The main driving force behind remaking The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening was not so much that it was a beloved entry in the series, but more so because it was a great fit for the Chamber Dungeons, Zelda’s first dungeon creator.
Speaking to IGN’s Samuel Claiborn, The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma further explained why his team decided Link’s Awakening was the perfect choice for their next remake.
“We never really start, when we make remakes or imagine a game, by thinking about which title to do,” Aonuma said. “It is more…We think about what kind of game experience can we incorporate that’s new and fresh and go from there. The Chamber Dungeons were a perfect fit for Link’s Awakening… We wanted to prioritize putting forward … a new and fresh experience for fans.”
Source: IGN.com The Surprising Reason Nintendo Chose to Remake Link's Awakening