Zelda's first transition to handhelds proves much more impressive than ever expected, especially in the DX version.
The Bad: Random Mario things thrown in, while sometimes humorous, really don't fit; the game relies on the original Zelda's exploration, as opposed to A Link to the Past's way of doing things; Zelda's not in the game, which really makes no sense.
Most of 1993, having just played the absolutely amazing A Link to the Past, were afraid, I'm sure. Adventure of Link had been a mistake (sort of); would the next Zelda be another? And even if it wasn't, could it possibly live up to the caliber of A Link to the Past?
Well, it certainly beats the original two. The main reasons for that are the fact the game has a plot, and, additionally, isn't a sidescroller (except the odd basement room now and then).
The game is much more fresh than expected as well. Almost nothing has been recycled from classic Zelda or A Link to the Past. Some items, such as the obvious sword or bow and arrow or boomerang are still there, but it wouldn't really be Zelda without those anyway.
The graphics and sound really surprised me. The graphics are far superior to anything I saw on a Game Boy Color for the next year or two, and the music wasn't nearly so clinky and poor-MIDI as the original Zelda. Sure, A Link to the Past has better, but on a handheld, it's really impressive how good the Hyrule Field Theme still is.
Plus the game is long, and big. The map is massive, especially for a handheld game, to the point where you really didn't expect the game to be able to pull it off, with no load times or anything, either. There are eight main levels for instruments, then the Color Dungeon in the DX version, if you're feeling up to the challenge.
So what barred the game from a 10? Really, while the Mario stuff mixed in is funny, it just doesn't fit in a Zelda game. Although this is a dream... Whatever. I much preferred when characters broke the fourth wall to pull off humor than that. And far, far worse than that, is that the game freezes! I couldn't believe a Zelda game froze on me the first time it happened. I understand that it's a lot to handle for the system it's on, but I'd rather have a smaller world than a game that freezes up on you, making you start a level all over.
That's really a disappointment for me, because no other game did before it. Link's Awakening also doesn't do that great at guiding you to the next level. Kaepora Gaebora tells you where to go, and a creepy dude that'll only talk to you on the telephone can remind you where to go next, but it doesn't always even give you a compass direction as to where that would be!
So despite being spread out just to prove it can, Link's Awakening has a plot like no other Zelda after it. For that matter, Zelda's not even in this one, which is rather odd, considering the title. Regardless, it's most certainly worth the money at the used game store if you're a big time Zelda fan, and probably is for anyone else too.
I won't say you have to play it, like I said for A Link to the Past, but you won't regret it either, since the franchise still hasn't copied itself off this game. And it's a ton of fun. Just take a little time to explore after every dungeon or two, and maybe save a more often than necessary, and you'll be set for one of the best games on the Game Boy Color.