Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Feb. 4th, 2014 04:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chuckroAn evil wizard has appeared and turned the captain of the guards and a bunch of other people into paintings! Blacksmith apprentice Link doesn’t realize it yet, but he’s totally the legendary hero who can claim the Master Sword and stop him.
This totally is “in the world of A Link to the Past”, and that’s AWESOME! It’s sorta-kinda a remake, in that the map and music, many enemies, a bunch of the secrets and the general mechanics are all essentially the same as ALttP, but it adds the “turning into a painting” mechanic and changes the way puzzles are tackled, adds a ton of new puzzles by way of re-doing all the dungeons, and has a new plot.
The graphics are prettier, a little cartoonier, and make reasonable (if not great) use of 3D in most places. The 3D is not strictly necessary, but there are a few segments where it can be useful for lining up jumps and differentiating platforms.
The Triforce is split the way it was in the 80s/90s cartoon and comic materials (Zelda has Wisdom, Ganon has Power, and the heart of the hero holds Courage) which I don’t think we’ve seen since way back in Zelda II. Though if this game takes place between ALttP and The Legend of Zelda on that leg of the timeline, that would…not make sense at all, because the Triforce is reunited in the ending. What?
Besides some 3D and the ability to slide across walls, the big change is that there are “Rented” special items (including things like the bow, boomerang and bombs) that run off a magic meter that recharges over time (which means no need for arrow or bomb pickups). You lose them when you die, which adds fear of death even to those of us who are pretty good at 2D Zelda games. You eventually can buy them (which gives you a use for the thousands of rupees you pick up) and a sidequest lets you upgrade items you buy into “nice” items with stronger effects. So you can, in theory, have all but one of the special items before you enter a single dungeon.
The only items you need to find separately are the path-making Power Glove and Titan’s Mitt, the Flippers, the Pegasus Boots (which are skippable), and the sword, shield and armor upgrades. This means you can do the Lorule dungeons in a variety of orders: You need to do the Thieves Hideout to get the Sand Rod, and the Sand Palace to get the Titan’s Mitt, but that’s pretty much it. (The sword upgrades are even in the form of four pieces of Master Ore; you need any two for each reforging.)
Overall: I loved it. This was the proper A Link to the Past sequel that I’d been hoping all of those romhacks would turn out to be. Leave it to Nintendo proper to finally do it right.
This totally is “in the world of A Link to the Past”, and that’s AWESOME! It’s sorta-kinda a remake, in that the map and music, many enemies, a bunch of the secrets and the general mechanics are all essentially the same as ALttP, but it adds the “turning into a painting” mechanic and changes the way puzzles are tackled, adds a ton of new puzzles by way of re-doing all the dungeons, and has a new plot.
The graphics are prettier, a little cartoonier, and make reasonable (if not great) use of 3D in most places. The 3D is not strictly necessary, but there are a few segments where it can be useful for lining up jumps and differentiating platforms.
The Triforce is split the way it was in the 80s/90s cartoon and comic materials (Zelda has Wisdom, Ganon has Power, and the heart of the hero holds Courage) which I don’t think we’ve seen since way back in Zelda II. Though if this game takes place between ALttP and The Legend of Zelda on that leg of the timeline, that would…not make sense at all, because the Triforce is reunited in the ending. What?
Besides some 3D and the ability to slide across walls, the big change is that there are “Rented” special items (including things like the bow, boomerang and bombs) that run off a magic meter that recharges over time (which means no need for arrow or bomb pickups). You lose them when you die, which adds fear of death even to those of us who are pretty good at 2D Zelda games. You eventually can buy them (which gives you a use for the thousands of rupees you pick up) and a sidequest lets you upgrade items you buy into “nice” items with stronger effects. So you can, in theory, have all but one of the special items before you enter a single dungeon.
The only items you need to find separately are the path-making Power Glove and Titan’s Mitt, the Flippers, the Pegasus Boots (which are skippable), and the sword, shield and armor upgrades. This means you can do the Lorule dungeons in a variety of orders: You need to do the Thieves Hideout to get the Sand Rod, and the Sand Palace to get the Titan’s Mitt, but that’s pretty much it. (The sword upgrades are even in the form of four pieces of Master Ore; you need any two for each reforging.)
Overall: I loved it. This was the proper A Link to the Past sequel that I’d been hoping all of those romhacks would turn out to be. Leave it to Nintendo proper to finally do it right.
Actually...
Date: 2014-02-05 04:00 am (UTC)You know the story of the king, the price and the first Princess Zelda mentioned in the instruction manual of Zelda II? That takes place after LttP in the timeline and explains why the Triforce would be split apart again.
Re: Actually...
Date: 2014-02-06 02:04 am (UTC)I hadn't read that manual in forever, and man, "the first Princess Zelda" apparently came after some dozen other Princess Zeldas in various timelines.