How Long Does It Take To Finish The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening On Switch?

Delivering a little one-two punch, Nintendo has released two big products today: the new Nintendo Switch Lite, and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. The new Zelda game turned out to be a great revival of a game that’s otherwise been isolated to the old Game Boy and Game Boy Color handhelds, making this new release the best way to experience the unusual and delightful adventure set outside the Kingdom of Hyrule.

If the game is new to you, and your most recent Zelda experience is Breath of the Wild (one of the best Switch games around), then you might want to know how much game there is to Link’s Awakening. In my experience, I was able to finish the game and obtain roughly half of the collectible seashells and Pieces of Heart in roughly 15 hours–there isn’t a completely accurate clock, so this is going off of my profile’s rough hour count.

For additional context, you can also consider the fact that I don’t have the original game memorized–far from it. If you’re a veteran who knows the game like the back of your hand, then you can expect that hour count to shrink as, by and large, the new Link’s Awakening is a direct copy of the original.

In my review, I thoroughly recommend the game despite having a few minor issues with the technical performance and the new mode, Chamber Dungeons: “Though the remake has a couple of blemishes, it’s still an easy game to recommend. People speak of Link’s Awakening as the secret best Zelda game. That’s a tough call to make, but it’s definitely one of the best. If you haven’t touched a classic Zelda game in a while, Link’s Awakening will almost instantly transport you back to the ’90s. It’s simple, in many ways, but the orchestrated journey still conveys a sense of adventure, and this new version is without question the best way to experience it. And more than anything else, it will put a smile on your face. Remakes are a dime a dozen nowadays and often easy to overlook. Don’t make that mistake with Link’s Awakening.” For a full breakdown of my thoughts, be sure to check out the full Link’s Awakening review.

If you’re already into the game and need some help along the way, be sure to also check out our Link’s Awakening Starter Guide.