Zelda 2: Adventure of Link
Reviewed by Jack Bladel
Few games seem to garner such disparate reviews as Zelda 2.
Some love it, some hate it. Some love to hate it, and some...well,
you get the idea.
As someone who bought Zelda 2 when it came out but did not ever
own or even play the original Zelda until a few weeks ago, I can
review this game without being influenced by the unusually high
expectations that many seem to have had for it based on the
classic Zelda I (and were subsequently MOST disappointed with it).
Graphics: 4.5 out of 5
Clean and essentially flicker-free, the graphics are quite nice. I
especially liked the side-scrolling scenes, which in terms of quality
probably lie somewhere between SMB 2 and and SMB 3. The overhead
world map that you travel around Hyrule on is blocky but adequate.
Music and Sound: 2.5 out of 5
Really very typical and average Nintendo stuff, which is to say that it
is annoying as hell but also catchy and appropriate to the action on screen.
Game Challenge: 5 out of 5
Incredibly challenging, and I mean that in the worst possible way.
Essentially, unless you are some kind of phoneme when it comes to
video gaming, you are going to need a Game Genie or an emulator with
save states to finish this one. Not only is it hard, but it is huge as
well, which means half the challenge is just having the patience to
get through it all.
Game Play-Fun: 2 out of 5
The platforming aspect can be fun for a while, but it is ultimately
just too repetitive. The enemies you encounter in the side-scrolling
combat are ALWAYS in the same place and will ALWAYS attack the
same way. The palaces end up being endless mazes in which every new
room looks alike and is full of enemies that you have beaten hundreds
of times before. The game is too linear (which is to say COMPLETELY
linear) as well...which ruins the fun you might have had just wandering
around and getting to know the land of Hyrule.
Call me a spoiled PC gamer, but come on! Even roughly contemporaneous
computer games (like Wasteland) were letting you wander around freely
and engage in combats that didn't all play alike!
Frustration
Think you are good? Buy this game. I bet you serious moola that you
will need to use the Game Genie to finish it. Zelda 2 doesn't just
challenge you. It beats you down and then picks you up so you can get
beat up some more. And then it takes your lunch money. And steals
your girlfriend.
Game Value: 2 out of 5
Well of course it depends on the price. If you like all things Zelda, or
are an ace gamer looking for the game that will finally bring you to
your knees, then shell out the $5-10 for it.
Documentation/Storyline: 4 out of 5
I was very anxious to play this game after reading the manual for
the first time so many years ago. It is both colorful and informative.
There is even a partial map of Hyrule. The story is King's
Quest-meets-Mario Brothers-meets Ultima-meets Donkey Kong stuff,
save the girl and the world and all that jazz, but it still works.
Overall: 3 out of 5
I'd love to give this game a 5 star rating, but I can't. I'd love to give
this game a 0 star rating, but I can't do that either. It has tons of good
ideas, some nice features, some really stupid features, and is
ultimately a test of patience as much as skill. It wants do too much;
it wants to be Legend of Zelda, but it also wants to be a cool platformer
like Super Mario Brothers 1, 2, and 3. As a result, it's just an "okay" game
that will frustrate and disappoint even those folks like myself who
have no attachment to the original Zelda.