that experience the older generation always rattles on about. I, for one, would never have seen the British 1970 musical film Scrooge if "Netflix" hadn't released a remake in Dec '22. I love seeing different adaptations, seeing how interpretations change, & so do many others. Thank god for ROM hacks & emulators, because big video game companies HATE the idea of sustaining old IPs & machines.
Just beat Links Awakening dx on nso. I'm pretty sure my brother had this game when we were kids, but I didn't touch his Gameboy. I'm glad I finally got to experience it. Only now I really want to get the remake...
"Why attempt to change or iterate on something that already left a massive impact, especially something already viewed as fantastic?"
So those who weren't around to experience it can have a chance to play it for themselves. This game came out more than 20 years ago, on a handheld that is nigh impossible for the younger crowd to gain access to. But now there are others who can become engrossed in this beautiful game as you guys had in your youth.
Sure, remakes are made to get cash from nostalgic gamers, the same can be said for all games. The true beauty of a passionately made remake is to see your most cherished memories, beautifully made with modern hardware, and knowing that your children and other young folk can experience the same journey firsthand that made the game so beloved in the first place.
winterdragon2004 actually a gameboy, and the game is cheaper, or any sort of subsitute like the 3ds Eshop, Super Gameboy, GBA, Retron.
really it goes without saying people generally like what is considered new-or has a new coat of paint.
Or you could emulate, you know
@@lordAgustin emulating is fine, but what if somebody just doesn't want to? I, myself, play on both emulators and original hardware, and I must say that I prefer the original hardware, and my Gameboy Color's screen is broken, and the game cart for Link's Awakening DX won't start in my GBA, so the remake was great for me
yeah this part of the video really lost me, I can understand his frustration, just like Majora HD frustrates me, but there is no reason to compare the two games because one doesn't erase the other, if you prefer the original, just go back and play it, both vesions still exist
Loved that long spiel about the Face Shrine music! It legit gave me shivers the first time I heard it
It also sounds very very familiar from Link To The Past when in the the chapel after saving Zelda from the castle
The face shrine music is amazing and even better in the remake, but forever my favorite song will be the tal tal heights song.
Part of links awakening is the idea that nostalgia is good, and returning to memories is great, you just can’t linger on them. The remake perfectly fits this
This video was good until your conclusion at the end that Link's Awakening should not have been remade. Your reasoning is ridiculous. The remake was more for new fans then for old ones, and they deserve to have the experience of playing Link's Awakening in a legal, accessible manner.
ballroomscott yeah exactly the old versions are constantly getting harder and harder to play legally, this gives fans both new and old a way to play this game again allowing fans that grew up
With this game to share something with there kids who are just getting into Zelda, and new fans can now easily experience this game for the first time without having to go buy an old game boy and original cartridge that might not work anymore, or emulate the game illegally
The original GBC game was great for it's time, but it hasn't aged well.
This
His reasoning is absurd yeah, but why make a 3DS game for the Switch, have it with some horrible performance that never got fixed, showcase the ability to design your own dungeons that feels so damn unfinished, lock meaningful content behind Amiibo, and put it up for full price?
The remake imo is really undercooked, feels like Nintendo didn't really care about preserving the game, but like they just wanted to capitalize on the crowd BOTW brought with a half-hearted remake.
@@kyosilver1999They're also just literally harder to play, or for younger or modern gamers who don't have a lot of experience w older consoles or emulation to get into. People like graphical & mechanical spruce ups for classic game experiences.
It’s implied that Koholint lives on as long as Link remembers it, the same as your childhood memories. So while it conveys a message of moving on, it also encourages reflection on the past, because those memories made you who you are. Damn I love this game!
I love the remake so much, it's my favorite zelda game, and I'm so glad it exists cause otherwise I'd never played the original to the end. I tried the gbc and Gameboy versions a few times, but several parts of it made me not feel like finishing it. The remake however, hooked me, and I've completed it twice. Also I nearly got goose bumps in the transition to act 2 where you put in Marin singing.
It’s now on NSO and you really should play it. The original is amazing and it really is special. I love both of these games and going in the original with the knowledge of the remake makes the experience of the original so amazing. You really should give it another try.
You're right about accessibility. Most people these days don't own a GameBoy or Link's awakening. Technology becomes outdated at a dangerous rate. These remasters like NEW PEOPLE experience the game.
