Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES) - IMPLANTgames

[@implantgames]

Corrections: The dragon boss is a Barba, not Barca XP and magic bag drops are not random, every sixth enemy defeated drops something “Side quest” is not the correct word for seeking out mandatory items

[@damiani1131]

every 6th ennemy drops something? wow didnt know that, thanks!

[@GamerFreak-jf3qq]

Chill out bro its an easy mistake

[@jasonbuckenberger3122]

Probably the best Zelda 2 review video I have watched. And I have watched quite a few. Good work!

[@eddymadison9655]

For your next Does It Hold Up video, you should review Dynamite Heddy

[@hp5469]

Would like to add ...no xp is gained when item is dropped from enemy. Unless that item happens to be a P bag

[@billny33]

My dad fell in love with this game before either of us had even tried Zelda 1. I would watch him, I was like 7-8 yrs old, fascinated at all he discovered, then do my own series usually lagging behind where he was but having the advantage of having watched him discover all the secrets and knowing where to go. He eventually carved his way through the whole game, figuring out puzzles that made no sense to me. Watching him beat it was amazing, and I beat it myself soon after. Death Mountain was tough the first few times but I wouldnt say it was one of the hardest video game challenges ever. In fact I think the lava caves leading up to the final palace is harder ever with all the powerups you have by then. I will always love this game. My dad loved it more though. And he did not like a lot of action platformers, but he had to play every Zelda game he could get his hands on, and they almost never let him down.

[@bparker4457]

Similar experience to mine! I'd watch my dad play this when I was about 3, and I caught on and started playing too.

[@Wykesidefruitmachine]

Is he still gaming? If not, what's the most recent Zelda he played?

[@billny33]

@@Wykesidefruitmachine his most recent is Skyward Sword, which he beat. We don't have a Switch at my parents' house and the Wii was the last system we got. That game requires an add on to the wiimote that is incredibly glitchy. Well, it completely burned out while he was stuck on trying to beat the final boss. We had to put the game aside for weeks waiting for a replacement to arrive in the mail. After that while he was still trying to beat it, he let me try my hand at Demise a few times. I eventually beat him while my dad was smoking outside and I had to turn off the game and not save real quick so my dad could beat him proper and we could enjoy the ending together. I never started a series on that game, it looked fun but just seemed too time consuming. Maybe someday.

[@Wykesidefruitmachine]

@@billny33 Man that's absoluty awesome! I loved Skyward Sword, the art style was beautiful and the dungeons were great in my opinion. I hope that you and your Dad get a Wii U or a Switch one day, you'll have such a blast playing Breath of the Wild together. If he's still got his Wii, he might enjoy Xenoblade Chronicles to tide him over. So cool that you get to share those adventures with him. Hopefully you've played Twilight Princess on the Wii too. And Link's Crossbow Training!

[@billny33]

@@Wykesidefruitmachine I appreciate your enthusiasm. Yes we played both of those. I never got into TP cause the art style was so hardened and medieval but my dad played through that. The 'Ganon as a charging boar' part of that final boss fight was quite problematic for him to figure out. But he beat that eventually too. Crossbow training was fun for like 5 mins. He also got into Metroid Prime 3 Corruption. When he finally beat that final boss on the hardest difficulty I went crazy cheering him on.That guy seemed impossible. Hopefully I will get BotW to him somehow cause I know he'd love it. For the record we never had or played Wind Waker or Link to the Past (I beat LTTP later on emulator but he never played it) we did not have SNES or GC. Ocarina of Time was the last game we both beat. Majora's Mask was the only game he played, lost interest in and never finished. He said too many time consuming sidequests, too hard to know what was a sidequest and what was truly important and the constant 3-day time limit was too frustrating/tedious.

[@joserangel7408]

I am a Zelda II fan. I'm not much of a gamer now, but I received this game for my birthday (gold cartridge) from my aunt and uncle. I remember myself, my older brother and my 2 older girl cousins (my aunt and uncles daughters) stayed up so late playing Zelda II that some of them literally got sick after HOURS of game play. I never found the game play difficult, and to be completely transparent, I don't think I would have completed the game without the help of one particular kid. Back when I was a kid, my brother and I would lug our NES with us whenever we would visit relatives or my parents friends (in case we got bored) there would sometimes be kids our age or a few years older and of course they would be into Nintendo. I remember we had lugged our NES to a distant relatives house one Easter, and this kid saw us playing Zelda II, we were "stuck" and he showed us the area where you use "magic" to make a building appear, and one or two areas where "magic containers" were. After those tips, I was able to beat the game soon after. I have replayed it multiple times, and found the experience entertaining. I actually recently played and beat the original Zelda about a year ago for the first time. It looks like I'm not alone in my preference for Zelda II.

[@alyi2500]

Cool story bro when I lived in Rancho Cucamonga in Southern California my best friend's name was Apollo and he did not have Nintendo he had Atari I was one of the first Kids on the Block to get a Nintendo and of course it came with the Super Mario Brothers and the duck hunt so that was basically my first game that I played but I'm not too sure if that's the first game that I beat I believe the first game that I beat was Mickey mousecapades which was an awesome game bed for a kid it was kind of difficult because you had to know some certain tips and secrets and I didn't have the Nintendo Power Magazine at the moment but one part I would like to tell you which is actually the point of the story with my mom actually unplug a Nintendo every night and hid it in the living room at me and my brother would sneak down at 3 in the morning every single night and we will play gyromite we never really played Mario for some reason we always were start playing gyromite and we never got caught as many times as we did that we never got caught and still to this day I believe my mom actually knew we were down there playing I have no idea why that I I still believe that to this day

[@johnforkner]

You’re forgetting that this was a point in the NES lifespan where strategy guides were a major part of the experience.

[@Bored_Overthinker]

He forgot how the NES worked. Nowadays, games can be beated in, like, 2 hours. Back then, it may take WEEKS to get anywhere! And ya know what? That's good.

[@NameThatNobodyTakes]

The collision detection may be flawed during combat but in my opinion Zelda 2 has to this day one of the most exciting combat systems in the series. Unlike the overhead viewpoint of the other games where enemies rather seem like mild easy to avoid obstacles, in Zelda 2 it really feels like you have an actual one versus one encounter when you have to consider striking opportunities and your defense with the height system adding a two dimensional layer to it. In the year this game was released, this was quite revolutionary as such depth of combat is only found in later 3D games.

[@willmistretta]

I didn't see any conclusive evidence in the video that the jumping stab technique was not an intentional feature. It's stated multiple times, but seems to be merely a supposition. And yes, the combat in this game is amazing. The Zelda series as a whole suffers from shallow combat and a reluctance to offer the player real challenges. Zelda II makes you get good or go home, no excuses, and that's a major selling point for any game in my book.

[@implantgames]

The manual features diagrams showing the high/low combat system, and many of the enemies follow a similar pattern. A picture of the combat page from the manual is somewhere in the video. It appears the designers wanted the player to have epic sword battles with many of the enemies, with the final battle against Shadow Link being the ultimate test of the players sword fight skills. I also find it curious that a jumping stab will usually deal damage to an enemies head, while a downward stab will not. It seems if the designers had wanted a helmeted enemies to be hit in the head, the collisions detection would work with either technique.

[@bezoticallyyours83]

@@willmistretta That's part of what I love about it. I have owned both for several mediums and love both.

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

NameThatNobodyTakes, I’d say ZII’s combat is the more exciting than 3d Zeldas as well

[@Thracx]

@@willmistretta The jump attack is taught vs the first boss and can be used by skilled players to skip past weak enemies, like how you showed the down strike to make enemies that were previously hard, easy to fight or skip. A main divide I've noticed over the decades between fans and critics is that the game doesn't really force you to learn the combat at a good pace - you are able to pick up the jump attack technique from fighting the first boss. Since it's easier to use this than actually learning the combat system, players who don't initially enjoy the combat use this technique to progress in the game - and they progress too far for the level of sword skill that they've learned, so when the jump attack no longer works well on later enemies, combat feels impossible. On they other hand, those that enjoy the take on swordplay accept the challenge to learn it and become skilled, as the game intends. As you slowly getting more skilled (as a player and with new abilities), the game's difficulty curve is much more smooth. This difference seems to be the key between those I talk with who hated, or loved, the game. Sending you back to the princess upon dying, and loosing experience, are aspects that were appropriate for the time but haven't aged well. Modern players are better off playing in emulators with save states to 'patch' these qualities, like many harder games from the era.

[@TKnightcrawler]

The jump-stab thing isn't "strange collision behavior," it's stabbing enemies in the face. Stabbing enemies in the face is a good thing.

[@clintonwilcox4690]

It's an even stranger criticism when you factor in that the reviewer praised the game for combining techniques on the bosses, having to jump and stab them, calling that technique useful.

[@Jacob-eg3kv]

@@clintonwilcox4690 eh just shows that the reviewer needs to step back and rethink his chosen profession.There was a lot of things in this one review that conflicted with itself.

[@retrogamestudios7649]

I stab all my enemies in the face. Good for stress

[@thrjfi5360]

I learned the jump stab in 3rd grade. This game made up the 10 year old me waking up Saturday morning watching cartoons then trying to beat this game and waiting for mom to wake up to take me to bowling. I can still remember how that brown rug I had in my room felt under me. If your like me the power pad was banned until after everyone was awake and at breakfast, give or take a few skinned knees from hanging with your friends playing

[@TKnightcrawler]

@@thrjfi5360 Yeah, I have some pretty great memories from that time. In the case of Zelda 2 and the Power Pad, these memories are at my cousins' house.

[@TheGoddamnJefe]

I LOVE ZELDA ll. It’s quite the adventure.

[@elistache7222]

Of link

[@2yoyoyo1Unplugged]

Weeaboo AnimeLover DAMNIT, BEAT ME TO IT

[@mattjindrak]

@@2yoyoyo1Unplugged DAMMIT BEAT ME OFF TO IT

[@2yoyoyo1Unplugged]

fuzzygreenturtle _ DAMNIT BEATING OFF OTHER MEN TO IT

[@jaylee8240]

I do to, it was the first Zelda game i played. I didn't get too play the first one until a few years later.

[@GreatWhiteElf]

"lack luster combat"? I'm sorry, are we talking about the same game? Zelda II's combat is the best part! It's deep and challenging, rarely unfair, and rewards you for being clever or having a good reaction time. I hope I'm not the only one that thinks that.

[@HallyVee]

Nope. Apparently low life counts and punishing failure is objectively wrong.

[@Thracx]

He figured out that jump was useful for that boss fight, but not that it helps vs the axe throwing enemies. From the gameplay it doesn't seem like he gave the combat much effort to learn and master, relying on the jump attack too much. It allows you to get farther into the game than you should be able to without learning how to fight, which seems to be where a lot of people struggle with the combat difficulty.

[@luke-i1w]

With the proper amount of practice, it is not impossible to be very good at combat in Zelda II. With that being said though, I would still consider it very difficult. Because of the combat learning curve and the brutal penalty for dying 3 times (especially towards the end of the game) I beat this once just to say I did it, and haven't picked it up since. Which is a shame because this game has some very cool aspects I would love to revisit, but just can't justify due to the frustration that comes with it.

[@Thracx]

@St0rm Ranger And that's also how fighting games like SF made somewhat competent AI (back then). For the era, the combat was very detailed and had a higher skill cap than probably any other Zelda. It's why a few of us love the game, but also why most do not, like how most people don't find 'footsies' fun in fighting games. Key is that 'for the era' bit though!

[@EviltheNub]

The combat isn't deep at all. The attack range is so bad you have to get way too close to react to the enemies in order to hit them. It always comes down to flailing around and hoping the enemy dies before you do.

[@jessehilton1337]

For the longest time I thought I was just the weirdo who loved this game and everyone else hated. It’s so nice to see the game getting love over recent years. If I am honest, this is my favorite Zelda game (Link to the Past coming in 2nd). Yeah...maybe I am a bit weird then lol.

[@retrobution1262]

haha nah man, add links awakening and majoras mask and it's my list too ;)

[@Nphen]

I would love to see this game get a 16-bit remake. If one were to scale the overworld map to Link to the Past scale, this produces an overworld that is 50x the size of the Link to the Past overworld. The side-scrolling combat would have to be ditched, but spells could still work. Continue with fairly small dungeons, then have about 20 of them.

[@TomboyGamerGal]

Although I don't really like this game, you're not a weirdo for liking it.

[@poketendotv8650]

your not alone broseph it is also my favorite

[@murmirr]

SAME. my uncle used to play it while my cousin and i watched, so my love for this game will never cease

[@davidmckean955]

The trick to this game is to grind early on to keep the difficulty lower, it's really easy to level up early on. Because of the leveling system, I don't really think this game is that hard. I had a much harder time beating the Mega Man games growing up.

[@JSenator06]

Another tip I would do is always "Cancel" when you rack up enough experience until you first gain a few "Attack" levels early on.

[@Bonesph]

Build your Link up before fighting bosses. Get items in castles though. Then double back and systematically kill each boss one by one .You can kill the horse head boss in a hit or two if you max Link out first. Don't waste your time fighting bosses until you get a lot of experience points. Thank me later.

[@Nphen]

@@Bonesph Watching this and seeing how placing the crystal is an auto-level-up, I realized how good your comment is! Not only will the bosses be easier to beat, but you can fill out some of those level 7 an 8 exp with one easy quest at a time!

[@nesoukkefka1741]

Honnestly yeah it's hard but compare to other NES games like the Castlevania, Mega Man, Ninja Gaiden or freaking Ghost n Goblins, it makes me wonder if people saying this game is to hard has actually played other NES games.

[@FletcherReedsRandomness]

I actually liked Zelda II more than the first one. I guess it's because it's easier to tell where you're supposed to go, and the improved combat.

[@jackson5116]

there was no set way to go in the first, just numbered levels.

[@lindenstromberg6859]

For me, it was the introduction of towns, the scale of the world, the feeling of being part of a story, and the magic. What I wasn't a huge fan of is dying and losing all that XP.

[@Kevin-wx7wu]

"I wouldn't say that I've ever made a bad game, per se, but a game I think we could have done more work with was Zelda II: The Adventure of Link" that's the quote attributed to Miyamoto. Important to note that he never said Zelda II is a bad game like the video suggests

[@Kevin-wx7wu]

@implantgames True, when I made the first comment I only checked the excerpt at 0:14, but I went ahead and red the article and it does says what implantgames says it does, thought in chronological order Miyamoto did correct himself with the quote I originally posted

[@implantgames]

Stephen Totilo: “Do you feel like you've ever made a bad game?” Shigeru Miyamoto: “Yeah."

[@implantgames]

This is why I said "half-jokingly." He said it, then backed off the comment later. I'll leave this pinned for now if your ok with you notifications lighting up haha ;)

[@Kevin-wx7wu]

@@implantgames well the article isn't really much to go off of, it's mostly a promotion for pikmin 3 that got a fortunate tangent so they don't focus too much on it. Sure you can leave it pinned, I don't mind

[@gonzoindigenousone8939]

Starfox Adventures? Is that considered bad? By Miyamoto standards?

[@danfortuna1984]

Your reviews of games are excellent. The way you look at games without nostalgia is refreshing. Nothing wrong with having nostalgia for anything but it’s nice to see these reviews be just about the game and nothing else 👍🏻

[@StrokedGT]

Really? All I hear is a guy complaining that the games are too hard, or forgetting that in this era, these were still kids toys.

[@Cugelclever]

He did much more than complain. He was very detailed as to why and what he did and didn't like. Why would you watch something you did not enjoy and then comment as if you were forced?

