A Link to the Past vs A Link Between Worlds | Which Is Better?

i think it's fair to say that if you ask people what their favorite 2d zelda game is the majority would say a link to the past i'd venture to say that a link to the past is the only top down zelda adventure that's considered a true classic sure games like minish cap and link's awakening have large groups of die hard fans but i think it's generally regarded that a link to the past is the most beloved entry in the franchise considering the games that came before it the nes original and the action side-scrolling zelda 2 it's apparent just how important and influential a link to the past is to the series developing a link to the past for the snes allowed nintendo to expand the zelda series in ways that were simply not possible on previous hardware this meant improved visuals better controls item variety and a more expansive world full of secrets to find not to mention the ability to travel to hyrule's dark world which is an entirely new second world map a link to the past set the foundation for every zelda game that came after it and when thinking about it in this way it's no mystery as to why it's looked upon by fans everywhere with such a sense of reverence a link to the past introduced several iconic elements to the series collectible heart pieces the master sword and even the ocarina although unofficially also the zelda dungeon format as we know it today really began with a link to the past obviously the zelda franchise and gaming as a whole owes a lot to a link to the past but we're talking about a game that was released over 25 years ago it's widely regarded as a masterpiece but how does it hold up today and where does a link to the past stack up against its many successors all which were built on the very foundation that it created i've thought about these questions quite a bit and the answers i've come up with might be a bit surprising and though i may have a controversial and unpopular opinion i know i'm not the only person with this viewpoint while i have great respect for a link to the past my answer to the favorite 2d zelda game question is a different game entirely well maybe not entirely my favorite 2d zelda game is set in the same world as a link to the past but released over 20 years later for the nintendo 3ds after sitting down and fleshing out my thoughts on both games i'm arguing that 2013's a link between worlds is the clear best top down zelda a common question asked about a link between worlds is if it is a remake to a link to the past a sequel or a completely different stand-alone game though the world map in a link between worlds is nearly identical to the one in the link to the past in the quest structure of find three pendants get the master sword and rescue the seven sages is also present in both games i think the correct answer to this question is that a link between worlds is a completely original game with tons of fan service and callbacks to the snes classic it's a brand new zelda adventure built around a fresh mechanic yet a love letter to a link to the past and his fans using a link to the past rock solid foundation as a mold a link between worlds takes advantage of newer hardware and modern design sensibilities to create an adventure which i believe is a true new era classic in the zelda franchise this is a link to the past versus a link between worlds now let me just start off by clarifying i think a link to the past is fantastic i respect the game for its objectively high quality which has allowed it to stay relevant for well over two decades i admire the ideas a link to the past brought to the zelda franchise which have become series staples today for starters a link to the past is the first zelda game where link swings his sword horizontally in front of him moving away from the stabbing like motion in the nes original this is a key change that can easily be overlooked instead of having to position link directly in front of whatever he's striking link now strikes a small radius in front of him with each swing affording the player a more free-flowing control scheme that doesn't require as precise of positioning the horizontal swing feels more fluid and it's just a more visually satisfying animation this is not the only development a link to the past introduced to the series when it comes to link's sword in a link to the past link's relationship with his blade evolves far beyond it's dangerous to go alone take this at the very beginning of the game link is entrusted with a sword by his uncle who also teaches him the spin attack another iconic element that would eventually permeate to other games in the series the spin attack originated in a link to the past and though not terribly useful it evolved link's sword-wielding moveset beyond just a single step the sword itself takes on more importance too a link to the past is the first game in which link wields the master sword the legendary evil sealing blade and widely recognized symbol of the zelda series staying on the topic of iconic symbols of the series a link to the past also introduced pieces of heart collectibles even items like the elemental rods which we see up throughout the latest games in the series got their start here it's not just the addition of these new elements that make a link to the past legendary but it's their successful implementation which helps to create a hugely influential framework the crux of which is still being used in games over two decades later the land of hyrule a link to the past overworld is the environment that