*remakes
3DS eshop: Am I a joke to you?
@@Paradox-xm9zq That still limits the game to handhelds.
Yeah no, I’ve always wanted to play this game but I don’t have a game boy color like a lot of people. It’s undeniably a good thing they remade it.
Yes this
Well atleast we can finally play the original on switch now😄
Also it’s now on nso!
@@mr.j3rs3yI’m so happy!
*shivers*
The music from this game, my GOD... From sad to happy to tense to majestic, and many other notes inbetween.
I haven't played many other small adventure games that accomplish so much with just its music alone.
Marin's song and the ending orchestral bit in the remake will forever be personal favorites of mine.💗💗💗
Yeah the music is godlike, easily one of my favorite osts in any Zelda game.
please chill.. if it wasnt for this remake, i never would've been able to experience the game or its message :/ accessibility is important, like you said.
people who missed out on it way back when and kids who will potentially have their own childhood experiences with this game deserve a chance to play it too, i guess? personally i wasnt even alive when this game first came out, and i was about 3 years old when the dx remaster happened lol. there's absolutely no need for that kinda gatekeeping attitude here.
@@WaffletheKodiak Do you have a 3DS? It's on the Virtual Console. That's how I played it, 2 years before the HD remake
@@ThatFanBoyGuy good for you. But does it really matter whether it's on 3DS as well? What if you don't have a 3DS/the Switch is your first (Nintendo) console? I've played some Oracle of Seasons, and boy, was the constant switching of items etc a turnoff for me back then (played it on my GBA as the age of 12). If the virtual store was the only way to play it on an widely available system, I wouldn't have played the game at all
@@ThatFanBoyGuy at this point it's more likely for a kid to have a switch than a 3ds, and the 3ds will eventually lose support from Nintendo just like the Wii and such.
I remember watching an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation called "The Inner Light" and it reminded me so much of Link's Awakening. *SPOILER WARNING* In it Picard gets a weird flash of light from a probe found in space, this results in his being taken to an strange planet, in the middle of a populace Not even referred to as Picard or Jean-Luc, Just Kamin. He lives a complete life as Kamin, With no references to his life as Picard, with The Enterprise, with Starfleet. Nothing. He is to just live in this city as one of them, which he comes to accept, he even grows to old age.
At the end of the episode it is revealed that the life he lived is a chronicle of a people now extinct from their star going Nova. It turns out Picard was only unconscious for about 20 minutes, but he experienced a full life time. At the end of it all, his other life never happend, but the memories of it were all too real, with a tear inducing moment when he hugs the flute in the probe to his chest in remembrance.
Links Awakening felt strangely appropriate
The way the orginal affected you is the same way the remake affected me. Mind you this is my first LOZ I've ever played(at least all the way through) and I'm 27 lol
Good Zelda to start with. A Link to the Past is also a good starting point but can be obtuse for some.
For me who’s played both they are both amazing and you should play both.
"Games are escapism"
Yeah, I sure want to escape into something like Bloodborne. No risks there.
You don't really get what escapism means, right? Coz it means exactly what you've written.
I remember playing this game in 97 when I was 10. The ending absolutely blew me away. I didn't know how to deal with it. It was so bittersweet. The Windfish is a magical and majestic being. It's a crime to keep it asleep and a joy to see it awaken, but all the friends I made will disappear forever. However, Marin now lives in the song of a gull. She finally got her wish: to travel to distant lands and share her song with the world. It's the most beautiful ending. In my eyes, no game has been able to replicate it since, regardless of how many colors or fancy effects are used. Thank you for making this video and showing respect to this wonderful piece of art.
💀
At first I thought nothing much about this game and wrote it off as a decent yet short handheld. But after experiencing the remake, I really grew an appreciation of this game with it’s bizarre setting, laidback tone, and honestly heartfelt themes of dreams and how we interpret them. I still think the item switching in the original is kind of a handicap in the original game, but the remake completely nullifies that problem and know I can confidently say that Link’s Awakening is one of my favorite Zelda games, top 5 absolutely.
Both the remake and original are amazing games. Timeless classics that every Zelda fan should play.
The item switching in the original is honestly not that much of a handicap because it’s fast and easy. I love that and it’s not that much of a handicap.
I see your point about remaking the game going against the message of moving on, but no message is a full-proof solution to life's problems. If the idea of remake itself is to be judged based on the themes, then you have to consider that moving on isn't always the best thing to do.
