Zelda: Link's Awakening - 10 Problems Nobody Wants To Admit
5. Gotta Collect 'Em All!
A very common issue in modern video games is the dreaded collectable sidequest mechanic that generally mean the end of the game is not the end of the game. Some are fairly straightforward and have no real impact on gameplay but this isn't the case with the Zelda franchise - Korok Seeds anyone?
As gamers once experienced in Majora's Mask, a relatively low number of dungeons in a Zelda game means very few Heart Containers are available - just four in Majora's Mask and eight in Link's Awakening. What does this mean? You're going to need a LOT of Heart Pieces to max out your health.
What's worse than having to do every minor tag on and check every screen for a hidden Heart Piece? Secret Seashells! That's what! There were 26 hidden Seashells in the original game but Link only needed 20 to exchange for the Koholint Sword (Master Sword rip off!). This was a decent amount and most would be found throughout a normal playthrough without too much effort, happy days.
Cue the rug pull as Link's Awakening for the Switch had a whopping 50 Secret Seashells for you to search for and you need 40 to access the sword upgrade. It might not be a necessity to upgrade your sword but it seems like a deterrent to force players to seek out so many for one of the most useful item perks.
Not cool Nintendo, not cool.