I loved Zelda 2 enough to notice there are some factual inaccuracies in this video… some that stood out the most: - Tears of the Kingdom wasn’t the first direct sequel of a Zelda game. Phantom Hourglass was a direct sequel to Wind Waker, and Spirit Tracks was a direct sequel to Phantom Hourglass. - You don’t collect the crystals from the palaces. You get all of them at the beginning and place them in the palaces. There’s a picture of Impa giving Link a chest with the crystals in it in the manual. - Square didn’t return the favor by putting Link’s grave in Final Fantasy. Enix made Dragon Warrior/Quest before Square and Enix merged, so it was a reference, not a reply
The "Here lies Link" thing could be viewed as both a reference and a reply. That line isn't in the original NES version of Final Fantasy. It came in later versions. I'm not for certain if it came about pre or post Enix merger though.
@@shockthetoast And Link's Awakening was a direct sequel to A Link to the Past. However, A Link to the Past got an even more direct sequel in A Link Between Worlds. Also the Oracle games are either sequels or prequels to Link's Awakening depending on the timeline version.
God bless both of your dads 🥲 They are great men. I’m one of those dads as well and it is so incredibly life affirming to hear the next generation appreciate what we, at the time, experienced as earth-shattering, ground-breaking innovation and awesomeness.
My dad has never been big on videogames, but my mom used to try them a little. I loved this game and seeing Kung Fu Master in this video sure sparked memories! Those were the happy days of childhood.
OMG me too! Only it was a hand drawn map of the Zelda 1 over world. And he called the help line when he got stuck in 2 To funny. My brain still has the maps for 1, 2 and Link to the Past hard coded.
The first Super Mario Bros was so popular, & the original Zelda was so popular, the logical thought for Nintendo, was "turn Link into Mario." Proud to say I've beaten this game on original hardware!
I must have been 8 or 9 when i got this game and was able to beat it on my own. Games from this era were so hard. You had to be a gamer to beat these games.
As an 11 year-old, it never explained to me what I was doing, beyond basic combat. I felt like there was something I needed to know but had no idea about. I never felt I was actually playing it. I had no problems figuring out any other popular NES game.
Loved it as a kid.... all school kids were stuck at the end of the village where you had to cast spell to get the magic key. I remember finding it out by chance at a friends house. At age 9 video games were everything. This game gave me so much pleasure. I didn't have zelda 1 and I remember so many other kids ripping on zelda 2. I also had never had a game like this before and thuoght I was buying a platformer similar to wizards and warriors. At the beginning I was confused and disappointed, but after a week or 2 absolutely loved it. I also remember having a painful tetnis booster shot around that time. Playing it with a very stiff arm. The things we associate
Same. I was a little guy when Zelda one came out and remember doing all-nighter game nights with my mom. We loved it so much we were excited when Zelda 2 came out, and when we bought it we were so let down. And we were a check to check borderline poverty family back then, so it was a serious investment buying NES games. Left a major bad taste in our mouths. Luckily every Zelda game since has been amazing
This game hold the special distinction of truly being one of a kind. There are side scrollers platformers similar but they do not play like Zelda 2 at all that also has overworld and village elements. There are extremely well polished hacks out there like Amida Curse, Resurrection of Ganon, Shadow of the Night, Remake etc. Very well loved game to this day.
My biggest memory of this game was finding a level where enemies would just spawn and fly at you. I had a controller with a turbo button so I just walked to the edge of that level, turned around and taped the button down. Then I went to bed. The next day when I got home from school, the game wasn’t so hard anymore. 😂
Same here, so much so that I had wished they added a mini 2 player vs mode in the main menu that allowed you and a friend to square off with each other as link vs shadow link. For an 8-bit game the fighting mechanics were incredible.
I second that, it's funny how polarizing this game is, either people absolutely hate it or people absolutely love it. That's probably one of the games I did the most in my life, even 30+ years later I still beat this game at least twice a year, will never get enough of it
@@Glendaal_RAdude same here! I bust it out every year or so. And even after 35 years of playing it, I waste those enemies easier every time. F that jumping ironknuckle!!
I bought at NES with paper route money in 1986 (I think). And I played and beat both Zelda 1 and 2. And while I like them both, I like Zelda 2 better. To this day, the music from Castle 7 is amazing. And for those inclined, search YT for reviews of the new Zelda 2 remake. And then go play it. The additions made by the designer make a fun game much more fun.
I have fond memories of this game. Yes it was darned hard trying to beat this as a child, but you kept going and learned from your mistakes until you were good at it. Then you beat it.
Yeah that was a somewhat painful but great experience. You were given the game with a manual containing the story and some basics, and the rest was left to you to figure out. Not exclusive to Zelda 2 as most NES games were made that way, but Zelda 2 stands out because of the difficulty and the amount of riddles and problems you had to solve.
After playing it again as a 49 year old, with the help of walk through guides, maps, plus the Switch's ability to go back in time a few seconds to fix your mistakes, I don't know how I finished the game as a kid on a regular NES. Especially avoiding turning into an eggplant. Still love the game and is one of my favorites.
I got Zelda II for my birthday as a kid… all my friends came over and we played it for hours and couldn’t get past the second level. Over the next week I grinded away and didn’t make it very far so I quit and went to another game. I didn’t actually finish the game until I was an adult. This game was very challenging and in all honesty not very good. I’ve played through about half of the final fantasy series of games so I’m all about grinding but Zelda II was different… it was hard just to be hard instead of being challenging. Simons Quest, TMNT and Metal Gear were also surprisingly hard.
At 3:10 the clue "Eastmost Penninsula is the secret" is actually a huge clue, and lets you complete the game while only getting the magic (12 heart) sword. At the very North East corner of the overworld map is a two screen penninsula, with a cave with an orc that bribes you ("It's a secret to everybody") with 100 rupees. It's one of the few, or maybe only, bribe that you can get without a bomb, flame, power bracelet, etc, and getting here with only 3 hearts and no weapon is difficult. Once you have the 100 rupees, you can buy a blue candle. This becomes your main weapon for a long time. You can use the candle to kill creatures that drop bombs. And then, you can use the bombs and flames to reveal more bribes and heart containers. You can then start clearing dungeons because some bosses were able to be killed with the bomb or flame. You can eventually get the red candle (cast more than once per screen) which REALLY helps you progress, and I THINK the bow and arrow. Eventually, you can get your 12th heart container and pick up the magic sword - never using the brown or white sword. At that point, it's fairly simple to clear the remaining dungeons and finish the first quest. And if you're really pro, you can do all of this without dying or getting either magic ring. (I played a lot of Zelda 1 as a kid)
the down thrust is still my favorite move. NO OTHER game has it. (DarkSouls and GoW can suck some linked balls) 5:02 it is not a failure. it is still one of my favorite game of all time; great rpg, great exploration, great story, great action.