There are times when a person needs to stop and look back to reflect on themselves and make sure they aren't straying from the path they want to take in life.
As the story itself teaches, dreams end, everything does, but there's value in remembering them and what they have taught us. But dark times make us forget these happy memories and dreams we once had. They break our spirits and prevent us from moving on, making us forget everything we once learned.
At times like these, reliving that dream, reliving the nostalgia, and being reminded of that message is important.
But, it's not an easy thing to do. So many of us look at things that we liked in the past and scoff at them, failing to let them make us remember the wisdom they once gave us.
I know so many guys who were Pokemon fans when we were all kids and were positively impacted by the show, but as they grew up, they started thinking that watching/playing Pokemon was a waste of time and instead they should have been *studying more* or just doing something they consider more productive. They did learn things from it when they were kids. But, they forgot. And now, even revisiting those games or the anime does not help them recall those things.
And this happens with a lot of people as they grow up. Their mind gets occupied by so many things that they fail to see the beauty in simpler things they once immensely enjoyed. In order to remember those precious moments and important as hell messages, they need something more than just what they have had for 20 years. A remake, which could bring those past games to the forefront with obviously better visuals and other quality of life features, could be just what is needed to stop them from looking down on those games as old and archaic and revisit them properly.
This comment ended up being WAY longer than I thought it would be, but I just wanted to express why I don't think remaking Link's awakening is in any way against the message of the original.
Did Nintendo remake this game to earn money from it? Sure. But, any corporation makes any product to earn money from it.
Did they remake this game *just* to earn money from it? I can confidently say - no.
It's kinda funny to me that you criticise nintendo for remaking the game, in a way, "re-awakening" it from "its end", and yet you say you will/would/have replayed the game either way. Isn't that the same?
Just because the game is about moving on doesn't mean you should never replay the game for the sake of the game, LA has some really good dungeons, man.
I feel this video is so convoluted, links awakenings remake was amazing and i personally think it eclipses the original, LA was the only zelda game i didnt finish as a child. It was annoying to play having to constantly pause and traversing the overworld was as annoying as could be . I later came back and played it as an adult via emulator just to be able to say i beat every zelda game but i didnt enjoy it , i absolutely loved the remake and completed it within days and its a game ill most likely play to completion dozens of times where as the original ill never touch again.
This guy don't understand that the crocodile eats the dog food and that the power ups adds on top of the suits
Switching items in the menu is fine and not annoying! I love the original and the remake and both are some of the best games of all time!
You’re wrong, the original is amazing and the menu switching is not annoying. I played both and for me the best is he original with its special charm. The remake has better controls but I don’t care because the original is magical. Both are amazing, but the original is lovable and the menu as I said is fine.
As someone who loved Link's Awakening as a kid, I for one felt the remake was a wonderful dream to have again. If for no other reason than the orchestrated Mabe Village theme, which always just hits me right in the feels.
Just started the video: The internet has permanently ruined the phrase "Have you ever had a dream?" Because of that cute kid struggling to get through a famous quote. Lol
I’d never played a Zelda game before but when u heard the opening theme of links awakening I legit teared up lmao
Holy shit this video was fantastic
What I perhaps love most about Link's Awakening is its connection to its development. Started as a passion project by a programmer on LttP, who was just seeing if he could recreate LttP on Game Boy, word spread among the office, and a little 'after work club' formed to work on what was perhaps the world's first, greatest fan game. That was so good, it became noticed by the higher ups an was released as a full game. Togetherness, how our experiences connect us, how we all work toward the same, positive ideas, and how our passion influences the future - those are the lessons from Link's Awakening that I take to heart more than anything else. That and Marin appearing as a seagull in the credits if you give her a happy date, that's really, really sweet in showing the extra effort you put into remembering her.
... Which, y'know, makes a remake of such an idea feel really, really bad and kind of burying that original passion. I'm so glad more people will be able to experience it, but I'm disappointed that it's not that original version of the game that thousands might get the chance to fall in love with. I didn't play this game until my 20's, but it gave me a child-like joy that I rarely got from many games at the time, not just Zelda games. And I appreciate the quality of life changes, I love the idea of not nudging a pot with my nose and a text box calling me a wimp. But, as you've said, I wish all this effort was spent on creating a new adventure.
