The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

[Bolivar]

is craaazy good. I picked mine up after work yesterday and it's been pretty hard to put down. The 3D and high frame rate give the game a crispness I haven't quite seen in the Zelda series before now.

I know some people here got it before the U.S. release date, how have people been liking the game?

[Sephex]

Got it and Super Mario 3D World yesterday. I am enjoying both immensely. Like, crazy good. As far as Zelda goes, it's amazing how fresh it feels despite setting it in the same universe as Link to the Past.

[Del Murder]

Can't wait to play it! I'll probably get it around Christmas time. It indeed looks awesome.

[Aulayna]

I'll be getting mine when I get paid, using it as an excuse to get the 3DS XL bundle with the Triforce branded console. Much excite. :3

[Denmark]

story-wise I'm close to the end but I have a bunch of sidequesty stuff left to do! i've been playing this game a LOT over the last couple days.

[Rantz]

I'll be getting mine when I get paid, using it as an excuse to get the 3DS XL bundle with the Triforce branded console. Much excite. :3

I'm getting that too! I was gonna get it today, but they were out of chargers so I didn't bother yet. Not sure if I'll order it online or figure out if some other place nearby has a charger.

[Freya]

I'm debating on buying this today. I'm debating really hard. I really want it but i'm super poor. :(

[NeoCracker]

I played up to where you met Yogo, but haven't had teh chance to do more. I would do more, but I'm drunk right now so I may play Resogun instead!

I do like what I played though. That will be the rest of my day, playing Link between worlds that is, once I wake up!

[Dr Unne]

I don't expect much out of Zelda games nowadays, because the DS ones and the Wii ones didn't thrill me. So I'm surprised how much fun I'm having with this one. This is a great game. The gameplay is loads of fun and the presentation is top-notch. There's exploration and discovery and responsive fun combat and danger. Not as much danger as the olden days, but still. This is probably as close as we're ever going to get again.

I had serious doubts about giving access to all of the old items (hookshot/hammer/etc.) right from the beginning of the game, but they went and set up the world such that those items aren't the obvious answer to every puzzle like they were in LttP. I feel like playing through LttP doesn't set you up to breeze through this game as easily as I expected, which is a very welcome surprise.

[NeoCracker]

This is pretty much end game spoilers right here about what I liked in the ending.

Okay, I loved that Hilda was basically the main villain, even though you see it coming from damn near the first time you meet her. However, I loved that the motivation behind her actions wasn't out of malice or evil, she just wanted to fulfill her duty and save her kingdom.

I was kind of happy Gannon really didn't have a role in the story outside of being the one who held the Triforce of Power, and thus necessary to complete their goal.

I liked how creative the puzzles could get in the game, though the combat itself, bosses or otherwise, was really easy. I effectively died twice my entire playthrough, and one of those was just me being stupid. (Okay, two other times I reset because I had rented every fucking item from the guy before I could start buying, so four times I died, two on record. And both deaths were basically me slacking and not paying attention. :p)

This game, in terms of writing, is in the top three Zelda's for me, falling behind Wind Waker and Majora's Mask.

[Dat Matt]

I found it to be much shorter than previous installments of the series. Maybe due to the smaller nature of the world map than compared to say skyward sword of Ocarina of time 3D which took me around 40-50 hours to 100%, a link between worlds too me 16 hours. That was upgrading all the weapons, getting all the heart pieces, 9.999 rupees, 99 of all the moster bits etc.

It was a great experience though. I doubt I'll play hero mode though, I'll likely just replay the game sometime down the line.

[Dr Unne]

The ultimate question: Is the game too easy / too short, or are you too good at video games? I remember LttP being brutal, but I was young and I sucked at video games. This game feels easier, but maybe I got better sometime in the past decade.

[Bolivar]

I don't think the puzzles are as hard as they were in, say, Link's Awakening and I haven't had any issues with combat either. But then again maybe my brain just immediately knows how to tackle these kinds of puzzles? Idk. I think Nintendo wants its games to be accessible and so they don't take as many tries to beat as they used to.

[NeoCracker]

Yeah, looking back on Link to the Past, I can't say it's really all that much harder then Link Between Worlds is, though it does have the upped difficulty the second play through, though considering you'll easilly breeze the puzzles the second time it seems like a chunk of the fun would be gone from that, so I wish the difficulty jump was available from the get go.


