The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK'S AWAKENING

Today, let's cover Link's Awakening, the very first handheld Zelda game and probably the second-place record holder for most remakes after Ocarina of Time. Side note: This will be covering the original game, not DX or the recent HD remake. Those will come later. This game is also the first to not feature the titular Zelda, with Link washing up on a remote island after a storm and having to investigate a strange evil presence besieging the inhabitants.

Link, of course, is our main character, complete with his sword and shield like always. His items and weapons include bombs, a boomerang, a bow and arrows, a bottle to keep fairies in, a hookshot, a bag of magic powder, a magical rod to cast spells, a mirror shield that reflects beams, an ocarina, Pegasus Boots, the power bracelet, the Roc's feather that lets you hop over multiple pits in sequence, and a shovel. He can also go fishing, swim with fins, surf on a raft, throw honeycombs, and protect himself with an acorn. He also collects eight instruments as the "maguffins" of his quest from each dungeon: the Full Moon Cello, the Conch Horn, the Sea Lily's Bell, the Surf Harp, the Wind Marimba, the Coral Triangle, the Organ of Evening Calm, and the Thunder Drum, all of which are used together to awaken the Wind Fish at the end of the game.

There are a few select supporting characters living around the island. The most notable of these is Marin, a daydreaming girl with a beautiful voice who dreams of someday leaving the island. Hyrule Warriors already designated her the go-to gimmick rep for this game, so I guess most of the above can be applied down to her. She lives with her lazy father Tarin, who teaches you the honeycomb trick, and an owl acts as your exposition character. A few other characters pop up here and there, such as a friendly mermaid, a Chain Chomp named Bow Wow you can take with you on certain missions, Cuccos and a Rooster that you can hover with for a time, the Great Fairy, the monkey Kiki again, and Wart of all things (or I guess his name is Mamu here). The Wind Fish is a giant sleeping whale at the top of the island, whose dreams created the island which will disappear upon its awakening.

The main villain of the game is a Nightmare that has been infecting the Wind Fish's dreams. In its battle it takes multiple different forms, including a giant blob form, a spellcaster form, a lanmola form, a moldorm form, and a Ganon form. It also attacks by hopping around, shooting bursts of shadow, throwing a giant orb, summoning monsters, and swinging its big arms around in its true form.

Across the game, you have a number of bosses in each dungeon, as well as mini-bosses both in and out of said dungeons. The mini-bosses include: A Moblin Chief that charges and throws spears at you; a Lanmola; an Armos Knight; the entrance to the Turtle Rock dungeon itself; a blobby creature that rolls spikes at you; a Hinox that throws bombs; snakes based on Dodongos; Hydrosoar, an aquatic monster; Master Stalfos, a Stalfos with a sword and shield that jumps around and collapses into pieces when hit; Gohma with its eye beam; Rover, a big manta ray thing that throws a ball; the Grim Creeper, who can summon enemies; and Blaino, a boxer who punches you. The actual bosses include: Moldorm; a Genie that hits you with magic blasts; an eyeball inside a blob of slime; Facade, a giant living floor; an evil Eagle; and Hot Head, a living fireball.

As for our enemies, our returning cast includes: Hardhat Beetles, Leevers, Moblins (with swords and shields), Zoras, Tektites, Keese, Zols, Stalfos (some with shrouds), Mini-Moldorms, Goombas, Shy Guys, Bob-Ombs, Pokeys, Boos, Bloopers, and Thwomps, Pols Voices, Soldiers with ball-and-chains, Darknuts, Peahats, Helmasaurs, Like Likes, Bubbles, Buzz Blobs, Wizzrobes, Armos, and a Vire that casts a curse upon you. New enemies include: Sea Urchins, Boarblins (slightly different from Moblins), Zombies, Sparks, Three of a Kind (basically slot machines as enemies), Zirros (flying mushrooms that drop bombs), Pairrods (parrots that spit projectiles), Arm Mimics whose arms mimic yours, Mad Bombers (knights who live in holes and throw bombs), Battle Bats (basically flies), Angler Fries (angler fish), and Stars.

The action of the game takes place entirely on Koholint Island, a dream island with a giant egg at the very top of the central mountain. Mabe Village is the main location where Marin, Tarin, and the other NPCs live, Toronbo Shores is the nearby beach, along with a Mysterious Wood, Goponga Swamp (a swamp area), Ukuku Prairie, a mansion made of seashells, a village full of talking animals, Yarna Desert, Tal Tal Heights (a mountainous region), the Eagle's Tower, and the inside of the Wind Fish's Egg. The dungeons are hidden around these regions.

As for items, past what we've already mentioned for Link, we have a lot of the standards, like keys and hearts and rupees.

And that's it! Here's what we've got so far:

Link: sword slash, sword beams, shield, bombs, arrows, candles, boomerangs, life potions, magical rod, book of magic, flute, rings, power bracelet, hammer, power glove, raft, boots, cross, shield spell, jump spell, healing spell, fairy spell, fireball spell, reflect spell, opening spell, thunder spell, stab up, stab down, hookshot, magical powder, ice rod, fire rod, bombos medallion, ether medallion, quake medallion, shovel, bug net, Book of Mudora, Cane of Somaria, Cane of Byrna, magical cape, Titan's Mitt, Zora flippers, magic mirror, moon pearl, spin attack, mirror shield, Roc's feather, fish, honeycombs, guardian acorn, instruments.

