I finished replaying A Link Between Worlds earlier this week, and I’m happy to say that it’s still my favorite traditional Legend of Zelda game.

The game is an iteration on A Link to the Past, but all its changes really work for me:

• This is one of the best world maps of all time, and having access to all the weapons up front makes it more approachable than ever. I don’t think I’ve ever played the same dungeon order twice.
• There isn’t a single area, enemy or boss that I dread revisiting. There are honestly few Zelda games I can say that about.
• I will always adore the look of 16-bit sprites, but the move to 3-D is more than a stylistic choice. It enhances the believability of the original’s multilayered dungeons, and the “wall merge” mechanic opens up a whole avenue for exploration.
• And exploring is really fun, because there’s more stuff to collect! I don’t care if I miss some heart pieces, but I have to find every lost maiamai.
• The story, while simple, directly relates to the game’s core mechanic. Its conclusion reinforces the franchise’s theme of restoring balance over defeating evil.
• The game is expertly tuned to the 3DS hardware. I love peering into this little stereoscopic world, animating at a silky smooth 60 FPS and controlling like a dream with the circle pad.

I think it’s totally fair to prefer A Link to the Past: It’s a masterpiece that A Link Between Worlds is unquestionably indebted to. But there are more than enough improvements here to edge out its forebear in my personal ranking.

First off I should get this off my chest: I think A Link Between Worlds is a better game than A Link to the Past. A Link Between Worlds was created as a sequel to A Link to the Past, meant to capture the gameplay and style of the original game while adding and changing a lot of its elements. A look at history can quickly tell anyone that ALTTP (I will be abbreviating from now on) is the MOST important game in the franchise and one of the most important games of all time.

It is no question that ALTTP paved the way for every Zelda game after and influenced countless other games in the process. As I see it though, ALBW is the superior game and here is why:

1. That Beautiful Item System

One of the key changes that not only shook up the ALTTP formula but the entirety of Zelda was the new item system. A character named Ravio has taken up residence in Link's house and runs an item shop.

The twist is that he sells the items that are required to solve dungeons and defeat their bosses. Not only that but you have the option to RENT or BUY the items. Renting puts the prices a lot lower but the catch is that if you die you lose all of your rented items and must pay for them again to get them back.

Buying is more expensive but you keep the items permanently. This system expands the freedom given to the player in regards to dungeon order. For anyone who has seen Egoraptor's Zelda Sequelitis, he mentioned how in ALTTP the dark world dungeons are numbered, giving the player the impression that the dungeons have to be beaten in order when in reality the dungeons can be done in almost in any order

ALBW encourages the player to do the dungeons in any order they please and allows them to do so. Freedom is a feature, not a secret.

2. The New and Improved Map

ALTTP's map was rudimentary, showing a general layout of the world and location of dungeons. ALBW, on the other hand, has one of the best map systems of any Zelda thus far. At first, the map looks exactly the same as ALTTP, which it almost is, but one HUGE difference has been added: PINS.

Taking a page out of the DS Zeldas book, rather than marking a map by writing with the stylus, you can mark your map with 3 different colored pins. This is EXTREMELY useful, granted not as cool as writing on the map, but is perfect for keeping track of collectibles like Heart Pieces and Maimais.

I used it constantly and when I played ALTTP, I wished I had it.

The Story and Characters

ALTTP has an iconic story and characters and some cool quest lines but they all had limited dialogue and I had a hard time connecting with them. ALBWs story was very similar but with a few twists and new characters.

I found them all to be charming and memorable, and of course, they were given more time to speak and therefore, more time to develop.

While this isn't the most important aspect of a Zelda game to have, it is nice to see more effort put into it.

The Wall Painting Transformation

Every Zelda has its gimmick and in ALBW it is the ability to meld into the wall and turn into a picture.

Very random and strange, but as are is most Zelda games and this might be one the most clever ideas ever put into a 2-D Zelda. The puzzles designed around this mechanic boggle my mind with their ingenuity. You also use it to move to and from this game's version of the dark world: Lorule.

Some will argue that the Magic Mirror is more flexible as it allows you to transport yourself into the dark world from where you are as opposed to having to find a portal in ALBWs overworld, whether it be Hyrule or Lorule, to which I agree. Other than the limiting transport capabilities between worlds, the painting transformation is as fun as it is functional and helpful.