And also, even my first time playing it when it came Out Ocarina didn't take near that long for me to beat, and I'd almost achieved 100% at 16-20 hours, I think you just suck at it Mr. Shauna. :p

[Sephiroth]

With A Link to the Past being my favourite I can't wait to play this game. It is a pity it does not come out for the normal DS, which I only have, as well, or does it?

[Mirage]

It's for 3DS only.

I might look into getting the game if I get a 3DS for christmas.

[NorthernChaosGod]

So I got this for Christmas and have been playing it as much as possible. I'm really liking the look of the game and the story so far, but I do think it could stand to be more difficult. I remember LttP being more difficult, even on a playthrough as an adult.

[Freya]

Yeah I got it for christmas as well just haven't had time to put into it really yet. I'm super excited to though.

[Dr Unne]

So I got this for Christmas and have been playing it as much as possible. I'm really liking the look of the game and the story so far, but I do think it could stand to be more difficult. I remember LttP being more difficult, even on a playthrough as an adult.

Some of the optional content is challenging. Thinking of some of the mini-games in particular, and some of the hidden items in dungeons.

I cleared most of the dungeons on my first try without dying. It's not on par with LttP difficulty, for sure. Turn your brain off and enjoy the ride.

[Del Murder]

Turn your brain off and enjoy the ride.
I think you stumbled on Nintendo's new slogan. :goofy:

[NorthernChaosGod]

So I got this for Christmas and have been playing it as much as possible. I'm really liking the look of the game and the story so far, but I do think it could stand to be more difficult. I remember LttP being more difficult, even on a playthrough as an adult.

Some of the optional content is challenging. Thinking of some of the mini-games in particular, and some of the hidden items in dungeons.

I cleared most of the dungeons on my first try without dying. It's not on par with LttP difficulty, for sure. Turn your brain off and enjoy the ride.

The only thing that has given me trouble so far was the very last level of the cucco dodging, but it only took me four tries to get it because I kept backing myself into corners. I'm not really complaining, I'm still enjoying the game.

[Dr Unne]

The only thing that has given me trouble so far was the very last level of the cucco dodging, but it only took me four tries to get it because I kept backing myself into corners. I'm not really complaining, I'm still enjoying the game.

By last level, do you mean you did it for the full 999 seconds? You get something special for doing that. I didn't come close to 999.

I tried to do the tower where you have to fight a bunch of battles in a row, but without using healing items, as a challenge. And failed.

[Pike]

I got it for my birthday (and got a duplicate for Christmas) and put a few hours into it. It's a fun little romp so far and I think the wall-merging mechanic is quite clever. Looking forward to more of it!

[Slothy]

My mom got it for Christmas and I'm finished the second dungeon now. Looks like Nintendo has finally managed a new game mechanic that's actually interesting. Can't remember the last time that happened.

Not a hard game so far but to be perfectly honest, and as much as I love LttP, it wasn't a hard game either. Actually, I think the only Zelda that's got parts that are legitimately hard is Link's Awakening.

[Skyblade]

Working my way through the final dungeon now.

When this game was listed as the Gamespot Game of the Year, I said it would be hard pressed to beat out Fire Emblem Awakening.

Well, I was right, and Fire Emblem Awakening still holds the title, in my mind.

That said, I am utterly amazed at how good of a competition A Link Between Worlds put up. Very, very rarely do I actually agree with a choice for Game of the Year as even a possible contender. But Link Between Worlds is a definite contender, and I can easily understand how someone could have declared it Game of the Year. It is simply a masterwork of craftsmanship. From the mechanics, to the aesthetics, to the story, this game is crafted with love and detail, and is up on my list as one of the best Legend of Zelda games of all time, if not the best.

It blends elements of many different games of the series, adds in its own new ones, and polishes them until they shine.

The Maiamai quest is a clear derivation of the Gold Skulltula hunt. Similar to the Gold Skulltulas, there are 100 little Maiamai scattered across the two worlds, and they are hidden, but give off an audible cue when they're onscreen. Oh, and you can still track them with the map. Only this time, they give rewards that make the quest worthwhile (and the Great Spin Attack is soooo much better than the Hurricane Spin they have been reusing since Wind Waker).

