Along with Wind Waker HD on the Wii U, another classic Zelda title is due to be remixed this year in the form of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds on the Nintendo 3DS.

A Link Between Worlds is set in the same over-world of the SNES classic A Link to the Past (LTTP), and even features the same art style and top-down viewpoint. The storyline takes place a generation after LTTP, but Nintendo is clearly cashing in on the nostalgic love for the original, although that's not necessarily a bad thing.

While A Link Between Worlds may take a lot from LTTP, it stands up as a unique game by itself. With a new storyline and the ability to transform into a painting to traverse walls, this new title offers plenty more than just a nostalgic rehash.

Unlike Ocarina of Time 3D, which utilised the console's 3D abilities heavily, A Link Between Worlds is more subtle in its use of stereoscopic graphics (in part due to the top-down perspective), instead focusing on the art style.  The visuals are rich and vibrant, and more in-line with the older more cartoon-like style of the 90's.

Traveling around the environments feels much the same, until the moment that you morph into the painting at the touch of a button. Using this you can travel on walls, and while the demo we played may have been brief, Nintendo has clearly thought of some great implementations for it already.

Being able to flatten yourself and cling to the wall means there are plenty of new puzzles available. The demo culminated with an outdoor moving platform section that had you transforming in-and-out of a painting to avoid obstacles, and this was just one small section of the final game. It appears that Nintendo has put a lot of effort into making this new technique integral rather than gimmicky, and we can't wait to get our hands on the final product.

Combat remains the same as it did on the SNES primarily, with sword-swiping and shield-blocking forming the basis of the action. The 3DS' circle pad allows for increased accuracy in this regard, making a marked improvement over its predecessors.

If you want to use more advanced weapons you'll have to ensure your purple power meter isn't empty, but thankfully it does automatically regenerate. This adds an element of strategy to the proceedings, particularly in enemy-laden dungeons, as you can't rely on using weapons such as the hammer to bash your way through.

Our play through was only brief, but The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds looks set to capture the spirit of A Link to the Past while offering a brand new experience. The painting mechanism offers new possibilities and Nintendo looks set to make this a must-buy title when it is released later this year.