Welcome back to the Zelda Game Club, this is where we play through Zelda Games together as a community, and we’ve reached Link’s Awakening, the first Game Boy outing for the Legend of Zelda series. This is part 2 of a 3 part series, and today we’re going to tackle the middle 3 dungeons of the game, plus talk about the characters we meet and items we collect along the way.

Before we get into it today, part 3 is going to release on Saturday 8th April, so get your comments to me on this video by Friday 7th April. Part 3 is going to be the final part, playing through Eagle Tower, Turtle Rock and finally The Awakening. If you still would like to be involved in the game club, then start playing, get through as much as you possible can, and comment your thoughts related to Link’s Awakening down below.

Without further delay, lets dive back into Link’s Awakening, and pick up from where we let off after Key Cavern.

Journey to Angler’s Tunnel

Once we finish up Key Cavern and make out way outside, our Owl friend pays us a visit and checks in on our progress regarding collecting instruments. He says we have to collect them all and play a song infront of the Wind Wish to wake him up, and help us escape the island.

Ocarina

Talking about musical instruments, our next stop is to go back to Mabe Village and pick up a very famous instrument in the context of the Zelda series, and that’s the Ocarina. There are some rocks preventing us from going in a building to the north of mabe village, so now we have the power bracelet we can remove the rocks and enter the building. There is a bed in here and you have to jump in and fall asleep. You wake up in what appears to be a cave, with several Arm-Mimics guarding the place. We can get by them using the Pegasus Boots, and you make your way round, pick up the rupees and then open the chest for the Ocarina. Once we have this, we can then leave the Dream Shrine, go back to Mabe village and have a chat with Marin in the town square and she’ll teach us a song, The Ballad of the Wind Fish.

Animal Village

Next we have to make our way East to Animal Village. We have to travel across Koholint Island, find a staircase under a bush near Seashell Mansion, then travel underground to re-emerge on the other side. Once you are on the surface again, head South East and you’ll find yourself at Animal Village.

Animal Village is fairly small, but it’s full of interesting characters. We’re looking for the Bear, he’s run out of honeycomb, and it just so happens we have some thanks to the Trading Game. Trade the Honeycomb for the Pineapple. The Bear also says a massive Walrus is blocking our entrance to the desert, which is where we need to get to for the Angler’s Key.

We have to make our way back to Mabe Village to find Marin, however, she’s not where she usually is in the town square, she’s gone to the beach. So make your way down there, you’ll find her and you’ll be treated to a nice cutscene. This is a nice story with Marin wondering what is beyond the seas. She wants to soar with the Seagulls so she can explore the lands beyond the ocean. After telling you about her hopes and dreams, Marin then follows you.

Make your way back to The Walrus that was blocking the way, and Marin will sing a song. The Walrus will wake up, then jump in the sea, and you are then free to explore the desert. Marin says she’s off to hang out with the animals, but you should check in with them later.

MASTER KNIGHT DH

Then we get the date with Marin, which requires giving the honey to Chef Bear as a check to making sure Key Cavern has to be beaten first for progress (Tarin won’t appear by the beehive before), and we do get to see the game be involving interesting little touches with the aesthetic, some of which involving Marin being a little cheeky. After the date is more gameplay. What is around is for the most part before Face Shrine is standard fare, with bosses that don’t fare well against players who know what they’re doing, although the Nightmares involved, Angler Fish and Slime Eel, as well as Armos Knight in the Ancient Ruins, do have shock factor to their names. It’s at least great that the DX version did patch out a way within Angler’s Tunnel to brick the involved save, and that Iron Masks have the same Good Bad Bug with hit registration that Helmasaurs in LTTP had to check them only being vulnerable from the back. Learning that the Hookshot works on the Gohmas is also nice.

I do think the date with Marin is a high point in the game so far, and a to get a Game Boy cutscene, that is pretty special. I didn’t know about the Angler’s Tunnel bug that bricked saves, that would be awful, especially given thats about half way through the game. Also, I do want to clarify that Master Knight is a No Damage Runner, not a speed runner, as I mentioned in part 1. My bad!

