Link's Awakening Release Date, Trailer And Editions

Nintendo has always had a knack for surprising its enthusiasts, and in February 2019, a Nintendo Direct had fans of a certain green-clad hero cheering. Before the end of the 36-minute presentation, we saw a mysterious reveal trailer. The video opened up on the stormy seas, and we saw a young boy on a rickety little boat, trying to brave the elements. Suddenly, lightning struck, and we cut to a long shot of an island. Then we see the title drop: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.

The newest game in The Legend of Zelda franchise isn't quite something everyone was expecting, but it's a welcome surprise. This upcoming release remakes the old Game Boy title, upgrading it for the new millennium. While Breath of the Wild offered a cutting-edge take on the Zelda formula, Link's Awakening returns to the series' roots. Despite the shinier exterior, much of this new version retains the essence of the original.

If you're interested in Link's Awakening but don't know much about it, stick around. We've gathered everything you'll need to know about the retro remake.

The most recent trailer we have at the time of writing is the one from E3. The big news here — the release date, of course — drops in the last ten seconds, but there's a lot to see on the way there. The trailer opens with a shot of a girl finding Link on the beach. Some text appears, which reads, "Washed ashore a strange land, a castaway will seek the truth. Only first... he must awaken."

We get a montage of shots featuring this chibi, cute version of Link running around Koholint Island. In some scenes, he swings his sword against dastardly foes, while in others, he does less violent actions, like eating an apple or catching a fish. Our hero also digs through various dungeons, and we see a few clips of him fighting bosses. Then the title drops, but we're only halfway through the trailer.

After it cuts to black, we get a glimpse at the new dungeon building system. In true Nintendo fashion, the company saved the surprise for last. We see a user interface that looks like a way for players to connect rooms, something that wasn't present in the original release.

Let's take a look at the original release, since this upcoming game is a remake. Link's Awakening initially launched in June 1993 in Japan on the original Game Boy. It came to the West two months later, and it was received with open arms. Link's Awakening marked itself as the fourth release in the franchise, after A Link to the Past. More importantly, it was the first time a Zelda game made the leap to a handheld gaming device, paving the way for many more to come.

In fact, Link's Awakening was so well liked that it received a remake, and we're not talking about the 2019 one. Back in 1998, Nintendo remade the game for the Game Boy Color, adding lots of new features, like dungeons and — you guessed it — color. This new version, called Link's Awakening DX, was also a big success.

Both versions of the game play more like old-school Zelda, with the top-down view. In these action adventures, you explore various dungeons full of puzzles and enemies. Link's Awakening DX got a re-release in 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS eShop, and that's the last we heard of the game until 2019.

So what's new in this Link's Awakening re-remake? It shares the same name as the original, so clearly that didn't change. However, there's a lot to digest for this upcoming release. For one, Nintendo completely rebuilt the game from the ground up. Everything from the graphics to the audio has been re-done, bringing this classic into the 21st century.

We can see this in action across the various gameplay videos and trailers that Nintendo has released. Link has received a substantial increase in his pixel count, yet this chibi version of our hero looks more adorable than ever before. But don't be fooled by his cute aesthetic. Link still faces some terrifying foes in the various dungeons around Koholint Island.

Additionally, the music has received a dramatic upgrade, as expected. After all, technology has made a pretty big leap between the Game Boy Color and the Switch. In the reveal trailer, we hear a flute carry an iconic melody, as opposed to the 8-bit sound chips of the '90s. Meanwhile, in the E3 2019 trailer, we get a glimpse at what the strings sound like when they join the soundtrack.

If Breath of the Wild was your only experience with the Zelda series, Link's Awakening might come as a shock. The game harkens back to the old-school Zelda games. The camera takes an isometric view of the action, almost pulling it directly above Link. From here, players control our titular hero, navigating him through towns, fields, and dungeons.

In the towns, you can talk to various NPCs that call Koholint Island home. Some of them will have quests for you to complete, which call on you to do all sorts of things. In some cases, you'll need to explore the village to find a certain item, while in other cases, you might need to go out in the field and do some heavy lifting.

In fields and dungeons, you do what any boy with a sword and shield would do: exterminate monsters and solve puzzles. You might throw a couple ceramic pots around, too. It's out here where all the action takes place. Additionally, you'll find various tools, like bombs and a hookshot, that help him navigate the world or deal with foes.

Nintendo also plans to launch a new Link amiibo along with the game. For those of you out of the loop, amiibos are collectible figures of various Nintendo (and third-party) characters, like Mario and Pikachu. This upcoming figure depicts the cartoonish version of our hero that we see in Link's Awakening.

But this toy does more than decorate your shelf. You can also use it in your game, thanks to the Switch's NFC capabilities. By scanning this cute Link amiibo, you can add Shadow Link to any Chamber Dungeon. This enemy will constantly be a presence until you beat the dungeon, literally playing as your shadow. If you beat the dungeon, you'll have a chance at reaping more rewards than usual, thanks to the increased risk.

If you've been collecting amiibos already, then you're in luck. Nintendo also said that previous Zelda amiibos will work in Link's Awakening as well, including the Super Smash Bros. ones. As long as it's a Zelda character, it should theoretically work. Nintendo hasn't revealed exactly what they'll do yet, but they'll at least have some sort of use.

At E3 this year, attendees had the chance to play a demo of Link's Awakening. Many hands-on impressions came out, and for the most part, people have a positive outlook on the game. Digital Trends writer Steven Petite applauded the game for keeping true to its weirdness, even more than two decades since the last remake: "This weirdness is why I've loved Link's Awakening for two-plus decades. At face value, the moving parts are disjointed, but they inexplicably come together."

IGN managing editor Samuel Claiborn enjoyed his time with the game as well, and he recounts a story of his time stealing from an NPC. Spoiler alert: it didn't end well. However, he also noted that the build he played had performance issues, with occasional choppiness and frame-rate dips plaguing the session. Petite also noted similar issues, but he was more optimistic about it: "I wouldn't worry much at all about the performance issues in the E3 demo. There's a better chance of Super Mario Bros. releasing on PlayStation 4 than Link's Awakening not living up to Nintendo's rigorous standards."