Played this when it was new and it is still my favorite. I traded my contra and wizards and warriors carts for Zelda 2. I remember playing it late at night on my black and white TV in the dark.
I ended up acquiring this cart from a friend who simply gave up on it. Think I traded it for a wrist rocket lol. Edit: Luckily I inherited my parents' Curtis Mathes console color TV with the luxurious fake wood paneling in it's Golden Years. IYKYK
@@jeredalmeida1880 my parents had a 27 inch Curtis Matches console TV in the living room when I was a kid. If I was lucky my mom would let me hook my NES up to it for an hour or so before her talk shows.
I absolutely agree. Zelda 2 is one of my favorite games ever. It's remarkable this came out in 1987. When compared to similar games at that time this was in a class of its own.
Agree. Top 5 game for me in terms of 30+ years later what do I want to play: 1. A Link to the Past 2. Super Mario Kart 3. Mario Kart 64 4. Goldeneye 5. Zelda II
@ItsGheb Zelda 2 IS the Dark Souls of Zelda. Back in the 80's were you got 3-4 games per year, you wanted that difficulty to make the game last. You should try HoverBat's new version of Zelda 2. It makes the start a little harder but the end much easier. It also adds 30% to the game and adds a quick travel system. Edit: HoverBat's NG+ unlocks a new continent.
I'm a huge fan of the first 2 Zelda games, the mystery and getting myself killed constantly is so intriguing and fun. The freedom of exploration in a grid space overworld
I don't know why people think this is hard. The enemies can be annoying but not hard. It did require some grinding near the end though. There were things you couldn't guess like New Katuso and the Error/Bagu thing but other than that it was fun. It was fun in the 80's and still is now. I wonder what people would think of it if it wasn't a Zelda sequel?
This was one of two games we had on NES when I got mine Xmas '89. I never fully beat it (I was 5 years old, cmon.) But my older brother was basically speed running it within a few weeks. Great game. 7/10
I love Zelda 2! It's a great successor to Zelda 1. I mean... look at these sequels/successors.... Ocarina -> Majora BotW -> TotK (And SMB1 -> SMB2 JP/Lost Levels) The sequel/successor is kind "the same game but more of the same". That's why I love Zelda 2 and SMB2 (US/Europe). Something really different but the feeling of "the next game in the series". Zelda 2 is THE 2D sidescroller in the Zelda series of games. There's some 2D from the side in some games like Zelda 1 (staircases in dungeons) and also in Link's Awakening but the main thing is 2D top down. And I love that Zelda 2 is difficult! That makes it even more satisfying to beat! So rewarding. Love the graphics and the the music! I know Zelda 2 is "the black sheep" and that so many rank it as the worst or least good Zelda game (from Nintendo) but I would say it's really good and very underrated. Just give the game a chance, have patience. I wanna share a very useful trick! In the overworld when you collide with these monsters or fairy it brings up a 2D action thing. And some squares on the overworld map will always bring you to these 2D action things. But when you enter this special square at the same time when a monster/fairy hit you, the game will always bring the monster/fairy 2D thing instead of that intended 2D adventure. This is extra useful when you're walking to the Great Palace where you actually must beat these pretty annoying and hard 2D adventures so you can skip these with some easier 2D things with this trick. You need some practice with the perfect timing. You will increase your success rate for this trick with time. It's normal to have a 5-25% success rate in the beginning. For those who wanna play the japanese version: it's on Game & Watch 35: Zelda (2021). Great device! Wanna see a Game & Watch: Mega Man (1-6) also, but that's Capcom. I know there are some handheld devices with those games but Game & Watch got such good standard :)
Zelda 2 wasn't a bad game. It was hard, but many games on the NES were. Many games could be run through in a very short time after you mastered the difficulty. It was cryptic, but again, that was nothing unique to this game. There were hidden areas and items you had to find to complete the game, you got virtually no hints, etc., but those were the NES days. Kids found secrets, then shared them with their friends. We managed to beat the game, after all, so we were able to figure all that stuff out. It changed up the format, but a lot of sequels did in the NES era, and this being the second game, there was no established formula yet. We can call it an outlier now, but that's after years of games following what came to be seen as the 'standard' formula. It was difficult for a number of reasons, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be overcome with practice and patience.
I was 8 when my mom got it for me. I beat it after 6 months. I adore this game to this day. I would play it late into the night even on school nights….cause i had a cool mom who let me play till midnight. It didnt take me long o realise, i could crouch down and stab shadow link. And no, there wasn’t internet back then to help me. I just had to fallow the clues in the game….and fucking take notes. lol. I was 8 and taking notes on a note pad to figure things out. But i did. This game wasn’t impossible. It wasn’t stupid hard. It was just challenging. And it was the game that got me into the whole leveling up concept and rpgs. People need to stop about the side scrolling. Who cares!!!!! It was the second game! You guys are comparing a game that was just the 2nd game and it came out like a million years ago. Stop the complaining and just play and have fun….or dont have fun.