From what I remember I couldn't get past a certain area because the town had invisible ghosts. And being young wasn't that fun constantly dying. But glad so many others liked it, cause i didn't
That town was Old Kasuto, once you discover New Kasuto which is hidden under a bush LOL in the top right of the bottom map, you get a spell that lets you see the ghosts in Old Kasuto. How I remember this I do not know LOL
I was maybe 7 when I got this game. I’ll never forget unboxing it and beholding that golden cartridge. I’ll also never forget just how punishing the difficulty was.
Right! I loved gaining experience, those flying (kinda bouncing) skull things were the best, they gave you A TON of points & weren't that hard to kill (compared to the amount of exp pts they gave : )
Spirit skulls and gaming the palace xp reward mechanic were the way to go. You could walk out of the first palace with 7 swords in only a couple hours, and hit nine by level three without any obscene grinding. But it breaks the game, much more fun and challenging to follow normal progression.
If you think about it, The Legend of Zelda is actually 2 games in 1. Regarding the 2nd quest, practically everything has been rearranged. The location of the Labyrinths and other needed items, like the swords, have been relocated, and the difficulty has been kicked up several notches. As for the Labyrinths, they too are much harder. Now, you must walk through walls, if possible, to obtain hidden secrets, items, and rooms. There are the Red Suns, as I call them, and they permanently disable your sword. That is, until you touch a blue one. And that could be a few screens away. I recall completing the 1st and 2nd quests when I was in my early teens. It was a long, treacherous, and dangerous road to the end, but in the end, I felt like I accomplished something I set out to do.
@@mathieudoucet1446 I know it is not Zelda II because that game has one quest and one quest only. If you actually took the time to read what I stated, you will discover that I was referring to the original LoZ.
@@verityvinyl8540 If you would have actually read the entire paragraph, you would have realized that I stated that. For your reading enjoyment, allow me to reiterate what I said. “There are the Red Suns, as I call them, and they permanently disable your sword. That is, until you touch a blue one.”
Its funny Legend of Zelda og was my favorite game by so much as a kid, and I was sooo confused why this game was so different. I think I was just too young/bad at games, because I couldnt get anywhere in this game at all. (That or just hated how different it was.) I am really glad you made this content because this question has been unanswered for me for 30 years.
I cannot stress how important it was to jump, hold the down button, and hit your attack button right at the mid-level of your enemy (to the toughest ones w/shields) was to my strategy playing this game.
I loved Legend of Zelda as a kid. When the second one came out, of course I bought it. And noticed right away how different and difficult it was. That didn't stop me from playing it. But I did want more of the same. Which is why Link to the Past was my favorite.
Zelda II broke my brain 😂 I was a live and die Zelda fan. Ordered Zelda II as soon as it could be ordered and, before I received my physical copy, got the latest edition of Nintendo Power featuring Zelda II… what a gaping chasm between my expectations for the game and what it actually was. By the time I received the copy (pre-ordered from Kay-Bee Toy Store) I was so profoundly disheartened it was worse than having the game at all. Suffice to say when A Link to the Past hit for SNES I was back in seventh heaven.
I remember getting Zelda 2 for Christmas when I was little and was SO excited, with the gold cartridge and everything, it was also impossible to get. But the game only worked a few times before the cartridge totally stopped functioning. I was so devastated and dreamt of it for weeks. It would take several months for my folks to secure another copy of it for me. Hands down this was one of the most iconic games of my whole life. Thanks so much for covering this. I loved that you mentioned Dragon Warrior also!!!
Without this game, we never would have gotten the CDI Zelda games (which used a similar, side scrolling design) I don't think anyone wants to live in a world without those wonderful cutscenes!
Exactly 👍 , , ""Legend of Zelda faces of Evil"" is a very underated game , yet the cutscenes look like someone on LSD tried to recreate the effect in a video game 😂😂 LoL
@@jhoughjr1 well Zelda 2 was a brave step forward , however the insane difficulty level just sucks especially because of vital important information deliberately hidden from the player , , , I mean after all an 8 year old kid is reasonably Smart in 1987 but there's no way they would have even a shadow of hope to defeat Zelda 2, , , I can't defeat Zelda 2 even today but I love it because of so much time I put into it attempting to beat it , and it's connection to the "Super Mario Bros Super Show" on TV when I was in elementary school , , , 🤔🎃🤔👍👍
@@prototype8137 CDI "Zelda faces of evil" is the only canon Zelda game even all the way to today in 2024 😂😯 some hacker should port it to a SEGA Genesis ROM just for fun and bragging rights 😎🏆👍👍
Maybe because the next logical step was to create a sequel that felt like an upgrade? I remember playing the Zelda and did not necearily like the overhead view but somehow the game was engaging and better than a lot of the overhead games out there at the time. I then played Zelda II and the graphics or presentation definitely felt like an upgrade, the only major problem was that it was extremely difficult and that was the reason it was not as popular. Remember when Zelda II came out there was no franchise there was no overhead predetermined way games should be, it was only the second game so they could have taken it any way they wanted to, had the second one been more popular then the overhead one would have been the odd one out of the bunch and they probably would not have returned to that style for the SNES one.
I played Zelda 2 before Zelda 1. I thought Zelda 1 was very basic in comparison to the more complex XP and "heart / magic" system in play in Zelda 2. I think it's better in virtually every way.
'the calliest of duties' floored. I appreciate this essay and respect Z2 a bit more for what they were trying to do here. My favourite might be Oracle of Seasons and Link to the Past but we got some good elements that had tier seeds in 2.
I remember getting a NES advantage, setting Link up at the edge of the screen where bats would attack, and putting a weight on the attack button with turbo on while I was at school to level up. Each bat was worth 2 XP. Good times!
I got Zelda 2 with a NES for Christmas so it was my first game. Never played the first. I played the hell out of this game and loved it. It was difficult and frustrating, but I didn't have anything to compare it. My Dad was there when I finally beat it and I think he was more excited than I was. Loved this game, hearing the music is super nostalgic.
I played Zelda II for the first time in like 30 years (battery still works!) I started a new game, and like every other middle-aged adult who picks up this game again, Death Mountain was a breeze. First time, blew right through it, got the hammer, got $200, etc etc. Like every other kid in the 80s, Death Mountain was the bottleneck slog like the Marsh Cave for Final Fantasy. Somehow it got easier between now and then, because my gaming skills have not improved over the past few decades in the slightest.
I have a Zelda II that is over 35 years old and the battery "still works", but that's impossible. I think what's really going on is that it's a backup battery if power is lost during a save. The manual says to not turn off the power while saving and to hold the reset button down when you power off. It's likely that the battery is there to be a backup to the procedure.
Not too bad of a production, despite a couple of errors. You've earned a new sub, though, because you put a lot of thought and effort into it! Zelda 2 was actually the first Zelda game I ever played when I was around 10 years old in the early 90s. Despite its difficulty, I had a really fun time playing it and I would rent it as much as I could from the local video store. I didn't beat the game until much later in my mid 20s.
