The Legend of Zelda IV: Link's Awakening DX Game by Nintendo Reviewed by Iwan iwan@lamble.demon.co.uk Size: 8 megabits Save: 3 slots Released: 1998 Works with: All Gameboys ************************************************************************ Opening Snide Remarks: Although having played and enjoyed the other games in the series, I never got around to playing Zelda IV on the B+W Game Boy but the re-released color version gave me the chance to correct that mistake and finally play one of the best Game Boy games around. ************************************************************************ Gameplay Description: Link, the hero of the previous Zelda games (or possibly a descendant /ancestor of them) is shipwrecked on a mysterious island where he is informed by a talking owl that he has to wake the legendary Wind Fish and destroy the nightmares before he can leave the island. While the plot is refreshingly different (no princesses to save here), the gameplay is familiar with Link hacking away at bushes, charging and spinning his sword around like Zelda 3 never ended. Link has to adventure through eight dungeons plus a huge overworld in his quest to wake the Wind Fish, uncovering more of the plot as he goes along. He solves puzzles in screen-sized rooms, pulls blocks, steps on switches... As an 'added bonus' Link gets to do some side-on stuff too (fortunately, it's much better than Zelda 2) and in this game he gets all the best moves - he can jump and fly, something that no other Link (except the side-on one in Zelda 2) has been able to do. The beauty of Zelda is in its miniaturisation. The graphics, music, weapons and gameplay are all very nearly accurate representations of Zelda 3 from the SNES, but on the tiny screen and with only two buttons. One big flaw is the plot. It starts well, takes a trip through the bizarre (what are all the references to Mario for?) and finally, about dungeon six, reveals its true intentions to be extremely cliche and dull. It's the oldest ending in the book for 'oh dear I've dug the plot into a hole and don't know how to get back out' and is a big, big disappointment after all the time you've put into the game. Liked: It's Zelda 3 on the Game Boy!, the plot starts imaginatively... Hated: ...but ends up disappointing. ************************************************************************ Graphics Description: When I first saw Zelda DX, I was amazed at the graphics. I didn't think that it was possible on a device the size of the Game Boy. However, Zelda DX was the first game I played on the Game Boy Color and it's very easy to go over the top when reviewing early releases on a system and look back in a year's time and realise how niave you were at the time. Zelda's graphics will be bettered considerably in the lifetime of the Game Boy Color, but for now they do the job. The coloring in (apart from the intro and ending) is simplistic and since scrolling is non-existent there's very little to be gained from playing on the color Game Boy. In fact, in some ways it's preferable to play in black and white where you can imagine the colors instead of having to actually see the poor paint job Nintendo have managed. There's even a spot of pink on Link's hat, which is really not on given that he's the main character. It's probably to do with backwards compatibility but I don't see why Nintendo are so determined to have all their new color games work in B+W too. They could have done a much better job if this game was color only. The graphics have a pleasant style, however, much nicer than previous Zelda games and still look pretty good years after they were drawn. Liked: Nice styling, good intro/ending, noting particularly ugly Hated: The color is poor because of backwards compatibility ************************************************************************ Sound/Music Description: Zelda DX will bring a tear to the eye of anyone who's played Zelda 3. The classic Zelda theme (sadly missing from Zelda 5) is here plus the familiar sound effects. Liked: Everything Hated: Nothing ************************************************************************ Play Control/Game Design: Nintendo have tried hard to fit all of the traditional Zelda moves (and new ones) into the game and they have in many ways succeeded. However, the controls are still very confusing for a newcomer to pick up and as you progress further in the game you find yourself bringing up the menu every few seconds. And surely Nintendo could have fitted a bit more text on the screen at a time (maybe they should have dropped the fancy font). Sentences coming a few words at a time are tricky to read and take ages to pass over if you've read them before. This is especially annoying with the 'you're not strong enough to lift this' and 'what an odd rock' messages which crop up frequently if you press one wrong button (even though you know what you should be doing) and take ages to get rid of. The precision jumping, while rare, also seems out of place in a Zelda game. The level design is mostly good but the side-on 'secret passages' in the dungeons (used, it seems, to cover up the fact that most dungeons are all on one level) totally disorientate you and can get confusing. The difficulty curve is a bit off too. Some parts of dungeons are extremely tricky while others, even near the end, are ridiculously easy. None of the game provides much challenge for a seasoned games player and the last two bosses are just a joke (the penultimate one I defeated first time, within 30 seconds without moving or losing a heart, and I wouldn't even say that I'm a particularly brilliant games player). It's amazing how much Nintendo managed to cram into the game but it's also disappointing to see very little replay value (although the DX-only pictures do add a bit until you realise that you'll have to start all over again to get a full album) and such a short quest. The 'restart at the door you last went through' feature meant that I never really worried about my heart containers. If they got low, I went through the nearest door and then killed myself. I also found myself dying to save the game because it was easier than pushing all the buttons at once. Liked: Well, they tried... Hated: Too easy, little replay value, some poor level design, control confusing to start with and laborious to experts ************************************************************************ Improve: 1. Make it harder 2. Make the plot better 3. Better graphics needed 4. Some replay value? 5. More text on screen at once and only display 'helpful' messages if the player keeps making the same mistake over and over RIYL: Final Fantasy Adventure, Conker's Pocket Tales, Quest for Camelot ************************************************************************ Final Words: I have been a bit harsh on the controls and level design, but that's because it annoys me to see a Nintendo game, especially a Zelda one, falling short of perfection in ways that could be fixed easily. Admittedly, most of the problems are really to do with the Game Boy's lack of buttons and the fact that the original game is, of course, six years old and not Zelda DX itself. Whatever, Zelda DX is an amazing game, probably the best action RPG on the Game Boy. It captures the classic Zelda feel perfectly and, while they could be a bit better, the graphics are clear and likeable. The new features in the DX version aren't worth the money if you've got the original but you *must* play one of the two versions of this game. There may not be much replay value, but the enjoyment you'll get from playing the game through first time is enough to justify the price. ************************************************************************ Score Gameplay: ***** Graphics: **** Sound/Music: ***** Play Control/Game Design: *** Personal Opinion: ***** Total: 22 out of 25 Final Score: 88% ************************************************************************ Currently Known Codes: Enter your name as 'Zelda' for the remixed Zelda theme. You can steal from the shop but everyone will call you 'THIEF' and you'll lose a life if you go back into the shop.