I liked the fact that a secondary character besides Link/Zelda/Ganondorf got to be the major focus in the storyline for once and they put a lot more emphasis on the characters and world. However, they didn't keep as strong of an emphasis on the level design and expoloration as a result, which was a problem.
Then there's some of the new items, which ultimately were amazingly fun, like the double clawshot, the ball and chain and the top...spinning...thingy. But then you realize after using them in the actual levels you use them in...they're absolutely worthless outside of those levels (aside from the clawshot).
I also liked the concept of returning back to the 'Ocarina of Time' style. But I didn't think it was done really in the same tradition or style of Ocarina of Time. From the way Link fights (more like he's bashing people with a sword rather than using a 'sword') to the way the environment is built (more like endless rolling plains and monotonous dungeons full of empty space), the game wasn't 'like' Ocarina at all. Even the end boss, which was obviously trying to pay tribute to the epic past bosses of Zelda games before, felt more like a graphical showcase than a unique 'boss' fight.
So, in many ways, I played through the game finding things I liked, but then ultimately feeling very conflicted about them in the end.
Six upcoming games you should look into:
