Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

The Good
The Sequel to Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link, is better than it’s predecessor in all the ways that matter.

In Zelda II, the Princess of the title has been put to sleep by magic. It is up to Link, or whatever you name him, to break the spell and save her. The plot thickens when the dead Gannon’s minions are out for Link’s blood, literally, as it is the key to reviving the evil lord!

Zelda II, is wonderfully darker and more morose, than the first game. The plot is clearer and better written. And this time Hyrule feels like a real place. There are towns and villages this time! So people no longer live in caves. The world is more fleshed out. And not just endless screens that all look the same. The dungeons are more unique as well instead of just a palette swap.

The combat is more visceral and realistic. But it is also much more challenging. More on that later. Link learns to use magic in this adventure a first for the series and it plays a significant role in the game. Gone are the heart containers, now Link levels up, like a real RPG. Many items and weapons return this time. As well as new one like the lantern, to see in dark dungeons.

The Graphics are not good per say. But at least you can tell what things are supposed to be which is not always so with NES games. This is a late NES game so they are decent overall.

The Music is good, but no where near as good as in more recent Zelda games. The sounds are sub par.

The controls are almost identical to those of the original game. So needless to say they get the job done.

The Bad
This game is hard! Easily the hardest in the series. But at least the difficulty is consistent. The sound effect are kind of lame. And the graphics could have been a lot better. Why do most fans hate this one? It is actually an RPG unlike the other Zelda games. Nintendo tried to make the series better but every one hated it…why?

The Bottom Line
Overall, there is fun to be had here. If you can get over lame sounds bad graphics, and the unforgiving difficulty.