Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

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!

Critical Analysis-

• Gameplay: 5/5 (I love it)
  While some of the changes made from the first game do hinder your ability to explore the entirety of the map right away, overall the gameplay is awesome and even finds some improvements from its near-perfect predecessor. For instance, the switch to a side-scrolling perspective created new and engaging exchanges between you and your adversaries not to mention being able to jump which adds additional platforming sections to the already deep formula from before. What I think turns off most people to this game is... it's HARD AS HELL especially compared to many of the counterparts in its own series however if given the chance it's sure to impress all the way through to the end.
• Controls: 4/5 (I like it)
  The controls feel responsive and tight in Zelda II and maintain the usual high standard found in the series despite the switch over to a brand new style after major success in the previous entry. Jumping and sword fighting is a breeze and it feels quite engaging to cross blades with a hard enemy as the timing and rhythm experienced during the action is always in-tune to your commands. Getting knocked back from taking a hit can be an irritating obstacle at times but learning when to exercise caution can usually help to deter this relatively common retro problem.
• Music/Sound: 5/5 (I love it)
  Yet another check mark in the "hang 10" column for The Adventure of Link, the noise section rates very high with memorable and unique sound effects combined with a deep and immersive musical score that pairs just right with your journey to wake up Zelda. Most of the small noises rank at the top of the nostalgic scale from the grunt Link makes when he takes a hit or the jingle heard when approaching a fairy but it's truly the music that catapults this category (and the whole game) to another level. With a kick-ass palace theme that's just as good as the previous one, Zelda II keeps you alert with great music all the way to the end and provides a little more variety than The Legend Of Zelda with increased zones that contain their own unique songs which help to break up the monotony.
• Graphics: 4/5 (I like it)
  While Zelda II has of course improved its visuals since the original's inception, overall it didn't push the envelope enough to really stand out since then fading away amongst many more impressive looking NES titles that have overtaken it graphically. I do like The Adventure Of Link's sprite work and overall change to a side-scrolling adventure visually which gave Hyrule more dimension from before though. There are some things that do look kind of funny in the game (like Link's dinky sword for example) but a small discrepancy here and there is not enough to distract the eyes from the competent 2-d universe that has been constructed here.
• 'Tude Meter: MODERATE (Coolness not guaranteed)
  The 'Tude Meter certainly peaks out during the trek through the harsh caves found in Death Mountain as well as the many eerie palaces located throughout Link's adventure but valleys back to middle-tier with some dumb looking adversaries in addition to some cheesy dialogue in your conversations with the townspeople of Hyrule. Plus... you actually have to turn into a fairy this time which is just UNACCEPTABLE in The 'Tude Dude's opinion. The only way I ever see Link scoring high in this category is if he ditches the Peter Pan duds, grows a lumberjack beard and gets a tattoo that says "I Love Fairies Tail"... I know it's never gonna happen but I can dream!

Final Verdict: 5/5 (Great game)

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?

Parting Thoughts-

• Pros-
  *Rewarding challenge
  *Spot-on controls
  *Enhanced variety from the original in the sight and sound department
• Cons-
  *Frustrating knock-back whenever taking a hit
  *Experience system feels "tacked on"
  *Less accessible as the original

The 'Tude Dude's Bottom Line-

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.

Thanks for reading!