When the topic of the best Zelda game gets brought up, everyone tends to mention Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and even Tears of the Kingdom. These are all good, but A Link Between Worlds should be there. It’s an innovative title that uses Link to the Past’s structure as a springboard for something new.
Simply put, A Link Between Worlds is one of the best Zelda games made by Nintendo. It’s a shame that this game is stuck on 3DS hardware, because more people should be able to play this gem. That’s one of the many reasons shutting down the last-gen eShop was a major negative.
Veteran Zelda fans who pick the game up might be turned off at first. Those who’ve played Link to the Past on SNES or Switch through NSO, the areas seem reused and unoriginal. This will be a red flag for some, since reusing these areas will make players think the game is pandering to their nostalgia. Making the controls feel similar doesn’t help with that notion.
Thankfully, that changes when Link gets the ability to become a wall painting. After a major story moment we won’t spoil, Link can transform into a painting that can stick on the walls. What might seem like an impressive visual effect becomes a central gameplay element, as plenty of dungeons are designed with this mechanic in mind. Whether going through wall cracks to find new items or sneaking through dungeons, this ability feels like a game-changer, and even a game-breaker.
A Link Between Worlds lets you break the game in other ways. In addition to this new wall painting ability, a mysterious merchant named Ravio will let you “rent” all the weapons you’ll need for this game.
Similar to the SNES’ Link to the Past, you will have to go through several dungeons to collect items important to the story. But unlike that game, Ravio’s weapon rentals let you go through any of these dungeons in any order the player chooses. It’s a refreshing amount of freedom to have in a Zelda game, something that wouldn’t be matched until Breath of the Wild’s release.
While we’re on the topic of freedom, A Link Between Worlds also copies Metroid Prime 2’s dark world mechanic and makes it its own. As expected, this is a darker version of Hyrule that has enough differences to make exploring worthwhile. There are story-mandated reasons to go here, but players will want to switch between worlds to get that full experience.
Having these two distinct features turns what could have been a standard Zelda adventure into something incredible. Player choice has always been important to gamers, but A Link Between Worlds does that through your gameplay methods. Do you go to the fire dungeon first with an ice rod? Maybe go to the dark world to finish some story beats. The choice is yours.
Nintendo should absolutely remaster Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. We also wouldn’t mind a cheap re-release like Luigi’s Mansion 2 if that means it also comes to the original Switch.