History YMMV / TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening

* [[Awesome/VideoGameLevels Awesome: Video Game Levels]]:

* ItsShortSoItSucks: The game, both the original and the Switch remake, were criticized for its relatively short length. Though the game sports the series' usual nine dungeons format, plus an additional four mini-dungeons, the condensed overworld and having little in terms of sidequests meant that the game can be beaten in approximately ten hours, which is short by ''Zelda'' standards. On the other hand, [[OnceOriginalNowCommon it was MASSIVE for a handheld game back in 1993]].

* ItsShortSoItSucks: The game, both the original and the Switch remake, were criticized for its relatively short length. Though the game sports the series' usual nine dungeons format, plus an additional four mini-dungeons, the condensed overworld and having little in terms of sidequests meant that the game can be beaten in approximately ten hours, which is short by ''Zelda'' standards.

* CaptainObviousReveal: Link's '''Awakening'''? [[spoiler:Why, is he asleep or something?]] That said, the actual details of the reveal are much less apparent from the title.

** The remake's near faithfulness to the Game Boy original has also been divisive. Some are absolutely fine with it due to the game already being great as it, and are happy to see the game's unique identity and design be preserved with only a few quality of life additions to it to make it that much better. Others felt it was [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks too faithful]] for its own good (especially since it's at the same price tag as ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', despite the remake being a far smaller and less substantial game by comparison) and wished the remake took more creative liberties and added more new content outside of the dungeon maker.

** Eagle's Tower includes four pillars that have to be knocked down to make the upper levels crash down on the lower ones. This involves carrying around a metal ball and the gimmick of the dungeon is getting it to the various pillars. However, that means an excessive amount of backtracking, memorization, trial-and-error, and remembering the setting of the blue/orange blocks. On top of the difficult puzzle solving aspects, it can be hard to move without it falling down a pit a respawning in its original room and it's entirely possible to glitch the ball and have it materialize in a spot you can't reach. [[UnintentionallyUnwinnable Hooray!]]

* MagnificentBastard: [[TheOwlKnowingOne The Owl]] is the guardian of the Wind Fish's dream, who was overthrown when the Nightmares invaded. Seeking to use Link to awaken the Wind Fish and [[WellIntentionedExtremist put an end to the Nightmares]], the Owl poses as a friendly guide and tells him that he can only return to Hyrule by waking the Wind Fish, utilizing lies and half-truths as he leads him to hide the [[AllJustADream true nature]] of the island. When Link discovers the truth, the Owl dismisses it as a rumor and continues nudging him forward, despite knowing that the quest will end in the [[DreamApocalypse the island and all of its inhabitants being erased from existence]]. Upon Link's victory, the Owl visits him a final time and reveals the truth, thanking him for saving the Wind Fish [[FaceDeathWithDignity before vanishing along with the rest of Koholint Island]].

* MagnificentBastard: [[TheOwlKnowingOne The Owl]] is the guardian of the Wind Fish's dream, who was overthrown when the Nightmares invaded. Seeking to use Link to awaken the Wind Fish and [[WellIntentionedExtremist put an end to the Nightmares]], the Owl poses as a friendly guide and tells him that he can only return to Hyrule by waking the Wind Fish, utilizing lies and half-truths as he leads him to hide the [[AllJustADream true nature]] of the island. When Link discovers the truth, the Owl dismisses it as a rumor and continues nudging him forward, despite knowing that the quest will end in the [[DreamApocalypse the island and all of its inhabitants being erased from existence]]. Upon Link's victory, the Owl visits him a final time and reveals the truth, thanking him for saving the Wind Fish [[FaceDeathWithDignity before vanishing along with the rest of Koholint Island]].

** The Switch remake [[AdaptedOut removing Bulldog moblins]] drew criticism as early as E3 2019. The reason being it turns the appearance of Bulldog Moblins (simply called "Moblins") and Pig Moblins (called "Pig Warriors") from a cool ContinuityNod into a DistinctionWithoutADifference.

