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The Game Nexus - Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Classic NES Series)
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List Price: $12.99
Our Price: $8.31
Your Save: $ 4.68 ( 36% )
Availability:
Manufacturer: Nintendo
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Amazon Maximum Age: 20
Amazon Minimum Age: 60
Batteries Included: 0
Binding: Video Game
Brand: Nintendo
EAN: 0045496734893
ESRB Age Rating: Everyone
Feature: The original classic now on Gameboy Advance.
Is Autographed: 0
Is Memorabilia: 0
Label: Nintendo
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Model: GANIN 045496734893
Number Of Items: 1
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Publication Date: 2005
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: 2004-10-17
Studio: Nintendo
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Features
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The original classic now on Gameboy Advance.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: what?
Comment: I am a big Zelda fan and this game was different from other Zelda games like it was a sidescroling rpg type game. That idea could acctully have made this a great game but the thing I realy hated is that this game is like the hardest game ever. If you die three times your done for. Also the enimies are way too hard. Being able to use magic was preaty cool though and unlike the first zelda game you can see people walk through the towns instead of standing in one spot which was preaty facinating back than. I wouldnt recomend buying this game but if you do see it for like a dollar or two than go check it out. I think every Zelda game is worth trying out even this one.
Customer Rating:
Summary: not as fun as other Zeldas
Comment: I had emailed this company to cancel my order when I realized I had ordered the wrong Zelda, but they never responded to me, even after 3 or 4 emails.This game is boring and not as much as fun as the other Zelda games
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not horrible, but not really that great either.
Comment: Most reviewers who dislike this game tend to lambast the side-scrolling nature of the game, and say that "it's not a Zelda game." I don't really have a problem with the idea of a side-scroller, it's just that they didn't do it WELL.
The biggest complaint that you'll hear about the game other than the side-scrolling aspect is that it's insanely difficult. One reviewer put it aptly- "it's like the designers are trying to piss you off." The poor control scheme, combined with the deadliness and impressive AI of some of the enemies, plus just some of the many cheap-shots in the game make it get very frustrating, easily.
The game had the potential to be a lot better, if they just did a few of the following things-
1. Make your weapon longer. A knife just doesn't cut it. Also, the ranged sword attack at full health should have had more effect, since it doesn't travel far and most powerful monsters are immune anyways. It's like the designers thought the concept was "cheating" and only included it in a nerfed form to cater to fans of the original.
2. Make you have more control over your attacks and jumps.
3. Get rid of the 3 lives and just let you continue where you died.
4. Let you save the game whenever you'd like, instead of having to die first.
5. Make the spells more interesting and more common to cast. Out of 8 total spells, you'll use 3-4 commonly, and even those not very often because they all require too much mana, even at maximum stats.
6. Make the items in the game more useful and easier to use and less of one-trick "keys" that simply allow you to progress to the next stage. There are 7 or 8 items, and all they basically do is allow you to move on to the next dungeon. So, you have keys in a dungeon, and "keys" which allow you to get from one dungeon to the next. No boomerangs, arrows, bombs, health jars, or anything that allows you different strategic options.
7. Get rid of all the lava and water pits which instantly kill you.
8. Put more of the story in the game. I've read the background story in other reviews, and apparently the only way to know it is to read the instruction manuals that come with the game because they sure don't tell you much in the game, a fault of the first one. This also results in some odd quests, where you find a river man who won't let you cross- that is, until you find a friend of his out in the woods that gives you a letter. How does the man in the woods know or care who you are, and why does the riverman refuse to let you cross unless you know him? The game just doesn't have enough valuable conversation.
9. Don't reset your xp points to zero when you run out of lives. Really, it's just cheap.......
So, if the game were to have done several of these things, much less all of them, it would have been a heck of a lot more fun instead of an exercise in frustration the way it currently is. Hopefully, if you're reading this review and HAVEN'T played the game, you'll get a grasp of how much work this game needs.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Failure of Link?
Comment: This review was originally written as an article defending Zelda II on one of the retro-gaming sites back in 1999. I issued a truncated version of this on the NES Amazon page of Zelda II in 2004. This marks the first time the full-length article has been posted on Amazon.
The Failure of Link? 12/19/1999
Let's imagine ourselves back in the Golden Days of Video Games. The year was 1988. Nintendo had just released the sequel to one of the best selling games on their consol. The game, you ask? Zelda II: The Adventure of Link*.
The Legend of Zelda, one of the very first RPGs and a blueprint for which almost all games in this genre since its release has at least some roots in this game, was a phenomenal success, and stayed on the Nintendo Power Charts at Number 1 or 2 for literally years. Nintendo had, along with Mario, a cash cow it was not about to give up. Zelda II was to be a smashing success, or so they thought.
The game was released to the general public in December 1988, just in time for the Christmas market. It actually sold fairly well. But Nintendo heard no end to the furor caused by this game. The biggest controversy of this game was it was a 2D scroller, instead of an overhead game like the original was. You navigated in an overhead view. Then the battles and actual dungeons are in the side scrolling format. The public reaction to this game was NOT what Nintendo wanted. People didn't think it was as good as the original. Zelda II didn't stay on top of the charts like its prequel did. People still bought it, but the general consensus was it was not as good as the original "Legend of Zelda".