Yarna Desert

Next we want to explore the desert and we’re looking for the mini-boss Lanmola. This is a worm-like boss battle on quicksand. Be careful not to fall down the middle, but once you beat the Lanmola then it will drop the Angler Key. Nowe have the key to the next dungeon, we need to find it. Head back to Mabe Village and make your way north east. You’ll need to open up the dungeon with the key, by finding the keyhole infront of the waterfall. However, you still can’t get into the Dungeon, and you’ll have to find your way through Tal Tal Mountain Range, then drop down.

Tal Tal Mountain Range

Make your way back west and north and you’ll have to find your way through the mountain caves to get to the Angler’s Dungeon. On your way you’ll need to trade the Pineapple for the Hibiscus with Papahl. He’s super hungry, given he’s lost in the mountains, so trade the pineapple with him, and he’ll give you the next item in the trading sequence, the Hibiscus. After you’ve done this, go east and jump off the ledge to enter the dungeon.

Angler’s Tunnel

Our next dungeon is the water dungeon of Link’s Awakening. This is one of my favourite dungeons in the game, and the item here are The Flippers, allowing Link to swim in deeper water. Much like Roc’s Feather from earlier in the game, this also allows Link to freely travel around the island once you are outside the dungeon. An interesting point about the flippers, they are automatically equipped, rather than an equippable item, which is different to the other items in the game so far.

Towards the mid point of the dungeon we have the mini boss battle with Cue Ball. It’s weakness is it’s head, and one way to beat this boss is to run around it with the Pegasus Boots, then whack him in the back of the head. Or you can jump over him with Roc’s Feather. Once you have defeated Cue Ball and grabbed the Flippers, then it’s off to fight the main boss, The Angler Fish. The Angler Fish is pretty easy, you just need to hit the antenna coming out of his head, then quickly strike him before he charges at you. Once he’s defeated, pick up the heart container, then the 4th instrument, the Surf Harp.

Journey to Catfish’s Maw

Now we’ve finished up the Angler’s Tunnel Dungeon, we can test out our new flippers, and swim in the deeper waters of the island. Right outside the dungeon, go right and you’ll meet Manbo. He’ll teach you Manbo’s Mambo, a new song for your Ocarina. With this you can warp to various points on the map, plus you can warp to the entrance of a dungeon.

Now it’s time to make our journey to the next dungeon, however, you’ll notice a friendly ghost will have started to follow you. The ghost is lost and just needs some help getting home. You’ll want to make your way to Martha’s Bay, which is east of Toronobo Shores. Once the ghost is home, he’ll remember all his memories and then will ask to go to his grave at the cemetery. You can either walk there, or use Manbo’s Mambo to warp to Manbo’s Pond, and you’ll get to the cemetery nice and quickly. When you find the grave stone then lift up the rock thats in the way and walk to the grave. Our Owl buddy will arrive once again and say we need to dive into Martha’s Bay to enter Catfish’s Maw, our next Dungeon.

Before entering the dungeon we can continue the trading sequence. Make your way to Animal Village and find a goat names Christine, and give her the Hibiscus. In return she’ll give you the Goat’s Letter for Mr Write, who lives near the Mysterious Forest. Make your way to Mr Write, give him the letter and he’ll give you The Broom. Then make your way to Mabe Village and give the Broom to Grandma Yahoo, and she’ll give you the Fishing Hook. Now make your way back to Animal Village, and exit to the West and climb into the water, swim around until you reach The Bridge, and under the Bridge you’ll find the Fisherman. Trade the Fishing Hook for the Necklace with the Fisherman. Then swim into the middle of Martha’s Bay and trade Necklace for the Mermaid’s Scale.

That’s it for the trading sequence for now, next, we tackle the next Dungeon, Catfish’s Maw. To enter this dungeon make your way back to Animal Village, and leave via the west. Head up and left to find some stairs that lead to Martha’s Bay, then swim down to find Catfish’s Maw. Dive underwater through the side scrolling section to enter the next dungeon.

Catfish’s Maw

Catfish’s Maw is a little different from the other dungeon’s we’ve completed so far. This one is a little harder, and less linear, plus there are a few mini bosses. One of them is the Master Stalfos, which you have to tackle from the side to damage him. It’s a decent battle and a step up from other dungeons so far. The item in this dungeon is the legendary Hook Shot. This is not only a great weapon for ranged attacks but also allows us to get around the dungeon, allowing us to hook shot via chests or other items on the floor. It’s always a game highlight for me when you pick up the hook shot and Link’s Awakening is no different.

