I love what Nintendo did with this game. Yeah, I know it's supposed to be a call back to a TLoZ:link to the past, and that most of the enemies, areas, and even bosses are "the same", but I really love this game. It's story, appearance, weapons, characters, mechanics, and dungeons (So, basically everything?) are the reason it's one of the Zelda games that I enjoy the most.
Zelda tends to have easy, light stories, that are entertaining, yet their basic concept is usually the same. Save world and princess who has a Triforce that should do something(I Hope), but they also have that point when the game makes you change the way you thinka bout it, like Zant's attack on Midna, or Fi's goodbye at the end of SS, or, you know, the entire game of Majora's Mask. But for me, Lorule is one of the most impressive changes.
Since it's directed to children, it isn't as dark and terrifying as TP, SS or M'sM could get at some points (Flashback to the Fused Shadow scene, or the moon destroying Clock Town), but the lighter (more like, not so dark) tone is very appreciated. Also, the villains actually had a plan, and tricked you into it
I don't know about most of the old Zelda games, but Hilda is the first Villain I ever even cared for. Princess Hilda, Ruler of Lorule, and counterpart to Zelda, has a pretty strong motive for everything she's set in motion. She sent Yuga(only stain in this game. I don't like him at all) to capture every sage in Hyrule, including princess Zelda, in paintings, so that she can brake Ganon's seal thus giving her both the Triforce of wisdom from Zelda's painting, and the Triforce of power from Ganon, who had fused with Yuga (I's so hideous), and lure link into Lorule, so he could awaken the Triforce of Courage, since Lorule's was destroyed, and the world had been cursed, and planned to steal Hyrule's
The two parallel worlds are great to explore, and really enjoyable to play. The rent system is great(specially when you get to buy them), and upgrading them is kind off annoying, but rewarding. Every item is fun to use, and almost all (poor bumerang) are necessary in only one Temple, so you can do them in any order you want.
And most importantly for this game, the wall merging. The amount of uses for this mechanic are hilarious, and is the key factor for this game's freedom on the choice of dungeon you want to take, since you're shown what you need to use, and the rest of the puzzles are solved through wall merging. Well. something like that. Also, the link looks really great in this version, the childish look matches the game great.
It was also my first top down 2d Zelda game, and I really got me interested in them. The change is so immense, and yet, everything feels so similar. The gameplay is really intuitive, and the game has a nice flow to it. I also love the song Castle of Lorule, and the huge bombs, and the sand rood gameplay.
Honestly, I hope I can get my hands on this game again. I've played it 3 times thanks to a friend lending it to me, and I really wish I can rack up enough money to buy one
Thanks for putting up with me!
all the images are not my property, they belong to: =http://mynintendonews.com/2013/10/18/hero-mode-for-legend-of-zelda-a-link-between-worlds/ and https://www.nintendo.nl/Games/Nintendo-3DS/The-Legend-of-Zelda-A-Link-Between-Worlds-765381.html