Zelda II: The Adventures of Link

Zelda II: The Adventures of Link is easily the best Zelda game ever made. It’s so different from the other Zelda games in which it’s in a 2-D platform view instead of an overhead view and is more RPGish - which I totally dig. Not only is Zelda II the best Zelda game, but one of the best video games ever made if you ask me.

The story is pretty much about this spell that was cast on Princess Zelda that made her fall asleep and she won’t wake unless Link can return the triforce to her. But the triforce is sealed in a palace in Hyrule and cannot be broken unless Link places crystals in six guarded statues across the land. It sounds like a typical story, but it’s alright for back then. I always enjoyed the “return” the whatever to the whatever in order to save the world story.

Zelda II is primarily in a 2D, platform, side view except on maps where it is in an overhead view like the original Zelda only with smaller sprites. Everything else - towns, caves, dungeons, etc… - is in a side view. It’s really sweet and unique. When you’re on the map, there will be three enemy sprites that appear when you walk on the field. If Link is touched by an enemy, the screen will go into the side view and there will be some monsters you have to fight. However if you walk on the yellow road that is usually on the map, it prevents you from being attacked by enemies. Also every now and then there will be a fairy sprite that appears on that map and will let you heal if you touch it.

Link has the ability to attack with his sword and use magic. When Link has full life, he can “shoot” his sword to a distance like in the original Zelda. Throughout the game Link can acquire different kinds of magic from elderly men that ranges from healing to higher jump. You also get experience points in Zelda II every time you kill an enemy. It will say on top how much experience points you need and how much you have. When you level up you have the choice to improve your attack, life, or magic. Attack costs the most experience points, life the second most, and magic the least. That's another unique feature of Zelda II that makes me love it so much.

Graphics in Zelda II are solid and colorful. The side views look way better than the overhead views of course. The sprites are decent sized, detailed nicely, and have some okay animation to them. It's an improvement over the first Zelda's graphics - which were pretty nice for the time.

The music is pretty good, but certainly not the best I've heard from an RPG. Still there are some rather catchy songs in the game (like the dungeons) and have a classy NES touch to them. The sound effects are very similar to the first Zelda and it still has that damned annoying beeping sound when you are low on life like all the Zeldas. Overall, a little above average music and mediocre sound effects.

This game is a masterpiece. I don't care what a lot of Zelda nerds out there have to say about this game being a dissapointment to the series or whatever. Zelda II was genious and worked as a great sequel to the original, even if it was radically different. It's certainly a top NES game and one of the best games ever made. A bastard of the series, but the holyiest of all Zelda games.

-Keranu, March 4th, 2005 11:22pm USA Central Time