The dream was real — every farewell on Koholint Island was.
Link washes up on Koholint Island after a shipwreck and spends the entire game trying to leave. Along the way he meets a girl named Marin who dreams of becoming a seagull, an old man who guards a secret, a talking owl who knows more than he lets on. He collects eight instruments. He wakes a sleeping creature. And then comes the ending — the moment this game has always been building toward — which forces the question no adventure game had asked quite so directly: if everything you just experienced was a dream, does that make it less real? The relationship you built. The songs you heard. The village you saved. Marin. Did all of that matter? Link's Awakening doesn't answer the question. It lets you carry it. On a Game Boy Color cartridge the size of a matchbook, this game holds one of the deepest philosophical questions in Nintendo history, wrapped in music you will hum for the rest of your life.
— inspired by kazumi-totaka
About this game
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (1998) is the Game Boy Color enhanced version of the beloved 1993 Game Boy original — widely considered one of the finest Zelda games ever made. Link is shipwrecked on Koholint Island, a place that exists somewhere outside the main Zelda mythology, populated by characters from Super Mario Bros. and other Nintendo games. The DX version adds the Color Dungeon, an exclusive bonus dungeon accessible only on GBC hardware that rewards a permanent tunic upgrade (Red for double attack, Blue for double defense), plus a 12-photo GB Printer album.
The Story Behind
Link's Awakening (1993) began as an unofficial side-project by Nintendo EAD programmer Kazuaki Morita, who experimented on the Game Boy during evening hours after work on A Link to the Past. Koholint Island was deliberately designed as a self-contained dream world outside the established Zelda lore, allowing the team to introduce cameo characters (Yoshi, Goombas, Chain Chomp, Princess Peach's Chain Chomp variant) without canonical implications. The game was the first handheld-original Zelda not derived from a home console game — a proof of concept that the series could tell complete, ambitious stories on portable hardware. The DX version (1998) was developed alongside the GBC hardware launch as a showcase title. The Color Dungeon — a dungeon accessible only on GBC hardware via a bookshelf-code not visible on original GB — was entirely new content, not colorized port content. The Oracle of Ages / Oracle of Seasons (2001) were built on the same engine and designed by Capcom using Nintendo's blessing and documentation from this project. The 2019 Nintendo Switch remake by Grezzo used this game as its canonical foundation.
Tricks & Tales
The Color Dungeon (服のダンジョン) is completely inaccessible on original Game Boy — the bookshelf that reveals the entry code only displays on GBC. The dungeon boss is Hardhit Beetle (ド・ポーン), and completing it gives Link a permanent tunic upgrade: Red Tunic (double attack damage, choice is permanent) or Blue Tunic (double defense, choice is permanent). Choose carefully. The photo album system supports the Nintendo Game Boy Printer — 12 in-game photos can be printed as sticker sheets. Kazumi Totaka, the DX composer, hid his famous 19-note musical signature ('Totaka's Song') somewhere in the game — it has been discovered in numerous Nintendo titles. The Chain Chomp character is named 'BowWow' in this game and belongs to Madam MeowMeow, a detail that charmed players who recognized it from Super Mario Bros. 3.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Like the original DMG, the Game Boy Color is fully region-free. Japanese, North American, and European GBC cartridges all share the same physical format and connector, and the hardware applies no lockout. A Japanese GBC cartridge will run on any GBC from any region without modification. The GBC is also fully backward compatible with original DMG cartridges — when a DMG cart is played on a GBC, the system automatically renders it with one of several colour palettes. GBC-specific cartridges (the 'GBC only' black-tab type) will not run on the original DMG, but will run on the Game Boy Advance as well as the GBC.
Maintenance Tips
Game Boy Color cartridges — the smaller, slightly translucent-shell format — use the same cleaning approach as original DMG carts: a cotton swab with 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol wiped along the contact row, allowed to dry fully before reinsertion. The GBC console's ABS plastic shell faces the same yellowing risk as the DMG when exposed to UV light over time. Notably, several GBC titles — most famously Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal — include a real-time clock (RTC) circuit that runs continuously off a CR2025 coin cell. These batteries are now well over 25 years old; a dead RTC battery means time-based in-game events will not advance, even though the game itself will still load and save normally. This is a distinct issue from save data loss.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX copies regularly.
Does the cartridge have a battery? Will my save data disappear?
Yes — the GBC cartridge uses a CR2025 coin cell battery for save data. Cartridges from 1998 are now 25+ years old and the battery likely needs replacement. Replacing a CR2025 is straightforward for any electronics shop. Get a fresh one before starting.
Can I play this on an original Game Boy or Game Boy Advance?
Yes to both. On original GB or GBA you get a colorized but reduced-palette version. However, the Color Dungeon (exclusive new content) is only accessible when playing on a Game Boy Color or GBC-mode GBA — the entry code simply does not appear on original GB hardware.
What is the Color Dungeon and how do I access it?
The Color Dungeon (服のダンジョン) is new content exclusive to the DX version, accessible only on GBC. In Mabe Village Library, the bookshelf reveals a hidden code — this text only renders on GBC. The dungeon boss rewards a permanent tunic upgrade: Red (double attack) or Blue (double defense). This choice cannot be changed later, so decide carefully.
Is this the same as the 2019 Nintendo Switch remake?
No — the 2019 Switch version (by Grezzo) is a full 3D remake with a toy-box art style. The DX GBC cartridge is the original 2D version. Both tell the same story, but the GBC original has its own particular charm and the Color Dungeon tunic rewards.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
A short checklist for buying a used Game Boy Color cartridge wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Good news — Game Boy Color is region-free
These cartridges are not region-locked, so a Japanese copy plays on any compatible Game Boy worldwide.
Confirm whether the title is Color-only or also works on the original Game Boy.
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If this title saves your progress, check the battery
Cartridges that save use a small coin-cell battery that fades over decades — a dead one wipes your save without warning.
Ask the seller whether the save function was tested. Replacing the battery is possible, but doing so erases any existing save.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
See what it's selling for on eBay →Unexpected Discoveries
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