houses and synthesizes all of the new ideas into an immersive experience that changed the genre sure link gaining a horizontal sword slash is great but it wouldn't be so great if you didn't in turn get to experience trotting through hyrule slashing at shrubbery collecting rupees and mowing down enemies all while listening to that classic overworld tune a link to the past hyrule feels fantastic to explore and if while exploring the player is keen enough to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary they might find a secret that can help them on their quest a key part of any top down zelda game is the exploration factor and a link to the past really steps it up when it comes to rewards and secret collectibles as previously mentioned a link to the past introduced pieces of heart to the series these large white hearts are hidden throughout the game's locations and serve as one-fourth of an additional heart container link can collect to bolster his maximum health solving a small puzzle or exploring a hard-to-reach area for a piece of heart is always satisfying these types of rewards serve as positive reinforcement for your exploration efforts and thus quite smartly pieces of heart are one of the key ways the game designers encourage the player to explore every nook and cranny of hyrule however as much as i enjoy and applaud the exploration element in a link to the past i think this is also an area where the game trips over itself a little bit though a link to the past encourages exploration through every corner of the overworld large sections of it are guarded off until certain items are obtained this on many occasions grinds exploration to a halt i wouldn't say this roadblocking is inherently negative as there's a certain satisfaction you can get by making note of an area you can't access yet and coming back to explore that area once you get the necessary item or ability and additionally i understand that it's very likely in this case that the walling off of certain areas was necessary in development as programming the entire game in a way that the full map is open might have been a difficult feat at the time not to mention if the player had more freedom it might have been harder to maintain a cohesive narrative throughout the game speaking of story a link to the past presents a pretty simple narrative and nothing too out of the ordinary for a role-playing game at the time hyrule castle is overrun by the evil wizard agony princess zelda is held captive in the castle dungeon and she calls out to link telepathically to save her link eventually succeeds in the rescue mission and is then instructed by village elder sahasrala to obtain three pendants locked away in dungeons located in far corners of the land by obtaining these pendants link will be deemed worthy to wield the master sword the only weapon capable of breaking the evil seal the wizard has placed on the castle once the pendants and master sword are finally obtained the princess is captured again after link encounters agonim for the first time he's whisked into hyrule's dark world and tasked with saving seven maidens who are all locked away in various dungeons these maidens serve as the keys to defeating the evil force once and for all rescuing princess zelda in the next three pendant dungeons serve as a kind of extended tutorial they introduced the player to key concepts and set some expectations for the rest of the game these three dungeons are completed in a set order as they each contain key items needed to progress in the story first is the eastern palace then the desert palace then the tower of hera though a link to the past is set in such a vast world right for exploration the player is at first set on a linear path though it's a bit of a tease having such a big world map yet no freedom of objective venturing off to different parts of the world to conquer each of these tutorial dungeons serves a smart purpose design wise this quest though it's linear in nature gives the player no choice other than to become familiar with many of the important areas on the world map the eastern palace introduces the player to the cliffs off to the castle's immediate right the desert palace serves as an intro to you guessed it the large desert to the southwest and lastly to reach the tower of hera you need to scale the menacing death mountain to the north even the trip to collect the master sword serves as a part of this intro to hyrule's geography as to collect it you must venture through the mysterious lost woods in the map's northwest corner the true extent that the game pushes you to explore each area of the map during this extended tutorial section didn't even really dawn on me while playing it took me until thinking about it after the fact to realize just how deliberately the game encourages you to get familiar with the lay of the land early in the quest you first find sahasrara by exploring kakariko village and sahasrara even gives you a hint toward a useful item hidden in lake hylia though it's an optional item at this point in the game the fact that there's a line of dialogue that deliberately pushes you to explore the one area that you might end up skipping in the main quest is quite telling taking all of this into account the players either forced or highly encouraged to explore every major area of the world map during the tutorial section which kind of blew my mind to figure out this speaks to just how much the designers smartly wanted players to be familiar with the map before the dark world opened up it builds a sense of