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===Post-release===
===Post-release===
The game has received critical acclaim from critics, scoring an aggregate score of 92.00% on [[GameRankings]], based on 43 reviews, and 91/100 on [[Metacritic]], based on 69 reviews. IGN's Keza MacDonald declared that "''A Link Between Words'' is not a total revolution, but it may very well be the start of one. I haven’t been so challenged by a ''Zelda'' since ''Ocarina of Time'', and rarely have I been so consistently surprised by one."<ref name="IGN"/> While [[Gamespot]]'s Martin Gaston stated that "There's a lingering sense that by this point Nintendo is just running victory laps around a set of mechanics they perfected decades ago but, at the end of the day, none of that matters: this is simply an absolute treat to play."<ref name="GSpot"/>
The game has received critical acclaim from critics, scoring an aggregate score of 92.00% on [[GameRankings]], based on 43 reviews, and 91/100 on [[Metacritic]], based on 69 reviews. IGN's Keza MacDonald declared that "''A Link Between Worlds'' is not a total revolution, but it may very well be the start of one. I haven’t been so challenged by a ''Zelda'' since ''Ocarina of Time'', and rarely have I been so consistently surprised by one."<ref name="IGN"/> While [[Gamespot]]'s Martin Gaston stated that "There's a lingering sense that by this point Nintendo is just running victory laps around a set of mechanics they perfected decades ago but, at the end of the day, none of that matters: this is simply an absolute treat to play."<ref name="GSpot"/>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 05:45, 18 December 2013

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
North American box art
Developer(s)Nintendo EAD Group No. 3 Monolith Soft[4]
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Hiromasa Shikata
Producer(s)Eiji Aonuma
Artist(s)Koji Takahashi
Writer(s)Tatsuya Hishida
Mari Shirakawa
Composer(s)Ryo Nagamatsu
SeriesThe Legend of Zelda
Platform(s)Nintendo 3DS
Release
Genre(s)Action-adventure, Open-world
Mode(s)Single-player

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, known in Japan as Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce 2 (ゼルダの伝説 神々のトライフォース2, Zeruda no Densetsu Kamigami no Toraifōsu Tsū, lit. "The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods 2"), is an action-adventure game in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series for Nintendo 3DS. The game takes place in the same world as the 1991 Super Nintendo Entertainment System title, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, taking place six generations following that game's events.[5] The game was released on November 22, 2013 in North America and Europe, November 23, 2013 in Australia, and will be released on December 26, 2013 in Japan. It is the second retail game in the series released on the 3DS, after The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.

Gameplay

See also: Gameplay in A Link to the Past
File:KnT2 screenshot.png
A Link Between Worlds is played from an overhead perspective like its predecessor

The game follows the top-down two-dimensional gameplay of various Zelda games, especially A Link to the Past, though it is now presented with stereoscopic 3D graphics when played on the Nintendo 3DS. The top screen is used as the main screen, while the bottom touch screen contains the map, gear, and items.[6] The loading screen consists of a black screen with a Triforce in the lower right corner.[6]

Although the overworld is largely the same as that of A Link to the Past, all the dungeons are totally new.[6][7] Exploration of dungeons utilize the game's 3D effects and feature Link jumping between levels to solve puzzles and advance.[8]

Several items from A Link to the Past return, including arrows for shooting enemies from a long distance, the mallet which allows Link to knock down pegs in the ground, and the Fire Rod which creates a firestorm. The magic meter now refills on its own, a change from the original where it required potions to refill. The magic meter replaces previous games' ammunition system for Link's bow and bombs, as well as being used to power other items and special abilities, such as the magic hammer and spin attack.[9][10][6] The Master Sword shoots projectiles when Link is at full health as in A Link to the Past.[10]

Another new feature is the ability for Link to enter walls and become a drawing. When he does so, the camera shifts to a profile view and he is able to move along the walls to reach new areas.[11][12] Drawings of hearts and rupees can be found on walls and Link can collect them when he turns into a drawing.[13] This ability also allows Link to enter cracks in walls to move between Hyrule and Lorule.[13] This ability causes the player's meter to deplete with time.[9] The feature was inspired by the Phantom Ganon boss battle in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.[14]

