Posted on November 11, 2018
A Retro Review – Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link
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 (Single-player) |
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 (Great game) |
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Despite its unfamiliar side-scrolling posterior, Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link shines brightly on its own providing players with one of the toughest and most satisfying Triforce fetch-quests in the entire saga |
Story
A few years after the events of the first Legend of Zelda, Link discovers the land of Hyrule in complete disarray as princess Zelda has been cast into a sleeping spell (apparently by some evil magician who died immediately after using it), Ganon’s minions have re-assembled with the intent of resurrecting their old porky master and there’s a mysterious third piece of the legendary Triforce (known as the Triforce of courage) hidden inside the Great Palace of Hyrule which is the key to it all. Now it’s up to Link to find a way to retrieve the final piece of the legendary treasure and save Zelda from a terrible comatose fate before Ganon can return fully to the world! Geez, maybe it’s time to consider hiring Link for permanent security detail.
Overview
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is an action/role playing game where you once again step into the green tunic of Link and advance your way across the land of Hyrule this time in an effort to revive princess Zelda from a sleeping enchantment. While technically a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II deviates from the design of the originals top-down perspective by introducing a side-scrolling style that evolved the gameplay and brought more challenges than ever before. Despite this, most Zelda fans will feel right at home in terms of objectives as you take command of the titular hero and slash your way through caves and dungeons utilizing every trick and item you have at your disposal.
Other additions to Zelda II include an overworld screen, the use of magic and a “level-up” system but your main course of action as always is your sword and shield which you’ll need to properly engage/defend the many adversaries found throughout Hyrule. While there’s plenty to discover as you trek about the map (including towns where you learn new moves), Link’s primary goal is to locate 6 labyrinth-like dungeons and battle his way to the end of each one in order to unlock the Great Palace and the path to the final encounter. Make your way completely through this giant maze of doom and pass its final test to obtain the mysterious third piece of the Triforce to rescue both princess Zelda and the land of Hyrule!
Cast
| * = Alias moniker created by The ‘Tude Dude due to the lack of an original one |
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 Health Lady* (protagonist support) Found pacing about in any of the towns you trek through, the “health lady” leads you into her house and refills your life bar causing imaginations to spike with promiscuous thoughts whether justified or not |
 Magic Lady* (protagonist support) Just like the “health lady”, the “magic lady” can be found in towns and refills your magic meter when Link follows her into her house though nobody seems to question what happens in there probably because they’d be afraid of the answer |
 Hylian Knights (protagonist support) Totally content with sitting on the sidelines and letting Link run off into battle on his own, these fully armored sticks-in-the-mud instead assist our hero by opening passages and training in jump thrusts which certainly doesn’t replace the “blitzkrieg” that these soldiers could potentially provide but it is what it is |
 Wise Old Man* (protagonist support) Found lurking in the basements of most towns, these wise old gnomes train Link in the ways of magic while saving money on rent through subletting |
 Mazura (antagonist support) Ruler of Parapa Palace and a sucker for saltlick, Mazura (a.k.a. Horsehead) wears full-body armor making attacks to his lower extremities impenetrable forcing focus on his fat head |
 Jermafenser (antagonist support) Found loitering across the swamp in Midoro Palace, this tall blue knight shops at the same armor store as his Horsehead counterpart requiring Link to exclusively stab him high however his heads fly off after successive hits and shoot projectiles while a new one grows in its place adding a layer of awesomeness |
 Rebonack (antagonist support) Essentially a blue Iron Knuckle riding lancer-style on a no-legged horse, this boss governs the Island Palace and requires dismounting with the aid of your newly acquired down thrust before he can be dispatched in traditional fashion |
 Carock (antagonist support) Peek-a-boo master and resident wizard supreme of the Maze Island Palace, this cloaked hoodlum can only be defeated by reflecting his own magic back at him which begs the question why he didn’t consider alternative attack methods but whatever |
