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- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release Date: Nov 22, 2013
User Score
Universal acclaim- based on 728 Ratings
User score distribution:
Positive: 673 out of 728
Mixed: 16 out of 728
Negative: 39 out of 728
Review this game
Nov 18, 2014This game was marketed as a sequel to A Link to the Past. What I expected was well polished sequel to the fantastic original. Not only did they alter the story so radically that it makes no sense in context to A Link to the Past, but the gameplay was so easy and boring that it took me only 2 days to beat. I instantly felt cheated, and decided I should sell the game as soon as possible so I could go buy Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Do not buy this game. As a huge fan of the series, I have beaten 15/17 of the games in the series, not counting Hyrule Warriors, and this game was a huge letdown. Do not buy it. Borrow it from your buddy, beat it in a week, and then move on with your life.… Expand
Nov 10, 2014Wow, just wow! I finally caved in and bought a 3DS and this was the first game I bought. I was amazing! What a wonderful take on a classic game. The game has endless potential, the dungeons well crafted, even though some of them can be rage inducing. The merging ability is something new and Nintendo keeps to impress me with their innovative ideas for Zelda. While the Zelda staples come back, such as the bomb, hookshot, etc, there are some items that keep the game fresh and entertaining. If you own a 3DS, this game is a must own!… Expand
Nov 9, 2014This Is a great game and my first in the Zelda series smart puzzles,fun gameplay and epic boss battles make this game one of the best adventure games I ever played! I picked this up for my 2ds I recently got (great system ignore the hate) and couldn't stop playing it i beat it only a week after I got it and that's probably the games only problem Its really short even after I got all the items and upgrade the master sword to LV3 there's just no way around its short length but after you beat the game you get something called hero mode which is just raises the enemies damage and is kinda pointless but dont let that stop you from getting it its a great way to pass the time on the road or at home.… Expand
Nov 8, 2014Removed all the fun from The Legend of Zelda series. The fact that every item is available from the start just by paying for them makes the game feel like it belongs on android, and removes all the incentives to finish any dungeon at all.
Oct 20, 2014I only got this game b/c it came with my badass-golden-Triforce-painted 3DS XL, which is the version I bought. Only just now got around to playing it and am incredibly surprised by how much I like it.
I should start by saying I have never been a Zelda fan. In fact, I have yet to complete any Zelda game I have ever started. LBW could be the first, though. It is very accessible, easy to navigate and addictive. So many times I have been about to turn it off but will think, "Just one more dungeon…" The last game I tried to get through was the 3DS version of Ocarina of time. While that is a fine game, I much prefer LBW's top-down SNES-like view for a handheld system.
And while dismissed as a mere gimmick by some, the pop in & out of a drawing ability is unique and adds an extra layer to puzzles. Plus it is animated in a very cool way. I also like how pretty much all of the items are available to rent right off the bat (and can later be purchased at a much higher price). This limits the amount of backtracking you'll have to do and also gives you an extra incentive to not die: you can choose to continue rather than reload the last save, but will have to give back all rented items & pay for them again.
Story is, as usual, the weakest part. Nothing too special going on which you haven't seen in a previous Zelda title. Also, the 3D effects are under-utilized. Most times it only adds depth and you'll notice very little difference when switching the 3D mode off. What can I say? I'm a sucker for stuff popping out of the screen.
Overall, this is a solid title that will appeal to any 3DS owner. It's a must-play title for the system.… Expand
Oct 13, 2014Nostaugia!!!! Quem jogou The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past sabe do que eu estou falando, esse jogo como todos os outros da série tem uma história que te prende até o final, quebra-cabeças simples e divertidos, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds é mais um clássico da série, como sempre a Nintendo fazendo obras primas, simplesmente nota 10.
Oct 10, 2014This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds was, for me, almost identical in design and style to A Link To The Past, with the addition of using walls to your advantage. And yeah I get that it's a sequel that exists in the same world as A Link To The Past, but there wasn't much difference at all between the two worlds. I feel the graphics didn't have much quality for a 3DS game, and A Link To The Past's graphics were extraordinary for it's time, so this to me is a bit of a letdown. None of the characters were very fleshed out, it was extremely easy and I beat it in a ridiculously short amount of time. This game does have a lot going for it in design innovations, but it's hardly fleshed out in any way and I think that there was a lot more that could have been done with it. Maybe I'm just nitpicking, I dunno, but I don't think that I enjoyed this game nearly as much as I've enjoyed other Zelda games.… Expand
Sep 25, 2014The newest entry in the Legend of Zelda world, a direct sequel to A Link to the Past, has the exact same story as A Link to the Past, but it has amazing gameplay. The renting system provides a good challenge, and the new flipping mechanic is really innovative and fun to use. The dungeons are especially fun to play. Despite all these good points, the story doesn't bring anything new to the franchise, and the game is extremely short. I still recommend fans of the franchise and newcomers to play this nice new entry.… Expand
Sep 20, 2014Instant classic with minor issues:
* strange level design choices - Keys next to its doors-
* too easy ( I saw the game over screen twice only)
* Game design shows a lack of dedication and long term gameplay design - The store allows to rent and buy the item too easily making it totally unnecessary as there is no grinding , i would rather prefer to include the items as they were in previous games( inside dungeons) or make new areas with puzzles to retrive them . At the end, the Ravio shop has a very minor importance… Expand
Sep 13, 2014Great game, nice story and dungeon design! The music is alright, the game takes a while to compleet altough the replayability is quite low. I suggest that you'd pick it up!
Sep 6, 2014This game is ALMOST perfect. The dungeon design, great! The concept of being able to turn into a painting, great! Two worlds, Hyrule and Lorule, great! Item renting, not so great... I think the renting system is OK, but i like the feeling when you unlock items inside dungeons and after that, you are ready to beat the boss. In A Link between worlds, this experience just isnt there. With that being said, this is the best handheld Zelda game ever made.… Expand
Aug 30, 2014The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is without a doubt an awesome game, one that is surely to become a classic in our hearts in the somewhat distant future. It is undoubtedly a worthy successor to A Link To The Past. This game retains its roots from its predecessor, yet still manages to innovate with concepts that are new to The Legend of Zelda series. This is one game that you should definitely pick up sometime. Furthermore, the game has certainly become one of my favorite Zelda installments (it is now second only to Ocarina of Time).
The world in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds seems massive for a Nintendo 3DS game, in which I pleasantly surprised by the size of Hyrule alone. Discovering Lorule just seemed to reinforce the variety of activities and secrets in ALBW that were just waiting to be discovered. I've spent hours merely exploring both worlds within the game, just in awe of how much there is to do in the game. Completing side quests, playing minigames, collecting Pieces of Hearts, slaughtering monsters, finding Easter eggs, treasure hunting, Streetpass, etc. They're all in the game, and more.
Speaking of Streetpass, I concur that it was used quite well. For those who do not know, individuals with the game can Streetpass each other, then fight "Dark Link" versions of others using their personal combination of weapons. The Dark Links are AI-controlled, and also account for the number of hearts an individual may currently have, as well as potions, fairies, and other healing items. With this feature, also comes a list of accomplishments, each of which that can be unlocked by completely certain tasks during these fights.
I found the wall-merging sections of the dungeons to have been used quite effectively as well. They truly added another layer of difficulty to the puzzles present within this game by innovating this brand new mechanism. More than few times did I find myself stuck in specific areas of the dungeons throughout the game, perplexed on how to continue. For that, I applaud the developers; fantastic job, Nintendo EAD.
In fact, I'd even go as far as to consider the entire world in the game (Hyrule and/or Lorule) as one giant puzzle, that you must slowly solve as you travel between worlds, merge through walls, conquer dungeons without a specific order, and complete certain tasks. It's actually a tad difficult to explain, but I suppose if you were to play the game yourself for a few hours, you might have an idea of what I'm talking about.
By the way, Ravio is an absolute jerk in the beginning of the game. Seriously bro, you break and enter my house wearing a purple bunny mask, then have the audacity to ask to stay there for awhile. Soon after, you claim MY house as your own, then proceed to turn into a shop that sell various weapons for ridiculous prices. That other purple mask must have been responsible for his utter disrespect. Really bro, who does that?! Oh, and not to mention that you force your birdlike slave to fly to the other side of Hyrule (and sometimes Lorule) to a dangerous dungeon, have it steal my items, then leave me there to die. It doesn't matter what he did later on in the game, the point is that Ravio can stay in Lorule alone for all I care. I never want to see that stupid and cowardly Nabbit-ripoff again in my life. Please understand.… Expand
Aug 23, 2014If you liked 2D TLoZ games, you're gonna totally love this game too. But I felt like game is a little bit easier than other TLoZ games (played A Link to the Past, Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time, Oracle of Ages & Seasons). Buying and renting items are cool but that's the easy part in my opinion. Other than that, if you own a 3DS and still thinking about "Hmm, should I really buy A Link Between Worlds?", you're wasting your precious time. Go and buy it!… Expand
Aug 14, 2014the first ZELDA game i ever beat. and that's when I figured why zelda is a big name in the gaming community
Gameplay: 10 (this game is good for people around (10-99) years old
Graphics: 10 (get inside walls and you'll get my idea)
Sounds: 10 (Hyrulian Music)
Aug 7, 2014Another GREAT Zelda game with a lot of new innovative stuff. The ending was amazing with a touch of emotion and humanism that I hadn't seen in previous titles! It is too bad the game was kinda too easy, otherwise I would've given it a 10. There is the harder version after you beat it one which gives it a decent replay value, but it's just a more-damage-taken kind of harder.
Aug 4, 2014A Link Between Worlds is my first Zelda game, and did it ever impress! I loved the expansive overworld and simple yet fulfilling combat, but what really makes A Link Between Worlds shine are the dungeons. Each dungeon is totally unique, and each has a new mechanic that is not seen anywhere else. My only complaints are that the game is a bit on the short side, and it seemed too much like each dungeon was tailored for a specific tool. That being said, however, I would still wholeheartedly recommend A Link Between Worlds to any fan of action/adventure games.… Expand
Aug 3, 2014The execution is wonderful. The depth of the game surpasses any other. It's probably the most genius display of craftsmanship in a game. Never have I seen such before. Progression is presented in such a splendid way. There is so many ways that lead to the destination which is always a pleasant surprise. The fifteen hours that it takes to finish the game feel like 60. If you don't want to get this game get it anyways.… Expand
Aug 2, 2014Definitely in my Top 3 Legend of Zelda games, the games looks and runs beautifully on the 3DS, the story is great and the gameplay is spectacular! A must-have if you own a 3DS. 10 out of 10 no doubt
Jul 23, 2014The only thing keeping this game from a perfect score is its level of difficulty. The game is a bit too easy because of the huge amounts of rupees available that trivialize the rental system. Combine this with the relative ease of the dungeons, and the game isn't that challenging. If only one of these were a factor, the game would be perfect.
