What do you Love about The Adventure of Link?

Good day, Zelda fans. Minish Pants here, with yet another article discussing our favorite parts of certain Zelda games. This week’s entry is commonly considered to be the “black sheep” of the franchise for many reasons. It almost completely strayed away from the standards set by its predecessor. At the time, however, there were only two Zelda games, so accusing The Adventure of Link of “breaking tradition” is a tad nonsensical. However this side-scrolling adventure is the only Zelda game of its kind. What was it about this game that encouraged the Zelda team to return to the style of The Legend of Zelda? While well-received, this game was not as popular as its predecessor. But why? Was it the infuriating difficulty? The preference for items rather than spells? The gameplay perspective? Regardless of the reason, you’ve got to respect the gold cart classic for boldly trying a new approach, since the game that came before it was so highly praised.

Unfortunately for The Adventure of Link, I prefer the series’ top-down, reasonably challenging titles. On the other hand, some of the things I love about this game are the things that made it distinctly different from its followers. As it is one of my least favorite Zelda games, this article will be rather short. I am counting on my fellow Zelda fans to liven up the discussion by coming up with as many positive aspects as they can that make this classic a worthwhile journey for any gamer. Hit the jump to read more!

Introducing: Magic

Not only was this the first Zelda game to introduce magic to the franchise, but it is one of the few games that actually makes you heavily dependent on it. I tend to only use magic when necessary, and most Zelda games are pretty generous when it comes to your magic supply. Not this game, though. You will be constantly finding yourself needing more and more blue and red jars (but not green, oddly) to replenish this much needed power. Once I have the Life Spell, I can pretty much kiss having a full magic meter goodbye. You have to use it wisely, which adds to the strategy required in order to beat this already challenging title.

Spells

In The Adventure of Link, our hero seems to be armed only with a sword and shield. Rather than his usual inventory of ten or so items, Link can summon powerful spells that aid him on his quest. To make his journey easier, Link can increase his defense, replenish his life meter, heighten his jump, and even turn into a fairy, one of the most creative ideas that marks Link’s first transformation ability in the series. Though Link having some seriously deep pockets never really bugged me in the past, the use of spells rather than items does make a little more sense. Arming Link with spells also adds to the medieval-feeling world in which the Zelda franchise is based. While spells are not exclusive to The Adventure of Link, (my all-time favorite spells are the Ether from A Link to the Past and Din’s Fire from Ocarina of Time), it is something we tend to see less and less of as the series expands. If Nintendo could come up with some new and creative spell ideas, I encourage them to do so. A Zelda game in which Link’s inventory is half spells and half traditional items (the bow, bombs, etc.) is ideal to me.

Experience Points

Some may want to argue that an experience point system doesn’t work well in a Zelda game. I would argue that it works in any adventure game. Sure, it can be tedious and arduous, but it makes the game all the more rewarding to play and progress. The Pokemon series was once one of my favorite video game franchises. I had Red and Gold and could play either for hours on end, just raising my fighters’ stats and watching them grow more and more powerful. Playing video games may not be the best way to spend your time, but games like this make you feel like you’re actually accomplishing something. The Adventure of Link pulls off the experience points system like a champ and is one of the few games I can think of that incorporates the system in real time.

Now I love the other Zelda games as much as the rest of you, but please let me explain why I believe experience points are a desirable aspect for an upcoming Zelda title: I have played A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time more times than I could count. This obviously means that I adore these two games. However, each time I play one, I am a little less enthusiastic than the last time I played through it. Why? Well, each time you replay a game, you know it a little better than the time before. Enemies and puzzles that were once challenging are now a breeze. You grew with the game, making its enjoyment peak the first time around. Upon a second play through, it’s like you’re still that Link that has mastered his skills, and you are placed at the most elementary stage once more. It takes the fun out of it. However, if a game utilizes an experience points system, your skills are brought back to the minimum, and you must rise to challenge once more. Sure, you may still have the knowledge of what’s to come, but you have to hone your skills and raise your stats all over again. It’s like playing the game for the first time. That is something I would sorely love to see again in a Zelda game.

Dark Link

Zelda games are notorious for pitting you against the same final boss from previous games. Ganon and Vaati have become the expected villains to return with each Zelda release. I don’t care for this complaint, however. About half of the Zelda games have done this. The other half consist of completely original baddies. The Nightmare from Link’s Awakening. Majora from Majora’s Mask. General Onox from Oracle of Seasons. Veran from Oracle of Ages. Bellum from Phantom Hourglass. Malladus from Spirit Tracks. Demise from Skyward Sword. And of course, Dark Link from The Adventure of Link. While I’m not too fond of the battle itself, I love the idea of it. As Ganon’s minions attempt to spill Link’s blood to revive their fallen master, it is natural to assume that by the end of the game, they will be successful and you will have to face Ganon once again. In fact, as a story mechanic, it is almost pointless to include such a plot device and not have Ganon return. This makes the final boss all the more surprising to encounter. It’s not Ganon, it’s not an epic beast, it’s… yourself. Though it seems cliche nowadays, let’s keep in mind that this game is 25 years old and video games were still relatively new back then. I won’t claim it to be absolutely true, but this may be the first video game to pit you against the protagonist’s shadow twin.

It seems that Dark Link is not so much an enemy as much as a final challenge to prove your worth. The game itself is not very clear about this, but the general consensus is that he acts as a test, devoid of any emotional desire to your victory or defeat. While such a final boss lacks incentive and makes the story less interesting, the NES Zelda games weren’t very big on telling an in-depth story, and it’s intriguing to see a different approach taken anyway. In my article “Six Bosses That Need to Return in Future Games,” I make my feelings on Dark Link quite clear, and it should come as no surprise that he is one of my favorite characters in the franchise and deserves a more in-depth examination in an upcoming Zelda game.

What do you all think? What do you love about the second game in the series? Do you agree or disagree with the points above? Which game would you like me to discuss next? Comment below, and let’s talk about it!