Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Developer(s)	Nintendo
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Shigeru Miyamoto
Platform(s)	Famicom Disk System, NES, GameCube, Game Boy Advance
Release	January 14, 1987; North America 1988; (GBA) October 25, 2004
Genre(s)	Adventure
Mode(s)	Single player

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Japanese: The Legend of Zelda II リンクの冒険, Rinku no Bōken) is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and the second title in the Legend of Zelda series of games. It was originally released in Japan on the Famicom Disk System, but just as its predecessor was, was converted to the regular NES cartridge format when released in the US and other countries. It was re-released on the Game Boy Advance in 2004 as part of the Classic NES Series.

Emboldened by the massive, widespread success of the original Legend of Zelda, Nintendo envisioned a radically different gameplay engine when the time for a sequel came around. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was born shortly thereafter, setting off debates that continue to this day. Zelda II carries far more RPG-style elements than other titles in the series, and perhaps because of this many players are left disappointed by Nintendo's second installment, who believe that it does not live up to the first game's success.

This time, Link is off on a quest to awaken Princess Zelda, who was put into an enchanted sleep long ago. Link's only chance of reviving her is retrieving the Triforce of Courage from the Great Palace. To do this he must unravel the "binding force" that protects the Great Palace by placing six crystals in other palaces around Hyrule. This crystal theme reappears in later Zelda games. It is an element that many latter-day RPGs seem to share.

Gameplay

File:Zelda09.gif

Zelda II title screen (NES Original)

Zelda II (Japanese Name: Zelda no Densetsu II: Link no Daiboken) resembled the original very little; rather than the top-down view of the previous title, Zelda II featured side-scrolling areas within a larger world map. The game also incorporated more role-playing game elements, including an experience system, magic spells, and more interaction with non-player characters.

Experience

In this installment of the series, Link gains levels, another gameplay feature more common to other RPGs than to the Zelda series. He starts at level one for attack, magic and life, and by fighting enemies to gain experience he can raise these all the way to level 8. Raising a Life level will decrease the damage Link takes each time he is hit, while raising a magic level will decrease the cost of spells, and raising an attack level will strengthen his blows. During his journey, Link can also find heart containers and magic containers that increase the amount of life/magic he can have at any given time. Although the Heart Container theme appears in other Zelda games, including the original, Zelda II is the only game in the series that allows Link to build levels.

Like many other RPGs, Zelda II allows the player to fight weaker enemies to raise levels before tackling more difficult challenges, or (with great patience) to raise Link's levels very high early on and breeze through the rest of the game. Most other games in the Zelda series provide players with only limited means to raise their abilities, and only at certain points during gameplay.

Overworld and Side-View

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The side view mode

The second Zelda also welcomes players to a two-mode world. The Overworld mode, once home to all battles, labyrinths, graveyards, etc., now serves simply as a means to get from one place to another. Whenever Link arrives at a place that can be explored, the game switches to a side view mode. The Palaces and towns are all viewed in this new way, giving Link the opportunity to access his sword and his magic, since the Overworld mode doesn't allow him to. Likewise, if Link strays from the road of the Overworld, wandering into forests, deserts and swamps, black enemy symbols chase him across the screen. If outrunning them proves too much a challenge, then a battle ensues, and the side screen mode comes into use again. Even though the fighting is still action-oriented, not menu-based like later RPGs, the difference in battle mode and traveling mode is very characteristic of later RPGs, and is yet another point of contention. Template:Spoiler Some gamers have noted the resemblance between the area south of Death Mountain in Zelda and the Overworld of the original game. Specifics include the placement of the graveyard, the forests, river, and the reappearance of Spectacle Rock, down to the cave which Link had created in the previous game. The implication is that, since this area is a rather small corner of Zelda II's Overworld, this game has a much larger scope than its predecessor.

Palaces

Along the path of Link's journey are the seven Palaces: large, labyrinthine areas which feature enemies more difficult than those found in the Overworld, each of which contain a special item and a guardian at the very end. After defeating these guardians, Link embeds a crystal into a special statue, weakening the binding force that prevents him from accessing the seventh and final Great Palace.

Parapa Palace – The first palace Link visits, it has a candle hidden within it. The guardian is a tall inverse centaur called Horsehead. By attacking its head, Link is able to progress.

Midoro Palace – The second palace Link enters. Within its depths is a gauntlet, simply called "the glove" in the game. Its guardian is a knight called Helmethead. By jumping and hitting the helmet, Link can force the guardian to yield.

Island Palace – The third palace, which holds a raft inside it. The guardian was a powerful Ironknuckle called Rebonack. First Link has to slay the knight's horse, and then engage him on foot to slay him.

Maze Island Palace – Link's fourth destination. It has a pair of winged boots within it, and the guradian was a spellcaster named Carock. By casting a spell of his own, Link is able to reflect Carock's own magic back to its originator, effectively defeating the guardian.