The game introduces no new items but gives the ability to turn into a painting, which makes for some interesting puzzles. The enemies are varied and all of the bosses are multistage battles that combine clever item usage and frantic sword swinging. The story ends very well and left me immensely satisfied. Basically, there is no tier of gamer I couldn't recommend this game to- it's easy enough for almost anyone but fun enough that even expert players will enjoy it.… Expand
Jul 21, 2014Had this game been made by someone other than Nintendo and if all the characters in the game looked different and it had a different hero who was named something other than Link and the princess was not named Zelda but everything else played the same and looked just as good there would be no negative reviews of this game.
It's a victim of it's own franchise's success.
ALBW is a pretty good game. It's just not a great Zelda game, imho. Why? It's not challenging due to puzzling dungeons, nearly every item is available from the beginning which means there is no real reward for exploring/solving the dungeons other that releasing a sage, you can rent all the items fairly cheap (50 to 100 rupees each). This means you'll have tons of rupees as they're everywhere and you never need to purchase the items unless you want to. The witch with the broom makes it easy and fast to travel anywhere on the map once you've traveled there. This reduces the sense of exploration and the chance to discover hidden items; oh wait, their aren't any. At least not any you''ll need to beat the game due to it's simplicity. The game can be saved near every dungeon and tons of other locations. No chance to forget to save as the weather vanes spin and chirp reminding you to save before and after most accomplishments. The bosses are simple(use main item required for entrance to dungeon, slash with sword; repeat). Each dungeon shows you what item is needed to beat it and the boss before you enter. Aside from it being the easiest Zelda game I've played it's still enjoyable. There's not much new here to discover. It's as if Nintendo made a new shinier version of ALTTP for the new generation of gamer who frowns on extensive exploration, experimentation and punishing puzzles and dungeons. It is basically a carbon copy of it's predecessor made much easier to complete. It does retain SOME of the better features of ALTTP. The controls are tight, music and sound effects are top notch. Art design is beautiful in a retro/modern type of way. Just enough story to keep the action moving along.
If you've never played a Zelda title(especially ALTTP) then this would by all means be a decent game. However many Zelda aficionados will tell you it is too simple, too easy, too basic, too much like ALTTP to be a good game.
Wrong. It is a good game. It's just an easy game. It's often more challenging to die than not to. Seriously, I'm not kidding. Just put on that new tunic and you'll see.
It's just not a great Zelda game. There is no real steep challenge, no iconic moment, no great plot twist, no new mechanics except for the 2d painted Link mode which sadly could have been used to much greater effect. It is mostly nothing more than a gimmick to get you in between Lorule and Hyrule. With some better level design and the ability to move vertically as well as on more types of surfaces including the ground this could have been another defining moment for the Zelda franchise. Instead it adds almost nothing new or refreshing to it.There is no epic boss battle or dungeon and no truly memorable evil threat that most die hard Zelda fans have come to expect. Just a lot of really well put together,albeit familiar, components that create an enjoyable overly safe little world. Even if this world isn't very hostile, menacing or challenging it's still worth checking out.
Game Score 7.5 Zelda Score 6… Expand
Jul 18, 2014I had fun with the game and at no point did I want it to hurry up and end. Going in I thought the new game mechanic that was going to be introduced could be confusing and hurt my eyes and head. I was wrong. The new mechanic is implemented in a way that flows great, is easy to understand, and encourages exploration.
Speaking of exploration I want to say that it was nice to be rewarded for doing so. You will be compensated for checking an optional cave or solving an extra puzzle and you will feel good about doing it. The dungeons are all fun, bosses are a little too easy (especially if you explore everything), art style works is fun and flows well.
As good as the game is I would only recommend renting it based on how fast I think most people who use metacritic will blow through the game. But if your a big Zelda fan it's not a game you'd regret having in the collection.… Expand
Jul 16, 2014This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. *Small spoilers ahead:
The legend of zelda is easily one of the best zelda games period. WHY? Well simply because there's so much stuff to do. You can gamble, upgrade your master sword using ores found in dungeons, learn how to swim, the link in the wall mechanic and the unique liberty. The story isn't about save zelda (kinda) this time it's save Hyrule and Lorule. You can rent and buy stuff directly and win rupees by playing in an arena. Yes it's easier although some dungeons can be confusing. This is a game is to get into with the zelda universe. The hand-held mechanics work great and improving your character has never been better. The is an easy 11/10! Also I forgot that there's two worlds and a twist at the end ;).
Now if you'll excuse, time to emulate all zelda games.… Expand
Jul 1, 2014This game skyrocketed my expectations and gave me a ton of fun and a game after I completed I WANTED to play it again. Now what this game has good it really has good. Expansive worlds, Free to do what you want and when, awesome characters, great plot and mechanics, a amazing soundtrack, and great villains and bosses. Its key mechanic (merging into walls) was very neat and was extremely creative and the temples/dungeons were extremely fun. Now the only bad thing I really see in this game is that some of the characters were annoying and its pretty easy if you ask me.
My actual rating, A 8.9 out of 10.
~BeaverCentral… Expand
Jun 29, 2014As this is my first Zelda game, I had no idea what to expect. When I first started playing the game, instead of doing quests like I expected I was just some errand boy for the whole village. Which made the game slightly drag for the first hour. But as things started to come along the story became more and more exciting with the story constantly changing. I thought the 3D was very well integrated into the game, as well as the wall linking mechanic. I give this game an 8 out of 10 due to the slow and slightly boring start. Nerveless this is a must buy for every Adventure and Puzzle lover on the platform. As this game is a remake, I'd say they capture it quite well with it's previous version.… Expand
Jun 25, 2014I'll make this short: A Link Between Worlds is a disappointment.
even if we didn't get much time to hype it, since it was released half a month after it was unveiled. To be fair, I think the lack of development time shows.
Now don't get me wrong, I encountered no glitches as I was playing through it (although I have heard about one that breaks one of the biggest side-quests in the game) so playability wise there's pretty much no stains left. The game plays like a joy and you're bound to have 'fun' while playing this game, but here's where it all falls apart for me: it simply feels like it lacks soul. That's a bold statement for sure, but ALBW really lacks that recognizable "Nintendo Magic" all the other games I've played had and that can even be said about Phantom Hourglass which I didn't really enjoy.
The game is essentially half remake and half new game, so you'd be unfair not to forgive Nintendo for being a bit unoriginal here, but the way everything that has to do with story, lore and just overall interaction with this Zelda universe, is executed it just comes off feeling rather empty to my experience.
The characterization is so flat that the cast feels like they're doing roleplay when they talk. It feels like a farce.
To further comment on the story though, I'll have to mention the game's non-linearity too. I think that because the game was decided to have a completely non-linear order of which dungeon you want to tackle the amount of story-events were reduced because you can't really make a lot of actual story progression when you're just free to, say, take on what ends up being the hardest dungeon in the game as your first one or vice versa. Because of this, by the time you get to the final battle you'll be slammed in your face with story exposition, and as if, reintroduced to characters you had completely forgotten about. It comes off as an afterthought and to me, the sense of adventure which includes the narrative was always a pretty big factor in the franchise. Here it simply feels like the developers didn't care much for it, and it's also hard to take anything about the main plot seriously when the "dark world" of this game is a name-pun (Lorule... Low-rule get it, because Hyrule is high... Yeah, not very funny)
If there's one thing that I could write home about with ALBW though it's that the official soundtrack that was composed for this game is amazing. I don't know why Nintendo hasn't let Ryo Nagamatsu compose for this franchise before. The game easily tops Skyward Sword in terms of memorability, and especially the "Yuga theme" is a memorable and original composition which I quite liked.
Like I mentioned earlier there's not really any gripes with the gameplay. Dungeons are neatly designed although all of them can be beaten time-spans that amount to less than the average for a typical Zelda dungeon. Maybe it's a design decision because it's a handheld game (although I don't remember dungeons being THIS short in the GBC titles) but personally I believe it's a decision they had to make because the save system in this game is rather clumsy. Like in Skyward Sword, you can only save via bird statues that are scattered throughout the land. They also act as warp points, and they definitely make travelling seamless, but that's about the extent of their usefulness. You can't save via the start menu so you have to beat a dungeon in one go, or else you'll have to go all the way back and outside just to save at a bird statue. I think this was a bad choice on Nintendo's part because as a result I beat this game 100% with all side-content explored and all, in a mere 19 hours. I've NEVER beat a Zelda game this quick before yet alone with everything seen and done.
I think I'll conclude this by saying that while The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds plays to some of its series strenghts, it really falters on half of what usually makes a Zelda game great in my book. In the end I couldn't help but feel that this game lacked the magic that most of the other games had.
If you've always loved Zelda for just the gameplay and you don't care about the atmosphere, story, lore etc. then maybe this game will be the best Zelda you've played in years. Everything on the gameplay front is well done and fun to play, but if you're like me, you view The Legend of Zelda as an experience, and I was simply not impressed by it.… Expand
Jun 23, 2014Link Between Worlds manages to leave nothing behind from 1991's Link To The Past, while standing on its own achievements during Nintendo's near-campaign to rediscover their roots. Intelligent and polished, content is delivered in the right amounts with few issues- seamlessly elevating the classic formula to the 3DS' prowess. It's hard to find a mistake in this Hyrule.
Jun 22, 2014The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is the reason why I play video games. Visually great, intuitive gameplay and outstanding level design. The only negative thing I have to say about this game is the fact that it is kind of short and easy. The best 3DS game yet without any doubt.
Jun 20, 2014Its a Legend of Zelda game. You know its going to be good. But this is the best fricken Zelda game we have had in 15 years! I love the feeling of an actual classic Zelda. The gameplay is amazing and I love how all the items are available to you very quickly. The sidequests feel so natural and since A Link to the Past was my favorite Zelda game, I can easily say that this one did not disappoint. Oh man. This game is the best and it is my Favorite Zelda game up to date.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds gets a 10/10… Expand
Jun 20, 2014The Legend of Zelda: A link between worlds. This one is special. It is a clone of The Legend of Zelda III: A link to the past, just with 3D graphics, new story and a new concept for moving in between worlds. The game was pretty, it was fun, it was a game that a big fan of The Legend of Zelda-games likes. However, it was way too easy. I plowed through this one in no time compared to Zelda III, which was the only downside I could find. Also, if you are into Zelda-games, collecting pieces of hearts is an essential part of the games, and even finding these was way to easy. I thank Nintendo for going back here and create something like this again.… Expand
Jun 8, 2014This is the best game ever made! i beats every other game out theme. well for me. this game is the best game ever. great music , great fun , this game beats all other games out there.
Jun 3, 2014It was my first game on 3DS. And I loved every second of it. Spent 26 hours to complete at 100%. It was such a nostalgic experience. To revisit the locations from A Link to the Past... The game is easier than ALttP, but I think it's only because the controls are much smoother. It's so delight full to run around and hack&slash with your sword now. Same enemies take the same amount of hits as they were in ALttP so yeah, it's a better controls what makes this game easier.
