Every Mainline Console Zelda Game Ranked

Though Link's Awakening was not originally a console Zelda title, last year's Switch re-release of the 1993 GameBoy classic means the series' fourth game can finally be played on the big screen.

And really, it's a port that's been a long time coming. Though Link's Awakening is easy to dismiss as just a handheld title which doesn't even have any impact on the franchise's core storyline, it's arguably one of the most influential titles in the Zelda franchise, sitting alongside A Link To The Past in terms of staples it introduced into the series.

As well as being the series' quirkiest game (Mario enemies in a Zelda title, anyone? Side scrolling sections that hark back to Zelda's NES titles?), Link's Awakening injected some much needed personality into the franchise. Before Awakening, Zelda NPCs were hint machines at worst, and uninspired text box jokes at best. From Marin and Tarin to the infamous Owl (who of course would return in Ocarina of Time), Crazy Tracy to Mr. Write, Link's Awakening is full of memorable characters, paving the way for fan favourites like Beedle and Linebeck further down the line, while non-human NPCs who didn't act as enemies undoubtedly influenced the creation of staple species Gorons, Zora and the Rito.

Arguably more revolutionary, Link's Awakening was the first Zelda title to introduce proper side quests, item upgrades and mini-game diversions, which have since formed the backbone of certain titles in the franchise (seriously, where would the Zelda series be without fishing?).

Though in many ways Link's Awakening is a distilled version of A Link To The Past, it's hard to imagine where the series would be without this classic.