It's way easier to be a polymath spinning out seminal work when you're in an unexplored genre. You see this very beautiful spring-like feeling in new genres and music scenes as much as, being a late gen x'er, there was something special about these pixelated 'not quite real' but very iconic pieces of visual art with haunting eight bit music. This game, Dragon Warrior, Faxanadu, original Shadow Gate, even to a degree Double Dragon II, Bionic Commando, etc., there was a moodiness and whimsy to the production style itself that seemed to largely leave once games aimed for more mimicry of 3D worlds. The makers of the Game Cube Metroid series seemed to try quite hard to keep the awe, wonder, alienness, and even solitude of original Metroid, Ocarina of Time was also quite a special Zelda for 3D gaming, but past that it seems like the pursuit of realty in games lead more in the Grand Theft Auto direction - which isn't bad but it's the creation of a completely kind of environment and aesthetic and appealed to a different kind of gamer.
I am one of these people... Zelda II is one of my favorite NES game ever... Along with Simon's Quest, Metroid, and Goonies II (yeah, that weird one... Don't ask LOL)! The video is right though, this game, like Simon's Quest is really hard at first, and gets easier as you understand the mechanics and your character evolves ;)
I didn't like the change at first. But it grew on me. Now looking back this is a great example of creativity and innovation. Games now lack the minds that can do that. Great video!
The perspective expectation seems to be interesting here. Loads of people who say they didn't like Zelda 2 had played the first one and was expecting more of the same. Meanwhile those who love it are often saying it was their first Zelda game they played.
Loved this game growing up, but as a kid I was stuck on death mountain. In my adult years I came back to the game and it was extremely satisfying beating the game in a legit fashion ❤️ Definitely holds a special spot in my heart, maybe even more than the original
I remember being baffled by Zelda II as a kid, or whatever version of the feeling kids get. I still played it. We talked about it at lunch, and waited for Nintendo Power to release maps or have a tip in Counselor's Corner or Classified Info. That last palace was especially hard to crack. I'm actually glad complaining on the Internet wasn't an option back then. It was a fine Zelda game and I'm glad no forum taught me to be upset about getting a new Zelda game even more original from the first. That's massive First World Problem energy; -1000 Aura, no thank you. Zelda II's differences made Zelda III's return to form that much more amazing. Recently I played a modded version of Zelda II with new spells and maps, proving that fans still crave games in that style as well.
I only ever played the first two games, beginning with the Adventure of Link and the 2nd was absolutely my favorite for the lore and sense of adventure.
I loved Zelda 2 as a kid. With Nintendo Power, the main challenge I had was the final dungeon. I usually burned 1 life getting there. If I had realized that you could continue from there, that would have made it a lot easier.
I paid like $80 at the time for this game, got a bootleg from Canada at a local video store. Could not have been more excited. To this day I've never beaten it. The final run to the last palace is almost impossible and it requires perfection. Then the palace, then your shadow and then that last enemy. I threw many a remote at the TV on this one. I tried playing it again a few years ago and quit at the Island palace. Same frustrations, almost 35 years later. But I still think the game was groundbreaking in its story and visuals. I'm shocked to hear what the creators thought of it! It was though, way too hard. Then again, I found the final bosses in the last 2 Zelda to be too easy so....
I had this game and played the hell out of it. I never owned the first one, so this was all I knew. I muted the TV and listened to Rush 2112 on repeat, so these two things are forever linked for me
I played zelda 2 before i ever played zelda 1. Zelda 2 is one of my all time favorite nes games. I loved sword fighting the knights and it took me a long time to beat it but i loved all the little surprises abd secrets.
As a huge open world RPG fan, I absolutely LOVED Zelda II. Its up there with the Final Fantasy series for me, its was THAT good. I spent so many hours playing that game.
Zelda 2 is actually my favorite game of all time. It was my first Zelda game and the first game I ever beat. I don't really play video games anymore, but my daughter has a Switch, and I play this and Link to the Past every now and then. Zelda games are the only ones I'll still play.
I remember getting this game for Christmas with Dragon warrior. It was not what I was expecting and gave up on it not long after. Ironicly I still play them around Christmas time. As it reminds me of my past.
I loved this game almost as much as the first. The the first two palaces, id beat the boss and jump over the statues without putting the crystal in, and play through the palace again several times to get alot of points and be stacked by the time i get to death mountain.
I had never played the 1st Zelda when I played this game, so this was completely new to me. It wasn't like any game I had played at the time. It'll always hold a special place for me because it was one of the first Nintendo games I had played, because I didn't have one growing up, but my cousins down the road from me did. This and the 1st Super Mario Bros. were my introduction to Nintendo when it had come out. Duck Hunt, Bubble Bobble, Super Mario Bros., and Zelda 2. Later on it would be Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy. Good times!
I played this and loved it. I didn't have Legend of Zelda 1 nor had a I played one, so I thought this was what the genre was supposed to be. It was a very engaging game.
I think I was too young for Zelda 2, when it came out, and didn't really understand it well enough. Zelda 1 was dramatically more approachable for someone under 5.... It also didn't help that Zelda 1 was one of the first games I ever played, and by far my favorite, so the dramatic difference in style made me kind of hate Zelda 2 on principle. In the end, it's one of those games I'd probably like to give a fair shot too now, as an adult. Maybe I'll add it to the gaming bucket list (ff6, ff7, chromo trigger, bioshock infinite, and majoras mask) all ahead of it in line though.... Also... Need to actually beat tmnt 1...damn water levels.
The shiny golden cart was so much at odds with how cripplingly difficult the game was. I remember downthrust and fighting a knight in a castle thats it. 😅😅
Oh you have a golden copy of 2? That's pretty neat, I have the grey one myself. Alot of folks dunno the grey cartridge for this game is actually rarer to have then the gold one. They made the grey at a 10: 1 ratio... meaning for every 10 gold ones only one grey was made.
I beat Zelda 2 and very easily. The strategy guide was the key. The graphics, sound and challenge were still intact, even with the guide. Zelda 1 had the OST on it - very good
I love this game. I was 9 and I could get through death mountain without ever losing a life. My favorite Zelda game by far. Never played any after Link to the Past, though.
I struggled with Z2, but left it on pause for a week and when I came back, a glitch gave me max power and I could beat the bosses with one downward thrust.
One word. Upthrust. Anyone else still remember most of the maps for 1 and 2, even after not having played since the early 90’s? 🤣 Even the first SNES Zelda, Linc to the Past. Never forget.
This game is still the best! I only wish they would do a game with today's technology, an upgrade; almost tempted and compelled to see how it would look
This was the first game I ever played on the Nintendo. It was years later when I play the first Zelda and was disappointed because it was so different from the second.