The plot and characters in this game are amazing. I actually felt satisfaction from the plot as well as from the gameplay, while in ALttP plot was just a something to fill the space, it opened the Hyrule history to us, yes, but it's still was... meh. The gameplay was what made that game incredible.… Expand
Jun 2, 2014Un gioco geniale, che riprende un mondo del passato, quello di A Link to the Past e lo ripropone in chiave moderna in un avventura completamente nuova, con alcune novità inedite per la serie e un ritmo molto più veloce e "leggero" rispetto agli Zelda degli ultimi anni. Forse il miglior episodio portatile.
May 21, 2014Good game ,short story only last for 30hrs play time if you only play only a difficulty...
I would recommend this game to you, the graphic won't be so bad as you thought after you play the game.
May 17, 2014A Link Between Worlds is everything that a sequel to A Link to The Past should be. It's charming and will make those who played the original feel nostalgic but it's more than just a redo. The new mechanic that allows you to turn into a painting is innovative and really serves to open up the gameplay. The gameworld is beautifully designed both Hyrule and Lorule. The story is one of the best of any Zelda titles and the characters are memorable and well written. This game should not be missed by any Zelda fan.… Expand
May 15, 2014Um dos melhores Zeldas, se não o melhor, já feito. Se você tiver um 3DS, compre este jogo. Com gráficos refinados, uma trilha sonora perfeita, uma história interessante e um excelente apelo nostálgico.
May 15, 2014This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Legend of Zelda series had been known as one of Nintendo's ace games that keep that in competition with both Microsoft and Sony. It combines action, adventure, and RPG characteristics into a familiar land with characters that we enjoy and also hate. I've played most of the Legend of Zelda games and Windwaker was always my favorite, with that being said A Link Between Worlds does get very close to knocking it out of my number one spot. The game reminds me of the original Legend of Zelda in many ways. The camera is top down instead of third person over the shoulder and Link even has the ability later on to shoot swords across the screen when at full HP. You can also upgrade the Master Sword and you can also get the rings that help to prevent damage. This makes the game much better than if it was in third person because it shows that Nintendo took into account the 3DS's capabilities and also showed many older gamers a glimpse of the pas while showing newer gamers what the original was like and how much fun it could be. The various items you obtain throughout the game are helpful and makes sure combat doesn't get stale and the new additions like the Sand Rod are great when it comes to puzzles. The problems with these weapons are that they must be rented or bought from Ravio. Renting is cheaper but if you lose all your hearts you will have to rent them again. You can buy the items, but for a hefty fee. This inclusion in the game costs it one point since it is very annoying having to go back ad rent the weapons over and over again and trying to collect rupees to buy them (or even rent them) is tedious. The only good thing is that you don't spend rupees on anything else except for the various mini games scattered throughout the world. The mini games themselves though are very fun for the most part and somewhat challenging. The series also has puzzles which are easy, moderately difficult, and of course difficult which is great since the game doesn't constantly frustrates players who may not know how to solve the puzzles but also allows players who like a challenge something to look forward to. One of the best parts of the game is the collectibles, which by that I mean the Maimais. There are a total of 100 in the game and whenever you collect 10 you can bring them back to Mother MaiMai to upgrade one of your items of your choice. This kept me playing the game for hours at a time trying to find as many as I could and gave me a great deal of joy upon finding ten. The MaiMais like the puzzles range in difficulty to find but they always make a little cheeping noise to let you know they are around. Many of them require items or the ability to go into the wall. Speaking about the wall...what a great addition! It allows the puzzles to be different than most other experiences and also allows for my favorite part of the game...Lorule. The game allows you to go back and forth between two kingdoms which are very different and very alike at the same time by using the ability to go into walls and walking into portals in the walls. Some puzzles require you to go back and forth between Lorule and Hyrule to solve them and it also allows access to parts of the world you may not have been able to access otherwise. There is also a fast travel option available by asking a witch to fly over to you and take you to any one of the save points in the game. This helps alleviate the mistake of not having a save option from the pause menu since you can just teleport to one and is the only reason I don't deduct a point for not having a save option from the pause menu. It also allows for faster movement to locations you want to go. The witch also has a grandmother who will make you various potions if you find the required parts needed (which are obtained by defeating enemies or finding them in chests) and have a bottle. This part is pretty decent since there are healing potions, ones that gain you magic, and one that harms all enemies on the screen. The latter is helpful for players who may have difficulties with certain enemies. The storyline is amazing and has great twists and turns and also shows different things if you travel to Lorule and go to certain locations which is a great supplement to the already great storyline. The 3D in the game is okay during parts without cut-scenes and I normally had it turned off due to that fact; however, the 3D during the cut scenes were fluid and looked great. The graphics in general are very well done, a great feat for Nintendo. The main problem of the game though comes from the last boss battle which was predictable in terms of gameplay, easy, and short. The final boss fight forces me to deduct a point which is a shame for such a great game otherwise. Regardless of if you're a fan of the series, new to the game and want to play it, any 3DS owner must pick it up. You won't be disappointed.… Expand
May 15, 2014I don't have a vested interest in bad mouthing the Zelda franchise, far from it. I love these games, and I want what's best for them. I want them to continue to be fun and innovative and timeless for many years to come. But nowadays it seems that Zelda games get hyped and praised by virtue of simply being Zelda games, regardless of whether they actually deserve it or not. And nowhere is this more clearly spotlighted than with the critical acclaim of ALBW, which sets some dangerous precedents.
Even before it came out the announcement raised some concerns for me. Before this, we had titles such as Spirit Tracks and Ocarina of Time, and I personally think that both were great handheld Zeldas. Sure, ST had some flaws, but overall I think it worked. I was excited for the next 3DS game, for an original title, because I was curious about where the series would go. Would they stick with a traditional top down perspective, but with enhanced, next gen visuals and gameplay? Or would they utilize the engine they used to make OOT3D in order to create a brand new, fully 3D adventure? Either possibility was exciting and interesting. But instead, what did they do? They made a game that mimicked the gameplay and graphical style of A Link to the Past, which feels like a step backwards at this point.
Don't get me wrong, ALTTP is a classic, it was great, it's one of my personal favorites. But the way to make a game just as revolutionary and classic as ALTTP is to make a game that offers its own innovate and unique take on the classic Zelda formula (which is what most of the Zeldas until now were at least trying to do), not to just make ALTTP again. But that's pretty much exactly what they did; They remade ALTTP, with just enough tweaks and new features so that they can claim it's a brand new title. And it might have been forgivable if it was just as good as or better than ALTTP, but I personally don't think it is. And even if it was as good as ALTTP, there are countless things that made ALTTP special that are simply not present in ALBW. ALTTP was completely revolutionary, taking elements from the previous games, making them better and adding tons of new features that are now staples of the franchise and have impacted gaming as a whole. ALBW, in contrast, is anything but revolutionary, and adds almost nothing new to the series or to gaming in general. Another thing that made ALTTP so special was that it really pushed the limits of what its hardware could do. Again, ST and OOT3D show the potential of what a modern handheld Zelda is capable of doing, and ALBW just seems like a barebones effort in comparison.
Some people accuse the Zelda games of all being rehashes, and usually I would disagree. While all of the games follow a similar formula, I feel that each of them has done something fresh to keep things interesting and give each game its own identity while still being a Zelda game. ALBW, sadly, is the first entry in the series that feels like a complete and utter rehash, to a rather insulting degree. It's clear that Nintendo didn't make ALBW because they thought that making a sequel to ALTTP was the best direction for the series, but because they knew they could capitalize on people's nostalgia for ALTTP. And given how many 10s and GOTY nominations this game has gotten despite it's stark lack of originality, it's clear that their plan worked.
I'm not saying that people are wrong for liking the game. It is a well-designed game, and I did have fun with it, and if you're judging it on its own terms, there's not much to complain about. But if you take into account the broader context of the rest of the Zelda franchise and gaming in general, it's hard to remain impartial when it's blatantly obvious that Nintendo is using a much older and better game as a cheat sheet. And that's what I find truly disappointing about this whole situation. The thing that made the older Zelda games so special was that they were pioneers, they were doing bold and new things, and it was their revolutionary spirit that made the franchise so popular and successful. But there hasn't been a game in the series that was a true masterpiece since Wind Waker, and now the franchise has reached a point where it is literally copy and pasting things wholesale from previous titles in the hopes that they'll achieve the same result. And sure, it seems to have worked this time, but this kind of trick can only work so many times before people grow bored and move on. It sadly looks like the Zelda series, like many of Nintendo's franchises, is slowly dying, as nostalgia bait like this will not sustain the series forever. I sincerely hope that the upcoming Zelda for the Wii U proves me dead wrong, but as things stand now, ALBW was a major let down and a huge step backwards.… Expand
May 12, 2014Let me start by saying I specifically registered this metacritic account to post this review, hence the user name, and am a huge Zelda fan (twilight princess triforce tattoo included).
So when I say I was horrendously disappointed by this game, I feel the need to share why and think the single best word to describe it would be "uninspired". That said, maybe you need a bit more of a break down.
1) Mini-games - Hoping for shooting galleries? bomb-chus? Deku sprout flying? Prepare to be disappointed, usually the "most" fun gameplay, instead the completion-ist in you is almost deciding to pass on playing, luckily they're beyond easy so you won't get 'bored', you'll just get done ASAP.
2) The flattening gimmick - Its like combining annoying camera angles but because of the tool "Rental" system your going to use it non-stop to check for dead ends 4 screens away. Because walking back and forth is fun! (It's really not).
3) "Rental System" - Do you not completely suck at games, and have played 1 or more Zelda games previously? Prepare to have more money than you care about. Rent everything the first time you have enough money, cause boy you aren't going to ever need to scrounge!
4) Easiness of puzzles - Thinking water temple hard? Nope, not even close, in fact, if not for all those blind alleys and walking back and forth (see above), you could do every dungeon practically at a dead run!
5) Characters - Nope, no minish cap sassy companion, no dark mask vendors, no good or evil midna, I mean even a robot with no emotion is more interesting than nothing.
6) Storyline - You would think with all of the content, they would of nailed the "nostalgia" factor atleast, unfortunately the storyline is such a direct rip-off/merge of the single most popular Zelda title and the one it stole its title from that you don't care about anything or anyone in the universe.
7) GAMEPLAY - Gimmick aside, it plays like a Zelda for SNES. Now you may be thinking (I liked that game, it was fun to play) but really, from trains to touchscreen controls the handheld titles have been the creative platform (and cause motion controls suck - sorry guys) for numerous innovations, this one adds nothing.
In summary, uninspired. Thanks Nintendo. It's pretty bad when Ocarina of Time remakes are somehow more original than your newer titles. Give us Majora's Mask remastered and I'll consider forgiving you....maybe.… Expand
May 12, 2014Everything about this game is perfect. The sound-track rocks. The graphics are awesome! (Really, the screenshots looked terrible to me, but you should play it and the 3D-effect is really well-done.) The gameplay is superb! I love everything about this game.