The new "magic" system is really fun. While it's extremely annoying to have the Hookshot and Boomerang deplete the meter (seriously, why did they make formerly unlimited items have a resource?!), it makes all the other items so much more fun. Bombs and Arrows are no longer tied to consumables, and can be used to puzzle solve to your heart's content. For those who hate using consumables (like me), it also makes them a lot more available for general combat use, and that goes triple for the rods. The Ice and Fire Rods (especially the Nice ones) are a lot more effective combat tools when you no longer worry about depleting your magic meter in a handful of shots (and again, much more available for problem solving). They also gave the Lantern some real utility (and the Bug Catching Net is now really useful for getting money early in the game, thanks to Bees, in addition to its standard "final boss use").

The new items are relatively hit or miss. The Sand Rod is, I think, a very solid addition, and works really well with the new wall movement mechanic. It also has some interesting combat uses (as shields or ways to overturn or block foes). The Tornado Rod, however... Yeah, sorry, that one is just a weaker version of the Roc's Feather. It attempts to add some enemy fighting capability, but at the expense of letting you move and jump, drastically limiting what it can do. The "blow around floor tiles" thing is ok, but only useable in extremely, extremely limited situations (which, coming after the Sand Rod, is saying something). They should have just stuck with the Roc's Feather for this one.

The economy is also a really strong addition. Rupees are as plentiful as ever, but this time, there are things to spend them on. Everything from items to potions to minigames all cost you Rupees, so there is actually a money sink to take those Rupees out of your pocket. Sure, the lackluster difficulty may have meant that I never had to re-rent items, but with the "purchase, then upgrade" mechanic and the high cost, it actually had me budgeting my Rupees and planning which I would get next, as well as how much I would spend on minigames.

The puzzle rooms (how has no one mentioned these yet?) are utterly fantastic. Each one serves as essentially an in depth training ground to one of the new mechanics, with the entire room being designed around getting the absolute most out of a particular item or ability. Honestly, it reminds me of the puzzles in Golden Sun or some of the hidden item rooms in Metroid more than it does a Legend of Zelda puzzle. While Legend of Zelda has some pretty good puzzles, I can't ever recall having ones this in depth or requiring such skilled use of a single mechanic before. They're a great addition, and I firmly approve.

The wall walking is also incredibly strong. It allows so much freedom of exploration and secret hunting. It's essentially the best gameplay elements of Paper Mario. I figured, going into it, that it would be another version of Wolf Link. Used in some mandatory spots, and a couple side puzzles, and then left largely untouched. Boy, was I wrong. They incorporated this new element incredibly strongly into the game. It is useful in so many spots. From avoiding attacks and helping with timing puzzles, to traversing the world and hunting out hidden items, I find myself using it all the time, and loving it every time I find somewhere new to explore. I can only hope that Ravio's Bracelet is one of the treasures we find in the next Legend of Zelda game, as I'm finding it hard to imagine going forward without wall walking (similar to how I'm stumped as to how they could make another Fire Emblem game without child units).

The story is fairly strong, especially for a Legend of Zelda game. The personal connection with the Sages is reminiscent of the relationships between Link and the Sages is Ocarina of Time. Only this time, there's more of them, and you know them all personally before they go missing (I'm looking at you, Rauru). Plus, you get to talk to them while they're in the Sacred Realm each time you free a new one, giving a little bit more of a personal touch. Honestly, I wish they'd gone a bit further with this. Having a longer introduction with some more interaction would have been very welcome in my mind (and I can't believe I just asked for a longer introduction section to a game). I think Minish Cap had a better introduction, but it was about the same length, and only setting up the relationship with Zelda. The game clearly doesn't want the story to get in the way of the gameplay, so it has limited things a bit more than it had to, in my opinion. But then, I love story and character interactions, and most gamers and Zelda fans don't necessarily. It still does a fantastic job with what it has, and really helps pull in the player and help liven up Hyrule.

The villains are also pretty good so far. I won't spoil anything (and I don't know how it's going to play out in the end yet), but I will say that so far, I'm thoroughly happy with them.