familiarity with hyrule that helps the real meat of the game succeed in order to fully appreciate the dark world you need to at first be familiar with the light world once the first three dungeons are completed agonum is confronted at the castle for the first time and you are strewn into the dark world's mysterious alternate world map the real adventure begins due to early parts of the game leading you all around hyrule your familiarity with the world as you knew it makes you curious as to how the areas of the map that you grew accustomed to have now changed it's here when a link to the past opens up a bit more once arriving in the dark world you're forced to complete the first of the seven number dungeons to start but after this the order in which dungeons can be completed becomes a bit more flexible it's here where you're given an increased level of freedom and the exploration element really takes shape in a link to the past the freedom to explore hyrule and its dark counterpart is something that is built up to and this is something that i'm not the biggest fan of when it comes to progression the linear starting structure makes a link to the past in my opinion a bit of a slow burn sure the early temples are fun and the way the player is introduced to the full world map early is a really smart design choice but i think the decision to start the player on a linear path at the beginning of the game was made more out of necessity than preference this could very well not be the case as i'm not a game designer nor do i have any actual insight on the link to the past development but just a hunch i have surely i'm being too hard on a game that came out in the early 90s right well actually no because the original nes zelda is from the start open for the player to explore at their own free will where i believe a link to the past struggles is in its attempt at balancing free-flowing exploration with telling a story while the original zelda essentially drops the player into a world with no context a link to the past begins by setting up a plot so is the original zelda the one with more of an exploration focus while a link to the past is more of the story driven zelda well i guess you could make that argument but i don't really buy it as a link to the past stories not winning any best in fiction awards it's hardly a story at all it's more of a framing for the quest to have a bit more purpose behind it i don't think any of the zelda games are really trying to tell a deep story so why in a link to the past an adventure game are we forced into a set progression structure it seems the answer to this question is simple there's no good way to have a more open zelda game while maintaining a cohesive narrative well there was no good way until a link between worlds came along and changed things up a bit a link between world's narrative is basically identical to the story in a link to the past find three pendants get the master sword start the final quest to save the seven sages and defeat the big bad a link between worlds implements the same tutorial dungeon structure of a link to the past however after completing the mandatory first dungeon the eastern palace the player can then choose which of the next two dungeons the house of gales and the tower of hera they want to tackle next a link between worlds gives the player freedom to choose right from the jump even though at first it's limited to only two dungeons compare this to link to the past where until after the first agonum encounter dungeon progression is strictly linear and the player is given zero freedom of choice from what we know about linked to the past key items many of which allow the player to access later areas are obtained within dungeons the dungeon items being keys to unlock new pathways in the overworld mandate the order in which the player can take on the other dungeons then the story is built off of this progression structure so in a link between worlds with the player having freedom on which dungeons to complete how is any sort of structure upheld or story told one of the keys to a link between world success as a more open zelda game is how it is chunked into three sections tutorial dungeons the seven sages and the final showdown the seven sages section makes up the vast majority of the game and during this section there are 7 dungeons which can be completed in any order the player chooses within each there's nothing that will block forward progress and the story beats that follow each dungeon are not dependent on one another this creates a completely open system and makes it so there is no advantage to completing any one dungeon before another the second key to a link between world success as a more open zelda game is ravio's item rental shop early in the game link makes the acquaintance of ravio the charismatic oddball buddy rabbit i think ravio serves as the shopkeeper who will rent you any item that you might need in exchange for rupees of course you can also choose to purchase an item outright for an exorbitant price buying an item makes it so that upon each death the item is not removed from your inventory ravioshop gives the player access to all of the game's items from the start this makes it so there is rarely a point where your path is obstructed by an obstacle that can't be cleared because you don't yet have the proper item ravio's rental system completely neutralizes this item gating that halted free flow exploration in a link to the past in the link to the past if you saw an area you could not reach due to not having the proper item