I grew up with the NES but never played Zelda II back then. I decided to pick it up some years later and went into it blind. I loved it. Had no issues finding my way around or anything. The only bad thing about Zelda II IMHO is the difficulty curve. It is a bit rough for a while, but I got through the hard part and found a place to grind my levels up. Majoras Mask on the other hand I still haven't beaten as I hate the imposed 3 days until the moon crashes thing. Also, in regards to is Zelda II better than Mega Man I? Yes, easily. Mega Man didn't hit it's groove until Mega Man II. Better than Contra? I could see it going either way. Better than SMB2 US? I could see it going either way here too. Zelda II sure has a lot more content than any of the prevoiusly mentioned games and has a good challenge to it as well.
having owned/played this when it was released, i always liked this one. i suppose i wouldn't have known what its public reception was, but i would have been surprised to hear it was disliked. i think most of the dislike comes from younger folks going back to play it after later installments in the series. i def like the first one better, but this one is great. just different. i like the spells and xp mechanics
Im a child of the 80s i remember zelda 2 fondly. Remember, its not like today where there’s loads of zelda games and a strong legacy. The were inly 2 zelda games in existence. It was hard yes, but finishing the game back the was huge for me.
Link is one of my favorite games I've ever played. Never understood the hate. It was just fun. And it kept the feel but in a different way... but it kept you in the world. That's impressive.
Its my fave due to nostalgia. I received both Zelda 1 & 2 on the same Xmas in 1989 and I liked 2 better due to the action/gameplay/polish. I wish Nintendo would do a remake or tribute to the side-scrolling Zelda or contract someone else to do one.
I actually think that Zelda 2 is far better than Mario 2, Contra, and definitely better than Mega Man 1. I mean, to some degree there's some genre preference there -- if you don't like exploring but do like platforming, you'll probably prefer Contra. But honestly, I'd take Zelda 2 over those three games any day. The difficulty isn't that bad, especially compared to other NES games (and even many modern games; compare Zelda 2 to something like Ender Lilies). Many NES games were nearly unplayable because of their absurd difficulty and poor controls, while Zelda 2 is relatively kind compared to a lot of NES games of the time. Most of the cryptic stuff is actually hinted at as well, including things like the false wall you have go through in palace 5. I think that a lot of modern players' issues with Zelda 2 stem from a disconnect with the era when it was released. It's also operating at a huge technological disadvantage compared to modern games, or even games released ten years after it. Back then, you probably didn't have more than about 5-20 games in your collection, so you would be more willing to spend a lot of time exploring in a game like this one. Today, many people probably have 5-20 games in their steam library that they bought and just never got around to playing.
I had to call the game counselors to figure out to ise the Spell at the edge of town. I think i FOUND the town on my own. Only other thing i really got stuck on was beating the level 5 boss. I spent a whole day grinding for P points so i could strengthen for that.
I never understood how people think this game is hard... There's way harder games on the NES... Zelda II takes strategy... This is the game that taught me how to get good at video games... Most of the time when I see people bashing it, it's cause skill level...
The people who complain about the difficulty of Zelda 2 are the same ones who complain that the series is too easy since it came out. My daughter beat Oot, MM, WW, Botw, & Totk before she was 12. She's playing this now and loves it.
This was the second game we owned after Super Mario Bros. It took me about 11 months to finish when I was 6. We got stuck for months where most people can guess we got stuck. I dressed as Link for Halloween in kindergarten. When I get the urge to play video games for a few hours, my first preference is typically this game or A Link to the Past. One of my favorite games ever. 10/10.
The movement & battling drew me in to Zelda 2 as a huge upgrade to 1. I didn't even miss that I didn't have 8 gadgets to swap my B button for; seeing a bigger more detailed Link & characters, and being able to add jumping & magic into combat & was a significant advancement. I think it was mainly not being able to move diagonally in Zelda 1, that was the deal breaker, and that's especially glaring when going back to it today.
The dilsiked part for Zelda II was the map part, where Link would just walk around and no activity on the player. The map should have been like how Zelda I was in exploration and entering places was side scrolling, then Zelda II would have been effectively a perfect game.
I finished it when I was 6. The original TMNT on the other hand no chance 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Still haven’t gotten past the first few Technodrome enemies without game genie.
Most people look at IP and games through today’s lens and aren’t really aware of what pushed the market back then. This game looks incredibly different as do so many other sequels because the IP followed what was popular in the time period rather than defining it
My headcanon is that zaming all princesses born into the royal family in Hyrule "Zelda" was already a tradition (since the official material has several Zelda games taking place before Zelda 2), and the prince made it an official law.
Several of the more esoteric puzzles and side quests (like finding the hidden town or the mirror) were hinted at in the game manual that originally shipped with the game.
IMO the weirdest Zelda is either Skyward Sword - Bomb rolling - Fighting the same boss 3 times - Silent realm ( I think it gave me PTSD ) - Why can’t the bird fly to the ground - Finally the motion controls though neat would be nice if I could turn them off . ( Maybe they can now but the Version I had that was not an option) Again IMO 😊 Or Zelda Tracks . That was very strange for me.