This is the only Zelda I ever played. It was also one of my last games. I finished it very late, when there was already internet, I believe. (I had to look up some things in the end IIRC.) I didn't think it was hard in particular, I was used to it. This is how it was back then. I got Mario 1 with the console, and ran through it fairly quickly. That was it. My mum decided: From now on we are buying you the hardest games. As was usual, Zelda was a bit cryptic, but not more so than Castlevania 2, for example. I didn't notice anything in particular about it at the time. A lot of the sequel controversy was made later, I believe. After all you'd have to be pretty dedicated to own several of the more expensive games. I knew Mario 1 and Castlevania 1, so I figured, why bother with the first in the francise? The second and third are always better. But, I never got around to getting more Zelda games. I was already too old. Besides, the old Nintendo only had 2 Zelda games. So if you had told me back then I owned ''the black sheep of the francise'' I would have looked at you like:Huh, what, are you OK? Not to say it's a good game by today's standards, but it was a generation ahead of what we had. It was one of the only games with save files!
Zelda 2 was my first Zelda game. No idea why we owned this one and not the second, but that's a pattern that repeated itself with Sonic 2, King's Quest 2, Toe Jam and Earl 2... It's funny that people say the difficulty is way higher in Zelda 2 than the original, because I always found the first game super hard. I guess I just learned all the secrets of Zelda 2 first.
Still my favourite Zelda. But then, I’ve always preferred side scrollers over top-down views. It’s no coincidence that besides Zelda 2, the games I played most on the NES was Mario, Castlevania and Mega Man.
It was my first Zelda game and after playing it I tried playing the first and didn’t care for it. I enjoy both now, but 2 holds a special place in my heart.
How many critics of the game though actually played it when it came out? It had 88-89 in a chokehold and was loved. It was hard as hell but those were the days where you and your friends would get into a room together with the intention of spending the day(s) to beat a game. This game was stupid popular and had a lot of great ideas and gameplay. As far as it's difficulty, we were also trying to beat Mike Tyson in Punchout at the time and get through Ikari Warriors which is still stupid hard in my opinion. Difficult was the standard at the time.
I think it needs to be stated for those that haven't played the game yet and are worried about the difficulty. You get the Life spell in the third town you visit, it's also the third spell you get. They give it to you before the first big difficultly spike, Death Mountain. So it's not later in the game you get the spell, and just like other RPG's out there, of course visiting a town refills your health, this is not a detriment to the game.
A gameplay and the nostalgi sound that last a lifetime and still make me want start a new game after almost 40years. There is 0 game of modern games that have this inpact on life. One of the best nes game and i love it
Honestly, my memories of Zelda 2 are mostly good. I was playing it, back in 88, and I enjoyed it enough. I've never been able to beat it, even all these years later, but I enjoyed it. I like to believe that the me now, who tends to love RPGs, in some ways does because I played this game, and the fact that I liked it held my interest in Zelda up long enough for LttP to come out, and me to fall in love with that. I wasn't able to acquire a SNES of my own for some time, so it was an even longer wait for me than some, getting my fixes in when I visited a friend who owned LttP, but I cared because Zelda has been much favorite game series since before it was a series, and AoL actually played a fair part in that. It didn't ruin my appreciation for Link, and Zelda, and I still like to defend elements of it, to this day.😊 Did it have flaws? Oh yeah, it did, but I still liked it, abd remember it positively. I can name several other Zelda games I dislike considerably more, like Skyward Sword; probably one of my least favorite games of all time, and I'm glad AoL came along, and got us to where we are; at least played its part to.
Idk, as far as I can recall, 10 year old me highly enjoy Zelda 2 despite the brutal difficulty. I just remembered the many sleepless nights and the racked up Blockbuster Video late fees for that summer of '88 to the point my parents caved and bought me a copy for my birthday late that summer.
I would take my cartridge to my Granddad's house, and he would level my character for me while I was in school during the week. Then on weekends I'd sometime stay there and we would play Zelda 2 taking turns all weekend. Core memory.
I was always confused by ‘Its a secret to everyone’ from the first game. I always thought it was leading up to a huge secret in the game. I had an old Nintendo game map and bombed every wall, tried to push every object and used the flute on every screen. Nothing
I loved Zelda 2 enough to notice there are some factual inaccuracies in this video… some that stood out the most:
- Tears of the Kingdom wasn’t the first direct sequel of a Zelda game. Phantom Hourglass was a direct sequel to Wind Waker, and Spirit Tracks was a direct sequel to Phantom Hourglass.
- You don’t collect the crystals from the palaces. You get all of them at the beginning and place them in the palaces. There’s a picture of Impa giving Link a chest with the crystals in it in the manual.
- Square didn’t return the favor by putting Link’s grave in Final Fantasy. Enix made Dragon Warrior/Quest before Square and Enix merged, so it was a reference, not a reply
You are correct, sir! Pinning this comment and thank you.
The "Here lies Link" thing could be viewed as both a reference and a reply. That line isn't in the original NES version of Final Fantasy. It came in later versions. I'm not for certain if it came about pre or post Enix merger though.
Majora's Mask was a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time. It did take young Link into a different world, but it is the Link from the end of Ocarina.
@@shockthetoast And Link's Awakening was a direct sequel to A Link to the Past. However, A Link to the Past got an even more direct sequel in A Link Between Worlds. Also the Oracle games are either sequels or prequels to Link's Awakening depending on the timeline version.
@@AlmostSomething subbed for this 👍👍
My dad had hand drawn paper maps of all the dungeons, probably my fondest memory of the NES.
I remember staying up waaaaaayyyy past my bedtime as a kid, watching my dad play this game. It was his all-time favorite, and it’s my favorite Zelda.
God bless both of your dads 🥲 They are great men. I’m one of those dads as well and it is so incredibly life affirming to hear the next generation appreciate what we, at the time, experienced as earth-shattering, ground-breaking innovation and awesomeness.
@@spaceburger80 some of my best memories of my dad are from he and I playing Nintendo together. 1988 sticks out in my mind vividly.
My dad has never been big on videogames, but my mom used to try them a little. I loved this game and seeing Kung Fu Master in this video sure sparked memories!
Those were the happy days of childhood.
OMG me too! Only it was a hand drawn map of the Zelda 1 over world. And he called the help line when he got stuck in 2
To funny.
My brain still has the maps for 1, 2 and Link to the Past hard coded.
My parents got me this game with my NES. It was the first one that I played in the franchise. I loved it, and still do.
The first Super Mario Bros was so popular, & the original Zelda was so popular, the logical thought for Nintendo, was "turn Link into Mario." Proud to say I've beaten this game on original hardware!
A lot of people have beaten this game on the original hardware.
I'm one of them, because this was all I had as a child.
I must have been 8 or 9 when i got this game and was able to beat it on my own. Games from this era were so hard. You had to be a gamer to beat these games.