And, finally, the world and music are just incredible. There is so much thought and detail put into this recreation of the Hyrule from A Link To The Past. It's enough familiarity to make any old fan giddy, while still adding in tons of new content and hidden things to explore. It really felt like going back to the familiar world and exploring how things changed over the years. This is how a sequel should be. The sheer detail they put into this is astounding, and I'll leave you this image from "Did You Know Gaming" to illustrate.

49563



So no, A Link Between Worlds it's not my Game of the Year. But only by a very slim margin, and due to personal preference (rather than any particular thing I can point out in favor of either game). This game is an absolute gem.

It is also only one of many. Fire Emblem Awakening. Rune Factory 4. Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon. Project X Zone. Pokémon X and Y. Shin Megami Tensei IV. Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

This year saw the debut of a new console generation. How odd is it then, that by far the best console of the year is a handheld system that has been out for almost three years?






Edit: I just beat it. So much for my hopes of Ravio's Bracelet, but maybe we'll get some other way to wall walk. The ending was glorious. It's about time we actually get to see the Triforce put to good use (seriously, King of Red Lions? Any wish you want, and you choose to bury the land forever?). It's also nice that the Triforce apparently doesn't have a rule against the whole "wish for more Triforces" thing. Awesome, awesome ending.

[NorthernChaosGod]

@Skyblade I didn't find myself budgeting at all. I think playing Rupee Rush in Lorule is a pretty easy way to get some quick rupees since I'm timing myself with my phone.



The only thing that has given me trouble so far was the very last level of the cucco dodging, but it only took me four tries to get it because I kept backing myself into corners. I'm not really complaining, I'm still enjoying the game.

By last level, do you mean you did it for the full 999 seconds? You get something special for doing that. I didn't come close to 999.

I tried to do the tower where you have to fight a bunch of battles in a row, but without using healing items, as a challenge. And failed.

Well shit, no I didn't do it for that long. I didn't know that's the final one. O_O

[Skyblade]

@Skyblade I didn't find myself budgeting at all. I think playing Rupee Rush in Lorule is a pretty easy way to get some quick rupees since I'm timing myself with my phone.

Rupee Rush is pretty rewarding if you can nail a x2 or x3 bonus, sure. But even with a timer, it takes precision to both hit the time and collect enough Rupees to make it worthwhile, and it wasn't really my favorite minigame (in fact, it's probably the one I played the least, only doing it when I needed a Maiamai or Heart Piece from it). Overall, excluding playing minigames continuously (which is usually a great way to get cash in most games that include them), I think the monetary income rate was really well executed. Heck, even Potions actually cost enough that, until you reach the unlimited money stage (Treacherous Tower eliminates any and all need for future Rupees), they can be something to calculate or budget for.




The only thing that has given me trouble so far was the very last level of the cucco dodging, but it only took me four tries to get it because I kept backing myself into corners. I'm not really complaining, I'm still enjoying the game.

By last level, do you mean you did it for the full 999 seconds? You get something special for doing that. I didn't come close to 999.

I tried to do the tower where you have to fight a bunch of battles in a row, but without using healing items, as a challenge. And failed.

Well trout, no I didn't do it for that long. I didn't know that's the final one. O_O

Did you complete the Spotpass Challenges?

[Rantz]

@Skyblade I didn't find myself budgeting at all. I think playing Rupee Rush in Lorule is a pretty easy way to get some quick rupees since I'm timing myself with my phone.

Rupee Rush is pretty rewarding if you can nail a x2 or x3 bonus, sure. But even with a timer, it takes precision to both hit the time and collect enough Rupees to make it worthwhile, and it wasn't really my favorite minigame (in fact, it's probably the one I played the least, only doing it when I needed a Maiamai or Heart Piece from it).

The trick to Rupee Rush is to listen to the music, which changes at 10 second intervals. Well, it's actually ten seconds-ish, but if you talk to the guy right when the fourth "part" starts, you'll nail the x3 bonus pretty much every time. Not that you probably need it at this stage, but I figured I'd share anyway. :D Other than that trick (or using a timer), I agree that the income and expenses are well balanced. I was budgeting for the tools as well.

[NorthernChaosGod]

@Skyblade I didn't find myself budgeting at all. I think playing Rupee Rush in Lorule is a pretty easy way to get some quick rupees since I'm timing myself with my phone.

