Fan-Made Link’s Awakening DX HD PC Port Turns Heads Online
Posted on December 14 2023 by Rod Lloyd
Last week, a fan-created high-definition PC port of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX was made available on indie video game platform Itch.io. Described by its creator as a “meticulously crafted PC version” of the Game Boy Color classic, the port, titled Link’s Awakening DX HD, boasts “enhanced graphics,” “widescreen support,” “high framerate support,” and more.
Zelda Dungeon has chosen not to publish links to Link’s Awakening DX HD‘s Itch.io page or to any online sources that have shared such links. Any fans who would like to play the port should seek it out for themselves.
Link’s Awakening DX HD certainly lives up to its promises. Visuals are crisp and clean, the game performs smoothly, and, most notably, screen-scrolling is nonexistent. The entirety of Koholint Island is presented as one contiguous map! Now, the Switch remake of Link’s Awakening more or less did the same thing back in 2019, but to see the map opened up with its original graphics is something special.
One particular feature of the port that has received widespread coverage is the ability to adjust the pixel scale in order to essentially zoom out the overhead view to see all of Koholint Island as a single map, with all NPCs, enemies, and environmental details visible and active. There isn’t much practicality to this feature, but it does sell the technical triumphs of the port itself. Moving a tiny Link throughout Mabe Village while Tektites visibly jump around in Tal Tal Heights is quite an experience.
Link’s Awakening DX HD will likely invite legal scrutiny from Nintendo. Unlike recent reverse-engineered PC ports of Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past, which require players to provide their own ROMs to play, this new PC port is fully available to download and play with all Nintendo-owned art, sounds, and other assets in tact. We would not be surprised if Nintendo exercised its legal rights and issued a cease and desist in the coming days. Let the “And It’s Gone” memes fly!
Update: Nintendo has issued a DMCA takedown notice to Itch.oi, and Link’s Awakening DX HD is no longer available for download.
More than anything, Link’s Awakening DX HD is an impressive technical achievement and a testament to the passion of Zelda fans. It probably won’t be around for long, but it has already made its impact. What are your thoughts on the port? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Link’s Awakening DX HD
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to mention a DMCA takedown notice issued by Nintendo.
Rod Lloyd is the Editor-In-Chief at Zelda Dungeon, overseeing the news and feature content for the site. Rod is considered the veteran of the writing team, having started writing for Zelda Informer in 2014 as a Junior Editor. After ZD and ZI officially merged in 2017, he stepped into the Managing Editor role and has helped steer the ship ever since. He stepped up to lead the writing team as Editor-In-Chief in 2023.
You can reach Rod at: rod.lloyd@zeldadungeon.net
