Adventure of Link Difficulty?

[Mases]

I think the overal consensus if you polled the entire Zelda community, would say that Adventure of Link is the worst and hardest of the Zelda titles. Part of me thinks that people don't like it because it is too hard.

I find it kind of ironic that a lot of the same fans who complain about the recent games like Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass to be way to easy, are sometimes the same people that don't like Adventure of Link because it is too hard.

Personally, I do consider myself a semi-expert on Adventure of Link. I think I've played it more than a majority of people here. Although there are definately better players than me. I think unlike say... every single other Zelda title, Adventure of Link isn't a game I can perfect. I don't know if I can ever go one sit through the entire game without dying. Part of this reason is the lack of upgrades outside of the main quest. There is life and magic spells to restore life, but that is it. The leveling up system is nowhere near the same as gaining heart containers or heart pieces as in other games. There is no medicine or potions as in every single other major Zelda title.

Also, unlike every single other 2d Zelda that had pits, and most the 3d games as well. If you fell in one, you just lost a bit of life and appeared right by the pit, or the entrance of the section. In Adventure of Link, one bad jump, or unlucky enemy appearance and Link is done with.

Only 3 lives was kinda tough. Although there are Link Dolls in a variety of places, a majority of non-expert gamers, will be using their three lives much before they are able to get more than one Link Doll.

Overal, I always treated Adventure of Link nicely compared to most others in the Zelda World. It stills is, undeniably, one of the best games of all time for the NES, hands down. Of the Zelda series, I think it is clearly the hardest.

[Alder Dragon]

I'd agree with you there Mas. Zelda 2 was one of the best games for the NES. Even though I liked the first better, I still loved Zelda 2. When I first started playing it, I thought it was WAY too hard, and not fair at all.. but it just takes some practice. The trick of jumping to strike an iron-knuckle helped me a lot in some of the dungeons. I think it's beaten down too much - It's a great game with a great storyline, and the challenge is just right. Some things could have been improved on, yes, but regardless, it was fun. In fact, I just yesterday beat the entire game on an emulator with save states.. using the keyboard.

[miku]

Besides maybe the bird knights in the last level, am I the only person who thinks LoZ is harder than AoL? In AoL, if I get hurt by a monster, it's cause I didn't succeed in properly blocking or jumping right, but it seems when I get hurt in LoZ, more often it's because I tried to walk up to a monster to stab it, but walked slightly too far, or it randomly turned into me without warning.

[Avenged]

AoL isn't hard at all for me whatsoever, I got that game down. Personally it's one of my fav Zeldas, maybe because Iam an old school gamer, maybe cuz I loved the story, or pretty much the overall impact the game has given me throughout the years. Actually Iam currently redesigning ZC to have an AoL styled theme, its coming along kinda slow as of now, but soon it'll be 100%.

[miku]

I'm sure I'm not as good at AoL as you Avenged, but I'm in agreement that it at least isn't as hard as people make it out to be. You just need to get the strategy for defeating each kind of monster down. When I was first playing the game, the iron knuckles in the first level were like the "aw, crap, one of these guys? i'm so screwed" but once you get the hang of them, they're not that hard. Not even the blue ones. You can see where they're gonna throw the swords before they throw them.

I'm curious how you think the difficulty of LoZ compares with AoL though. Maybe I just haven't played LoZ enough, but it seems I get hurt in that game for such BS reasons. 'Ok, if I can just walk up to this guy and stab him, oh **** Link walks fast, oops, he suddenly turned around and I bumped into him.' I don't seem to ever get that kind of problem in AoL.

[Alder Dragon]

I'm sure I'm not as good at AoL as you Avenged, but I'm in agreement that it at least isn't as hard as people make it out to be. You just need to get the strategy for defeating each kind of monster down. When I was first playing the game, the iron knuckles in the first level were like the "aw, crap, one of these guys? i'm so screwed" but once you get the hang of them, they're not that hard. Not even the blue ones. You can see where they're gonna throw the swords before they throw them.

I'm curious how you think the difficulty of LoZ compares with AoL though. Maybe I just haven't played LoZ enough, but it seems I get hurt in that game for such BS reasons. 'Ok, if I can just walk up to this guy and stab him, oh **** Link walks fast, oops, he suddenly turned around and I bumped into him.' I don't seem to ever get that kind of problem in AoL.