Rupee Rush is pretty rewarding if you can nail a x2 or x3 bonus, sure. But even with a timer, it takes precision to both hit the time and collect enough Rupees to make it worthwhile, and it wasn't really my favorite minigame (in fact, it's probably the one I played the least, only doing it when I needed a Maiamai or Heart Piece from it). Overall, excluding playing minigames continuously (which is usually a great way to get cash in most games that include them), I think the monetary income rate was really well executed. Heck, even Potions actually cost enough that, until you reach the unlimited money stage (Treacherous Tower eliminates any and all need for future Rupees), they can be something to calculate or budget for.




The only thing that has given me trouble so far was the very last level of the cucco dodging, but it only took me four tries to get it because I kept backing myself into corners. I'm not really complaining, I'm still enjoying the game.

By last level, do you mean you did it for the full 999 seconds? You get something special for doing that. I didn't come close to 999.

I tried to do the tower where you have to fight a bunch of battles in a row, but without using healing items, as a challenge. And failed.

Well trout, no I didn't do it for that long. I didn't know that's the final one. O_O

Did you complete the Spotpass Challenges?
I'm hitting the x3 bonus at least 7/10 times using the timer on my phone, it takes very little practice to get the timing down. And you mean the Shadow Link battles? Not all of them, I haven't found many people to battle yet.

[Pike]

I started this and then got distracted by Pokemon again. :shobon: I'll pick it up again soon. I enjoyed what I did play.

[Skyblade]

@Skyblade I didn't find myself budgeting at all. I think playing Rupee Rush in Lorule is a pretty easy way to get some quick rupees since I'm timing myself with my phone.

Rupee Rush is pretty rewarding if you can nail a x2 or x3 bonus, sure. But even with a timer, it takes precision to both hit the time and collect enough Rupees to make it worthwhile, and it wasn't really my favorite minigame (in fact, it's probably the one I played the least, only doing it when I needed a Maiamai or Heart Piece from it). Overall, excluding playing minigames continuously (which is usually a great way to get cash in most games that include them), I think the monetary income rate was really well executed. Heck, even Potions actually cost enough that, until you reach the unlimited money stage (Treacherous Tower eliminates any and all need for future Rupees), they can be something to calculate or budget for.




The only thing that has given me trouble so far was the very last level of the cucco dodging, but it only took me four tries to get it because I kept backing myself into corners. I'm not really complaining, I'm still enjoying the game.

By last level, do you mean you did it for the full 999 seconds? You get something special for doing that. I didn't come close to 999.

I tried to do the tower where you have to fight a bunch of battles in a row, but without using healing items, as a challenge. And failed.

Well trout, no I didn't do it for that long. I didn't know that's the final one. O_O

Did you complete the Spotpass Challenges?
I'm hitting the x3 bonus at least 7/10 times using the timer on my phone, it takes very little practice to get the timing down. And you mean the Shadow Link battles? Not all of them, I haven't found many people to battle yet.

Without the phone it's a lot harder. Though I'm winding up with way more money on my Hero Mode play through without farming, thanks to hidden chests and puzzle rooms. It definitely has the best economy of any Legend of Zelda game, but Rupees are still plentiful (over 5000 before Master Sword).

Also, I beat all 50 Streetpass Challenges on Normal mode. Awesome little story segment at the end.

[Freya]

Lololol lorule it cracks me up more than it should

[Bubba]

This game gave me all kind of tingles as I made my way through it. But even without the nostalgia-tinted glasses, it is just a beautifully designed game.

I agree that the difficulty level could have been higher from the start. I'm just working my way through Hero mode and it is a much worthier challenge. I didn't mind too much though as it makes it more accessible to newer gamers. My girlfriend (definite non-gamer) gave it a try and became addicted! She just finished her playthrough and anything that gets her into gaming is fine by me. :)

[Skyblade]

This game gave me all kind of tingles as I made my way through it. But even without the nostalgia-tinted glasses, it is just a beautifully designed game.

I agree that the difficulty level could have been higher from the start. I'm just working my way through Hero mode and it is a much worthier challenge. I didn't mind too much though as it makes it more accessible to newer gamers. My girlfriend (definite non-gamer) gave it a try and became addicted! She just finished her playthrough and anything that gets her into gaming is fine by me. :)

They do need to make Hero Mode available from the start.