May 7, 2014This game is great! What starts a familiar trip (for people who have played alttp), quickly turns into a fresh adventure with new characters, a familiar through different setting and new gameplay elements. The ability to turn into a drawing is simple enough, but has been cleverly implemented for dungeons. Of course, the game is too easy(easiest since Minish Cap, maybe), through hero's mode easily fixes this up. I think this game could also benefit from post story DLC and a more complex PVP multiplayer(like what Spirit Tracks and Phantom Hourglass had).… Expand
Apr 27, 2014I wasn't too excited about playing it in the first place since the Zelda series has begun to stagnate a bit, the same formula with not much to spice it up. But I was interested since it said it was a Link To The Past sequel with the same old school formula, and I got the game with my 3DS, so why not?
Don't get me wrong, the Legend of Zelda is still "fun" but not as fun as, say, Majora's Mask or any of the other stand out games. As said before, it's become obvious that the series has begun to stagnate and here's why:
- A complete lack of original story telling ideas. Lorule? Hyrule? Seriously? Haven't we gone through the whole Light/Dark schtick enough, Nintendo?
- The whole "rent" equipment stuff was an obvious attempt at trying to take a fresh, unique take on dungeon crawling in the Zelda series....... except it doesn't work. It completely derails any sense of satisfaction for finishing dungeons. I really can't figure out if it was a desperate "But we've done everything!" move or they couldn't figure something out, asked the janitor passing by for advice, shrugged and slapped it in there.
- The map from Link to the Past was bold-facedly ripped. Has nothing truly changed in 300 years?
- The difficulty curb is pathetic. Any Zelda veteran worth their salt could breeze through the dungeons and abuse the rental system. If you've beaten any Zelda game, this is on permanent baby mode. But hey, once you beat the game, why not try Hero mode where the enemies kill you in 1-2 hits? What do you mean finishing a dungeon is now impossible?
Now with that out of the way, the characters are pretty vivid and full of personality. It is still somewhat immersive, and the nostalgic feel was great. It's definitely one of the better Nintendo releases riding on its coat tails of former glory. But will you be clutching your 3DS at the end, choking back tears like in Link to the Past or Link's Awakening? Not likely. (On the upside though, you'll also never throw your 3DS against a wall for a dungeon being just way too hard, so there's that.)
It's great for someone new to the series and for the younger crowd. If you've been way into the Zelda series since its hey day, I'd suggest passing it up.… Expand
Apr 26, 2014One of my favorite Zelda games. It's the perfect length for what it does and the presentation is top notch especially for a portable system. (Portables sure have come a long way, huh?) This is a really fun puzzle-dungeon game to pick and play whenever you want. It's so easy to jump into and play. And if you find it easy, you can change the difficulty upon beating it the first time, and the game is highly replayable because you can do the dungeons in any order you want! You can get all the way up to the boss fight in one dungeon then up and decide to do a different one.
My problems: Why oh why can't you skip or fast forward through the cutscenes? Why can't you just save anywhere? You can buy things that let you leave the dungeons immediately and you can warp to save points from anywhere on the overworld, but it'd just be better to save anywhere! I don't get why PORTABLE games should have arbitrary save points. This game also uses pretty much the same overworld map as A Link to The Past...but I've never played that game, and I don't find that being familiar with it is necessary at all.… Expand
Apr 18, 2014I absolutely LOVE this game, and I usually don't like Zelda games very much. But this game... There is actually nothing I can complain about; it's got fun bossfights, delightful graphics and even the dungeons are fun. I must recommend this to anyone who is an old Zelda fan and to newcomers.
Apr 9, 2014The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a game that is built upon the beautiful game, A Link to the Past, and improves upon both the original game and the Zelda series by tweaking some of the conventions with brilliant new ideas. This game draws inspiration from the best of the old while shooting into the new with great new ideas for this wonderful series. A link to the past and a link to the future. 9.6/10… Expand
Apr 5, 2014The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is definitely worth the wait and money. It is a great game but, I my opinion, the people who will most enjoy it are players of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. For new players, this game is a nice refreshment from all the 2D plat formers and shooters. For series fans, again specially ones who played The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, will be full of nostalgia and drool over the new graphics and mechanics. My favorite part of the game was definitely the new Ravio Bar. Instead of pointlessly shooting arrows or using the items, you are limited and actually have to plan out attacks. I hope to see more returns to the over-head-scrolling Zelda games!… Expand
Apr 3, 2014Something that started out as a remake and developed into a wonderful new installment in the zelda franchise. Instead of focusing on battle like the previous installments, this goes back to the series roots and focus on exploration, it turns the game into a really refreshing old school experience! I haven't had this much fun with a Zelda game since the original a Link to the past
Worth pointing out there's no annoying sidekick to take you by the hand and lead you from place to place like a babysitter with useless tips and hints. ( the fact that ravio has one tho, makes it seem like link was going to have a fairy at some point )
I just don't give a 10 because sometimes ladder and ramps make it impossible to beat enemies, it may seem like something silly, but you die a lot because of it in hero mode ( which is absurdly hard, btw )… Expand
Apr 3, 2014Of all of Nintendo's game series', The Legend of Zelda is by far the most deep and rewarding. Almost every TLOZ game has been praised for incredible sense of exploration and combat, with memorable settings, songs, and characters. Having never played a TLOZ game prior to this, I went in with very high expectations. I was both disappointed and amazed. The game certainly has the charm, combat, and exploration the series is known for, but the good somewhat stops there. The saying 'quality over quantity' is almost always true, but Nintendo seriously threw quantity out the window. I completed the game to 100% (excluding online accomplishments) in under 30 hours. Bear in mind that it includes finding every heart, item, and collectible 'myaimai' (something along those lines).
Pros: - Combat (A link Between Worlds has, for the most part, the awesome medieval and fantastical combat of the past Zelda games. I wish there would've been a few more items and/or weapons, however)
- Exploration (There's plenty to look for on the two world maps, and you are usually rewarded with a nice item or collectible)
- Bosses (All the bosses are fair, and present a good challenge. Beating them is rewarding in itself, but you also gain a heart upgrade)
Cons: - Content (This is the biggest con of the game. As I said, I completed the game to the whole in under 30 hours. The game's content in very sub-par compared to past TLOZ games. There aren't many collectibles, minigames, items, or weapons)
- Music (Don't get me wrong, the music is fine, and this won't affect my rating, but the music is not nearly on the same level of past games such as Majora's Mask or Ocarina of Time. I definitely missed the impactful soundtrack of those games)
Overall, the game is great for a first time run. You're gonna like the game while it lasts, maybe even love it, but the 40$ price tag is far too much for the amount of content and replayability it presents. If you're a TLOZ fan, then maybe borrow it from a friend.… Expand
Apr 2, 2014The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a fantastic game and is one of my favorite 3DS games right now. If you are looking for a fun traditional bird-eye view Zelda game from more recent times, you really need to check out this game. It has great 2.5D graphics and fun and classic Zelda gameplay that will make old school video game veterans smile. It takes the world of the classic Zelda game from the Super Nintendo (A Link to the Past) and expands it to a great Zelda world. The story is good, it's simple when compared to other Zelda stories, but it's good. The gameplay is also very fun, it's not that challenging, but it's still a ton of fun. I also think the whole concept of using the Item shop is pretty interesting, I think I prefer the traditional way of getting items better, but this was alright, I just kind of hope they won't bring this back in later Zeldas. Another minor problem I had is if you play for "a while" (which is probably just an hour), the save post will advise you to take a break and you cannot even skip over this text! While it seems minor, it took away the experience and it may even be the reason why I am giving this game a 9/10 instead of a perfect 10/10; I strongly urge Nintendo to remove crap like this in their later games and just let us do what we want. But if you try to ignore it, you will find a Zelda game that is quite a masterpiece with it's fun gameplay and charm that will surely please Zelda fans old and new.… Expand
Apr 1, 2014Went into this game not expecting much, but after constant hours, I can clearly say that I loved playing this game. Never was a fan of A Link To The Past but this game is amazing. The story is great, the variety of weapons & items to collect, to just being overall addicting. The Zelda series has another gem to the collection.
Mar 29, 2014I would like to go out on a limb here and say that alongside OoT 3D, this is the best 3DS title released to date. I was glad they finally made a LttP sequel, and it's awesome. The 3D effects in this game are really great and only add to the beautiful environments, characters, etc. The dungeons are challenging enough to give you a good head scratching, and the game is decently long, like a Zelda game should be. 10/10… Expand
Mar 27, 2014This game is one of the best I've played in a long time. Although some people complain that the graphics stink, and the top-down kind of game sucks, they are totally wrong.
I've realised that there a number of games currently, that boasts about their good graphics and realistic designs, but at the same time, the gameplay of the game is horrible (I will not name games). Those games sell amazingly well, but in the end, they are not that fun. People only buy them because they were advertised well, and look 'nice'.
After gaming for a while, I have come to the realisation that graphics are not everything. Although they do play a part in immersing us into the game, they do not play a big role in judging if the game is good or not. They simply enhance the game, but not as much as gameplay does. I find that gameplay, and storyline of a game is of utmost importance.
I don't care if a game looks kiddish or not, or doesn't look like Crysis 3 and is therefore 'last generation' graphics. What I do care about is that the game should be challenging, and should have a good storyline.
Therefore, this game, A Link Between Worlds, is one of the best games I've ever played. Although it's still a 'top-down' game. Which seems 'last generation', I put in quotes because it's total **** in terms of gameplay and storyline, this game perfects it. Hence, if you are not a narrow-minded person, and can get over the fact that the graphics are not the best, and the top-down style of gameplay is 'last generation' it is a game you have to get.… Expand
Mar 17, 2014I was excited to play this game, because I'm a big fan of 2D Zelda games and the idea of one on 3DS sounded awesome. Unfortunately this game offers far more nostalgia for LTTP than actual game. 1) The dungeons were fun, but they never progressed much in difficulty or length. 2) The tools sucked. Seriously they are just the tools from LTTP and 2 tools from Spirit Tracks they changed a little. 3) The wall thing wasn't very cool and didn't add much to dungeon puzzle solving, because it was so limited. Overall, not a bad game, but I think its not as good as other handheld Zeldas like Minish Cap or Spirit Tracks and it doesn't hold a candle to LTTP and needs to stop being so tediously derivative of it.… Expand
Mar 17, 2014A Link Between Worlds is fast paced, straight to the point with its delivery. No boring tutorial, no excessive story telling, yet there are still memorable characters and moments. Controls are simple and easy, boss fights are fast paced and hero's mode presents a decent challenge. The game lacks in its story, however, such as how basically nothing happens between dungeons(in other recent Zelda titles, there would be a bit of story development between every dungeon). Top down perspective also make the game less appealing visually, which is disappointing since its a game for a 3DS. Not the perfect game, but a must own never the less.… Expand
Mar 17, 2014A great game in every sense. In my opinion, a superior game to A Link to the Past in almost every way. With that said, now the flaws of the game. The best way to describe ALBW is that its a roller coaster ride: from beginning to end, it's a terrific and comfortable experience with thrills at every corner. You'll have a smile on your face for every minute of this thrill-ride. But that's where the problem comes in: it's a thrill and nothing more, and a quick thrill at that. There's no denying I had fun with the ingenious dungeon design, fun-to-solve puzzles, intense boss fights and intriguing plot, but while playing the game I never felt challenged. This was mainly due to the weak exploration: the secrets are rather easy to discover and vast amounts of Rupees are practically handed to you. It's almost as if Nintendo wanted me to have the least frustrating experience possible, but it hurt the immersion. Unlike other Zeldas, I didn't feel like I was embarking on an adventure; I felt like I was playing a game and that's it.
