The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX (3DS)

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX (3DS)

You know, I’m pretty sure I’m buying every single Virtual Console game out for the 3DS. I got Zelda the other week, and as well as that I’ve also got Kirby, Donkey Kong, Mario Land, Qix, Double Dragon and Fortified Zone. I’m only missing Tennis and Alleyway and I just know I’m going to end up with them too if there’s a slow week…

But back to Zelda. Somehow, back in 2005, when I was running through pretty much every 2D Zelda game I could get my hands on, I didn’t play this. Or at least, I didn’t record it on my gaming diary that I’d played it. I have played it, and completed it, before though – at least twice – on the non-DX version. Most recently was not long before I did all the other Zeldas, so I assume it just missed my first diary entries. Ah well.

Aside from a bit of Qix, Link’s Awakening is the only game I’ve played since completing Double Dragon a couple of weeks ago. I’m almost 14 hours in now, having just entered the 8th, and penultimate, dungeon at Turtle Rock. The game is, like all 2D Zelda games, utterly ace. The Metroid-style gaining items to make new areas reachable, the characters, the classic Zelda music and sound effects, and the overworld/dungeon structure all make it a joy to play. It really is one of the best games ever made – and probably the second (or third, if you count Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons separately) best Zelda game of all time. It really is outstanding. Even more so now I’m playing it in colour, as the non-DX version is black and white.

DX also adds an extra, but short and simple, dungeon. I’ve completed it, doing so after about dungeon 4, and was given better clothing to halve the damage I take as a reward. It’s made the rest of the game a bit easy, but the real difficulty in Zelda games was always the puzzles rather than the enemies.

Not much left of the game to go now, which is a bit of a shame. Hope they put Ages and Seasons up soon!

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