Kotaku noted that the North American cover for the game included a Nintendo Network icon, leading them to speculate if the game will offer online functionality.[15]

Rupees are much more important in this game than in previous Zelda titles because of the necessity to buy or rent items. This, along with the ability of the player to choose the order of completing dungeons in, sets apart this Zelda game from more recent installments. The only time these two features have previously appeared in a Zelda game was, notably, the original game.[6]

Story

Setting

A Link Between Worlds is the first title since the Oracle series to be set in the "Sealing War" timeline since the split that occurred following the release of Ocarina of Time. The game chronologically takes place between Link's Awakening and The Legend of Zelda, six generations after the events of A Link to the Past, [16][17][18] and as such, is not the same as in A Link to the Past.[19] While the game is set in the world of A Link to the Past, many of the locations from the game, such as the dungeons, or the Dark World, are absent. Instead, A Link Between Worlds features an alternate version of Hyrule, called Lorule that is ruled by Zelda's counterpart Hilda.[20]

Plot

Following the events of A Link to the Past, the royal family of Hyrule elected to split the Triforce to stop evil from rising again. This had the effect of returning each part to its elected owner. One part returned to the deceased demon king Ganon, one part stayed with the Royal family, and a third part took its rightful place in the heart of the hero eternal.

The game then begins proper, with the blacksmith's son, Gulley, waking up his dad's apprentice, Link, to get him to work. Once there, however, he must deliver a finished sword to the Captain at Hyrule Castle after the Captain leaves without it. Before he is able to deliver the sword, Link finds the Captain stuck inside the Sanctuary by a mysterious figure named Yuga who turns the Sanctuary's minister Seres into a painting before running off. Coming to, Link finds that he was brought back to his house by a strange wandering merchant named Ravio, who is allowed by Link to stay in his house.

Ravio tells Link to report all that has happened to Princess Zelda, who Link meets in Hyrule Castle. Zelda gives him the Pendant of Courage and tells him to seek the elder Sahasrahla in Kakariko Village for further guidance. Sahasrahla informs Link that Yuga is hiding at the Eastern Palace and is likely seeking out the descendants of the Sages in order to revive Ganon. Upon cornering Yuga in the Eastern Palace, Link is turned into a painting during the ensuing fight. However, a bracelet given by Ravio protects Link, and he instead gains the ability to transform into a painting at will. Soon afterwards, Hyrule Castle in enveloped by a magic barrier which Sahasrahla says can only be broken by the Master Sword.

Once he obtains the remaining two Pendants and then the Master Sword, Link rushes to Hyrule Castle when he finds out Yuga is after Zelda as he turns her into a painting. Link follows him, finding a mysterious crack in Zelda's study that leads to a strange, darker version of Hyrule Castle. By the time Link finds him, Yuga is using the paintings that hold Zelda and the Seven Sages' descendants to revive Ganon and fuse the demon with himself to obtain the Triforce of Power. Luckily, Link is saved by a young woman named Hilda, who traps Yuga-Ganon in magic bonds and reveals herself as princess of the decaying kingdom of Lorule. She tells Link that he must free the Seven Sages before the bonds weaken.

After saving the Sages and obtaining the Triforce of Courage, Link returns to Lorule Castle, where Hilda tells him the history of Lorule. Much like Hyrule, Lorule had its own Triforce which was fought over by the people. This Triforce was destroyed in order to keep it out of the hands of evil, but this led to their world gradually crumbling away. Link learns that Hilda is the one who is really behind Yuga's actions, a scheme to take Hyrule's Triforce to replace their own, as she siphons the Triforce of Wisdom from Zelda. Hilda then summons Yuga-Ganon and frees him in order to kill Link and take his final part of the Triforce. However, Yuga-Ganon reveals that he has been acting on his own whim to remake the world in his image, and he absorbs Hilda to combine the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Power. Still trapped in her painting, Princess Zelda gives Link the Bow of Light so he can defeat Yuga-Ganon. Despite being freed, the weakened Hilda decides to fight Link personally to get the completed Triforce from him.