you had to make note of that area until you finally obtain the item then backtrack to it to finally open up the blocked path in a link between worlds anytime you are lacking a certain item that's needed to solve a puzzle or grab a collectible you can simply head back to ravio and rent that item this can all be done directly from the start of the game which makes it so in essence the entire world is unlocked to explore right away having an open progression system and freedom of where to explore really plays to the game's strengths too as collectibles are amped up a notch compared to a link to the past yes heart pieces still serve as one of the main incentives for exploring the world but a link between worlds offers other useful collectibles as well notably there are the lost mayamai the 100 missing children of the magical octopus being mother may am i mother grants link an upgrade to one of his owned items for every 10 lost mayamai returned to her the mayamai are scattered all over the land and they're a ton of fun to find often requiring you to do some non-traditional thinking in order to rescue them in addition to pieces of heart in my mind another potential reward for your exploration efforts are rupees just like in a link to the past however in a link between worlds there's more of an impetus to increase and maintain your roofie total as rupees fund ravio's rental system each time you die and lose all your rented items you're forced to fork over more rupees for the rental fee on items you need to use again also you'll want to buy the items outright eventually in order to upgrade them and they cost 800 rupees each so that could get pretty pricey just like a link to the past incentivizing exploration is something a link between worlds does extremely well however with a fully accessible world and even better rewards to obtain a link between worlds exceeds far beyond the system that was built in a link to the past it helps that a link between world's version of hyrule is also a blast to explore this is especially true if you're already familiar with the locations in a link to the past it's really enjoyable to see the different areas of hyrule with a new coat of paint and it's fun to make note of the similarities and differences between games a link between worlds map is essentially one to one with the link to the pass map aside from the dungeons which are remixed pretty heavily from their old school counterparts speaking of rewards and upgrades all of the link between world's items can be upgraded once you own them generally these upgrades give increased power and range to the items for example the nice bombs are bigger and do more damage while the nice bow lets you shoot three arrows at once in a link to the past there are less upgrades and many of the upgrades are just increased capacity for example rather than upgrading to a stronger or more effective bow the bow upgrade in a link to the past simply consists of increasing the number of arrows you can carry in a link between worlds the upgrade system is structured in nature this means that in most cases the player will already know how to get the upgrades most of them are obtained by returning myami back to their mother save for a few like the sword upgrades which are obtained through the blacksmith quest in a link to the past weapon and item upgrades are more off the beaten path a link to the past never explicitly tells you that you need to find certain fairy fountains to upgrade your sword or arrow capacity players can easily pass some item upgrades in the link to the past without ever even knowing they exist compare this to a link between worlds where most players will come across mother miami's cave naturally it's pretty easy to stumble upon as it's located in the middle of the world map and there's a signpost that draws attention to the obstructed cave entrance also once you activate the mayamai quest you'll start seeing maimai everywhere the myamide themselves act as a constant reminder that you are able to return to the cave and upgrade your items once enough mayama are collected while i wouldn't say i dislike the upgrade system in a link between worlds i would say i prefer how upgrades in a link to the past are a bit more of a mystery stumbling upon them is more of a pleasant surprise finding upgrades is certainly more rewarding in a link to the past the greater difficulty in finding upgrades adds a weight and importance to finally nabbing one that being said a link between world's game design does a better job at pointing you toward upgrades rather than leaving them as mysteries in a link between worlds i found most of the available rewards and upgrades while in the link to the past i went the full game without even knowing some of them existed it's pretty hard to enjoy a game element that you never actually find in the first place the most memorable new aspect of a link between worlds is link's ability to merge into walls by a power bestowed on him through a magic bracelet gifted to him by rabio link now has the ability to transform into a painted version of himself this allows him to become one with pretty much any wall or cliff side and allows him to move within that surface to the left and right while inside a wall the top-down perspective is ditched for a short time allowing link to travel through certain sections of the world from a completely new angle link's travels within a wall are somewhat limited though as he has no way to move up or down and most walls feature an obstruction some loose bricks a cluster of rocks or a