The next game in Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda franchise is The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds; adding another story to the already confusing series’ chronology. The game is a sequel to the critically acclaimed 1991’s Super Nintendo game ‘The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past’. However in terms of location in the series’ chronology is unknown. The game will feature a new gameplay mechanic that allows Link to ‘merge’ with an adjacent wall to become a 2D image – increasing the complexity of puzzles and combat. Returning mechanics from ‘A Link to the Past’ are the Magic Hammer and the Sword Beam requirements.
At PAX Australia I had the opportunity to briefly play the demo at the Nintendo Booth. The demo had two different areas: Fields and Dungeon. ‘Fields’ focused on the exploration side of the game. The level started similar to most Zelda’s games – waking up and leaving the house. Upon leaving the house, the bright opened fields sprung to life due to the vibrant colours of the area. ‘Dungeons’ focused on the puzzle aspects of the game, as players had to rely on switches, walls and springs to ascend the dungeon while uncovering treasures.
The game is set of a late 2013 release worldwide for Nintendo 3DS.