Thank you for the video. Viewing LA as a unified thesis for forward progress was something I hadn't considered - more focusing on it as a matter of nostalgia and reminiscence and finding strength in that. You're kinda good at this video thing. I'm glad to keep viewing this channel until the dream ends.
Just a minor correction...
Marin doesn't appear as a seagull at the end
because you "gave her a happy date".
That only happens if you manage to finish the game _without dying._
I’m glad they remade it because a lot more people will get to experience it when they may never have otherwise.
This was my first Zelda game. I was 8 years old, and I played it on a gameboy pocket because I didn’t have a GBC. I finished it at school during recess, and I distinctly remember having trouble holding back tears when I finished it. It’s message had a profound impact on me that still informs the way I perceive the world today.
The Links Awakening Remake is actually my favourite 2D Zelda, enhanced my love for the original and brought it to an even higher place in my heart, I’m very thankful for the remake because without it I wouldn’t have my fav 2D Zelda
I love the original too. Both the remake and the original are amazing and the best 2d Zelda games.
@voltron77 Link's Awakening and A Link to The Past are my favorite 2D Zeldas.
amazing work on this one, i’ve never played LA before but all the praise from videos like yours and KingK’s make me really want to try it out. shame that remake is so damn expensive though
How does having more item slots remove startegy when all it does is save time opening/closing the menu over and over?
People like to complain about anything nowadays.
Links Awakening on the switch allowed me to experience that journey for the first time. I had a game boy growing up, but I never played Links Awakening. Ocarina of Time converted me into a Zelda fan. As time goes on, younger gamers will be able to experience these journeys because of remakes. For those two reasons, I appreciate well done remakes like this.
Link's Awakening was the first ever game that showed me a world to explore and people to meet. Easily my favorite game of all time.
When I beat the game on the switch, and heard the credits, it was triumphant, but when near the end of the credits theme with the section I call the 8-bit tribute to the original, brought me to tears, same thing when I got the true ending and say Marin having her wish granted. Now with this video, I had no idea about the allegory, and by watching this video I feel a sense of truth both in the game and myself
I think the remake has topped as my favorite Zelda credits song. The switching from small and sad to bombastic and triumphant, the nostalgic GBC callback, it's just fantastic
Yeah the original has a charm that is so special and the remake is amazing! I love both!
Cannot believe in the music section you didn't mention the remakes Animal Village music. It's a true masterpiece. Possibly the best musical number to be ever composed.
Yes
Tal tal heights.
"Durr, new thing bad because I like old thing"
A whole new generation a players got to experience this game whereas before it was announced, a fraction of them even knew it existed. Every con you said the remake had was something that messed with your nostalgia, going against your own and the message of the game about moving on to new experiences. You want to go into the menu to swap items every 5 seconds and early 90s gameboy combat/graphics? Go play the original, but stop gatekeeping this game to new players.
Oi this guy isn't gatekeeping but explaining why a remake goes against the originals ideas if you don't see that then I don't have much hope for you.
if thats what you got out of this video i feel really bad for you
When you began building up to discussing the "best song in the game's soundtrack," I was genuinely dumbfounded when you chose the Face Shrine's theme. While I would by no means argue against the track's outstanding quality, I found your explanation of its thematic impact difficult to relate to. This may, however, be due in part to the unorthodox method of progression I found myself taking while playing the remake for the first time.
I ended up acquiring the Face Key before it was possible for me to access its associated dungeon. This meant that I had another dungeon and several hours between the mural revelation, and actually arriving at the Face Shrine dungeon. This likely served to lessen the dramatic impact that one would otherwise have reflected in the music, since I was unintentionally afforded plenty of time to digest and move on from the game directly pointing out its core conceit. For me, the Face Shrine was simply another dungeon; albeit one with uncharacteristically foreboding music.
That it would be possible to experience the story slightly out of order than intended is a testament to Link's Awakening's strong design and overall trust in the player's ability to guide themselves.
Same for me but on the other hand I already knew the truth of the island when I went to the date with Marin because I went there right after I read the stone tablet in the old temple. This made the scene on the beach really sad and impactful. Hearing Marin talk about her dreams while you know the truth. Link keeping silent was also really fitting because I imagined him not knowing what to say. Only later I found out that this was not the intentional way of the game.
