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An unofficial PC rendition of the Game Boy Color gem, Link’s Awakening took the internet by storm but swiftly disappeared. Before it could amass much heat, the creator, known by his online tag ‘linksawakeningdxhd’, had no choice but to pull down his creation. And guess who’s behind it? Yes, Nintendo!
‘linksawakeningdxhd’ gave 1998’s Link’s Awakening DX an impressive digital rebirth with refreshing HD visuals, 120fps scrolling, and the cool amenity of widescreen support. The game, which was made publicly available on the platform itch.io, found itself under fire for copyright infringement. Sad, right?
Cease and Desist Storm
The all too familiar cease-and-desist notice from Nintendo landed with a thud, and the news of it sprung around itch.io as fast as a lightning bolt. Here’s a little peek at the digital battlefield: though it lives no more, the port surely made its mark.
It was unique because it let the passionate players scope out the entirety of Koholint island without moving a muscle. The best part? Each and every Non-Player Character (NPC) and enemy was right there, just as busy as ever. All this from the comfort of the zoomed-out view. Cool, isn’t it?
A gamer wonderland, this PC port of Zelda Link’s Awakening was. So much so, it even made rounds on Twitter with tweets full of sheer amazement coming from its many spectators. Check this out: “This version not only offers widescreen support, but the game now runs at a single screen without any transitions and you can zoom out to see more of the overworld.” Talk about the power to see it all!
The Swift Hand of Nintendo
And despite all the excitement, we can’t really blame Nintendo here. After all, they are known for keeping their games and characters close to heart. Their long history of swift action against fan projects speaks for itself.
What’s more, Nintendo had its own version of Link’s Awakening in the game room, which it released for the Switch back in 2019. So, you see, they guarded a treasure close to their heart. We even penned down some thoughts on that beauty: “Updating the look but never losing the feel of the original, Link’s Awakening is a masterclass in remaking a classic.”
