This is such a great all-around Zelda game and isn’t a huge time commitment either. It’s very linear but there’s plenty of random mini games and shops to explore. It also is a very special and unique Nintendo game and incorporates an early looking version of Kirby and has chain chomps from Mario. The art direction is “toy style” and it’s incredibly polished. It’s really one of those remakes where they didn’t cut any corners.
I’m still not 100% sure if I like the art style. I do think it looks cute and it is very polished (in more ways than one). I would’ve liked to see something perhaps a little bit closer to the photographs taken throughout the game. Other than the visuals, there was just a lot of expression in Link’s face in those photographs, and the style we got makes the characters feel a little bit rigid.
That said, the game will always be quite special to me, so no matter what the graphics, just visiting Koholint island is such a good vibe. A fun and concise game, no more and no less than is necessary to make for a memorable adventure and a perfect setting.
I hope we get new 2D adventures that share this kind of spirit of Zelda that the 3D games are just too big to capture.
How did you feel about Links Awakening HD’s art compared to Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s seeing as they’re both remakes of games from a (somewhat) similar art style.
I honestly did not like BDSP’s art style. It somewhat had that same “toyish” vibe, but I feel like it didn’t suit that game anywhere near as much as it did Link’s Awakening, nevermind that it lacked a lot of the visual polish LA HD had. I get that it was meant to be the proportions of the original sprites but in 3D, but if they wanted to remain faithful to the original pixel art, I think an octopath-like visual style could have been an interesting route to take.