I also felt the art direction, while unique, wasn't all that interesting and even at times unpleasant to look at. But its soundtrack, while similar to ALttP, is great, my favorite being Lorule's Death Mountain theme.
The game's story also shines as you're essentially meeting characters that live in a hopeless world: a world without a Triforce. It's a fascinating concept, and while it gave a very satisfactory ending, I do wish that the game went more than just knee-deep into the plot.
Overall, I suppose the biggest complaint I have with ALBW is that it is non-stop action: you are always doing something. The problem is that the game never gives itself a chance to breathe and to let you take in your surroundings in order to immerse you into the game's world.
While I wasn't blown away by the game, rest assured I had a great time with it. The Zelda series continues to shine.… Expand
Mar 16, 2014Definitely a great game. Not perfect like everyone makes it out to be, but still an outstanding handheld title. Despite using most of the Link to the Past elements, it truly does feel like an enhanced version of the game without rehashing too much. The difficulty is fairly light (actually harder early on then gets easier), but that doesn't make it a bad game by any means. If you enjoy the action-adventure known as LoZ, I highly recommend picking this one up. One of the very few good games that exist on the 3DS.… Expand
Mar 15, 2014This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Cons:
-the ability to explore every dungeon often results in fragmented difficulty ( starting in a difficult dungeon then going in an easier one).
-One of the most fundamental and memorable aspects of the legend of zelda series is exploration. A link between worlds completely destroys this by reusing essentially the same map from a link to the past. Although newcomers will receive a new world to explore; A link the the past's map hasn't aged well, it feels like a generic amalgamation of sparse desert and ice areas.
-Very easy game for zelda veterans
-completionists situated in areas without streetpass will be disappointed to hear an entire mode relies upon this function.
-innovation seems to have only influenced mechanics as oppose to actual game content ( still ice and fire dungeons etc
-outstanding music
-fun mini games and side quests
-stunning final boss battle
-some of the best 2d zelda dungeon design
- well paced
- the 'drawing link mechanic', is superb
-graphics are excellent… Expand
Mar 14, 2014This game is good. But after 1 or 2 playthroughs, the game begins to show its weaknesses. First, Hyrule and Lorule seem lifeless, lacking any charm. The amount of content is dissatisfactory at most. And the difficulty isn't there. You just cut through a couple enemies and fight an easy boss. The final boss is also a joke. And the huge new thing, the merging is used for a couple optional puzzles and travelling between worlds. Good game, but really only for the Zelda fans.… Expand
Mar 8, 2014A Link Between Worlds should not be considered a remake of link to the past by any means. Link between worlds was a nice change of pace after the slow-starting Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess. Link retrieves the sword after a short five minutes and the main mechanic is introduced smoothly and simply. The story is amazing, becoming one of my favorite endings in The Legend Of Zelda series, and the controls are simpler than they have been in the series in a long time. The mini-games and Ravio's rental system provide plenty of use for rupees, and for ensuring that you will pay the price for dying. I have minor complaints about certain camera angles, as well as the lack of good characters, but overall, A Link Between Worlds is a promising game for the younger and older generation Zelda fans.… Expand
Mar 7, 2014I was not a Zelda fans before owning this game. Graphic wise, I could tell that there is an obvious upgrade from previous generations. Gameplay and story are pretty cool though personally I enjoy Mario more. Look forward to a new Zelda game with co-op option.
Mar 2, 2014A long time Zelda fan's review on ALBW: - Presentation: 9/10 Technically speaking ALBW is a milestone. 60 fps and a beautiful 3D world with very nice cutscenes make it the prettiest 3DS game. What did annoy me is that it uses an art style similar to Skyward Sword and the Wind Waker. Cartooney metro-sexual characters don't belong in the world of ALttP yet Aonuma did it again. The music in ALBW is excellent. It offers a few new good Zelda tracks but it mostly relies on classic Zelda tunes, mainly from ALttP.
- Gameplay: 9/10
ALBW comes with some twists in the gameplay department. A new item system and merging into walls gives the player much more freedom. This is the most open world Zelda since the first installment, which is a good thing after Skyward Sword's obstructive linearity. Although it's pretty much the same overworld as ALttP, due to these new gameplay elements it still feels fresh.
The puzzle difficulty and combat isn't too hard in ALBW, but for newcomers to the franchise it will provide a good challenge. The dungeons are excellent albeit a bit short.
The story is surprisingly elaborate for a handheld Zelda game. In fact the whole production value is on a console level.
- Verdict:
It's like what Twilight Princess was to Ocarina of Time: an excellent nostalgic Zelda. But ALBW just does a bit more to make it a standalone classic and not a rip-off.
+ high quality graphics, music and story
+ fun traditional open world Zelda
+ new gameplay mechanics make it fresh
- childish and slightly out of place art design.
Perhaps the best handheld Zelda. 9/10… Expand
Feb 28, 2014This game is excellent. It is one of the best 3DS games of all time, and is probably my favourite portable Zelda game. It has the same vibrant, immersive overworld as A Link to the Past, but a completely new set of fun dungeons. My one complaint with the game is that it's (in my opinion) too easy, however I was able to overlook this.
Feb 25, 2014When it was first announced as a sequel to A Link to the Past, I dismissed this game, determined not to fall for its nostalgia factor. However, as it would turn out, A Link Between Worlds became the selling point of the 3DS for me - the freedom to tackle dungeons in any order, the item rental system, and the addictive game play style convinced me to give it a spin, and I never looked back. This is THE game to own for the 3DS and I hope it's just the beginning of where the series will take us in the future.… Expand
Feb 21, 2014The gameplay, the music, the controllers, the graphics are amazing. The dungeons are amazing too, because now you feel there is more excitement with using 3D feature. There is joy in this game, but after some hours you will start to feel that the game is actually very similar to Link to the past. The elements of this game are also very similar. It makes you think this game is just an remake with few new content. The reason why i gave this 8, is because the game does not bring you revolution to Zelda series that needs very badly in these days.… Expand
Feb 18, 2014This is one of my favorite games of all time. The puzzles take some time to complete but when completed they offer great satisfaction. The controls are very responsive and the combat is satisfying. The remixes of old zelda tunes are entertaining and the new tracks are really great as well. The new shop system gives an open-world-like feel which zelda games have never achieved before. All in all this is a great game that any 3ds owner should buy.… Expand
Feb 17, 2014Sendo o The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds uma sequela do A Link to the Past, ambos os jogos partilham um mundo igual. Mal comecei o jogo, o primeiro sentimento que tive instantaneamente foi o de nostalgia. Ao estar num mundo praticamente idêntico ao do seu antecessor, a minha primeira hora de jogo esfumou-se a explorar o máximo possível do mapa não só para ver o que se manteve e o que mudou, mas também para o poder ver como o primeiro mundo que alguma vez explorei nesta série estava com o gráficos atualizados aos dias de hoje. Mas atenção, enquanto este jogo pode utilizar a nostalgia como motivo de interesse, o jogo só em si tem uma identidade própria com potência suficiente para o tornar num clássico instantâneo, não necessitam de jogar o jogo anterior para poderem conseguirem uma melhor experiência deste. O próprio jogo a início conta, de forma resumida, a história do que se passou no A Link to the Past.
Neste jogo, a história, de forma muito resumida, passa-se 6 gerações depois do A Link to the Past, Yuga um mago com poderes especiais, começa a capturar os sete descendentes dos sábios, prendendo-os em quadros e cabe a Link salvá-los das suas prisões e impedir que Yuga ressuscite Ganon.
Mas é nos termos da jogabilidade que o A Link Between Worlds brilha, indo desde a apresentação dos puzzles de que são feitas as 12 masmorras do jogos, até à nova habilidade que Link adquire neste jogo, movimentar-se pelas paredes, passando pelo novo método de obter os itens que nos vão ser uteis pelo jogo fora.
A habilidade de se movimentar pelas paredes, tornando-nos numa pintura em 2D num mundo em 3D é a habilidade chave deste jogo, permitindo-nos viajar entre os 2 mundos existentes através de fissuras nas paredes e muitos dos puzzles existentes terão de ser completados usando este novo poder, onde plataformas com cofres ou interruptores impossíveis de serem alcançadas tornam-se possíveis graças a este poder.
Para continuar a ler o resto da review vai a
http://gamebumper.blogspot.pt/2014/02/review-legend-of-zelda-link-between.html… Expand
Feb 17, 2014LBW is an example of a gamers dream. Nintendo has the strongest franchises for nostalgia. LBW hits those notes perfectly in every way. All gamers wish their childhood game would be brought back to life in stunning graphics and game play. LBW does EXACTLY that. Zelda are blessed to be one of the few to experience this emotion.
This is what I notice in JUST the first 5 minutes of playing.
+ Great sound track
+ 60 Frames per second - looks smooth
+ Great animations
+ Polish smooth game play
+ and 3D that doesn't hurt to look at it.
Here's what I experience as playing.
Nintendo takes an old classic and shows that this game has aged very well. It has the same lay out from the SNES version so fans will easily recognize where to go. The quickly throws you straight into the action. This time updating old ideas. Instead of slowly progressing and unlocking items, you are able to rent / buy items to use in the game. Of coarse their are plenty of new ones for old fans to fall in love with.
The plat forming, level design, and dungeons are ALL well thought out. The game difficulty is easy enough to pick up and play but the concepts of navigating through puzzles show why this is ONE of the best franchise to date.
Once you start to realize how creative the levels are, you quickly understand why this game is praised so highly. Even the dungeons early on require you to use 3-4 of the different items , and mechanics to really explore every corner of the game. From hovering around with the use of the tornado stick, to bouncing on plat forms from your giant hammer, to sneaky in out of cracks with the new ability to glue yourself to the wall, this game has it all and it's a must for 3DS owners.… Expand
Feb 17, 2014the best zelda game. it may be very easy but i can let this slide since everything else about this game is great. no story that drags on or constant handholding like the last couple zelda games. the open ended structure of the game is also something i really like and searching the world for all the collectibles is very addicting and rewarding. the music and graphics are also quite good.
Feb 13, 2014If you have a 3DS, BUY THIS GAME!!!! It is pure genius. The dungeons are fun, the new item system works great, and link's new ability adds a ton of fun to the game. It is a must buy.