As an 11 year-old, it never explained to me what I was doing, beyond basic combat. I felt like there was something I needed to know but had no idea about. I never felt I was actually playing it. I had no problems figuring out any other popular NES game.
Good summation
Exactly this!
Loved it as a kid.... all school kids were stuck at the end of the village where you had to cast spell to get the magic key. I remember finding it out by chance at a friends house. At age 9 video games were everything. This game gave me so much pleasure. I didn't have zelda 1 and I remember so many other kids ripping on zelda 2. I also had never had a game like this before and thuoght I was buying a platformer similar to wizards and warriors. At the beginning I was confused and disappointed, but after a week or 2 absolutely loved it. I also remember having a painful tetnis booster shot around that time. Playing it with a very stiff arm. The things we associate
He isn't collecting the crystals he's placed the crystals.He started his Adventure with them
@4:10 the Ganon laugh is also the Soda Popinski's laugh in Mike Tyson's Punch Out th-cam.com/video/FATJGWLd8A4/w-d-xo.html
The only thing I remember about this game was hating it, and putting Zelda 1 back in my NES.
Came to comments to say this. Was a major ick compared to first and later.
Same. I was a little guy when Zelda one came out and remember doing all-nighter game nights with my mom. We loved it so much we were excited when Zelda 2 came out, and when we bought it we were so let down. And we were a check to check borderline poverty family back then, so it was a serious investment buying NES games. Left a major bad taste in our mouths. Luckily every Zelda game since has been amazing
I absolutely loved Zelda 2!
@ Hats off.
Same
This game hold the special distinction of truly being one of a kind. There are side scrollers platformers similar but they do not play like Zelda 2 at all that also has overworld and village elements. There are extremely well polished hacks out there like Amida Curse, Resurrection of Ganon, Shadow of the Night, Remake etc. Very well loved game to this day.
My biggest memory of this game was finding a level where enemies would just spawn and fly at you. I had a controller with a turbo button so I just walked to the edge of that level, turned around and taped the button down. Then I went to bed. The next day when I got home from school, the game wasn’t so hard anymore. 😂
Zelda II is my favorite NES game of all time.
Same here, so much so that I had wished they added a mini 2 player vs mode in the main menu that allowed you and a friend to square off with each other as link vs shadow link. For an 8-bit game the fighting mechanics were incredible.
It's def one of my favs, I've replayed it so many times growing up.
I second that, it's funny how polarizing this game is, either people absolutely hate it or people absolutely love it. That's probably one of the games I did the most in my life, even 30+ years later I still beat this game at least twice a year, will never get enough of it
@@Glendaal_RAdude same here! I bust it out every year or so. And even after 35 years of playing it, I waste those enemies easier every time. F that jumping ironknuckle!!
Glad somebody likes it. I hate it.
I bought at NES with paper route money in 1986 (I think). And I played and beat both Zelda 1 and 2. And while I like them both, I like Zelda 2 better. To this day, the music from Castle 7 is amazing.
And for those inclined, search YT for reviews of the new Zelda 2 remake. And then go play it. The additions made by the designer make a fun game much more fun.
Thank you for telling me there is a remake, fellow Gen X-er!
I have fond memories of this game. Yes it was darned hard trying to beat this as a child, but you kept going and learned from your mistakes until you were good at it. Then you beat it.
Yeah that was a somewhat painful but great experience. You were given the game with a manual containing the story and some basics, and the rest was left to you to figure out. Not exclusive to Zelda 2 as most NES games were made that way, but Zelda 2 stands out because of the difficulty and the amount of riddles and problems you had to solve.
After playing it again as a 49 year old, with the help of walk through guides, maps, plus the Switch's ability to go back in time a few seconds to fix your mistakes, I don't know how I finished the game as a kid on a regular NES. Especially avoiding turning into an eggplant. Still love the game and is one of my favorites.
I hated it because Zelda 1 was so great and it was so different.
Just a release of a new map with more boards woulda been great.
I got Zelda II for my birthday as a kid… all my friends came over and we played it for hours and couldn’t get past the second level. Over the next week I grinded away and didn’t make it very far so I quit and went to another game. I didn’t actually finish the game until I was an adult. This game was very challenging and in all honesty not very good. I’ve played through about half of the final fantasy series of games so I’m all about grinding but Zelda II was different… it was hard just to be hard instead of being challenging. Simons Quest, TMNT and Metal Gear were also surprisingly hard.
At 3:10 the clue "Eastmost Penninsula is the secret" is actually a huge clue, and lets you complete the game while only getting the magic (12 heart) sword. At the very North East corner of the overworld map is a two screen penninsula, with a cave with an orc that bribes you ("It's a secret to everybody") with 100 rupees. It's one of the few, or maybe only, bribe that you can get without a bomb, flame, power bracelet, etc, and getting here with only 3 hearts and no weapon is difficult. Once you have the 100 rupees, you can buy a blue candle. This becomes your main weapon for a long time. You can use the candle to kill creatures that drop bombs. And then, you can use the bombs and flames to reveal more bribes and heart containers. You can then start clearing dungeons because some bosses were able to be killed with the bomb or flame. You can eventually get the red candle (cast more than once per screen) which REALLY helps you progress, and I THINK the bow and arrow. Eventually, you can get your 12th heart container and pick up the magic sword - never using the brown or white sword. At that point, it's fairly simple to clear the remaining dungeons and finish the first quest.
And if you're really pro, you can do all of this without dying or getting either magic ring.
(I played a lot of Zelda 1 as a kid)
the down thrust is still my favorite move. NO OTHER game has it. (DarkSouls and GoW can suck some linked balls) 5:02 it is not a failure. it is still one of my favorite game of all time; great rpg, great exploration, great story, great action.
DuckTales has it. You can use Scrooge's cane to pogo enemies to death. That's the only other one I can think of though
*Shovel Knight has entered the chat*
From what I remember I couldn't get past a certain area because the town had invisible ghosts. And being young wasn't that fun constantly dying. But glad so many others liked it, cause i didn't
That town was Old Kasuto, once you discover New Kasuto which is hidden under a bush LOL in the top right of the bottom map, you get a spell that lets you see the ghosts in Old Kasuto. How I remember this I do not know LOL
I was maybe 7 when I got this game. I’ll never forget unboxing it and beholding that golden cartridge. I’ll also never forget just how punishing the difficulty was.
Zelda II was my introduction to Zelda!
Same!
I spent 40 plus hours killing blobs to build experience.
Right! I loved gaining experience, those flying (kinda bouncing) skull things were the best, they gave you A TON of points & weren't that hard to kill (compared to the amount of exp pts they gave : )
Spirit skulls and gaming the palace xp reward mechanic were the way to go. You could walk out of the first palace with 7 swords in only a couple hours, and hit nine by level three without any obscene grinding. But it breaks the game, much more fun and challenging to follow normal progression.
