NES #14: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

Release Date: 1-14-87 (Japan) 12-1-88 (U.S.)

There is a certain segment of the population that will tell you that Zelda 2 is the black sheep of the series. They will say that not only is it the lesser of the two NES games but that it is one of the weakest Zelda games overall. These people couldn’t be more wrong. Zelda 2 is a masterpiece that is only disliked by people who don’t like change and are afraid of a challenge. Zelda 2 is certainly different. Instead of the overhead adventure game we now have a half-overhead half-side scrolling action RPG with actual levels to gain and towns to visit. Even the name is different. It’s the only game in the main series to not have “The Legend of” in the title. This means that if you arrange your games alphabetically it will end up far away from the others. This is appropriate because it’s hard to think of a sequel that is more different than the original. Perhaps Nintendo’s experience with the original Super Mario Bros. 2 had something to do with it. Its failure to be released in America made them think that people wanted sequels that were more than just expansions with harder levels. Whatever their motivations, however, few games were ever as forward thinking as Zelda 2. You may not realize it, but it’s a game with a far-reaching impact that few games can match. It’s not as played as the first game, but so many people who fell in love with it went on to make games. Every action RPG and adventure-styled platformer owes it a debt of gratitude. More than just clones, Zelda 2 influenced whole styles of games. If you’ve never given it a chance, it’s probably time to check it out with an open mind. It’s a truly great gaming experience.

 

Playing it now I am still struck by how big the world feels. Where the first game was mostly forest with very few people, Zelda 2 has all different environments and actual towns to visit. Where most Zelda games have only one or two villages, this game has eight spread out all over the world. I also enjoy how each environment has its own side scrolling map during combat. It’s not just a couple of generic ones over and over as you would expect from an 80s game. Also there are secrets everywhere. Few games evoke the spirit of adventure like Zelda 2. Magics and special moves can be earned in towns, and they usually have a quest to unlock them. Between the spells, items, heart containers, levels to gain, and regular dungeons there is a lot to do. It is a game with very little wasted space neither having the aimless wandering of the first game or the “follow the arrow” linearity of some of the later installments. It’s a marvel of pacing and design.

 

It’s a game where even the perceived flaws work out in its favor. I know some people are turned off by the difficulty, and from a modern perspective it’s a bit brutal. You only have three lives, and if you get a game over you either go back to the very beginning or the start of a dungeon. What’s even worse is that you lose all your experience points upon game over. I like this, however, because it makes every move count. Where other Zelda games are leisurely and carefree, this one is full of tension. It causes the player to make some difficult decisions, like deciding to pick up exp boosters or not. They do not respawn, so if you pick one up it’s best to make it count. It’s that great kind of tension that the NES was known for. It really is a game where both the action and RPG elements are equally important. Even good action RPGs usually focus more on one than the other. They usually focus on either the combat or the RPG elements. Zelda 2 does the balancing act perfectly. The character building and exploration are great while the combat is difficult and varied. Why can’t more games get it right?

 

As far as I can remember Zelda 2 was the first RPG I ever played, and it made quite an impression on me. I still remember playing through it back in the pre-internet days and having to really explore everything to get through it. Through all the frustrations of not knowing what to do, however, it never stopped being fun. There’s just something about Hyrule that sucks a person in. With Zelda 2 Nintendo crafted the perfect sequel. It expands on every part of the first game. It looks, sounds, and plays better. It is more than twice as big, and gets the most out of all that space. It is also the game most responsible for popularizing the action RPG. Games that came before it, like Dungeon Slayer and Hydlyde, got some of the concepts right but failed in the execution. Zelda 2 put it all together, and games were greatly improved because of it. I think it is obvious where I am going to put it on my list. Call your friends everyone and tell them we have a new number one. That is right where a masterpiece like Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link belongs.

 

NES quality percentage: 8/14 = 57.14%

 

1. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

2. Super Mario Odyssey

3. The Legend of Zelda

4. Galaga

5. Donkey Kong

6. Exodus: Ultima III

7. Pac-Mania

8. Wrecking Crew

9. Super Pac-Man

10. Pac-Man

11. Viva Pinata

12. Dragon View

13. Excitebike

14. Drakkhen

15. Arc the Lad

16. Clu Clu Land

17. Artifact Adventure Gaiden DX

18. Mickey’s Racing Adventure

19. Metro-Cross

20. Double Dragon

21. Ice Climber

22. Gaplus

23. Dragon Spirit

24. Pinball (NES)

25. Ninja Golf

26. Super Soccer

27. Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour (GBC)

28. Red Sea Crossing

29. Baraduke

30. Evoland

31. Tennis

32. Renegade

33. Hogan’s Alley

34. Gamma-Attack

35. The Legend of “Valkyrie”

36. Galaxian

37. Cosmic Commuter

38. Hot Pixel

39. PocketBike Racer

40. Wild Gunman

41. Defunct

42. Gyruss (2600)

43. Looney Tunes Racing

44. Squidlit

45. Baseball

46. Birthday Mania

47. Bad Street Brawler

48. Burly Men at Sea

49. X-Men (HyperScan)

50. My Name is Mayo

51. Marvel Heroes

52. Ben 10