The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
| The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Nintendo EAD |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| System | Nintendo 3DS |
| Release Date | US/PAL November 22, 2013 JP December 26, 2013 |
| Genre | Adventure |
| Rating | ESRB: E |
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is an adventure game released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013. It is the seventeenth game in the Legend of Zelda series and the first one made for the Nintendo 3DS. This game is also known for being heavily inspired by A Link to the Past, which it acts as a sequel to.
Story[edit]
Several generations have passed since the events of A Link to the Past, which have passed into legend. A mysterious sorcerer named Yuga appears and begins turning people into paintings, particularly descendents of the Seven Sages. Link, an apprentice blacksmith, ends up embarking on a quest to find a way to stop Yuga and save the people he's been capturing, a quest which eventually brings him to an alternate world known as Lorule.
Gameplay[edit]
This game employs the basic gameplay style of the top-down Zelda adventures. Link can use his sword and shield at all times, and two of his other items can be assigned to the X and Y buttons from the touch screen. Rather then finding items in dungeons, most of the items are available from early in the game as rentals offered by Ravio. Items rented from Ravio are lost when the player continues from a game over and have to be re-rented, but it is possible to buy the items permanently later in the game. This game also features a special mechanic in which Link merges with walls and becomes a painting. This form can be used to reach out-of-reach areas, discover hidden passages and elude enemy attacks. The wall-merging ability and most of Link's items deplete an Energy Gauge. The Energy Gauge refills automatically when not being depleted, but if it is completely depleted, then the player must wait several moments before it starts to refill.
A Link Between Worlds is set in a Hyrule based directly on that of A Link to the Past, with locations and some characters mirroring those from the original game. The area of Lorule is also heavily based on the Dark World from A Link the the Past. Weather vanes are also present at several spots in Hyrule and Lorule. Once activated, Link can use them to save the game, and he can also travel instantly between different weather vanes within a land by calling upon Irene for a broomstick ride. This game is also noteable for allowing more freedom for players, as many of the dungeons can be undertaken in any order.
This game is also compatible with the StreetPass feature. Links from other players' games will appear as a Shadow Link somewhere in the game's map to challenge the player to a battle. The player earns a rupee bounty from winning, and there are also numerous achievements that can be fulfilled. Additionally, Play Coins can be given to Hint Ghosts in exchange for tips.
After completing the game for the first time, a more challenging Hero Mode is unlocked.
Continuity Notes[edit]
- A Link Between Worlds was the first Zelda game to be released after the release of the Hyrule Historia, which included the official timeline for the series, and this game is open about its timeline placement. It is set up as s sequel to A Link to the Past set several generations later. This places it in the Defeated Timeline, and it also places it after the other follow-ups of A Link to the Past: Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages and Link's Awakening.
- As such, this game contains numerous callbacks to A Link to the Past. Most of the geography and locations in Hyrule are similar to A Link to the Past. Sahasrahla also appears and makes references to the events of the game. Some of the paintings in Hyrule Castle also are based on the events of the game.
- There is one contradiction in the references to A Link to the Past in the form of Triforce placement. Within A Link Between Worlds, it is mentioned that Ganon was sealed away with the Triforce of Power, while the Triforce of Wisdom was held by the Royal Family, and the Triforce of Courage disappeared while awaiting a new hero. This does not line up with the ending of A Link to the Past, where Link claimed the entire Triforce at the end, and the Triforce pieces then appeared in the beginning of the Oracle games. It is uncertain if this plot point is supposed to retcon the events of A Link to the Past or the Oracle games, or if it is referring to some other unknown incident occurring after the Oracle games, or if it should simply be chalked up to a continuity error.
- Impa is started to have descended from one of the past sages. This seems to hint that she is related to the Impa from Ocarina of Time, who became one of the seven sages in that game.
Legacy[edit]
Sequels[edit]
The next game to be released would be The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D. In terms of original games, it was followed by The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes in 2015, which featured the same Link with a multiplayer focus.