An absolute classic, and a very well-balanced experience. The world is big enough to not feel small, but small enough that it's not a bother to traverse. The world is dense with secrets and they all give you something worthwhile. The secrets are hidden enough that they feel satisfying to find, but not so obscure you'll need a walkthrough. The dungeons are short and sweet, with each dungeon item remaining useful throughout the game.

The one shortcoming is that combat can feel a bit awkward because you can move omnidirectionally but only attack cardinally. But I can excuse this because of the game's age (and because with extra hearts and bottles, getting hit is not that big of a deal most of the time).

This is a personal thing, but I like that there's a good selection of magic-based items in this game. It makes Link feel like a proper magic knight better than the couple token spells you get in OoT and WW.