Zelda: Link’s Awakening’s first major patch doesn’t address the framerate issues

Which is more evident in portable mode

Zelda: Link’s Awakening is a fantastic game, most notably because the Game Boy original (and GBC re-release) is fantastic; but it’s also due to the fact that the new charming art style rips.

Sadly there’s a caveat to go with that new style that rhymes with “rips”: framerate dips. Although Link’s Awakening is serviceable when docked, the game chugs when there’s a lot of action on-screen in portable mode, which has led to many requests for a patch. Well, update 1.01 is out, and you can cue the drum roll now: “Fixed an error where certain conditions would cause Marin to stop moving in Toronbo Shores, and the game would lock up. Downloading this update will also fix saved games where the error is already in effect.” Bam! That’s definitely good news for folks who were having game-breaking issues with that bug, but not the type of news a lot of other players wanted for the first major patch.

Who knows if the framerate will ever be smoothed over, but it’s particularly bad timing for everyone who bought a Switch Lite with the intention of playing Link’s Awakening exclusively in portable mode. Then there’s the blurry screen effect, which is either an artistic choice or a motion sickness magnet, depending on your experience with it.

Ver. 1.0.1 [Nintendo]