 Gooma (antagonist support) Taking up residence in the Palace on the Sea with his old ball and chain, this barbarian-looking mongoloid requires a stick-and-move strategy while going with an opposite armor structure of earlier foes by re-enforcing the head instead of the body |
 Barba (antagonist support) The legendary “fire dragon” occupying Three-Eye Rock Palace, this towering serpent rises out of his lava pit when provoked and breathes fire on anyone who disturbs his slumber especially green tunic-wearing hero wannabe’s (his words) |
 Thunderbird (antagonist support) The first major disturbance encountered in the Great Palace, this flying behemoth guards the Triforce chamber with his rainstorm of fireballs and requires the “thunder” spell to be cast before he’s even hittable rendering Link’s magic meter near empty right off the bat |
 Shadow Link (main antagonist) The final roadblock between Link and the Triforce of Courage, Shadow Link is presumably a dark amalgamation created by Ganon with mirrored attack patterns and movements as our hero making him a very dangerous foe worthy of full attention |
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Eyes Of Ganon Are Everywhere… Just Not The Rest Of Him (XL section)
“Woah son… let’s try this game out it looks like they’re REALLY sword fighting!” Instantly, when I recall Zelda II: The Adventure of Link I’m brought back quite a bit to when my dad and I first rented this epic action/role player back in the late 80’s. There was just something perfect about the side-scrolling nature of Link’s second adventure that really clicked with us both right off the bat. I mean, it had kick-ass sword & shield gameplay, a big world to get lost in and brutal difficulty which brought us both much satisfaction. Plus, like its older brother it too was adorned with a coat of gold 
which gave it the appearance of some mystical treasure as it out-shined the other games that competed for our attention at the rental store.
We both took turns diving into the world of Hyrule because Zelda games are of course single player however we engaged this epic journey like a pair of aces 
with the “co-pilot” keeping a watchful eye on the map and also on potential secrets hidden around the world which might escape the “pilots” eyes. This style of playing gave the game a definite multiplayer feel and it kept us both locked in throughout the adventure as we encouraged each other to achieve new goals despite the punishing challenge. To this day, I cannot play Zelda II without fondly recounting the great memories I cultivated with my father during this super rad time of youth for the NES, the Zelda franchise and The ‘Tude Dude. Not a whole lot more for me to say here other than… 
!!!
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is a side-scrolling action/RPG where you once again step into the role of the pointy-eared hero of Hyrule, Link
, and slice your way through hordes of evil minions with the ultimate goal being the revival of the sleep-enchanted princess Zelda 
. To do this, you must discover 6 palaces located throughout Hyrule and place a crystal in the statue 
of each one after defeating the guardian who protects it. Upon completion of this, the magical barrier that prevents initial entry into the final palace will be lifted and the path to the Triforce will become tangible which will save the princess after retrieval (maybe it’s like a cosmic alarm clock or something).
Basically, the story goes that a few years after the events of the first game Link was startled by the appearance of a strange symbol on the back of his hand and after showing it to one of Zelda’s closest confidants learned of the current fate of the cursed princess. Additionally, while Ganon himself (the always final boss in the Zelda series) remains deceased after the awesome climactic battle from before, his lackeys have regrouped in force with a kind of weird/badass plan to kill Link and spill his blood over their fallen masters ashes with the obvious intention of resurrection 
. (*Sigh*)… “If only there was another, perhaps hidden, piece of the Triforce that I could find… I’d put a stop to all these ridiculous monsters and wake up that clearly faking it just to get time off princess” Link said to himself. Well, GOOD NEWS cause it turns out that Zelda’s dad hid the third piece to the golden triangle collector set in a completely inconvenient labyrinth guarded by the toughest enemies perhaps ever conceived in a Zelda title and all you gotta do is go in there and get it… simple 
. Of course, there’s much more to this tangled tale that I’m not touching on and I guess it’s worth looking up for context sake if you feel like it but all you gotta know is that Zelda’s asleep and the only way to wake her legendary behind up is to give all the bosses of the game you come across a taste of your sword until you find that wish-granting pointy treasure.
