Before the release of The Legend of Zelda series has been consistently criticized for recycling the effective (yet repetitive) formula created by A Link to the Past, but one of the most unique Zelda experiences was ironically Link's Awakening. Despite being a sequel to the Super Nintendo classic, Link's Awakening deviated away from the epic and bombastic premise of its predecessor in favor of becoming more somber, surreal, and thought-provoking. For the first time, Zelda was more focused on its narrative and the relationships between its characters than it was on defeating Ganon.
From a gameplay perspective, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening changes rather little from what made A Link to the Past such a massive success. Like most Zelda adventures, Link wakes up in a bed and is tasked with collecting a plethora of sacred artifacts, in this case, instruments, to achieve his goal and save the day. What's immediately different, though, is Link's surroundings. After succumbing to the wrath of an intense storm out at sea, Link finds himself shipwrecked on the island of Koholint, a bizarre land where everyone's quirkiness borders on being obnoxious and the monsters are ripped straight out of the Mushroom Kingdom.
It is soon revealed to Link that the only way to escape the island is to gather multiple Instruments of the Sirens to awaken a deity known as the Wind Fish. For the first and last time in a The Legend of Zelda game, Link is adventuring not to save Zelda from Ganon or a kingdom in peril, but for himself. Even the immensely depressing Majora's Mask stars a Link whose goal is to prevent the apocalypse. Players of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening get to see Link go on a quest for himself, and the game even features the first time the hero has been associated with an adorable romance.
Marin Is Link's Awakening's Best Character
Sure, Link managed to nab a kiss from Zelda at the end of The Adventure of Link, but Marin, on the other hand, does far more than imitate Princess Peach's empty rewards for Mario. It's clear from the beginning that Marin has a crush on Link ever since she rescued him off of the beach he washed ashore on. In what is perhaps the most heartwarming and endearing sequence in the series, Link and Marin have a chat on the beach about their hopes and dreams. Marin wishes to explore the sea as a seagull so she can leave the island and discover the world she's desperate to see. Afterward, she briefly tags along with Link, constantly flirting with him along the way.
Link's Awakening uses Marin to ease the player into a false sense of security while simultaneously attaching them to the world, so when it is revealed Koholint Island is nothing more than the dream of the Wind Fish, suddenly the player feels what Link is feeling. Everything on the island, including Link's new romantic interest, will vanish when Link awakens the Wind Fish, which makes the second half of the game far darker than any Zelda story before it.
Suddenly, Link isn't a hero this time, and all of his adversaries are simply defending themselves from the destruction Link's actions will inevitably cause. Link's Awakening is not the most unique entry in the franchise from a gameplay perspective, but its narrative focus on the moral ambiguity of ending the existence of Marin and the other Koholint residents makes its story and premise unlike any other entry in The Legend of Zelda series.
