Just last weekNintendo announced that they are remakingThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeningfor the Nintendo Switch. With the hype building into a fever dream state, fans are digging up old promotional material for the original game on Game Boy. Some ads may have been better left alone though.
Sparked by areddit postdigging up the Japanese ad for the game, we have gone ahead and found the US and UK ads for the game as well. It’s equally interesting and horrifying to see the marketing tactics in each region. Each goes for a different feel and shows varying amounts of actual gameplay. Check each one out below and vote in our poll to decide which one is the most horrifying to watch today!
The Japanese commercial that inspired this whole article sure is something. Featuring only two seconds of gameplay, the rest of the ad’s air time is dedicated to puppets appearing to set up the plot of Link’s Awakening. I actually like the puppets, but our Editor-in-Chief Lou is terrified of them. I think the ad reflects the cheery, dream-like nature the game kicks off with, which is cool to see as I play through the DX version on my 3DS.
Across the pond, Link’s Awakening got an ad that sold the angle that rich, successful, suave folks playedLink’s Awakening. With three seconds of gameplay, mostly just the opening cutscene, this ad featured English comedian and actor Rik Mayall. I love the way his shirt is unbuttoned, how he calls Link a “medieval elf,” and just smashes that D-pad during the cutscene. Maybe the next time I am Rik Mayall, I’ll playLink’s Awakening.
It may not befirst rap theZeldaseries ever had, butLink’s Awakeningwas advertised in the US with a fire beat. Gameplay is projected on the walls throughout the whole commercial, but it’s hard to ever get a solid look at what’s going on. You have to be smart, have heart, and be a “the man” to take on Link’s first handheld adventure here in America. I wonder when the Zelda mixtape is going to drop on SoundCloud…
Remake Reveal forThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
And now we have arrived at 2019. While not a television ad, the reveal trailer for the Switch remake ofLink’s Awakeningfeatures just shy of 30 seconds of gameplay. That’s nearly the length of each individual ad above. No celebrities, raps, or puppets to sell the good people of Earth on thisadorable remake. The footage shown isnearly 1:1 for the original game, which you can see in this video comparison. As someone who is diving into the game for the first time right now, this remake looks as faithful as one could hope for.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeningwill be coming to Nintendo Switch exclusively sometime in 2019. If you are interested in dipping into the source material (which is arguably the bestZeldagame), you’re able to pick up the title on Nintendo 3DSvia Amazon.
So which commercial is the most horrifying to you? you’re able to go vote in our poll to help the world decide which ad should be remembered and which should have been forgotten!