Much like its predecessor, (The Legend of Zelda) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link’s main form of offense is to stab at enemies with your sword 
which can be utilized in a standing or crouching position 
thanks to the new side-scrolling viewpoint. Similar to the previous entry Link can shoot a projectile sword when his health is full 
however it’s much weaker than before and also travels less distance (I guess some things are easier when your young 
?). Another new addition to the Zelda series found here is the ability to jump and platform which opened up game designers to create new and interesting boards for our little green buddy to navigate as well as additional attacks to add to your arsenal like the down and up thrust 
which are both extremely effective at taking out enemies either above or below.
The games overworld screen is presented top-down and Link can traverse the world of Hyrule here to reach new locations but beware as enemies 
can appear randomly (whenever off of safe roads) and engage you which will instantly take you to an action screen that you’ll need to fight or dodge your way through. As before, there are necessary items that must be found in order to progress (like the raft 
and hammer 
) however it’s interesting that they’re not used offensively in this version and reduced to boring attachments that more-or-less just help you reach new areas. Instead, the new magic spells provide Link with some fresh maneuvers to play around with in-game like jump which will increase Link’s leaping height or Fire which shoots a rad fireball from your sword 
just to name a couple. Seriously though, I’ll be perfectly fine without ever having to cast that fairy 
spell ever again in my life! There’s also a new experience system which grants Link increased power in attack, life and magic which is an interesting (and somewhat unnecessary) wrinkle to the established formula so keep an eye out for those point bags 
in addition to stacking your score from defeating enemies.
Towns dot the playing field for the first time in a Zelda game and there essentially a safe haven where Link can restore health and magic as well as learn new spells and attacks. Yet another interesting tweak from The Legend of Zelda is the fact that enemies do not drop hearts at all so utilizing the towns to restore yourself as well as random faeries and your life spell are the only way for Link to regain health (well… leveling up counts if you add a point to your life column). Enemies swarm at you in all kinds of different varieties no matter if your in a cave or wandering around off of the beaten path on the overworld screen so be prepared for a fight at every corner! Bogeys range in difficulty (depending on your location) from the relatively simple Bot’s 
and Octorock’s 
to the grueling Daria’s 
and Iron Knuckle’s 
who push your skills to the max with their relentless attacks. Each palace contains a unique boss fight in it as well (like the mace-wielding Horsehead 
or the awesome-looking Carock 
who blasts at you with repeated waves of energy that must be reflected back at him) and they’re a huge improvement over the previous games encounters but don’t hold your breath for an appearance from Ganon (he only shows up to mock you at the game over screen 
) as instead you’ll have to battle the overtly frustrating Dark Link at the games conclusion who is a mirror image of your character and an abundantly satisfying challenge but a little disappointing from a narrative stand-point.
Overall, in terms of gameplay not much has changed since The Legend of Zelda as far as what your doing (plow through dungeons, collect treasures, repeat) but how your doing it has changed quite a bit (side-scrolling action, more linear) and can play better or worse depending on the preferences of specific players. Personally, while I’m still more inclined to the free-roaming style of the first game, I absolutely LOVE the put-hair-on-your-chest challenge that Zelda II provides and still retain the most satisfaction upon this games completion to any other Zelda game that I have ever played to date! The controls are a big part of this feeling as the challenge presented comes mostly from heated and well-executed attacks in addition to timing which transports you into the action like never before. Of course I have to mention the dreaded “knock-back” that occurs when you take a hit develops frustration quickly and is too often a cause of death as your sent into an adjacent lava pit of death however it’s adaptable and not unfamiliar to anyone that’s played a Castlevania or Ninja Gaiden game so it’s not the worst thing ever.
I must say, I really like the sound department in this one quite a bit. All of the effects are appropriate and memorable whether hearing the “sizzle” from a nearby fire or the “twang” from a strike of your sword onto a hard surface but it’s the music that really wins the day as it’s equally as good as the first games with increased variety which prevents it from getting as stale as it used to. Extra points for the awesome Great Palace theme found in the final throws of Link’s adventure as it still gets me psyched for the gauntlet at the end and motivates me to push through despite the brutal challenge it presents.
