Sunday, June 30, 2019

Link's Awakening Remake: New Map Features and Secret Seashells

Next to the Trendy Game, the newest video from GameXplain also shows off some of the new map features. You could already see them partially at E3, but here you get a nice look at them.

You can replay conversations with the Owl (much like the original game's map could), but also with Marin, which is new. And it marks your found Pieces of Hearts and Secret Seashells on the map, which is certainly useful.

screenshot of the map menu

However, as a completionist this also makes me wonder, how the Secret Seashells are going to work in this version. I'm already suspecting that the two extra Secret Seashells from the Seashell Mansion will be gone and replaced with something else, like one of the new Pieces of Heart. Unlike the extra shells, those prizes then could be gotten at any time, so you wouldn't have to rush to the Seashell Mansion, just because you have exactly five Secret Seashells after the 2nd dungeon already.

But in the original you only needed 20 of 26 Secret Seashells for the reward. And then the other six seashells would simply be gone or replaced by 20 Rupees. But would they then be missing from your map? I would hate that, because for completion I also want all Secret Seashell marked on the map, of course. But in this case you would have to wait until you get the Flying Rooster to reclaim the reward, while you could get it two dungeons earlier.

Ideally, there wouldn't any missable seashells any longer and they would all be useful. For the one at Kanalet Castle you should always be able to borrow the Flying Roster again. And they could also add more Secret Seashells in various places for a total of 30, where there is a new, additional prize for the 30.

The prizes could go like the following:

  • 10 Secret Seashells: Piece of Heart
  • 20 Secret Seashells: "Master Sword"
  • 30 Secret Seashells: Great Spin (Attack)

Kudos to Lankelink for suggesting that they should add an upgrade to the Spin Attack here. It makes a lot of sense. Oh, and I called the Seashell Sword "Master Sword" here, because I wouldn't be surprised if you just get that in the remake, because it needs to be the Hylian Shield and Master Sword in every Zelda game now...

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