The Visuals

This might be controversial as to whether the new art style is TRULY an improvement over ALTTP, and all reasons are purely subjective but it is objective to say the graphics and details have greatly improved.

As to which style I personally prefer, I love them both for different reasons: ALTTP has iconic sprite work and the art is familiar, vibrant, and the best the SNES had to offer at the time. ALBW uses a chibi 3-D art style with everything looking polished and shiny. I would say that ALTTP has more variety, being able to adopt both bright and dark color palettes while ALBW seemed to always be bright, more kid-friendly. In that way, ALTTP is more diverse in the moods its art can invoke while ALBW has a little more trouble distinguishing itself as dark when it needs to be dark.

ALTTP I guess wins a little bit more for me, but ALBW did something right that ALTTP got hilariously wrong: the color of Link's hair.

When it comes to the promotional art for ALBW on the other hand, I vastly prefer the watercolor work than the art of ALTTP but again that is just me.

Everything else in the game is just as you would expect from any Zelda game: The dungeons and puzzles are on par if not better and more genius than ALTTP. The combat has stayed largely the same but with one MAJOR change: NO MAGIC METER.

All magic is now tied to a Stamina Meter that refills over time. Why the change? Well, now not only do spells and magic items consume the meter but so does the painting transformation and shooting arrows.

It seems strange at first but arrows are unlimited so there is no need to look for them lying around because you can fire as many as your stamina allows. Is this better? I personally think so as it was annoying when I ran out of magic in ALTTP but I do think it is odd that they didn't do the same for bombs, but I guess bombs are more powerful so maybe it was a balance issue. For music, ALBW does its own renditions of ALTTPs tracks and adds its own and both sound incredible, I mean they sound like they were performed by a live orchestra.

One last comparison between ALBW and ALTTP is that ALBW is a far easier game in my own opinion.

I died a lot in ALTTP, but that is not to say ALBW is easy, I died exploring dangerous areas unprepared.

Overall The Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds is a masterpiece and updated the formula established by A Link to the Past marvelously and is a must-play for any Zelda fan and owner of a 3DS.

By the release of A Link Between Worlds in 2013, we were well into what I'd call Nintendo's "dark ages." I was not a big fan of Skyward Sword, and the Wii U's lack of compelling titles convinced me to jump ship to a PlayStation console for the first time in my life. When I heard rumors of a supposed remake for A Link to the Past, it felt a bit like the Zelda's A-team had finally run out of ideas. I couldn't have been more wrong.

A Link Between Worlds would turn out to be a full sequel that blurs the line between a "remake" and "new game." The world of A Link to the Past is presented extremely faithfully, with few changes despite the century that separates the two stories. The format of the game is very similar as well: you spend the first three dungeons in Hyrule on training wheels, before the game unleashes you into the eight more challenging dungeons of Lorule... Which looks suspiciously close to A Link to the Past's Dark World.

Despite its close link (Heh) to the 1991 Zelda masterpiece, A Link Between Worlds somehow feels like it is overflowing with far more creativity than both Twilight Princess or Skyward Sword. It does this by introducing the most radical design changes that had ever occurred in the series up to this point.

The first and most important is its item system. In A Link Between Worlds, you no longer discover its most important items in dungeons. Instead, almost all of the items are accessible from the start of the game through a vendor called Ravio. Ravio allows you to rent items for a relatively cheap cost, but you risk losing them if you get a Game Over. Or, you can purchase the item outright for a much steeper cost, which also allows you to then upgrade the item's utility by turning in the cute little Maimais that are hidden throughout Hyrule and Lorule.

This not only makes Rupees a far more valuable reward than ever before, it also creates a new tension that isn't present in previous Zeldas. Lorule is almost completely non-linear. You can head directly for some of the most difficult dungeons in the game in any order you wish, but are you willing to risk losing your rented items if you get knocked out? The cycle of discovering rupees and purchasing items makes your character growth into a far more natural process, and the world is stuffed with challenges and mini-games that feel more meaningful and rewarding than ever.

However, it also introduces new problems. Lorule's non-linear design also means that the dungeons are not able to build on each other as they did in previous games. That means that they often revolve around only a few specific mechanics, and are so short that they resemble the technically limited locations of Link's Awakening instead of the bigger gauntlets of A Link to the Past.