Feb 10, 2014As a long-time Zelda fan, I must say that I found this game rather...underwhelming. I breezed through this game, even nabbing 25/28 pieces of heart and 90/100 of the other collectibles without any help whatsoever. No dungeon took me longer than an hour. I don't know if it's that I'm getting better or the game is easier than usual, but as a guy that reveres the Zelda series as the best of the best, this doesn't feel much like Zelda.
My main gripe is that you are given most of the items in the game right at the start. All other Zelda games have had the same dungeon formula that has worked for over 100 dungeons in the series, and I'm not sure why they would deviate from it now.
The formula is simple: Several times throughout the dungeon, you'll need to solve some sort of similar puzzle repeatedly, for example, hitting a distant switch. Once you've done that a few times, you'll get an item from the dungeon that can singlehandedly solve that particular puzzle with ease, for example, the boomerang for hitting a distant switch. Finally, the dungeon boss can only be defeated through use of that item.
The formula in this game isn't too different; most dungeons have a particular item that will solve most of its puzzles, but the difference is that you already have that item when you go in, rather than getting it inside. This took a lot of the fun out of it.
It's worth adding that, in lieu of the standard dungeon item, each dungeon instead contains a bonus item that you don't require, although it never has anything to do with the dungeon itself.
I suppose, all in all, this game was made (like many of Nintendo's games these days) with a more casual audience in mind. I can't really fault them for that, and if you're a casual gamer, this is probably a title worth picking up. However, if you're a "pro" gamer, this title won't give you a good ratio of hours-to-dollars.… Expand
Feb 8, 2014This game's soundtrack is amazing. The story is pretty solid for a Zelda game. Zelda games never really have an extremely deep story but the basic idea behind the plot is good.
While I extremely like the changes, this is the first time they did it. Maybe they could program the enemies in a way that they evolve with your gaming level? Like, if you go without dying for a while, more enemies? Anyways, that might just be me thinking as a sort of reviewer out loud.
One dungeon has a fatal flaw that keeps this from giving me a 10 / 10 on this game. And that's a certain forest temple. It has a wall master following you everywhere. It's pretty annoying and breaks the game quite a bit. If they didn't do that, I would have gladly gave this a higher score.… Expand
Feb 7, 2014The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is, at its core, a sequel to the much older A Link to the Past. The map has all the familiarity of the old game but with much updated graphics. To say its a simple copy and paste job is inaccurate as there are still quite a bit of changes to the game.
The story starts out as the typical LoZ game does, with a young man named Link who is a bit lazy and yet has a great destiny ahead of him. The bad guy does bad stuff and Link must stop him and save Hyrule. The difference is that you are also able to transport to another world called Lorule. Traveling between the two worlds is essentially for completing certain puzzles and plays a large role in the story.
The gameplay is pretty standard. Boss fights are pretty simplistic and even on its hardest difficulty (unlocked after beating the game) its still pretty easy. There is quite a bit more emphasis on exploration than in past games since you don't really need to complete any of the dungeons in any particular order. The game doesn't seem to feel the need to rush you through the story so you can set your own pace. For example, I spent many mores hours on the game than required because I wanted to do as many of the side quests as I could stand. At the end of the game, I had all the best gear and as many heartpieces as you could get.
To summarize, this is a great game for LoZ fans. Its relatively tame manner and simplistic gameplay make it playable by even the most inexperienced video game player. It falls a bit short in that there isn't a whole lot of variety to it as there was in past games. Also its incredible easy so those who are looking for a challenge may wish to hurry through the game.… Expand
Feb 3, 2014Although is true that going for so much trouble solving puzzles just to get some rupees you will end up not using near the end, everything else is great. It was like going back to play the old SNES title, but better, because it's everything fresh. Elements were so classic and yet some many things new and entertaining. I am not a Zelda fan, but I like it, and I can tell you I didn't get so engages with the previous 2 or 3 titles as I was with this one :).… Expand
Feb 3, 2014The best Zelda game since the Super Nintendo era. Control is tight and responsive, and 60 frames per second is a delight in 3D. The game is perhaps a bit easy and short, but still worth every penny.
Feb 2, 2014In short, this game is exactly what I expected it to be. I totally liked the game's setting and I immediately felt kind of home, since I remember many locations from Zelda - A Link to the Past.
The game features some new elements such as the ability to become a 2-D painting and to move on walls, which allows some pretty cool riddles. Also you are free to choose, in which order to complete the dungeons. You can borrow or buy the necessary Items to solve the corresponding dungeons. As a nice hint a sign at each dungeon's entrance tells you what items you need in order to complete it.
As a neat extra, you can play against other player's AI-controlled protagonists, that you have met via StreetPass.
The game contains a magnificent Soundtrack. Its graphics are awesome und use the 3-D effect very well. The story was also quite good. The only things I didn't like that much is the fact that the game is way too easy. Even on the highest difficulty, the game was a piece of cake. Also, I wished the game to be a little longer.
Still, I bought the 3DS just to buy this game, and it totally fulfilled my expectations.
Graphics 10/10 (awesome use of 3D-Effect)
Sound 10/10 (beautiful and epic)
Story 5/10 (nothing special, nothing bad)
Fun 9/10 (nice riddles, nice gameplay)
other: -too easy
-could have been longer
+features Spot Pass
Final grade: 8/10… Expand
Jan 28, 2014Just beat Zelda: a Link Between Worlds last night. Put in about 23h into the game, and honestly over the past week and a half I've had trouble putting it down.
It's one of the best of the LoZ games that I've played, if only for its sheer presentation and fluidity of gameplay. The music is outstanding, the world and graphics are beautiful with crazy attention to detail, and the puzzles are tricky and entertaining.
The best part of the game for me was how much of an undirected open world approach they took. It was pure exploration and discovery, where every nook and cranny could be investigated by using one item or another. Also, it's a completionists wet dream, with tons of extras to keep you exploring all across the map.
One of my few complaints is how the final dungeon felt a bit 'cheap' in that it didn't require much effort at all. I didn't even realize I was at the final boss because I expected the game to require more effort for me to reach him. And while the final boss was spectacular to look at, I found him to be rather easy to defeat in comparison to previous Zelda games. This applies over to all aspects of the game in general, the relative ease of getting through the game took away from the experience, in my opinion, because while you were getting stronger, getting better items, and generally becoming a badass, the level of difficulty never really rose to meet your challenge.
For example, it wasn't until much later in the game did I realize I could upgrade all of my items. I literally had 2 dungeons left to finish before getting any of the upgraded items, which means that I could have finished the entire game without upgrading any of the items. It gives that whole sidequest of upgrading your gear seem trivial.
Those are some of the only real knocks I can make on the overall excellent game. It's hard to believe what they can do on mobile nowadays. I remember owning a gameboy as a kid, and my favorite game for it was by far The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. That game had managed to capture so much of what made the Zelda games more than just fun, more than the sum of their parts. It's nice to see the spirit that that old game encompassed alive and well on modern portable systems, and the 3DS proves itself a worthy home for the Zelda series.
I really can't recommend this game enough.… Expand
Jan 27, 2014I am 32 years old and have always enjoyed all the Zelda titles. However, I was a little disappointed by this game and its lack of content. I was a little frustrated several times after going out of my way to solve a puzzle that took quite a while to complete only to be rewarded with a chest that contains 100 rupees. The entire game is pretty much the same thing over and over with nothing added. I was amazed by the fact that Link was not able to obtain rings or really anything special. The fact that you rent items was also a complete sham. Halfway through the game I ended up having 9999 rupees and pretty much nothing to spend them on. (aside from throwing 2500 of them into a fairy fountain to get an extra jar) Rupees were so useless (unless you die a lot and have to rent everything over and over) This made going out of your way to open a secrete chest not worth it. The only secrete chest i found that was worth anything was at the very end when i got 2 upgrades to my tunic. In my opinion there should have been about 25 different tunics that all had different abilities. but the makers of this game decided to include really no added content. Aside from have one or two hearts more or less, I ended the game with the exact same link that everyone else ended with. I was very disappointed :( Link wears rings, that is the Link I know. I guess I should have read more about this one, Link should have hundreds of items that he can wear instead he gets a tunic and a shield. that is pretty much it. This game would be great for a 5 year old that can read at a 5th grade level.… Expand
Jan 20, 2014It's as if Nintendo handed A Link to the Past over to Mother Maiamai and got this in return. ALBW manages to juggle feelings of nostalgia new concepts and characters, an interesting story, and fantastic game play. Currently it stands next to Fire Emblem: Awakening as my two favorite games currently released for the 3DS. It was easy to lose myself in this game as I worked through its dungeons, and I'd recommend it to any one with a 3DS. It's biggest flaw is its brevity-- I could certainly have played it a lot longer (yes, yes, I did go back and re-beat it in hero mode). Still, I suppose it's not necessarily a bad thing when the only flaw you can think of with a game is that it left you wanting more. It isn't that the story didn't feel sufficient, it was. You just won't see me complaining if they released DLC or some other sort of story expansion that adds even more to what is already there.… Expand
Jan 17, 2014As a huge Zelda fan, it is with a heavy heart that I must admit that I did not find the joy it seems that everyone else is finding in A Link Between Worlds.
To be blunt - the term copy and past is one that is thrown around frequently with the Zelda games, and it is a term that I would defend the games against. However, I have never felt so cheated as I have with this instalment in the long running franchise.
At least with Ocarina of Time 3D a few years ago, Nintendo had the decency of calling it what it was - a facelift. A far prettier version of the original. But the fact that one of the most beloved faces in the gaming industry would have the audacity to try and spin A Link Between Worlds as a new game, well, those people are what I like to call criminals.
The game (labeled as a sequel to the much praised SNES classic A Link to The Past), is a direct rip off of the aforementioned. Even saying it has better graphics would be an insult to how astonishing ALTTP was for it's time. This is an UGLY game. The gameplay is so hard to come to terms with, considering the ground breaking lengths that the series has gone to to ensure that each instalment stays fresh and interesting, the gameplay just feels stale. Like it was dragged out of an age old cupboard, slightly dusted off and then tacked into the game.
The map is IDENTICAL to the one featured in ALTTP, and this is one of things that really bothers me. A direct sequel? Sure. But how do you expect anyone to take such a statement seriously when there are NO NEW IDEAS on display? Well, I suppose that's not entirely true, you can in fact, now rent any item, such as the Bow or the Hookshot right from the beginning of the game. But this just takes any joy or sense of discovery and reward out of bland and simplistic dungeons.
This is, above all else, a crowd pleaser. Something to quell the populous while they complain about how there hasn't been a Majora's Mask 3D yet, or that there is not a new Zelda game on the Wii U. It appeals to those who need their fix of daily nostalgia, and it appeals to those who are either too young or too ignorant to know how ALTTP changed the gaming world when it was released.
A Link Between Worlds is one of the weakest Zelda titles ever released, and it actually pains me to see it put side by side with some of the amazing titles this year, and to hear it called the best Zelda game ever made.
A 4 out of 10.
