The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening REMAKE — 20th September 2019

[Glen-i]

Damn it! @Dcubed!

PLAY SHADOWS OF VALENTIA!

[Julius]

51 minutes ago, darksnowman said:

Is it possible to listen to this and not get constant chills?

I'm dodging around this thread a little as someone that hasn't played Link's Awakening before, but when someone posts music, I can't help but listen, at least a little bit, and it's always interesting without context. It's a track I've had pop up once or twice on YouTube and Spotify autoplay by accident, so it's not necessarily completely new to me I guess?

So, to give an alternative take on this music as someone that hasn't played the game before and has no idea what it's tied to in the game, I think it's a great track because I feel like it implies a lot about what is happening/has happened. It's immediately foreboding, and at 0:25 you get this back and forth of the strings which clearly state Dies irae, a Latin sequence which has been used in orchestral music dating back centuries, and is incredibly popular even today in modern scores across cinema and gaming (if you're wondering how it fits, just say the phrase as the strings go back and forth and you'll notice it's in sync with the track, and once you realise what it is you'll start hearing it everywhere).

Dies irae roughly translates to "the day of Wrath" or "day of Judgment", and it's a bit of a musical cheat to imply impending doom or reckoning, so coupled with the foreboding nature of the piece at the start, I think it's really safe to say that some sort of reckoning is happening. Is this reckoning internal or external? I have no idea, but the whining and strain of the strings makes me think it's some sort of internal reckoning (I mean, to hazard a guess, relating to whatever Link's titular "awakening" is), as external reckoning, at least musically, tends to be a bit more directly oppressive than I feel this piece is. That it's stated consecutively just adds to this overbearing feeling of something unchangeable, if that makes sense – like whatever type of impending doom is at hand, it's not something which can be taken back, like some sort of permanent change or a realisation which recontextualises things.  Further, at 0:50 I feel like the feeling of pain and melancholy in the track is really doubled down on as you get what I can only imagine is a sample or recreation of the original GB game's music (which is awesome), and with Dies irae playing out under and over this, it further strengthens the back and forth of the phrase. 

No idea how close that mini analysis is, but if it's anywhere near, I think that's another clear indicator of how good a track it is. If not it still sounds great all the same 

I really need to get around to Link's Awakening, don't I? 

Edited July 13, 2022 by Julius

[drahkon]

40 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

It's the pinnacle of that soundtrack and makes it hard to go back to the original Game Boy songs.

I still prefer the original songs  

I dunno. It feels a lot more threatening. Simple, yet harrowing.

The orchestrated version is grand, sure, but for me it evokes much less dread.

[Ike]

Not sure it's a spoiler, but just in case.

Spoiler

When the ending music switches to the GameBoy music. Right in the nostalgia gland.

 

[Jonnas]

Just now, Julius said:

I really need to get around to Link's Awakening, don't I? 

I mean... I absolutely recommend it, Zelda or no. It's a properly designed adventure game that encourages exploring the island in a non-linear fashion, and it plays super fun. One of those games where the devs just kept adding stuff they thought would be neat. Very chill vibes in that respect.

Edited July 13, 2022 by Jonnas

[Glen-i]

16 minutes ago, Julius said:

No idea how close that mini analysis is, but if it's anywhere near, I think that's another clear indicator of how good a track it is. If not it still sounds great all the same 

Pretty damn close, you should give the game a go. It's solid.

[drahkon]

19 minutes ago, Julius said:

I really need to get around to Link's Awakening, don't I? 

Just remember:

[Jonnas]

Just now, drahkon said:

Just remember:

Words to live by. Who says games can't be educational?

[darksnowman]

14 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Seeing you playing it on your Switch this past week certainly has me in the mood to give the game another playthrough. It didn't sit right with me the first time but my feelings maybe different a second time around.

I wonder what Grezzo are working on at the moment? I'm surprised they haven't reused this engine and remade the Oracle games.

To be honest, I'm in the mood to play most Zelda games at the moment. Given the current weather, firing up Wind Waker HD on the Wii U could be on the cards....