At this time, Ravio appears, revealing himself to be Link's Lorulian counterpart in disguise. Out of loyalty to his princess, yet lacking the courage his Hyrulean counterpart has, Ravio snuck into Hyrule and sought out Link so he could secretly help stop Hilda from making a grave error. Ravio manages to convince Hilda to relinquish her ambition for the sake of both lands, and then she shows Link and Zelda the way back to Hyrule. Upon their arrival back in Hyrule, Link and Zelda use the Triforce to wish for the restoration of Lorule's own Triforce, subsequently saving Lorule. His quest complete, Link returns the Master Sword to its rightful place, until it will be required once more. In Hero Mode, an extra scene shows Link being accompanied by the Seven Sages and Zelda in the Lost Woods.

Development

Development of a new Zelda game for the 3DS began in 2011.[21] In 2012 Shigeru Miyamoto stated in an interview that he would like to remake A Link to the Past, but would rather create a new game inspired by it.[22] Later, he said he was debating whether to make a sequel to A Link to the Past or a 3D remake of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.[23] Series producer Eiji Aonuma clarified in an interview that Miyamoto had asked him to do a remake of A Link to the Past, but that Aonuma himself preferred to work on a brand new game, and so convinced Miyamoto that this was the best direction in which to head.[24]

A Link Between Worlds was officially unveiled on 17 April 2013 on Nintendo's online broadcast channel Nintendo Direct. The European and North American broadcasts did not provide the game's subtitle, only referring to it tentatively as The Legend of Zelda.[25] A 3D trailer was released on the Nintendo eShop the same day.[7] The game is confirmed to feature fully orchestrated music from the original.[26] The idea of Link becoming flat like a picture came from the Phantom Ganon boss from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, where the antagonist hides inside paintings, and the development team asked themselves why they couldn't grant Link the same ability.[27]

Music

The game features slightly updated sound effects from its predecessor, A Link to the Past. The music tracks are arrangements of the originals.[28] In addition to the music from its direct storyline predecessor, the Streetpass battle mode of the game includes two remixed and rearranged versions of the Temple Theme from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The Streetpass mode is itself directly inspired by the final "Shadow Link" boss fight of the NES game.

Reception

Pre-release

After playing the demo of the game, IGN editors claimed the game had "everything [they] wanted from a Nintendo 3DS Zelda game", and that the game's bright color palette captured the spirit of the original game.[37] One IGN editor expressed concern that reprising the overworld from A Link to the Past would lessen the sense of wonder from the original game.[38]

Postmedia News called it "a nostalgic blast from the past." The reviewer found the ability to turn into a drawing "jarring at first," although it "feels fresh".[28]

Post-release

The game has received critical acclaim from critics, scoring an aggregate score of 92.00% on GameRankings, based on 43 reviews, and 91/100 on Metacritic, based on 69 reviews. IGN's Keza MacDonald declared that "A Link Between Worlds is not a total revolution, but it may very well be the start of one. I haven’t been so challenged by a Zelda since Ocarina of Time, and rarely have I been so consistently surprised by one."[34] While Gamespot's Martin Gaston stated that "There's a lingering sense that by this point Nintendo is just running victory laps around a set of mechanics they perfected decades ago but, at the end of the day, none of that matters: this is simply an absolute treat to play."[33]