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is a misunderstood game. To be honest, the author of this article has played this sequel very little. [I bought it last Thursday along with playstation and some other stuff]. Only recently have I bought it for the old NES, and I'm playing it thru for the first time. It's a great game. Its fun to play. The main problem with it is the fact that it is side-scrolling.
The true question, which cannot be answered, is this: "What would the public think if this had been released first, instead of The Legend of Zelda?" Who knows? No one does. People expected the wrong things from this game. They came in with the expectation of another game with an overhead view. Instead, they got a side scroller, a hybrid of overhead and platform gaming. This was one of Nintendo's biggest missteps in its history (another is going cartridge for N64, which is much more expensive than CD, thus scaring off third party developers, and having fewer games than what should have been). They had misread the audience, and disappointed them because Nintendo did not give them what their expectations were. All this has forever damaged Zelda II. It will always be viewed from the perspective it is not as good as the other Zelda games. I don't agree with this.
Coming from a Zelda perspective, I'd agree that it is not as good as the others. That's not to say it is a good game though. Lets look at it outside of the series. Forget its Zelda, and don't think it should be overhead. Lets concentrate on the game itself. Is it a good game? Did Nintendo do a good job doing a hybrid of side scrolling action and overhead view. In my opinion, yes. Remember, I missed the Zelda craze back in the old NES days (my first exposure was Link to the Past in `91, which is the best Zelda in my opinion). I'm not looking thru the eyes of nostalgia when I play this game. I am just now going thru this game. Currently, I'm at the second palace. It's a lot of fun. For the game itself, its fun, and it has the feel of classic. It has done something no other Zelda before or since did. It used a magic system and a level up system. The magic was refined and reused. But the Level Up idea passed away with this game. For other RPG games this is a defining feature, which helps support my belief that almost all RPG games are, whether directly or indirectly, are influenced by the Zelda games (especially the first one). And what the first one doesn't cover, the second one gets. I'm a big Zelda fan. But talking from objectively, I like this game. It's a good game. Its an interesting twist for Zelda, and outside of Zelda, it adds to the game play.
Without Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, the structure of this seminal series would be drastically different. In terms of lessons learned, this is by far the most important game in the series. What if Nintendo hadn't done this game? It is possible they might have tried the hybrid on SNES version. Nintendo learned from its mistake, and never tried this again. In the Zelda context, that is a good thing. The Legend of Zelda is a great series, and without this under their belt, Nintendo might have put out a disappointing Zelda game at a much more crucial time in the series' evolution. It's a great game in and of itself, and had it been redesigned in terms of story and not making it Zelda, it would be classic. But for Zelda it doesn't go with the others, and Nintendo learned what the public wants in a Zelda game. In terms of sticking to the formula, this is the best thing that ever happened to Zelda. If they had not released this game on the NES, they might have tried the hybrid experiment on the SNES game, and instead of getting what is arguably the greatest game on the SNES, and in the Zelda series, we would get a game like this. Then, we wouldn't get a game for the SNES comparable to Link to the Past. If Nintendo had not made this game, they would have made this mistake (remember, it's a mistake only in context of the series) at a much worst time.
What about Super Maria Brothers 3? In my opinion, SMB 3 and The Legend of Zelda are the greatest two games on that consol, although there are several close contenders. Although Zelda II was viewed as a disappointment, I think it had direct influence on SMB 3. SMB 3 is the game Zelda II could have been. SMB 3 successfully combined a type of overview world, but then you moved and played the stages. Of course, the world in Zelda II was much more expansive. The SMB series was already a side scroller, so when it was released, people were not disappointed as all. In fact, it is hailed as one of the greatest NES games ever released. And yet, earlier when they tried the same thing with Zelda II, it was viewed as a disappointment because Zelda was not a side scroller to begin with. Nintendo took the hybrid idea into its other cash cow, Mario, of which it was much more suited. Mario was not an overview game to begin with. When they did make the hybrid, they stuck with the basically formula of side scrolling, but they had a little overview too. In this view, Zelda II is out of balance. One thing was all of the action in Zelda II happened on side scrolling. Had there been some action side scrolling, and then some traditional Zelda overview, it would be viewed differently also. Independently, Zelda II stands proud. In the series' context, I think it would have been better if they had not made EVERYTHING side scrolling. Some main parts of the game should be like that though, but then there should be more old-school Zelda overview. As it stands in the series, its out of balance. But without it, we might not have the hybrid of the overview/side scrolling found in SMB 3 and Super Mario World, which both are great games.
My main message in this article is give Zelda II a chance. Don't think of it as Zelda. That's the problem. People came in with a mind set of what a Zelda game is supposed to be, and were inevitable disappointed with this. Think of it as an independent game, and you decide of its fun or not. The perspective on this game would be much different if it was not Zelda. Maybe it would be viewed as innovative. The truth is, we will never know. Its not a clone, it's a sequel. It has its own personality. Give it a chance. Enjoy it for a video game, a classic in its own right. It not the same as other Zeldas. All we are saying is give Zelda II a chance.
Bottom Line: Zelda II is a failure in the context of the series. But outside of it, had its been released on its own, it's a good game that deserves your attention.
*An interesting note about its title. This is the only Zelda game it incorporate the numerical sequence into its official title. Link to the Past is called Zelda III, but its not its official title, just as Zelda Gaiden is not called Zelda VI. Its also the only title in the series that does not have "The Legend of Zelda" in it. Its just "Zelda II: The Adventure of Link." It sounds better than "The Legend of Zelda: The Adventure of Link." Too long I guess for those days. Just an interesting side note.
[Artilce Blurb: Is Zelda II the failure its made out to be? What would have happened had Nintendo not released this game? Its influence reaches SMB 3 and Super Mario World. If you want to add to this blurb, feel free to do so]
Customer Rating:
Summary: A good port of the NES version of Zelda II
Comment: I'm sure nearly everyone reading this review or considering buying this game has played Zelda II on the Nintendo Entertainment System. There isn't a whole lot that needs to be said about this game that hasn't been said already. What is most important is how this port holds up on the Gameboy Advance. The good news is that this version of Zelda II is just as you remember it.
There are no enhancements to the original graphics or sound. For better or worse, they are faithful to the original. The only notable difference is that the graphics are slightly scrunched on the smaller Gameboy Advance screen but it makes little difference when you are in the middle of Link's adventure. The gameplay remains unchanged. Everything is in the exact same place and this version of Zelda II is just as hard as the NES original, if not harder. Playing this on the original Gameboy Advance, not the SP, can be a slightly uncomfortable experience on the eyes due to poor lighting on that portable. The only other problem you will have is that the pad and buttons on some models of the Gameboy Advance or Nintendo DS may be smaller than those on the NES controllers you remember. This makes it slightly more difficult to jump and swing your sword at the same time, a necessity when fighting Ironknuckles. A very minor flaw and one that you will get used to quickly.
What is to like? The music inside of the Great Palace is one of the best themes in all of the Zelda games, if you survive that far. This game also contains a little more strategy than most Zelda games. With only a limited amount of magic and most of your spells requiring a lot of magic to use, the player has to put some thought into what magic spell to cast on a certain screen. Should you use Jump to try and evade the enemies? Use Shield to cut the amount of damage you take in half? Use Life to restore your health? One refreshing aspect about the palaces in Zelda II is that most of the enemies you kill do not regenerate after you've left a room for a few minutes, which is an occasional problem with other games in the Zelda canon. Once you defeat them, the majority of them stay gone unless you exit the palace completely and come back in.
What are the drawbacks? The difficulty level will drive away some Zelda fans who may grow frustrated. The number of cheap hits and deaths in this game will drive you crazy. Link is constantly being knocked into pits or off of platforms by enemies that are not always visible onscreen. Even with a character built up to high levels, lots of lesser (and stronger) enemies take a big chunk out of your life bar, requiring you to constantly recharge your health or use the Shield spell. You have no bow & arrow or bombs at your disposal. Building experience requires you to stay in some palaces longer than you'd like, or go into dead end sections just to battle more enemies, even when you already know the way to the item or the boss. Finding the four heart and magic containers in Zelda II isn't easy if you've never played the game before. You're almost sure to wander around aimlessly for long stretches to a time unless you consult a walkthrough or know some people who have completed the game.
Anyone reading this review is aware that Zelda II: The Adventure of Link has always gotten mixed reviews from critics and Zelda fans alike. The move to a side-scrolling adventure with level building and lots of platform jumping was a rude awakening for some gamers weaned on The Legend of Zelda, which came before Zelda II. These people will always have an axe to grind with this Zelda sequel. If you didn't like it on the NES back then, you probably won't like it now. Yet Zelda II has a devoted fanbase, some of whom consider this their favorite game in the series. People who have always enjoyed this game will be pretty happy with this portable conversion, allowing you to take this adventure anywhere. Gamers who are newer to the Zelda series will be given a stiff test by a game that has aged pretty well, for the most part. Given the reasonable price for used copies, there is little reason to ignore this game if you haven't tried it before. It is a pretty good sidescrolling action/adventure game with some minor strategy and RPG elements. The Gameboy Advance is a great platform to play Zelda II on and this version is a suitable substitute for your old NES cartridge in the event it has a dead save battery.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Embark on a quest to find the Triforce of Courage awaken Princess Zelda from an evil wizards spell and save Hyrule from ruin. Learn magic spells and collect items to increase your power! -- SPECIFICATIONs -------------------------------------ESRB Rating : E for Everyone Genre/Category : Role Playing GAme System: Nintendo Game Boy AdvanceNumber of Players : 1 On -Line Compatible : www.nintendo.com
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