Still, I was surprised to find just how well these dungeons hold up regardless. The best dungeons in the game are ones such as the Tower of Hera or the Ice Ruins, which make superb use of the 3DS to introduce a level of verticality that was just not possible on the SNES. Additionally, the bite-sized length also does help to make A Link Between Worlds as a whole into one of the most digestible and breezy games in the entire franchise. No one dungeon or mechanic overstays its welcome.

Somehow, I've written this much without mentioning what is perhaps the defining mechanic of the entire game. While A Link Between Worlds initially unfolds as a straight recreation of A Link to the Past's top-down gameplay, Link quickly gains an ability that forces you to experience this beloved world from a totally new perspective. Yes, I'm talking about Link's ability to merge into walls and travel across them as a mural. This ability is ever-present throughout the game, and it totally augments the exploration in the world. All of a sudden, you are having to think about this 2.5D world as a fully 3D space, and navigate it as such in order to find secrets and treasures.

I had such a good time with A Link Between Worlds, that it is so far the first game in my Zelda marathon where I will be increasing my score from 4 to 5 stars. As I've gotten older, I've really started to appreciate these lean games that don't waste a moment of your time. A Link Between Worlds is probably the most "all-killer-no-filler" Zelda in the entire franchise. It's just a relatively brief but fantastic shot of exploration and dungeon-crawling with wonderful orchestrated renditions of classic tracks, pleasant 3D visuals and a charming little story that actually introduces some important implications for the lore of the Zelda world.

I also wanted to shout out just how wonderfully this game scales into higher resolutions with Citra. I played this game entirely on my Steam Deck, and the experience was incredible. The increased resolution lets you experience and take in the surprising amount of visual detail that was completely hidden by the 3DS's 240p screen. It really makes you realize how insane Nintendo is for not porting this title to the Switch.

Today, with franchises such as Resident Evil and Final Fantasy VII, we have been getting these reimagined takes on old classics that honor the original titles while being a totally unique experience separate from them. A Link Between Worlds feels like an early version of this concept that greatly succeeds in its own right. It makes a great case for top-down Zelda games as well, showing us how that gameplay style could continue to evolve into the future. Hopefully Nintendo will someday revisit this gameplay style, especially considering the success of 2019's Link's Awakening remake.

With that, I have only one more mainline Zelda title to play in my marathon. Once I've finished it, I will have completed all 20 Zelda games in just a little over a year. See you all on the other side.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (ALBW) (pun intended) just got a Nintendo Select Markdown. Periodically, Nintendo takes some of the most popular titles that were from earlier in the system launch window and gives them a markdown as they reprint copies of the game. This February ALBW was reduced and I picked it up.

In ALBW you once again play Link, Seven Sages make their appearance, you have to claim the Triforce of courage, and bring peace to Hyrule. At first glance, you are probably thinking: Wow, I've seen all this before. Yes, ALBW sticks to the Zelda storytelling guns, but there are very interesting twists to this. Throughout the game, you will travel not only between the 2D and 3D world but also Hyrule and Lorule. This story isn't just about Zelda and Hyrule and that is a nice change. There are several characters that are introduced from Lorule that add a lot to both the plot and the theme. There is a dark haired princess named Hylda and an evil sorcerer from Lorule who drive much of the plot.

Another big change for the series is the use of a rental system. Instead of finding items in the overworld many of the main plot items can be either rented or bought from a shopkeeper. This shopkeeper is no Beetle - if you die on a rental he'll take it back and you don't get a refund. This change to a rental system allows you to tackle many of the dungeons in any order you please. It is a nice change of pace and it feels very rewarding to beat an entire dungeon without dying when there is a bit of extra pressure. However, since each dungeon requires only 1 rental item they do not reach the same complexity as dungeons from 3D Zelda titles. This is probably a good thing as this is a 3DS title and long drawn out dungeons could get frustrating to play on the go. Many of the dungeons will not feel very challenging for veterans because of this - but a few of them were really good (looking at you Dark Palace.

There are a few times where I thought things could have been handled a bit better. There was a stealth portion in Lorule which felt very out of place. I thought after wind waker we wouldn't have to deal with stealth in a Zelda game. In addition, the final dungeon does a rehash the old bosses thing that just felt silly. At that point in the game, I had so much gear that replaying old bosses that I already knew seemed silly. It would have been nice if they had added a new final stage to each of the boss refights to keep you on your toes. In addition, some items like armor and weapon upgrades make a huge difference in difficulty, but since the game is nonlinear you end up with some awkward difficulty drops/jumps.

