Pros: Strong Zelda game, great graphics, best execution of the concept to date
Cons: Outside of the traditional Zelda storyline

Perhaps the greatest series in the history of video gaming is The Legend of Zelda. While the Mario games have been light fare, and most other franchaises have either been consistently good or alternate between amazing and horrible, Zelda has always produced some of the most enjoyable games ever. However, with apologies to the diehard N64 players out there, Zelda: Link's Awakening is the absolute best of the whole series.

Before we begin, let's establish the continuity of the Zelda games (obtained from an interview with creator Shigeru Miyamoto at http://www.zelda64.com, under Hyrule News). Ocarina of Time comes first. Then the original. Then Adventure of Link. Then Link to the Past. Translation errors have caused Nintendo fans to get that mixed up for a while.

However, you'll notice that Link's Awakening isn't on the list. This is because the game fits outside of the traditional story arc. In fact, Zelda and Gannon do not even appear in this game. This is thanks to an interesting departure of the series, as Link goes out to train himself to become more powerful. Considering the series has built a strong storyline, this is a radical departure. However, it works due to the well thought out placement of ideas throughout the game. The game reminds you that this is the same family line from the other games, but doesn't let it interfere with the story.

The game play is the same clean style reminicent of A Link To The Past. The controls respond well, and your movement is smooth. While dextrous thumbs aren't vital to win the game, they can help. In fact, the control may be even cleaner than on the 16-bit version, due to the smaller area to explore. Moreover, the action buttons are eaqsily customized, so that interesting combinations, like the Bomb Arrow, can be attempted. My personal favorite is to have the Jump Feather and the Sword equipped, which allows for some excellent movements in the game.

Graphically, the game is excellent, even before its conversion to Game Boy Color. They were crisp and well done for monochromatic graphics, and you could easily tell what you were doing and where. The addition of color make sit even more prize, as Link now looks like the Link of old, with his classic green suit. Moreover, the color allows you to see even better the classic reminders of Link's past - moblins, leevers, and peahats are all in the game By the way, if you actually remember the commercial Nintendo did long ago, where they mentioned those on national television, pat yourself on the back for being THAT old school.

Finally, while I am usually loathe to discuss the ending of a game, this game was excellent for having two. Link is trapped on Koholint Island, and can only escape if he wakes the Wind Fish in the center of the island. But what if the island isn't real? What if the island is just the Wind Fish's dream? Either way, the game ends on a bittersweet note, and is an excellent ending, perhaps the best of any Zelda game.

It took me, due to financial and distribution reasons, 4 years to finally play this game. However, I think anyone who has ever enjoyed a Zelda game owes it to themselves to pick this up.