For me, LoZ is a piece of cake, at any point in the game. I suppose it's just because I've beaten it the most out of any game. In AoL, I would consider myself moderate. I'm not extremely good, but I can get through the game without too much difficulty. I think my problem with AoL is just that I don't take my time. I'm always rushing to the other end of the screen. I end up jump-down-thrusting too soon, and landing in front of the enemy, and getting hurt. I will sometimes carelessly jump across lava or water pits and die because something knocks me down into it.

[Mases]

If somebody has never played a single Zelda title, and you were to introduce them into the series. Adventure of Link would clearly be the hardest in my opinion. Certain other games can be hard, simply because you don't know where to go.

In terms of pure difficulty... definately Adventure of Link is the hardest. Most Zelda games, if you have a strategy guide or if you are using one of Zelda Dungeon's brilliant guides :), then the game is a piece of cake. However, even if you have a guide to Adventure of Link, it will take some time to learn new tactics and improve your own skill. It isn't a game for the casual Zelda fans at all, as it does take a level of skill. Which is why I think so many Zelda fans hate it, while it also has its own cult following.

[MoonCheese]

Another thing about Zelda II's difficulty is that it's very hard to get through with no deaths. I always try to play other Zelda games with zero deaths.

[zeypherlink]

I liked AoL quite a lot. It was a challenge at some times, and it also brought in a new feel for the Zelda series, even though it was only used once(RPG sidescroller). Leveling up was fun, the dungeons were pretty fun at times, and I liked the amount of Towns and people you could talk to.

[Velkku]

I haven't beated Zelda II. It's difficul, yes, but in a right amount to make it a challengin and great game. I'm in the last temple, but I'm gonna finish it sometime... I promise :D

I think it's not the best Zelda, but still amazing. Nintendo should look back to that game when making a new Zelda. There were some great moments like many towns full of people to talk with.

[linkman8]

Oh yeah, they've implemented that in the newer games, like in Twilight Princess's Castle Town, there were loads of people to interact with and they all went along on their own business.

[Alder Dragon]

Zelda 2 was always fun for me. I loved the difficulty. Many things were unfair, but I just tried to avoid them. Like talking to ladies in later towns!! When you'd talk to certain people, they'd turn into bats and attack you. I mean that's just plain cruel.

If enemies dropped hearts and rupees, and you could buy potions and Link dolls at the towns, I would be even more addicted to the game, and it would be better for playing on consoles instead of emulators.


I managed to kill Dark Link without cheating though, lol. I was so close to dying:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0XJ49mdh_c

I've never really tried that before. I'm sure there are much easier ways of killing Dark Link than just jumping and stabbing in the air at him. (Besides the left corner thing of course..)

[Mases]

That was pretty sweet, lol. I've never beaten him 'fairly'. Always used the corner downward kneel glitch thingy. Was an intense battle and I'm sure there are other ways around just jumping and slicing. Some strategy must be involved in it.

[Avenged]

Oh yeah, they've implemented that in the newer games, like in Twilight Princess's Castle Town, there were loads of people to interact with and they all went along on their own business.


No way dude, there was hardly anyone you can talk to in TP, yeah there was loads of people but 90% of them couldnt be talked too. Yea maybe more than most 3D Zeldas on NPC interaction (aside from TWW). I dunno I just hated how there was so many people and you couldnt talk to but a very few of them in TP.

[zeypherlink]

No way dude, there was hardly anyone you can talk to in TP, yeah there was loads of people but 90% of them couldnt be talked too. Yea maybe more than most 3D Zeldas on NPC interaction (aside from TWW). I dunno I just hated how there was so many people and you couldnt talk to but a very few of them in TP.
Yeah, there were like 6 people you could talk to...it felt so empty.

[linkman8]

Granted you couldn't talk to them but they were there. Besides, they're probably too busy to talk anyway. It's not like they all know you. Or at least that's what they WANT you to think.

[Plasma]

Yes, it's hard. I'm currently playing it myself now, thanks to the Wii's Virtual Console, but it gets a whole lot easier if you level up early.

Of course, the main reason people think it's the worst LoZ game is because it's so different from the regular games. While the overworld is Zelda-style, the battles and palaces are more akin to the Castlevania series.

[Mases]

I remember the first time playing the Adventure of Link. (After I had played Link to the Past and Legend of Zelda), I did die and get game over so many times. Mainly dying over and over trying to get through Death Mountain. However, I do remember eventually getting through it and beating the first 6 palaces.

