Honestly, the Nintendo 3DS had a weirdly long life. It started as this gimmicky glasses-free 3D handheld that nobody quite knew what to do with, and it ended as a powerhouse for RPGs and experimental sequels. But if you look back at the entire library, Zelda: A Link Between Two Worlds stands out as the moment Nintendo finally stopped being afraid of their own history.
It’s risky.
Making a direct sequel to A Link to the Past—arguably the most "perfect" 16-bit game ever—is a massive gamble. You're basically stepping onto holy ground. Fans are picky. They remember exactly how the Super Nintendo version felt. They remember the music. They remember the map. If you mess it up, you've ruined a legacy. But Nintendo didn't just recreate the SNES map; they blew the whole Zelda formula wide open.
The Rent-a-Hero Problem That Actually Worked
For decades, Zelda games followed a strict "Key and Lock" design. You go to Level 1, find a Boomerang, kill the boss, and use that Boomerang to reach Level 2. It was predictable. Safe. Kinda boring if you’ve played ten of them.
Then came Ravio.
This weird guy in a rabbit mask moves into your house and starts renting you items. You want the Hookshot? Rent it. The Fire Rod? Rent it. You can do the dungeons in almost any order. This was a radical shift for 2013. If you die, Ravio’s little bird minion, Sheerow, flies in and takes all your rented gear back. It adds this genuine layer of stakes that Zelda usually lacks. You actually care about staying alive because losing your gear means a long walk back to Link’s house and a handful of Rupees down the drain.
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Some critics at the time, like those at Polygon and IGN, pointed out that this made the game too easy if you were rich. And they weren't entirely wrong. Once you've got 2,000 Rupees, the "rental" system basically becomes a "buy" system. But it changed the pacing. It made the world feel like an actual world you were exploring rather than a series of gated hallways.
That 2D Mural Mechanic Is Pure Genius
The "Wall Merge" ability is the soul of this game. Link turns into a 2D painting and slides along walls. Simple, right?
It’s more than a gimmick.
It changes how you look at a 3D space. You aren't just looking for paths on the floor anymore; you're looking at the negative space on the walls. It’s the ultimate evolution of the perspective-shifting puzzles Nintendo loves. It turns a flat map into a layered puzzle box. When you realize you can slip through a crack in a wall to travel between Hyrule and Lorule, the game's dark-world counterpart, it feels like a genuine "aha!" moment every single time.
Why Lorule Hits Harder Than the Dark World
Lorule isn't just a purple-tinted Hyrule. It's a tragedy.
In A Link to the Past, the Dark World was a corrupted version of the Sacred Realm. In Zelda: A Link Between Two Worlds, Lorule is a kingdom that literally fell apart because they destroyed their Triforce. The land is fractured. There are giant bottomless pits everywhere. The music is a distorted, mournful version of the classic themes.
Princess Hilda is also a much more interesting foil to Zelda than Ganon ever was. She’s desperate. She’s trying to save her world by stealing yours. It’s a nuanced take on a villain that feels very different from the "I want to rule the world" trope. You actually feel bad for the people of Lorule, even while you’re fighting their monsters.
Technical Wizardry on a Handheld
We need to talk about 60 frames per second.
Most 3DS games struggled to hit a consistent 30, especially with the 3D effect turned on. A Link Between Two Worlds runs at a silky smooth 60fps. It’s buttery. It makes the combat feel snappy and responsive in a way that Ocarina of Time 3D or Majora's Mask 3D just didn't quite reach.
The top-down perspective was a deliberate choice by Eiji Aonuma and his team. They wanted that classic feel, but they used the 3D depth to make things pop. Arrows fly "at" you. Floors drop away into deep pits. It’s one of the few games where keeping the 3D slider turned up actually helps you play better because it gives you a better sense of verticality.
Misconceptions About the Difficulty
People often say this game is "too easy."
I get it. If you’ve played every Zelda game since 1986, you're going to breeze through the puzzles. But "easy" isn't the same as "boring." The game focuses on flow. It wants you to keep moving. There aren't any three-hour tutorials or unskippable cutscenes where a fairy explains how to open a door.
If you really want a challenge, Hero Mode is available after your first clear. It quadruples the damage you take. Suddenly, a basic soldier can take off four hearts in one swing. It turns the game into a tense survival experience where the Ravio rental system actually feels terrifying because losing your items is a constant threat.
The Legacy of the Rental System
Without A Link Between Two Worlds, we don't get Breath of the Wild.
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This was the "pilot program" for non-linear Zelda. Nintendo was testing the waters to see if players could handle having all the tools at once. They wanted to see if we would get lost or frustrated. We didn't. We loved it. It proved that the "Zelda DNA" wasn't tied to a specific order of dungeons, but to the sense of discovery and the clever use of items.
The game also refined the "Stamina Meter" (Energy Gauge), which limited how much you could use your items. No more hunting for arrows or bombs in the grass. It’s all tied to a regenerating bar. It keeps the action going. It encourages experimentation because you aren't "wasting" resources if you try a weird solution and fail.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Playthrough
If you’re picking this up in 2026, whether on original hardware or through whatever legacy service Nintendo is running now, keep these tips in mind to maximize the experience:
- Prioritize the Blue Mail: It’s in Swamp Palace. Don't skip it. Halving the damage you take makes the mid-game much less frustrating if you’re exploring Lorule early.
- Talk to Hint Ghosts: If you're genuinely stuck, the Hint Ghosts (requires Play Coins on original hardware) provide actual visual clues rather than just vague text.
- Farm the Treacherous Tower: It’s located in the mountains of Lorule. It’s the best way to get Rupees quickly so you can stop renting and start buying Ravio’s items permanently.
- Search for Maiamais: There are 100 of these little octopus creatures hidden around the world. For every 10 you find, Mother Maiamai will upgrade one of your purchased items. The upgraded Bow (three arrows at once) and the upgraded Fire Rod (massive fire tornadoes) basically turn Link into a god.
- Don't rush the ending: The final boss fight and the subsequent cutscenes are some of the most emotional moments in the entire franchise. Take your time to finish the side quests first.
The game is a masterpiece of condensed design. It doesn't waste your time. It respects the player's intelligence. Whether you're a veteran of the SNES era or a newcomer who started with Tears of the Kingdom, this is the bridge between the old-school challenge and modern freedom.
Go find a 3DS. Grab a copy. Turn the volume up for that orchestrated soundtrack. It’s worth every second.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your 3DS Battery: If you haven't played in years, lithium-ion batteries can swell; inspect your handheld before charging.
- Locate the Thief's Hideout: This is one of the best designed dungeons in the game—make sure to bring a rented Hammer and Bombs before heading to the Lorule version of Kakariko Village.
- Complete the StreetPass Challenges: If you're playing on original hardware, you can still fight "Shadow Links" created by the game's internal data even if you aren't passing people in the street anymore. It's a great way to earn the "Medals" for your collection.