The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is the upcoming seventeenth Zelda game, set to release on the Nintendo 3DS, and will be the first Zelda title made specifically for the 3DS. It is being developed as an indirect sequel to.

Gameplay
In the announcement, Link was shown exploring the area south of the Lumberjack's House and a dungeon reminiscent of the Tower of Hera. Common enemies from A Link to the Past appear, including Buzz Blobs, Crows, Stalfos and Terrorpins, and Link is shown to use his Bow and Magic Hammer. The 3D capabilities of the console are to be used for the multiple-floored dungeons, with the player able to see far beyond the floor they stand on at any one moment. A purple meter that appears to be a Magic Meter or a Stamina Gauge also appears, acting differently than previous versions of those gauges; it depletes with the use of nearly every item and refills automatically. A new ability was also revealed that allowed Link to become a drawing to cling onto walls and move along them horizontally at the cost of the purple meter. This ability is used to avoid falling off pits, fit through barred windows, and dodge obstacles on an elevator ride.

In addition, the ability to turn into a drawing allows Link to enter special cracks that act as portals through which he can travel between the Light World and a another world reminiscent of the Dark World, known as Lorule. Aside from this new technique, Link's Spin Attack and Sword Beam are shown to return.

The top screen shows the main game, while the bottom one shows the map, Rupee count, item buttons (X and Y), and a button labeled "Collect," which allows players to access a twenty-slot inventory. The touch screen has a similar appearance to that of the 3DS remake of Ocarina of Time. Unlike the Nintendo DS Zelda games, A Link Between Worlds is mainly played using the 3DS's face buttons rather than touch screen. The A button controls basic actions like transforming, the B button is dedicated to the sword, and X and Y use items.

Development
Confirmed by Eiji Aonuma on November 3, 2011, this new installment will take elements from previous console Zelda games. Aonuma also stated that it will not be a direct sequel to any of the other titles released on the Nintendo DS. Shigeru Miyamoto publicly stated he wished to create something "new, based on, or starting from" in an April 2012 interview. The game was officially revealed on April 17, 2013 during a Nintendo Direct. A playable demo was made available to the press shortly afterwards, showcasing the dungeon from the trailer.

Timeline Placement
A Link Between Worlds will be a sequel to A Link to the Past, set in the same world as the SNES classic, and will feature a new storyline and new dungeons. In various interviews, Eiji Aonuma said that the game would show what happened to characters from A Link to the Past after the events of that game, but will feature different incarnations of Link and Zelda than those of A Link to the Past. It was confirmed by Bill Trinen at Comic-Con that A Link Between Worlds will take place centuries after A Link to the Past, but before, and will feature different incarnations of Link and Zelda. In one of the trailers, an old man tells Link that the events of A Link to the Past took place in the day of his grandfather's grandfather's grandfather, implying a gap of a few hundred years between the two games.

Setting
A Link Between Worlds is set to take place in both Hyrule from A Link to the Past and another kingdom that exists within the "Other World." This parallel world apparently houses a dark counterpart to the Triforce of the Light World.

Audio
Eiji Aonuma stated in an interview that the game will feature arranged music from A Link to the Past, adding that the aim of the development team is to make the tracks sound as if they are played on real instruments.