It almost became my favorite Zelda title, but it's a strong #2 by a mile on my list
For starters, the controls are much better than its predecessor. using the Wii Motion plus controller feels natural, not tacked on. There are a few instances where you will need to recalibrate your aim on the fly, costing you some hearts in a battle, but it's not that bad.
Using the bow and arrow, slingshot, clawshots, and whip are pretty cool, and fighting always requires a bit of strategy. Just flailing the sword around won't get you past all the fights. Using the shield is not that easy anymore; it used to be that if you faced the direction of the attack, it would protect you. Now they can break if you don't learn how to block at the right time and have them hit enough times by enemy attacks.
The different maps where you go are limited, and you WILL backtrack more than once (thrice, to be exact, on each section of the world you'll play in). Luckily, the developers were clever enough to hide different sections to reveal them as you progress, so it's not really the same area all over again. It's a really long game with a lot to do, although sidequests are a bit less than in other games, but are fairly entertaining.
The story is what really hooked me to this game. Unlike Twilight Princess, where the mechanics of shifting between a wolf form and normal Link were gimmicks that had to be padded with boring story (I really don't remember what I did on that game prior to arriving at the last castle/dungeon, or care), this is the original story of the Triforce, Link, Zelda, and the origins of Gannon. If you've played the previous games, you will appreciate the detail to tie all the stories from this starting point. I felt very satisfied with the game, as it provided a lot of hours of exploration, puzzle solving, and very good boss fights. I especially found the last dungeon very rewarding once I figured it out. It's not a traditional dungeon that is stationary; it requires you to think ahead and plan how you want to tackle it, as rooms are moved by you to gather what you need to complete it.
There is also a nice bonus near the end of the game where you can talk to a character who will give you something similar to a boss rush mode, where you can practice beating bosses randomly without being able to restore hearts between battles. It's a great way to practice beating them before attempting the "second quest". Instead of different dungeons, the Hero Mode essentially removes hearts from appearing throughout the game, making it more difficult if you're not careful dodging attacks and understanding enemy patterns.
If you're a Zelda fan, you need to play this game. My #1 Zelda game still is A Link to the Past, but this one's a close second. Ocarina of Time is the game that brought most of the mechanics to this game and the previous entries, but this one perfects it.
If this is your first Zelda game, it's a really nice entry to the series, as it's the first one chronologically. A must-have for people with a Wii.