Also, after having completed Treacherous Tower Advanced on Hero Mode, I am finding the Tornado Rod a bit more useful. AOE stun is great against some of those hard rooms. It needed more overworld utility, but as a combat tool, it is quite strong.

Also, I beat all the Streetpass Challenges on Hero Mode now. Dark Link is still the toughest opponent in the game. He's just as fast as you, has really good tools, and an unusually stellar AI (though it doesn't handle the Ice battlefield well). Oh, and on Hero Mode, like all enemies, he deals x4 damage.

If you don't have anyone near you and want to battle a Dark Link and do the challenges, leave your game on, with you somewhere safe, like Kakiriko Village. If you set up your Streetpass Dark Link, every five hours or so of game time (pausing and Sleep Mode don't count), you'll be given one of several pre-made Dark Links to fight. Leave it on all day and you should rack up several to fight later.

[Bubba]

Also, after having completed Treacherous Tower Advanced on Hero Mode, I am finding the Tornado Rod a bit more useful. AOE stun is great against some of those hard rooms. It needed more overworld utility, but as a combat tool, it is quite strong.

Funnily enough, my girlfriend put me onto this tactic. Her gaming dexterity isn't the greatest so she used this all the time to avoid being hit by guards. I tended to just use my sword and occasionally would receive a few hits which is quickly remedied by a few heats from the bushes.

On hero mode though, I've found the Tornado Rod extremely useful where a couple of hits can put you at death's door.

[Del Murder]

Just beat this game yesterday. It was great. A great entry in the series, about on par with the recent console games. Definitely the best handheld Zelda since Link's Awakening.

Spoilers below!

It wasn't perfect, though. I found the level designs were a bit simplistic and lacked sufficient puzzle challenge. There was some beauty in that but I would have liked more. The game was actually very easy. I was scared of dying and losing my items with the rental system but I ended up not dying once, even in the Treacherous Tower.

It was quite mesmerizing once the rental shop became available and the whole world opened up to me. I also liked that you get useful items like the Power Glove and Pegasus Boots just by exploring and talking to people. There's a flaw in this system though, particularly with the Lorule dungeouns. By making the whole game an open world you really have to scale down the difficulty of the dungeons so that Link can tackle them in any order. I didn't notice much change in difficulty in any of the 7 Lorule areas other than the Ice Cavern. So once I had close to max hearts, blue mail, and level 3 or 4 sword all the rest of them were a breeze.

My other gripe comes from the final boss. I really don't like that they used the 'hit the ball of energy back at Ganon' tactic again. It's been done too many times. The final battle other than the painting stuff (which was fun) was pretty vanilla and unoriginal. I did really like how the final dungeon had some large puzzle rooms that required you to use your item sillz but I wish there were more of them, like one for every item. Tornado Rod and Sand Rod needed more love in this game.

The painting mechanic was awesome and pefectly incorporated into the game. That and the nostalgia from returning to the LttP word were the best parts of the game.

[Slothy]

Honestly, pretty much every Zelda is easy. Play through again with the increased difficulty for some real challenge though. You'll spend a solid chunk of the game being killed in one hit by most enemies.

[Del Murder]

Being difficult isn't always about how easy it is to avoid taking hits or deal damage. A lot of the challenge is in figuring out the puzzle rooms or how to beat the bosses. It didn't take much time at all for me to solve these things this time around.

I'd like to try Hero Mode at some point but I have too much else to do right now. I wish the Hero Mode in these games was more like the original Zelda's 2nd quest where the dungeons had a different lay out and stuff was in different places. It was like a whole other game!

[Bolivar]

I actually think a few of the bosses were recycled from previous games. I think all the throwback references are what hurt the difficulty - we've used these items and beat these bosses before; our minds are ready to solve the puzzles before they're even presented to us.

[Del Murder]

Good point.

[Slothy]

Actually I'd say the biggest problem is that people our age actually remember the older Zelda games being harder than they really were. Even the newer ones aren't that hard to be honest, and the puzzles are rarely particularly complex. I'd say the only Zelda game I considered genuinely challenging in any way after going back and playing many of them again as an adult is Link's Awakening.