Personally I loved Link's Awakening Remake. I started playing the original in a website that emulated it when I was in Highschool, unfortunately it was taken down and never got past the first two temples, seeing a remake coming out for Switch was so exciting for me, because I felt I could finally continue my journey with an updated a beautiful art-style that gives a unique personality (I hope they do this for the Oracle games in the future as well). I haven't played too many of the 2D Zelda games (just ALtP and ALBW, before playing this one), and this just made me fall more in love with the series and value even more the TLoZ 2D games even more.
I have a theory about the nature of Koholint Island and the dream world in general.
We know that Koholint Island was created by the Wind Fish's dream. This is something that is hinted at by the Nightmares confirmed halfway through the game when link gets to the Ancient Ruins. At some point the Nightmare invaded the Wind Fish's slumber in an attempted to take over his dream world and keep the Wind Fish unable to awaken.
My theory is that Link's memories influenced parts of the Wind Fish's nightmare/dream- in particular, some of the enemies found of Koholint Island are ones Link has faced in his previous adventures such as Darknuts, Octoroks, Armos Knight, and Zoras. During the final battle, Nightmare takes the shapes that resembles the bosses from A Link to the Past, like Moldorm, Agahnim, and Ganon. Nightmare was using Link's memories as a way of trying to prevent Link from awakening the Wind Fish by using Link's memories against him.
Link might have also contributed to Koholint's geography as Tal Tal Mountain could be created from memories of Death Mountain, Mysterious Woods from Lost Woods, Kanalet Castle could be the Koholint counterpart of Hyrule Castle.
Lucky, the Wind Fish had its own tactics. His dream world had the necessary tools to awaken him- the Eight Instruments of the Sirens along with a person that knows Ballad of the Wind Fish to teach Link (Marin). There is also south of the Face Shrine which reveals the secret of Koholint Island and the help of the Wind Fish's subconscious/spirit in the form of the Owl.
Speaking of Marin I like to think she was half constructed from both Link and the Wind Fish. At first Link confused Marin for Princess Zelda as well as being a good-natured girl who loves to sing and has a strong sense of morality. Like the Hero of Legend, she is very adventurous when she went hiking up Tal Tal Mountains to make her wish because she wants to see what's beyond Koholint Island. I think these would be qualities Link would look for so you might say Marin is Link's ultimate dream girl.
Link probably loved Marin.
28:14 Oh wow... I like how the new version of the song sounds... Sad. And I don't mean normal sad. It sounds like mourning. It just gives off a palpable feeling of _grief._
Found your channel by surprise, I wonder how UA-cam failed to recommend me this much earlier :D
Link's Awakening is my brother's favorite Zelda game. I put off buying the remake for years, but remembered it was here when I saw it on sale for Christmas. So I got my brother a copy, not just for him, but so my 9-year-old niece to make it her first Zelda game too.
A lot of the criticisms for the remake sound like reaching tbh. Otherwise great video
Agreed
The wind fish also says that everytime you think about the memory of the island you give it life so that made me feel a little better about the ending
allegory? im pretty sure its just what its about literally
I have to dislike this because your entire thesis is trash. Nintendo always remakes it’s Mario and Zelda for newer hardware. The game was already remade for the Gameboy Color from the Gameboy original. You shared the footage the whole time. Your review overall was just fine until you asserted the delusion that this game is about letting go and thus is ironic to be remade.
"I need some time before the next one."
*Sees a **1:16:55** video recommended to me.*
Oh boy.
There is one upside to remakes... There are a _lot_ of people who never got to play the original. Children getting the game for their birthday or christmas, playing it for the first time, and they never would have been able to experience the game unless it was remade.
I don't want to be 'that person,' but allegory usually implies that the message or theme of a work is hidden or addressed indirectly and requires interpretation to unpack that hidden meaning. Link's Awakening is rather direct in its thematic exploration of dreams and dreaming; there is no hidden layer of interpretation behind the story. The focus on dreams exists entirely on the surface layer. Most of your argument is very astute on how Link's Awakening addresses dreams thematically, but the content of the game contradicts your thesis that the game is 'an allegory for dreaming.' An Allegory on Escapism might be a more accurate title.
That said, aside from that bit of nitpicking, I very much enjoyed your videos on Link to the Past and Link's Awakening. Keep up the good work!
Everytime I play this game, I always regret not spending enough time walking bow wow or adventuring with Marin. She really likes when you dig!
