Tail Cave might lack the subtle genius and emotional faculty of Inside the Deku Tree, but it successfully imparts core dungeon knowledge while finding enough room to add some inconsistent flair. It’s an understandably divisive dungeon, deserving of some of the flack it receives, but in its deep integration of theme, multiple mini-bosses, and comprehensible layout, it also improves upon some of the other dungeons’ most glaring weaknesses. But it is still optional content that offers a change of pace from the rest of the game while taking its theme more seriously than nearly any other dungeon. Its item may be broken, some rooms are lacking in imagination, and its color gimmick could have been utilized a bit more deeply in puzzle, enemy, and boss design. A flawed gem of a dungeon, Bottle Grotto wears its vibe on its sleeve, its whimsy not bottled-up in the slightest.Īs a whole, the Color Dungeon is a brief but enjoyable jaunt through a space and mechanic that feels largely divorced from the rest of the game. And like Tail Cave, Bottle Grotto is a place of amusing idiosyncrasy, where Mario baddies back up a garrulous genie and a young man dons a bracelet so he can throw bottles at bunny-ghosts. Although many of these ideas could have been taken a step further, and the dungeon suffers a bit from lack of unity on a procedural level, it is a pleasant follow-up to Tail Cave that constantly entertains and rarely frustrates.
LINKS AWAKENING HOOKSHOT FULL
But with some minor changes, which may be coming in the Switch version, it could be among the best.īottle Grotto is full of bright ideas, from its shrewd puzzle-types, to its fanciful enemy selection, to its skillful integration of an oddball bottle theme. And after playing through it multiple times in the past few weeks, I would go so far as to say it is among most overrated dungeons in any Zelda game.
For these reasons, Eagle’s Tower is not so much a great dungeon as it is the promise of a great dungeon, better remembered than replayed. It is torturous to navigate, the manner in which its puzzles are tied to said navigation are often tedious, its enemy placement is haphazard, and its mini-boss and item are nearly nonexistent. But conceptual genius, innovation, and uniqueness don’t necessarily make for great game design, and unfortunately Eagle’s Tower is held back by numerous practicalities. So it is for somewhat good reason much of the Zelda community holds Eagle’s Tower in incredibly high regard, with many considering it the greatest dungeon in Link’s Awakening. Conceptually and thematically, it so thoroughly integrates height into its layout and gameplay that it remains an impressive design feat in several regards, especially considering the strict hardware limitations of the original Game Boy. No buts about it - Eagle’s Tower is the most memorable and inventive dungeon in Link’s Awakening. And to top it off, the ensuing cutscene wraps up the game’s story in a poignant and bittersweet manner that also features the most gorgeous artwork in the game - dazzling psychedelia that justifies the DX remake nearly as much as the Color Dungeon. Despite a blase aesthetic and lack of identity, the final battle against the Shadow Nightmares is the single greatest fight in the game. Wind Fish’s Egg is a very short mini-dungeon that is defined by its wonderful final boss. Opinions are just opinions and I’d like to see how my thoughts and feelings compare to your equally valid ones! And check out longer analyses here.
LINKS AWAKENING HOOKSHOT FREE
Feel free to praise or critique my list in the comments, but feel even freer to post your own list.
I devised the final ranking based on two ephemeral and subjective criteria: how good it is and how much I liked it. Below is my list of Link’s Awakening‘s dungeons from worst to best. After diligently playing and writing about Link’s Awakening dungeon-by-dungeon, it’s time to siphon my thoughts down into the shallow, quantifiable, clickbaity realm of ranking.
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