Honestly, people don't talk about the 3DS enough anymore. We’re all so obsessed with the massive, open-air sprawl of the Switch era that we’ve sort of collectively forgotten the absolute masterclass in game design that hit handhelds back in 2013. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds wasn’t just a nostalgia trip for people who grew up playing A Link to the Past on the SNES. It was a mechanical revolution. It took a franchise known for being incredibly rigid and just... broke the rules. It felt dangerous at the time.
Most Zelda games follow a specific "lock and key" loop. You go to a dungeon, find the boomerang, use the boomerang to beat the boss, and then use that same boomerang to access the next area on the map. Rinse and repeat. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds looked at that thirty-year-old formula and threw it in the trash. By introducing Ravio—that weird, purple-hooded merchant who moves into your house—Nintendo let you rent almost every major item in the game within the first hour. Want the Fire Rod immediately? Go for it. Want to tackle the Ice Ruins before the Thieves' Hideout? Nobody is stopping you.
This freedom changed everything.
Why the wall-merging mechanic is more than a gimmick
The standout feature, the one that defines the entire experience, is Link’s ability to turn into a 2D painting and slide along walls. On paper, it sounds like a weird "feature of the week." In practice? It’s a perspective-shifting genius move. Eiji Aonuma and his team at Nintendo EPD (then Nintendo EAD) managed to take a top-down world we thought we knew and added a layer of verticality that shouldn't work on a handheld.
Think about how you usually navigate a Zelda map. You see a ledge you can't reach, and you assume you need a bridge. In The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, you stop thinking about floors and start looking at walls. A gap between two cliffs isn't an obstacle if there's a continuous rock face behind it. You just merge, shuffle across, and pop out on the other side.
It’s tactile. It’s snappy. The 60-frames-per-second performance on the 3DS made this feel incredibly fluid, which was a huge technical achievement for that hardware. It also served as a brilliant bridge (no pun intended) between Hyrule and Lorule. Finding those glowing cracks in the world to slip between dimensions felt like uncovering secrets in your own backyard.
🔗 Read more: Straight Sword Elden Ring Meta: Why Simple Is Often Better
The Lorule problem and the darker side of Zelda lore
Lorule isn't just "dark Hyrule." It’s a tragedy.
In the lore of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, we learn that Lorule had its own Triforce. But because their world was tearing itself apart over the power of the relics, they decided to destroy them. They thought they were solving the problem. Instead, they doomed their reality to a slow, agonizing decay. This gave the game a narrative weight that many other entries lack. Princess Hilda isn't just a "reverse Zelda" villain; she's a desperate leader trying to save a dying world from literal extinction.
The contrast between the two kingdoms is striking. Hyrule is lush, green, and familiar. Lorule is fractured, purple-tinted, and hostile. The music even reflects this, with the iconic overworld theme getting a chaotic, minor-key makeover that still slaps over a decade later.
Most people forget how Ravio changed the economy
Let’s talk about Rupees. In most Zelda games, Rupees eventually become worthless. You find a big chest with 100 Rupees, and your wallet is already full, so Link just puts it back. It’s annoying.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds solved this with the rental system. Because you have to rent your items, and because those items are taken back if you die, there is a constant, looming "gold sink." You actually care about those gems. Buying an item permanently costs a fortune (usually 800 to 1200 Rupees), meaning you're constantly grinding and exploring to secure your arsenal. It turned the game into a light roguelike-lite if you played on Hero Mode.
💡 You might also like: Steal a Brainrot: How to Get the Secret Brainrot and Why You Keep Missing It
Speaking of Hero Mode, it's brutal. You take quadruple damage. In a game where you can go almost anywhere from the start, walking into a high-level dungeon with only three hearts and rented gear is a death wish. It’s fantastic.
Breaking the "Zelda Cycle"
For years, fans complained that Zelda was too predictable. Skyward Sword was often criticized for being too linear, with Fi constantly holding your hand. This game was the direct response to that feedback. It was the precursor to the "go anywhere" philosophy of Breath of the Wild.
- Non-linear dungeon progression: After the initial act, the world opens up completely.
- Simplified UI: The touch screen was actually useful for once, allowing for instant item swapping.
- Pacing: There is almost zero filler. No long tutorials. No mandatory fishing minigames that last three hours. You get your sword, you get the wall-merge, and you're off.
The technical wizardry of the 3D effect
I know, I know. Nobody uses the 3D slider on the 3DS. But The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is the one game where you absolutely should. The developers designed the dungeons with depth in mind. When Link gets launched from a floor tile to a higher level, the 3D effect makes it look like he’s literally jumping out of the screen at you.
It wasn't just aesthetic; it helped with gameplay. In the Tower of Hera, judging the distance between moving platforms is significantly easier with the 3D turned on. It’s one of the few examples of a game where the hardware's main "gimmick" actually improved the mechanical accuracy of the player.
Why it holds up better than A Link to the Past
This is a hot take, but it’s true. A Link to the Past is a masterpiece, but it has some 16-bit friction that can be tough for modern players. The movement in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is significantly tighter. Link moves in 360 degrees, the combat is faster, and the ability to upgrade items by finding "Lost Maiamais" adds a layer of exploration that feels more rewarding than just finding heart pieces.
📖 Related: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Unhealthy Competition: Why the Zone's Biggest Threat Isn't a Mutant
Finding those 100 little octopus creatures hidden under rocks and behind walls is addictive. Every 10 you find allows Mother Maiamai to upgrade one of your items. The "Nice" version of the Fire Rod or the Bow makes you feel incredibly powerful. It rewards the player for actually paying attention to the environment.
Actionable ways to experience the game today
If you haven't played this in a while, or if you missed it entirely, you're missing a cornerstone of the series. Even in an era of 4K graphics, this game's art style—a sort of "playable toy" aesthetic—looks clean and vibrant.
How to get the most out of a replay:
- Turn off the hint ghosts: There are these "Hint Ghosts" scattered around that you can see with the Hint Glasses. Ignore them. The puzzles are brilliant, and solving them yourself is the whole point.
- Prioritize the Pegasus Boots: You have to catch a specific thief in Kakariko Village by merging into the wall behind him. Get these early. It makes traversing Hyrule feel way better.
- Invest in the Bow early: It’s one of the most versatile weapons for both combat and puzzles, especially once upgraded to fire three arrows at once.
- Look for the cracks: If a wall looks slightly different or has a weird shadow, merge into it. The game hides a staggering amount of Rupees and secrets in plain sight.
The legacy of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is clear. It was the experimental laboratory for everything Zelda became later. It proved that the "classic" formula could be modernized without losing its soul. It's a game about loss, perspective, and the courage to change your own fate—even if you're just a drawing on a wall.
To truly understand where the series is going, you have to look back at how it broke itself and put the pieces back together in 2013. Dig that 3DS out of the drawer, charge it up, and head back to Lorule. It’s still just as good as you remember. Probably better.