[@StrokedGT]

@@Cugelclever I watched it to see if I liked it, then gave my opinion. Nothing was forced, I did exactly what he does. I've seen a few of his reviews, and he sounds like the kinda guy that prefers a straightforward game on easy mode. Just because he talks a lot and tries to sound like he knows what he's talking about doesn't make him a good reviewer. He doesn't take a lot of things into account, such as hardware limitations, rom capacity, the fact that these were simply for kids at the time. He literally says one of the gba Metroids looks better than the NES one, no sh!T!!

[@ThoroughlyBaked]

So I was scrolling through, and for a split second, thought when did I comment on this video?

[@zephryus]

Zelda 2 is one of my favorite games from my childhood. I had to use a nintendo power guide, and an emulator with save states once I reached my preteen years, but the difficulty is what I loved the most about it

[@dr.christopherdiaz4473]

Zelda I is like candy...you like it when you first try it. Zelda II is like beer...it takes time to acquire the proper taste for it.

[@abraxasvoice440]

Right!!!

[@gamermanx3096]

I honestly like this game, despite how unfair it can get at times.

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

I don’t think you mean unfair. Fairness doesn’t apply, they can design it how they want. Do you mean surprisingly difficult at times?

[@SirQuadrat]

I don't even think the combat/enemies themselves are unfair. The only unfair thing about this game is the stupidly hidden secrets (like hiding a town in a forest, which you can only get to by destroying a specific forest tile with your hammer, which is never even explained to you). But then again, Zelda I had even more stupidly hidden stuff than Zelda II

[@filipzo]

I remember a "shore" part in the very first desert where there were these bubbles coming up from the water and a tiny spot where to jump (if a bubble touched you, you almost surely fall and die). My brother and I did that part a lot. There was frustation of course, but we never surrended. In the end, we knew it wasn't game unfairness but our lack of skill. Zelda II is awesome. The fact it is difficult makes it thrilling. :-) Have a nice day everyone

[@AkaiAzul]

Did you know you can jump and “crouch slash”? It places Link in the air, but slash forward lower than the usual jump slash, and it helps tuck his hit box a little. This technique helps hit enemies’ hitbox higher than a standing slash and keep Link mobile. It’s an essential technique.

[@MichaelFrancisRay]

Great review. Intriguing. When I was young, I was enthralled by the aura about it. The Golden cart. The marketing etc. but, I couldn’t get into it as a kid....too hard. Now that I’m getting to be an old fart, i have this on my switch, and, I know I could probably get through it, but I’m so distracted by all these fancy new games with great graphics, easy gameplay, and interesting stories. I wouldn’t want to torture myself. I thank you for your play through and musings about the game.

[@retrogamestudios6688]

When we were kids we'd spend like an hour in level 1 killing the flying skeleton thingy that takes like 30 hits to level up to like 6. It gets easier the more levels u go then the game was a cake walk. We still enjoyed it with the cheap move

[@Sm1thWessonAndMe]

12:09 A lost kid is "a trinket" 😂🤣 I was so excited to discover Zelda 2 since Zelda 1 was my all-time favorite NES game as a kid. I loved Zelda 2 and it has been a favorite ever since.

[@roguerifter9724]

One annoying thing you didn't mention is that some enemies reduce your XP if they score hits on you. I would love a Zelda II remake that fixes some of the worst aspects but its fun as it is.

[@DreamcastQ]

Great video, I like this game despite it being so damn hard. I couldn't beat it as a young kid when it came out, which was frustrating! I especially love the music in this game, its been stuck in my head for so many years

[@therealseanw.stewart2071]

...Oh, yeah, there's a palace called "Parapa" which makes me think of an entirely different game. You gotta do what? I GOTTA BELIEVE!!

[@bparker4457]

I was wondering when I'd see a comment like this, haha!

