Often considered the

Zelda series black sheep, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link gets a lot of undeserved hate. Many complain that the game is too difficult, too large, or that it strayed too far from the original game’s design. Despite these issues, Zelda II’s legacy is filled with many overlooked features that should redeem its status among even its staunchest haters.

Towns

If there’s one thing the original Legend of Zelda was lacking, it’s definitely non-player characters. Sure, you have Link, Zelda, and Ganon (Gannon), but outside of the occasional old man in a cave, there’s not much else. Zelda II rectifies this problem by giving players numerous populated towns that house items, spells, side quests, health-refilling hotel visits, and more. These towns, named Rauru, Ruto, Saria, Nabooru, Mido, and Darunia (cleverly recycled as the names of Ocarina of Time’s sages 10 years later), frequently tasked the player with exploring the town to acquire a new power before heading off to the next dungeon. This may be commonplace in the Zelda series today, but it’s worthwhile to look at the larger picture and appreciate what a big step this was for the series overall.

Since

Zelda II was released in 1987, after Dragon Quest but before Final Fantasy, the field-town-dungeon RPG gameplay formula was still relatively fresh in video game development, especially in Japan. This new wrinkle set the stage for every Zelda game since, and it’s hard to imagine a Zelda game today without towns to explore.

Music

Aside from its

catchy overworld theme (which personally, after its opening fanfare, sounds more like a Pokémon route theme than the Zelda theme), Zelda II features a number of other musical elements that would further define the series. One of the lesser-known bits of trivia about Zelda II is that it’s the first game in the Zelda series to feature unique music for its boss fights, compared to the rest of the dungeon. While it may seem like a tiny change, it actually adds a dramatic tension to each dungeon’s boss fight that was totally absent in the original game. By comparison, the original Legend of Zelda’s bosses feel weirdly anticlimactic when you fight them. For a franchise that has some of the best-known music in the entire video game medium, this addition stands out as an enormous improvement on the original.

Zelda II‘s most famous tune is one that’s actually reused in another, more high profile, Nintendo game. Recognizable from the Hyrule Temple stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee, “Palace Theme” from Zelda II is one of the best 8-bit compositions in gaming history. As one of the rare games in the Zelda series that doesn’t directly feature music from composer Kōji Kondō, Zelda II‘s soundtrack was actually composed by Akito Nakatsuka. Nakatsuka, who composed the music for Ice Climber and later Pilotwings 64, hasn’t made any music for the Zelda series since, but his enduring contributions to the series are worthy of high praise.

Side-scrolling Action

Of all the changes

Zelda II made to the original’s gameplay and design, the most controversial is shifting the primary action to a 2D plane. While the original Legend of Zelda featured brief side-view sections in its dungeons, mostly when picking up a new item, Zelda II shifts all of its non-overworld action to the 2D side-scrolling plane. This meant every town, dungeon, and enemy encounter was played out in this new fashion. With this new view came a new set of controls, and this new play style brought a considerably tighter feel to the player. In fact, this control scheme is remarkably similar to how Link controls in the aforementioned Super Smash Bros. games. Link still has his sword and equip-able powers at the player’s disposal, but the shift to a side-view makes Zelda II’s action the most precision-based until the 3D games. Link can attack forwards and backwards, as well as above and below him. Compared to the original Legend of Zelda, and even A Link to the Past, where the player only needs to consider the overhead view’s angle of attack, Zelda II makes the player focus on vertical space and aiming in a brand new way. While still strictly 2D, Zelda II was the first game to bring verticality and gravitational action to the franchise.

Contrary to popular belief, the side-scrolling Zelda did not die with Zelda II. In fact, this style of gameplay appears in Link’s Awakening, Oracle of Seasons/Ages, and Four Swords Adventures. While not nearly as ubiquitous as the overhead camera in other 2D Zelda games, the side-scrolling, side-view gameplay of Zelda II carved out its own niche in the franchise that still has its merits today.

These are the qualities that stand out to me, despite

Zelda II’s tarnished name. I think Zelda II does have some issues, especially with its ill-conceived experience/leveling RPG system, and I’d even consider it the worst mainline Zelda game. However, being the worst Zelda game is like being the skinniest kid at fat camp. Zelda II is still outstandingly good compared to most of its 8-bit peers, and absolutely worth a play through for any Zelda fan.

Do you think

Zelda II is a misunderstood masterpiece? Or do you curse its name and despise its existence? Share your opinions on this controversial game in the comments below!