Jack Valentine… Expand
Jan 13, 2014First I want to say that this is the first Zelda game I have ever played. With that said, this is one of the best games I have ever played. Exploring every nook and cranny of Hyrule, getting every item, experiencing every event was a thrill a minute. The world is so rich and full of character and history that I was so blown away. The gameplay was also an amazing feat hacking and slashing away, solving puzzles, merging with the environment and traversing to dimensions is simply dumbfounding. I never knew how breathtaking a Legend of Zelda game was until I experienced. This game has launched Zelda-madness for me and I will never forget the first time I explored Hyrule.… Expand
Jan 12, 2014This is a good game, but it feels a little easy for me once i got a good amount of heart pices and upgrades (prior to that i died once every dungeon). The puzzles are cleverly done and the music was epic, it improves with the progresion of the game meking you feeling more pumped through the end.
Now i will start hero mode to see if it fits better my skills. Buy this game this is a clasic for the 3DS and one of the best Zelda games… Expand
Jan 11, 2014An amazing new direction for zelda games to move in, but with some hiccups that naturally result from being rather different. The game feels very crisp in terms of movement and fighting, and the special items feel good to use.
In terms of the dungeons, because you don't get the special items in any particular order, instead of each dungeon sometimes having you use a previous dungeon's item as a way of adding complexity to a puzzle, each dungeon simply relies on just one particular special item and ignores the rest. I think it's a loss there, and they should have done more multi-item rooms and puzzles. As it is though, each dungeon feels sufficiently complex because of the wall-melding mechanic, and each dungeon gets you to think for a moment or two. Not too hard, but not too easy. Most of the dungeons require you to walk back over your own path at several points instead of simply clearing the whole dungeon room by room, which some folks might like or not like depending on their own style. Dungeon bosses aren't quite too hard to fight, but they do feel somewhat tense and it's pretty satisfying when you win and get that heart container.
Hyrule is almost an exact copy of the LTTP world. Lorule is almost a copy of the Dark World. It gives them a feeling of being already explored, even if you've never seen a particular area yet. Probably not a good route for them to have gone on that one. The map itself keeps a solid flow in terms of letting you get around from place to place without too much trouble. There's also weather vanes spread everywhere which are both the save points of the game and also the warp points.
The story is really standard for a zelda game, and kinda a shame at that. They use a blending of Ocarina of Time and Link to the Past's story, and you even end up in the Temple of Light after you save each princess. Natural perhaps, since it's supposed to be a sequel, but they probably could have come up with something better if they'd tried at all (I'm looking at Link's Awakening and Majora's Mask here).
Overall, it's a strong showing, and a good direction for Zelda games to turn towards. If future zelda games keep heading in this more open world metroidy direction instead of leading you by the nose all the time the series could be improved by a whole lot.… Expand
Jan 10, 2014Twenty-two years after the release of the beloved Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past, its sequel A Link Between Worlds finally sees the light of day. In this outing, we see link set out to return the land of Hyrule back to normal after Yuga, this entry's Ganondorf turns the seven sages along with Zelda into paintings.
This entry in the series gets a lot right: no tutorial phase to waste your time, a new and much-appreciated fast-travel system, and most interesting of all, an item shop containing all the items previously attainable only through dungeon-crawling. Though this may seem like a misstep at first, rest assured, it's a very welcome addition. Without each dungeon being gated by items, the game takes a more open approach, allowing players to tackle each dungeon in any order he or she chooses, at his or her own pace.
While this approach makes the worlds of Hy- an Lorule feel much less game-y, it also means that there isn't much incentive driving the next dungeon crawl. While the abundance of smaller chests packed with rupees helped to combat this somewhat, I couldn't shake the feeling that most dungeons were an uninspired grind. Absent of any challenge or character, each new dungeon felt more like a set of simple obstacle courses than a challenging set of puzzles leading up to a harrowing boss-fight. In fact, most bosses felt quite lifeless, with the only challenge being how fast you can mash the sword button.
And finally, I must make mention of the new 2D mechanic that allows link to become a painting on a wall, opening up new methods of traversal. Though seemingly interesting at first, it turns out the mechanic is but a gimmick in execution. It is but an overused mode of traversal with little depth. Look for the platform against the wall, walk across the wall to the other platform, rinse, repeat.
Though the latest entry into the Zelda franchise offers a pretty experience with some thoughtful touches, when you get right down to it, it's just another by-the-numbers Zelda game with even less of the well-loved challenge and thought that its predecessors had. A 6 out of 10.
From Polygon: Games with a score of six have good parts, but uneven overall execution. Prospective players should know what they're getting into before they dedicate time and commitment.… Expand
Jan 9, 2014The ability to warp into a moving portrait initially concerned me, but it works flawlessly. The original SNES title is my favorite game. A Link Between Worlds takes the original and improves upon it in every way. The overworld is enjoyable to explore. The dungeons meet the expectation set by the franchise. The combat is as fun as ever. The new weapon system shouldn't worry anyone as it is implemented very well and allows the gamer to choose which dungeon to explore. A Link Between Worlds is so good that it's worth purchasing a 3ds for.… Expand
Jan 6, 2014As much as The Legend of Zelda is among my favorite gaming franchises, I'll be the first one to admit it needed a makeover. Somewhere along the way things became stagnant, and while new games were still excellent, they lacked that sense of wonder present in the best entries of the series, such as the recently remade Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, and, yes, A Link to the Past. Zelda needed another game changer, and I am overjoyed to say that A Link Between Worlds is the real deal.
As you're probably aware, the game is a direct sequel to SNES's A Link to the Past, and as such retains the overhead perspective (but with improved graphics). It works just as well as it did back then, giving the game a sense of simplicity that can often be lost in more sprawling third-person adventures. This is one of A Link between Worlds' greatest triumphs: it's a tight game where nothing takes too long to do, making it just about perfect for a handheld platform. Of course, this also means that it's closer in length to previous handheld Zeldas like Oracle of Seasons or Link's Awakening; it took me a little less than 30 hours to finish it with every last collectible, compared to the 50 plus hours I recently spent in Wind Waker HD. The game is so perfectly crafted, however, that those 30 hours really counted.
The main "gimmick" in display is Link's ability to turn into a painting. This allows you to switch from the overhead perspective to sidescrolling sections. At this point I am utterly convinced that this might just be the greatest mechanic ever in any Zelda game. It is astonishing just how clever the implementation was, allowing you to do so much more than would be ordinarily possible in a game like this.
Another big hit is the new way of getting weapons. Now, you rent (and later buy) them from a new character named Ravio. This allows you to tackle dungeons in whichever order you choose, which gives the game an incredible sense of freedom. If you're worried about losing that awesome "finally-finding-a-new-weapon" moment in the game's dungeons, worry no more: there are still unique items to be found in each of them, making the switch one with absolutely no downsides. Furthermore, after you finally buy a weapon, you have a way of upgrading it: just collect a bunch of maimai babies (little crustacean creatures cleverly hidden throughout the game's world) and take them to their mother. A set of 10 maimai allows the mother to upgrade a weapon of your choice, with a nice reward if you manage to collect all 99 of them.
And then there's the story. It starts out fairly by-the-numbers, but rest assured you'll have a few oh-my-goodness moments until the very end. It is clever and endearing, and will likely go down as one of the series' best.
Not only is A Link Between Worlds a great game in its own right, it's also insanely exciting as a foreshadowing for things to come in future Zelda entries. They're finally breaking some pretty hard-set conventions, and the result is absolutely gorgeous.… Expand
Jan 2, 2014The lowest review scores are from Destructoid and The Escapist so it's safe to say this is a great game that people who don't contrarily hate something because it's popular will really enjoy.
Jan 2, 2014As someone who considers a Link to the Past to be the best Zelda game of all time (incidentally also the first I remember playing), I was excited to hear about a remake; even moreso when it was announced that it would be a sequel.
Now that I've played it, I can say it's even better than my high expectations made it seem. With gorgeous graphics, brilliantly placed 3D, nostalgic gameplay, and a surprisingly intriguing story (albeit most of the twists were near the end), any video game fan not just fans of Zelda would be stupid not to pass up such a modern masterpiece.… Expand
Jan 2, 2014This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A very solid workman like entry in the Zelda series. A Link Between Worlds does nothing to irritate the player. It won't bore you with endless talking or interrupt your fun with monotonous cutscenes. Nor will it frustrate you with gimmicky control schemes. ALBW just let's you get on and play. Sensible design choices are made throughout, controls are tight and responsive. Being able to turn into a 2D drawing is an inspired gameplay mechanic which adds new dimensions to the games puzzles and exploration.
In theory it's the perfect Zelda game but there's no mistaking the undeniable stench of over familiarity. Dungeons feel indistinct. The art style is needlessly childish and in a post Dark Souls gaming landscape the low difficulty and lack of punishment means boss fights lack drama.… Expand
Jan 1, 2014This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. [Condensed]
Concept: Improve a classic by evolving the standard formula to include some revolutionary new tweaks, and work better because of it. Far from a simple rehashing of an already known tale.
Graphics: Limited only by the system limits of the handheld device(s) it is on, ALBW has beautiful scenery and a memorable Hyrule.
Sound: Soundtrack pieces both new and old make appearances and all sound classy and classic when mixed together to provide the basis for the game's musical score.
Playability: The dungeons are well laid out and well crafted, each boss is a perfect fit and the battles aren't too terribly boring, though maintaining the same level of challenge as before. There is plenty of new content, and this is far from a simple graphical update of the same story we've been told several times over. Handles excellently. New ideas work just as well as the old ones they are side by side with.
Entertainment: Boots A Link to the Past out of the number one or two handheld Zelda adventures in my mind, and it has only been out for a short period of time. I'd say that bodes pretty well for it.
Replay Value: High.
Overall Score: 9.0… Expand
Dec 31, 2013It is a great game, the story caught my attention because it is related to ocarina of time's story, the graphics are beautiful, although the map is smaller than I expected. There are a few things that disappointed me though, like the fact that you have to buy the items you are going to use in dungeons instead of finding them there or the absence of a cool partner like Navi or Midna (at least for the first 3 dungeons, I haven't finished it). Still, awesome game for anyone, especially Zelda lovers like myself.… Expand
Dec 30, 2013I must say first of all that the art in this game is absolutely fantastic. The simple and smooth 3d sprites are beautiful. I'm praying they make at least a couple more Zelda games with this same engine. Gameplay is also great. Exactly what you'd expect from the great zelda franchise. A lot of people complain about how the items are rented from a single central location instead of earned in the dungeons, but I've quite enjoyed how it's made the dungeon system a bit more dynamic. Long story short: buy this game.… Expand
Dec 30, 2013This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really enjoyed this game. I have been a huge fan of zelda since the age of 9 and have loved every single game of zelda that I have played to date.
The only thing keeping this from a 10, is the lower difficulty and how easy you acquire the items.
Dungeons were quite simple and there wasn't a skill jump as you can pretty much enter them in any order you like and challenges can seem quite set up and linear.
Majority of items acquired are simply bought instead of earned which takes away the satisfaction of progressing through the game.
These cons however do not make the game unplayable.
- The story is great
- gameplay is solid
- Age friendly. Still has a few challenging moments and puzzles for all ages.