The thing i didn't loke about thelose floating skulls is you had to hit them almost a hundred times. @ianallen738
If you think about it, The Legend of Zelda is actually 2 games in 1. Regarding the 2nd quest, practically everything has been rearranged. The location of the Labyrinths and other needed items, like the swords, have been relocated, and the difficulty has been kicked up several notches. As for the Labyrinths, they too are much harder. Now, you must walk through walls, if possible, to obtain hidden secrets, items, and rooms. There are the Red Suns, as I call them, and they permanently disable your sword. That is, until you touch a blue one. And that could be a few screens away.
I recall completing the 1st and 2nd quests when I was in my early teens. It was a long, treacherous, and dangerous road to the end, but in the end, I felt like I accomplished something I set out to do.
Not Zelda 2
@@mathieudoucet1446 I know it is not Zelda II because that game has one quest and one quest only. If you actually took the time to read what I stated, you will discover that I was referring to the original LoZ.
@@kbramlett6877settle down, Good Doctor
The Red Bubbles permanently disable your sword until you touch a blue bubble
@@verityvinyl8540 If you would have actually read the entire paragraph, you would have realized that I stated that. For your reading enjoyment, allow me to reiterate what I said. “There are the Red Suns, as I call them, and they permanently disable your sword. That is, until you touch a blue one.”
I really enjoyed Zelda 2, I don't enjoy the 3D ones. 🤷♀️ I also own 3 Tinkle games for my DS. Yeah, these people exist. 😅
For me there is no Zelda after a link to the past
@@mathieudoucet1446 i felt that way until I played the DS and 3DS title.
Breath of the wild is great tho.
Have you played minish cap. That's a great Zelda game (2d)
Dungeons feel a bit more linear but I don't mind that it's a great game
I didn't know until now there were ppl who didn't like this game, literally never met a person who didn't like this game (if they knew of it : )
Majora's Mask was also a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time
4:10 the gannon laugh is almost identical to the laugh of the fourth floor end of level boss of "Kung Fu'.
and all the Mike Tyson Punch Out adversaries, when you lost
@@dms75Soda Popinski
Its funny Legend of Zelda og was my favorite game by so much as a kid, and I was sooo confused why this game was so different. I think I was just too young/bad at games, because I couldnt get anywhere in this game at all. (That or just hated how different it was.)
I am really glad you made this content because this question has been unanswered for me for 30 years.
I cannot stress how important it was to jump, hold the down button, and hit your attack button right at the mid-level of your enemy (to the toughest ones w/shields) was to my strategy playing this game.
This!!! Not enough ppk know. Thats how to cheeze most of the game!
I loved Legend of Zelda as a kid. When the second one came out, of course I bought it. And noticed right away how different and difficult it was. That didn't stop me from playing it. But I did want more of the same. Which is why Link to the Past was my favorite.
Great video, have watched a lot of Zelda history and lore videos but still learned lots of new interesting stuff. Can't wait for more content
Zelda II broke my brain 😂 I was a live and die Zelda fan. Ordered Zelda II as soon as it could be ordered and, before I received my physical copy, got the latest edition of Nintendo Power featuring Zelda II… what a gaping chasm between my expectations for the game and what it actually was. By the time I received the copy (pre-ordered from Kay-Bee Toy Store) I was so profoundly disheartened it was worse than having the game at all.
Suffice to say when A Link to the Past hit for SNES I was back in seventh heaven.
Zelda 1 RULES
I remember getting Zelda 2 for Christmas when I was little and was SO excited, with the gold cartridge and everything, it was also impossible to get. But the game only worked a few times before the cartridge totally stopped functioning. I was so devastated and dreamt of it for weeks. It would take several months for my folks to secure another copy of it for me. Hands down this was one of the most iconic games of my whole life. Thanks so much for covering this. I loved that you mentioned Dragon Warrior also!!!
Without this game, we never would have gotten the CDI Zelda games (which used a similar, side scrolling design) I don't think anyone wants to live in a world without those wonderful cutscenes!
Exactly 👍 , , ""Legend of Zelda faces of Evil"" is a very underated game , yet the cutscenes look like someone on LSD tried to recreate the effect in a video game 😂😂 LoL
Idk how i feel. Like its an infohazard.
No zelda 2 is good regaedless
@@jhoughjr1 well Zelda 2 was a brave step forward , however the insane difficulty level just sucks especially because of vital important information deliberately hidden from the player , , , I mean after all an 8 year old kid is reasonably Smart in 1987 but there's no way they would have even a shadow of hope to defeat Zelda 2, , , I can't defeat Zelda 2 even today but I love it because of so much time I put into it attempting to beat it , and it's connection to the "Super Mario Bros Super Show" on TV when I was in elementary school , , , 🤔🎃🤔👍👍
@@wyldelf2685I had the Phillip's cdi and the zelda games were awful. I owned them.
@@prototype8137 CDI "Zelda faces of evil" is the only canon Zelda game even all the way to today in 2024 😂😯 some hacker should port it to a SEGA Genesis ROM just for fun and bragging rights 😎🏆👍👍
Maybe because the next logical step was to create a sequel that felt like an upgrade?
I remember playing the Zelda and did not necearily like the overhead view but somehow the game was engaging and better than a lot of the overhead games out there at the time.
I then played Zelda II and the graphics or presentation definitely felt like an upgrade, the only major problem was that it was extremely difficult and that was the reason it was not as popular.
Remember when Zelda II came out there was no franchise there was no overhead predetermined way games should be, it was only the second game so they could have taken it any way they wanted to, had the second one been more popular then the overhead one would have been the odd one out of the bunch and they probably would not have returned to that style for the SNES one.
I remember having to call the hotline in order to find the mirror that was hidden under a random bed. The only time an item was hidden under a bed
Damn. How much did that cost your parents ??
@ whatever it was it was a bargain for me to keep my sanity
I definitely remember playing The Legend of Zelda, but only vaguely remember playing it's sequel. This game wasn't nearly as memorable to me.
I remember this game fondly, sure it was a big departure, but it also had a very unique atmosphere and was an epic adventure.
I agree. Unique and nostalgic.
This video was astoundingly good. It makes me feel like I need to give this game another chance.
Also.. give us some quizzes in the Community tab!
Its worth it imo. One you get downward and upward thrust you can stomp through most things faster, easing the grind
I played Zelda 2 before Zelda 1. I thought Zelda 1 was very basic in comparison to the more complex XP and "heart / magic" system in play in Zelda 2. I think it's better in virtually every way.
'the calliest of duties' floored. I appreciate this essay and respect Z2 a bit more for what they were trying to do here. My favourite might be Oracle of Seasons and Link to the Past but we got some good elements that had tier seeds in 2.