castle wall sconce serve as the end of the road for link's horizontal travels these are often smartly placed barriers preventing link's wall merging ability from becoming game breaking not to mention using the ability slowly decreases the stamina meter so it's not like link's able to hang out in the walls forever link's ability to fuse with the walls allows for a completely new type of exploration unheard of in previous zelda titles though there have been other gimmicky elements to zelda games in the past in my opinion this is the coolest addition and the one that adds the most interesting extra element to the gameplay 2d zelda can be a bit formulaic at times okay where are the enemies i need to defeat or where's the switch i have to hit to open that door what item do i need to use to get over there but wall merging adds another element to these types of puzzles that you might not think about right away sometimes i would catch myself in the traditional 2d zelda frame of mind and be stuck on a puzzle which if i just managed to consider the wall merge ability would actually make much more sense this isn't exactly a puzzle but facing off against the knuckle master the skull woods boss comes to mind as an example i remember thinking how could i possibly dodge these attacks his movements were really fast and hard to dodge it took me a while to realize oh yeah i can merge into the walls here then his seemingly inescapable attacks didn't phase me nearly as much as i was protected inside of the wall the wall merge mechanic in a link between worlds makes you take that extra step even if you're not accustomed to it it breaks tradition and it's truly what sets the game apart and gives it its own identity the ability challenges you to look at 2d zelda in a different way which is refreshing when i think about a link between worlds the first image that comes to mind is a link merged into the wall i think the wall merge ability is key to the success of a link between worlds as it makes the game memorable on its own and it adds a new dimension to it in more ways than one the next point i want to talk about is controls in both games a link to the past and the link between worlds controls similarly and the difference is more an overall feel than the actual control setup itself to be honest i'm not the biggest fan of how a link to the past feels the sword feels a little bit short the hitbox doesn't always seem to match with the sprite and this can lead to some frustrating moments when i started the game i thought this would just be a control quirk that i would become used to over time but i never really did there was always something a little off with my accuracy and confidence when using the sword in combat in general during these situations where i find myself losing more hearts and lies than i probably should be i tend to blame myself rather than the game's controls however even at the very end of my journey in a link to the past i still didn't feel completely comfortable with my sword fighting ability there was just always something quirky about it on the flip side a link between worlds controls exactly how i would want it to honestly i could not think of a single way that controls could be improved controlling link with the 3ds circle pad is fast fluid and smooth even small conveniences like being able to move a bit while hoisting an arrow is a fantastic touch that smooths out some of the clunkiness that bothered me about a link to the past i would argue that a link between worlds has a great game feel while linked to the past is average or slightly below sure we can chalk that up to the time period the game was released but even so i think a link to the past controls still leaves something to be desired look at a game like super metroid it's a game from a similar era and when i revisit it now i basically have no complaints on how it controls i don't think a link to the past should get off the hook for its controls just because of its age a link to the past certainly doesn't have bad controls but i'd rather play a 2d zelda game with the link between worlds controls 100 out of 100 times something that i briefly touched upon earlier is a link between world stamina bar as link uses any one of his items rented from ravio his stamina bar decreases slightly this similarly to the magic meter in a link to the past puts a cap on how many times you can use your items in a row however in a link between world's case the stamina bar depletes after any item is used whereas in a link to the past the magic meter is only affected by magic based items like the lantern and elemental rods in a link to the past link is free to place bombs and spray arrows until he runs out of ammo in his inventory but in a link between worlds there's no inventory of ammunition for these items rather ammo is unlimited but the meter decreases as the items are used the stamina bar in a link between worlds serves effectively the same purpose as a link to the past magic meter it prevents excessive use of items if a limit was not in place it would probably make link a bit overpowered to me the key advantage of the stamina bar over the magic meter is how it gradually refills itself essentially making it so link's item usage is on a cool down taking away the need to constantly manage magic levels in a link to the past i often found myself debating whether or not to use certain items as i was afraid to waste magic power that i might need later on there were several instances where running out of magic mid-dungeon halted my progress this often forced me