"and rather than attempting to create that same experience, cherish it with you for the rest of your life." I can only thank you for this. Every day i think about my grandparents old house and all the memories i have. How much I wish I could return to such a carefree and beautiful time. But I now know that I can't, and that's okay. This gives me such deep closure, almost unwanted... But necessary. I wont be able to recreate it. But it truly will be there with me for the rest of my existence.
Should we remake this game if the message is to move on? What? There’s a lot of books whose point is moving on, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t buy the hardcover copy that includes authors notes etc. I would even say the point isn’t to abandon dreams or escapism, the accompanying manga even moreso depicts the thesis as being that having our own version of perfection stops us from going places in life, dreams should stay dreams for a reason. Remaking the game doesn’t really hurt that message. In the accompanying manga, when he discovers the illusion link tries desperately to turn the island real, when he can’t do that he tries to sail away with Marin, but no matter what direction they go, they always end up back at the island, so link breaks down in tears and that’s when Marin shares the revelation that he just has to let them go to get anywhere else. The final boss then, is a representation of Link’s REAL struggles, not those out of imagination, because it metaphorically demonstrates that real struggles lead us to real change. Everything after the reveal, including the owl telling us it was a rumor, is Link coping with having to realize his fun little romp around the island can’t last forever because he has real responsibilities.
30:55 God that is such a cynical way to look at things...
Remakes can be a great way to re-introduce a beloved game to a new generation, to fix the most dated aspects of the original and to just make it more accessible on a new console
I would've never played this game if it wasn't for the remake, I have zero interest in playing an old gameboy game with dated map, two buttons and non scrolling camera, just how I dislike playing the original Ocarina of Time, the improvements on the 3DS version just makes the original obsolete, why would I even bother?
Jesus loves you everybody. Life is worth living through Him. He died and rose again to save you from your sins. He wants to save you, all you have to do is ask Him to and trust Him to and you will live with Him in paradise forever.
John 3:16
Romans 8:35-39
Your analysis about the HD remake is embarrassingly bad-faith and narrow.
Yelling "fuck artistic integrity" and writing off this game as a cash-grab is frankly pretty disrespectful to the developers who made clear enhancements to the game while remaining extremely faithful to the original and bringing it to life. Claiming you'd "always want something new instead" is easy to say - but it's unclear that the opportunity cost of this remake was a new Zelda game (it certainly wouldn't have been), and even if it was, who's to say that would have been any good?
Suggesting that the fixing of irritating limitations of the originals (item slots, janky combat) removes "strategy" from the game is bizarre - what's the strategy involved in having to click the pause button repeatedly? There's no 'decision' to be made there in real-time, it's purely frustrating. You also simultaneously explain that the originals often had heart pieces you would see early and have to remember for later, then suggest that those new ones added destroy the linearity of the game.
Heck, it's not even overt that the purpose or thesis of Link's Awakening is to move on to new experiences and leave the past behind - that's your interpretation and you seem to have steadfastly clung onto and projected it onto the team. There are valid alternative readings - to enjoy and revel in your dreams / to reflect on a childhood that has passed or to hold onto memories (you even say this!) / that its setting was simply a method to shoehorn in the bizarre.
None of this is to mention that (a) the game is almost 30 years old and that many people wouldn't have even got the chance to play it / experience the message to begin with, (b) you of course didn't have to revisit it.
Even if all your analysis holds, why didn't you berate the DX version - surely that one is equally, if not more guilty, as the original 'remake'?
An otherwise good video completely derailed by incoherent ramblings that frankly amount to gatekeepy "I hate it because it's new!!" / "this game means X to me and any alternate view is awful"! Weird.
I feel like you may be a bit too cynical when it comes to LA remake.
With the remake, a new generation can be taught the lesson you learned when you were younger. Perhaps they should have done what they did with A Link Between Worlds. Same but different, but tbh... that may not have worked. Maybe it would have. I dont know. Either way, recurring dreams do happen, and sometimes sharing your dream with a new generation can be a delightfully pleasant experience. All things do come to an end... but we can always revisit those things in our dreams and memories. And while the next generations experiences may mirror ours, they of course wont exactly be the same, but we can at least take solace in those similarities, and recognize that, dispite the subtle differences, we have things that we can share in common...
I never had LA when I was a kid. It was before my time and it was a journey I sadly missed. I grew up with Ocarina of Time. Could I have, and would I have, tracked down a copy of LA and fired up my GBA SP, sure, but because of the remake, I was able to play it sooner than I would have, and I'm so very glad for that.
