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The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (ゼルダの伝説 夢をみる島, Zeruda no Densetsu: Yume o Miru Shima) is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development and published by Nintendo. It is the fourth title in The Legend of Zelda series and the first produced for a handheld console, having been released exclusively for the Game Boy in June 1993 in Japan, August in North America, and November in Europe. The story follows the protagonist Link as he explores the mysterious Koholint Island. Gameplay mechanics involve the player facing a variety of enemies and solving different puzzles from an overhead perspective in order to advance the story.
Link's Awakening takes place at the beginning of the "The Hero is Defeated" timeline of The Legend of Zelda chronology, after the events of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and before The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. The current incarnation of Link is shipwrecked during a storm and becomes stranded on Koholint Island, a place guarded by a whale-like deity called the Windfish. He then embarks on a journey to retrieve eight magical musical instruments that together will awaken the dormant Windfish and allow him to escape the island.
The development of Link's Awakening began shortly after the release of A Link to the Past in 1991 with the intention of producing a port of that title for the Game Boy. The idea soon evolved into an original game, with the developers seeking to create a product different from previous titles in the series. Thus, recurring elements such as Princess Zelda, the Triforce, and Hyrule were omitted. The story and characters were designed to subvert expectations and be "strange." Small references to other Nintendo franchises, such as Mario and Kirby, were included by director Takashi Tezuka.
The game was a commercial and critical success upon release. It was acclaimed for its gameplay, depth, and good use of the handheld platform, although the main criticisms focused on the monochromatic graphics and poor button layout. Several publications have ranked Link's Awakening as one of the best titles ever released for the Game Boy. A Game Boy Color conversion called Link's Awakening DX debuted in December 1998, featuring color graphics, Game Boy Printer support, and the addition of a new dungeon. The DX version is part of the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online. A remake for Nintendo Switch was released in September 2019.