This rom hack sounded interesting at first and it does do some good things but it is largely uninspired and leaves a lot to be desired. It seems to be designed to bring newer elements to the first game or maybe vice versa but both LoZ1 and Link’s Awakening alone are better than what this hack tried to do with them. If you want to see a summary of this review just check the bottom.

The overworld is one of the biggest flaws. It is basically the overworld from Link’s Awakening reversed but with everything interesting removed from it and replaced with shops that all sell the same item, the money making game, or useless caves that lead to nothing. The prime example of this poor design is right at the beginning of the hack where you have 3-4 shops all close by and the only difference between them is how much they are selling their items for.

It is also a pain to navigate the overworld. I know that some areas are blocked off by not having a certain item in Zelda games but it is cranked up to 11 in this hack. You may know where you need to go but you will have to take a very roundabout way to get there due to some of the obstacles added in this hack. There is simply no easy way to get around until you start getting more items and even then it isn’t that much better. It’s also insulting when you reach an out of the way place only to find that the cave at the end is just another shop or money making game.

The dungeons are the 2nd biggest offender in this game. The designs are ripped straight from LoZ1 so you’ll know what to expect here. Sure they added items from Link’s Awakening but the locations for things are largely the same. The bigger problem is the lamp mechanic they decided to add in this game. Every room in a dungeon is now dark. The lamp will illuminate a room but only while the button is held down. Since there are only 2 main buttons for the controls this means that you essentially will be sticking to the lamp and sword for every dungeon. Even boss rooms are dark and you need items for the bosses which means you’re fighting them in the bloody dark only able to see their shadow in the room.

Time to talk about some of the good things. The best thing that was added was the ability to select 3 items at once and swap between them using select. This means a lot less time in the menu swapping items. The spin attack is also a welcome addition. The hack doesn’t seem to have any major glitches or bugs which is nice considering it actually is quite the overhaul to the original game.

Pros

• The ability to assign 3 items at a time and swap using select.
• Addition of the spin attack.
• Seems there are no major glitches or bugs.
• Completely changes the look to Link’s Awakening for the most part

Cons

• Overworld is a reversed Link’s Awakening with everything interesting removed.
• Dungeons are perpetually dark making you have to use the lantern.
• Overworld is a pain to navigate and not fun to explore.
• Rupees seem to be more useless than ever.
• Too many shops, money making games, and useless caves.
• Too many shops, money making games, and useless caves!
• TOO many shops, money making games, and useless caves!!!