I've been gaming since the '80s. I can't with people who complain about making controls/item management less of a pain in the ass. That argument is ridiculous.
I've played the original and the remake. It's a wonderful and beautiful game. You're being ridiculously petty. If you want the remake to be original, play the original.
Sadly while I enjoyed your videos up to this point I feel like I need to avoid your next installment. I always hear so much ridicule of Ocarina in this day and age that I just can’t stand it anymore. I’m not ready for more. Even though I’m sure it will be very well thought out and analyzed and well made I just don’t want to see it. Not anytime soon. Sorry.
This video was excellent BTW. Glad to see I’m not alone in seeing more flaws in the Awakening remake than the frame-rate.
I don't think you have to worry about that Ocarina video. I admire it for plenty of reasons, and I think you'll enjoy the resulting video if you love the game.
Liam Triforce ok. I trust you. Been an exceptionally great series of videos so far so I am really excited for what you have to show.
Ocarina is definitely my favorite game of all time. And it was no where near my first of the series.
Ummmm.... lots of people have NOT played L.A...... So, maybe the remake simply wasn’t for YOU.
I would disagree with your point that the remake destroys the original games thesis. I would say it actually helps the main thesis, as I would say, is that after the necessary end to the dream to a quest or adventure, you should remember the dream in your heart so that the things and people in your imagination so that they truly don't die. And that's what this remake does: keep the people in the dream alive so that others may know about it.
I love the video but I would say making a remake of something you made. To make it accessible to newer audiences. Doesn't mean you have a lack of artistic integrity unless your original artistic intent was for it to be inaccessible and unavailable. Which is totally valid but I don't think that was Nintendo's original intent.
Your point about the color dungeon devaluing collectibles is fair, and I agree. But I disagree that the temporary power ups devalue the collectibles in any significant way. Having a permanent bonus and not having to rely on a powerup dropping is a satisfying reward.
Lol I actually found the first person that dislikes the improved item management. Having to go to the menu every two seconds is not "strategy"
He didn't say he disliked it, just that it changes how you play the game. It's no different than having to pause to equip the iron boots in the water temple in OoT. We pretty much all would agree that it's "better" that it was fixed in the 3DS version, but it does alter the original feeling of completing the level, changing the dynamic somewhat.
@@ninja_tony He said it removed an element of strategy and that it "kind of sucks".
...i mean...saying the remake is about the money is correct, every game is about that, but saying it ruins the meaning of the original? Hell no
The game makes the experience even better, making it possible for new fans to enjoy it and for older ones to experience a better version of the same shared dream.
Links awakening is a portable game that seems to have not been held back at all by the technical limitations of the Gameboy. I didn't realize the Gameboy was any more advanced than the nes but it seems orders of magnitude more impressive than the original game.
Lol I also freaking love the new rendition of the Face Shrine music. Absolutely love how the original instrumental kicks in towards the end there of the clip you played. That bit tugs hard as hell on the Nostalgia strings & absolutely nails it. It wouldn't have been the same had they not included the original instrument in that track.
NGL, the music of the Angler Cave in the remake sounds like a stripped-down version of the Brinstar theme in Metroid.
Link's Awakening DX is available on 3DS Virtual Console. I highly recommend playing it that way.
Honestly such a good video on this game. Really haven’t thought about Link’s Awakening the same since watching it. Love coming back to watch it honestly
I love Link’s Awakening to bits. After BOTW it kind of feels like a mini version of that with a Metroidvania kick to it in a lot of ways. And as a platformer fan, the jump feather and 2D platforming segments in there really just made that side of me happy. I love the characters, story, music, etc. it’s all just a little slice of heaven to me.
stink's awakening
Unseen tutorials are what Nintendo has always been great at. They are the kings of teaching thru gameplay.
Laim talking about links date with marin
The ghost being forced to come along: 💀
I cant see the Hearts in Minecraft anymore without thinking of The Legend Of Zelda
LINK WAS NOT THE ONE DREAMING IT WAS THE WIND FISH WHY ARE YOU STILL TALKING LIKE IT WAS LINKS DREAM BUT I STILL LOVE THIS VIDEO
I expected more commentary on the remakes implication that Marin did become a gull.
Your forgetting that remakes allow people who never played the original game to experience the magic of that game in a new light. They aren’t really made for people who have played the original.