The dungeon boss is Slime Eel. He can be a pain to beat, creating 4 holes in the wall and then popping out of them at random. Use the hookshot to pull the Eel out of the hole in the wall and then slash at him to finish him off. Finish up the boss, collect the heart container and then it’s time to get the Wind Marimba.

Journey to Face Shrine

Now we’re done with Catfish’s Maw and we have the hookshot, we can finish up the trading sequence of items. When you get out of Catfish’s Maw, get to the outside rocks of the dungeon and swim to the right and climb the steps. Head towards Animal Village, but instead of entering, keep going South. Use the hookshot to cross the gap and you’ll find a mermaid statue. Put the mermaid scale on the statue, and it will reveal a staircase. Waiting for you here is the Magnifying Glass, which allows you to see previously invisible people and enemies, plus you can read small text in books.

Once you have this, make your way back to Toronbo Shores, near where you picked up your sword and you’ll be able to blast the wall with the crack. In the cave there is a Secret Goriya and he’ll give you something in exchange for an item. The shovel is probably the best item to give him. They will then give you the Boomerang, but you can always buy back the Shovel for 300 Rupees.

Now we want to go to the South Face Shrine. Make your way to Animal Village and then up to the right. Our Owl friend is back, and he says there are two shrines nearby, North and South Face Shrine. First we have to make our way to the South. Make your way east and you’ll find the Ancient Ruins. There is a maze here and it’s full of statues, and if you touch them some come alive and try to harm you. Make your way through the maze and you’ll find the South face Shrine.

South Face Shrine

Once you enter, you’ll find the Armos Knight. He’ll try and jump at you, causing the ground to shake and stunning Link. Therefore, use Roc’s Feather to stay off the ground, and jump around him to attack him. A good method of attacking is a charged up spin attack. Defeat the Armos Knight and he’ll drop the Face Key.

Once you’ve done this you can light the torches and you’ll get a hidden message.

TO THE FINDER… THE ISLE OF KOHOLINT IS BUT AN ILLUSION.
HUMAN, MONSTER, SEA, SKY… A SCENE ON THE LID OF A SLEEPER’S EYE
AWAKE THE DREAMER, AND KOHOLINT WILL VANISH MUCH LIKE A BUBBLE ON A NEEDLE
CASTAWAY… YOU SHOULD KNOW THE TRUTH!

This is where we discover Koholint is a dream, or is it? Only the Wind Fish knows, as our Owl friend says. He also says not to worry, but what about all the people on the island? What happens to them when the dreamer, when I wake up?

Now we’ve got the key it’s off to the Face Shrine, for this we need to head north into the acient ruins.

Face Shrine

The Face Shrine is the 6th Dungeon. This dungeon can be a little tricky given the amount of Wizzrobes. It’s split into two halves, with the western part of the dungeon the first section to go through, then once you get the dungeon item the east section opens up. The item for this dungeon is the upgraded power bracelet, which allows Link to lift up heavier objects, including massive statues which we can throw through doors. There’s some tricky switch blocks in this dungeon, which makes the boomberang a very useful item to have before going into this one. There’s also a good amount of rupees in here, so if you are still saving for the bow, then now is a good time to stock up on rupees.

There’s a fun mini-boss in the dungeon called Smasher. He has a big ball, which he’ll throw at you, and you need to use the upgraded Power Bracelet to pick it up again and throw it back. Facade is the main boss, this is essentially a face on the floor, who will throw tiles and pots at you, as well as open up holes. The way to damage him is to place bombs on the floor. It’s fairly easy as bosses go in the game, the only main issue is running out of bombs, but look out for the hovering bombs, as when you collect these you’ll get 10, rather than the single boms found under pots which only give you one. Bomb Facade’s face a few times, defeat the boss, pick up the heart container and the 6th instrument, the Coral Triangle. Before dying Facade gives you a chilling warning about the fate of the islanders if you wake the Wind Fish, which is a great moment in the game.

