Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Nintendo, 1988)

While many fans of the series have shunned this game as being "different" or "messing with the Zelda formula," my answer to them is: isn't that what Nintendo means to do with every new game in the series?

"Zelda II: The Adventure of Link" caries on the legacy of the series (at this point in history there only being two games) by expanding Hyrule into a vast kingdom of towns, forests, deserts, seas, rivers, caves, and dungeons, all for Link to explore on his quest to revive Princess Zelda and stop the evil curse set upon the realm by the Spirit of Ganon).

Nintendo created a 2D side-scroller for the action portion of the adventure and coupled it with an RPG-type overworld, allowing Link to "freely" explore the Realm of Hyrule. When I say "freely," I mean that there are obstacles in his way, such as caves that require candles to see in them, rocks that require hammers to break them, water that requires rafts or "water shoes" to cross, etc. Moreover, monsters attack Link and bring him into 2D side-scrolling environments where he must fight his way out in order to survive (while gaining experience points).

Link starts out with four Health Blocks and four Magic Blocks. He gan get up to eight of them by finding Heart Containers and Magic Potions while on his quest. Moreover, he starts out with an attack, magic, and health level of 1. These can increase when he gains more experience (just as in traditional RPGs).

Magic is used in this game by Link consuming magic spells that he learns from Sages (sometimes he must perform quests, such as attaining items, in order to get the Sage to teach him a spell, such as Shield or Jump). Also, Link can learn special sword techniques that will help him along his way.

In the end, this is a classic Zelda game that is not only an expansive adventure that will take hours to complete but it is really fun to play.

I hope that all fans of the series (and of action/RPGs) will take the opportunity to enjoy this classic example of gaming history!

The Adventure of Link is one of the most controversial games in the Zelda series. Departing from the "bird's eye view" of the games which preceded and followed it, the game's battles are fought in "side-scroller" mode (i.e. Link appears in profile and only moves across the screen). In addition, the game incorporated RPG elements like levelling up and magic spells. Ganon was not present. To top it all off, the game was one of the hardest in the Zelda series.

But all this doesn't detract from the game's high quality. The elaborate palaces, challenging enemies like Iron Knuckle, and myriad characters Link can interact with draws the player into the world of Hyrule. It feels like a real accomplishment to finally access the special items located in well-defended and hard-to-reach areas of the palaces, and using these items to explore new parts of the overworld map provides great excitement. In addition, the music is superb and the graphics are good considering the game's age.

This may be the most difficult game in the Zelda series, but it is also the most intriguing. The feeling a player gets when a powerful Iron Knuckle enters the screen or the chills that accompany hearing the boss music aren't reproducible in any other game.

WELL THIS WAS A GREAT GAME AND STILL IS.ANYONE WHO DID NOT LIKE THIS SHOULD HAVE SOMEONE GO ZELDA ON THEM.UNLIKE THE FIRST ZELDA,IT'S A NEW SIDE SCROLLING PLAY. OVER 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLD WIDE SO THAT MEANS SOMETHING.THE LAND OF HYRULE IS IN CHAOS ONCE AGAIN.AS LINK YOU'LL BE SENT ON A TREACHEROUS JOURNEY TO RETURN SIX PRECIOUS CRYSTALS TO THEIR ORIGINS IN SIX STONE STATUES ONLY BY DEFEATING THE GUARDIANS OF THE SIX PALACES WILL YOU GAIN PASSAGE TO THE SEVENTH PALACE AND WAKE THE PRINCESS ZELDA FROM HER SLEEPING SPELL.YOU HAVE 13 MAIN AREAS OF THE LAND OF HYRULE TO EXPLORE.IN THIS ZELDA YOU CAN USE MAGIC,YOU CAN GAIN EXPERIENCE POINTS,AND GAIN LEVELS LIKE AN RPG.ALSO RAISE YOUR HP POWER,YOUR SWORD POWER AND MAGIC POWER.YOU WILL FIND A WHOLE LOT OF ITEMS TO HELP YOU ON YOUR QUEST LIKE THE RAFT AND THE HAMMER.THEY ARE VERY COOL.YOU CAN USE THE HAMMER ANYWHERE TO BREAK TREES AND ROCKS. YOU SHOULD TRY THIS COOL ADVENTURE,YOU WILL LIKE IT,AND THE COOL BOSS SHADOW LINK.

This is the sequel to the classic NES game "Legend of Zelda" which this reviewer regards as the greatest video game ever, regardless of format. The sequel is much like the original but with added RPG-style elements such as experience points. Like the original, this game allows the player to freely explore the Hyrule overworld and enter a series of haunted castles. What is different about the sequel is that the castle scenes and other action scenes are of a side-scrolling nature. The game contains many secret items, pathways, and tricks. It is best to have a game walkthrough (many available free online) with you for reference as needed. While this addition to the link legacy might fall just short of the original, it is still a very worthwhile and enjoyable game. B+.

They all call this the "Black sheep of Zelda games" for a reason.
It is a sidescroller (the only one of its kind in the series)
Now, if you are a Zelda fanatic such as myself, you have to get past the differences and try to gain a feel for the gameplay control.
It is harder than the others until you get used to the fighting sequence, and Link utilizes magic meters & spells more like the common D&D style RPGS.

I write media reviews for my local newspaper, and on Friday I always do an old school game.
I basicly compair this Zelda title to "Halloween 3" if you know what I mean.
Not like the rest, it has to grow on you.
Overall, it IS Zelda, so give it a chance.