INITIAL THOUGHTS I first played this game back in 1994, "borrowing" it from my brother. For an 8 year old, this game was borderline impossible. It took me hours to find the sword, and even longer to figure out the forest puzzle. However, that didn't stop me. Hundreds of batteries and chore bribery with my brother later, I was able to get to the final boss. Though I did not beat the final boss during that play through, it left a major impression on me.
When I went back to play the game, it appeared to be much easier then my first play, though some hints were needed to be able to get to the right place and do the right activity. While some things can be done out of order, the game will stop you from proceeding until you complete everything.
GAMEPLAY For an original gameboy game, you can't get much better then the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. While a couple bosses and enemies can hand you a cheap death, it is a very fair game. If you die, you know why. For a game this old, that is amazing.
There are many parts where you will be lost and need a guide to figure out what to do next, as this, like almost every Zelda game, does not hold your hand. It is not dark souls difficult, but it will be easy to get lost, even with the hints from the phone system.
REPLAYABILITY Once you have beaten the game, you have done everything that you can really do. However, if you want to play it for nostalgia purposes before the release of the remake, you will still have an extremely fun play through.