Last week was a pretty good week to be a Nintendo fan. Mario had a big release last Friday on the Wii U with the launch of Super Mario 3D World. Meanwhile, on the 3DS, Link was back with a new handheld exclusive in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. I’d say that the 3DS needs love too but I’m pretty sure that everyone with a 3DS (or 2DS) is still playing Pokemon X & Y.

It seems as though that Nintendo managed to reinvigorate two of their most classic and iconic franchises in one day.  Critics raved about both the accessibility of the game for those new to Zelda and the depth of gameplay and story for long-time players. Not everyone felt that way as some critics felt that A Link Between Worlds didn’t try anything particularly new and goes too easy on players.

Joystiq (100%): The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a perfect handheld Zelda experience, offering the classic gameplay you cherish at a snappier pace. Link’s new 2D ability, combined with the nonlinear progression, provide a flexibility that makes exploring the land – both Hy and Lo – exciting all over again.

Polygon (95%): A Link Between Worlds is at once accessible and incredibly deep. It displays a stunning fearlessness. Tweaking and completely redefining the basic concepts of the series might have been risk enough. But Nintendo has been shockingly cavalier with one of the most beloved games ever. The result is the sequel I never knew I wanted — and one of my favorite games of 2013.

Game Revolution (90%): A Link Between Worlds gets fearless and distinguishes itself from the franchise’s history. On top of that, Link, Zelda, Rovio, and some of the best bosses Zelda fans will ever fight turn that history on its head, both narratively and mechanically. This is another must-play 3DS game and a compelling adventure for anyone traveling this holiday season or curling up with a good game at home.

USgamer (80%): A Link Between Worlds takes some much-needed strides to shake things up. But it does so within a pair of worlds most fans know maybe a little too well, and you know what they say about familiarity. This is a good first step in Nintendo’s journey to revitalize Zelda, but the next leg of the trip needs to be considerably bolder.

Destructoid (65%): A Link Between World’s main problem at the end of the day is a complete lack of anything that’s memorable. There’s no defining moment, no newly minted classic villains or characters, and no truly “new” items that make their mark on the series. It’s certainly playable in every sense of the word, but I didn’t feel the same spark I had felt so many times before.