They gave it the award for Biggest Surprise, citing its multiplayer mode, calling it a "brilliant addition" and "well worth the price of four Legend of Zelda cartridges". IGNs Craig Harris, in his preview of the game, called the port of A Link to the Past "faithful". Although he noted that the controls would have to be modified due to the GBA's lack of two buttons that were both used in the Super NES version, he found the new controls to be adequate and praised the visuals for holding up well.
The game won an award for Biggest Surprise, commending its multiplayer mode, which was considered a significant improvement. A preview by IGN's Craig Harris described the port as "faithful" and praised its visuals, noting that the controls would need to be adjusted due to the GBA's technical limitations.