Fans of The Legend of Zelda knew to watch today’s Nintendo Direct. News on the Virtual Console versions of Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, a pair of amazing Gameboy Color games, was enough to keep me interested. But the announcement that they’d hit the eShop on May 30th was just the beginning of the joy for Zelda fans. We 3DS owners also have a new game to look out for, set in the world of A Link to the Past.
It’s not just the layout of Hyrule that’s been brought over from those glory days, though. Videos show that although the graphics are in beautiful 3D, it’s the classic 2D Zelda gameplay that we’ll be seeing again. If you’re a fan of the older games in the series, the gameplay Nintendo showed us during the reveal will make you smile. Remember that flow of beating back enemies with your sword to survive? It’s back. Remember raising and lowering walls with crystal switches to navigate a room? It’s back.
But make no mistake. This looks exactly like a 3D remake of A Link to the Past. But it’s not. There’s a brand new story to be enjoyed in this new entry in the series, although we don’t yet have any details on the plot. And in addition to a bigger focus on rising and falling between different heights and floors in the game, there’s also a brand new mechanic that plays into the 3DS’ unique standpoint as a 3D platform. Link can now become completely flat against a wall (a mode that many of us have lovingly dubbed “Paper Link”) and cling to it, allowing him to skirt over some gaps or get through barred windows.
Personally, I’m about as happy about this as possible. The game clearly pays homage to one of the greatest classics of the Zelda series, brings it back to its roots, and yet adds a fresh modern perspective on it. If this is done right, Nintendo has an amazing game on their hands.
We also have a press release from Nintendo of Australia regarding the game:
A new game in The Legend of Zelda series: Nintendo developers are working on a new game set in the world of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which launched for Super NES in 1992. The game makes use of the 3D abilities of Nintendo 3DS, and allows Link to become a drawing and move within walls. A 3D video of the new game is now available in the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS. The game is scheduled to launch towards the end of the year.
Check out the trailer below. You can also watch it from the eShop–it looks even better in 3D.
