Culturess’ Ranking of The Legend of Zelda Games

7. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (DX)

With The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Nintendo realized that it could re-release older games in the series and still sell copies. In fact, you can’t even play the original Link’s Awakening on the Virtual Console. See that little DX? It designates the deluxe edition of this game, which essentially means that it’s the version originally released on the Game Boy Color, not the Game Boy (black-and-white) version.

Anyway, this game, which now takes place after Oracle of Ages and Seasons according to the Hyrule Historia, follows Link after he’s shipwrecked on Koholint Island. If he wants to go back to Hyrule, he has to wake the Wind Fish, a giant, magical fish sleeping in an egg. It makes slightly more sense in context, but only slightly, because of the game’s now-famous ending. (Vague spoilers follow, because this game has been out in its original form for over 20 years: the game is entirely Link’s dream, which is why it’s called Link’s Awakening.)  In order to actually accomplish that goal, he has to gather eight instruments and then go give the fish a wake-up call.

Link’s Awakening was the first time Nintendo had gone to the portable side of things with Zelda, and since it led to games like Oracle of Ages/Seasons coming out, we really can’t complain.