The Palace on the Sea – The fifth palace to be explored, a flute is the bounty this time. The guardian is a monstrous Giant named Gooma, who wields a ball and chain. Link can dodge the weapon and stab him in the stomach, and Gooma will be a threat no longer.

Three Eye Rock Palace – The sixth palace to visit, a cross is hidden within it. The guardian was a massive dragon called Barba, who is slain with repeated attacks to the mouth.

The Great Palace – This palace is the final one to be entered, and although it doesn't have an item, it compensates by having two guardians. The first is a massive phoenix-like monster called Thunderbird, who is invulnerable until attacked with a certain spell, and then must be struck multiple times to be slain. The final guardian is a shadow version of Link himself, which could only be vanquished by repelling its sword techniques and fighting back with techniques of his own.

Items

Items like the raft, candle, magical key, and the flute make a comeback, but other favorites are noticeably missing. In addition, these items are not actively used in combat and exploration such as in other Zelda games, but either enhance Link's abilities in some way or allow him greater access to areas on the Overworld.

Candle - Allows Link to see in dark caverns
Hammer - Destroys roadblocks and chops down trees
Gloves - Enables Link to break certain stones with his sword
Raft - Used to sail between the Western and Eastern sections of the Overworld
Boots - Allows Link to walk over certain bodies of water in the Overworld
Flute - Used to destroy a monster, and to reveal a previously hidden area in the Overworld
Cross - Allows Link to see certain invisible enemies
Magical Key - Can unlock any door

Towns

Zelda II was the first in the series to feature towns. Here Link can refill his life and magic meters, and talk to the locals for advice. (In some towns, however, certain locals are enemies in disguise.)

In addition, each town offers Link a chance to gain a magic spell or a sword technique, provided he completes a small favor. In this way, Link learns magic that allows him to jump higher, morph into a fairy to fly through keyholes in palaces, and refill his life, among other things. Swordsmen will also teach him sword techniques like the upward and downward thrust, which and are vital to defeating certain enemies. The role of these non-player characters (NPCs) in Link's quest took the traditional RPG form; the role of the NPCs in the original Zelda was far smaller. The role of the NPCs continuted to grow in true RPG tradition: it is especially noticeable in N64's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that NPCs are vital to Link's quest.

The towns are:

Rauru
Ruto
Saria
Mido
Nabooru
Darunia
Kasuto
New Kasuto

Long time fans might notice that the first six towns bear the names of important characters from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Since the latter game takes place before Zelda II, the implication is that the towns are named after those people. Kasuto's namesake is unknown.

Story

Zelda II is seen by some fans as Nintendo's take on the tale of Sleeping Beauty.
Shortly after the events of The Legend of Zelda, near Link's 16th birthday, he notices a strange mark on the back of his left hand. He seeks out Impa, and she tells him the "Legend of Zelda". Long ago, the King of Hyrule ruled the land of Hyrule with a son and daughter. When the king died, the Triforce should have passed onto the Prince. However, he could only inherit the Triforce in part, and thus sought the remaining pieces. When he learned Zelda knew of their location, he questioned her. She refused, and so the Prince sent his wizard to question her. When he failed, the wizard became furious and cast a sleeping spell on Princess Zelda. The wizard fell dead, but the Prince was left grieving. He had Zelda placed on her bed in the North Castle, and to ensure this event was never forgotten, the Prince ordered all females born to the royal family from that point on to be named Zelda.
Impa also gives Link an old chest containing six crystals and an old message that claims that the restoration of the crystals to the six palaces in Hyrule will open the path to the Triforce of Courage. Taking the crystals, Link sets out to restore them to their places, defeating powerful palace guardians and learning magic spells to aid him as he seeks to break the enchantment on the sleeping Zelda.

Legacy

Though Zelda II is seen by many fans as the misfit of the Zelda games, it has developed a loyal fanbase, and many elements of the game have remained in the series. For instance, NPCs were present in the original Zelda, but their role was rather limited. All Zelda games since Zelda II prominently feature a variety of NPCs, who play a pivotal role in Link's quests. In the original game, keys would work in any dungeon, and could even be purchased in shops. Starting in Zelda II, keys only worked on doors in the dengeon in which they were found. The use of metered magic and spells has also carried over into modern Zelda games. The Adventure of Link version of Stalfos, which makes use of defense techniques, seems to be the basis of later incarnations of the enemy (as opposed to the earlier Legend of Zelda version, which simply walked blindly around dungeons, making no attempts to defend themselves or evade attack). One enemy, Barba, seems to have been the inspiration for Volvagia in Ocarina of Time. Dark Link also appears in Ocarina of Time, and a similar Link clone called Shadow Link appears in Four Swords Adventures. The idea of a hammer used to destroy path obstructions was first introduced in Adventure of Link, and was seen in later Zelda games such as A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker.

Trivia

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is the only English-language title in the series not to include "The Legend of Zelda".
The only Zelda game to feature "lives" counting down to game over, and therefore the only game in the series to include 1-ups.
Characters in the 1989 film The Wizard play Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.
In the town of Ruto there is a character hilariously named Error.

External links