Developer - Nintendo EAD (Group No. 3)
Publisher - Nintendo
Release Dates - December 26th (JP) , November 22nd (NA), November 22nd (EU), November 23rd (AU)
Platform - 3DS
Game Size - 5,482 Blocks/ 685MB
Genre - Action-Adventure
Controls - Standard
Multiplayer - None
Retail and Digital versions launch on the same day. The Digital version will be available at Midnight (EST) on the eShop. Scan the QR Code below to be taken directly to the game's eShop page.
In a time of great turmoil, the seven sages of legend sealed away the evil Ganon and restored peace to Hyrule. Many generations later, the kingdom is at peace under the benevolent rule of Princess Zelda. On an errand to deliver a sword from the blacksmith's shop, Link stumbles upon a magical attack. The sorcerer Yuga transforms a young girl—the descendant of a legendary sage—into a living painting, defeats Link, and vanishes. An oddly dressed stranger returns Link to his home and gives him a mystical bracelet that will prove invaluable in the adventure to come. Granted the power of interdimensional travel and equipped with items rented from Ravio, Link must travel between Hyrule and the dark mirror world of Lorule. Its dungeons are treacherous, but they lead to an even more ominous confrontation.
Rental Shop:
A Link Between Worlds does away with the traditional formula of getting items from dungeons and instead, replaces it with a new system entirely. Early on in the game, you meet a character named Ravio who runs a rental shop. In that shop, you can rent nearly every item in the game. However, renting isn't free as you'll be required to pay for an item every time you rent it. There's another catch: If you die, Ravio immediately takes back the rented items from you. Later in the game, you'll also have the option of buying the items from Ravio too, but expect to pay a pretty penny for them. This completely changes the way dungeons are handled, as you can now tackle them in almost any order you desire now. Want to Tackle Dungeon 5 but you haven't even completed the 2nd Dungeon yet? Well just rent the Hookshot from Ravio and you're on your way!
Link's Drawing:
Another new feature of A Link between Worlds is that Link can now turn into a drawing and move along the surface of walls. Link is able to use his newfound ability to travel between Hyrule and Lorule and maneuver to otherwise unreachable areas. And as you would expect, a large amount of the game's puzzles are centered around this mechanic. Some examples having to avoid being detected by guards inside a hallway. In this instance, Link is forced to traverse around them by hiding beneath the vines growing on the walls.
Lorule:
If you've ever played A Link to the Past, you should be familiar with the concept here. Lorule is essentially a mirror version of Hyrule. It shares many of the same locals and landmarks. In order to travel between the two worlds, you will need to find interdimensional cracks, which are scattered on walls throughout the land. You can also traverse between Hyrule and Lorule with Fast Travel once the locations are unlocked. One major difference between the two worlds is that Lorule is a fragmented land, forcing you to find specific cracks in Hyrule if you want to explore certain sections in Lorule.
Fast Travel:
In your travels throughout Hyrule, Link will eventually come across a witch named Irene. She offers you some assistance by unlocking Fast Travel for you. After you meet her, any save location you've encountered, which in this game are bird themed weather-vanes, will become a Fast Travel options for you to use. In addition, Fast Travel also works in between Hyrule and Lorule, so you won't have to rely exclusively on the cracks.
Streetpass:
In Kakariko Village, you'll encounter an old man named Gramps. When you talk to him, you have the option of setting up Streetpass for the game. Streetpass, for those unfamiliar, is the name for stand-by data exchange between two 3DS systems. For instance, if I'm out on a walk where I'm carrying my 3DS and I pass by another person who is also carrying their 3DS, our systems will exchange information and game data between each other. Streetpass for A Link Between Worlds allows you to engage in special battles with people you've tagged. You can setup a customized version of Link, choosing what items he should have in battle and such. And when you tag someone, their customized Link, which shows up as Shadow Link, will appear in your game. If you're victorious against the other person's Shadow Link, you earn a bounty that's variable to how powerful the character was.
Items:
Trailers:
My GIFs for the trailers got screwed up, will update soon.
Screens:
- Game Informer - 10/10
- GameSided - 10/10
- Nintendolife - 10/10
- GameXplain - 5/5
- Joystick - 5/5
- CVG - 10/10
- Digital Spy - 10/10
- Eurogamer Italy - 10/10
- EGM - 10/10
- GameTrailer - 9.8
- Polygon - 9.5/10
- Nintendo World Report - 9.5/10
- 4Gamers - 9.5/10
- IGN - 9.4/10
- Gamereactor: - 9/10
- SixthAxis - 9/10
- ShackNews - 9/10
- GamesRadar - 4.5/5
- GameRevolution - 4.5/5
- Metro - 9/10
- Trusted Reviews - 9/10
- GameSpot - 9/10
- Assosciated Press - 3.5/4
- EDGE - 8/10
- Eurogamer - 8/10
- Gamekult: - 8/10
- PocketGamer - 8/10
- USGamer - 8/10
- Destructoid - 6.5/10
- VG24/7 - No Score
Game Informer said:
GamesRadar said:
EuroGamer said:
Destructoid said:
Even though it was the Four Swords version... (shut up)