1989 Christmas 8yr old me got this game and Castlevania 2 for Christmas. I’m clearly biased by nostalgia but this game is so much fun. (Says the guy who played this way to much growing up and took nearly a decade to finally beat)
This was my first Zelda game. I didnt like it at first, but i grew to love it! Yes, it is very difficult. I think its the only NES game ive owned that i never beat.
After I beat the last Boss I was over joyed but did not know there was still one more to go , me !!! When my shadow jumped out me and my friends freaked !!! I didn’t know what to do , just crouched and swung my sword and that worked !?! 😳😳 I beat the game and just was stunned. I could not believe it . Such an awesome game.
The side scrolling in Link's Awakening is absolutely inspired by thhis game, but yeah; it's weird how.. "forgotten" this game seems to be. Still though, I love Zelda 2 hahah.
When it was released it was pretty groundbreaking. It was a difficult game and getting your hands ona guide was more difficult than hitting up Professor Google. Your review was pretty accurate considering your retro look back.
I had to make my own map , took forever but helped me a lot towards the end. Funny thing Nintendo Power released a guide not long after I completed my own map . 😂😂😂
Couldn't beat when I was a kid in fact didn't beat till I was an adult.Beaten several times now however and if you grew up like I did on 8 and 16 bit systems you would have been forced to the sometimes unforgivable difficulty of the old systems as well.Best thing to do (for me that is) always look up world maps and dungeon maps if not whole walkthrough if needed.
Okay, this is the comment about Zelda II's mistakes: The _short_ version is Link plays mid-to-late game like ge should *at the start.* You should *start* with the up and down stabs, and unlock more involved sword techniques, like the spin attack of later series. Link's sword is too short. *No, really!* Like half a character width more and he could hit close-but-approaching enemies, instead of right-on-top-of-Link enemies. *Where's the bow and arrows?* The boomerang? Yeah, the video touched on this, but it was worth repeating. Same for the save/life system. I will say that this gameplay style didn't disappear from Zelda, it fused with the topdown Zelda gameplay and then evolved into the Ocarina of Time's gameplay. Despite all these things I felt the need to comment upon, the video *is* very good. XD I'm just another old fart with strong opinions on something. XD
I hate this game so much. Played Zelda 1 as an 8 year old kid with my friend. The best experience ever. We jumped across the room when beating it. We where so hyped when we got Zelda 2 in 1988 and started the game the first time. We played about 1 hour switched it off and never loaded it up again.
Zelda II _might_ be better than the games you listed? Contra was *hard* and a harder sell to some parents. I love me some Mega Man, but the first game is a diamond in the rough. Super Mario Bros. 2 is the only real competition and - having grown up with it - if it wins, it is because it was easier than Zelda II. *Edit:* Since the phrase is confusing to some people a "diamond in the rough" is an idiomatic expression in English. Uncut diamonds are referred to as in the rough and are typically _less_ valuable than properly cut, polished diamonds. When used to describe something, the phrase "diamond in the rough" means "one having exceptional qualities or potential but lacking refinement or polish". Mega Man in is, overall, a good game for it's time *but* the Mega Man formula needed refinement, which it would receive from later games. So I am explaining *why* Nintendo Power could honestly say they think Zelda II was the best game of that year as one of the competitor's cited? Good but not great.
@@orsonzedd It was good, but not great. It was one of my first NES games. I enjoyed the original SMB and SMB3 more. Would I have enjoyed Zelda II more? No, no I would not. *But* I can understand the folks at Nintendo power enjoying it more. I mean, it isn't like SMB was snubbed in favor of Zelda II because of Nintendo bias; they're *both* Nintendo-made titles! XD
@@tim_is_random No, I said it was a diamond in the rough: good, but needing polish. Hence me thinking Zelda II could legitimately be seen as better than it. Not sure which of the two I would prefer to play.
@@KamisamanoOtaku That’s not what “diamond in the rough” means. That phrase means it’s a rare treasure (diamond) found among an abundance of less valuable things (the rough).
Dude maybe you’re too young to have appreciated it but this game is way better than you give it credit for. Your major complaint seems to be that it’s hard and there is an occasional situation where you make a risky jump and get knocked into a pit of lava? First of all, knock back is super important- it gives the character physical weight so you don’t just move through enemies without considering what might happen to you. It’s more like real life. I personally think a game feels cheap when you fly through enemies and just take damage without there being any physical reaction to you getting hurt. It also makes you have to be more careful and plan your movements. Also, you fail to mention that you can get magic anywhere in the game because many enemies give you magic, and these smaller, easier enemies regenerate. So you fight these enemies, work on your moves, develop your skills and gain magic in the process so you can heal yourself. There’s almost no reason to die in one of the dungeons except for being to impatient to gather magic and heal yourself. I agree with you that the fighting is fantastic, and the enemies are great! They are not hard, they are challenging, but once you learn how to fight them they are fairly easy. This game has some of the best fighting challenges on the Nintendo for a side scroller. It’s simple but extremely elegant. This game is a rare gem.
