Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

[Nicktendo]

Thought I'd give this a try so I downloaded it from the Wii Shop and I must say I've been hugely surprised with how good it is. It's structured much more like an RPG and feels very different to other Zelda games but that is in no way a bad thing! My god it's difficult as well, you get three lives and whn you die, that's it, back to the very start!

 

Has anyone else given this a shot? I've managed only one dungeon so far but I'm seriously addicted to the gameplay style and challenge the game presents, it definalty has that 'one more go' feeling without being frustrating.

[Retro_Link]

I've got it on the Zelda Collectors Edition, gave it a couple of goes but found it WAY too hard, and have no real desire to play it.

 

Completed The Legend of Zelda (NES) though.

[Ike]

I've completed it twice, once on the collectors disk and once on the GBA release. I agree it's a very hard game and I died a lot of times. I feel it's a bit under rated though.

[Grazza]

I've got this on Zelda: Collector's Edition, and I've got to say, I like these side-scrolling action-RPGs. I've completed all the dungeons, but I can't make the final run from the last save point to the final boss. Any tips?

 

If you like this game, you'll probably like Wonder Boy III: the Dragon's Trap (Master System) and Wonder Boy in Monster World (Megadrive). They're actually a little bit like Metroid too.

[Pit-Jr]

This game can never be accused of being too similar to its predecessor, which is a great thing. Id love to see a remake or even a follow-up on Wii Ware. .

 

Failing any of that, theres still alot of gold to be mined from the game like the spell casting, a minimal experience point system, refilling health via prostitutes, or even adding a few side-scrolling dungeons or caves to the next 3D game

 

There was another game called Battle of Olympus that shamelessly copied the Zelda II formula that i loved.

[mcj metroid]

I feel it's like super mario bros 2.. underrated classics

[EEVILMURRAY]

I feel it's like super mario bros 2.. underrated classics

Too true, they were both classic games.

[Hero-of-Time]

This game can never be accused of being too similar to its predecessor, which is a great thing. Id love to see a remake or even a follow-up on Wii Ware. .

 

Failing any of that, theres still alot of gold to be mined from the game like the spell casting, a minimal experience point system, refilling health via prostitutes, or even adding a few side-scrolling dungeons or caves to the next 3D game

 

There was another game called Battle of Olympus that shamelessly copied the Zelda II formula that i loved.

 

Simply awesome game that I played to death when I had my NES. Its just a shame you either need to very good memory or a massive piece of paper for the continue codes I wonder if it will ever end up on the VC?

[Emasher]

I have it with Collector's edition. Its just a little too hard for me. I haven't finished the original Zelda either, I hate playing 2D games with an analog stick and the GC controller's D-pad sucked. Perhaps I'll re-buy both on the VC so I can play them with the Classic Controller.

[Patch]

I played it on the NES and I think I was in the same position as Grazza. I could never do the last bit.

 

I've downloaded Zelda I on VC and still haven't finished that either. The first Zelda game I completed was LttP.

 

There was another game called Battle of Olympus that shamelessly copied the Zelda II formula that i loved.

 

Man, I loved that game.

[ShinynewJB]

I played it on the NES and I think I was in the same position as Grazza. I could never do the last bit.

 

That makes three of us!

 

Other than grinding Link's level up (which I have no desire to do), I can't really think of a better way to beat it though. It's so darn hard to make that last run!

 

I haven't played the NES version. Does it have battery save? If it does, I might get it. I have it on the Zelda Collectors Disk for Gamecube.

[Grazza]

That makes three of us!

 

Other than grinding Link's level up (which I have no desire to do), I can't really think of a better way to beat it though. It's so darn hard to make that last run!

 

Maybe we can start a club to help each other through that bit!

 

I haven't played the NES version. Does it have battery save? If it does, I might get it. I have it on the Zelda Collectors Disk for Gamecube.

 

It probably does, but I don't know if the battery would still be active. Personally, I don't mind using the analogue stick for the Collectors' Edition. After all, we've got this far and it wasn't easy, it's just this last bit is extra-difficult.

 

I've just thought of something actually. The Collectors' Edition is 60hz only, whereas most European Virtual Console games are strictly 50hz and haven't been PAL-optimised. In theory, wouldn't this make the Collectors' Edition run faster and be slightly more difficult than the original PAL/Virtual Console game?

[ShinynewJB]

The Collectors' Edition is 60hz only, whereas most European Virtual Console games are strictly 50hz and haven't been PAL-optimised. In theory, wouldn't this make the Collectors' Edition run faster and be slightly more difficult than the original PAL/Virtual Console game?