Overall, ALBW is a great 2D Zelda that will really hook you in. The story is familiar, but also different enough to keep you engaged. Most of the bosses and dungeons are fun and enjoyable and the level of freedom you have in the game makes for a great experience. ALBW really lets the player drive the experience and if you are into both adventure and exploration you are going to have a great time with this one. Check this game out at 20$ it's a steal.

This happens to be quite an important game for me - back from 2014-2017 I was a teenager who was really exploring their love for gaming, and I adored my 2DS. However, I also wasn’t very good at games. I’m not amazing now but I’m definitely more patient!

And this was the game that made me smash my screen. I don’t remember exactly what point, but I’d saved 2 sages by this time, as is evident from my remaining save, and I just… got annoyed and threw it. And it had been sitting in the box ever since.

Well, recently, I picked up the box with a newfound interest, having begun to get into some more 2D Zelda games that I hadn’t played before, and I managed to replace the screen and restore my 2DS! It was a milestone moment, and I was so happy, and having just beat Wind Waker again, I knew I had to go straight into this one. And here I am, 2 days later, finally finishing this game that had bugged me for YEARS.

And… it was super easy! I didn’t want to smash my 2DS this time thankfully, I just had a solid adventure going through the game. It’s super short and nothing life changing to me, but had a lot of fun and it is very satisfying to see the end of this forcefully backlogged Zelda. Woo!

Now to further my exploration of the 3DS catalogue :) .

When I finished playing a Link to the Past, I decided to go straight into a Link Between Worlds. It was my second time through the game, and it will not be my last. That being said, it didn't fare quite as well my second time around.

The main thing this game changes is that you can do your dungeons in any order. To facilitate this, you can get any item in the game, literally ANY item, after the first dungeon. In my first playthrough, I limited myself to never renting; only buying. That gave me just enough rupees to buy the weapon I needed for the dungeon I was going to. It was actually really good. The second time, I rented all of the items upfront. This was far less fun. It killed a sense of progression in the game, and turned the dungeons into a checklist rather than an escalating adventure.

I like what they tried to do. They switched the items that were traditionally overworld items with the ones that are traditionally dungeon items. This was a fresh way to mix it up. However, Ravio's shop is what kills the game. If they tried this formula again, but you had to explore the map and caves and EARN the items one by one so that you could take on the next dungeon, it could work out really well. It would also help if the bosses scaled in difficulty depending on the order you fought them in.

I REALLY liked the story though. Rather than rescuing 7 random maidens, you have a personal connection to all of the people you have to rescue. It fares better than any other 2D Zelda I've played just because of that (including the DS games). Hilda was an interesting character, but I wish they would have developed her relationship to Yuga more. There is so much more that could have been done. I wouldn't mind seeing Hilda/Ravio/Yuga return in a different adventure.

So overall, it's STILL a Zelda game, and it's STILL great. I applaud them for trying new things, but not all of them worked to make this a timeless classic.

Wow. This game is quite brilliant! Hands down the best use of 3D I've seen on the 3DS. The dungeons used different planes to add to the puzzles, but then there were caves that were just pure puzzles to show off how creative they could get with the game mechanics and 3D.

This game is a really perfect blend of the old school 2D Zelda and the new school 3D feel and mechanics. I definitely recommend playing A Link to the Past first, as you'll appreciate it more, and it'll probably be easier navigating the map, but it's also really great on its own!

My only complaint is that some of the dungeons were a little short, and the game overall wasn't incredibly challenging. I'd say three of the main sevens dungeons were just perfect, but the other four were too short. That being said, they were still incredibly creative, and some sections were quite challenging.

I thought it was a great change that you got to choose which order to do the dungeons. That made it feel a lot more adventurey.

This is the first Zelda game I've beaten without referring to a walkthrough, and the first where I've collected 100% of the secrets. I did look up how to get one secret after I'd beaten the game, but I won't mention what it is so as not to give away a spoiler.

Overall fantastic game! It genuinely rivals A Link to the Past, but I put it 4th on my list of favourite Zeldas, right behind ALTTP, mainly because it's not quite as challenging. I'm sure playing it through on Hero mode would make it more challenging, but I don't want to play the whole thing again right away.