Smash History: All The Links (Super Smash Bros 3DS and Wii U Gameplay Analysis)

• Link's sword swipes and slashes come from Ocarina of Time • Up and down aerials are based on his thrust attacks from Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link • Dash attack was changed to the jump attack in Wii U and 3DS versions, originating from Ocarina of Time

• Up special is the spin attack, first introduced in A Link to the Past • Forward aerial is a spinning attack, possibly an uncharged spin attack variant from Ocarina of Time • Edge recovery attack in Wii U and 3DS resembles Link's crouching attack from Ocarina of Time

Link made a guest appearance in Soulcalibur 2 for Gamecube, and many of his made-up moves heavily influenced his Smash attacks, including rapid jabs, overhead half-moon swipes, and various kicks.

• Dodge animation is the roll attack first introduced in Ocarina of Time • Shield can block projectiles, a feature present since the original Zelda game

• Bow added in Melee as neutral special, present since the first Zelda game • Boomerang originally neutral special in N64 but moved to side special in Melee, from Zelda 1 • Bombs are down special, first appeared in Zelda 1 for damaging enemies and revealing hidden passages

Hook shot is the grapple move, first seen in A Link to the Past, allowing opponents to be reeled in or used as extended ledge grab.

• Adult Link incarnation based on Ocarina of Time appearance and outfit • Uses standard bombs, hook shot, boomerang, and fairy bow • Present in first two Smash Bros games

In Brawl onward, replaced by Twilight Princess incarnation with claw shot instead of hook shot, hero's bow instead of fairy bow, and Gail Boomerang instead of standard boomerang.

• Equipped with Kieri sword and deu shield, the latter only seen in Ocarina of Time • Uses boomerang like adult Link, but Young Link could actually use it in Ocarina of Time • Uses fire arrows rather than normal arrows, available to Adult Link in Ocarina of Time and to Young Link in Majora's Mask

• Home stage from Majora's Mask • Taunt involving drinking Lon Lon Ranch milk bottle appears in both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask • Could use hook shot in Majora's Mask but not in Ocarina of Time

Young Link in Melee appears to be either an amalgam of both the child heroes from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, or simply the Majora's Mask Link with items from his previous adventure.

Young Link was replaced by Toon Link in Brawl, representing a shift from the child Link variants to the Wind Waker incarnation.

• Carries hero shield, boomerang, hook shot, bow, and bombs all matching Wind Waker appearance • Bomb smoke resembles how it appears in Wind Waker • Custom moves reference Wind Waker, including sliding spin attack resembling the hurricane spin ability

Fire arrows in custom moves help cement Toon Link's identity as Young Link's replacement, connecting back to the child Link variants.

• Up taunt involves pulling out the Wind Waker and tapping it four times in sequence: up, center, left, and left again • This sequence does not correspond to any of the songs Toon Link can learn in Wind Waker • Side taunt added in Wii U and 3DS lets him summon a fairy with Wind Waker design

• Both Link and Toon Link brandish their Triforce of Courage • Attack sandwiches opponents between two Triforce projections while slicing away • Some claim it resembles how Link finishes off Ganon in Ocarina of Time, but origin remains unclear