Great video, thanks for the Zelda content
I remember getting a NES advantage, setting Link up at the edge of the screen where bats would attack, and putting a weight on the attack button with turbo on while I was at school to level up. Each bat was worth 2 XP. Good times!
I got Zelda 2 with a NES for Christmas so it was my first game. Never played the first. I played the hell out of this game and loved it. It was difficult and frustrating, but I didn't have anything to compare it. My Dad was there when I finally beat it and I think he was more excited than I was. Loved this game, hearing the music is super nostalgic.
I played Zelda II for the first time in like 30 years (battery still works!) I started a new game, and like every other middle-aged adult who picks up this game again, Death Mountain was a breeze. First time, blew right through it, got the hammer, got $200, etc etc.
Like every other kid in the 80s, Death Mountain was the bottleneck slog like the Marsh Cave for Final Fantasy. Somehow it got easier between now and then, because my gaming skills have not improved over the past few decades in the slightest.
They use dollars in Hyrule?
Wait, the save state battery still works??
I have a Zelda II that is over 35 years old and the battery "still works", but that's impossible. I think what's really going on is that it's a backup battery if power is lost during a save. The manual says to not turn off the power while saving and to hold the reset button down when you power off. It's likely that the battery is there to be a backup to the procedure.
@@michaelfornes1479no the nattery is there for seam. I wouldnt dismiss it so wuickly.
Not too bad of a production, despite a couple of errors. You've earned a new sub, though, because you put a lot of thought and effort into it!
Zelda 2 was actually the first Zelda game I ever played when I was around 10 years old in the early 90s. Despite its difficulty, I had a really fun time playing it and I would rent it as much as I could from the local video store. I didn't beat the game until much later in my mid 20s.
It's way easier to be a polymath spinning out seminal work when you're in an unexplored genre. You see this very beautiful spring-like feeling in new genres and music scenes as much as, being a late gen x'er, there was something special about these pixelated 'not quite real' but very iconic pieces of visual art with haunting eight bit music. This game, Dragon Warrior, Faxanadu, original Shadow Gate, even to a degree Double Dragon II, Bionic Commando, etc., there was a moodiness and whimsy to the production style itself that seemed to largely leave once games aimed for more mimicry of 3D worlds. The makers of the Game Cube Metroid series seemed to try quite hard to keep the awe, wonder, alienness, and even solitude of original Metroid, Ocarina of Time was also quite a special Zelda for 3D gaming, but past that it seems like the pursuit of realty in games lead more in the Grand Theft Auto direction - which isn't bad but it's the creation of a completely kind of environment and aesthetic and appealed to a different kind of gamer.
I am one of these people... Zelda II is one of my favorite NES game ever... Along with Simon's Quest, Metroid, and Goonies II (yeah, that weird one... Don't ask LOL)! The video is right though, this game, like Simon's Quest is really hard at first, and gets easier as you understand the mechanics and your character evolves ;)
I didn't like the change at first. But it grew on me. Now looking back this is a great example of creativity and innovation. Games now lack the minds that can do that. Great video!
The perspective expectation seems to be interesting here. Loads of people who say they didn't like Zelda 2 had played the first one and was expecting more of the same. Meanwhile those who love it are often saying it was their first Zelda game they played.
Loved this game growing up, but as a kid I was stuck on death mountain. In my adult years I came back to the game and it was extremely satisfying beating the game in a legit fashion ❤️ Definitely holds a special spot in my heart, maybe even more than the original
Classic of Classics
I remember being baffled by Zelda II as a kid, or whatever version of the feeling kids get. I still played it. We talked about it at lunch, and waited for Nintendo Power to release maps or have a tip in Counselor's Corner or Classified Info. That last palace was especially hard to crack.
I'm actually glad complaining on the Internet wasn't an option back then. It was a fine Zelda game and I'm glad no forum taught me to be upset about getting a new Zelda game even more original from the first. That's massive First World Problem energy; -1000 Aura, no thank you.
Zelda II's differences made Zelda III's return to form that much more amazing. Recently I played a modded version of Zelda II with new spells and maps, proving that fans still crave games in that style as well.
I only ever played the first two games, beginning with the Adventure of Link and the 2nd was absolutely my favorite for the lore and sense of adventure.
I loved Zelda 2 as a kid. With Nintendo Power, the main challenge I had was the final dungeon. I usually burned 1 life getting there. If I had realized that you could continue from there, that would have made it a lot easier.
I paid like $80 at the time for this game, got a bootleg from Canada at a local video store. Could not have been more excited. To this day I've never beaten it. The final run to the last palace is almost impossible and it requires perfection. Then the palace, then your shadow and then that last enemy. I threw many a remote at the TV on this one. I tried playing it again a few years ago and quit at the Island palace. Same frustrations, almost 35 years later. But I still think the game was groundbreaking in its story and visuals. I'm shocked to hear what the creators thought of it! It was though, way too hard. Then again, I found the final bosses in the last 2 Zelda to be too easy so....
I had this game and played the hell out of it. I never owned the first one, so this was all I knew. I muted the TV and listened to Rush 2112 on repeat, so these two things are forever linked for me
I played zelda 2 before i ever played zelda 1.
Zelda 2 is one of my all time favorite nes games. I loved sword fighting the knights and it took me a long time to beat it but i loved all the little surprises abd secrets.
I was confused by how different it was when I first got it. It really few on me though. I love it now
Very few games did over world map and side scrolling encounters. I enjoyed them all.
As a huge open world RPG fan, I absolutely LOVED Zelda II. Its up there with the Final Fantasy series for me, its was THAT good. I spent so many hours playing that game.
I mostly loved this game, but the holes in the floor of the hidden palace got me every time.
I really enjoyed Zelda 2 as a kid. I like how it was different from the first game. Not saying it was better, as I like them equally. Great video!
Zelda 2 is actually my favorite game of all time. It was my first Zelda game and the first game I ever beat. I don't really play video games anymore, but my daughter has a Switch, and I play this and Link to the Past every now and then. Zelda games are the only ones I'll still play.
I remember getting this game for Christmas with Dragon warrior. It was not what I was expecting and gave up on it not long after.
Ironicly I still play them around Christmas time. As it reminds me of my past.
I loved this game almost as much as the first. The the first two palaces, id beat the boss and jump over the statues without putting the crystal in, and play through the palace again several times to get alot of points and be stacked by the time i get to death mountain.
I had never played the 1st Zelda when I played this game, so this was completely new to me. It wasn't like any game I had played at the time. It'll always hold a special place for me because it was one of the first Nintendo games I had played, because I didn't have one growing up, but my cousins down the road from me did. This and the 1st Super Mario Bros. were my introduction to Nintendo when it had come out. Duck Hunt, Bubble Bobble, Super Mario Bros., and Zelda 2. Later on it would be Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy. Good times!
I played this and loved it. I didn't have Legend of Zelda 1 nor had a I played one, so I thought this was what the genre was supposed to be. It was a very engaging game.