[The Man]

Link's Awakening isn't even all that challenging unless you try to beat it without dying, I don't think. Which gives you a lot more of a bonus than it does in most of the other games. Though admittedly finding all the heart containers in that game is brutal.

Still doesn't strike me as being as hard as Zelda II though. I wasn't able to beat that until the days of emulators, and I still haven't beaten it without save states.

[Bubba]

I actually think a few of the bosses were recycled from previous games. I think all the throwback references are what hurt the difficulty - we've used these items and beat these bosses before; our minds are ready to solve the puzzles before they're even presented to us.

I do think this is partly true. However, I do think that modern Nintendo games have dialled down the difficulty a lot. It is a lot easier to do this with the advancement of technology.

My girlfriend played through ALBW and really enjoyed it. She died a few times but still managed to finish the whole thing on her own. I then gave her ALTTP to play on my GBA. She really struggled with it and said ALBW was a lot easier to play as it was much more user friendly.

[Ayen]

It's one of the games I plan to get whenever I own a 3DS in the next fifty years.

[Skyblade]

I actually think a few of the bosses were recycled from previous games. I think all the throwback references are what hurt the difficulty - we've used these items and beat these bosses before; our minds are ready to solve the puzzles before they're even presented to us.

I do think this is partly true. However, I do think that modern Nintendo games have dialled down the difficulty a lot. It is a lot easier to do this with the advancement of technology.

My girlfriend played through ALBW and really enjoyed it. She died a few times but still managed to finish the whole thing on her own. I then gave her ALTTP to play on my GBA. She really struggled with it and said ALBW was a lot easier to play as it was much more user friendly.

Yes, but you do also have to consider that mechanics and refinement play into this as well. For example, the fact that you now have a button for your shield, and can block more than projectiles, instead of just having to face the right way and catch it on the correct side. The controls are smoother, movement is more fluid, and the gameplay is more refined.

Then too, speaking personally, the Stamina bar makes me a lot more likely to actually use bombs, arrows, and the magic rods.

[Bolivar]

I actually think a few of the bosses were recycled from previous games. I think all the throwback references are what hurt the difficulty - we've used these items and beat these bosses before; our minds are ready to solve the puzzles before they're even presented to us.

I do think this is partly true. However, I do think that modern Nintendo games have dialled down the difficulty a lot. It is a lot easier to do this with the advancement of technology.

I was thinking the same thing. Mario 3D Land comes to mind with how short and straightforward the levels were. It almost seems like a Nintendo-wide policy to make their games more accessible and forgiving.

I think Sky's point on the regenerating stamina mechanic is another piece to the puzzle as to why this game was such a breeze, albeit a refreshing one.

[Skyblade]

I actually think a few of the bosses were recycled from previous games. I think all the throwback references are what hurt the difficulty - we've used these items and beat these bosses before; our minds are ready to solve the puzzles before they're even presented to us.

I do think this is partly true. However, I do think that modern Nintendo games have dialled down the difficulty a lot. It is a lot easier to do this with the advancement of technology.

I was thinking the same thing. Mario 3D Land comes to mind with how short and straightforward the levels were. It almost seems like a Nintendo-wide policy to make their games more accessible and forgiving.

I think Sky's point on the regenerating stamina mechanic is another piece to the puzzle as to why this game was such a breeze, albeit a refreshing one.

I don't think the levels in Link Between Worlds were that much more "straightforward" than most Zelda games are. Puzzle-wise, it's not exactly easier or harder than Link to the Past. Actually, a couple of them I found trickier (namely the Dark Temple). It's certainly no Master Quest or 2nd Quest in terms of design, but it strikes me as about standard for the series.

Having more experience with the general style does make it somewhat easier, but it can also serve to backlash if you ever forget about the wall merging (which made the Sand and Wind rupee dungeon a pain to complete on my first two times playing through, because I kept forgetting that I could wall merge when I reached the three-quarters mark, and therefore was wondering where to go from there).

And, again, the combat and mechanics I put down to general game evolution. I mean, Megaman X is easier than the standard Megaman games. Why? Smoother controls and a little more flexibility, rather than actual level or enemy design. Super Metroid was easier than Metroid. Why? Because you could crouch and shoot, and movement and jumping was smoother.

I think the real reason we don't have more "Nintendo Hard" games is because we have games on better systems with better controls and mechanics.