Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is the second entry in the ground-breaking Zelda franchise. This controversial follow-up ditches the original's top-down perspective for 2D side-scrolling exploration and combat. The 2D towns, dungeons and combat arenas are tied together by a top-down overworld.
The Journal A few years ago, a visit to my parents' house yielded an old treasure I remember fondly: My seventh-grade journal. Now, it's not like I just kept this thing on my own -- it was how we started English every day as part of class. There was always a topic on the board, but I usually ignored it in favor of discussing whatever else was on my mind -- which, as many entries start with something along the lines of "I have absolutely nothing to talk about today," was often very little. But of course, whenever I actually did have something to discuss it often involved NES videogames.
And the first one I ever wrote about? Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. As part of an ongoing series (that will last until I run out of interesting tidbits), here's what my 13-year-old self had to say about his second jaunt through Hyrule.
The first entry (1/8/90) was mostly about the new journal itself and my trip to see the Harlem Globetrotters the previous Friday night ("I like the time when one guy on the other team pulled down one of the 'Trotters pants and under his pants was a tutu"). The game-related text:
Besides that all I did was play "The Adventure of Link" on my Nintendo.
Short, sweet and objective. The next day, I went into a little more detail:
Right now on "The Adventure of Link" I have been to two towns where the wiseman says, "Come back when you are ready." This always happens! But through talking with others about the game, I have resolved that I need some more magic containers. I hope it works and I also hope I get to play it today, because yesterday my mom hid the Nintendo because I didn't put it up.
Ah, yes... Mom and her evil desires of "tidiness"... But the tension's killing me... Would getting more magic containers do the trick?...
Well, apparently I wasn't the greatest at following up on such cliffhangers, as I wouldn't mention the game again until the 18th. But what a landmark entry it was!
After some stuff about it being my great-grandmother's birthday:
Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you yesterday that last Tuesday I finished "The Adventure of Link." To do this I had to call a Nintendo Game Counselour [sic]. He told me where all of the majic [sic] and life containers were and how to get through the sixth palace.
Yep... I got to know that number -- (206) 885-PLAY, if I remember correctly -- incredibly well. This wasn't just before the internet -- this was before everyone used 900 numbers for cheats! I wonder if one of these guys helped me...
Where are they now?... And just when you think the Zelda II chat is over, there's this from just another day later...
I am also thinking of beating the second quest of "The Adventure of Link." On there I have made it to my shadow which I must beat to wake up the Princess Zelda from her sleep spell.
...And that's about it for Zelda II. Actually, there's one other entry that mentions the game, but it leads into the next one -- "something much harder"...
The Journal A few years ago, a visit to my parents' house yielded an old treasure I remember fondly: My seventh-grade journal. Now, it's not like I just kept this thing on my own -- it was how we started English every day as part of class. There was always a topic on the board, but I usually ignored it in favor of discussing whatever else was on my mind -- which, as many entries start with something along the lines of "I have absolutely nothing to talk about today," was often very little. But of course, whenever I actually did have something to discuss it often involved NES videogames.
And the first one I ever wrote about? Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. As part of an ongoing series (that will last until I run out of interesting tidbits), here's what my 13-year-old self had to say about his second jaunt through Hyrule.
The first entry (1/8/90) was mostly about the new journal itself and my trip to see the Harlem Globetrotters the previous Friday night ("I like the time when one guy on the other team pulled down one of the 'Trotters pants and under his pants was a tutu"). The game-related text:
Besides that all I did was play "The Adventure of Link" on my Nintendo.
Short, sweet and objective. The next day, I went into a little more detail:
Right now on "The Adventure of Link" I have been to two towns where the wiseman says, "Come back when you are ready." This always happens! But through talking with others about the game, I have resolved that I need some more magic containers. I hope it works and I also hope I get to play it today, because yesterday my mom hid the Nintendo because I didn't put it up.
Ah, yes... Mom and her evil desires of "tidiness"... But the tension's killing me... Would getting more magic containers do the trick?...
Well, apparently I wasn't the greatest at following up on such cliffhangers, as I wouldn't mention the game again until the 18th. But what a landmark entry it was!
After some stuff about it being my great-grandmother's birthday:
Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you yesterday that last Tuesday I finished "The Adventure of Link." To do this I had to call a Nintendo Game Counselour [sic]. He told me where all of the majic [sic] and life containers were and how to get through the sixth palace.
Yep... I got to know that number -- (206) 885-PLAY, if I remember correctly -- incredibly well. This wasn't just before the internet -- this was before everyone used 900 numbers for cheats! I wonder if one of these guys helped me...
Where are they now?... And just when you think the Zelda II chat is over, there's this from just another day later...
I am also thinking of beating the second quest of "The Adventure of Link." On there I have made it to my shadow which I must beat to wake up the Princess Zelda from her sleep spell.
...And that's about it for Zelda II. Actually, there's one other entry that mentions the game, but it leads into the next one -- "something much harder"...
Your seventh grade handwriting from twenty years ago, is leaps and bounds over mine today Rummaging through old journals can be pretty disturbing. I ran through a few of mine that I wrote during highschool and could barely relate to the individual who wrote them. (It's been almost five years, it feels like a millennium.)
I remember when I moved I uncovered a box of old gaming magazines. GameFan and GamePro mostly- brought me back and gave me perspective on how far gaming publications have gone. Then there was a small document I had written years ago which seemed to be an attempt at writing a walkthrough for Final Fantasy VII and Ocarina of Time. There's also a bunch of doodles I did even further of Sonic (Kindergarten territory.) Pretty funny stuff.
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