THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK'S AWAKENING: A TOY BOX DREAM THAT STILL HOLDS UP

8.5 of 10 bananas. Grezzo and Nintendo's 2019 remake of the 1993 Game Boy adventure: Link washes up on Koholint Island and must wake the Wind Fish. The toy diorama look is charming and the dungeons are tight; the frame rate stutters, and it is short.

By the Alpha. Switch cartridge listing. Updated Nov 2 2026.

Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, and it also plays on Switch 2 (developed by Grezzo, published by Nintendo, released September 20 2019). The Amazon button is the Switch cartridge. At my Nov 2 2026 check the featured new offer was 59.76 dollars from a third-party seller named i-Deals Store, shipped by the seller. Sellers and prices change, so look at the seller before you pay.

Store check, Nov 2 2026: new copies on offer from a third-party seller, i-Deals Store, shipped by the seller. Prices and sellers change, so look before you pay.

Sit with me a moment. I first played this island on a green Game Boy screen the size of a banana leaf. Nintendo rebuilt it as a toy box, and the strange, gentle dream is still there.

What It Wants To Be

Link's Awakening is a top down Zelda adventure. Link is shipwrecked on Koholint Island and learns he must wake the Wind Fish to leave. You explore, solve dungeons with new items, trade with odd villagers, and meet cameos from other Nintendo worlds. The remake keeps the original layout and adds a tilt shift toy look, a remixed soundtrack, and a Chamber Dungeon mode where you arrange rooms into new dungeons.

What Works

The art is a joy, every character looks like a polished little figure. The dungeons are tight and clever, and the story has a quiet sadness that surprises new players. Critics liked it a lot: Metacritic shows an 87. It is also a great first Zelda for kids, because it is clear about where to go next.

What Breaks

Listen well. The frame rate drops often in the overworld, and critics noticed it at launch. The adventure is short, about 15 hours for most players, which feels thin at full price. The Chamber Dungeon mode is light and most players will try it once. And veterans of the original get few surprises.

Who Should Play

Play it if you want a cozy, classic Zelda or a first Zelda for a young gamer. Skip it if you already know the Game Boy version by heart and want a new story.

Related: Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, TUNIC.

Sources: Amazon Switch listing, checked Nov 2 2026, Metacritic, Link's Awakening (2019) on Wikipedia.

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