I'm not sure if this is the truth, but supposedly it was the readers of the magazine who voted on the Nester Awards by sending in postcards. Heck... I might have even voted in one of those. I remember sending in artwork and a few other things over the years back then. I don't really think that Nintendo was manipulating that very hard. If you look at 1990's GameBoy winner, it was TMNT: Fall of the Foot Clan which won best game. Not only was that a Konami release, but it was objectively a pretty mid game. You also had games like Final Fantasy Legend II, Double Dragon II, Gargoyle's Quest and Nintendo's own Dr. Mario that year. But nobody other than the Turtles were going to win that in 1990 without a riot because they were so popular at the time. And even if you found 1990 NES releases you had good arguments for being a better game, the anticipation for Super Mario 3 was just so hyped up after we got to see a preview of it in The Wizard that it was all anybody talked about at school before it came out. I dunno... I think because Nintendo had 100% control of the production of all carts and chips nd made a killing off of their deals with 3rd party developers at the time that they honestly didn't really care all that much who won. And they had us all paying them every month to basically send us huge advertisements as a bonus. If Japan were in charge of it, I think things would have gone differently, but since it was Nintendo of America putting that magazine out, none of the programming teams that would love having bragging rights had any input on the process. I think it might be possible that people who were predisposed to take the time to write to NP and cast a vote were somehow psychologically more inclined to pick Zelda II above the other games that came out in 1988 is all. I know I sent stuff into them on 3 different occasions and Zelda II is my favorite Zelda game. It would be hard for me to choose between Contra, SMB2 and Zelda II even today. I think I probably would have voted for whichever one I got most recently before the voting started and I was currently playing the hell out of. Not criticizing you. Just offering some counterpoints from somebody who grew up those days to ponder.
Zelda 2 is one of my most replayed games in my inventory. One of the many best games ever made! You just suck at playing games. And why you keep saying mana!! It’s magic!!🤷♂️😂😂
I wanted another zelda game, not whatever this was. This game was not it, and I felt like I got scammed. The internet was barely in existence back then, and I was poor and didn't have nintendo power or any guides etc. I enjoyed cdi zelda more, when I was in ICU for a week in the 90s.
Oh yeah games back then hardly anybody finished Zelda games Castlevania games or any other games of that ilk.. i know i played them but finishing them ummm no
Yeah, zelda 2 is definitely better than mario 2, contra, and mega man 1, combined... lmao what... megaman 1 isnt even good, contra is simple and boring, and mario 2 is the worst mario game on the nes
This Zelda 2 game rightfully punishes smart-alec swashbuckling players of the Zelda 1 and later series who did not bother to have some common sense in playing. For example, in your video about taking the heart container, isn't it obvious that you should have killed the Goriya BEFORE taking the container? Same as the palace 1-up doll, you should have killed the bubble enemies BEFORE taking the doll. And isn't it obvious that you should take a little more care in your jumping if you did not want to fall into the bottomless pit. And that part about jumping into the Moas flying all over the place. Can't you be a little more patient and wait for them to fly past before jump and proceeding? I think basically the comments in this video do not seem to give justice to the Zelda 2 game.
Played this when it was new and it is still my favorite. I traded my contra and wizards and warriors carts for Zelda 2. I remember playing it late at night on my black and white TV in the dark.
I ended up acquiring this cart from a friend who simply gave up on it. Think I traded it for a wrist rocket lol.
Edit: Luckily I inherited my parents' Curtis Mathes console color TV with the luxurious fake wood paneling in it's Golden Years. IYKYK
@@jeredalmeida1880 my parents had a 27 inch Curtis Matches console TV in the living room when I was a kid. If I was lucky my mom would let me hook my NES up to it for an hour or so before her talk shows.
You traded 2 mediochre games for a classic
Zelda 2 was the first Zelda game I ever played, and I’ve been hopelessly addicted to the franchise ever since.
For me, this ranks as one of the best Zelda games, and one of my favorite games of all time.
I absolutely agree. Zelda 2 is one of my favorite games ever. It's remarkable this came out in 1987. When compared to similar games at that time this was in a class of its own.
Agree. Top 5 game for me in terms of 30+ years later what do I want to play:
1. A Link to the Past
2. Super Mario Kart
3. Mario Kart 64
4. Goldeneye
5. Zelda II
@ItsGheb
Zelda 2 IS the Dark Souls of Zelda.
Back in the 80's were you got 3-4 games per year, you wanted that difficulty to make the game last.
You should try HoverBat's new version of Zelda 2. It makes the start a little harder but the end much easier. It also adds 30% to the game and adds a quick travel system.
Edit: HoverBat's NG+ unlocks a new continent.
Resurrection of Ganon was fun.
Shadow of Night is obtuse.
I prefer Zelda II over Contra, Mario 2 & Mega Man 1. Definitely hard though. Cryptic too
I'm a huge fan of the first 2 Zelda games, the mystery and getting myself killed constantly is so intriguing and fun. The freedom of exploration in a grid space overworld
I don't know why people think this is hard. The enemies can be annoying but not hard. It did require some grinding near the end though.
