(Ahaha, I totally didn't know this was so long until I entered it...)
I thought the overall game was beyond expectations. I slaved in front of the TV until I couldn't keep my eyes open, and then some. It exhilarated me, and I loved playing as Link.
Granted, a good portion was sitting, but there was this one fight with Ghirahim where I was just loosing loosing loosing, no matter how much I was using my previous shield->slash technique, so I totally stood up to fight him. The angle difference of actually using my body showed me just how awesome the controls were. I think it focused my mind a little better about angle and direction, because I was going from where Link was, and could pay more attention to cues. So I did that for a lot more of the game.
I loved how involved the side characters are, not just Zelda and, god forbid, Groose. Fledge comes to mind with real character growth. Karane and Pipit as well, because they are serious and lovesick and in love, but then there's the other sides, like how Karane is actually a little cruel, almost, with how she's unthinking of how her opinions affect others, and Pipit who is actually stressing and worrying about his mother, who he both wants to support and keep close and let the ties go because she's weighing him down.
Some characters, though, I would have liked to see more of. Orielle and her brother, I found them very interesting because they're not trying to be Knights but are actually more observant than anyone else. No one else notices things going on around the island, the storms and darkness from the tower of light and Link stepping into the silent realm, or when the foundation of the Isle of the Goddess crumples. They could have had more character to them.
But this game really got to me. I laughed and cried and totally saw things important in a Zelda way, like that bird statue with the missing eye that turned towards the isle of the goddess at night. And oh, the puns of Horwell, "Feather or not" indeed. I cried when the old hag turned out to be Impa, and then she died. Like Groose said, she was one tough old cookie, and you grow fond of her.
So overall, a great game. One I'll replay again and again. It wasn't as long as I thought it would be, thirty six hours and thensome first playthrough (complete) and the only thing I needed to look up was when I got ungodly frustrated with that frigging stupid Funfun island game! But the next Hero mode game is kicking my butt, and it makes up for that.
Honestly, I was only honestly disappointed that you couldn't explore the past. I think it would have been fascinating to see how things had changed. And Link would have had to travel over ground, too.... but I suppose that would have made it under the category of too big.
But this is totally a set up for a WW/TP style sequel, because... we know that one timeline of the two leads to Ocarina of Time. Because that was totally a paradox, killing him in the past when he existed in the future and yaddayadda. Even if the timelines met at certain angles, there was still too much discrepancy for it to really meld.