Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is a 1987 action role-playing game created and released by Nintendo. It is the second game in the Legend of Zelda series. The game was first released in Japan on January 14, 1987, for the Famicom Disk System. This was less than a year after the original The Legend of Zelda was released in Japan and seven months before its release in North America. In late 1988, the game was released in North America and the PAL region for the Nintendo Entertainment System, nearly two years after its initial release in Japan.
The Adventure of Link continues the story of the original The Legend of Zelda. It follows the main character, Link, as he tries to rescue Princess Zelda, who is trapped in a deep sleep. The game uses side-scrolling platform gameplay and role-playing features, which is different from the top-down style of the first game.
The game was well-received by critics and players. It introduced features like Link's "magic meter" and the character Dark Link, which later appeared in other Zelda games. However, some role-playing elements, such as earning experience points and having limited lives, were not used again in official Zelda games. The Adventure of Link was followed by A Link to the Past, which was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991.
Gameplay
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is an action role-playing game that is very different from the first or later games in the Legend of Zelda series. It includes side-scrolling sections within a larger top-down world map, unlike the first game, which only uses a top-down view. The side-scrolling gameplay and experience system are similar to features in Konami's Castlevania series, especially Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. The game includes a strategic combat system, a system that lets players continue the game if they lose lives, an experience points system, magic spells, and more interaction with non-player characters. Except for the non-canonical CD-i games Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, no other Zelda game includes a lives feature. The side-scrolling perspective is used in a small way in Link's Awakening and other Game Boy games, but the top-down view remains the main focus.
In this game, Link gains experience points by defeating enemies to upgrade his Attack, Magic, and Life attributes. Each of these attributes can be raised up to seven levels above their starting point. Increasing Attack raises the sword's power, increasing Magic reduces the magic needed to cast spells, and increasing Life reduces the damage Link takes from enemies.
In the Western version, each attribute requires a different amount of experience to level up, with Life needing the least and Attack needing the most. When enough points are earned to level an attribute, players can choose to level up that attribute or continue earning points for another attribute. In the original Japanese version, all attributes require the same amount of experience to level up, and the required number is lower. However, if the player loses all lives, all attributes reset to their lowest level (unlike the Western version, where level upgrades are permanent). When an attribute reaches its maximum level of eight, Link earns an extra life without increasing the attribute. Link starts with four Heart Containers and four Magic Containers and can gain up to four more of each, permanently increasing his life and magic points. Other Zelda games only allow Link to improve through new weapons, items, and Heart Containers. Some enemies drain Link's experience when attacking, but once a level is earned, it cannot be lost. When a game ends or is saved, the cartridge records Link's current ability levels and the experience needed for the next level but resets accumulated points to zero.
The Adventure of Link uses both a top-down view and a side-scrolling view. This mix of views is one of many features inspired by role-playing games. The overworld, usually the main area in other Zelda games, now acts as a map to other areas. While exploring Hyrule, random figures appear: a small blob shows easy enemies, a large biped shows harder enemies, and a Fairy restores Link's health. The game switches to side-scrolling mode when Link enters towns, buildings, caves, or encounters wandering monsters. This mode includes most of the action and danger.
The Adventure of Link has a more complex combat system than its predecessor. With a sword and shield, Link must switch between standing and crouching to attack and defend. For example, the Iron Knuckle enemy changes its attack height and shield based on Link's stance, forcing Link to adjust until he can attack safely. Link can jump to attack tall or airborne enemies and to avoid attacks. Later, he can learn midair downward and upward stabs.
Although Zelda games typically involve collecting items to progress, these items either stay permanently useful or only work in the overworld. Instead of using items, The Adventure of Link includes eight magic spells for action scenes. Each spell is learned from a different wise man in one of eight towns in Hyrule. Link often needs to complete side-quests, like retrieving lost items, before learning spells. Some spells and items are needed to advance. The Life spell becomes the main way to recover health during action scenes because healing Fairies are rare.
Like its predecessor, The Adventure of Link allows saving up to three game sessions on the cartridge. After completing the game, selecting a saved file in the main menu lets players start a new game, keeping their experience levels, techniques, and magic spells. However, special items, Heart and Magic Containers, or extra lives are not saved and must be earned again.
Plot
The Adventure of Link takes place in a timeline where the Hero of Time was defeated by Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time. This timeline connects to a different version of events.
Years after The Legend of Zelda, Link, now 16 years old, notices a mark on the back of his left hand. The mark looks exactly like the crest of Hyrule. He visits Impa, who takes him to the North Castle. There, a door has been magically locked for many years. Impa places Link’s hand on the door, and it opens. Inside, they find a sleeping girl. Impa tells Link that the girl is Zelda, the princess of Hyrule from long ago.
