Just this past week, my #1 favorite Zelda game turned 10 years old. I adore this game and so far it’s the only Zelda game I have actually replayed multiple times over. And yet I hardly hear people gush about it these days. I kind of understand why; it’s not as instantly iconic as Ocarina or BOTW nor as divisive as Skyward Sword or Phantom Hourglass. It’s a good Zelda game… and that’s it. But I want to shine a spotlight on this 3DS gem on the week of its 10th anniversary.
When [this game was first revealed](https://youtu.be/O_auhDR8VjU?feature=shared), people were excited for it; this was the next big mainline Zelda game to come out after Skyward Sword, a game that was still struggling to find its footing with the Zelda fanbase at large. A Link Between Worlds was a crucial turning point for not only the Zelda series but Nintendo as a whole to an extent. Here’s why I believe that:
**Celebrating the Past**
As you probably know, A Link Between Worlds is a spiritual successor to A Link to the Past, which came out 21 years prior. But you don’t have to have prior knowledge of that game to enjoy this one. Heck I sure as hell didn’t when I played this game. As such, many elements from that game were carefully lifted and translated into 3D in the transition to the Nintendo 3DS. Things like story elements, sound effects, NPC designs, and even the music were carried over beautifully in my opinion.
Gameplay wise, A Link Between Worlds represented something of a back to basics approach after several previous Zelda games put greater emphasis on control gimmicks like Skyward Sword and Phantom Hourglass. Even the main “gimmick” of this game, the wall merging mechanic, is brilliantly executed and becomes second nature in no time flat. Otherwise you control Link and his actions with the stick and buttons, all of the menus on the touchscreen are quick and snappy, and the game lets you fulfill your wanderlust without nagging or handholding you. That last point neatly dovetails into my next big discussion point.
**A Look to the Future**
This right here is what should give A Link Between Worlds its legacy. This was the game that broke through the established conventions of the Zelda series after a long string of linear affairs, something that would later be built off of for the open world renaissance the series would see in the coming decade. And it all stems from the item rental system. You quickly meet a new character named Ravio who will grant you access to pretty much every major dungeon item right from the start, and this simple change in structure completely transforms A Link Between Worlds into an open ended playground.
By renting out all the items as soon as possible, you can go out and discover so many secrets and treasures before you even finish the first set of dungeons. Of course you can purchase these items fully to keep them for yourself. And this is bolstered by what is probably the best longform side quest Zelda history in the form of Maiamai collecting. Throughout the game you’ll encounter these baby squids that you’ll have to return to their mother in exchange for rewards, those being permanent upgrades to your purchased items. And since they’re dolled out for every 10 baby squids returned, this makes them one of the best paced rewards in the series.
And those dungeons, man. They definitely got me to think as to how I needed to progress. None of them are too particularly difficult, likely because the game had to account for the player’s chosen dungeon order and concurrent item selection, but the fact that they all remain consistently solid throughout and don’t spoil the solutions for you are enough for me. Puzzles often have multiple solutions to them, and if you get creative with items you can kill certain enemies or unlock certain hidden treasures in other ways too. Boss fights follow a similar mantra and, in my opinion, are a mix of old and new elements where you use the dungeon’s item to make it vulnerable, but any other items in your possession are still viable damage dealing options.
**The Story is Worth It**
Zelda games are typically designed around gameplay over story, but the narrative here in A Link Between Worlds tosses in some genuine surprises. You meet the main villain of the game Yuga shortly into your adventure and he is entertaining whenever he’s on screen. He comes off as Ghirahim-Lite from Skyward Sword, but if you were a fan of him before then you’ve a fun new villain to look forward to. Ravio is a bit of a coward, but as mentioned he does help you out from the sidelines. Finally there’s Princess Hilda of the parallel kingdom of Lorule. I’m not gonna spoil anything outright, but she and her kingdom are fascinating case studies in the Zelda series. And that ending is super bittersweet and wholesome that I can’t help but get emotional.
