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Still a classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Although many hated this game as it mainly was a side scrolling adventure, this game was one of my favorites when i was younger and the difficulty was harder then the original as I had trouble with the last 4 temples, mainly the great palace. It kept with the original though as once you finally beat it another second story began with you haveing all your magic spells at the start of the game. Since the game was remade on the GBA i went out and bought myself a copy so i could place my nes one away as the game could not be saved since of its age. Overall one of my favorite Zelda's other then A link to the past

I must have died 80 times. Darn skeleton fish.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've played harder games than this one, but its certainly no cakewalk in any way, shape, or form. It will definitely test your ability to inflict and dodge attacks. Your life preserving strategies will get quite a workout too. You've got to be on the ball if you want to get through this game. Even with maxed out stats, you can't just plow through the game and take hits. Heck, even with max strength I wouldn't mess with those knife-throwing eagles. I just ran away from them, and still somehow lived.

There's no way you can beat this game without a walkthrough. No freaking way. Way too many dangerous mazes and unobvious methods to get items. And you need ALL of the items to get through the game. You can't just pick and choose. You need to have the thunder spell to beat the boss, and you need to have all the magic containers to get the spell, see.

There are really only two places where you'd get stuck in this game. Unfortunately one of the places is right at the beginning and the other is right at the end. At the beginning, Death Mountain really is DEATH mountain. I can't think of any way to get through it except by building up experience points like crazy and leveling up several times. Those red alligator cavemen are monstrous.

And at the end, well, just walking along the path from the giant spider to the Great Palace is a heck of a challenge. Dinosaur men throw barrages of rocks at you with the accuracy of snipers, and one-eyed ghosts fly around randomly, knocking you into lava and zapping away whatever lives you have. Thank goodness if you actually make it to the Great Palace, you can continue from there.

What really makes this game so different from the other Zelda games is the jumps. In Zelda 1 and 3, there aren't really any jumps, and if you miss a jump in Zelda 4, its not really all that big of a deal. Start where you left off and try again. But if you miss a jump in Zelda 2, it costs you dearly. Miss three of those and you're back at the beginning, and believe me, there are plenty of enemies around to help you miss those three.

The odd thing though, is that while the combat system and the required jump-dodging are what makes this game hard as heck, they also are what make the game good. After some practice, you'll be impressed at what you're able to do. Especially once you figure out how to get past those boomerang guys. The controls are practically flawless, and my only complaint about them is Link's sword is too short for the upward thrust to be particularly effective. Half the time I'd use that attack I'd take damage instead of give it.

Quite primitive, and definitely not as good as Zelda 3 or 4, but it has some neat items and spells, and its definitely a man's game. Play it if you dare.

