Two worlds collide in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds – out 22nd November (Europe)
31st October 2013 – Prepare to set foot on the magical soil of Hyrule once more when The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds launches on 22nd November for the Nintendo 3DS family of consoles. As a follow-up to the 1991 Super NES classic The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, get ready to conquer new dungeons, fresh puzzles, and experience new gameplay mechanics which open up the way Link explores Hyrule and the foreign land of Lorule, a corrupted, parallel version of Hyrule.
The story begins in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds with an ominous threat looming over Hyrule. A mysterious, wizardly figure named Yuga has been appearing throughout the land, transforming the kingdom’s seven sages into paintings and spiriting them away into another world. With the future of Hyrule at stake, Link must therefore step into the unknown realm of Lorule and stop Yuga’s nefarious plans in order to restore peace and harmony to his home world.
During a journey of discovery in both Hyrule and Lorule, Link will meet characters familiar to fans of The Legend of Zelda series, such as Princess Zelda and the elder of Kakariko Village, Sahasrahla, as well as new figures central to the storyline such as the travelling merchant Ravio, and the mystical figure of Hilda, the Princess of Lorule. Appearing for the first time in the series, little is known about Ravio, the item vendor who sets up shop in Link’s house and provides our hero with a helpful bracelet… Via Ravio’s shop, players can now choose to buy or rent key items early on in the adventure, allowing greater freedom to explore dungeons in any order over the course of the game. Whether it’s freezing foes in their tracks with the Ice Rod, or floating upwards with the Tornado Rod, many items will be pivotal to progressing through the fiendishly designed dungeons players will encounter.
Thanks to Ravio’s bracelet, Link is able to transform into a drawing and walk along walls, and this ability brings a new dimension to the table when solving puzzles, as by merging with walls, players can see obstacles from different angles and are able to discover new features. But beware – Link can only merge with walls for a limited amount of time, so ensure that once the energy gauge is depleted, he is not in any imminent danger!
For those exploring the detailed worlds of Hyrule and Lorule, a variety of subquests and minigames are on hand to earn rewards in the form of rupees or extra heart containers. Treacherous Tower involves Link fighting his way through numerous floors filled with a variety of enemies via three difficulty levels, while Octoball Derby sees Link step up to bat in a baseball-inspired minigame situated in Lorule where rupees are earned by smashing pots and knocking over enemies littering the field. For those who can’t put down this latest title in The Legend of Zelda series, once a player has completed the main game, a Hero Mode will be unlocked, in which Link takes greater damage from enemies when hit. Intrepid explorers may even find a small hidden extra waiting to be found somewhere in Lorule during a second play through…
Thwart the evil Yuga and restore peace and harmony to Hyrule when The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds releases on 22nd November for the Nintendo 3DS family of consoles. For all Zelda fans wanting to show off their allegiance to the Triforce, don’t forget that The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Limited Edition Nintendo 3DS XL console also arrives on the same day, including a download code to purchase the game directly from Nintendo eShop, and emblazoned with a double Triforce design across the console’s shell.