There were things you couldn't guess like New Katuso and the Error/Bagu thing but other than that it was fun. It was fun in the 80's and still is now.
I wonder what people would think of it if it wasn't a Zelda sequel?
If you manage your levels and experience properly, you don't even need to grind. The glitchless speedrun hits 8-8-8 before even reaching temple six.
This was one of two games we had on NES when I got mine Xmas '89. I never fully beat it (I was 5 years old, cmon.) But my older brother was basically speed running it within a few weeks. Great game. 7/10
I love Zelda 2! It's a great successor to Zelda 1. I mean... look at these sequels/successors....
Ocarina -> Majora
BotW -> TotK
(And SMB1 -> SMB2 JP/Lost Levels)
The sequel/successor is kind "the same game but more of the same".
That's why I love Zelda 2 and SMB2 (US/Europe). Something really different but the feeling of "the next game in the series".
Zelda 2 is THE 2D sidescroller in the Zelda series of games. There's some 2D from the side in some games like Zelda 1 (staircases in dungeons) and also in Link's Awakening but the main thing is 2D top down.
And I love that Zelda 2 is difficult! That makes it even more satisfying to beat! So rewarding. Love the graphics and the the music!
I know Zelda 2 is "the black sheep" and that so many rank it as the worst or least good Zelda game (from Nintendo) but I would say it's really good and very underrated. Just give the game a chance, have patience.
I wanna share a very useful trick! In the overworld when you collide with these monsters or fairy it brings up a 2D action thing. And some squares on the overworld map will always bring you to these 2D action things. But when you enter this special square at the same time when a monster/fairy hit you, the game will always bring the monster/fairy 2D thing instead of that intended 2D adventure. This is extra useful when you're walking to the Great Palace where you actually must beat these pretty annoying and hard 2D adventures so you can skip these with some easier 2D things with this trick. You need some practice with the perfect timing. You will increase your success rate for this trick with time. It's normal to have a 5-25% success rate in the beginning.
For those who wanna play the japanese version: it's on Game & Watch 35: Zelda (2021). Great device! Wanna see a Game & Watch: Mega Man (1-6) also, but that's Capcom. I know there are some handheld devices with those games but Game & Watch got such good standard :)
The Game and Watch Zeldas are a true gem. What a tiny treasure.
I wish they could have added Link's Awakening DX also :)
Zelda 2 wasn't a bad game.
It was hard, but many games on the NES were. Many games could be run through in a very short time after you mastered the difficulty.
It was cryptic, but again, that was nothing unique to this game. There were hidden areas and items you had to find to complete the game, you got virtually no hints, etc., but those were the NES days. Kids found secrets, then shared them with their friends. We managed to beat the game, after all, so we were able to figure all that stuff out.
It changed up the format, but a lot of sequels did in the NES era, and this being the second game, there was no established formula yet. We can call it an outlier now, but that's after years of games following what came to be seen as the 'standard' formula.
It was difficult for a number of reasons, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be overcome with practice and patience.
Zelda 2 is great. remember watching my dad beat it. Finally did it myself on the steam deck. Good times.
I was 8 when my mom got it for me. I beat it after 6 months. I adore this game to this day. I would play it late into the night even on school nights….cause i had a cool mom who let me play till midnight. It didnt take me long o realise, i could crouch down and stab shadow link. And no, there wasn’t internet back then to help me. I just had to fallow the clues in the game….and fucking take notes. lol. I was 8 and taking notes on a note pad to figure things out. But i did. This game wasn’t impossible. It wasn’t stupid hard. It was just challenging. And it was the game that got me into the whole leveling up concept and rpgs. People need to stop about the side scrolling. Who cares!!!!! It was the second game! You guys are comparing a game that was just the 2nd game and it came out like a million years ago. Stop the complaining and just play and have fun….or dont have fun.
I grew up with the NES but never played Zelda II back then. I decided to pick it up some years later and went into it blind. I loved it. Had no issues finding my way around or anything. The only bad thing about Zelda II IMHO is the difficulty curve. It is a bit rough for a while, but I got through the hard part and found a place to grind my levels up. Majoras Mask on the other hand I still haven't beaten as I hate the imposed 3 days until the moon crashes thing. Also, in regards to is Zelda II better than Mega Man I? Yes, easily. Mega Man didn't hit it's groove until Mega Man II. Better than Contra? I could see it going either way. Better than SMB2 US? I could see it going either way here too. Zelda II sure has a lot more content than any of the prevoiusly mentioned games and has a good challenge to it as well.
Play song of time to slow time. Dungeons don't pass time when u are in them..
I though this game was hard when was 8, but really it's not too hard.
having owned/played this when it was released, i always liked this one. i suppose i wouldn't have known what its public reception was, but i would have been surprised to hear it was disliked. i think most of the dislike comes from younger folks going back to play it after later installments in the series. i def like the first one better, but this one is great. just different. i like the spells and xp mechanics
Im a child of the 80s i remember zelda 2 fondly. Remember, its not like today where there’s loads of zelda games and a strong legacy. The were inly 2 zelda games in existence. It was hard yes, but finishing the game back the was huge for me.
