Time for A Hat In ... Time

[A Black Falcon]

The level design I'm talking about is how it's married to the moveset in a way that YL doesn't quite nail. Navigating the levels using the moves is a pleasure.

I have no idea what you mean, I haven't seen anything especially great in the AHiT level designs. "Tied to the moveset"? That's things like how Y-L has slopes you need to roll to go up, or such. It successfully follows the Banjo model of designing the level around which powers allow you access to which areas. In AHiT, though, so far at least most of the time you can just use your default moves, which pretty much means just jumping and your not-great default attack. The alternate hats are occasionally needed, but not often. There are fewer moves and fewer areas that need anything beyond your basic stuff. And of course the levels are a lot smaller and not as well laid out, but I said that already.

Y-L may not have level designs quite on the level of Rare's N64 3d platformers, but it's in that ballpark and I like the larger scale of the stages than you'd see on the N64.

However, I see what you mean when it comes to the hats. An argument could be made that it's a weakness like Donkey Kong 64's kong switching. However, unlike that game this one does a great job of not requiring you to back track through levels over and over with different hats.

Yeah, because there are fewer areas that require you to use abilities period. That's not better!