The Legend Of Zelda: 10 Best Intro Dungeons

10. Link's Awakening: Tail Cave

Starting with Link's Awakening, the Legend of Zelda games on the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance transformed the franchise's overworlds from the vast expanses seen in The Legend Of Zelda and A Link To The Past into grids of dense areas which often contained dungeon-like puzzles in themselves, maximising the use of space in the minimal maps the handheld consoles could produce.

Tail Cave, the first dungeon of Link's Awakening, starts in many ways before Link reaches the dungeon itself. The player must explore all the nooks and crannies of the Mysterious Forest, finding the Witch's Hut and securing the magic powder to rescue Tarin. Doing so will clear up the forest's fog, leading straight to the chest that contains the Tail Key.

While Tail Cave, like most of Link's Awakening's dungeons, is similar in structure and design to the dungeons seen in its early console counterparts, the introduction of 2D sections (and Super Mario's famous goombas!) first seen here helps cement the game's distinct identity, drenching the game with charm.