References

  1. ^ "CVG / CVG: Zelda: A Link Between Worlds dated for Europe". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  2. ^ Mallory, Jordan (2013-08-28). "Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and Mario Party: Island Tour hit 3DS Nov. 22". Joystiq. Retrieved 2013-09-09.
  3. ^ a b "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Release Information for 3DS". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
  4. ^ http://nintendo-online.de/3ds/news/15179/monolith-soft-war-an-zelda-a-link-between-worlds-beteiligt
  5. ^ Woolsey, Cameron. "New Art and Gameplay Revealed for 'A Link Between Worlds'". GamingTruth. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d e "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Gameplay - SDC 2013". YouTube. 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
  7. ^ a b "Zelda: Link to the Past 2 announced for 3DS". Computer and Video Games. Future plc. April 17, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  8. ^ LeJacq, Yannick (April 17, 2013). "At long last, the Nintendo 3DS is getting a 'Link to the Past' sequel". NBC News. Comcast. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  9. ^ a b Hinkle, David (April 19, 2013). "Defacing dungeons in The Legend of Zelda 3DS". Joystiq. AOL. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  10. ^ a b Yoon, Andrew (April 18, 2013). "Zelda: Link to the Past 2 preview: vertical slice". Shack News. GameFly Media. Retrieved April 26, 2013.
  11. ^ Ashcraft, Brian (17 April 2013). "The Next 3DS Zelda Is Set In The World Of Link To The Past". Kotaku. Retrieved 2013-04-17.
  12. ^ Lien, Tracey (April 18, 2013). "A Link To The Past 2's wall movement will introduce new ways of solving puzzles". Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  13. ^ a b "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - Nintendo Direct Gameplay Footage 8-7-2013". YouTube. 2013-08-07. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
  14. ^ May 2, 2013 4:28AM PDT (2013-05-02). "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 2 will feature a dark world". GameSpot.com. Retrieved 2013-07-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ 8/28/13 1:45pm 8/28/13 1:45pm. "New Zelda For 3DS Gets Handsome Boxart With Intriguing Icon". Kotaku.com. Retrieved 2013-09-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Carter, Johnathan Grey (April 18, 2013). "Nintendo Announces A Link to the Past 2". The Escapist. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  17. ^ Nintendo (7 August 2013). Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo 3DS). Nintendo. NPC: I believe it was in the days of my grandfather's grandfather's grandfather...
  18. ^ Ishaan. "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds' Place In The Zelda Timeline Detailed". Siliconera. Retrieved October 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  19. ^ "Nintendo Direct - 8.07.2013". Nintendo.com. 2013-07-08. Retrieved 2013-09-09.
  20. ^ "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Has Two Worlds And Two Princesses". Siliconera. 2013-10-11. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
  21. ^ Sato (April 24, 2013). "The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past 2 Has Been In The Works Since 2011". Siliconera. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  22. ^ Haas, Pete (April 25, 2013). "Miyamoto Teases New Link To The Past, F-Zero". Cinema Blend. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  23. ^ Richard George (2012-06-12). "Zelda 3DS: It's Majora's Mask vs. Link to the Past". IGN. Retrieved 2013-04-28.
  24. ^ Timothy (July 5th, 2013). "A Link Between Worlds almost became a Link to the Past remake". Zelda Dungeon. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  25. ^ Krupa, Daniel (April 17, 2013). "Zelda: A Link to the Past Sequel Announced for Nintendo 3DS". IGN. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
  26. ^ Jordan. "Zelda 3DS uses orchestrated Link to the Past soundtrack". Zelda Dungeon. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  27. ^ Bakalar, Jeff. "Exclusive: Zelda 3DS 'feels totally different,' needs to be played in 3D". CNet. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  28. ^ a b "Preview: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds | canada.com". O.canada.com. 2013-06-27. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  29. ^ "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds for 3DS". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
  30. ^ "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds for 3DS reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
  31. ^ "The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds review". Edge. 2013-11-14. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  32. ^ Ryckert, Dan (2013-11-14). "Everything A Fan Could Hope For". Game Informer. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  33. ^ a b Gaston, Martin (2013-11-14). "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  34. ^ a b MacDonald, Keza (2013-11-14). "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Review". IGN. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  35. ^ Arendt, Susan (2013-11-14). "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Review: Hi, it rules". Joystiq. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  36. ^ Ronaghan, Neal (2013-11-14). "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  37. ^ Drake, Audrey. "Zelda: A Link to the Past 2 - Return of a Legend". IGN. IGN Entertainment Inc. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  38. ^ "E3: 2013 Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Remakes 1992's Hyrule Field". IGN. 2013-06-11. Retrieved 2013-09-09.
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