Opinions on Zelda II: The Adventure of Link?

[RETROVETRO]

 

[Bakuma1997]

Not as bad as most people makes it to be, yet not as underrated as the defenders make it,

Yeah, is innovative and it has some stuff future games will still use (Spells, cities' names and Dark Link) but that doesn't detract that even with patches, the game can get Fake with its difficulty real fast

At least Great Palace is goated regarding music

 

[JayceeRX]

I love it. It's a game that was misunderstood (and still kind of is.)

 

[Tonberry]

Here's a quote of yours truly singing its praises from earlier this year:

HELL YEAH, another Zelda 2 enjoyer!
I completely agree with you that it feels mysterious. It’s got a certain feel and atmosphere that teleports me to 1987 instantly (no other NES game really manages to do this), I love almost everything about it.
The fact that it’s not referred to very much and has music that’s never been repurposed for other Zelda games just helps add to its uniqueness.
It’s like the ultimate NES-era, Nintendo Power-feeling, 80s gargantuan Nintendo-feeling game. It’s one of those old games where the different perspectives and primitive graphics REALLY fuels the imagination and makes the adventure feel massive and immersive.

The boss of DotEmu once said in an interview after they had developed the ’Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap’ remake that his dream remake was Zelda 2, and I REALLY hope they’d be allowed to work on it one day, because I adore everything they’ve done and I think they’d NAIL it.

TL;DR, I love it!!!

 

[Segadude113]

A good action RPG with some frustrating elements like losing all of your EXP when you game over after losing just 3 lives. Not so bad early on, but after you level up everything, you are required to gain more EXP to level up HP, MP, and your sword. P bags are your friend. lol Love the overworld, love the towns, love the hidden secrets. Love the swordplay too. The spells are neat but some are useful only in very specific situations. Love the fairy spell. lol

 

[χKai]

The fan remake is the better version. If only it were possible to get on a hardware-playable NES cartridge.

If you haven't checked out Zelda II by Hoverbat, and you like the original Zelda 2, you owe it to yourself to try it.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

I think people are way too hard on the game because it's not the first one... But if you want the sequel to look, feel and play like the first one, then why do you want a sequel?

 

[Segadude113]

The fan remake is the better version. If only it were possible to get on a hardware-playable NES cartridge.

If you haven't checked out Zelda II by Hoverbat, and you like the original Zelda 2, you owe it to yourself to try it.

is that the widescreen one for PC?

 

[Cardboardtubeknight Cardboardtubeknight]

It's great. I like how Link is more like a spellsword in it

 

[KaiserMk7]

I think people are way too hard on the game because it's not the first one... But if you want the sequel to look, feel and play like the first one, then why do you want a sequel?

Counterargument: Bravely Second

 

[Morgana Veil]

It's a good game. Yeah it's hard, but what good NES game wasn't? It's a fun sequel to a good game.
I agree with @Waffles. If you just want another of the first game, replay the first game. Zelda II isn't a bad game. Sure, it has flaws, but most games did at that time. Hell, most can't get shipped without a day-one patch now.

For the time and hardware it's on, Zelda II is a damn fine game in my opinion. I replay it every now and then and still enjoy it. I've only beaten it a couple of times and still love the game. That's probably why I liked Rambo on the NES.

It's basically a carbon copy of AoL but with a Rambo skin.

 

[Graw]

When I was a kid we had both Zelda 1 and 2 and I played both of them equally. I'd just switch between them whenever I got stuck in one and go back to the other one when I eventually got stuck. As an adult I'd recommend the Zelda 2 Redux Hack which basically fixes all the problems with the game and turns it into a quality Zelda game with pretty fun fast paced combat. It's still tough but not time wasting and ridiculous. I wouldn't even bother with the original any more. It's the way the game should have been from the beginning.

 

[Scotty]

I like it. It's flawed, sure, but certainly not as bad everyone makes you out to be.

 

[KaiserMk7]

Do we have any respect for people who play harder-than-vanilla zelda 2 romhacks without savestates?

 

[Nebulon_Galaxy]

Link gets laid so its kino in my book

 

[Kamako]

I really like the visuals and the challenge. Requires a fair bit of trial and error though, if not consulting a guide.

 

[χKai]

is that the widescreen one for PC?

Yes, and it's fantastic.
I got close to beating it but stopped playing on that computer since then. It no longer has a working monitor.

 

[Isegrim]

I liked it well enough to buy 3 issues of VG&CE to win my Japanese copy. I never got to play the puzzles and exploration part properly, just the fighting part. I made up for that by completely beating Getsu Fuuma Den which is sort of similar.

I remember getting particularly weirded out by the people who turned into bats and Link going into a house with a girl (doing what???) to get his life refilled.

 

[KaiserMk7]

Yes, and it's fantastic.
I got close to beating it but stopped playing on that computer since then. It no longer has a working monitor.

Link?

 

[χKai]

Link?

ZIIAOL by HoverBat

 

[Johan]

Zelda 2 is a portrait of the time it was release - a time when video games were far from the popularity they enjoy today, and the people who worked on them had more freedom and flexibility to do whatever they wanted with their products.

Even with its mistakes and flaws, I like this game. When it comes to video games, I prefer games that failed because they were too bold than those that were terrified of changing the formula and became repetitive for fear of losing their customers.

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Now, for something more or less off topic, I'd say that the content of the NES Zeldas would be enough for a second season of the Legend of Zelda animated series.

 

[Adrastia]

AoL was my first Zelda. I didn't play the original until a few years later. I initially thought that the original Zelda was awkward because it wasn't a platformer with top down overworld. It was all top down. And to me that wasn't Zelda. It took a little longer for me to get into it. But after playing ALttP I liked the original a lot more than I did in the beginning.

People sometimes forget that AoL was only the second game in the series. I could see the annoyance if they just sprung side scrolling action at you after a few more games. You have to remember that platformers were very popular and games with gameplay variations like AoL seemed really neat from a variety standpoint.

That said, it took me over 20 years to beat AoL. I wanted to do it on real hardware and ended up using the Gamecube version from that promotional disc. I even made a post on GameFAQs to commemorate it.