Out of the countless games released by Nintendo over the years, few have had the same generational impact as both theMario Bros.andThe Legend of Zeldafranchises. It might not seem like there’s much connection between Mario’s simple but addictive gameplay structure andZelda’s narrative and puzzles on the surface, but one entry in the series borrowed more than a few iconic enemies. As if there weren’t enough comparisons already, even Nintendo’s own Shigeru Miyamoto draws a comparison between oneZeldagame andMario’s adventures.
Although Miyamoto might be moving away from some Nintendo projects after his absence fromMario Kart World's credits, his influence on the direction of the company can’t be understated. While some of Miyamoto’squotes have been misattributedover the years, there are still plenty of hidden details or influential statements throughout his past interviews. Spme of the older quotes can be hard to find, buta relatively recent translation of an older interview with Miyamoto sheds more light on the development behind one iconicTLOZgame.
Drawing Comparisons Between The Two Games Long Before Fans
According to a 1993 Super Mario All-Star Guide Book, translated by Brando fromSourceGaming,Miyamoto went on to describe how"the upcoming Zelda title for Game Boy will be ‘Mario-ish’",speaking in reference toThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.After both the release of the originalLink’s Awakeningand the previousSuper Mario Bros. 3, it’s not hard to see where Miyamoto and his team drew their similarities from between the two franchises.
In the same interview, Miyamoto went on to briefly describe the formula of aMario Bros.game as more than just playing as the iconic character, emphasizing how players engage with unique gameplay concepts to find creative solutions. If a game that didn’t depict the character visually could make it so"the player feels like they’re Mario", that would be “incredible.” WithThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeningreferred to as aparody of theZeldaseries,the iconic Game Boy title was a perfect fit to take advantage of a less serious style of adventure game, likeMario Bros.
Link’s Awakening Has Plenty Of Mario Inspiration
It’s Not Hard To See Mario’s DNA In Link’s Awakening
Link’s Awakeningwent on toinspireOcarina of Time’s release, and it provided an experimental story and gameplay loop that still help it feel like a distinct entry in the ever-growing franchise. Combined with a twist ending that feels directly inspired by the 5-year-prior release ofSuper Mario Bros. 3,which featured the unique premise of being a stage play rather than an actual adventure,the dreamy nature ofLink’s Awakeningis much more game-like than a traditionalZeldatitle.
Even without looking at the grander gameplay concepts that makeLink’s Awakeningso great,there are plenty of direct references and mechanics borrowed straight from aMario Bros.adventure. From enemies like the Chain Chomp to entire side-scrolling levels filled with Goomba-stomping action,Link’s Awakeningisn’t afraid to wear itsMario Bros.inspirations on its sleeve.