The Great Palace, I remember never being able to beat it. Heck, most the time I couldn't even get through the 'Path of Fire' (The area that is leading up to the Great Palace). THe enemies in the path of fire were sorta rediculous and I also remember there being a lot of pits where you can fall in and die.

I do remember putting the game down because I kept dying and could barely even get to the Great Palace, and if I did, I'd probably already have lost 2 of the 3 starting guys that you get. Looking back at it now though, where I do consider myself a fairly good Adventure of Link player, it is still a challenge, but not nearly as frustrating since I can get by it. I do consider myself a very patient person, and I could see how a lot of Zelda fans might just completely give up on trying to beat it because of the difficulty. To keep things in prespective though, there are a LOT harder games on the NES than this game.

[zeypherlink]

I do remember putting the game down because I kept dying and could barely even get to the Great Palace, and if I did, I'd probably already have lost 2 of the 3 starting guys that you get.
Same thing would happen to me, lol.
My only words of advice for this game would be to "try to try", if that makes any sense.

[Reoko]

Iv got the GBA version.

I'v had it for 3 years, got everything and only need to get to the great palace...

and to this day, I STILL can't beat it...:cry:

[PrinceofDarkness]

Yeah AoL is probably the hardest zelda in terms of straight up difficulty because there's no way to get health aside from healing yourself with magic which makes the palaces very difficult and time consuming, especially since aside from the last one you have to start from the beginnng of the game if you game over. It took me a good many years to finally beat the game but once I was able to get the enemy patterns down and figure out the best strategy for all the bosses it wasn't that bad. Although I still always lose at least 1 guy in the last palace, that's one's a beast.

[Y2K3]

Out of all the Zelda games I've played (which is really only 5), this is deffinately the hardest one. I've not that great at it, and leveling is a pain, so I still ahve yet to beat it.

[Josh]

This was an incredibly hard game for meh. That doesn't always mean that it's bad, but it took at least a good fifty times, before I got through Death Mountain. Now that place was hard for me.

[Mases]

especially since aside from the last one you have to start from the beginnng of the game if you game over.

You still have to start from the beginning of the game, even if you get game over in the Great Palace.... right? Unless if they changed that in the gamecube, gba, or Wii versions, but I don't think so. Maybe I'm just completely forgetting...


This was an incredibly hard game for meh. That doesn't always mean that it's bad, but it took at least a good fifty times, before I got through Death Mountain. Now that place was hard for me.

I concur that Death Mountain was initially a bit difficult. However, I think the road to the Great Palace was much more difficult. The route to get to death mountain was pretty safe, and to me, there were only a few portions of Death Mountain that were tough. The Red Daira were the big problem I had in Death Mountain, but there was only like 3 or 4 that you had to pass by if I remember correctly.

Now the area before the Great Palace was ridiculous. The area that is sometimes known as 'The Path of Fire'... or more simply the path to the Great Palace. Half the battle of the Great Palace for me was simply getting to the Great Palace.

However, now that I look back and play it again today after I've gone through several times, these portions of the game don't give me too much trouble. I usually can get by them with just some minor problems. I don't think it is a game that I can truly 'perfect'. I'll always die a few times. I'm definitely not the best Adventure of Link player, but my experience has made the game a bit easier. Still the toughest Zelda title though.

[The Zelda Master]

I think half the reason epople give AoL: such a bad rap is not so much it's difficulty and unorthodox gameplay, story oddness and such, but more because one (or was it two) of the CD-i games used the same side scrolling system to play and so AoL: may have fallen from grace in the way that it was related to those sub-par titles.

Overall, it is one of the only games in the series i have not lived up to my name in...

[Avenged]

Yet the CD-is were made long after AoL, noobs pfft.

[Mases]

The CD-i titles used similar side scrolling techniques as Adventure of Link. So a lot of people designate that type of Zelda gameplay all in one bunch. Thus, the existence of the CD-i's as a whole downgrades the view on the Adventure of Link.

I don't think its a strong argument but I understand where it's coming from. I truly believe, getting back to topic, that people who have disgust for the game is because of the difficulty. Some didn't like the side-scrolling, but the side-scrolling worked really nicely. Some prefer over the top view like the original Legend of Zelda, but I don't think people just complete disregarded the game because of side-scrolling.

