Cheap Zelda II: Adventures of Link (Video Games) (Nintendo NES) Price

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Customer Reviews of Zelda II: Adventures of Link

Not as classic, but more enjoyable than Zelda I
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 better, I admit 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 them, 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 for this entry. But part of the reason is also inexplicable - there is something subconsciously fascinating about Zelda II. It's 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 is a title 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.

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Not quite as classic, but more addictive than Zelda I
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.

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Zelda II is a brilliant game.
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.