A diiferent Zelda game, but still worthy of the name Zelda

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: February 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Many will say this game is not worthy of the name Zelda, but I say they are just afraid of change. Many people playing Zelda II might expect a clone of the original Zelda, but at what point in the rest of the Zelda series has that ever happened? Every new Zelda game has added some new element to the gameplay, and changed the story. This is the only one to be a direct sequel, and it changed the gameplay drastically.
For those not familiar with Zelda II, the basic idea is that Princess Zelda has been placed into a deep sleep by an unknown person. The only thing that can wake her is the Triforce of Wisdom. (If you remember Zelda I, Ganon had the Triforce of Power, and Link collected the Triforce of Courage.) The triforce of Wisdom is securely locked away in the Golden Palace. But Link can't just walk in the front door of the palace. He must first break the magical seal around the palace. He does this by placing six crystals in statues scattered throughout Hyrule. Each statue is in a palace, guarded by some VERY difficult bosses. That's really all there is to the story.
The gameplay is the part that seems to cause the most grumbling among the nay-sayers. I won't lie, it is VERY difficult, because it focuses on sword-fighting, and you don't get to fall back on some other weapon if you suck with the sword. But if you can master the basics of sword fighting, the rest of the game is just about finding your way, and discovering an enemy's weakness. There are many helpful characters in the game, who give you ample hints to get you pointed in the right driection. You still have to solve the puzzles, and find a lot of things yourself, but how fun would it be if they spelled the answers out for you?
There is a level-up system using experience points which is unique for the Zelda series, and if you try to go straight to the first palace from the get-go, you will die quickly, and often. But, like many of the Final Fantasy style RPG's, you can always earn XP in random battles, and beef yourself up at will. So you CAN make the game easier, with minimal effort if you go to the right places.
Some have said that if you finally manage to beat it, you're dissappointed by the ending. I say, it's 8-bit! What did you expect? A DVD-quality animatic? Anyone who's ever felt their pulse pounding when they approach a boss in any game, and felt the rush of joy when they stomp that boss into the ground will be able to feel the same feeling when they beat Zelda II. The game is difficult enough that just beating it is a badge of honor.
Replay value? Some games in the RPG genre lose a lot of their appeal when you know all the puzzles, and know where all the extras are. But not Zelda II. Combat is challenging enough that the game can still be fun the second time, or even the 20th time through. Sure, it took me almost a month to beat it the first time, and now I can do it in about 6 hours, but I still enjoy it every time.
I urge anyone who's passed this title over because of negative reviews to take another look at it. Pick yourself up a copy, and play it. I don't mean just a half-hearted attempt either. Give it a chance to either shine or fail on its own merits. Stop comparing it to the rest of the series, and give this amazing game a chance! If you really didn't like it, you're only out a few bucks right? and you can propably resell the game.

Quite Possibly The Best Game Ever Made for Any System

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: September 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I don't know what is wrong with some of my brethren. I do not see how anyone could conceivably award this game less than 5 stars. If you have not played this game before, then ignore the cynics, skeptics, party-poopers and naysayers who ignorantly and stupidly sully this game's rating. Know that this is quite possibly the best video game ever made for any system.

What makes this game so good? The plot is compelling, the characters are well-drawn, the theme music is absolutely and undeniably genius and the game is appropriately challenging--it is difficult, but not too difficult. You will not be able to beat this game quickly, and there will be points in the game where you are frustrated, but the journey will be worth it. One of the greatest experiences of your life will be thrashing Ganon and bringing peace to Hyrule.

Do not pay attention to the nincompoops complaining that this game is 2D. First of all, they're wrong. Much of the game actually IS 3D, particularly when Link travels in Hyrule. Only the battle scenes are in 2D, but this is a good feature, because 2D battles emphasize swordsmanship more. With time you will master the upward thrust, the downward thrust and the jumping swipe. Look for the swordsmen in the villages to teach you these tricks. And, for the final time, ignore the haters of this game. These people have poor judgment and they should be tortured and fed to lions.

Not Much of a Zelda Game

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 3
Date: December 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I love Zelda* games! When I got the Collector's Edition disc, I thought I would try this one out. This is not a very good game. The story goes that on Link's sixteenth birthday, he discovers the Triforce on his hand. Princess Zelda's attendant, Impa takes Link into a room where Princess Zelda is sleeping. Impa says that a mysterious man put her to sleep. Link sets out to find pieces of a crystal that will wake Zelda up. Link doen't realize that Ganon's minions want to revive Ganon by sacrificing Link.
Unlike all the other Zelda games, this one is mostly a side-scroller. You also collect lives, so if you run out of lives you start back at the palace where Princess Zelda is sleeping. You also have HP(hit points) and MP(Magic Points). Luckily, this was the only Zelda game where they did that.

The Failure of Link?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 24 / 29
Date: November 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link* is the black sheep of the Zelda franchise. One of the most controversial games of that era, players sent a clear message to Nintendo, saying the sequel didn't live up to its predecessor. People still bought it, but the general consensus was it was not as good as the original "Legend of Zelda". The biggest controversy of this game was it was a 2D scroller, instead of an overhead game like the original was. You navigated in an overhead view. Then the battles and actual dungeons are in the side scrolling format. Another big factor is this game is HARD. VERY HARD. It's also the only Zelda where you collect lives. If you run out of lives and continue, instead of starting back at a particular dungeon's beginning, you begin at the very start of the game. When we're talking about trying to beat the Great Palace, this turns into a nightmare. There is also an unwieldy magic and leveling up system. The magic continued in the Zelda series. The leveling did not. But because it was such a radical departure, and not wholly successful, Zelda II is viewed as a flawed, if interesting, game.

