Growing up in the 1980s, I was exposed to a lot of Nintendo games, and Zelda was one of the franchises that I fell in love with right away. Part of the charm of starting up a new game of The Legend of Zelda was listening to the introductory theme music. Sometimes the first sounds and/or musical tracks you hear in a game can make or break it for you, and the amazing sound of that 8-bit tune just made me want to keep exploring Hyrule more and more. Though The Legend of Zelda would end up being a game that I couldn’t beat until later on in life, I kept trying and trying. Since it was the 80s and we didn’t have YouTube as an option yet, sometimes I would turn on the game just to listen to that charming music. I had both an NES and a Super Nintendo, but I didn’t acquire a Game Boy until later on. By the time I had a red Game Boy Color, most of the console’s games were already done shipping and selling, so I had missed out on titles like Metroid 2, Mario Golf, and Link’s Awakening DX.
I remember watching that fateful Nintendo Direct on February 13, 2019 with my five-year-old son when they unveiled a video of an anime-style Link sailing on a raft. My first thought was, “Oh nice, they’re bringing over The Wind Waker.” Never having seen the introduction to Link’s Awakening before, I had no idea that it was a perfect clone of the classic opening for Link’s Awakening on the Game Boy. I watched as the storm beared down on Link with the ominous, gloomy track behind it. Soon the storm cleared, and Link hung on to the raft for dear life with a beautiful beach behind him. Though I had never played the game, the egg at the top of the beach setting was very recognizable from my time reading Nintendo Power magazines as a kid. I then heard a flute and other brass instruments start to play the theme music, and I was instantly hooked!
Hearing that beautiful orchestra update and modernize the old 8-bit tune of the past made the hair on my arms stand up. I had no idea they were remaking the old Game Boy game that I never got to play for the Nintendo Switch. I looked at my son, mouth wide open, and didn’t say anything until the end of the video. In fact, we were both silent, utterly in awe of the gorgeous graphics in the game; when paired with the music, it seemed to be the most beautiful mix that I had ever seen in a video game. My son then said, “Daddy, we’re going to buy that game right?”
Within minutes, the Internet was already abuzz. It didn’t take long for YouTubers and other content creators to show the side-by-side comparisons of the opening scene. What I wanted, though, was a comparison of the music. With my trusty son by my side, I found the original Game Boy opening scene and music within a few seconds. I couldn’t believe how incredible that soundtrack sounded even after 25 years. I played the opening song and then rewound the Direct to play the updated tune. I had instant vibes of the updated soundtracks from Pokémon HeartGold and Pokémon SoulSilver. Nintendo did such an amazing job of remaking the music from Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal with a full orchestra (I can already hear the National Park theme playing in my head), and I knew they had once again knocked it out of the park with Link’s Awakening.
Music in a video game is important. It helps to set the mood and tone of particular levels as well as entire games, whether it be frenetic and fast-paced (like in Dr. Mario, for example) or calm and peaceful (like the underwater levels of Donkey Kong Country). And it also helps to introduce players like myself to brand new worlds like Koholint Island. Fascinating how just a couple of do-do’s from a brass instrument had me reaching for my wallet on that February morning and screaming with my son for Nintendo to just take my money. Koholint might have been all but a dream to Link, but to this gamer, it’s music to the ears.
Link’s Awakening turns 30 years old on June 6th, 2023! So we’re dedicating an entire week of articles to the Hylian hero’s charming, quirky adventures through Koholint Island!