- music...wow
- still a long game especially for a portable game
- nostalgic like you won't believe (plenty of A link to the past and Ocarina of Time story references)
- still magical like all of the other titles have been
Overall Nintendo have done a fantastic job with this one.
Zelda fans will be able to adapt to the flaws and will definately enjoy the pro's this game has to offer.
It is a must own for the 3DS hands down.… Expand
Dec 29, 2013This game is the best Nintendo has had to offer, puzzle-wise. The vast area holds plenty of things to discover, and you're never on a linear path. The puzzles respect your intelligence, and are never unfair. The graphics are indecisive, sure, but they grow on you. It's a classic game with a very shiny new coat of paint. While the story is a little lacking, I felt Nintendo put lots of care into it, like Mario 3D land. Focusing on game play, this is an easy 10. Story, however, isn't great, but it's not bad, either. This is truly a masterpiece. This game has endless charm, great music, awesome puzzles, and multiple dungeons. Not to mention that it makes good use of Street Pass. Please get it! It's a benchmark in hand held games!… Expand
Dec 28, 2013This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I can remember playing the original A Link to the Past on the Super Nintendo years ago. And while my memories from the original can never be replicated, this newest rendition will produce many additional enjoyable moments. If you have been attempting to find an explanation (or excuse) to purchase a 3DS or 2DS, THIS GAME ALONE IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD AND IS REASON ENOUGH TO BUY A 2DS OR 3DS!!
I have been amazed at how the game can play tricks visually, even without the use of the 3D depth slider. The merge ability is a great twist on the gameplay, and for anyone who has played the Paper Mario series, you should easily transition into this method. And just when you think you have explored most of the new areas, the game leads you into other new areas to explore.
I have only finished the first palace, but can tell that I will be hooked until the very end.… Expand
Dec 27, 2013Nintendo shows that they still know what they're doing. I loved a Link to the Past, and this modernization of the game works just as well. I was enthralled by the stretches of Hyrule, and the Dark World, now called Lorule. Nostalgia made sweet impact as familiar music and areas hit.
I appreciate that the game is fast-paced and more action oriented, and it provides a great classic feel. What's also great is being able to rent every item you could possibly need. It's great to just jump right into the action with reckless abandon.
The game's story is also quite a bit different. The ending was also quite atypical from most Zelda games, and I enjoyed watching it unfold throughout the adventure.
Although the game managed to replicate the old school feel, it didn't replicate the old school challenge. This might just be the easiest Zelda game to date, even easier than Wind Waker. I understand the reasoning because of how open the world was. The game's later dungeons are all accessible at once, so it would be unfair for someone whose new to enter a ridiculous dungeon, but I love digging through enormous dungeons. Some veterans may even finish the game in 10 or so hours. There is hero mode, but considering how easy it was, it would've been nice to have the option right off the bat.
Still, it's a great game, especially for newcomers and those who might be intimidated by the series.… Expand
Dec 27, 2013nam noodle......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Dec 27, 2013Fun for all ages. This chapter in the Legend of Zelda franchise is the same as the last top down zelda games but with a few new gameplay elements that take advantage of this being a 3d rendered world. If you like zelda or are just getting into it, this is the game for you.
Dec 26, 2013Where to being for 'A Link Between Worlds'? (Old-time fans might want to skip to further down if they want my take on the new gameplay changes) I went into this game skeptically, as I'm sure did many people. New ideas are introduced to this game and that alone can be scary when it comes to a tried and true franchise, especially for those old school gamers, but this game does everything right. Before I go on I'd like to mention the pacing, tutorial-wise. Newcomers should find that they are eased into the game nicely whilst old-timer's will find that they are not bombarded with things that they already know, which I find very refreshing by itself.
The first important thing to note for this game is that it is set in the same Hyrule as in 'A Link to the Past'. This alone had me skeptical, but where I once thought I was being cheated out of a new land to explore I now feel elation at having revisited Hyrule in this new light. The map remains much the same geographically but collectibles do not, allowing veterans of the franchise the challenge of making Link the perfect hero once again. I was also worried that all the dungeons and bosses would be rehashed versions of those from 'A Link to the Past', but thankfully this is not true. The dungeons have retained their names and several also have the same theme but the layout of the dungeons are not the same and are much more puzzle and item oriented than they once were, and there were few enough familiar faces where bosses are concerned.
The story is well crafted and extremely enjoyable, without a doubt a strong point in the series (particularly among the handheld titles of the franchise). The characters encountered in the game are charming and interesting. Old fans of the series will recognise several faces and nods to earlier titles (check the West wall of Link's home in Hyrule) which will undoubtedly summon up some nostalgia, though several new characters are introduced to the story line that are extremely lovable and memorable. The music is mostly made up of remastered tracks from 'A Link to the Past' and the whole score sounds fantastic. Again, old fans of the series will find something new to love and should enjoy feeling very nostalgic as they listen to classic tracks in a new light.
Finally, we come to the three significant gameplay changes to 'A Link Between Worlds'. First and foremost, the ability to become a painting on the wall. While odd, this added a whole new element to the gameplay without taking away from the already existing mechanics of combat and exploration. The only problem I had was occasionally forgetting about it entirely as I walked around trying to figure out how to get somewhere I had to wall-walk to.
Next, there's the inclusion of a regenerative stamina bar rather than the traditional magic bar. This also serves to replace ammunition, giving you infinite uses of an item so long as you have a little stamina. At first I was put off by the thought of this replacement to the tried and tested system of picking up bombs and arrows and magic pots but it turned out to be an extremely pleasant surprise. In previous titles such as 'A Link to the Past' I found that I very rarely used items such as bombs or arrows in combat because I didn't want to not have them should I need them. Magic items such as the Fire Rod I didn't use at all, for obvious reasons, and the new stamina bar allowed me to use these items to their full effect in combat, making battles much more enjoyable than ever before.
Last but not least, we come to the rental system. Again, when I first learned of item rental I was very put off. However, I was once again pleasantly surprised. In previous titles you would find the item required to best the dungeon inside the dungeon. Ensuring that the player has the item before entering changes the way the dungeons are created to some extent. Item oriented puzzles are present throughout the entire dungeon as opposed to half the dungeon, and the puzzles in this game are very engaging and well thought-out, the Sand Palace being a perfect example of this through the inclusion of my new favourite item, the Sand Rod (which is also used in the dungeon's stellar boss fight).
In conclusion, this game is a superb addition to the franchise. The story is gripping, the soundtrack is moving, the gameplay is rewarding and Hero Mode is challenging. If you're already a fan of the franchise this game will make a terrific addition to your collection. If you're new to the series then this is the perfect game to start with.… Expand
Dec 25, 2013Easy to learn, addictive and fun. Just a few words to describe this game, one of the best zelda games ever! It is a must buy for any 3ds user and is a great game to get started in the Legend of Zelda franchise!
Dec 25, 2013Um clássico renascido com outra história e jogabilidade. Para os nostálgicos, maravilhoso ver aquele desenho antigo de Link (topete e roupa marrom) andando por uma Hyrule desconhecida pela maioria dos fãs de Zelda. A Nintendo acertou em cheio ao utilizar àquela Engine de seus tempos áureos e nos proporcionou uma obra prima, assim como todo Zelda deveria ser. A música casa tão bem com o game que com certeza compraria uma trilha sonora. Os gráficos aparentam ser simples, mas quando se vê o cenário e seu capricho artistico, logo percebemos que o 3DS bem mais poderoso do que se aparenta. A jogabilidade flui com tamanha leveza que muito dificil você se confundir nos comandos ou travar nos botões. A interação com os itens está muito mais dinâmica do que em OOT e sua história segue uma linha tradicional subsequente direta do maravilhoso A Link to the Past. A interação com os dois mundos sensacional. Infelizmente, como todo Zelda, o que deixa a desejar a dificuldade a qual se mostrou extremamente facil, ainda mais agora que você pode alugar qualquer item do jogo desde que tenha rupees para isso. Aquele esquema de pegar itens seguidos e ordenados nos calabouços foi esquecido. A mecânica agora alugar com o estranhissimo e não menos folgado Rovio o qual aluga itens ou armas Link. Você os perde, porém, quando morre em batalha e cá entre nós, um tanto quanto facil morrer em batalha visto que a câmera torna-se um pouco desfortável no começo, mas nada que atrapalhe a jogatina. Zelda: A Link between Worlds veio para brilhar em meio a um mar de mesmice e plágios enrustidos dos games que se dizem da 8ª geração. Ryse e afins jamais conseguiriam ter a beleza técnica e artística que os caras da Nintendo proporcionam a todos os seus fãs. A riqueza de detalhes no mundo de Hyrule assim como a gama de personagens caracteristicos, cada um com uma personalidade, desviando ou ajudando o caminho árduo de Link. E olha só que coisa: o game dura lá pelas suas 20 horas. Longo, considerando que um game para um portátil.
Mais uma vez, a Nintendo nos mostra como fazer um game com pouco. Foi assim por gerações e continua agora. O que precisa ser feito, agora, um game desse nível para o Nintendo Wii U para enterre de uma vez por todas essas criticas pífias e injustas que os fã boys fazem a respeito da empresa. Jamais deixe de jogar esse game; ele mais essencial que mario kart 7. Um clássico que entrará para historia. Nos anos do futuro, com toda a certeza lembraremos desse jogo como uma maravilha do nosso tempo e lá, e somente lá, daremos o devido valor para essa obra prima do entretenimento. Jogue!… Expand
Dec 23, 2013The Game is perfect, but, i think is too short. I need more dungeons, All dungeons are very well made, challenging and at the same time are not impossible to be made. For me the game lacked only be last longer.
Nov 22, 2013One of the best games I have played. I have not played a link to the past in SNES and I haven't played much Zelda games apart from Twilight Princess, and those NDS titles. This has got to be my best experience with Zelda. I have always loved the music and it brings so much memory back with Hyrule castle, field and Kakaro Village being so condensed in the map, feeling great as in twilight princess the 3D is overwhelming but to see these places so reachable it simply feels great.
All the little puzzles are connected and don't seem redundant. I love how equipment are based on stamina now. There are still more explore, it is really well worth the money. Best 3DS game thus far.… Collapse
Mar 11, 2014A very good action RPG in a sandbox-like Hyrule. The game features a redefined equipment progression along with the nice flattening trick. It's a bit on the easy side, though. [Dec 2013]
Feb 6, 2014A Link Between Worlds is a Zelda for people who have become disillusioned with Zelda over the years. It recalls the series' roots while also taking unique advantage of the 3DS hardware to create something that feels new. They may not make them exactly like they used to anymore, but Link Between Worlds shows that they still recognize what made them great in the first place.
Jan 2, 2014Much is the same in A Link Between Worlds. Just like in A Link to the Past you follow Link from a birds-eye perspective in both light and dark worlds. But A Link Between Worlds is not merely a simple game of nostalgia but one that perfectly blends the new and old Zelda games. The result is one of the best games in the series.