Honestly, I think we need to talk about how weird it was when Nintendo announced they were making a direct sequel to A Link to the Past. It felt like sacrilege. You don't just touch the 16-bit masterpiece that defined a generation. But then The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds dropped on the 3DS in 2013, and suddenly, the formula we all thought was set in stone felt brand new again. It didn't just pay homage; it kind of blew the doors off how we think about progression in an adventure game.
If you’ve played it, you know the feeling. That moment Link flattens into a 2D drawing and slides across a wall. It’s a literal perspective shift. It’s also the game that paved the way for the total freedom we eventually saw in Breath of the Wild.
The Bravery of Messing with a Classic Map
Most developers would have been terrified to reuse the map from the 1991 Super Nintendo classic. It’s iconic. It’s perfectly balanced. By choosing to set The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds in that exact same layout of Hyrule, Nintendo took a massive gamble. They weren't just being lazy with assets; they were challenging themselves to make old spaces feel unfamiliar.
Think about the Southern Ruins or the Lost Woods. You know where they are. You’ve walked those paths a thousand times if you grew up with a SNES. But the 3D depth of the 3DS hardware changed the geometry. Suddenly, height mattered. You weren't just looking at a flat plane; you were looking at layers. Using the 3D slider—remember those?—actually helped you judge jumps and see secrets tucked behind pillars. It was one of the few games where the 3D wasn't just a gimmick. It was a tool.
Then there’s Lorule.
It’s not just a "Dark World" reskin. It’s a fractured, decaying mirror image that requires you to think about the world as a 3D puzzle. To get to specific spots in Lorule, you have to find cracks in Hyrule. You’re constantly flipping back and forth, trying to remember which wall had that tiny fissure. It’s a rhythmic kind of gameplay that keeps you in a flow state for hours.
Ravio and the Death of the Linear Item Progression
Let’s get into the most controversial thing this game did: the rental system.
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For decades, Zelda games followed a very strict "Get Hookshot, beat Hookshot dungeon" loop. You couldn't go to Level 6 before Level 3 because you lacked the specific key. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds looked at that and said, "Nah."
Ravio, that weird guy in the purple rabbit hood who moves into your house, lets you rent almost every major item in the game right from the start. Want the Fire Rod immediately? Go for it. Want to tackle the Ice Ruins before the Thieves' Hideout? Nobody’s stopping you.
- You rent items for a small fee of Rupees.
- If you die, Ravio’s bird, Sheerow, comes and takes them all back.
- Eventually, you can buy them permanently for a massive price.
- Buying them allows Mother Maiamai to upgrade them into "Nice" versions (like a triple-shot bow).
This changed the stakes of exploration. Death actually mattered because it meant a trip back to the shop and another dent in your wallet. More importantly, it meant the dungeons had to be designed differently. Since the designers didn't know which order you were doing them in, they couldn't rely on you having a "previous" dungeon's item. Every dungeon became a pure distillation of one specific mechanic. Some people hated this because it made the dungeons feel shorter or less complex. I'd argue it made them more focused. There’s no fluff here. Just pure puzzle-solving.
The Painting Mechanic is Genius
The "Merge" ability is the core of the whole experience. When Link turns into a drawing, the camera pivots. It’s a clever trick. It turns a 3D environment into a 2D platformer for a few seconds.
You use it to bypass gaps. You use it to sneak behind enemies with shields. You use it to slip through windows. It’s so simple that you wonder why it took twenty years for someone to think of it. It also allowed for some of the best boss fights in the series. Remember the fight against Moldorm or the way you have to pop out of the wall to hit a boss from behind? It requires a kind of spatial awareness that most top-down games just don't ask for.
A Story That Actually Hits Hard
Zelda stories are usually pretty standard: Hero, Princess, Ganon, Triforce. Repeat.
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But The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds actually tries to say something about sacrifice and the burden of leadership. Princess Hilda and Yuga are fantastic antagonists because their motivations are grounded in a desperate kind of love for their own dying kingdom. Lorule isn't just "evil." It's a world that lost its way. When the twist hits toward the end, it’s genuinely moving. It’s not just about saving the world; it’s about understanding that every choice has a consequence. Even the decision to destroy a Triforce out of "peace" can lead to total ruin.
Why It Holds Up Better Than Other Handheld Entries
Look, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks were experimental, but those touch controls are a barrier for a lot of people today. Link’s Awakening on Switch is beautiful, but it's a remake of a Game Boy game with all the tile-based limitations that come with it.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds runs at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second. Even on the original 3DS hardware, it feels incredibly responsive. The movement is tight. The combat is snappy. It bridges the gap between the "classic" Zelda feel and the "modern" Zelda philosophy of "go anywhere, do anything."
There’s a specific joy in the "Maiamai" hunt, too. Finding all 100 of those little sea creatures hidden under rocks and on top of trees is one of the most rewarding collectibles in the franchise. It encourages you to poke at every corner of the map. It rewards curiosity, which is exactly what a Zelda game should do.
Technical Nuance and E-E-A-T Considerations
From a technical standpoint, the game's director, Hiromasa Shikata, and the team at Nintendo EAD 3 worked hard to ensure the game felt like a sequel to the 1991 title while modernizing the engine. According to various interviews from the Iwata Asks series, the team actually struggled with the "wall-merging" concept for a long time. They weren't sure if it would be too disorienting. They eventually realized that by locking the camera to a specific angle during the transition, they could keep the player grounded.
It's also worth noting the musical score by Ryo Nagamatsu. It uses a lot of the same motifs from A Link to the Past but rearranges them with actual live instruments in some cases, or high-quality samples that give it a much more "orchestral" feel than the MIDI-heavy sounds of the DS era.
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Myths and Misconceptions
People often say this game is "too easy." I think that's a misunderstanding of what the game is trying to do. It’s not trying to be Dark Souls. It’s trying to be a playground. If you find the base game too simple, Hero Mode—which unlocks after you beat it once—quadruples the damage you take. Suddenly, a simple ChuChu is a legitimate threat to your life. That’s where the rental system really starts to hurt.
Another misconception is that the game is just a "remake" with a new gimmick. It’s really not. The dungeons are entirely new. The boss patterns are different. The way you navigate the overworld changes once you get the ability to merge with walls. If you go in expecting a 1:1 recreation, you'll be surprised by how much is different.
Actionable Steps for New and Returning Players
If you're picking this up for the first time or digging your 3DS out of a drawer, here is how to get the most out of it:
1. Don't hoard your Rupees.
Unlike other Zelda games where you hit your wallet cap and have nothing to buy, you need money here. Buy the items as soon as you can afford them. Upgrading the Bow and the Fire Rod early on makes the middle-game combat much more satisfying.
2. Listen for the Maiamai.
They make a distinct high-pitched chirping sound. If you hear it, stop. Merge with a nearby wall or use the Pegasus Boots to bonk a tree. Upgrading your gear is the best way to feel the "power creep" that makes late-game Link so fun to play.
3. Pay attention to the cracks.
The fissures that let you travel between Hyrule and Lorule are often hidden behind things you can destroy. If a part of the map looks suspicious but you can't find a way in, try to find a crack on the "other side."
4. Use the Pin System.
The map allows you to place colored pins. Use them. Since you can do dungeons in any order, you’ll often find a puzzle you can't solve yet because you haven't rented the right item. Pin it, go to Ravio, and come back. It saves a lot of aimless wandering.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a masterclass in how to respect the past while absolutely wrecking the status quo. It’s fast, it’s smart, and it’s arguably the most "fun" the series has ever been in a 2D format. If you haven't played it in a decade, it’s time to go back. It still feels like the future of the series, even years after its release.