Link is one of my favorite games I've ever played. Never understood the hate. It was just fun. And it kept the feel but in a different way... but it kept you in the world. That's impressive.
Its my fave due to nostalgia. I received both Zelda 1 & 2 on the same Xmas in 1989 and I liked 2 better due to the action/gameplay/polish. I wish Nintendo would do a remake or tribute to the side-scrolling Zelda or contract someone else to do one.
I actually think that Zelda 2 is far better than Mario 2, Contra, and definitely better than Mega Man 1. I mean, to some degree there's some genre preference there -- if you don't like exploring but do like platforming, you'll probably prefer Contra. But honestly, I'd take Zelda 2 over those three games any day.
The difficulty isn't that bad, especially compared to other NES games (and even many modern games; compare Zelda 2 to something like Ender Lilies). Many NES games were nearly unplayable because of their absurd difficulty and poor controls, while Zelda 2 is relatively kind compared to a lot of NES games of the time. Most of the cryptic stuff is actually hinted at as well, including things like the false wall you have go through in palace 5.
I think that a lot of modern players' issues with Zelda 2 stem from a disconnect with the era when it was released. It's also operating at a huge technological disadvantage compared to modern games, or even games released ten years after it. Back then, you probably didn't have more than about 5-20 games in your collection, so you would be more willing to spend a lot of time exploring in a game like this one. Today, many people probably have 5-20 games in their steam library that they bought and just never got around to playing.
Ummm... I think you misspelled, "BEST." This was one of my favorite games when I was a kid, and I still love it and play it every few years.
I had to call the game counselors to figure out to ise the Spell at the edge of town. I think i FOUND the town on my own. Only other thing i really got stuck on was beating the level 5 boss. I spent a whole day grinding for P points so i could strengthen for that.
I never understood how people think this game is hard... There's way harder games on the NES... Zelda II takes strategy...
This is the game that taught me how to get good at video games...
Most of the time when I see people bashing it, it's cause skill level...
"Error" was meant to compliment "Bug" in the towns but due to translation issues "Bug" was named "Bagu" and the correlation was lost.
The people who complain about the difficulty of Zelda 2 are the same ones who complain that the series is too easy since it came out. My daughter beat Oot, MM, WW, Botw, & Totk before she was 12. She's playing this now and loves it.
This was the second game we owned after Super Mario Bros. It took me about 11 months to finish when I was 6. We got stuck for months where most people can guess we got stuck. I dressed as Link for Halloween in kindergarten. When I get the urge to play video games for a few hours, my first preference is typically this game or A Link to the Past. One of my favorite games ever. 10/10.
I never thought it was that hard, finding the hammer was the hardest part.
There's actually a thing you can get really early in the game that makes it all a lot easier.
(Spoilers)
Good. Get good.
I absolutely LOVE Zelda 2, honestly one of my favourites in the entire series
The movement & battling drew me in to Zelda 2 as a huge upgrade to 1. I didn't even miss that I didn't have 8 gadgets to swap my B button for; seeing a bigger more detailed Link & characters, and being able to add jumping & magic into combat & was a significant advancement. I think it was mainly not being able to move diagonally in Zelda 1, that was the deal breaker, and that's especially glaring when going back to it today.
If by weirdest game in the series you mean the best... Yes. Yes it is.
Zelda II is the Dark Souls of Zelda games. Git Good, Scrub.
The dilsiked part for Zelda II was the map part, where Link would just walk around and no activity on the player. The map should have been like how Zelda I was in exploration and entering places was side scrolling, then Zelda II would have been effectively a perfect game.
I thought it was awesome. I cannot fathom how people could actually finish this back in the day. No way
I finished it when I was 6. The original TMNT on the other hand no chance 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Still haven’t gotten past the first few Technodrome enemies without game genie.
Most people look at IP and games through today’s lens and aren’t really aware of what pushed the market back then. This game looks incredibly different as do so many other sequels because the IP followed what was popular in the time period rather than defining it
My headcanon is that zaming all princesses born into the royal family in Hyrule "Zelda" was already a tradition (since the official material has several Zelda games taking place before Zelda 2), and the prince made it an official law.
Several of the more esoteric puzzles and side quests (like finding the hidden town or the mirror) were hinted at in the game manual that originally shipped with the game.
IMO the weirdest Zelda is either Skyward Sword
- Bomb rolling
- Fighting the same boss 3 times
- Silent realm ( I think it gave me PTSD )
- Why can’t the bird fly to the ground
- Finally the motion controls though neat would be nice if I could turn them off . ( Maybe they can now but the Version I had that was not an option)
Again IMO 😊
Or
Zelda Tracks . That was very strange for me.
1989 Christmas 8yr old me got this game and Castlevania 2 for Christmas. I’m clearly biased by nostalgia but this game is so much fun. (Says the guy who played this way to much growing up and took nearly a decade to finally beat)
My favorite nes game
This was my first Zelda game. I didnt like it at first, but i grew to love it! Yes, it is very difficult. I think its the only NES game ive owned that i never beat.