%%* SignatureScene:
%%** Link sitting with Marin at the beach.
%%** Link playing the Ballad of the Wind Fish at the peak of Mt. Tamaranch.

* UnderusedGameMechanic: The dungeon items introduced past the fifth dungeon don't have much utility. The upgraded Power Bracelet is basically only used for a couple of Face Shrine puzzles and summoning the Flying Rooster (but does have the minor boon of letting you hoist up other stuff faster than the L-1 Bracelet), and the Mirror Shield has no puzzles since it's just used to bypass the fire stream at Turtle Rock (and for blocking the occasional Beamos), though it has more power in the remake. The Magic Rod gets plenty of use in half of a dungeon and a few puzzles, but is gotten too late for much else and only one form of the final boss takes damage from it.

* HilariousInHindsight: In a way, the Manga adaptation by Ataru Cagiva managed to reveal something regarding the game's development and the final battle. In his version of the final battle, the Shadow Nightmares provide some BossBanter towards Link as he fights them, much like other bosses in the game. In the [[ContentLeak July 2020 Gigaleak]], a graphic file for the game reveals that Dark Link was to have a role much like what Cagiva had written into the manga, although acting more as a MouthOfSauron to the Shadow Nightmares.

** If you don't want to pay the ridiculously huge sum of 980 rupees for the bow (which is mandatory to complete the game), then you'll have to resort to shoplifting, which results in all characters referring to you as "THIEF" for the rest of the game. And no, there is no way to change your name back from "THIEF". Adding insult to injury is the fact that outside of treasure chests, rupees in the original game are only found in denominations of ''one'', making them very tedious to farm.

** ''Link's Awakening'' also codified the general dungeon design that was faithfully followed for the next 20 years: Traverse dungeon that has a certain type of obstacle, defeat a miniboss who is guarding an item. Use said item to overcome the obstacles featured in the dungeon and obtain the boss key, defeat boss using the item.

** Full descriptions repeat ''every time'' you obtain a Guardian Acorn or Piece of Power, which might be irritating enough to make you avoid them on purpose despite their useful benefits.

** Guardian Acorns and Pieces of Power, due to their repetitive jingle interrupting the music whenever one is active, as well as a long dialogue box appearing every time they're picked up, which can't even be skipped in ''DX''. This is somewhat fixed in the remake by toning down the annoyance of the jingle and having the item run on a timer, rather than persisting until Link takes enough damage.

* RemadeAndImproved: With more buttons to divide items between (and thus significantly less time spent swapping which button is mapped to which item), less tedious dialogue boxes, a complete overhaul of the rather dated graphics and sound, and fairies catchable in glass bottles, the 2019 remake is a marked improvement over the original and ''DX''.

* {{Padding}}: The sequence between Levels 4 and 5 where a ghost starts following Link, requiring the player to visit his house by the beach, and then return him to his grave. This part has no bearing on the plot whatsoever, is never mentioned again, and no item is acquired upon completing it, [[note]]In the Switch remake, however, the ghost will give you a bottle.[[/note]] but it is nevertheless mandatory, as attempting to go to Level 5 while the ghost is in tow will only result in him nagging you. That being said, it's an interesting story beat that helps to reinforce the game's themes of existentialism; the ghost having to let go of his past reflects the similar message that Link can't stay on Koholint Island forever.

** Turtle Rock. There are various ways to navigate it and tricks to bypass much of it, but if you go at it normally, you'll find minibosses from past dungeons that respawn, which is frustrating because you'll have to do quite a bit of backtracking, especially if you're trying to figure out where to go next. Not to mention the true miniboss, [[ThatOneBoss Blaino]].... This is alleviated in the Switch remake, as none of the minibosses (except for the Dodongo Snakes, as they are part of a puzzle that requires them to be defeated in a specific manner to get the key they are guarding) respawn after they're defeated.

* {{Woolseyism}}: The localization teams basically did their own things with the [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment Cukemen]]. Their German localization in the monochrome version is the most (in)famous, although the censors caught it by the time the ''DX'' version rolled around.