to backtrack repeatedly slaying enemies in hopes of them dropping a refill which is pretty unlikely or simply exiting the dungeon and retrying with more of a focus on magic conservation on the subsequent attempt the turtle rock dungeon comes to mind as a particular culprit but to be fair the sign at the very start of this dungeon does at least warn you to bring magic refilling potions these magic management moments were some of the least enjoyable of a link to the past for me being halted in my progress by something as seemingly arbitrary as having used my magic items too many times is really frustrating sure there are vile drops from breaking pots and defeating enemies which could give refills but these are few and far between in many cases these are just tiny magic vials which only restore one to two uses of an item at most also it should be noted that i didn't have the extended magic meter upgrade which would have surely helped but i didn't even know it existed i actually went the entire game without knowing it was a thing it's hard to say if that's the game's fault or mine but personally i don't think the player should be punished so hard for experimenting with magic based items i purposely avoided using items like the fire and ice rods in combat unless i absolutely had to since i feared that i was unnecessarily wasting magic and it was going to be a pain to restore it this phenomenon takes some of the fun out of experimenting with new items in combat and finding out which items work most effectively versus certain enemies sure i suppose the simple answer is to just load up on potions but there's some trade-offs to be made there too empty bottle space is limited so for each potion you carry that's one less storage space for a potentially life-saving fairy overall i think it would be more fun to just not have to worry about the magic meter at all and this is exactly what happens in a link between worlds without having to constantly manage a magic meter it feels as if a weight is lifted off my back when it comes to item experimentation sure now in a link between worlds all the items i use in combat to plead my stamina but the consequence is only having to wait a few seconds for the gauge to refill this is a far cry from an empty magic meter and a link to the past which breaks the flow of gameplay and at times completely alters the course of the adventure stopping any meaningful progress just to fetch a few magic vials or a potion refill both games are similar in a sense that they contain full alternate versions of the world map those being a link to the past dark world and a link between worlds more tongue-in-cheek take low rule when i think of iconic scenes from a link to the past the excursion to save zelda venturing out of link's house in the pouring rain comes to mind next on the list is probably turning into a bunny and running around the dark world for the first time the initial shock of this moment is super memorable during this point of the game i was taken aback i instantly started questioning what type of zelda game i was playing when i started a link to the past i thought it was in for more standard zelda fare like ocarina of time but when visiting the eerie and sullenly whimsical dark world i started wondering if i was in for a weirder shape-shifting type of experience more akin to majora's mask the initial transition into a link to the past dark world is a powerful and memorable moment in gaming history simply because of the oddity and mystery of it all in a link between worlds chasing yuga into low rule though an important story moment whereas master plane is revealed is not nearly as memorable there's nothing weird wacky and frankly very entertaining about it all essentially your first foray into low rule is simply a visit to a darker toned version of hyrule castle it's a far more forgettable occasion compared to the sheer sense of surprise and mystery we get in a link to the past an argument could be made that since a link to the past already set precedent for an alternate dark version of the world map it takes the steam out of the reveal in a link between worlds however i think looking objectively at both moments a link to the past presents the alternate realm in a much more poignant and memorable way this isn't to say that a link between world's low rule is ineffective however low rule is a blast to explore and it's super charming a link between world's low rule is a more fully realized and concretely connected alternate map than a link to the past dark world characters that exist in hyrule have low royal counterparts for example the blacksmith a normally high-energy individual in eye rule has a grumpy lower energy counterpart even princess zelda has a low rule counterpart in princess hilda these connections go a long way to solidify the connection between realms whereas in link to the past the dark world is really only just similar to hyrule in a geographical sense there wasn't much of a connection between worlds besides that despite a link between world's low rule being woven more strongly into the fabric of the game world i still give the edge to a link to the past dark world overall despite feeling a bit disconnected at times the dark world took a more bizarro world approach rather than framing itself as a dejected version of hyrule take this moment for example not long into your first adventure to the dark world you're sure to run into these two oddballs as the player your first instinct is to attack them as so far in hyrule you've come to learn that anything not human