At first, I thought the toylike look was a bit at odds with the tone of the game but it wasn't long before I was a convert*. Definitely worth starting a new file if you've got the itch. I find a lot of the Zelda series is always feel ripe for a replay as I'm sure most of us do.

Personally, I'm not a huge lover of the Oracle games though a remake in the vein of LA would be cool. (Especially if it's a double-pack!)

* Would have been nice if they included d-pad movement.  And animated the flowers.

14 hours ago, Glen-i said:

You're right, @darksnowman. I started that song just now, and felt chills almost immediately.

What the remake did with the Face Shrine music is nothing short of amazing. It took a very repetitive song, and somehow molded it into orchestral majesty. It's the pinnacle of that soundtrack and makes it hard to go back to the original Game Boy songs.

As far as remade soundtracks go, Link's Awakening might just be the greatest there's ever been.

Well, except maybe PMD: Rescue Team DX. It's hard for me to choose between them!

Yeah, it takes you right back and twists the knife even further. The music and what you've learned is in complete contrast with the graphical style. What a conflicting game LA is.  

About the soundtrack in general, it's well done however I think the Mysterious Forest is lacking. It felt like a more oppressive area on Gameboy and just isn't the same in the remake.

14 hours ago, Jonnas said:

Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valentia as well. Might be worth playing it just to check. No hurries, tho

Ooh, now that's a Fire Emblem I have. It's decent enough.  

14 hours ago, Julius said:

I'm dodging around this thread a little as someone that hasn't played Link's Awakening before, but when someone posts music, I can't help but listen, at least a little bit, and it's always interesting without context. It's a track I've had pop up once or twice on YouTube and Spotify autoplay by accident, so it's not necessarily completely new to me I guess?

So, to give an alternative take on this music as someone that hasn't played the game before and has no idea what it's tied to in the game, I think it's a great track because I feel like it implies a lot about what is happening/has happened. It's immediately foreboding, and at 0:25 you get this back and forth of the strings which clearly state Dies irae, a Latin sequence which has been used in orchestral music dating back centuries, and is incredibly popular even today in modern scores across cinema and gaming (if you're wondering how it fits, just say the phrase as the strings go back and forth and you'll notice it's in sync with the track, and once you realise what it is you'll start hearing it everywhere).

Dies irae roughly translates to "the day of Wrath" or "day of Judgment", and it's a bit of a musical cheat to imply impending doom or reckoning, so coupled with the foreboding nature of the piece at the start, I think it's really safe to say that some sort of reckoning is happening. Is this reckoning internal or external? I have no idea, but the whining and strain of the strings makes me think it's some sort of internal reckoning (I mean, to hazard a guess, relating to whatever Link's titular "awakening" is), as external reckoning, at least musically, tends to be a bit more directly oppressive than I feel this piece is. That it's stated consecutively just adds to this overbearing feeling of something unchangeable, if that makes sense – like whatever type of impending doom is at hand, it's not something which can be taken back, like some sort of permanent change or a realisation which recontextualises things.  Further, at 0:50 I feel like the feeling of pain and melancholy in the track is really doubled down on as you get what I can only imagine is a sample or recreation of the original GB game's music (which is awesome), and with Dies irae playing out under and over this, it further strengthens the back and forth of the phrase. 

No idea how close that mini analysis is, but if it's anywhere near, I think that's another clear indicator of how good a track it is. If not it still sounds great all the same 

I really need to get around to Link's Awakening, don't I? 

Pretty much nailed it.  Now play the game and come back and pepper in some thematic details and specifics.

14 hours ago, drahkon said:

I still prefer the original songs  

I dunno. It feels a lot more threatening. Simple, yet harrowing.

The orchestrated version is grand, sure, but for me it evokes much less dread.

Incredible that the humble Gameboy game could evoke so much. Unforgettable.

---------------

Any chance of SimCity coming to the SNES NSO!?

Yes, @drahkon, I know...

Spoiler

 

 

[darksnowman]

With a heavy heart, goosebumps and a lump in my throat (maybe it's time I saw someone about that?), it is done once again. I would that it could have been different but I'm an off-island outsider who happened to wash up on the shore. Everyone knew I'd be wanting to get back on my way.

I'll be on my way then, Old Man Ulrira. Thanks for everything. You be sure to take care, too.  

