Fans of the Legend of Zelda series might find that it is a struggle to be able to play one of the better games, that being A Link Between Worlds. A Link Between Worlds was met with critical acclaim on its release in 2013. It came with an amazing soundtrack, a deep story, and it made good use of the Nintendo 3DS, which is where it was originally released. While it took the console by storm, it has unfortunately never left it.

Said to be best Legend of Zelda games, A Link Between Worlds is well worth a playthrough. It is part of the “Downfall” timeline, and this is reflected in the darker themes and narratives. There is a push and pull in the game between Hyrule and its counterpart Lorule, allowing players to explore two lands and interact with the inhabitants in each. While the art style might be distasteful to some, it is still worth a go - if you can find it.

A Link Between Worlds Released In 2013 On 3DS

One Of The Best Games For The System

The Nintendo 3DS was released in 2010, and it lasted for ten years after that as Nintendo’s handheld console. There were multiple versions, and for those who did not like the look of the 3D, there was a 2D version for them to play instead. It sold quite well, and like A Link Between Worlds, it was considered a big success. This continued to be the case until 2020, when production was officially discontinued. Interestingly, the Nintendo Switch was released in 2017 and could also be a handheld console, meaning both consoles were active for nearly 3 years.

Three years later, A Link Between Worlds was released. It follows A Link To The Past in the timeline, and both of the games follow a slightly different Zelda and Link as they attempt to save their world. In A Link Between Worlds, Zelda is captured and Link must reunite the pieces of the Tri-Force in order to restore the kingdom and bring it back to its former glory. Despite many other Legend of Zelda remakes and re-releases, this remains the only version of the game that players can get a hold of.

What Makes A Link Between Worlds So Great

A Fantastic Puzzle Game With Great Music

While A Link To The Past seems to get more attention, A Link Between Worlds has many reasons for players to love it and is considered the former game’s sequel. As mentioned, the soundtrack alone is considered one of the best. It adapted the music and the world design from A Link To The Past, but changed them and made them its own instead of using direct copies.

The puzzles felt good, and it was just challenging enough for players to enjoy the experience while remaining fairly easy to navigate and less frustrating than other entries into the franchise. While the protagonists are similar, they are not the same as in the previous entries, although tales are told of the Princess and the Hero in Hyrule, so the two protagonists know of them even if they are not directly in the game.

It has sold 4.26 million copies as of 2022, and it was considered to be one of the top 5 games for the Nintendo 3DS of all time, based solely on Metacritic scores. In 2013, it was the 2nd best game for the system, and it has retained that legacy. With console production halted in 2020, it will remain one of the best games on the system, and unfortunately, that is where it has stayed.

Why It's Increasingly Hard To Find A Link Between Worlds

All The Reasons Why This Game Is Not Easy To Play In 2025

The biggest and most obvious reason that A Link Between Worlds is hard to find is that the Nintendo company shut down the 3DS eStore in 2023, meaning that anyone who didn’t already own the games could no longer get them. This was controversial and remains to be, but ultimately it mainly hurts games that are hard to get a hold of otherwise.

As of right now, the game is not available to buy for the Nintendo Switch, and there is no version of the game that can be played - at least legally - on any other platform. The common person likely does not know how to use an emulator, and even then it is not as simple as getting the game. While some of the older games are available on the Nintendo Store Online, this one remains unavailable as well as some of the other DS games.

If someone already has a Nintendo 3DS that is still in working condition, a physical copy can be found at resale stores if players are willing to take the chance on a used game. However, the used copy costs almost as much as the new one did over ten years ago. It shouldn’t be that surprising, as Nintendo is notorious for not discounting their games and most “sales” only knock a few dollars off of their first-party games. So anyone lucky enough to have their 3DS to play it on will still have to fork over a fair chunk of change.

The game should be available on the Nintendo Switch. But a collection featuring the other DS games without ports could justify the price and make it easier for players to get their hands on it. Putting them together might even encourage players to try some of them for the first time, as those who might not have cared about one of them might play it just because it's included. The graphics would look a lot nicer, and there’s no better time than when the Switch 2 launches to do so.

While it may not be available just yet, there is plenty of hope for fans. The Switch 2 is going to draw a lot of new players and getting good games in the catalog for it will be a priority. Additionally, many of the older Zelda games are getting remakes as time goes on, and it is likely that A Link Between Worlds will get this treatment eventually. Whatever way Nintendo chooses to give players the ability to play The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds once more, it will be well worth the wait to do so.