Dec 13, 2023 2 min read

This PC port of Nintendo's Game Boy Zelda is pretty incredible

This PC port of Game Boy classic Link's Awakening offers a new, widescreen way to play.

Link's Awakening DX HD

This PC port of Game Boy classic Link's Awakening offers a new, widescreen way to play.

Ok, so this is really cool. Link's Awakening DX HD is a new, recently released native PC port of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.

The original 1993 Game Boy classic sees Link wake up on the rather mysterious Koholint Island — and now the much-loved game has received some incredible fan service by way of this free updated, PC version of the beloved Zelda adventure.

This 'HD' release is based on the 1998 'DX' colour version, and adds in a ton of thoughtful, quality of life improvements to the game.

How to play Link’s Awakening DX HD on Steam Deck
Here’s how to get a new fan made PC port of Nintendo classic Link’s Awakening running on Valve’s Steam Deck.

Here's just a few of the highlights that make this PC version notable:

  • Widescreen support (this is the best addition by far, giving the game a really different feel)
  • Higher framerate
  • Enhanced graphics (shadows, lighting, etc)
  • Performance improvements

There's also some neat in-game changes, such as more save slots, more item slots, and even camera controls (via custom zoom levels).

The game is currently free to download over on itch.io — at time of writing it has been available for ten days, but this is one of those scenarios where I imagine the Nintendo lawyers will be coming for it sooner rather than later.

Link’s Awakening DX HD by linksawakeningdxhd
PC Version of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX

Here's a guide on how to get Link's Awakening DX HD up and running on Steam Deck, should you so wish.

Great! You’ve successfully signed up.
Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.
You've successfully subscribed to overkill.wtf.
Your link has expired.
Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.
Success! Your billing info has been updated.
Your billing was not updated.