An odd Zelda title. It has the most engaging and enjoyable minute-to-minute gameplay of any 2D Zelda, but very little of the presentation feels that memorable. This is likely a result of it being a riff on A Link to the Past, given that most of what you see is a variation on something you've seen before. There are dungeons that are wholly original, filled with clever puzzles and boss fights, but there's still something about them that feels fleeting. It could be that these dungeons are laid out in a much more focused and streamlined manner than previous 2D Zeldas, so you're in and out in far less time. (I was never stuck in a dungeon in ALBW the way I've been stuck in the Oracle games, for example) This comes alongside a minor issue with challenge. This is without a doubt the easiest 2D Zelda, potentially the easiest game in the entire franchise. In two playthroughs, I only ever died a single time. Even the big 50-floors-of-enemies gauntlet near the end felt underwhelming. This is a great entry point for a kid with a 3DS, but for a long-time Zelda fan, it's kind of a pushover.

I'm conflicted on where I would rank this amongst the series. It skews towards the bottom in terms of atmosphere, characters, or story, but in terms of pure gameplay, this is the most fun I've ever had on 3DS.