Link’s Awakening DX was the first Zelda game that I actually played. I had maybe dabbled with a few before, notably The Legend of Zelda even though I didn’t know what was going on, but Link’s Awakening DX was my first Zelda. I have so many fond memories of this game from when I was growing up. The music always gives me goosebumps, I can find all the Secret Seashells without a guide, and the Rooster is one of my favorite characters in all of the Zelda-verse.
I could go on for several days about the Flying Rooster, but that’s not what I’m writing about today. Although, coincidentally, the topic of today’s article does also include an animal companion.
Goponga Swamp is one of my favorite areas in Link’s Awakening, even though it is only six squares around. You get your first glimpse of the swamp when you go to save Bow-Wow. It’s a small area, blocked off by rocks. The most obvious route is blocked off and no entrance presents itself to get in. That is until Madam Meow-Meow wants you to take Bow-Wow for a walk.
Bow-Wow eats plants, enemies, really anything you put in front of it, except for rocks. Madam Meow-Meow says that he likes to walk near the swamp, so you scour the area, trying to find an entrance that isn’t blocked off by rocks or something dangerous. After traversing the Mysterious Forest again, you find another entrance to the swamp. Only this time, it’s blocked by flowers.
This is one of the innovative ways to progress the plot. Using a dog (Chain Chomp), you have to eat the plants that are blocking your way to Goponga Swamp. It’s such a great application of a one-time use partner.
There isn’t really much else to the swamp. There are small and large flowers all over. Fish swim around, jumping at the worst possible times. There is also a small chest in the middle of it with 50 rupees, something you’ll need unless you want to steal the bow and be branded a thief for the rest of the game!
Of course, the big draw of the swamp is the dungeon. The Bottle Grotto is a pretty standard dungeon with one of the worst bosses. That dang Djinn is the stuff of nightmares (literally in Link’s case). The dungeon also nets you the Power Bracelet which is how you can traverse through the rest of the world. The bracelets can also take you to Tal Tal Heights, another of my favorite locations on Koholint.
I think I wanted to write about this place because it is such a small and one-note location on this fantastical island. The Bow-Wow mechanic is just such a cute and fun idea that it is hard to forget. It just goes to show that even the smallest locations can leave a lasting impression on you.
