A Link Between Worlds seems a bit polarizing among the fan base. Some love the rental system, others hate it. Some enjoy the story, others find it to be bland. Some love revisiting A Link to the Past’s world, others feel it is too unoriginal. Whatever stance you have with the game, that doesn’t change the fact that it could be painting the immediate future of the series, especially in regards to Zelda U.

Now, this doesn’t mean

Zelda U is going to necessarily copy any of the ideas used in the game, from item rentals to wall merging; it’s hard to imagine they would take those aspects and necessarily make them standard for the series. However, there are some clever design aspects within the ideas themselves that show Nintendo may be on the path of extreme promise.

Nintendo likely wants

Zelda

U

to sell extremely well. Not only for the health and growth of the Zelda series, but because the Wii U

needs games that can drive a few extra

million in sales at any turn it can get it. Many feel this is accomplished by

creating as mainstream of an experience as you can, but it is possible

ALBW

gave a glimpse into how Nintendo could simply create a Zelda experience that all Zelda fans simply feel they must play.

Whether or not you enjoy the wall merging ability, it showed

a very unique mindset from the team that totally changed up the way we think

about completing puzzles. Wall merging likely won’t be in

Zelda U, but the fact they could come up with a concept that

totally changes how we view the world around us shows that the well is

certainly not dry on great concepts.One of the common complaints is that no matter how a dungeon

is designed, most of the time the dungeon is not only linear, but the puzzles

are all series staples. Even when they change it up, say with the arrow switch

that required Zelda’s phantom help in

Spirit

Tracks

late in the game, it is still based entirely around the concept of

hitting switches with an arrow. They are just clever variations of current

puzzle concepts. Wall merging threw that completely out the window. Sure, it did

add variation to some classic puzzle designs, but now progression was something

that required even the most seasoned

Zelda gamer to think outside the box. This

is the sort of freedom and clever discovery we enjoyed when tackling puzzles in

The Legend of Zelda (NES). It is

creative, and, if anything, the only let down is that it is this singular ability

that creates that entire unique feel. Imagine if they could do something fresh

like this in

Zelda U but not have it

be the same thing throughout the whole game? It’s time for

Zelda to be infused with totally new progression and puzzle

concepts, and

ALBW restored my faith that they have the ability to do as much

moving forward.

The rental system is really take it or leave it to many gamers,

but every dungeon then went on to have optional items or upgrades you could

get. What does this mean inherently? Reward for exploration. The dungeons are

not only no longer unique in design, they reward you for exploring every nook

and cranny. Merging on every wall you can, just to see where it leads. It’s a

very rewarding experience, and something that has been lacking in the series

over the last decade. You could always find secrets and such, but rarely were

dungeons overly rewarding for exploring. A spare heart piece here and there,

but nothing too exciting. Not like finding master ore, something that can

upgrade your main weapon—but only if you actually find it.

Previously we always knew we would get a dungeon item, and

this time we mostly knew we wouldn’t, but if they blend the concept and blur

the lines for it, now we could head into every dungeon without any idea of what we

could find if we explore, and maybe, just maybe, we would go the entire game

without an inventory item simply because we didn’t bother to explore. Reward exploration, and make the game more limiting for those that don’t. This was a concept briefly touched upon, and

could be further expanded in

Zelda U.

As always folks, remember all of this is pure speculation.

We have next to do details about the game, and all we can do is look to prior

games to make guesses at the future ones.