Zelda’s brother tried to force her to reveal secrets about the Triforce, which was hidden by their late father. Zelda refused to share the location, so her brother’s magician friend cast a spell to harm her. The spell caused Zelda to fall into a deep sleep. However, the magic became uncontrollable and killed the magician. Zelda’s brother felt sorry for what happened and could not undo the spell. He placed Zelda in the castle tower, hoping she would one day wake up. He also decided that future princesses from the royal family would be named Zelda to remember this event.
Impa explains that the mark on Link’s hand means he is the hero chosen to awaken Zelda. She gives him a chest with six crystals and ancient writings that only a future king of Hyrule can read. Link can read the document even though he has never seen the language before. It says the crystals must be placed into statues in six palaces across Hyrule. This will unlock the Great Palace, which holds the Triforce of Courage. Only the combined power of the Triforces can awaken Zelda.
Link takes the crystals and travels to restore them to the palaces. At the same time, Ganon’s followers try to kill Link because using his blood on Ganon’s ashes could bring Ganon back to life.
After placing the crystals in the six palaces, Link enters the Great Palace. He battles a guardian called Thunderbird and then fights his own shadow to test his heart. He then finds the Triforce of Courage and returns to Zelda. When the three Triforces unite, Link’s wish awakens Zelda.
Development and release
Shigeru Miyamoto, who helped create the first The Legend of Zelda game, wanted Zelda II: The Adventure of Link to be very different from its predecessor. A new team was formed to develop the sequel, except for Miyamoto, who used the name "Miyahon" as the producer, and Takashi Tezuka, who wrote the story and script. Two directors worked on the game: Tadashi Sugiyama, who used the name "Sugiyan" for his first major project at Nintendo, and Yasuhisa Yamamura, who used the nickname "Yamahen." The music was composed by Akito Nakatsuka, who was credited as "Tsukasan." The game's combat system was inspired by Irem's arcade game Kung-Fu Master (1984), which Miyamoto's team brought to the NES in 1985. The role-playing features were influenced by Chunsoft's Dragon Quest (1986).
The Adventure of Link was first released for the Japan-only Family Computer Disk System on January 14, 1987. It later came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in PAL regions on September 26, 1988, and in North America on December 1, 1988. A shortage of ROM chips in 1988 caused delays in game releases, including The Adventure of Link. At the same time, Nintendo delayed Super Mario Bros. 3 to 1990 after preparing to release Super Mario Bros. 2 in the West. The FDS version of the game appears to be an earlier version than the NES release. For example, the FDS version has gray or green dungeons, while the NES version has uniquely colored ones. The dungeon bosses Carrok and Volvagia (called Barba in the NES version) look different in each version. The game over screen in the NES version shows Ganon's silhouette with the text "Game Over/Return of Ganon," while the FDS version has a black screen with the text "Return of Ganon/The End."
Some differences exist in the dungeons. The NES version lost some musical elements from the title screen because of the Disk System's extra sound chip. On the main map, the icons for attacking monsters look different. The most notable change is how experience points are used. In the FDS version, Link's three attributes (life, strength, and magic) cost the same amount, unlike the worldwide release. Leveling up works differently in the FDS version: saved game data limits attributes to the lowest level set. For example, if life is at 5, strength at 4, and magic at 1, all attributes will be saved at level 1.
The Adventure of Link was re-released in 2003 on The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition disc for the GameCube and again in 2004 as part of the Classic NES Series for the Game Boy Advance, with minor changes. The intro text was updated to say "third Triforce" instead of "No.3 Triforce," and the copyright date was changed to "1987–2004 Nintendo." The death animation was altered to use a solid red color instead of flashing colors to avoid causing seizures.
Zelda II was released as the 100th game on the Wii's Virtual Console in 2007: in Japan on January 23, in Europe and Australia on February 9, and in North America on June 4. This version did not include the text changes from the GameCube and Game Boy Advance releases but used the solid red death animation. It was re-released again on the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in September 2011, alongside the first Zelda game, as part of the "3DS Ambassadors" program. It was available to 3DS owners who purchased the console before a price drop. Later, it became available to all 3DS owners in Japan on June 6, 2012, in Europe on September 13, and in North America on November 22. The game was also re-released on the Wii U's Virtual Console in September 2013. It is one of the 30 games included in the NES Classic Edition, a small replica of the Nintendo Entertainment System, released on November 10, 2016, in Australia and Japan, and one day later in North America and Europe. The game also appears in the Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda handheld console, released on November 12, 2021, along with the first Zelda game and Link's Awakening.
Reception
The Famicom Disk System (FDS) version of Zelda II received positive reviews from Japanese publications Famicom Hisshoubon and Famicom Tsūshin. In Famicom Hisshoubon, one reviewer praised it as a great mix of puzzles and action, saying it was twice as fun as the previous Zelda game. Another reviewer called it a major improvement in game design that could influence future games. One reviewer noted that the lack of available items and the loss of experience points upon dying were problems, but still called it a challenging and hard-to-put-down game, though less satisfying than the first game.
