Where's the love for The Adventure of Link (Zelda 2)?

[syd]

Alright I've been wondering about this for a while now. It seems like everytime someone discusses bad sequels or just the Zelda series in general, people always start bashing Zelda 2 as a bad follow-up to the original Zelda. To tell you the truth, I like the second Zelda way more than the first one. I even go back and beat it every now and then. I've played through the first Zelda a bit, but I haven't ever completed it because I just lose interest in it.

It's not like the second Zelda was exactly the same as the first one, but it was however a very solid game IMO. So of course my question is, why do people consider Zelda 2 to be a bad sequel? :/

[MegaDrive20XX]

I don't, it was just a trend in 1988 to make sequels of games different then the original.

Super Mario 2 is another example of this

Zelda 2, was the first Zelda game i ever played, so it holds a special place in my memories always.

[Truffle]

Zelda 2 was one of my favorite rpgs of all time up until the battery in my game died.
I really enjoy side scroller RPGs in general.

[MarkMan]

I really enjoyed Zelda II: The Adventure of Link... it's one of my favorite games from my childhood... and one of my favorites of all time.

Excellent game.

I wouldn't ever call it a bad sequel. I'd call it refreshingly different.

[Matt-El]

Yeah, I'd definitely say that sequels now need the perspective that was put in place with Zelda II.

One of my faves also.

[evil_genius]

I think that people don't like because it was so different from the first. Seems like everyone loved the first. Someone else mentioned SMB, SMB2 doesn't get any love either, probably because it was so different too. It seems like people just don't like change in general. IMO, if AoL was just like the first Zelda it would have totally sucked. For the record, those blue knights in AoL suck.

[s1lence]

It was change and people don't like change. I didn't like the N64 zelda's because they were so different from the SNES version. I think people just couldn't accept LOZ as a side scroller for the most part.

[Zing]

Technically, Super Mario Bros. 2 (US) was not a true sequel since was not designed to be a SMB game. Grab an emulator and find the Japanese Famicom disk game Dream Factory/Doki Doki Panic. SMB2 is basically this game with Mario sprites. That said, SMB2 is still one of my all-time favorite games.

Zelda II is also one of the greats. I don't like it more or less than Legend of Zelda, as they are really two totally different games of equal quality and fun. I have beaten the game at least 10 times and there was a period where I beat it 3 times in a row, using the same savegame. Unfortunately, the game only marks that you have completed the game and doesn't keep track of how many times. I carried the Zelda II manual with me everywhere: to school, restaurants, relatives' houses. I said goodbye to the game last year when I sold off my original NES collection.

[8bitnes]

I think it comes down to which game you played first. If you were first exposed to Zelda 2, then naturally you liked it because it was a solid game and you had no expectations. If you first played Zelda 1, then Zelda 2 wasn't well-received because it was not what you expected regardless of if it is a good game or not. I first played Zelda 3, and liked Zelda 1, but I won't touch Zelda 2.

[Crutch]

Zelda II is the only Zelda game that I have actually wrapped. It was the one of the frist 3 games I got for christmas when I got my first NES. I have it classic series for the GBA, can't get enough of it. Finish it again atleast once a year.

[syd]

On the subject, I actually liked SMB2 much more than the original. Maybe I just like sequel changes more than the average person, who knows!

I carried the Zelda II manual with me everywhere: to school, restaurants, relatives' houses.

Now THAT'S hardcore! I've never heard of anyone doing that before. It's nice to know someone likes this game as much as I do, and in this case much moreso.

[evil_genius]

Another thing I think people don't like about AoL. Is that the game throws you into crappy situations that you really don't want to be in. Which makes the game much more difficult and sometimes aggravating. Like I'm trying to get to the castle on the other side of the map but I get caught up in tons of shit before I can make it there (battles, crossing bridges etc). Plus the game is very challenging, much more challenging than the first. In LoZ, there was no cut scenes for battles you whacked them a few times with you sword and you're on your way. The map was much easier to navigate like this. LoZ was also not nearly as challenging as AoL.

AoL is more aggravating and takes more patience to play and beat. I have been playing AoL for 16 years and still haven't beaten it.

[Jagasian]

I am currently playing through Zelda 2 on my toaster NES. I had to replace the battery on the copy that I got off of Ebay, so I replaced the battery with a coin-holder so that future battery replacement is made easier. I just got to a dungeon that you find by dropping down into a grave. I also just learned a new fighting technique that lets you stab downwards. How much of the game do I have left?

[GameSlaveGaz]

People don't like Zelda II because it was such a diversion from the original Zelda. People loved the free-roaming element of Zelda, and Zelda II had that in the overworld map, but the dungeons, towns and battles were all side-scrolling, and like many people already said, people don't like change. While I don't hate Zelda II, it's not one of my favorites, but it is still a better Zelda game than Wind Waker or the CD-i games.
The one thing that was really great about Zelda II was the different techniques you could learn, like the down thrust and the up thrust and the different spells. More Zelda games should've done that instead of just the charge-up spin and shooting beams of light from your sword. (although Link does use the up and down thrusts in SSB and Soul Calibur) What was really annoying about Zelda II was having to earn experience points and leveling up. That is why I still haven't beaten it, cuz I'd be spending all this time leveling up, then my NES glitches. But all in all, it's still a Zelda game and it's a great game but with its drawbacks

[syd]

I am currently playing through Zelda 2 on my toaster NES. I had to replace the battery on the copy that I got off of Ebay, so I replaced the battery with a coin-holder so that future battery replacement is made easier. I just got to a dungeon that you find by dropping down into a grave. I also just learned a new fighting technique that lets you stab downwards. How much of the game do I have left?

By my estimates you're a little more than halfway through the game right now. The last part of the game is by far the hardest and the longest, especially the final palace. I think most people give up when they get to the final palace because it can be insane, so I can't really blame them. Don't give up though, hopefully you're not one of those people.

[SoulBlazer]

Why can't you enjoy both games? I played Zelda 1 first and still love both games.

[chrisbid]

mark me as a fan of zelda II. i remember how much the game was delayed, it was included in the nintendo players guide well before it was released.

the game itself it tough, the puzzles arent much of a challenge, but the swordplay is fantastic for its time. zelda 1 on the other hand, is fairly easy action wise, but the crypitc puzzles kept people out of the know from beating the game. ("There are secrets where fairies do not live" has to be one of the worst clues ive ever heard)

[sabre2922]

I luved Zelda 2 and have very fond memories of it from back when I was a kid and was soo hyped about a new Zelda (the original being my fav game ever) and remember the whole so-called cartridge shortage fiasco damn those were great times to be a gaming geek

I agree that the Adventure of Link is a faaar better game than Windwaker I just couldnt get into this game and WANTED to like it i really did and those god-awful CDi games are better forgotten

[Ruudos]

I still think that most people do like Zelda 2 and SMB2. These games were still hits, there are all these nitpits that complain about the different gameplay, but I'm pretty sure the majority likes those game quite a lot.

[Emuaust]

I also believe that the 2nd Zelda game was wasy better then the first, but i did start on the second game first!, if that makes any sence at all!

The games are so different though that im can understand why people like one and not the other, but to me that is what adds so much charm to the series, originality!