Marin! How'd you get stuck up here?

There, you're back on safe ground now.

 Right you big old Yoshi egg, the time has come for you to hear the Song of Awakening.

And that's it done again. Overwritten into file one this time. The memory of it is already fading...

Koholint echoes through future Zelda entries much more than Fi, that's for sure.

[Hero-of-Time]

You got through this pretty quickly! What with you finishing this and drahkon completing Final Fantasy XII, you are both putting me under pressure to finish Fire Emblem.  

[drahkon]

2 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

You got through this pretty quickly! What with you finishing this and drahkon completing Final Fantasy XII, you are both putting me under pressure to finish Fire Emblem.  

I expect a completion post tonight  

[darksnowman]

30 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

You got through this pretty quickly! What with you finishing this and drahkon completing Final Fantasy XII, you are both putting me under pressure to finish Fire Emblem.  

This time around I only picked up a dozen or so secret seashells, didn't veer off the beaten path too far for heart pieces (it's a small island but you know what I mean) and didn't engage with Dampé, do the colour dungeon or put out any of the models. I did all that stuff last year. This week I just tried to limit myself to two levels per evening or I'd likely have sprinted through it in two sittings.  Not that the two levels thing worked out as I was left with only one to bring it to a close.  

The only FE pressure is from @Jonnas. No need to point the finger at anyone else. 

38 minutes ago, drahkon said:

I expect a completion post tonight  

... I stand corrected...
 

[BowserBasher]

Reading @darksnowman play through this again gave me the itch, so I took this with me when I went on holiday last week for somethin to play in the evening.

Link's Awakening on the GameBoy was my first venture into the world of Zelda it was my favourite then and it is still my favourite Zelda game (sorry BotW). I had already played though this twice when I first got it, the second time going for the no death route. I love what they did in updating the graphics and the style they went with. It really does feel dream like.

Whilst the island is a lot smaller than probably every other Zelda game it still gives of a vibe that it has a decent size to it. Whilst it does have a little non linear to it,, the game does push you in the direction you need to go. Dungeons need to be done in order and as always rocks and holes block your path until you have the right items. But it never takes away from how great the gameplay is and how much I love it. The first dungeon is easy and may seem too easy, but it is the first one after all, and by the time you get to the 7th you are wanting them to be like that. That one gave me issues when I first played it and it did again. I knew the general way round and that I had to get that ball to the right rooms, but it still had me running around in circles a few times until I sorted it. 

As with the last two times the final boos gave me no issues, I had beaten that so many times on the GB that I pretty much have it down to a tee, but it's still a joy to play and satisfying to jump those arms and hit the eye with an arrow.

I'll no doubt be back to play again one day.

[drahkon]

1 hour ago, BowserBasher said:

Link's Awakening on the GameBoy was my first venture into the world of Zelda it was my favourite then and it is still my favourite Zelda game

[darksnowman]

17 hours ago, BowserBasher said:

Reading @darksnowman play through this again gave me the itch, so I took this with me when I went on holiday last week for somethin to play in the evening.

Good choice for something you know you can get through at your leisure over a week.  

17 hours ago, BowserBasher said:

The first dungeon is easy and may seem too easy, but it is the first one after all, and by the time you get to the 7th you are wanting them to be like that. That one gave me issues when I first played it and it did again. I knew the general way round and that I had to get that ball to the right rooms, but it still had me running around in circles a few times until I sorted it. 

When I first got it (primary school age) I thought I'd followed an epic chain of events just to get to the first level. That sense of discovery never lets up either. As you say, Koholint isn't the biggest but it crams plenty in.

Totally right about 7. No matter how many times I start a new file, I always find myself doing extra loops of 7 and then 8 as well.

17 hours ago, BowserBasher said:

As with the last two times the final boos gave me no issues, I had beaten that so many times on the GB that I pretty much have it down to a tee, but it's still a joy to play and satisfying to jump those arms and hit the eye with an arrow.

I'll no doubt be back to play again one day.

Reminder set. Will give you a prod when that day's approaching and making a note to remind you it's also satisfying to jump those arms and hit the eye with the boomerang, too.