When Zelda II was released in North America, it became one of the most popular Nintendo Entertainment System games of 1988, with many retailers reporting it sold out that year. The game sold 4.38 million copies worldwide. A reviewer in Computer Entertainer described it as a worthy follow-up to The Legend of Zelda, noting its difficulty and long playtime. In Power Play, reviewers praised the graphics and music while discussing the difficulty, with one calling it "very difficult, but always fair."
Based on its total score, Zelda II was the second-highest ranked game in Famicom Tsūshin in 1987, behind Dragon Quest II. Nintendo Power named it the Game of the Year for 1988. In 1990, Nintendo Power’s special edition Pak Source gave it ratings of 4/5 for Graphics and Sound, 3.5/5 for Play Control, 4.5/5 for Challenge, and 4/5 for Theme Fun.
In 1992, Total! magazine gave it an 82% rating, partly due to lower scores for music and graphics. A 1993 review in Dragon by Sandy Petersen gave it 3 out of 5 stars. Nintendo Power called it an "entertaining and natural step" in the Zelda series. Play magazine praised its unique gameplay, calling it a mix of elements that created an action-RPG experience unlike others. In 1997, Electronic Gaming Monthly listed Zelda II as number 72 on its "100 Best Games of All Time," noting that while other Zelda games were better, it still had outstanding gameplay and a larger story than its predecessor. It was ranked 110th on Nintendo Power’s Top 200 Games list. In August 2008, Nintendo Power listed it as the 12th best Nintendo Entertainment System game, calling it a fresh and different experience from its predecessor.
IGN said the game is a "recommended and playable adventure" but warned players not to expect the same gameplay as classic Zelda titles. 1UP.com praised its length, saying it offers many hours of gameplay. Kotaku appreciated the darker tone and more detailed graphics, which made enemies look more threatening. They also noted an improved combat system that allowed enemies to use the environment strategically. The game also faced some criticism. In a 2007 review, GameSpot said it was "decent enough" to be worth playing on the Wii’s Virtual Console but had confusing design choices that required walkthroughs. The GBA version of the game has an aggregated score of 73 on Metacritic.
Legacy
The game introduced and expanded many important parts of the Zelda series. For example, more non-player characters (NPCs) play bigger roles in Link's quests. The idea of using limited magic power and spells was also used in later Zelda games. The Triforce of Courage was first introduced in The Adventure of Link and plays an important role in later games because it is closely connected to Link. Dark Link appears as a shadow version of Link in Ocarina of Time. A similar character called Shadow Link appears in Four Swords Adventures, and other versions appear in Spirit Tracks and A Link Between Worlds.
The Adventure of Link was one of the first games to mix role-playing game elements with platforming, where players move side to side. In the years that followed, many Japanese-made games used a similar format. For example, a game called Cadash (1989) looks very similar to The Adventure of Link, with side-scrolling platform levels and systems that track player stats, weapons, armor, and magic spells.
Five of the sages in Ocarina of Time have the same names as towns in The Adventure of Link (Rauru, Ruto, Saria, Nabooru, and Darunia; Impa is not included). The town of Mido is named after a character in Kokiri Forest. In the game's timeline, the towns were named after these characters. The Adventure of Link is the only main English Zelda game that does not use "The Legend of Zelda" in its title. It is also the only Zelda game to include cumulative lives, meaning it is the only game in the series to feature 1-up dolls. The next game, A Link to the Past (1991), introduced new Link and Zelda characters and returned to the top-down style of the original game.
Some areas in Link's Awakening are side-scrolling, such as tunnels and caves. The series moved away from the top-down style again in 1998 with Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64, which used 3D graphics. A new version of the "Temple" music, arranged by Shogo Sakai, appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee. It plays during the "Hyrule Temple" stage and the "Underground Maze" level. A different version of the same track and a new version of the "Great Palace" music also appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The track was later updated again and used twice in A Link Between Worlds for the Nintendo 3DS: once as the "StreetPass Battle Theme" and once as a slower version for the "Battle Victory" music. The StreetPass battle mode is inspired by the final boss fight in Zelda II. In these battles, one player controls Link and the other controls Shadow/Dark Link. The "Battle Theme" from The Adventure of Link was reused as the "Miniboss Theme" in The Minish Cap.
Zelda II had a big influence on other NES games like Faxanadu, Moon Crystal, and The Battle of Olympus. More recent games that take direct inspiration from Zelda II include Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!, Elliot Quest, and Phoenotopia: Awakening. These games include side-scrolling combat areas connected by a larger top-down map, forming a small group of games similar to Zelda II.