So anyways that was my big whole schpeel about The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. I hope you understand why I love this game and cherish it dearly among the Zelda pantheon. And I hope this piece helps you understand why it should be remembered, both as a token of series past but as a gateway into the future we all know today. It may be short, and it may be a bit too easy on your first playthrough without Hero Mode, but it’s still more than enough to keep it in my #1 spot. Happy ten years, A Link Between Worlds. Here’s hoping I get to play you again in ten more.
by Asad_Farooqui
45 Comments
I’d rather have the Oracle games remastered first.
A link to the past is still my favorite I think (nostalgia) but a link between worlds is definitely the best 2D game in the series
I think it is slightly controversial in the Zelda fandom because it changed the conventions of the series and up to a point, it “broke” the formula. The whole item rental thing made the game less linear but the difficulty was all over the place (something that became more noticeable with BotW/ToTK).
Personally, though, I love it. It’s a fun nostalgic Zelda with interesting dungeons (arguably the last time we ever saw proper Zelda dungeons, too). I just wish it had a more unique identity, since it relies too much on ALttP nostalgia.
A truly fantastic game that deserves all the praise it can get.
I actually think A Link Between Worlds is better than ALTTP. Best 2D Zelda and my 2nd favorite Zelda overall.
It’s in my top 3 fav zeldas
I would love to see a spin off centred around Lorule and Hilda as a playable protagonist 🤞🏻
I’d argue that GTAV and LBW are the best games of 2013. It goes to show how great the Zelda series is when LBW is not as remembered as it should be.
Port 👏 it 👏 to 👏 the 👏 Switch 👏
I think just seeing this post has cemented it in me that this is my favorite Zelda. More than BOTW. and BOTW is amazing and groundbreaking.
One of the few games I have replayed multiple times as an adult, which is rare for me. The ability to tackle any of the dungeons in any order was a fun twist on the formula.
I agree that the game is great, but I don’t think it’s been underappreciated? It was praised highly by fans and constantly gets high spots in tier lists. For many, it’s their favourite top-down Zelda of all time.
The game was amazing but never strayed far enough from Link to the Past for it to leave that kind of impact in my opinion. Feels like a remix instead of a new game.
I loved it so much that I ended up completing 100% of it on normal difficulty, *o/*.
I’ve been slowly exploring all the older titles in the series after being hooked by BOTW/TOTK and I’ve gotta say, A Link Between Worlds is indeed super unique and deserves a lot more attention!
And the story like you mentioned, is bittersweet sweet and not too dark…Which, I needed that after the roller coaster that was Ocarina Of Time 😅
The wall merge thing is honestly brilliant and so well executed that now whenever I come back to the other titles in the series, I kinda instinctively run into the walls like an idiot, expecting to merge with them hahaha
Aaaannd of course the music + sound effects! 🥰
I’m unsure yet where I rank it on my personal list, but I certainly look forward to replaying it again sometime! It’s got a certain charm that is well worth experiencing 😌
Zelda Skyward Sword and A Link Between World were a fondamental part of the franchise history. They tried a lot of new things and tried to move the series forward, for better or worse. A Link Between World even did the isolated dungeons thingy better than BoTW (there was a clear thematics, gameplay elements and quests to enter each dungeon, instead of BoTW (even still ToTK a little) that clearly didn’t know what to give the player to do.
But, the story of ALBW was kinda boring, the lvl design was too safe/easy, and I felt that I was always speedrunning in the game. In a way, this show a perfect rhythm, but it is also kinda weird to constantly have the impression to rush the game. And the game lacked surprises. It was surprisingly easy to 100% it.
Ironically, it was as experimental as it was safe for a Zelda game. And because of that, it kinda lack memorability for me. I found the DS duology more interesting. But, a lot of this is surely because ALBTW is a cleverly hidden remake of ALTTP.
I never owned a 3DS and so would very happily pay $80CAD for a switch port. Same with the Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks games.
I love this game. I grew up on link to the past and I think link between worlds is a better game. I know it’s controversial but I don’t care lol.