The Zelda name does great damage here, because people come in expecting overview. Zelda II tries to be innovative with an uneasy hybrid of side-scrolling and overworld. Had it been released as just a fantasy game, I think Zelda II would be something of a cult classic. As it stands, people constantly judge this game on the Zelda name alone, instead of giving the game a chance. That's what really hurts Zelda II.

Zelda II is a misunderstood game. The true question, which cannot be answered, is this: "What would the public think if this had been released first, instead of The Legend of Zelda?" Who knows? No one does. People expected the wrong things from this game. People wanted traditional Zelda action, and this game didn't have that. It's a hybrid of overhead and platform gaming. This was one of Nintendo's biggest missteps in its history. They had misread the audience. All this has forever damaged Zelda II. It will always be viewed from the perspective it is not as good as the other Zelda games.

Without Zelda II, the structure of this seminal series would be drastically different. In terms of lessons learned, this is by far the most important game in the series. What if Nintendo hadn't done this game? It is possible they might have tried the hybrid on SNES version. Nintendo learned from its mistake, and never tried this again. In the Zelda context, that is a good thing.

Zelda is a great series, and without this under their belt, Nintendo might have put out a disappointing Zelda game at a much more crucial time in the series' evolution. It's a great game in and of itself, and had it been redesigned in terms of story and not making it Zelda, it would be considered a classic. But for Zelda it doesn't go with the others, and Nintendo learned what the public wants in a Zelda game. In terms of sticking to the formula, this is the best thing that ever happened to Zelda. If they had not released this game on the NES, they might have tried the hybrid experiment on the SNES game, and instead of getting what is arguably the greatest game on the SNES, and in the Zelda series, we would get a game like this. Then, we wouldn't get a game for the SNES comparable to Link to the Past. If Nintendo had not made this game, they would have made this mistake (remember, it's a mistake only in context of the series) at a much worst time.

What about Super Maria Brothers 3? Although Zelda II was viewed as a disappointment, I think it had direct influence on SMB 3. SMB 3 is the game Zelda II could have been. SMB 3 successfully combined a type of overview world, but then you moved and played the stages. Of course, the world in Zelda II was much more expansive. The SMB series was already a side scroller. It is hailed as one of the greatest NES games ever released. And yet, earlier when they tried the same thing with Zelda II, it was viewed as a disappointment because Zelda was not a side scroller to begin with. Nintendo took the hybrid idea into Mario, of which it was much more suited. Mario was not an overview game to begin with. When they did make the hybrid, they stuck with the basically formula of side scrolling, but they had a little overview too.

In this view, Zelda II is out of balance. In the series' context, they should have made more of the action overview, instead of all side-scrolling. Some main parts of the game should be like that though, but then there should be more old-school Zelda overview. As it stands in the series, its out of balance. But without it, we might not have the hybrid of the overview/side scrolling found in SMB 3 and Super Mario World, which both are great games. Independently, Zelda II stands proud.

After all these years, Zelda II still occupies that weird uncle status in the Zelda family tree. I personally think that it's a great game. It stands as a failure in the context of the series. Had it been released without the Zelda moniker, I think history and players would have been much more receptive to this charming (if entirely too difficult) game.

*An interesting note about its title. This is the only Zelda game it incorporate the numerical sequence into its official title. Its also the only title in the series that does not have "The Legend of Zelda" in it. Its just "Zelda II: The Adventure of Link." It sounds better than "The Legend of Zelda: The Adventure of Link." Too long I guess for those days

Zelda II is a brilliant game.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: June 13, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Zelda II is different. I will admit right off the bat that this game may not be for everyone. When it was released, it recieved a lot of negative feedback because it was not what people were expecting from a "Zelda" game. This game, at it's heart, is an action-sidescroller, and a VERY difficult one at that.