is most likely harmful then as you come closer and see that the monsters are not attacking you you realize you can talk to them you learn that presumably they're human characters who have gained the appearance of monsters while in the dark world one of the monsters tells you about an item called the moon pearl which allows visitors of the realm to keep their regular shape instead of transforming into a rabbit or some other creature these two are not enemies they are simply harmless npcs that give you a little bit of explanation in context to the strange events that are taking place it is through this interaction that you learn this is the dark world and things you learned previously in hyrule might not apply this early moment sets the tone for the dark world and lets you know that when it comes to this mysterious realm it's best to expect the unexpected a link to the past pioneered zelda dungeon design as we know it today the sprawling interconnected labyrinths that we've come accustomed to in both 2d and 3d zelda games got their start in the link to the past and for a start it's a great one in my opinion the real genius of a link to the past is not so much in its system's design as it is in its dungeons design each dungeon in the game is an undertaking in many cases they are multi-hour excursions that require some real thought to conquer unlike previous zelda games where dungeons are more like a series of unrelated rooms without a cohesive theme or narrative a link to the past offers multi-floor interconnected structures often with a key puzzle mechanic that can span from room to room encouraging the player to think in a less linear fashion instead requiring that the dungeon is examined as a whole and giving value to backtracking in room to room floor to floor exploration a key example of this concept is the introduction of the blue and red switches first encountered in the tower of hera these switches raise and lower blue and red pegs respectively each switch works as a toggle so when a red switch is hit it turns to a blue one and vice versa link can't cross the colored pegs if they're raised but if they're sunken into the floor after the other color switch has been activated then he is able to cross oftentimes the switches exist in completely different rooms than the actual pegs this makes it so if the player gets stuck behind a series of pegs blocking the way they must find a switch somewhere and if that switch is blocked by another color of pegs then they must find another switch or another way to the switch to progress forward this is just one example of how dungeon design in a link to the past spans various rooms it makes it so the player thinks of the labyrinth as a cohesive challenge to overcome rather than a series of puzzle room after puzzle room many of a link to the past dungeons notably the ones existing in hyrule's dark world introduce an overarching puzzle theme early as they often require the player to solve a puzzle to even reach the entrance for example the swamp palace in the dark world seems to be a dead end until you figure out that there's a pull switch in the light world version of the dungeon which raises the water level in the dark world version once the water level is raised it allows you to swim across the chasm in the dark world dungeon and progress inside a link to the past dungeons are tricky at times as many of them contains elements that are real head scratchers i generally like to play zelda dungeons to completion in one sitting but in the case of a link to the past this wasn't always possible some had me stuck whether it was from a puzzle a key i was missing or an enemy gauntlet challenge that would cause me to lose one too many heart containers the dungeons aren't just challenging either they are interactive puzzles and i had to carefully observe what was going on and then take my best path forward what i found special about a link to the past dungeons were how they at times taught you as you went take this moment in the dark palace for example having just collected the magic hammer i found myself surrounded on all sides by pegs the solution here is quite simple you escape and proceed by hammering the pegs down with your newly acquired item however in this room on the other side of the pegs are the shelled enemies that you encountered earlier in the dungeon up until this point you just figure they are invincible as the sword is ineffective against them i would just dodge these enemies as i couldn't figure out how to defeat them none of my items seemed effective however slamming the floor's pegs down with the hammer sends a shock wave out that flips the shelled enemies over onto their backs leaving an exposed vulnerable underbelly once flipped by the hammer's shockwaves these enemies were at the mercy of my sword positioning the pegs and enemies both here is a smart design choice that leads to a great teaching moment in the game this is such a simple touch but in this way the game elegantly revealed to me a way to defeat enemies that i wasn't previously aware of zelda games are full of moments like this and a link to the past was really the first game to present them in such a beautiful way great moments like this exist throughout future games in the series and we owe a link to the past for all of them even decades later this elegant dungeon design is still very much alive in a link between worlds one of my favorite dungeons in a link between worlds is the thieves hideout this one is yet another example of a smartly designed 2d zelda dungeon with plenty of