After I beat the last Boss I was over joyed but did not know there was still one more to go , me !!! When my shadow jumped out me and my friends freaked !!! I didn’t know what to do , just crouched and swung my sword and that worked !?! 😳😳 I beat the game and just was stunned. I could not believe it . Such an awesome game.
*A DAY TO REMEMBER!*
Tnks!
We don't talk about -Bruno- CDi aye aye aye...
The side scrolling in Link's Awakening is absolutely inspired by thhis game, but yeah; it's weird how.. "forgotten" this game seems to be. Still though, I love Zelda 2 hahah.
When it was released it was pretty groundbreaking. It was a difficult game and getting your hands ona guide was more difficult than hitting up Professor Google. Your review was pretty accurate considering your retro look back.
I had to make my own map , took forever but helped me a lot towards the end. Funny thing Nintendo Power released a guide not long after I completed my own map . 😂😂😂
Subbed.
Good stuff, man.
THE best NES game in the entire Universe ! I finished it "a thousand" times !
As someone who grew up in the NES era, I can tell you adventure of Link was absolutely harder than almost any game of the time
Couldn't beat when I was a kid in fact didn't beat till I was an adult.Beaten several times now however and if you grew up like I did on 8 and 16 bit systems you would have been forced to the sometimes unforgivable difficulty of the old systems as well.Best thing to do (for me that is) always look up world maps and dungeon maps if not whole walkthrough if needed.
Okay, this is the comment about Zelda II's mistakes:
The _short_ version is Link plays mid-to-late game like ge should *at the start.*
You should *start* with the up and down stabs, and unlock more involved sword techniques, like the spin attack of later series. Link's sword is too short. *No, really!* Like half a character width more and he could hit close-but-approaching enemies, instead of right-on-top-of-Link enemies.
*Where's the bow and arrows?* The boomerang? Yeah, the video touched on this, but it was worth repeating. Same for the save/life system.
I will say that this gameplay style didn't disappear from Zelda, it fused with the topdown Zelda gameplay and then evolved into the Ocarina of Time's gameplay.
Despite all these things I felt the need to comment upon, the video *is* very good. XD I'm just another old fart with strong opinions on something. XD
Zelda 2 was awesome to me. Really challenging.
Zelda II IS better than Mario 2, Contra, and Mega Man
😡
Best zelda game imo.
underrated game!!!!
take a shot every time he says Zelda 2, Zellatoo, and Zeelllaa2
The game was rock solid but harder than diamonds.
Get all items in palaces and level up as you go and then double back to kill bosses assess.
I beat Zelda II at the age of 7. It's not that difficult. Go play Hollow Knight in steel soul mode. 😉
i liked this one more then the 1st one and the next on snes was even better.
I'd wager that Triforce Heroes is probably the weirdest Zelda game.
I mean it wasn't an easy game. But I beat it in late 1988 at the age of 9 in about 2 weeks. It can't be that hard.
I wish they would do a Zelda 2 remake
I hate this game so much. Played Zelda 1 as an 8 year old kid with my friend. The best experience ever. We jumped across the room when beating it. We where so hyped when we got Zelda 2 in 1988 and started the game the first time. We played about 1 hour switched it off and never loaded it up again.
Zelda II _might_ be better than the games you listed? Contra was *hard* and a harder sell to some parents. I love me some Mega Man, but the first game is a diamond in the rough. Super Mario Bros. 2 is the only real competition and - having grown up with it - if it wins, it is because it was easier than Zelda II.
*Edit:* Since the phrase is confusing to some people a "diamond in the rough" is an idiomatic expression in English. Uncut diamonds are referred to as in the rough and are typically _less_ valuable than properly cut, polished diamonds. When used to describe something, the phrase "diamond in the rough" means "one having exceptional qualities or potential but lacking refinement or polish".
Mega Man in is, overall, a good game for it's time *but* the Mega Man formula needed refinement, which it would receive from later games. So I am explaining *why* Nintendo Power could honestly say they think Zelda II was the best game of that year as one of the competitor's cited? Good but not great.
No smb2 is fantastic
@@orsonzedd It was good, but not great. It was one of my first NES games. I enjoyed the original SMB and SMB3 more. Would I have enjoyed Zelda II more? No, no I would not. *But* I can understand the folks at Nintendo power enjoying it more. I mean, it isn't like SMB was snubbed in favor of Zelda II because of Nintendo bias; they're *both* Nintendo-made titles! XD
You’re suggesting that the original Mega Man was the best of that series? That’s … certainly a take
@@tim_is_random No, I said it was a diamond in the rough: good, but needing polish. Hence me thinking Zelda II could legitimately be seen as better than it. Not sure which of the two I would prefer to play.
@@KamisamanoOtaku That’s not what “diamond in the rough” means. That phrase means it’s a rare treasure (diamond) found among an abundance of less valuable things (the rough).
The style was established in link to the past, not in the first game
They better remake it redo the entire gameplay just like link's awakening
I don't care to much for either of the 1or 2. A link to the past when we feel like the Zelda series got good.