To me it’s the second best Zelda game of all time behind only OoT. Was my runaway game of the year of that year. I definitely remember it
Octorok Baseball is the only thing I play
When I heard the Skyward Sword theme played within the game, it was such a magical moment.
We will all have our own opinions, but for me, Oracle of Seasons is comparable to Ocarina of Time in terms of zelda greatness and best zelda games ever made.
A Link to the Past is my #1. I liked ALBW, but the absurd low difficulty had me extremely disappointed.
Every puzzle is trivialized by the myriad of items that can solve each individual puzzle. The combat difficulty is also veery low. For my first playthrough, I didn’t die or use a fairy for the whole run. I didn’t realize it until the end credits told me I had 0 deaths.
Because of this I tried my first Zelda hard mode run. This mode only increases enemy damage and reducing heart loot. I did use 1 fairy in this mode, and every puzzle was the same.
After this I had to go back to A Link to the Past to cleanse my palette. I died in the first 30 mins.
Is it not already remembered? I mean it’s on par with the other 2D Zeldas but these sorts of “This game is actually super underrated by the fanbase and needs me to shout from the rooftops how great it is” posts always confuse me.
It was fine. The nostalgia was neat, the game was good but I prefer a lot of the other 2D Zelda games over this.
Loved it. It was a bit on the easy side, but honestly it was a great time!
I bought a 3DS to play this game. Worth it. I want to mod my 3DS just to play it again on the big screen.
Yuga’s theme also kinda slaps
This game was such an addicting experience. I really hope it gets a Remaster/Port on Switch. Before BotW, this game really opened my eyes to how much more fun Zelda could be with updated game mechanics. Plus, the turning into a drawing gimmick was so clever and fun that it actually surpassed the concept of it just being a gimmick. ALBW is a top 3 Zelda game for the gameplay alone.
I really disliked this game and I don’t think it deserves to be remembered or that Nintendo even put much effort into the game.
It was fine to play through, but felt very short, very half-assed, and very “fan-game”y.
It had the best gimmick of all Zelda games.
The gameplay felt so satisfying. Loved the atmosphere in the dungeons and the use of items. My favourite 2D Zelda.
Hilda is bae
Best top down Zelda.
100% Agreed. The game was amazing and I really wish they’d remake it for Switch.
Agreed with folks who are saying this is one of the best Zelda games. But it’s not talked about a lot. I need to get out my 3ds to play again soon.
Maybe it helped playing ALBW as a child, but i had no issues with the game being similar to ALTTP, and i also found it really hard at times bc i was bad at video games. It’s probably one of my favourite zelda games (maybe due to nostalgia, but ig thats the same with alttp fans lmao)
it’s a fantastic game. wish they’d port it to switch.
I got bored and stopped playing. Felt like DLC for Link to the Past.
My favorite Zelda game is Link’s Awakening. I don’t know why. I think I really liked the story when I was a kid.
because there’s a link in between
I don’t think people forgot… it just isn’t all that recent, and it isn’t one of the BIG mainline console entries, so it doesn’t end up being relevant to many conversations. It’s basically always listed at #1 for any ‘All-Time Best’ 3DS lists though. The 3DS is pretty commonly agreed to have a stellar library, and when people talk about it, this game is at the top, or at the very least NEAR the top. So I think it is getting its proper due.
Honestly, when it came out I remember it being VERY highly regarded. It’s never going to rival the popularity of Ocarina, Link to the Past, or even Wind Waker, because those games have more significant circumstances propping up their ‘legends’, so to speak. But in terms of Zelda games that *aren’t* those big, main entries, I would say Link Between Worlds is maybe the most highly regarded, save for probably Majora’s Mask.
Who forgot about it?
i’ve played the majority of the games in the franchise, but i’ve finished very few. Link Between Worlds is one of those few, and because of that i think it deserves celebration.
10 years ? Ah man ..
The item rental system was the worst series convention breaking gimmick since the junction system in FF8.
Other than that? Fun game, but LttP is better.