January was a pretty big month for news about The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD , the hi-def remaster of the Wii and GameCube-era Zelda game. In the last few weeks, we learned that the game would have a secret dungeon unlocked only by an Amiibo; a Hard Mode ; tons of Amiibo support in general and (probably) some streamlined quests . They’re all exciting new features, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about today. Today isn’t about Twilight Princess news, but about Twilight Princess olds. The game has something of a bad reputation, but is probably way better than you remember, and today we’d like to remind you of some of its best features.

The Most Awesome Things You Totally Forgot About From Twilight Princess

Until recently, I felt as many of you did and scorned Twilight Princess for being a bit of a disappointment and for embracing the grimdark aesthetic of the era. But the truth is, the game had a ton going for it. Like these things!

The Bridge of Eldin Battle—And Combat In General

There’s a reason one sequence in particular became a level in Super Smash Bros . The early game sequence at the Bridge of Eldin was an epic joust, a battle that really showed off what Twilight Princess could do in terms of combat. And the game had great combat, with one caveat. It refined the tactical battle systems of Wind Waker, added new features (not even talking about the infamous waggle ) and cool toughies to fight, and put it all in a realistic-looking Zelda world. Swordplay was always fun and satisfying, with just one problem—it was way too easy. The combat itself was complex, but enemies just didn’t do enough damage. Well, with Hard Mode and the Ganondorf Amiibo , they will now. And the Bridge of Eldin will be more fun than ever.

Fun Connections To Zelda Games Past

Twilight Princess had a great setting, at least on paper (Hyrule Field was a little too big, though). It has probably the best throwbacks to other Zelda games, most notably the ruins of the Temple of Time . But the game was replete with homages to other Zelda games, from Link to the Past to Ocarina. Well, mostly those two. Skyward Sword came into things with the baggage of being the “first” game in the series, the ultimate origin story. Twilight Princess could simply nod to the great things that had been done before.

Amazing Dungeons

Twilight Princess has the best dungeons of any 3D Legend of Zelda game besides for Ocarina of Time. And Zelda games generally have great dungeons. It’s sort of their thing, you know? While Wind Waker needed another dungeon or two to stretch out the back-half pacing, Twilight Princess had whole stacks of dungeons. Three in particular stand out—the Arbiter’s Grounds , the Yeti’s House , and the City in the Sky . The Yeti’s House in particular stands out in my mind as one of the most iconic Zelda dungeons, alongside such luminaries as the Shadow and Spirit Temples from Ocarina, the Stone Tower from Majora’s Mask, and Agahnim’s Tower in Link to the Past. The dungeons in Twilight Princess are creative, inventive, and gorgeously designed. I can’t wait to play them again.

Also, some of the items were sick as hell. I won’t spoil them for you if you haven’t played the game yet, but trust me.

The Tone

Alright, time to get controversial: Twilight Princess has a great tone. While I would say the game’s story falls slightly short, the overall feeling of the game is pretty great. Twilight Princess is set in a Hyrule in decline , one that’s nearly overrun. It’s a shadow of its former self, and much of the world is in ruins. Wind Waker explored similar themes; after all, that game was downright post-apocalyptic. But it juxtaposed that with a perpetually bright and cheery tone. Twilight Princess embraces the grimdark. The world is falling apart, depressing, and going downhill from there, but that’s okay. Link is there to save it. It’s a tone we only really see in one other Zelda game, Majora’s Mask, and the other two major console releases of the post-2000s—Wind Waker and Skyward Sword—are both bright and airy, even when they’re dealing with serious themes. Only Twilight Princess goes full Batman on us. It was very common for games of the time, sure, but for the series it’s a rarity. And I like it.

What do you remember fondly about Twilight Princess? Are you going to pick up Twilight Princess HD when it comes out on March 4?