After writing the first part of this post, I received some interesting feedback on this game. Although a couple of you told me about how much you enjoyed the game, most jumped on the Zelda II bashing bandwagon. But before you get too carried away, let’s examine why…
Zelda II is greater than its Reputation
Before I get too deeply into this, I should throw this out there: I’m terribly biased.
Does it get more awesome than this?
Zelda II was a game that I enjoyed as a child, and as anyone who really enjoyed video games as a child will know, certain games will stick out in your memory as being special. Zelda II is certainly one of those titles for me. So much so that my parents bought me a Zelda II trashcan that decorates me room to this very day (does it get nerdier than that?). With that caveat out of the way, let’s take a closer look at the game, and see if I can justify my belief that this is a special game.
It made major contributions to future Zelda titles
For a game which was a radical departure from the rest of the Zelda series, it introduced a great number of features that future Zelda titles would retain.
Legit Magic System
Granted, the original Zelda game kinda sorta had magic – one of the items was a magic wand you could use endlessly without penalty, and it was possible to upgrade that with a magic book. However, Zelda II
was the first to introduce a magic meter and a host of spells for Link to use.
Creepy Creepy Fairy
This is a gameplay element that nearly every Zelda game would use from this game onward. Without this, you wouldn’t be visiting the Great Fairy to increase your magical prowess. And how magical were those experiences?! I had nightmares for ages.
Dark (Shadow) Link
For those of you who haven’t beaten (or even played) Zelda II, and don’t want any spoilers, close your browser and play some Minesweeper. Spoiler alert, the smiley face dons some sunglasses when you win! But for the rest of you, the final boss of Zelda II is not Gannon, but rather Dark Link!
Shadow Link
He’s a beast, and he guards the Triforce of Courage. Dark Link returns in several later Zelda games, and he’s always a fun, challenging boss. Personally, the fight against him in the Water Temple of Ocarina of Time rocked my socks. Some form of Dark Link has appeared in five Zelda games since Zelda II, usually in an important part of the game.
Sage Names/Town Names
Perhaps a little minor in the grand scheme of things, but the names of the sages in Ocarina of Time come from the town names in Zelda II. Or rather, the names of the towns in Zelda II come from the sages in Ocarina of Time. Confused? Well the creators of the Zelda series have stated that chronologically, Ocarina of Time is the first Zelda game. Thus, it stands to follow that perhaps the towns in Zelda II were named after the great sages from an era long long ago. Interesting? Maybe. It also should be noted that this is the first Zelda game with significant involvement from NPCs (that’s Non Player Character).
The First Action RPG – It Mixed RPG and Platformer Elements
Although it had been attempted in earlier games to a lesser degree, Zelda II was the first game to fully blend platforming elements with RPG elements. Link gathers experience points from treasure bags and from slaying enemies during the platformer portions of the game. When he reaches certain experience levels, he can strengthen his stats in one of three categories – life (defense), magic (MP), and attack power. Many claim that this makes it the first complete action RPG. Action RPGs make up a sizable share of new games in today’s market, and RPG elements have found their way into almost every other genre of games.
It is Chock-Full of Unintentional Comedy
Maybe this should have been the number one reason honestly. There are bugs:
I bet you are.
There are women who wear red dresses who invite you into their house to… errr… “heal” you:
I bet you will.
And there is a magic spell that turns you into a fairy:
Gay Jokes??
All in all, it’s a great game. If you haven’t tried it recently, I encourage you to give it a shot, whether it’s on Virtual Console or a ROM and emulator, it’s worth a play. It’ll probably make you feel a little like this:
Games you didn’t know you liked – Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Part 2)
After writing the first part of this post, I received some interesting feedback on this game. Although a couple of you told me about how much you enjoyed the game, most jumped on the Zelda II bashing bandwagon. But before you get too carried away, let’s examine why…
Zelda II is greater than its Reputation
Before I get too deeply into this, I should throw this out there: I’m terribly biased.
Does it get more awesome than this?
Zelda II was a game that I enjoyed as a child, and as anyone who really enjoyed video games as a child will know, certain games will stick out in your memory as being special. Zelda II is certainly one of those titles for me. So much so that my parents bought me a Zelda II trashcan that decorates me room to this very day (does it get nerdier than that?). With that caveat out of the way, let’s take a closer look at the game, and see if I can justify my belief that this is a special game.
It made major contributions to future Zelda titles
For a game which was a radical departure from the rest of the Zelda series, it introduced a great number of features that future Zelda titles would retain.
Granted, the original Zelda game kinda sorta had magic – one of the items was a magic wand you could use endlessly without penalty, and it was possible to upgrade that with a magic book. However, Zelda II
was the first to introduce a magic meter and a host of spells for Link to use.
Creepy Creepy Fairy
This is a gameplay element that nearly every Zelda game would use from this game onward. Without this, you wouldn’t be visiting the Great Fairy to increase your magical prowess. And how magical were those experiences?! I had nightmares for ages.
For those of you who haven’t beaten (or even played) Zelda II, and don’t want any spoilers, close your browser and play some Minesweeper. Spoiler alert, the smiley face dons some sunglasses when you win! But for the rest of you, the final boss of Zelda II is not Gannon, but rather Dark Link!
Shadow Link
He’s a beast, and he guards the Triforce of Courage. Dark Link returns in several later Zelda games, and he’s always a fun, challenging boss. Personally, the fight against him in the Water Temple of Ocarina of Time rocked my socks. Some form of Dark Link has appeared in five Zelda games since Zelda II, usually in an important part of the game.
Perhaps a little minor in the grand scheme of things, but the names of the sages in Ocarina of Time come from the town names in Zelda II. Or rather, the names of the towns in Zelda II come from the sages in Ocarina of Time. Confused? Well the creators of the Zelda series have stated that chronologically, Ocarina of Time is the first Zelda game. Thus, it stands to follow that perhaps the towns in Zelda II were named after the great sages from an era long long ago. Interesting? Maybe. It also should be noted that this is the first Zelda game with significant involvement from NPCs (that’s Non Player Character).
The First Action RPG – It Mixed RPG and Platformer Elements
Although it had been attempted in earlier games to a lesser degree, Zelda II was the first game to fully blend platforming elements with RPG elements. Link gathers experience points from treasure bags and from slaying enemies during the platformer portions of the game. When he reaches certain experience levels, he can strengthen his stats in one of three categories – life (defense), magic (MP), and attack power. Many claim that this makes it the first complete action RPG. Action RPGs make up a sizable share of new games in today’s market, and RPG elements have found their way into almost every other genre of games.
It is Chock-Full of Unintentional Comedy
Maybe this should have been the number one reason honestly. There are bugs:
I bet you are.
There are women who wear red dresses who invite you into their house to… errr… “heal” you:
I bet you will.
And there is a magic spell that turns you into a fairy:
Gay Jokes??
All in all, it’s a great game. If you haven’t tried it recently, I encourage you to give it a shot, whether it’s on Virtual Console or a ROM and emulator, it’s worth a play. It’ll probably make you feel a little like this: