Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

"Why the heck does Link smile all the time?"

When I was young and ignorant, I really disliked this game. It just didn't seem as classic as the original Zelda, or the Super Nintendo edition. The Game Play elements were completely changed around, and I could not accept that. If the fact that it's not an overhead Action/RPG is shocking and vile to you, forget this review, forget this game, and stay FAR AWAY from it. Let me warn you now, it is in NO WAY a standard Zelda game. If that doesn't scare you away, though, this game really must be tried! The feeling of exploration remains from the original Zelda game, and is as good as ever. Enemies have been changed around, but many of the originals are still intact. Moving on from comparison to the original, though, this game is even better. It's just fun! What can I say?

Flat little sprites sure do look good, don't they? Zelda II has fine looking characters, with much more detail than one could even IMAGINE from the original. Some of the enemies look especially nice. The game has plenty of good backgrounds as well, including the rock formations inside the caves and the fine looking walls inside palaces. But the main thing that was lacking in the original comes out here... ANIMATION! Yes, the size increase of the sprites in Zelda II also allow for good looking animation. Link can duck down, reach back before he attacks with his sword, and flashes amazingly when he dies! The foes also have very nice animation, particularly the first boss. The game even has some special animation for when Link grabs an item! Wonderful animations and backgrounds make this one of the best looking NES games ever.

Some of the Music in Zelda II is spectacular. Particularly, I really like the palace theme. The music in the palaces really gives the game depth and emotion. Although it's not the classic theme from the original, Zelda II has a very nice remix of the standard overworld theme. ''Random Battle'' themes get old extremely fast, but are still quite good. The theme of towns is calm and enjoyable. The game even gives a special one second theme for when Link picks up an item! Most of the sound effects are standard Zelda sounds, but they also have their differences. Really, there aren't very many sounds in the game. Overall, some of the music is really good, but there is a notable lack of interesting sound effects.

Oh my God, it's a Zelda game that has an INTERESTING STORY! It is surprisingly deep for a Zelda game. Here's the basis of it. Way before the time of the original Zelda, the Triforce was split into parts, and the king let only Princess Zelda know where two of the three missing parts were. The last part was kept by the king. When the king died, his son inherited the throne. A magician told the king of Zelda's knowledge. The prince questioned Zelda, but she told him nothing. Furious, the magician cast a sleeping spell onto Zelda. The prince, in grief, placed Zelda in a room, and ordered all princesses in the royal family to be named Zelda, in rememberance.
After Link defeated Ganon in the original Zelda, his minions awaited his return. The key to Ganon's return was the blood of Link. Meanwhile Link helped restore the kingdom. One day, a strange mark, exactly like the crest of the kingdom appeared on the back of Link's hand as he approached his 16th birthday. Link consulted Impa, Princess Zelda's nursemaid, for advice. Impa took Link to the North Castle. Link's left hand was pressed against The Door That Does Not Open in the castle, and the lock fell open. Link saw the Princess on an alter. He was informed of the princess's fate, and was handed a scroll and six crystals. These crystals were to be placed at the six palaces. When they were, Link could enter the final palace, regain the Triforce, and heal Zelda. Link went out...

The wonderful story and Graphics are further backed by wonderful GAME PLAY! The game controls almost like a fusion between the original Zelda, Final Fantasy, and a 2D side scroller, such as Castlevania. Basically, you wander around the overworld in the classic Zelda 3/4 mode, searching out the palaces. While on the overworld, enemies appear. If you run into one, the game switches to a side scroller form. You fight off the enemies with your sword and various magic spells. When you walk off the screen, you return to the overworld. Palaces play like the side scrollers, except with many screens to go through. You can also enter towns, which also play as a side scroller. You talk to the non player characters to gain information on the palaces and new magical spells. The game plays wonderfully, and takes plenty of skill to beat. The battles are fun, and do not get old.

Zelda II is surprisingly difficult. It is probably, in fact, the most difficult Zelda game in existance. This doesn't mean that it's overly hard, but it rather means that it takes some skill to beat. Some of the enemies are rather frustrating, but that's about it. The magical spells keep it balanced. Life costs a lot to cast, but also saves your butt if necessary. The enemies occasionally drop magic healing potions so you usually have enough for one Life spell when you fight enemies. If you are skilled, you can get through with one Life spell. However, this is still definitely not a game for a nine year old brat. Make sure you know your side scrollers before playing.

Sadly, the Replay Value in Zelda II is fairly lacking. After you beat the game, there really isn't much to do. If you haven't already, you may want to maximize your status. You may want to get any spells you missed. You can make up your own challenges (not get hit by any axe-throwing Daira throughout the entire game?). That's about it. It's exactly the same every time you play it through. Oh well.

OVERALL SCORES
Graphics: 9/10
Music/Sound: 7/10
Story: 18/20
Game Play: 27/30
Challenge: 13/15
Replay: 10/15
OVERALL: 84/100, 84%, 8/10

Zelda II is a very nice sequel to the original Zelda. While it may be completely different in how it plays, it adds some fine elements from other games, combines them with the feel of the original, and makes for a wonderful experience. I would recommend this game to you. It shouldn't cost more than $10, and it's definitely worth that price. You can find it at your local used video game store or on Ebay.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/10/01, Updated 09/10/01