clever moments that teach the player in effective non-intrusive ways one of the first rooms you encounter requires you to activate pressure switches on the floor in order to open the door forward however once you press a switch and then step off of it you'll notice that it's no longer activated in this early room the switches need to stay pressed in order for you to move forward the only other object in the room capable of keeping the switches activated are the pushable gargoyle statues so naturally you figure out that you can drag a statue onto the switches which will cause them to stay down allowing you to finally head through the open door then later on in the dungeon you find the thief girl and you are tasked with helping to free her from captivity in the hideout for the rest of the dungeon she follows your every move and will even stay put in a spot if you tell her to in the room where you rescue her the same floor switches you saw earlier are present so you know the win condition but the difference here is that there are no gargoyle statues present so you might wonder how to proceed in this case but quickly you realize that the girl can serve the same purpose as a statue leading her over to one of the presser switches is the key to the door of the chamber remaining open this is an example of a puzzle where the answer is not explicitly but subtly and elegantly hinted at previously in the dungeon these moments of teaching are key to what makes zelda puzzles such a joy to solve a link to the past pioneered the great zelda dungeon puzzles as we know them and they have been going strong ever since as evidenced by the equally strong dungeon design of a link between worlds since we're comparing and contrasting both of these great zelda games there are a few more points i want to touch on first i have to shout out the use of the 3ds's stereoscopic 3d in a link between worlds i am in the camp that the 3d effect is underrated in general and it gives a great sense of depth to games that is really unique some locations in the link between worlds were clearly designed to really pop with the 3d effect turned on these areas utilize the top-down perspective and steep vertical heights to create some amazing set pieces the ice ruins and the path to rosso's or mine really stand out to me in this respect and serve as some of the most memorable locations in the game when all is said and done next i want to talk quickly about bosses since i think both games had some great bosses and some not so great bosses it's kind of difficult to say which game pulls ahead for me the main differentiator between both games bosses is the difficulty level i think a link to the past bosses were much more difficult due to this i give a link to the past the overall edge when it comes to bosses as they are much more challenging and therefore more satisfying to defeat i have to shout out a link to the past final boss as it's an epic encounter that took me many many attempts to finally defeat i can still remember how intensely i was clutching the controller during the fight and the dejection i felt at each failed attempt i didn't sleep that night until i finally prevailed and it was a triumphant feeling for sure nothing in a link between worlds really took me to that level the final boss of a link between worlds though creative and a fun callback to the final fight of a link to the past is far easier which takes a lot of steam out of the fight when it comes to the intensity and overall memorability honorable mention to the boss of the desert palace though beating that thing is definitely not easy i almost feel like that should have been the final loss finally i want to touch on each game's story when it comes to a link to the past there really isn't much there i don't necessarily mind this as i'm usually never going into a 2d zelda game for the story but a link between worlds certainly wins in the story department as there is much more in terms of character development and plot events again nothing too crazy here but it's something and that puts it above a link to the past oh that ending too i won't go into too much detail in order not to spoil it for those who have not yet played the game but it's good a link between worlds clearly wins when it comes to story and provides a more satisfying conclusion in my opinion and that pretty much covers it i wanted to do this video because after revisiting both games recently i wanted to express my thoughts on both as they are in the current day while i think a link to the past deserves all the credit it gets i think it deserves to be viewed under a critical eye and compared with contemporary games that build up on its formula i really think a link between worlds is criminally underrated i would honestly say it's plain and simple a better version of a link to the past i know a link between worlds has its fans but i don't think there are enough of you out there it's a fantastic game that not only builds upon the all-time great foundation that a link to the past gave us but also introduces new creative elements to the series that innovate and push it forward it takes advantage of the 3ds's unique hardware and sets a standard for 2d zelda that in my opinion has not been talked this is a top 20 nintendo game of all time for me if not top 10 and i am shocked that there hasn't been a true original 2d zelda game since you

Channel: That Nintendo Quality

Views: 3,926

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Id: OBTbxzE9N5k

Length: 43min 28sec (2608 seconds)

Published: Wed May 19 2021