The side-scrolling perhaps contributed to the difficulty, but that is about it. The difficulty was the reason, not the genre/gameplay. At least in my opinion.

[Jirrup]

You still have to start from the beginning of the game, even if you get game over in the Great Palace.... right? Unless if they changed that in the gamecube, gba, or Wii versions, but I don't think so. Maybe I'm just completely forgetting...

I play Zelda II on the GCN Collector's Edition, and it sends you back to the start of the screen when you die, and to North Castle when you run out of lives. Don't know about the NES, GBA or VC versions though.


But the thing that turned me off about Adventure of Link was the sidescrolling. I'm not saying it's a bad game, just very hard to get used to and it has gameplay more befitting of a Castlevania title.

[PrinceofDarkness]

You still have to start from the beginning of the game, even if you get game over in the Great Palace.... right? Unless if they changed that in the gamecube, gba, or Wii versions, but I don't think so. Maybe I'm just completely forgetting...






um I know in the nes NTSC cart version I own and the emulated version you don't have to start over if you gameover in the Great Palace, I don't know about other versions though. :)

[Avenged]

The Great Palace is the only exception in the game with any version.

[zeypherlink]

IMO, that's how it should have been throughout the whole game.

But I guess that adds to the difficulty of the game.

[dark_link01]

To me, LoZ didn't feel like Hyrule. By that I mean that it didn't give Hyrule much of a personality. It was all just dungeon based. The story really didn't even start to feel right until AoL, when you got to actually visit the towns and such of Hyrule.

I agree that most people don't like AoL, and thats mainly because of its difficulty. But a lot will talk about how the game was generally set up. I thought the game was great myself. It is one of my favorites in fact, probably because it is neglected so much. It makes it that much more special to play it considering most people don't.

Not that I don't like LoZ, but I do believe that AoL is better.

[Avenged]

LoZ didnt feel like a Hyrule? Kinda doesnt make sense since it was the FIRST Zelda. Plus, LoZ takes place in South Hyrule while AoL takes place in North.

Anyways, Im glad to see more and more people liking AoL, it is a GREAT game.

[Inflexus]

LoZ didnt feel like a Hyrule? Kinda doesnt make sense since it was the FIRST Zelda. Plus, LoZ takes place in South Hyrule while AoL takes place in North.

Anyways, Im glad to see more and more people liking AoL, it is a GREAT game.

Really?

I didn't know that Hyrule was split in two parts for two different games. Did Nintendo say that in a guide or something?

[Matthew_79]

yea they did
Here are the pics on this site
http://zeldadungeon.net/forum/showthread.php?t=302

[Inflexus]

That's interesting. I'm not sure I follow the logic, but that's interesting.

[Hungarian Link]

In my opinion, in the beggining the Zelda II is hard, but later when we are stronger and have some magic, the game becomes easier.

[Y2K3]

Oh, I wish the game got easier for me. I can't even get to the 7th boss, let alone try and beat it...

[El Bagu]

I am not a superb gamer and I have never completed a zelda game without loosing lives but I do not understand what is so difficult with AoL?! In a lot of other zeldagames I have problems defeating some of the bosses but never in this game :hmm:

[Mases]

To me, LoZ didn't feel like Hyrule. By that I mean that it didn't give Hyrule much of a personality. It was all just dungeon based. The story really didn't even start to feel right until AoL, when you got to actually visit the towns and such of Hyrule.

I do agree that the storyline didn't really kick in until Adventure of Link. Not just the storyline but the overall interaction amongst characters. LoZ was great for its pure openess, very little stated storyline, and Link being allowed to go anywhere he wanted to go. Looking back at it, it was awkward, but hey, it was the first Zelda title, had to start somewhere.

Oh, I wish the game got easier for me. I can't even get to the 7th boss, let alone try and beat it...

Ya, I thought it got progressively harder rather than easier. The begining of the game, through Parapa Palace was rather simple. The Death Mountain region was difficult for me. The Path to the Great Palace was also really hard, let alone the final Palace as well, which was crazy hard.

I am not a superb gamer and I have never completed a zelda game without loosing lives but I do not understand what is so difficult with AoL?! In a lot of other zeldagames I have problems defeating some of the bosses but never in this game :hmm:

I do agree here...sorta. I think just getting to the bosses was much harder than most the bosses. Although honestly, I think that is the case with almost every single Zelda title. The dungeons have always been harder than the dungeon bosses. In this game however, I felt some of he bosses, especially the later ones, were really difficult. Link needed to have close to full power and magic, activate the Shield and Jump spell, and usually even another spell like Reflect or something.

