Oh boy, do I have a lot to say... I'm going to try my best to stay on topic here, and to keep it brief. In fact, I'm just going to go ahead and put the answer to your question at the beginning of this post because I'm going to inevitably ramble.
I have two grading scales, one for portables and one for console installments. That being said, I give Link Between Worlds...
8/10!
Beautiful world with so much to explore
Revolutionary weapon renting/buying system
Great story that keeps you pressing for more
The game felt pretty short to most of us.
Begin rant!
I loved the game for what it was. A portable puzzler with that LoZ charm we've all come to crave insatiably. I picked it up and, for the two days that it took me to beat it (between job, friends, and girlfriend), I was smiling throughout the entire play-through. Undoubtedly high on my list of portable titles. It beat out the Minish Cap, which makes it my favorite Zelda portable, while still distant from my modern favorites, Fire Emblem: Awakening & Bravely Default. It was charming as all hell, and I'll definitely play through it again at some point. Let me focus on positives firstly.
I think that The Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds took the franchise in the right direction. It had, what I felt, was a perfect blend of story and gameplay which is a tough ratio to meet, especially when your fans are as diverse and opinionated as the Zelda fanbase truly is. The game opened the dimensions of exploration and choice far more than any recent title in the franchise, which was a breath of much needed fresh air after the glorified hallway that was Skyward Sword. Some games work well with a linear story! The Legend of Zelda however, just oozes a sense of wonderment, mystery, and exploration. It almost requires it to make the game all that it could be. This game was the perfect way to dip the toe and see how the fanbase reacted and it was an overwhelmingly positive response.
That being said, I think this game was the gateway to much of how Zelda Wii U will function. We're all just doing a pee-pee dance waiting for that game, I know, but that discussion isn't this one. Back on topic, I felt a great sense of freedom in the game, and the story kept me coming eagerly back for me. I found myself taking my 3DS to work with me so I could play over lunch break (I even forgot to eat once). The temples were great, though easy, and the bosses were memorable (to me).
Now for the bad. The game was really, really easy. I got stuck maybe once, and that was just because I was being stupid for a minute. It wasn't at all satisfying to complete a dungeon because I hardly worked for it at all. We all kind of feel that way it seems- though maybe the problem isn't with the game... Maybe it's with us. Maybe we've just been playing for Zelda for so long that we're just better at figuring things out. I contemplated this when I lent a friend of mine Link Between Worlds, and he was kind of struggling with it. I kept telling him he was dumbass before I realized that it was his first Zelda title. What I'm saying is that I think it's impossible to satisfy veterans while also keeping the title accessible to newcomers of the franchise. Our own love of the series may have doomed us to never struggle with another title :/
But I digress.
Lastly the game felt short. I would point out that it's a portable title and that we shouldn't expect so much content on one cartridge, but The Minish Cap felt long to me, and it predates Link Between Worlds by almost a decade. I don't know if that excuse can hold up, all things considered. All in all, I felt like the whole thing was a smashing success, and I closed the book on this game very satisfied with my $39 purchase. As far as my favorite Zelda title goes, it lies somewhere in the upper middle below MM, WW, OoC, LttP (the four horsemen as I call them), but somewhere above Minish Cap, Link's Awakening, and Skyward Sword.