The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening is a top-down action-adventure game that Nintendo released for the Game Boy in 1993, with a colorized version called Link's Awakening DX arriving on the Game Boy Color in 1998. Nintendo EAD built it as the first portable entry in the Zelda series, and the team packed the small cartridge with the same depth fans expected from the home console releases. The story follows Link after a shipwreck strands him on the mysterious Koholint Island. To escape, he must wake the Wind Fish by collecting eight musical instruments scattered across hidden dungeons. The game stands apart from earlier entries because it drops Princess Zelda, Ganon, and Hyrule from the plot. Instead, Koholint feels like a dream world filled with offbeat characters, surreal events, and even cameo monsters from the Super Mario series. The handheld scope did not shrink the ambition. Players still explore a wide overworld, solve room-based puzzles, fight bosses, and trade items with townspeople through a clever side quest.
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
Screenshots

1 MB · GB / GBC ROMs
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Specifications
| Platform | GB / GBC ROMs |
|---|---|
| Genre | Action |
| File Size | 1 MB |
| Release Year | 1993 |
| Developer | Nintendo EAD |
| Updated | Jun 22, 2026 |
Overview
The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening is a top-down action-adventure game that Nintendo released for the Game Boy in 1993, with a colorized version called Link's Awakening DX arriving on the Game Boy Color in 1998. Nintendo EAD built it as the first portable entry in the Zelda series, and the team packed the small cartridge with the same depth fans expected from the home console releases. The story follows Link after a shipwreck strands him on the mysterious Koholint Island. To escape, he must wake the Wind Fish by collecting eight musical instruments scattered across hidden dungeons. The game stands apart from earlier entries because it drops Princess Zelda, Ganon, and Hyrule from the plot. Instead, Koholint feels like a dream world filled with offbeat characters, surreal events, and even cameo monsters from the Super Mario series. The handheld scope did not shrink the ambition. Players still explore a wide overworld, solve room-based puzzles, fight bosses, and trade items with townspeople through a clever side quest.
Combat keeps the classic sword and shield basics, but the game adds a true item assignment system where players map two tools to the A and B buttons at any time. This lets you mix the sword with bombs, the bow with the boomerang, or the Roc's Feather with the Pegasus Boots for creative platforming sections that were rare in earlier Zelda titles. The nine main dungeons each introduce a signature item, and the puzzles around it grow more layered as you progress. Side activities pad out the adventure with a fishing mini-game, a crane game in the Trendy Shop, a photo album feature exclusive to the DX version, and a color-only dungeon that rewards a powerful red or blue tunic. The trading sequence sends Link bouncing across the island, swapping a yoshi doll for ribbons, dog food, bananas, and other oddities. The result is a tight, charming, and emotionally surprising journey that many players still rank among the best handheld games ever made.