Having said that, you should definitely try it out. The game uses rpg-zelda-like adventuring, but zooms in for a 2D sidescroll view for combat sequences, and the result is a VERY engaging and creative game. The combat is more complex than most action games, lending a high degree of difficulty to the game. (fighting advanced opponents often involves sword-and-shield combat that required more thinking and reacting than simply "button-mashing.")

The graphics are way better than they have any right to be for an 8-bit game and the music is quite good. (much better than Zelda I's music.) There are only 7 temples, but they are challenging and will take you quite a while to defeat. The last temple is a MONSTER and it's big secret has stumped *many* excellent gamers for years.

The game builds nicely throughout and the gameplay never relents. There are very few opportunites for "metaplay" this game. (metagaming = "programmer-allowed cheating." as in: finding a way to defeat an enemy that the computer cannot possibly defend against.) The final battle is fast and ferocious and the identity of your oponnent will surprise you! (hint: he makes a cameo appearance in Zelda 64! Well, Now you HAVE to try the game, don't you?? :D)

As a fellow game-developer myself, I have to commend Nintendo for their ingenious design of the last temple and in fact, the whole game. This game has rightly become a cult-classic in recent years and should be required material for any action-rpg game fan.

Be warned though, if you are expecting a game like Zelda I or III, you will be surprised, though not necesarily dissapointed.

Highly recommended.

Not quite as classic, but more addictive than Zelda I

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Zelda II has its share of detractors because everything they loved about Zeldas I, III, and the Zelda Game Boy games is absent from this installment. Gone is the bird's eye view combat mode that dominates the other titles. Gone are the intricate dungeon puzzles. In its place is a side-scrolling actioner combined with elements of a classic format RPG (complete with experience points, levels, spells and the rest). I first played this game when I was 12, and my initial reaction at the time was, 'Oh no! What have they done?' Needless to say, 15 minutes later I was hooked. By the time I had completed the game, I liked it better than the first. What it lacks in sheer scope, length, and originality, it far makes up for in terms of challenge. This is easily the most difficult Zelda game of all, which - considering that all future Zelda installments are unbelievably easy - is a good thing.

While I enjoyed this game more, I must admit that the first and third titles demonstrated more ingenuity, originality, and were better produced considering their respective release dates. Zelda II is -barely- recognizeable as a Zelda game in the way we think of one, and part of me suspects that Mr. Miyamoto (the brains behind all other major Zelda releases) was barely involved in this installment. Once you get past the shock of the different format, however, the game easily draws you in. One other disclaimer: I am partial to RPGs, which may explain my preference of this entry. But part of the reason is also inexplicable - there is something more subconsciously fascinating about Zelda II. It's a less monotonous than the other Zeldas, and more bizarre, moody, even random - in some respects it is even comparable to Ultima: Exodus (another classic NES title, released the same year, which I highly recommend to anyone who likes Zelda II). In any case, this title is not to be missed, is worthy of the Zelda name if only for quality's sake, and represents the most challenging entry in a franchise that has lately been lacking in that area.

a different game in the series.....but still a good one

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 06, 2004
Author: Amazon User

It took me a long time to give this game a chance. I am a huge Zelda fan but this one seemed a little too different. But was i suprised when i started playing! The overworld map is similar to the original zelda game. But u run into random battles like final fantasy and gain exp points to go up in levels. When u run into battles or enter a cave or dungeon....it turns to side-scrolling. It is a difficult game considering u have 3 lives and when u lose them u continue from the center of the world map. Kind of like mario games. So this game is actually very fun despite the differences from other games in the series. Give it a shot and u may enjoy it.

This is the best Zelda Game ever :)

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: February 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This Game is amaizing, I first played it in 1990, and didnt master the game untill this year 2004!! I took a loooooong break from it then started to play it for full. The graphic is very good considering its on Nintendo 8 bits, and the challange is amazing. Sure its difficult but thats why its so fun. The Palaces are amaizing especially the last one and 5 one. You go in cities to ask for help then u must find different things to go futher into the game. Its very logic. I dont like any of the other Zelda games, I wish they were more like this one.

I recommend u to try to download it or buy it(if u still have Nintendo 8 bits).

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