Honestly, it feels like we don’t talk about The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds enough anymore. When it dropped back in 2013 on the 3DS, it was a massive deal. It was a return to the world of A Link to the Past, a map we all knew by heart, but it did something radical. It broke the rules. For decades, Zelda followed a strict "get item, beat dungeon, repeat" formula. This game looked at that formula and basically threw it out the window.
Most people remember it for the 2D painting mechanic. That was cool, sure. But the real magic was how it handled player freedom. It was the precursor to Breath of the Wild in a way that many fans still overlook. It gave us the rental system. You could go anywhere. You could tackle almost any dungeon in any order. That was unheard of for a top-down Zelda game at the time.
Revisiting the Walls of Lorule
The game starts off feeling like a warm hug for SNES fans. You’re in the same Hyrule. You see the same trees, the same cliffs, the same Kakariko Village. But then things get weird. You meet Ravio, a guy in a purple rabbit hood who just decides to live in your house. He sets up a shop. Suddenly, instead of finding the Hookshot in a dusty chest, you’re renting it for 50 Rupees.
This changed everything.
It meant the world was open from the jump. You weren't being ushered down a narrow path by a talking bird or a ghost. If you wanted to go to the Thieves' Hideout first, you could. If you wanted to brave the Swamp Palace, go for it. This was Eiji Aonuma and his team at Nintendo testing the waters. They wanted to see if players could handle a non-linear Zelda. Turns out, we could. And we loved it.
The painting mechanic—turning Link into a 2D drawing on a wall—wasn't just a gimmick. It was a spatial puzzle. You’d be standing at a dead end, look at the wall, and realize the path wasn't in front of you; it was on the wall. It required a different kind of brainpower. You weren't just thinking in 3D; you were thinking about how a 3D world looks when it's flattened.
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The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and the Lorule Paradox
Let’s talk about Lorule. It’s not just "Dark Hyrule" with a different coat of paint. It’s a tragedy. In A Link to the Past, the Dark World was a corrupted version of Hyrule created by Ganon. Lorule is different. It’s a parallel kingdom that had its own Triforce, but they destroyed it to end their wars. This led to their world literally falling apart.
The cracks in the world aren't just there for travel. They represent a dying civilization. Princess Hilda isn't just a Zelda clone; she’s a desperate leader trying to save a sinking ship. The writing here is surprisingly dark for a handheld Nintendo game. It touches on themes of sacrifice and the consequences of trying to escape your destiny.
Most players get caught up in the gameplay, but the narrative beats in the final act are some of the strongest in the series history. The twist involving Ravio? It’s perfect. It redefines what it means to be a hero. You don’t need to be the bravest person in the world to do the right thing. Sometimes, you just need to show up.
Why the Item Rental System Actually Worked
A lot of critics at the time hated the rental system. They said it removed the "reward" of finding items. I think that’s a narrow way of looking at it. By letting you rent the Fire Rod or the Ice Rod early, the game shifted the challenge. The difficulty wasn't in finding the tool; it was in using it.
Also, it added a real penalty for dying. In most Zelda games, dying is just a minor inconvenience. In The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, if you die, Ravio’s little bird minion comes and takes all your rented items back. You have to trudge back to your house and pay for them again. It made the stakes feel real. You played more carefully. You actually used your shield.
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Eventually, you could buy the items for a high price. Big Morlar, the mother of the lost Maiamais, would even upgrade them for you. A "Nice" Fire Rod was basically a weapon of mass destruction. It made the late-game power trip feel earned because you had to hunt down those 100 hidden creatures across two worlds to get it.
The Technical Wizardry of 60 FPS
We need to talk about the frame rate. This game runs at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second, even with the 3D effect turned on. In an era where 30 FPS was the standard for handhelds, this was a massive technical achievement. It made the combat feel snappy. When you swung your sword, it hit exactly when you expected it to.
The 3D effect on the 3DS was often criticized as a battery-draining fad. But in this game, it actually served a purpose. Because the camera is top-down, the 3D depth helped you judge jumps. When you were falling from a high platform in the Tower of Hera, you could actually see the distance. It wasn't just visual fluff; it was functional design.
How to Master the Master Ore
If you’re going back to play this now, or playing it for the first time, don't ignore the Master Ore. There are four pieces hidden in Lorule. You need them to upgrade your Master Sword.
- Piece 1: Found in the Dark Palace. You have to use bombs and light/dark puzzles to find it.
- Piece 2: Tucked away in the Skull Woods. It requires some clever wall-merging.
- Piece 3: Hidden in the Thieves' Hideout.
- Piece 4: Located in the Church in Lorule, but you need the Titan’s Mitt to get it.
Getting the Master Sword Level 3 (the red one) makes the final fight against Yuga-Ganon much more manageable. It’s easy to skip these if you’re just rushing the story, but the exploration is where the game shines.
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The StreetPass Problem and Modern Solutions
One of the coolest features back in 2013 was the Shadow Link battles. You’d pass someone on the street, and their Link would appear in your game as a boss. You could fight them for rewards. Since the 3DS isn't exactly a high-traffic device in 2026, this feature is basically dead unless you have a second console or use specialized homebrew tools like NetPass.
It’s a shame, because the Shadow Link battles were actually quite tough. They scaled based on the items the other player had equipped. It was a proto-multiplayer experience that added a lot of longevity to the post-game. If you’re playing today, you’ll mostly encounter the generic Shadow Links provided by the game, which are fine, but they lack that personal touch of seeing a "real" player's gear setup.
The Legacy of the Painting
Many people think Breath of the Wild was the "reboot" the series needed. I’d argue that The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds did the heavy lifting first. It proved that Zelda fans didn't need their hands held. It proved that the map could be a playground rather than a sequence of locked doors.
It’s a game about perspective. Literally, through the wall-merging, and figuratively, through the lens of Lorule. It’s about seeing a world you think you know and discovering it’s much deeper than it looks.
If you're looking to get the most out of your playthrough, stop following a guide for the dungeon order. Pick a direction and go. The game is designed to handle whatever choice you make. Buy the Pegasus Boots as soon as possible from the shady guy in Kakariko—don't wait. Use the map pins. They gave you 20 of them for a reason. Mark the spots where you see a piece of heart or a Maiamai that you can’t reach yet.
The true joy of this entry isn't just finishing it. It's the moment-to-moment discovery of a shortcut or a hidden cave that you missed twenty years ago in A Link to the Past. It’s a love letter that manages to be its own thing.
Actionable Steps for New and Returning Players
- Prioritize the Maiamais: Find 10 and upgrade your Bow or Fire Rod immediately. The "Nice" versions of items are significantly more powerful and make the early Lorule dungeons much smoother.
- Invest in the Bee Badge: Go to the Bee Man in Kakariko. If you bring him a Golden Bee, he gives you a badge that makes bees your allies. It sounds silly, but in a crowded fight, a swarm of angry bees is a great distraction.
- Don't hoard Rupees: Ravio’s rental fees are cheap, but buying items is expensive. However, once you buy an item, you keep it forever, even if you die. Focus on buying your most-used tools (like the Bow and Hookshot) first to minimize "death taxes."
- Experiment with Wall-Merging: If you’re stuck, turn into a painting. Nine times out of ten, the solution to a puzzle is hidden on a vertical surface you’ve been ignoring.
This game remains a masterclass in handheld game design. It respects your time. It rewards your curiosity. And most importantly, it never stops being fun. Whether you're playing on an old 3DS or an emulated setup, the tight controls and brilliant level design haven't aged a day.