Princess Zelda: Triforce, dreams, open doors, gem containment

Impa

Sahasrahla: Pegasus Boots, Ice Rod, Fire Rod, Bombos, Ether, and Quake Medallions, Cane of Somaria, Cane of Byrna, magic powder, magic cape, magic mirror (all a maybe)

Old Men/Old Women: swords, life potions, shield spell, jump spell, healing spell, fairy spell, fireball spell, reflect spell, opening spell, thunder spell

Marin: sing, seagull form, gimmick rep (mirror shield, Roc's feather, fish, honeycombs, guardian acorn, instruments, Bow Wow, cuccos, Wind Fish)

Tarin

Great Fairies: heal, upgrade

Monkey/Kiki: hop

Wart

Ganon: teleport, shoot fireballs, turn invisible, statue fire, spins and throws his trident, teleports, sends out swarms of fiery bats, transforms into a bat, circle of fire, stomp.

Dark Link: sword slash, sword beams, shield, hammer, power glove, raft, boots, cross, shield spell, jump spell, healing spell, fairy spell, fireball spell, reflect spell, opening spell, thunder spell, stab up, stab down.

Agahnim: levitating, teleporting, splitting into three, casting laser spells, shooting lighting, warping through shadow, vanishing, warping into the Dark World

Nightmare: blob, spellcaster, lanmola, moldrom, Ganon, hop, shadow burst, giant orb, monsters, big arms

Hylian Soldiers: swords, spears, bows, bombs, ball and chain, hide in grass.

Moblins: throw spears, tridents, sword, shield, charge

Octoroks: shoot rocks, Octoballoon

Zoras: swim, spit fireballs, teleport, flippers

Tektites: jump around

Armos: shields, tridents

Lynels: swords, shoot beams, breathe fire

Vire/Acheman: turn into Keese, lightning curse, everything a Keese can do

Moldorms: slither

Stalfos: swords, throw heads, shroud, cast spell, shield, jump, collapse

Goriyas: boomerangs, clubs, breathe fire

Darknuts/Iron Knuckles: swords, shields, heavy armor, throw swords

Wizzrobes/Magos: spells, teleport, fire

Gibdos

Eyegor: laser eye

Aquamentus: fireballs

Dodongo: breathes fire

Gleeok: breathe fire

Gohma: energy balls

Dairas: axe

Gerus: tridents, maces, shields, fire from behind cover

Wosus: hop, daggers

Fokka/Fokkeru/Thunderbird: fly, fireballs, jump, mace, shield

Helmasaur: charge, fire breath, mace tail

Hinox: bombs

Poe

Bosses:

Aquamentus

Dodongo

Manhandla

Gleeok

Digdogger

Gohma

Ganon

Horsehead

Jermafenser

Rebonack

Carock

Gooma

Barba

Thunderbird

Armos Knights

Lanmola

Moldora

Helmasaur King

Arrghus

Mothula

Blind the Thief

Kholdstare

Vitreous

Trinexx

Moblin Chief

Turtle Rock

Spike Roller

Hydrosoar

Master Stalfos

Rover

Grim Creeper

Blaino

Genie

Slime Eye

Facade

Evil Eagle

Hot Head

Nightmare

Locations:

Overworld-based stage

Dungeon room-based stage

Death Mountain

North Castle

Rauru

Ruto

Saria

Mido

Nabooru

Darunia

Kasuto

Parapa Palace

Midoro Palace

Island Palace

Great Maze Palace

Palace on the Sea

Three-Eye Rock Palace

Great Palace

Hyrule Castle

Kakariko Village

Lost Woods

Eastern Palace

Lake Hylia

Great Swamp

Desert of Mystery

Zora's Domain

Death Mountain

Tower of Hera

Pyramid of Power

Palace of Darkness

Plains of Ruin

Skeleton Forest

Village of Outcasts

Ice Lake

Lake of Ill Omen

Swamp of Evil

Turtle Rock

Ganon's Tower

Koholint Island

Mabe Village

Toronbo Shores

Mysterious Wood

Goponga Swamp

Ukuku Prairie

Animal Village

Yarna Desert

Tal Tal Heights

Eagle's Tower

Mt. Tamaranch

Wind Fish's Egg

Items:

Bombs

Bow and Arrows

Candles

Boomerangs

Life potions

Magical rod

Book of magic

Flute

Rings

Power bracelet

Hearts

Heart containers

Triforce pieces

Rupees

Clock

Raft

Step ladder

Hammer

Power glove

Boots

Cross

Magic Container

Trophy

All of Link's items from this game

Unique Link's Awakening items

Thanks for reading! Now, let's take a stop there, since from here the series kinda splits into two branches, and we'll cover all characters we can possibly pull from this round, starting with Link.