MASTER KNIGHT DH

Face Shrine is hands down my least favorite dungeon in Link’s Awakening. First off, the Wizzrobes have been overbuffed from the rejects that they were in LTTP, now being intangible to the sword and even forcing usage of Bombs or the Bow to finish off the last one in a given room, even though the Hookshot does at least stun one to allow throwing them for dealing damage to other Wizzrobes in the room, but this is a method that adds tedium. At least the dungeon item can be obtained early enough, but it happens to be the Level 2 Power Bracelet, and some of the mess involved with it can get inane. Speaking of grabbing things, there’s also throwing the Chess Knights, and I swear that their involved mechanics are distorted by randomness, when the only thing I can find trying to search for what guides have to say is how apparently this got fixed in the Switch version. Meanwhile, Flying Tiles come back just to be easily deterred by rapid swinging of the overbuffed sword while in a corner, Smasher is capable of being an irritant, the level in general just drags on with a few moments of cheap design in the mix (although needing to throw a pot at the chest with the Nightmare Key to open it is still a moment of levity thanks to the nearby Owl Statue), and Facade throws clutter at any attempts to speedrun him.

Face Shrine is a pain in the ass. The Wizzrobes are plentiful, and the Chess Knights are frustrating, and can cause you to stand there throwing them against the wall for minutes at a time. I agree, it’s pretty funny having to throw a pot against the chest.

Release

To support the North American release of Link’s Awakening, Nintendo sponsored a crosscountry train competition called the Zelda Whistle Stop Tour. The event, which lasted three days, allowed select players to test Link’s Awakening in a timed race to complete the game. The event was meant not only to showcase the game, but also the Game Boy’s superior battery life and portability, the latter of which was critical to the accessibility of a portable Zelda title.

In 1998, to promote the launch of the Game Boy Color, Nintendo re-released Link’s Awakening as The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX. It features fully colorized graphics and is backward compatible with the original Game Boy. Link’s Awakening DX contains a new optional dungeon, with unique enemies and puzzles based on color (due to this, the dungeon cannot be accessed on the earlier non-color Game Boy models). After completing the dungeon, the player may choose to receive either a red or blue tunic, which increase attack and defense, respectively.

The DX version also allows players to take photos after the player visits a camera shop, its owner will appear in certain locations throughout the game. A total of twelve photos can be taken, which may be viewed at the shop, or printed with the Game Boy Printer accessory. For Link’s Awakening DX, Tezuka returned as project supervisor, with Yoshinori Tsuchiyama as the new director. Nobuo Matsumiya collaborated with Tsuchiyama on applying changes to the original script; for example, hint messages were added to the boss battles. For the new dungeon, Yuichi Ozaki created a musical piece based on Kondo’s dungeon theme from the original The Legend of Zelda.

Nintendo later re-released DX version on the Virtual Console of the Nintendo 3DS on June 2011. In July 2013, Link’s Awakening DX was offered as one of several Virtual Console games which “elite status” members of the North America Club Nintendo could redeem as a free gift. A high-definition remake was developed by Grezzo and released for the Nintendo Switch on September 20, 2019.

Link’s Awakening was included in a Zelda-themed Game & Watch console alongside The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. It was released on November 12, 2021.

Sales

In Japan, the game topped the Famitsu sales chart in June 1993. In North America, it was the top-selling Game Boy game in August 1993. Link’s Awakening sold well and helped boost Game Boy sales 13 percent in 1993—making it one of Nintendo’s most profitable years in North America up to that time. The game remained on bestseller lists for more than 90 months after release, was re-released as part of the Player’s Choice series, and went on to sell 3.83 million units by 2004. The DX version sold another 2.22 million units. The Virtual Console release of Link’s Awakening DX was the top-selling downloadable Nintendo 3DS game of 2011, selling over 338,700 units, or an estimated $2.3 million in gross revenue.

That’s it for Part 2. The Zelda Game Club for Link’s Awakening Part 3 is going to release on Saturday 8th April, so get your comments to me on this video by Friday 7th April. Part 3 is going to be the final part, playing through Eagle Tower, Turtle Rock and finally The Awakening.

Let me know in the comments what you think of Link’s awakening so far.