Skip to main content

Zelda: A Link Between Worlds guide - complete walkthrough

Guide by Staff Contributor
Published on

Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is probably now glued permenantly into your 3DS. Ensure you make it to the end with our monster walkthrough.

Taking place six generations after its predecessor, Zelda: A Link Between Worlds follows on from SNES classic Zelda: A Link to the Past. Again played from a top-down perspective, the RPG is set in the same world as the previous game but some of the locations from 1991 have been changed or removed entirely. The overworld sections are largely similar to the original title, but all the dungeons you're going to encounter - and there are plenty of them - are brand new. This is essential for any Nintendo or Zelda fan. Or anyone else, for that matter.

A Link Between Worlds' quest is another giant mission for Link to rescue Zelda and, inevitably, the Triforce. Some of the gameplay items from A Link to the Past make a comeback in the game, including long distance arrows and the Fire Rod, a weapon which creates a firestorm. A Link to the Past used a straight ammunition system for Link's weapons, but A Link Between Worlds replaces this with a magic meter. A renting system for items is also included this time out, making rupees, the series's form of currency, something you'll want to watch carefully as you play. The game also allows you to play the dungeons in any order you wish, giving you a little more freedom than Zelda players may be used to. While there may be some differences between A Link Between Worlds and A Link to the Past, however, you can expect all the epic story, nightmare dungeon puzzles and inventiveness you've learned to love from Zelda. This is the second Zelda title for 3DS, the first being Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, and it's an instant classic.

As essential as it is, however, it's also a huge undertaking spanning many dungeons and story sequences. You really don't want to get lost here. Lucky for you, then, that our walkthrough's over 30,000 words long and takes you from the first scene to the very last. Bookmark this page now.

Nintendo's introduced some 3DS-specific features in A Link Between Worlds, as the series in which you can complete the story's levels is essentially free-form. A map is viewable on the console's bottom screen, and you're able to zoom in and drop pins to help you easily navigate the vast play area. The 3D capabilities of 3DS are also used in some of the dungeons. While the tech's come forward into the 21st Century, however, A Link Between Worlds has been roundly slapped for its retro-style graphics. You shouldn't be worried about visuals, however. It's all about design, right?

And the design is good. A Link Between Worlds has you whizzing between Hyrule and Lorule via cracks in walls as you see fit, attempting to thwart the evil Yuga's dastardly plans by rescuing descendants of the Seven Sages from the original game. They've all be stuck in paintings - as has the eponymous princess - and you'll need to beat a ton of bosses to set them all free. Link is able to flatten himself onto walls as a painting in A Link Between Worlds, adding a puzzle element not seen before in a Zelda game, and you'll have to use everything at your disposal - and no small amount of skill - if you're the see the end credits. Be sure to check back here if you get stuck.

Zelda: A Link Between Worlds has been lauded as a game which combines 2D and 3D to reinvigorate the Zelda formula, and as one which adds some speed to the gameplay to create an essential handheld iteration of Nintendo's never-die adventure. You'll find absolutely everything you need to navigate Link's latest mission through the links above, including guides on items, levels, bosses and NPCs. Get going: Zelda isn't going to rescue herself. Good luck!

Read this next