 

Yeah, technically. Means your reactions have to be 17% faster (or whatever percentage it is).

 

I don't think it'd help too much when you get near the end though, there's just stuff flying everywhere!

[EEVILMURRAY]

I haven't played the NES version. Does it have battery save? If it does, I might get it. I have it on the Zelda Collectors Disk for Gamecube.

If I remember correctly, yes. If you die in a dungeon you go back to the beginning, but when you start the game after switching it off you start at Hyrule Castle again. A mega pain in the arse.

[ClassicGamer]

I got both Zelda games on the NES, they rocked!

Zelda 2 was kinda hard though, it took me about two years to beat it, then I started all over again. I was glad you started at the last dungeon when you got there, the only exception from starting all over again. (But at least it saved new items/skills, complete level-ups and finished palaces, so you didn't really start over)

 

Everyone agreed the first Zelda to be great, well.... Although quite different, the second one was just as cool. Both instant classics. Sadly, I haven't played battle of olypus (yet).

[Zechs Merquise]

Haha! Too hard you say? Collectors edition you say? I have the original on the NES and have completed it. I actually really love this game and think it deserves more respect than it gets. It does provide a serious challenge but you have to approach it a bit more like an RPG and do some serious levelling up to avoid dying too much.

[darksnowman]

I got both Zelda games on the NES, they rocked!

Zelda 2 was kinda hard though, it took me about two years to beat it, then I started all over again. I was glad you started at the last dungeon when you got there, the only exception from starting all over again. (But at least it saved new items/skills, complete level-ups and finished palaces, so you didn't really start over)

 

Everyone agreed the first Zelda to be great, well.... Although quite different, the second one was just as cool. Both instant classics. Sadly, I haven't played battle of olypus (yet).

 

Hey, welcome to the forum. Judging by your pseudo it looks like you'll fit nicely into the retro boards.

 

Haha! Too hard you say? Collectors edition you say? I have the original on the NES and have completed it. I actually really love this game and think it deserves more respect than it gets. It does provide a serious challenge but you have to approach it a bit more like an RPG and do some serious levelling up to avoid dying too much.

 

I agree, Zelda 2 deserves a lot more respect than it gets. It is the black sheep of the series but people shouldn't just brush it aside as thoughtlessly as they do. I've never completed Zelda 2 but I played it back in the day on the Nes and it was one of the first titles I downloaded onto my VC.

[Patch]

I've never completed Zelda 2 but I played it back in the day on the Nes and it was one of the first titles I downloaded onto my VC.

 

I hear you. Substitute Zelda 2 with Zelda 1 and this is my position. I think we'll both de-smash ClassicGamer's record completion time of two years.

[ClassicGamer]

If I did it in two years, could be three...but I was still working on the LOZ, second quest. I beat the first quest in the first Zelda game about two weeks before I found Zelda 2 in a local store, so I was playing two difficult games at the same time. Yay!

 

When I was a kid, I had so much trouble on getting the hammer. Only that may already have taken a year or so. Beating the fire dragon boss took me about 30 game-overs after knowing the quickest way to get there, knowing your way around in the castle....

Maybe even an extra life? Was that the same castle? It's been a while.

I was lucky to beat it, though. I killed it, but fellin the lava at the same time. When I entered the room once more, the boss was gone, te key lay on the ground and I could finally move on. And then you still had to find the hidden town of kasuto, beat another dungeon, then make your way to the last palace and fight the hardest enemy you can possibly encounter on the 8-bit Nintendo.

 

Damn! I'm good. (That's what came to mind before I beat this game) Only this enemy took my life a thousand times! I bet I'll do better than that by now. I hope.

 

If you want another challenge after you beat this game, get the Turtles. I played that before Zelda, I played it on my Commodore 64, but I know it was realease for the NES too. The main reason this game also took me years to complete was the difficulty of the game. Another thing that made it an endless quest was that I played it from cassette tape. Anyone who tried this? Plus the water stage! That one took me quite some time.

 

A good game and a good challenge. And way cool for a commodore game! This one and Wonderboy in Monsterland. The rest was mostly like pac man and space invaders and such. I liked Zelda (2) way better though.

[Zechs Merquise]

If I did it in two years, could be three...but I was still working on the LOZ, second quest. I beat the first quest in the first Zelda game about two weeks before I found Zelda 2 in a local store, so I was playing two difficult games at the same time. Yay!