Graphically, Zelda II performs admirably and improves the visual style to include more variety similarly to the musical enhancements from the previous title. Not much to complain about in any of the action screens as they contain lots of detail and a wide array of colors however the over world does look pretty dumb 
(…look at little Link go!). The sprites also look good (from the enemies to the townsfolk) and are yet another example of the increased variety found in the sequel to The Legend of Zelda. ‘Tude-wise, Zelda II maintains a similar moderate range from before as it provides a gore-free stab and grab journey that’s safe enough for kids but not exactly what you would want them to re-enact at home (“No Billy… we’re not gonna shoot fireballs in the house!”). Suffice it to say, the Zelda series is always bereft of this category as it’s never had to rely on any bells or whistles in the coolness department to succeed.
In conclusion, Zelda II is an awesome action/adventure role playing game that provides an excellent challenge with a deep combat system to give NES fans one of the grandest adventures found on the entire system. While many of the changes found in The Adventure of Link led to a controversial split of Legend of Zelda fans in terms of their opinions towards the series (a LOT of people don’t like this game compared to the first one), I find too many quality gameplay mechanics here that make this title stand apart from so many others. Its aesthetically beautiful, the controls are responsive and its as addictive to me as any other in the franchise which checks off across the board as far as meeting the benchmark set by the original goes. Most of all, the challenge here is one of the most grueling yet rewarding ones you’ll ever come across not just for a Zelda game but for the entirety of gaming! So go and be Zelda’s wake-up call and try out the unique and satisfying Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for a truly epic NES side-scrolling journey today 
!
Critical Analysis
5/5 |
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What an interesting specimen Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link turned out to be! It departed drastically from the original game’s design which caused a bit of an alienated feel when presented to the masses (a viewpoint many still share to this day), yet it stands proudly as one of the most engaging and rewarding experiences you can have within the franchise and on the entire NES tasking players with arguably their most grueling trudge through Hyrule’s vestiges to date! Swapping the controller back and forth with my dad as we hoofed our way through this smorgasbord of side-scrolling sword action easily ranks as one of my all-time favorite childhood memories though it bypasses any potential rose-tinting with your typical Zelda-franchise collection of blue-ribbon components including distinguishable graphics, memorable sounds, tight controls and a grand adventure that’s sure to keep you invested all the way to the end. Say what you will about the difficulty level in comparison to its predecessor (a macro perspective huffed by many hardcore Zelda “purists”) but its golden display is earned through an individual showcase of greatness as it weaves a pleasantly satisfying adventure around you from start to finish much like its big brother. Cue the Zelda jingle! Suffice it to say that while Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link is indeed great in its own right, it DOES fall behind the original in a couple of important spots preventing its style from overtaking The Legend Of Zelda’s in the concept department (evidenced by the third entry in the series). The amount of death-pits in the game is maddening considering the Castlevania-style recoil experienced whenever Link is attacked (an anxiety-inducing and unavoidable problem) making this an unfortunate rage-quit victim. Also, the experience system feels completely superfluous adding nothing to the already established formula of progression through item acquisition (something you still do here anyways) showcasing Nintendo’s slippery grasp of this vital role-playing aspect. Still, be that as it may, Zelda II does enough good everywhere else that many of its issues fade away into Hyrule’s 8-bit setting sun as it embarks on a grandiose expedition all its own combining the dungeon-romping gameplay of its predecessor with the slick sideways action of many of the top releases at the time. While it’s certainly different from anything else embroidered with Zelda’s moniker, it’s equal parts in value, aesthetic and most importantly… fun. I wonder how Error’s doing? |
“Yep… I’ll be just fine napping here the whole time while you take care of everything 
!”
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3 Comments on “A Retro Review – Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link”
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I find it funny how this is a sequel to the first game, but Link doesn’t have any of his old items!!
Did he just throw them away?
Donate them to the castle guard?
I have questions!!!
That’s a really good point actually. Maybe he took them back one-by-one and placed them all in the spots where he found them or perhaps he hocked them for extra rupees. Man I’m at least hanging onto the magic rod from the first game.
I think it is interesting how difficult it is to regain health in this game compared to the first one. Maybe they thought that Link ripping out and devouring the hearts of his fallen victims was too much? LOL