Without the extra spells, specifically the Shield and Life spells, the bosses would be crazy hard. Think of it this way, even with Life and Shield spells, the bosses were still not THAT easy. Now look at any other Zelda game and imagine going into the battle with full health and say... two bottles FILLED with Red Potion to restore health. (That's more or less what the Life Spell was). In that case, those bosses would be incredibly easy. Yet in Adventure of Link, even with the spells, they were still somewhat difficult.

[Y2K3]

I do agree here...sorta. I think just getting to the bosses was much harder than most the bosses. That's how I generally feel. In the 7th Palace, I can't get to the boss because of the room with the Dragon Heads (or whatever they're called). They always knock me into the lava, and I'm dumb, and dont' know how to get past that part.

[Brandon]

I do think AoL was by far the hardest Zelda game I've played, but that isn't why it's my least favorite. I don't like that you cannot equip items other than a sword. I mean, Link doesn't even have a bow or a boomerang, OR BOMBS!!! The real weakness is the lack of puzzle solving (which is somewhat related to the no items think). Sure you have to figure out a few things to make the story progess , but the dungeons were completely devoid of puzzles. AoL may be the only Zelda game where dungeons have pointless dead ends. The walking around in a maze feel just isn't the same as looking for the right switch or bombing the right wall etc. Zelda combat is fun, but Aol focuses on it too much.

Now having bashed AoL pretty bad, I have to add that it is still a great game, one of the greatest of all times. (perhaps about fourteenth best, right behind all of the other Zelda titles, lol)

[Shadow Goris]

You better be happy avenged isn't here.....

[Matthew_79]

I feel AoL might be one of the few (if any) zelda games I will never beat :(
I have nothing wrong with hard games, I know I wont beat them but their fun (castlevania 3 and ninga gieden). But its a zelda game.... danget >.<

[zeypherlink]

Brandon, did you ever think AoL is like that because... it's the second Zelda game? At that time nothing was Zelda-ish. They made AoL a side scrolling RPG, not a top down adventure game.

And the Temples aren't puzzle based because the game relies so heavily on combat and RPG elements. Also, the Temples are supposed to be labyrinths and get people lost.

...LoZ wasn't heavy on puzzles either... these are the first two games, bucko. Zelda didn't become puzzle happy and stuff until ALttP.

[Brandon]

Brandon, did you ever think AoL is like that because... it's the second Zelda game? At that time nothing was Zelda-ish. They made AoL a side scrolling RPG, not a top down adventure game.

And the Temples aren't puzzle based because the game relies so heavily on combat and RPG elements. Also, the Temples are supposed to be labyrinths and get people lost.

...LoZ wasn't heavy on puzzles either... these are the first two games, bucko. Zelda didn't become puzzle happy and stuff until ALttP.

That's all true, and like I said, AoL is still a great game. I don't think nintendo did anything wrong by making it the way they did. In fact I'm glad nintendo experimented with the game. I'm just glad that they decided to take the series in a different direction after AoL because I personally liked the later games better. AoL did introduce a lot of things into the series that have stuck around, but I'm just glad that certain elements (like the lack of useable items) didn't stick.

[El Bagu]

That's how I generally feel. In the 7th Palace, I can't get to the boss because of the room with the Dragon Heads (or whatever they're called). They always knock me into the lava, and I'm dumb, and dont' know how to get past that part.

If I rememer it correctly downtrust work on those guys. Fairy spel is good sometimes but I believe there were some kind of wall you needed to break with the sword? Jumpspell can be good to use (I use it a lot in Zelda 2.

[chrisbg99]

It is hard, not impossible just annoying, like a lot of hard games like it *cough* Ninja Gaiden *cough*.

Still a quality game though.

[Josh]

I kind of have a hate for people who hate it. Why is hard? Because you suck at it. There's nothing wrong with the game, you just suck at that kind of game. Like people who don't play Twilight Princess because it's too easy. It seems kind of stupid reason to me. Play it, again, get better at it, isn't that the point?

[Dexter]

the hardest part about AoL is going through the mountains on the way to the great palace

[chrisbg99]

Yeah that part is quite the annoyance. Makes you want to do things. Unspeakable things.