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The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is largely the same game on Nintendo Switch as it was over 25 years ago on Game Boy. The remake is faithful to the original’s dungeon design, charming weirdness, and gameplay in general, but with a toy-like art style that brings Koholint Island to life in a new way. There are some brand-new additions, though, including a number of collectibles that weren’t in the original. There are now 50 secret seashells to find, up from the Game Boy version’s 26, and some require you to get a little creative.
Below, you can check out a full map of every secret seashell location in Link’s Awakening. Collecting these seashells will net you a few rewards, including pieces of heart, so it’s good to keep an eye out for them. After collecting 15 seashells and turning them in at the Seashell Mansion, you’ll also get a tool called the Seashell Sensor that will ding every time you’re near a seashell, which will greatly aid in your search. You can also turn the Seashell Sensor off in the menu if you want more of a challenge.
A lot of the seashells can be found out and about, in conspicuous spots and by solving puzzles, while others are prizes for various mini-games. The map here doesn’t show you the exact locations of each seashell, so check out the tips below if you hear the ding of the sensor and aren’t quite sure where it’s coming from.
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Many of the seashells are buried underground. Buy a shovel and dig in mysterious places! If you have a certain Chain Chomp with you, it will even tell you where to dig.
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There are also some seashells underwater in various spots on the map. Once you can swim, they’ll be easy to get.
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If you see a conspicuous tree, try running into it using your Pegasus Boots power. It won’t hurt, I promise.
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If you see a mysterious, very obvious hole in the ground (that’s larger than the normal holes you can fall into), try throwing a bomb down there and see what comes up.
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One seashell requires you to play a tune where you previously needed music to solve a puzzle. This one is near Animal Village. If you know, you know.
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The very first dungeon includes a secret room with a seashell in it. Look out for a wall you can blow up with bombs (you can buy bombs at any time from the shop in Mabe Village).
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There are two seashells at the “trendy game” in Mabe Village, one at the shop, two you can get by fishing, and one you can earn by playing the dungeon maker mode in Dampe’s Shack.
In GameSpot’s The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening review, Peter Brown wrote, “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.”