The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is the fourth installment of The Legend of Zelda series and the first handheld title in the series. It was released for the Game Boy in 1993. The game was later ported to the Game Boy Color in 1998 with the title The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, which was released on a dual-format black cartridge allowing it to also be playable on original Game Boy units like the original version. A two-volume manga based on the game was released in Japan in 1994.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a departure from the main storyline involving Princess Zelda, Ganon, and the Triforce. It takes place after the events of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Instead of taking place in Hyrule, the game is set on Koholint Island, where Link is stranded on. To leave the island, Link goes on an adventure to retrieve the Instruments of the Sirens and awaken the Wind Fish.

In February 2019, a Nintendo Direct revealed that a remake of Link's Awakening is under development for the Nintendo Switch. It released worldwide on September 20, 2019.

Plot
After Link's defeat of Ganon in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, peace was restored in Hyrule, though many were precarious and wondered of potential threats arising from Ganon's ashes. In response, Link left Hyrule and journeyed to foreign lands to strengthen his skills and wits in case a possible threat would occur. After months of training, Link felt ready to return to Hyrule, so he got on a small boat and traveled back.

As Link goes seafaring in the Great Hyrulean Sea, he gets caught in a big sea storm. A bolt of lightning strikes the boat, causing it to break and sink underwater. Link unconsciously drifts away at the sea, and washes up onto the shore of Koholint Island along with the ship wreckage. Link is found by a young woman, who struggles to wake him up, so she takes him to her home to recover. Link wakes up on a bed inside her house, located in Mabe Village. From the young woman's voice, he mistakenly believes her to be Princess Zelda, so the young woman, named Marin, introduces herself and tells Link that he is on Koholint Island. She states that many monsters have appeared on Koholint Island where he was washed ashore. Link goes to talk to her father, Tarin, who gives him back his Shield that he found.

Following Marin's instruction, Link goes to the beach, named Toronbo Shores, and finds his sword stuck in a beach. Just before obtaining his sword, Link is encountered by an owl, who tells him that he cannot leave the island unless he awakens the Wind Fish. The owl mentions that the monsters are more violent for this reason. The owl flies off to the Mysterious Forest and waits there for Link.

Upon entering the Mysterious Forest, Link is greeted again by the owl, who instructs him to retrieve the key to unlock the first dungeon, Tail Cave. Link manages to obtain the key, and he enters the Tail Cave. At the end of the cave, Link gets in a boss fight with Moldorm. After defeating the boss, Link goes into the room above and obtains the Full Moon Cello, the first of the Instrument of the Sirens. The owl appears again and explains to Link that the cello and the seven other Instruments of the Sirens are required to awaken the Wind Fish.

Later, during his search for the sixth instrument, Link enters the Ancient Ruins, which has a mural stating that Koholint Island is a dream world created by the Wind Fish, and that the island would permanently disappear if he woke up. After reading it, Link encounters the owl another time, who tells Link that the mural is only a rumor and that only the Wind Fish knows whether it is true. Throughout Koholint Island, the nightmares attempt to take control of the Wind Fish's dream world, and try to stop Link from waking up the Wind Fish. After a long journey, Link obtains the eighth and final instrument, the Thunder Drum, in Turtle Rock. He returns to the Wind Fish's Egg, located in the center of Tal Tal Mountain range, and plays the Ballad of the Wind Fish with his Ocarina and the eight Instruments of the Sirens. By doing so, a hole cracks open in the Wind Fish's Egg, and Link enters inside. After traveling through a maze, Link falls into an enclosed chamber. Here he engages in a final battle against the Shadows and their six forms, most of whom are bosses from earlier The Legend of Zelda titles. Its final form is DethI, a one-eyed, two-tentacled creature. Link manages to defeat the Shadows, causing a long ladder to appear before him. Link climbs to the top and stands on a platform overseeing a starry, black sky. The owl appears to him one last time, revealing himself as part of the Wind Fish's spirit and the guardian of the dream world. He congratulates Link for defeating the nightmares and his courage in overcoming them. The owl flies away and the Wind Fish appears to Link, and confirms that they are in a dream world. Link plays the Ballad of the Wind Fish a last time, causing him and the Wind Fish to wake up, and the entire Koholint Island to vanish. The dream ends with Link being taken outside by an upward stream of water.

Link wakes up in the middle of the sea, holding on driftwood from the shipwreck. Link hears the Wind Fish's wail and smiles as he watches the Wind Fish slowly moving overhead in the skies. Link's adventure ends with him sitting on driftwood and gazing at the sky.

The game has a perfect ending if Link does not lose a life. After the end credits, a short scene shows Marin, with her acquired wings, flying around the "The End" text. It is unknown if she managed to escape from the Wind Fish's dream.

Guardians
There are 14 guardians in the game, which act as the game's minibosses.

Nightmares
The nine Nightmares are the game's main bosses.

The Shadow Nightmares
The final boss is a sequential fight against the Shadow Nightmares, who take a variety of forms, most of them based on foes fought by Link in the game and the previous title, A Link to the Past.

Equipment
The equipment consists of items that the player can equip to the or  buttons for Link to use.

Instruments of the Sirens
There are eight Instruments of the Sirens, each one located in a dungeon. Link must obtain all eight in order to awaken the Wind Fish.

Objects

 * Grass
 * Owl statue
 * Pot
 * Rock

Locations
All of the locations take place in Koholint Island, which is divided into numerous regions and a few towns:


 * Animal Village
 * Cemetery
 * East of the Bay
 * Face Shrine
 * Goponga Swamp
 * Koholint Prairie
 * Mabe Village
 * Martha's Bay
 * Mt. Tamaranch
 * Mysterious Woods
 * Pothole Field
 * Rapids Ride
 * Signpost Maze
 * South of the Village
 * Tabahl Wasteland
 * Tal Tal Heights
 * Tal Tal Mountain Range
 * Toronbo Shores
 * Ukuku Prairie
 * Yarna Desert

Minor locations
There are minor locations that appear within one of the greater regions or towns.


 * Crazy Tracy's Health Spa
 * Fishing Pond
 * Great Fairy Fountain
 * House by the Bay
 * Mabe Village Library
 * Manbo's Pond
 * Marin and Tarin's House
 * Mermaid Statue
 * Raft Shop
 * Richard's Villa
 * Sale's House O' Bananas
 * Seashell Mansion
 * Telephone Booth
 * Town Tool Shop
 * Trendy Game Shop
 * Under the Bridge
 * Warp Hole
 * Weathercock
 * Witch's Hut

Dungeons
There are nine main dungeons:


 * Level 1-- Tail Cave
 * Level 2-- Bottle Grotto
 * Level 3-- Key Cavern
 * Level 4-- Angler's Tunnel
 * Level 5-- Catfish's Maw
 * Level 6-- Face Shrine
 * Level 7-- Eagle's Tower
 * Level 8-- Turtle Rock
 * Wind Fish's Egg

There are a few smaller dungeons known as mini-dungeons:


 * Dream Shrine
 * Kanalet Castle
 * Moblin Cave
 * Southern Face Shrine

Cameos
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is notable for featuring many cameos of characters from other Nintendo games, most of which are from the Mario franchise. Several enemies reappear from the Super Mario series, most of whom previously appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3.