NEEDS. MORE. SUBS.
With that rant in the end about the game not needing a remake at all, I think his sub count is fine where it's at.
Hey! Just so you know, you're very good at voiceovers and narration. Thanks for putting all these videos together! They've been a nice distraction while I'm waiting for the next BOTW game to come out.
As a new Zelda fan I love that they remade this game because I probably wouldn't have played it if they didn't and I really hope they remake more Zelda games for the switch so I can finally play them
So I have never played the remake and I expected the face shrine song to be bad... then you started playing it in the video. I was so incredibly shocked and I started crying. I still can't believe how good that was
Link's Awakening instantly became one of my favorite games ever after playing it, and I agree with just about everything you say. But the fact that you have replayef the game completely invalidates your argument against Nintendo rereleasing it. You can't complain against nostalgia and this perfect "you must move on" mentality if you're willing to play it even more than once.
Nintendo didn't rerelease the game just for you. I had never touched Awakening before the remake and never would have cared to have that experience if they just put it on NSO.
just wanted to mention that technically link's awakening DX (aka the color version) is kind of a remake in and of itself, the color dungeon and the photo quest (?, i played the original so i don't know how the photo thing works) wasn't in the original. just wanted to point that out since you talked about how it was a choice to re-do link's awakening despite its message. i agree with the message, especially with the ghost quest, but yeah, nintendo already remade it once, kind of ironic
I was very confused by this too. Comparing the new remake to the GBC but that's not even the original version
Awesome video! I do agree though that the remake probably shouldn't be looked down upon, although I do understand your reasoning.
Link's Awakening is my favorite 2D Zelda game
For me, it was the first time playing the game, playing this remake. And I liked a lot.
I love this game. It was my first Zelda and it’s my favorite. I’m so happy they did a remake. So much emotion. So good
Hell yeah man! So glad to see you give credit to that masterpiece of a track, aka the Face Shrine remixed theme. What a banger!
It pretty much made the remake for me as well and is indeed one of the very best Zelda tracks of all time. I hope it gets the recognition it deserves from future Zelda fans.
Great!
Love your Zelda videos!
"I'm gonna get CRUcified!"
Reasons I love Link's Awakening so much: _waves hands emphatically toward video_
While this game (the original Gameboy version) wasn't the first Zelda game I played, it was the first I beat, and it's the reason I'm such a fan of the series to this day. The first Zelda was too difficult for someone like me who was never super great at video games, and I never even bothered to try the second after watching someone else play it. But we ended up getting our hands on a Gameboy and LA, and I could not put it down. I loved the story and characters, and the difficulty didn't feel like too much for me to handle. The bittersweet ending resonated with me as a kid, too, as I played it during a particularly rough patch of my childhood. To this day I still consider it not only one of my favorite Zelda games, but also one of my favorite video games period. So it really is nice to see so much care and thought put into a video that not only covers its gameplay, but also its message and impact, which were pretty special for a monochrome title on a chunky handheld.
huge fan from Kuwait love your work
This is an excellent representation of Link's Awakening. Well done
I feel like its an allegory for loss as well.
2 videos I've seen of yours so far and both times you've managed to irk the shit out of me.
He is not on point always
Link's Awakening was the first Zelda game I ever completed. I owned it on the gameboy as a kid and it left an immeasurable impact on me. I never understood why future games played it safe, creating a new link again and again and took the original dream away from me. I felt so connected to "his" journey. Oracle of Ages and Seasons brought my dream back momentarily but I that's all it was, a dream. No other era in the zelda timeline captured my heart like this one. Sure I enjoyed other entries, but simply as a game. I never really cared about any other link. Awesome video, man. It touched my heart that others actually care about this amazing experience and what it offered.
Love your highlights of the date with Marin and the dungeon 6 events as pivotal to the game. The former hooks you completely on the story and immersion in the game, and the latter puts a dagger in you, crystallizing your understanding of the game's destiny that the game has previously hinted at. For me the highlight of the entire game is beating the Armos knight and reading the wall in the Southern Shrine (along with that music) but paired with the Face Shrine atmosphere, it's a crushing amount of emotion for a Game Boy game.
Link's Awakening is my favorite 2D Zelda, and one of my top games ever. I've always been a Zelda fan, but it took me until 2015 to give the game a chance, and it blew me away. I never thought a 8-bit game could make me cry, but it did.
I never wanted to wake up.