3DS Ambassador Games: Play Nintendo NES Reviews

Here you can check out reviews for some of the titles available in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program. As of right now we only have Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, and Zelda 2, but more are indeed on the way.


Super Mario Bros. Review
The Legend of Zelda Review
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Review

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Melody

You may have read my Zelda II review, but this song will give you another perspective on the game.

Direct Link

Play Nintendo Retro: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES/VC) Review

The Adventure of Link is the second game in the Zelda series, and sequel to the NES classic, The Legend of Zelda. However, Zelda II isn’t exactly a carbon copy of the original like most sequels tend to be; in fact, it changes up the formula quite a bit. Zelda II is widely known to be the black sheep of the Legend of Zelda series. Its gameplay style differs the most from other Zelda games, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is a bad game.

As a direct sequel, Zelda II takes place a few years after the defeat of Ganon. Even though the king of evil was defeated, his presence is still felt throughout Hyrule. Seeking to revive their master, Ganon’s minions cast a spell on Zelda, one that puts her in an eternal slumber. With Zelda out of the way, the minions seek the three pieces of the Triforce to resurrect Ganon. It becomes necessary to annihilate Link and steal two pieces of the Triforce, Power & Wisdom, which he bears. Link learns of Zelda’s misfortune and sets out to break the spell and wake her from her slumber.

Already possessing two pieces of the Triforce, Link has to find and complete the Triforce to help the princess. The last piece, Courage, resides inside the Great Palace, but it is blocked by a mysterious energy. Gaining entrance won’t be an easy task though, as Link will have to set six crystals in statues being overlooked by one of Ganon’s guardians, located in the depths of palaces across Hyrule. After defeating the guardians and setting the crystals, Link can now venture inside the Great Palace. Once Link defeats the last guardian he can secure the Triforce of Courage. Now he can awaken Princess Zelda and foil Ganon’s attempt to return to the land of Hyrule.

Zelda II's overworld is only a small part of the game.

Upon first starting the game you will notice right away that Zelda II will play differently than its predecessor. Zelda II begins without pulling any punches by throwing you directly into the sidescrolling perspective. This is something that you will have to get used to quickly, because this is how the majority of the game is played. Link does navigate an overworld with an overhead perspective, but this only occurs when traveling between towns, palaces, etc. Link can not battle enemies or collect items in the overworld as it’s mainly used to connect the world. This makes the game very unlike The Legend of Zelda, and I would also say that the overworld is really boring. Some elements on the overworld such as rocks which can be smashed give a little life, but again the overworld is pretty plain and simple.

Link trotting along to the next town.

Majority of our adventure will take place as a set of sidescrolling levels. When Link touches locations and enemies on the overworld map, we are immediately presented with a sidescrolling stage. When touching enemies, caves or palaces, Link will now gain the opportunity to battle in a sidescrolling action stage, but more on that in a little bit. Towns play their first big role in a Zelda game. They are explored in the sidescrolling perspective, much like the action stages, but they contain a lot of depth that you wouldn’t expect in a sidescroller. Link can talk to the villagers, heal, learn new magic; things you would expect to experience in a town. Link may also get hints to help him throughout his journey, which makes it worthwhile to chat with everyone.

Here's where the real action begins!

So, let’s get back to the main gameplay mechanic, the action stages. Link will fight much differently in this game because of the new perspective. He can stab high with his sword, or low while ducking, and even jump, which is helpful during platforming sections and using new sword techniques. Adding to his high and low attacks, Link can learn two other useful sword techniques. They are an upwards stab and a downwards stab, both can only be done after pressing the jump button. Combat is extremely varied as there are a number of different enemies and bosses each with their own pattern. Without mastering these techniques you will no doubt have trouble defeating some of the enemies. Aside from sword combat, Link can also utilize magic for the first time in the series. There are a total of eight spells including: Life to refill your health, Shield to halve damage, and Thunder to destroy all on-screen enemies. There is a magic meter which will limit the amount of spells you can cast, an element seen in many Zelda games since. It’s also noteworthy to mention that Magic pretty much replaces the item mechanic of the first, and it is missed quite a bit. Regardless, all of the above elements make for a deep, different and enjoyable combat experience.

I hope you're ready to see this a whole bunch.

Zelda II can be a hard game, but that’s not due to the controls. It boils down to certain design elements chosen for the game. I think Link controls well in both combat and jumping, so I wouldn’t blame the difficulty on the controls. However, the game can become frustrating when learning enemy patterns, or when there are multiple enemies of many kinds on screen. In these situations, it’s best to be patient and advance wisely to achieve success. Link can also utilize 1UPs for the first time, which can give you a second crack at the palace you are trying to overcome. However, another design choice will have you throwing your controller around quite a bit. If you lose all of your lives and get a Game Over, you will have to start again from Zelda’s chamber, forcing you to navigate the dangers you had to overcome to get to that palace, if you’re good you will get back easily, if not, prepare to do it all over again. Luckily, Zelda II also introduced an experience system which you can use to level up your life, magic, and attack. You will endure grinding similar to RPG’s just to gain experience. Using this experience to level up your stats will lend a helping hand, and I think that this is something future Zelda games could expand further.

Overall, the gameplay is pretty well designed in my opinion, save for a few complaints above. Palaces play out similar to the dungeons in The Legend of Zelda in that they are mazes that are gradually uncovered by exploring each room, finding keys for locked doors, and culminating in a boss battle. Each of these being elements included in every Zelda game to date. Other familiar elements are fairies and sword beams. Some elements introduced in Zelda II even carry forward in the series such as: the magic meter, towns, as well as some well placed side quests. So, if you were told this isn’t like Zelda, someone lied. Yes the sidescrolling stages are quite different, but as a total package this is a Zelda game at heart.

Maze like dungeons? Check! This game holds a lot of Zelda Spirit

Visually, I feel that The Adventures of Link does lack a little bit. Sprites look nice and are well animated, but other aspects lack some originality. Most of the game will look almost entirely the same, save for some palette swapping. Maybe I’m picking on this aspect a little too much, but I feel that more could have been accomplished. However you want to look at the visuals, there is no doubt a very unique atmosphere created in Zelda II, one that is very consistent. Musically, Zelda II is just as good as, or maybe better than The Legend of Zelda. There are some very catchy tunes such as the Town Theme and Palace Themes, as well as a beautifully crafted opening and overworld theme. The Palace Theme in this game happens to be one of my personal favourite Zelda tracks.

3/5 D-Pads: Zelda II isn’t the game you’d expect to play upon insertion of the cartridge, or booting up your Wii’s Virtual Console, but it’s a very satisfying experience. Sword combat is quite varied and perhaps influential behind Nintendo’s decision to make combat a more complete experience in Skyward Sword. Also, Zelda II carries elements that have become staples in the Zelda franchise, such as magic, towns, and even the mysterious Dark Link. Add in a touch of some great music and you have a very complete Zelda experience, despite its tough reputation. If you’re one of those Zelda fans that has completely ignored this game, please give it another chance, as you may be surprised.