Release Date- November 22, 2013
Platform- Nintendo 3DS
Cost- $39.99
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is Nintendo's latest original Zelda title, this time for the 3DS. If A Link Between Worlds (LBW) looks or feels familiar, that's not a surprise. LBW is heavily based on A Link to the Past for the SNES, and if you've played any 'old' Zelda games it should feel very familiar. It is told from a top-down perspective instead of a third-person view, which hasn't been done since the Minish Cap. The top-down perspective really works on the 3DS and frees up space on the cartridge; instead of rendering 3D graphics, more space is dedicated instead to things like framerate and colors. Speaking of graphics...
Graphics and Sound
The game really looks great. The frame rate is REALLY high, so all the animations look super smooth. The colors are bright and vibrant in Hyrule, but more subdued and unsaturated in Lorule to show the difference between the two. There is never any doubt which kingdom you're in. Sometimes the people look a little silly because of the forced perspective from overhead.
The game sounds great too. The soundtrack is very nostalgic. If you've played other Zelda titles, you will instantly recognize the soundtrack. The sound effects are great, and also nostalgic. I recognize the monster hit sound and others from the GBA Zelda titles (the only other top-down Zelda I've played...).
Standard gameplay and a cutscene.
Gameplay and Plot
The plot is pretty simple- you must rescue Princess Zelda and save the kingdom. Sound familiar? Hyrule in threatened when the mysterious Yuga begins turning the Seven Sages into paintings and princess Zelda too. Yuga is from the kingdom of Lorule, something of an alternate universe setting of Hyrule. Link must travel to Lorule, rescue the sages and the princess, and defeat Yuga. Of course, saving Hyrule involves traveling to the far corners of the world, slaying beasts, and exploring dungeons. The plot is easy to follow, and I really liked the ending. Fun stuff.
Gameplay is great and feels natural. You move with the circle pad, swing your sword with B, talk to NPC and interact with certain items with A, and use items with X and Y. The touch screen is dedicated to the map, with buttons to access your inventory. You are given free reign over your pace of the story. You can race through the main story, or do all the side quests first. From the get-go, you have access to most of the world, letting you explore and complete side quests right away, but some parts require certain items to advance. Some items are not required to complete the main storyline, but are needed for the side quests. The story is easy to follow, and you always know where to go to complete the main story, but sometimes you need a little help. Enter the Hint Glasses! For 1 Play Coin, a cute 'lil Hint Ghost can help you out (Don't get me started on the Lost Woods. Ugh). However, I still needed a walkthrough on certain parts. That being said, I feel that this title is a bit more difficult than other titles like Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess. Nothing too overwhelming or frustrating though, but you may need Game FAQs for 100% completion or getting past a certain puzzle.
There is a feature that uses StreetPass. If you SP a person with ALBW, a Shadow Link appears somewhere on the map. You can then battle the Shadow Link. The Shadow Link is a copy of the Link from the other player's game, with all their current gear and items. If you beat them, you win Rupees. It's fun, but can get a little unfair if a new player is up against a person who has been playing longer, and thus has more hearts and better items. Trust me, it's no fun to battle a Shadow Link with a dozen heart containers, a Fire Rod and a Bow when you have only four hearts and the Boomerang. Not exactly the best multiplayer functionality, but I feel Nintendo just wanted to put StreetPass into the game.
Yuga with his portrait of one of the Seven Sages, whom you need to rescue.
Overall, this is a great addition to any 3DS library, and, in my opinion, well worth the $40. A very enjoyable game, I highly recommended it to any veteran Zelda fan. I would not recommended it to young children who may skip over essential dialogue or be frustrated with some of the harder puzzles.
