Introduction

Look at Link; doesn't he look happy? What has that strange man found? Oh well, it couldn't be too bad fo- WOAH, MAN

Welcome to Let's Play The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Game Information
Release Date: 1993
Platform: Game Boy
Genre: Adventure/Dungeon Crawler
Story: Seriously...? Some shit went down, Link is dreaming or something like that; he must collect a predetermined number of ancient artifacts by conquering the same amount of dungeons. This will unlock some sort of dark something or other that wins the game.

In my last thread, we voted for the names of our heroes who would journey through Holodrum and Labrynna in the Zelda Oracle series. The runner-up that I really enjoyed most was Marty, and that is our hero for this journey!

This LP will be a little different than you're probably used to; I'm going to be playing this game the way it was meant to be played.

You will probably enjoy this thread if:

• You have played LA before
  
• You have a relative knowledge about how things are supposed to happen, or
  
• You enjoy tripping off your ass

You might not enjoy this thread if:

• You want to see a straightforward, informative playthrough
  
• You are an avid supporter of the War on Drugs^tm

If this thread is not for you and you still want to see some Link's Awakening, then I would recommend this fine thread by DICKS FOR DINNER.

Spoiler Policy
NO SPOILER TAGS WHATSOEVER! Due to the nature of this thread, it doesn't really make sense to consider anything a spoiler; feel free to talk about anything you want (thread related) or ask any question (thread related) that fancies you.

Videos

Videos

Intro/Level 1	blip.tv	YouTube	Source
Level 2	blip.tv	YouTube	Source
Level 3	blip.tv	YouTube	Source
Level 4	blip.tv	YouTube	Source
Level 5	blip.tv	YouTube	Source
Level 6	blip.tv	YouTube	Source
Level 7	blip.tv	YouTube	Source
Level 8	blip.tv	YouTube	Source
Level 9	blip.tv	YouTube	Source
Final Boss	blip.tv	YouTube	Source
Bonus Video 1: Trendy Game, Chickens, and MORE	blip.tv	YouTube	Source
Bonus Video 2: User Forer shows off the optional tenth dungeon and the final fight with Birdphone			YouTube

Glitch-ionary
_{AKA: What the fuck is going on?}

This section will be used to name and explain all of the techniques I've used so far.

Select Warp
Start with Link standing on the edge of a screen; press [i]select[/i] to bring up the map as you move into the next screen. If done correctly, you will be all the way on the other end of the next screen. What's happening here is that the game is loading the next screen, but since you brought up the map, Link's sprite keeps the same x/y position on the screen (some of the other sprites will come over with you as well). This is the most useful of the techniques because it can basically get you anywhere you want to go (and a lot of places that you didn't). This will not work in the DX version of the game as well as some of the later release batches of the original.

Lvl 0 Shield
When you use the select warp to leave the screen with the sword, it comes with you to the next screen. Grabbing it triggers a "got the sword" flag in the game. When you go back to the screen where you originally get the sword, the game has nothing to load, so you get a placer item (in this case a Level 0 Shield). It acts exactly the same as the Level 1 Shield except it's invisible. If your shield gets eaten and you buy it back, you get the Level 1 Shield again; it is impossible to get it back.

Dungeon to Dungeon
(Cave to Cave)
This game has three maps, the main overworld map and two dungeon/cave maps. The rooms for the dungeons and the caves are on these two grids; if one were to be able to walk through the wall or select warp to the other end of the room, one could enter into a room from another dungeon or cave if it were right next to the one he is in. This is how I travel through caves and dungeons.

Dungeon Fuckery
If you are in a 2D Section and clip through the wall, you will fall through the floor in the next room and end up where the stairs would have put you only the dungeon is now fucked. You can swim through walls and most of the holes, sprites are all whacked out, and most of the items have been replaced with Power Bracelets or other nonsense items.

Fisherman's World
Use the select warp to carry the fisherman's sprite with you one screen to the south; he will end up in a tree. If you talk to him and start the fishing game, the game thinks you are somewhere you are not; instead of starting the fishing game, the game draws a map from memory addresses that are off, resulting in a world of glitched-out tiles. It is possible to travel to several places using this technique.

Kennel World
If you start by pushing downward on the back of Bow Wow's doghouse and start moving to the right pixel by pixel, you will eventually slide down the right side of it. While still holding down, press left and you will enter this nether region. There are many variants of this world and the number of enemies you have killed determines this. Most of the variants are impassable or have nothing going on. Some have items hidden in them, and others have bosses and instruments that will freeze the game.

Fan Content

User Johanz shows us the dangers of drug use.


User SereneCrimson gives us a closer look at Birdphone's cronies.


User MidnightSun Expands upon the Birdphone saga.


User P.M.F. brings all of our fears to life.


User MidnightSun illustrates the Full Moon Cello with more detail.


User Zellus shows us something quite awful.


User Chewbot illustrates the horror of the ninth instrument.


User 8BitRedMage puts more effort into this one beadsprite than I did into the whole LP.

SHY GUY MANIA!
Shortly after the release of the fifth video, Shy Guy Mania struck the thread, producing some gems. It all starts with this post. Also, there is more gold in this post.