Looks like we are ignoring the CDI as usual 😂
I would say the last 2 Zelda games are weird. No traditional dungeons and weapons break.
The Game Over screen. 😵💫🥴😵🫠
Dude maybe you’re too young to have appreciated it but this game is way better than you give it credit for. Your major complaint seems to be that it’s hard and there is an occasional situation where you make a risky jump and get knocked into a pit of lava?
First of all, knock back is super important- it gives the character physical weight so you don’t just move through enemies without considering what might happen to you. It’s more like real life. I personally think a game feels cheap when you fly through enemies and just take damage without there being any physical reaction to you getting hurt. It also makes you have to be more careful and plan your movements.
Also, you fail to mention that you can get magic anywhere in the game because many enemies give you magic, and these smaller, easier enemies regenerate. So you fight these enemies, work on your moves, develop your skills and gain magic in the process so you can heal yourself. There’s almost no reason to die in one of the dungeons except for being to impatient to gather magic and heal yourself.
I agree with you that the fighting is fantastic, and the enemies are great! They are not hard, they are challenging, but once you learn how to fight them they are fairly easy.
This game has some of the best fighting challenges on the Nintendo for a side scroller. It’s simple but extremely elegant. This game is a rare gem.
I'm not sure if this is the truth, but supposedly it was the readers of the magazine who voted on the Nester Awards by sending in postcards. Heck... I might have even voted in one of those. I remember sending in artwork and a few other things over the years back then. I don't really think that Nintendo was manipulating that very hard. If you look at 1990's GameBoy winner, it was TMNT: Fall of the Foot Clan which won best game. Not only was that a Konami release, but it was objectively a pretty mid game. You also had games like Final Fantasy Legend II, Double Dragon II, Gargoyle's Quest and Nintendo's own Dr. Mario that year. But nobody other than the Turtles were going to win that in 1990 without a riot because they were so popular at the time. And even if you found 1990 NES releases you had good arguments for being a better game, the anticipation for Super Mario 3 was just so hyped up after we got to see a preview of it in The Wizard that it was all anybody talked about at school before it came out.
I dunno... I think because Nintendo had 100% control of the production of all carts and chips nd made a killing off of their deals with 3rd party developers at the time that they honestly didn't really care all that much who won. And they had us all paying them every month to basically send us huge advertisements as a bonus. If Japan were in charge of it, I think things would have gone differently, but since it was Nintendo of America putting that magazine out, none of the programming teams that would love having bragging rights had any input on the process.
I think it might be possible that people who were predisposed to take the time to write to NP and cast a vote were somehow psychologically more inclined to pick Zelda II above the other games that came out in 1988 is all. I know I sent stuff into them on 3 different occasions and Zelda II is my favorite Zelda game. It would be hard for me to choose between Contra, SMB2 and Zelda II even today. I think I probably would have voted for whichever one I got most recently before the voting started and I was currently playing the hell out of.
Not criticizing you. Just offering some counterpoints from somebody who grew up those days to ponder.
crystalis is another great action rpg on nes, i probably prefer it to zelda 2 tbh
Zelda 2 is one of my most replayed games in my inventory. One of the many best games ever made! You just suck at playing games. And why you keep saying mana!! It’s magic!!🤷♂️😂😂
Zelda 2: The Adventure Of Zinc.
Get the letter from bagu across the bridge also
It's definitely one of my 2 favorites, the other is link to the past. I didn't like the first one after I played super Nintendo
Definitely my least favorite of the series. Once I beat it I never went back lol.
Uhh, Zelda 2 is better than Mario 2 or Megaman and it's not close. As far as contra goes it's such a different genre I don't think they are comparable
I wanted another zelda game, not whatever this was. This game was not it, and I felt like I got scammed. The internet was barely in existence back then, and I was poor and didn't have nintendo power or any guides etc. I enjoyed cdi zelda more, when I was in ICU for a week in the 90s.
Oh yeah games back then hardly anybody finished Zelda games Castlevania games or any other games of that ilk.. i know i played them but finishing them ummm no
Yeah, zelda 2 is definitely better than mario 2, contra, and mega man 1, combined... lmao what... megaman 1 isnt even good, contra is simple and boring, and mario 2 is the worst mario game on the nes
This needs a remake reskin remaster or something...make it a little bit bigger ,less linear and change nothing else
Put some titles or something between your scenes. Anything besides 3 seconds of blank silence...
Second?
This Zelda 2 game rightfully punishes smart-alec swashbuckling players of the Zelda 1 and later series who did not bother to have some common sense in playing.
For example, in your video about taking the heart container, isn't it obvious that you should have killed the Goriya BEFORE taking the container? Same as the palace 1-up doll, you should have killed the bubble enemies BEFORE taking the doll.
And isn't it obvious that you should take a little more care in your jumping if you did not want to fall into the bottomless pit.
And that part about jumping into the Moas flying all over the place. Can't you be a little more patient and wait for them to fly past before jump and proceeding?
I think basically the comments in this video do not seem to give justice to the Zelda 2 game.
‘’I like the first Zelda more’’.. ya think🤣