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Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Spacefiller

waiting for life to start
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Location
Midwest
Gender
Hylian
I love this game, but I am starting to wonder if I might be the only one.
I still remember buying the gold cartridge in 1988 and being so excite to open it. It took a little getting used to but the game really grew on me. I felt at the time (with the side scrolling gameplay) that it was kind of like a meld between Zelda and Castlevania, which were my two favorite franchises of the time (truth be told, they still are).

I have repurchased this game twice on Nintendo E-shop and I have it on my Wii and my 3DS.

People tend to complain that it is too dissimilar to the other Zelda titles but in my opinion that lends to the intrigue of the game. I mean it was just a time when Nintendo seemed to like to try new formulae for gaming. Zelda 2 was way different than Zelda 1. But look at the game that was released as Super Mario Bros. 2, totally different than the original Super Mario Bros...I loved SMB2 as well.

Anyways, things I like about Zelda II are;
1. It's uniqueness, yet still familiar qualities of Zelda.
2. It's action-RPG style gameplay
3. It's level of difficulty, this game is hard...I've seen it take some seasoned "gamers" to school.
4. It's sense of adventure, there is a distinctive Greek/Olympian feel to it. Perhaps I am overly romanticizing the game but there is something familiar, yet ancient feeling to it.

So, does anyone else like this game? Think it's underrated?
What do you like about it?

If you hate it, why?
 
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Joined
Sep 21, 2014
Location
Michigan
I enjoyed it in all its hair-pulling glory. Sure, some parts made you so angry that your eyeballs might pop, but beating the dungeons and especially the two final bosses made you feel like you'd cured cancer or something. Totally worth it.

Interesting distinction about Zelda II, it's the first and nearly only game to imply any kind of intimacy between Link and Zelda. Ooh la la!
 
I, for one, enjoy the awkward unanswered question it leaves.

What happens with two Zeldas? (You save one in LoZ, then awaken this one).

Since the current monarch of Hyrule would be the descendent of this original Zelda (or at the very least be descended from her sibling) then the AoL Zelda would have a legitimate claim to the throne. I doubt the standing monarch would like that though.

Link, by saving Princess Zelda might have started a civil war.

Nintendo, flesh this out please!
 

Snow Queen

Mannceaux Signature Collection
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Mar 14, 2013
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Grand Rapids, MI
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Transwoman (she/her)
I honestly think it's just a bad game. There are portions of the game that you literally need a guide to beat. That's bad game design. The gameplay isn't great, it's like an even clunkier Castlevania II. The music is subpar. And it's just not what anybody wanted after playing Zelda 1.
 
I honestly think it's just a bad game. There are portions of the game that you literally need a guide to beat. That's bad game design. The gameplay isn't great, it's like an even clunkier Castlevania II. The music is subpar. And it's just not what anybody wanted after playing Zelda 1.

That's how games were back then largely. It was a very different era and very different mindset than modern gaming.
 

Batman

Not all those who wander are lost...
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Oct 8, 2011
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40 lights off the Galactic Rim
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Dan-kin
I had a lot of fun playing Zelda II back in the day. It's hard as hell but I liked the story and the totally changed game mechanics were a neat experiment. I enjoy side-scrollers in general so I always enjoyed playing a side-scrolling Zelda game. It's far from perfect and at times is outright frustrating, but I liked it. I haven't play it in years though.
 
Joined
May 4, 2014
Location
California
I honestly think it's just a bad game. There are portions of the game that you literally need a guide to beat. That's bad game design. The gameplay isn't great, it's like an even clunkier Castlevania II. The music is subpar. And it's just not what anybody wanted after playing Zelda 1.


So what? It wasn't the only game you probably needed a guide to beat and plenty of people beat those games without them. Look at Metroid for example, I've heard about people drawing their own maps and its still one of the most beloved games on the NES. Hell! I need a guide for Metroid, but I still think its a great game. Just because a game may need a guide doesn't make it automatically bad.
 
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Joined
Feb 23, 2011
I played it for the first time recently, and let me tell you, it had to have been the hardest game I've ever laid eyes on. Then again, 2D sidescrollers aren't exactly my forte. Not to mention I played it on the My Boy! GBA emulator (tablet), which seems to have the most impossible touchscreen directional buttons for games like this (great for RPGs, though), but I digress. I should probably give it a shot on a legit console, but finding an NES seems to be equally as challenging as this game is said to be. I'll save my judgment until the implied time.

For now, I neither hate nor love it. It is what it is.
 

Iridescence

Emancipated Wind Fish
Joined
May 11, 2014
Location
United States
I don't want to hate on Zelda II, as I genuinely tried to like it, but the difficulty is just way too high for me. Hard isn't bad, but I draw the line at unavoidable damage and almost no checkpoints. Zelda 1 totally reshaped gaming by avoiding the arcade-game formula of padding out the length by making it so difficult the player needs to spend all of their quarters on the machine. Zelda 2 feels quite regressive in this regard. On top of that, there is nothing incredibly praiseworthy this game does either. The overworld is disproportionately designed, lacks personality and atmosphere. Let's not get started on the towns.

I tried so many times to play it and like it, but the difficulty (in addition to the other elements) just killed it for me. At the end of the day, I have to ask myself, "Am I having fun"? And I just can't say yes.
 

Spacefiller

waiting for life to start
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Hylian
I'm glad there are other people that like this game...

I'm a little miffed right now because I made some DAMNG good progress on my 3DS download but progress saved does not seemed to have transferred to my NEW 3DS so it looks like I will be starting this game again for the tenth time.
AAAAARRRGGGHHHH!

If I could only avoid the dash garn caves to get that hammer!
 
Joined
May 4, 2014
Location
California
I'm glad there are other people that like this game...

I'm a little miffed right now because I made some DAMNG good progress on my 3DS download but progress saved does not seemed to have transferred to my NEW 3DS so it looks like I will be starting this game again for the tenth time.
AAAAARRRGGGHHHH!

If I could only avoid the dash garn caves to get that hammer!

I personally think the lava fields are much harder then the caves. those things are a nightmare :)
 

snakeoiltanker

Wake Up!
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
Location
Ohio
AoL has always been on of my favorite Zelda games, I wish they would try to implement that kind of sword play into on of the newer 3D Zelda games. thats where it was all at for me. I will admit, the lack of direction in the game used too leave me just wondering a lot, until i would stumble across the right thing to progress, But thats just how it was back them. I really like this game, and it will always be one of my favorites
 

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