I think I was too young for Zelda 2, when it came out, and didn't really understand it well enough. Zelda 1 was dramatically more approachable for someone under 5....
It also didn't help that Zelda 1 was one of the first games I ever played, and by far my favorite, so the dramatic difference in style made me kind of hate Zelda 2 on principle.
In the end, it's one of those games I'd probably like to give a fair shot too now, as an adult. Maybe I'll add it to the gaming bucket list (ff6, ff7, chromo trigger, bioshock infinite, and majoras mask) all ahead of it in line though.... Also... Need to actually beat tmnt 1...damn water levels.
The shiny golden cart was so much at odds with how cripplingly difficult the game was. I remember downthrust and fighting a knight in a castle thats it. 😅😅
Nice video! Personally i enjoyed Zelda II but definitely prefer the Link's Awakening style
Oh you have a golden copy of 2? That's pretty neat, I have the grey one myself. Alot of folks dunno the grey cartridge for this game is actually rarer to have then the gold one. They made the grey at a 10: 1 ratio... meaning for every 10 gold ones only one grey was made.
I beat Zelda 2 and very easily. The strategy guide was the key. The graphics, sound and challenge were still intact, even with the guide. Zelda 1 had the OST on it - very good
I love this game. I was 9 and I could get through death mountain without ever losing a life. My favorite Zelda game by far. Never played any after Link to the Past, though.
0:55 looks a lot like some of the levels on SMB and SMB 2
1:02 looks an awful lot like the castle levels of SMB
This game is a classic to me. Grinding for hours to get the 50p bags... lol good memory.
I struggled with Z2, but left it on pause for a week and when I came back, a glitch gave me max power and I could beat the bosses with one downward thrust.
One word.
Upthrust.
Anyone else still remember most of the maps for 1 and 2, even after not having played since the early 90’s? 🤣
Even the first SNES Zelda, Linc to the Past. Never forget.
This game is still the best! I only wish they would do a game with today's technology, an upgrade; almost tempted and compelled to see how it would look
I loved this game and still loves it. Of all Zelda games I play this and A Link To The Past the most.
This was the first game I ever played on the Nintendo. It was years later when I play the first Zelda and was disappointed because it was so different from the second.
I really liked this game when I was a kid. Yes, it was hard at times but it felt so rewarding making my way through the gane.
This is the only Zelda I ever played. It was also one of my last games. I finished it very late, when there was already internet, I believe. (I had to look up some things in the end IIRC.) I didn't think it was hard in particular, I was used to it. This is how it was back then. I got Mario 1 with the console, and ran through it fairly quickly. That was it. My mum decided: From now on we are buying you the hardest games. As was usual, Zelda was a bit cryptic, but not more so than Castlevania 2, for example. I didn't notice anything in particular about it at the time. A lot of the sequel controversy was made later, I believe. After all you'd have to be pretty dedicated to own several of the more expensive games. I knew Mario 1 and Castlevania 1, so I figured, why bother with the first in the francise? The second and third are always better. But, I never got around to getting more Zelda games. I was already too old. Besides, the old Nintendo only had 2 Zelda games. So if you had told me back then I owned ''the black sheep of the francise'' I would have looked at you like:Huh, what, are you OK? Not to say it's a good game by today's standards, but it was a generation ahead of what we had. It was one of the only games with save files!
I ditched school to go buy it from KB Toys
I played the hell out of this game on the NES, it had much more longevity then almost any other NES game for me, one of my favourite games ever.
Zelda 2 was my first Zelda game. No idea why we owned this one and not the second, but that's a pattern that repeated itself with Sonic 2, King's Quest 2, Toe Jam and Earl 2... It's funny that people say the difficulty is way higher in Zelda 2 than the original, because I always found the first game super hard. I guess I just learned all the secrets of Zelda 2 first.
Still my favourite Zelda. But then, I’ve always preferred side scrollers over top-down views. It’s no coincidence that besides Zelda 2, the games I played most on the NES was Mario, Castlevania and Mega Man.
It was my first Zelda game and after playing it I tried playing the first and didn’t care for it. I enjoy both now, but 2 holds a special place in my heart.
How many critics of the game though actually played it when it came out? It had 88-89 in a chokehold and was loved. It was hard as hell but those were the days where you and your friends would get into a room together with the intention of spending the day(s) to beat a game. This game was stupid popular and had a lot of great ideas and gameplay. As far as it's difficulty, we were also trying to beat Mike Tyson in Punchout at the time and get through Ikari Warriors which is still stupid hard in my opinion. Difficult was the standard at the time.
I think it needs to be stated for those that haven't played the game yet and are worried about the difficulty. You get the Life spell in the third town you visit, it's also the third spell you get. They give it to you before the first big difficultly spike, Death Mountain. So it's not later in the game you get the spell, and just like other RPG's out there, of course visiting a town refills your health, this is not a detriment to the game.
By far my favorite game from the Original NS. I remember my friend and I spent the entire night to pass it
I can still hear the music from the original Zelda in my head
A gameplay and the nostalgi sound that last a lifetime and still make me want start a new game after almost 40years. There is 0 game of modern games that have this inpact on life. One of the best nes game and i love it
Honestly, my memories of Zelda 2 are mostly good. I was playing it, back in 88, and I enjoyed it enough. I've never been able to beat it, even all these years later, but I enjoyed it. I like to believe that the me now, who tends to love RPGs, in some ways does because I played this game, and the fact that I liked it held my interest in Zelda up long enough for LttP to come out, and me to fall in love with that. I wasn't able to acquire a SNES of my own for some time, so it was an even longer wait for me than some, getting my fixes in when I visited a friend who owned LttP, but I cared because Zelda has been much favorite game series since before it was a series, and AoL actually played a fair part in that. It didn't ruin my appreciation for Link, and Zelda, and I still like to defend elements of it, to this day.😊 Did it have flaws? Oh yeah, it did, but I still liked it, abd remember it positively. I can name several other Zelda games I dislike considerably more, like Skyward Sword; probably one of my least favorite games of all time, and I'm glad AoL came along, and got us to where we are; at least played its part to.
Idk, as far as I can recall, 10 year old me highly enjoy Zelda 2 despite the brutal difficulty. I just remembered the many sleepless nights and the racked up Blockbuster Video late fees for that summer of '88 to the point my parents caved and bought me a copy for my birthday late that summer.
This was my favorite zelda game as a kid
I would take my cartridge to my Granddad's house, and he would level my character for me while I was in school during the week. Then on weekends I'd sometime stay there and we would play Zelda 2 taking turns all weekend. Core memory.
I was always confused by ‘Its a secret to everyone’ from the first game. I always thought it was leading up to a huge secret in the game. I had an old Nintendo game map and bombed every wall, tried to push every object and used the flute on every screen. Nothing