Link to the Past Sequel, Zelda Classics Coming to 3DS

It was a fantastic day to be a Zelda fan yesterday, especially if you’ve been waiting for something new to play on your 3DS. During the Nintendo Direct, a couple of classic portable Zelda titles were announced to be coming to the 3DS Virtual Console, while those after a purely new experience got their fill as well.

First of all, Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are being placed on the Virtual Console. These Gameboy classics hit at the time when having two similar games interact in some way was at the very height of its popularity. Although the games are completely different, even going as far as to have two different main mechanics, a code at the end of each game unlocks bonus content for the other. Oracle of Ages allows you to travel through time, whereas Oracle of Seasons gives you the ability to change which time of year the game takes place in. Both games rely fairly heavily on these abilities as you progress, and passing bodies of water by transporting to winter (when the water will be frozen) or planting a seed only to have it grow in the future had never really been done on this scale before, or perhaps since.

There was also the announcement of an as-of-yet untitled Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past sequel. Link to the Past, released over twenty years ago on the SNES, is one of the most critically acclaimed entries in the franchise. This completely original game relies of the 3D depth to give players a new way of exploring dungeons. Reaction has been largely positive, with a little hesitation from people worried Nintendo may end up doing the wrong thing with the Link to the Past legacy. Check out the trailer below for a first look at what’s to come.

If you were sick and tired of playing the Ocarina of Time 3D Master Quest time and time again, it’s time to celebrate. Forget the year of Luigi, 2013 is going to see enough new Legend of Zelda titles to keep you going until Legend of Zelda Wii U.