The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening Preview

Last week, Nintendo of Canada invited us to Toronto to demo the Nintendo Switch Lite, and take a look at some upcoming games, including The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. While many companies are working on remasters of old games, no one does it like Nintendo, and the Link’s Awakening preview is the ultimate proof of that.

Graphically, Link’s Awakening is a masterpiece, and it is very obvious that Nintendo put a lot of love and care into making sure it looked like a game that would come out in 2019 – the beautiful backdrops for the game are only dwarfed by the magnificent character models – this is not just for Link and the other major characters, but for everyone you’ll interact with, friend or foe.

And ultimately, the game is true to the original with a few quality of life upgrades, new concepts, and of course the updated graphics. According to our Nintendo of Canada guide, new side quests were also added to the game to give it a bit more life. While we only got about 15 minutes with the game, and didn’t have the opportunity to see all that was new, what we did play was so great, that we expect the rest of the game to mirror that 15 minute experience.

One of the better quality of life improvements we got to actually see is the ability to leave markers on the map, noting something that perhaps you don’t have the correct item for. This way, if you have to return to that same location a few hours later, you’ll be able to find it with little hassle. These are perfect quality of life improvements that really elevate a remastered game. When you begin seeing additions that add to the experience – rather than detract from the original – you know the team working on the release is on top of their game!

There was a lot to digest in the short time we had to play, but we thoroughly enjoyed the controls, the look, and the overall feel of the experience. Going into the demo, we were with many wondering how Nintendo could justify the 79.99 price point in Canada for a remake; now we see why. Outside of retaining the story and the game layout, Nintendo worked to build everything else from the ground up, and it really shows.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening will be available on September 20, 2019, alongside the Nintendo Switch Lite! We will have a review of both around that date, so stayed tuned!

Learn more about The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening here: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/the-legend-of-zelda-links-awakening-switch/