Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES) review "At least it's better than Simon's Quest..."

I hate Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link.

I love Zeda 2: The Adventure of Link.

I've held both of these opinions throughout my life, often at the same time. I loved finally sliding the cart into my NES after renting it for the first time, intrigued by what sort of content it could offer. By this point, I hadn't even finished the first entry in the franchise, but I was more than willing to leap headlong into the madness after it. And I'll admit: I had no idea what the hell I was doing or what I was in for. I wandered, I bumped into random encounters—RANDOM ENCOUNTERS? IN A ZELDA GAME?—and worked my ass off just to get to the first dungeon. Honestly, I got there by dumb luck...

Unlike its predecessor, Zelda 2 didn't thrust you into a grid-based map where you figured out its puzzles solely by poring over magazines and exploring. Instead, it bore more of an open-world environment, complete with towns filled with NPCs who dish out info. Granted, most of the info was useless, as if the guy who simply said, “I am Error” isn't a big enough indication.

While venturing from one burg to another, creature sprites appeared on the mainland that sent you into random encounters, consisting of side-scrolling segments. In other words, combat here didn't offer the original's top-down, four-way stabs. Instead, you took on opponents in a horizontal perspective, utilizing your crouch ability to either block low-running projectiles with your shield or to poke the opposition's legs. Such maneuvers were key because sometimes your foes changed up where they fired their shots or moved their own shields, forcing you to watch their motions. The game required a hell of a lot more observation and maneuvering than its antecedent, which put a lot of players off.

Despite barely progressing through its campaign, I still adored the title. Time would pass before I secured it again, but by that point my skills had been more refined by other experiences. I was sharper when it came to finding a game's path when all I received were vague clues, and my technical prowess had been honed to the point that I didn't die before completing the first dungeon. Somehow, this was both a blessing and curse because I got to see more of Zelda 2 than my heart would have wanted...

This adventure didn't hold your hand in regards to advancing its campaign. Though you could visit towns in this one and sometimes get hints, most of its secrets remained buried in the pages of Nintendo Power. You either had to rely on that publication, explore and hope you stumble upon what you're looking for, or ask a friend. As with so many non-linear products from the 8-bit era, this one took the form of a social experience. However, unlike some of its brethren (Castlevania II, especially), Zelda 2 wasn't completely impossible to figure out. Sure, it had its nerve-racking moments, like one where you locate a hidden town by using a hammer in the middle of a forest, all so you can acquire a spell called “Spell” that's needed to access a dungeon in an arbitrary dead end. Thankfully, you resolved a fair portion of the game's conflicts by simply locating a somewhat well hidden item.

The only trouble was living long enough to get them...

I spoke of hatred early in this review; the kind of hatred that caused you to indefinitely shelf projects, throw controllers, or write vitriolic forum posts, hoping someone else shared in your resentment and was willing to bash the game for some added catharsis. I'm no stranger to getting frustrated with games, but I do have breaking points, and this one certainly found all of them. I can't count the number of times Link's slippery footing caused me to slide into an enemy or a hole, or how often a Medusa head dragon-headed creature nailed me mid-jump to send me boiling in a lava pit. Yeah, Zelda 2 is one of those aggravating games the NES is known for. It couldn't be enough that it's so non-linear and that you sometimes needed a guide to get around, no...

At first, the proceedings seemed manageable. Hell, you even received experience in this one, which allowed you to upgrade your hit points, magic, or attack power when you leveled up. However, it wasn't long before the difficulty rating hopped up several notches, and you were fighting faster, trickier enemies. You came across a ton of “iron knuckle,” an evil knight with a shield that required you to constantly switch between crouching and standing. The dude constantly moved his own shield and always seemed aware of your next move, keeping you on your toes full-time. Eventually, the game progressed beyond this guy, pitting you against axe-throwing monsters that surrounded you and constantly lob their weapons, giving you no space to breathe whatsoever. Even the iron knuckles themselves saw a few upgrades, as they soon threw knives rather than simply stabbed and blocked.

Oh, plus there were tons of flying enemies and projectiles that came at you from awkward angles that your slightly stiff, overly slippery play control could barely handle. Time and again, you watch your health dissipate long before you ever encountered a boss, glimpsing the 'game over' screen with a laughing Ganon that made you want to punch your television in the hopes that some of the force from your knuckles would transfer over to the pig-headed antagonist.

Things only worsened as you advanced because you also had to occasionally cross sub-levels on the way to the next dungeon, which further softened you up. You traveled miles and miles, tediously pushing through segments you'd already overcome, just so you could reach the next fortress and perish, thereby restarting your journey. Even with the three lives you received, this adventure systematically demolished you and wore down your spirit like no other.

My last attempt to play through ended when I gave up at the rock-throwing creatures right before the final area. I did, in fact, make it to the last shebang, but only with so much of my health and lives still intact. I didn't last long in the gauntlet, but the good news is I didn't have to travel all the way back from the beginning. The final dungeon allowed me to respawn at its entrance, instead. Unfortunately, by this point I was so exhausted and thoroughly beaten down that I just couldn't continue. And I felt that was fine: I had seen enough of the game and garnered an appreciation for it and what Nintendo attempted to do by experimenting rather than copy-and-pasting the previous offering.

So those are my $0.02 on Zelda 2. I love it because it's a hell of an adventure that was just about ahead of its time. I hate it because its combat was also ahead of its time, featuring a more strategic, uncompromising approach that required you to be acquainted with its mechanics. In other words, this game was basically Dark Souls on NES, except far less enjoyable. However, it inadvertently or indirectly helped lay the groundwork for super-tough action-adventure and RPG apps that would come after it, and for that I'm forever grateful.

Community review by JoeTheDestroyer (August 19, 2023) Rumor has it that Joe is not actually a man, but a machine that likes video games, horror movies, and long walks on the beach. His/Its first contribution to HonestGamers was a review of Breath of Fire III.