 

When I was a kid, I had so much trouble on getting the hammer. Only that may already have taken a year or so. Beating the fire dragon boss took me about 30 game-overs after knowing the quickest way to get there, knowing your way around in the castle....

Maybe even an extra life? Was that the same castle? It's been a while.

I was lucky to beat it, though. I killed it, but fellin the lava at the same time. When I entered the room once more, the boss was gone, te key lay on the ground and I could finally move on. And then you still had to find the hidden town of kasuto, beat another dungeon, then make your way to the last palace and fight the hardest enemy you can possibly encounter on the 8-bit Nintendo.

 

Damn! I'm good. (That's what came to mind before I beat this game) Only this enemy took my life a thousand times! I bet I'll do better than that by now. I hope.

 

If you want another challenge after you beat this game, get the Turtles. I played that before Zelda, I played it on my Commodore 64, but I know it was realease for the NES too. The main reason this game also took me years to complete was the difficulty of the game. Another thing that made it an endless quest was that I played it from cassette tape. Anyone who tried this? Plus the water stage! That one took me quite some time.

 

A good game and a good challenge. And way cool for a commodore game! This one and Wonderboy in Monsterland. The rest was mostly like pac man and space invaders and such. I liked Zelda (2) way better though.

 

You are soooo right, the first Turtles game on the NES was incredibly difficult. The second level with the electric seaweed, that was hellish!

 

When people say Zelda 2 is the black sheep of the family, I feel rather differently about it because back in the NES days it was amazing. If any Zelda game is the black sheep of the family its Majoras Mask. The reason I like that one the least is simply because I always felt pushed to do things quickly because of the three day cycle. I prefer having time to wander and figure things out.

[ClassicGamer]

Yeah, MM feels somehow rushed. The music adds to that. Even if you had way over an hour to beat a part of something, and even if you never need that much time... it feels like you are short on time anyway. Exploring the land and looking for heart pieces and stuff became like a quest on itself.

 

MM atmosphere and darkness is awesome, but I can't help getting bored of SOME of the repeating stuff evntually. Plus, I played the first time through in almost one sitting, I was really stocked on this game, but I never replayed it, like I did with all other Zelda games. When I beat Zelda 2, I started a new game the same evening.

 

Now that I sold my NES to get a SNES, which burned down after my N64 got stolen, I somehow fell like playing it again. I should save some money for a wii I guess.

[Zechs Merquise]

Yeah, MM feels somehow rushed. The music adds to that. Even if you had way over an hour to beat a part of something, and even if you never need that much time... it feels like you are short on time anyway. Exploring the land and looking for heart pieces and stuff became like a quest on itself.

 

MM atmosphere and darkness is awesome, but I can't help getting bored of SOME of the repeating stuff evntually. Plus, I played the first time through in almost one sitting, I was really stocked on this game, but I never replayed it, like I did with all other Zelda games. When I beat Zelda 2, I started a new game the same evening.

 

Now that I sold my NES to get a SNES, which burned down after my N64 got stolen, I somehow fell like playing it again. I should save some money for a wii I guess.

 

MM was the only Zelda game I used a guide for. I started it on the N64 and never actually completed it on that console. I finally did it on the 'Cube. Very odd for me. I sat and played it through with a guide to do everything in the right order. And enjoyed it a lot. Just never felt like a Zelda game to me.

 

You should get a Wii, you can relive the classics on the Virtual Console and play the some great Wii games too!

[jonno394]

Ah, Zelda II; I remember getting it for my 5th birthday. I loved the original, whcih I got the year before, and playe that to death. so my mon went out and got me the 2nd one for the next birthday.

 

When I played it I was so shocked. It was completely different to the game I knew and loved, yet it felt good to play as Link again. I never completed it, as it was too difficult for my 5 year old self, and I have never felt the urge to go back to it, but I may download it on the virtual console.

 

I remember being stuck on the first dungeon for ages, I had no idea how to kill the horsehead boss, had to phone a nintendo cheatline for that one lol.

[Ronnie]

This is probably the game that got me into Zelda in the first place when it came out for the NES. Insanely difficult but the whole game felt so alive in a way that Zelda 1 (whilst obviously still a classic) never really did.

 

EDIT: sorry for bump didn't realise this topic was that old!

[NRGUK]

Why does it matter bumping an old post? I have never really got the issue with doing that i think it is a good thing. This post has really made me think of all the quality that the NES had. I am going to start off my LOZ journey from game 1 soon.... Just me, some beers (which I would of never had as a youngster) and some retro gaming. Write a review on each as I go.... Thanks for bringing this up guys I now have a mission for the next year!