[@supernintendogames1]

The reason older games were much more difficult was to mask the fact that they were actually really short. A skilled player can beat the first zelda in 2 to 3 hours

[@ThatguycalledJoe]

And yet Error actually is helpful because a later NPC tells you to go talk to him at which point he'll actually divulge some information. His introducing himself is actually kind of important so that you don't think "Wait, who the hell is Error?". When I was a wee lad, I was unable to even reach the first Palace because I interpreted "don't go south without a candle" as "don't go into any caves whatsoever without a candle", so I just fumbled around in the first area never actually accomplishing anything, so far as I recall. Not quite random drops. Every sixth small enemy drops a blue jar or 50 EXP Bag. Every sixth large enemy drops a red jar or 200 EXP bag. Which it is is random, so far as I know, but the drop frequency is not. You can do Death Mountain or the second palance in either order, by the by. To who may be interested, the pattern is always go right and down on the overworld. Don't use the first elevator you see. The best way to fight those guys is to get in their face and jackhammer them in the heads, in Palace 3 with good pace you can corner the blue one and dispose of him before he even gets a chance to start shooting. There's another case in the Great Palace where if you take the correct height against a Blue Fokka (four blocks up), you can just duck and stab him in the face as he fruitlessly attempts to get up there and hit you.

[@implantgames]

I should know better than to use the word "random" when describing an NES game mechanic.

[@kaylubproductions4517]

12:09 I think it's funny that he says "retrieve an return a trinket" when he's retrieving and returning a child

[@jackson5116]

eh, it's just a child, no need to worry about it! :P

[@riahlexington]

Agree completely. “Where do I go now?” Is the worst feeling. There is such a thing as too linear yes , but I prefer games that tell me where to go through game design and not story IE super Metroid, a game that can be easily sequence breaked by skilled players but uses design to gate off certain areas. I some freedom without it being confusing. The wall jump exists for a reason.

[@ParoxyDM]

Many many many years ago my Mom bought this game for me when I had asked for the first Zelda game as a present. At the time I was a little bummed but I ended up playing this game more then any other NES game. It was very challenging, but it never seemed impossible which is a hard balance for game designers to implement. It took years of playing on and off, but I finished it. This is probably the only NES game I ever finished besides the original Mario Bros.

[@Ryan-vl2nn]

I’ve got a lot of nostalgia for this game. As I remember my Dad and I playing it after dinner and some times later than we should’ve been. Great memories of this game. I still even remember picking it up at Toys R Us soon after it came out.

[@SameNameDifferentGame]

I've gone back to this game a fair number of times, every time hoping "this will be the time it clicks with me," and... nope. Never does. It's that whole Death Mountain sequence.

[@daryl4841]

I don't blame ya. I love the game but the death mt area is very frustrating and hard for being fairly early in the game. As a kid I remember an entire Saturday spent dying over and over there. I finally got through it and then died in the cemetary area after it.

[@toddbegin5217]

Pro tip: to avoid grinding, cancel your level ups and work towards just bringing your attack up. The point of this game is dishing out punishment, not taking it. I get my attack up to 6 before I touch my other stats and that’s without grinding...just defeating enemies along the way and using the end of palace bonuses

[@TheGunmanChannel]

You sir, just earned yourself a new subscriber.

[@pipeslimeproductions76]

Your channel is very underrated and deserves more subs.

[@implantgames]

Thanks man :)

[@riddleiddle]

This game looks much more appealing to me than Zelda 1 (though I admit I haven't played either). The art and music design have a Spanish vibe to them. I would like to see a reimagining of this game, like A Link Between Worlds was to A Link to the Past, but with a heavier emphasis on dungeon design. That or just a new entry in the series with this style.

[@Radien]

This makes sense - despite some of the repetitive textures, the quality of the sprites and backgrounds in Zelda 2 is WORLDS better than Zelda 1. Even though I'm a die-hard Zelda fan who likes Zelda 1 better than Link to the Past (you heard me right), I still can't lie: 95% of Zelda 1's graphics were freakin' ugly, even for 1986. :/ It's no surprise that they are off-putting to you.

[@riddleiddle]

You're not alone on A Link to the Past - the main appeal of Zelda games to me are the dungeons, and I don't think they're particularly well designed in that game.

[@Wykesidefruitmachine]

Not totally similar, but have you seen the Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap remake? Something like that would be great.

[@riddleiddle]

I've been meaning to look into that series, and that entry looks great! Zelda 2 would look great with that type of design.

[@bezoticallyyours83]

Or you could just play it.

[@TheJadeFist]

Exp loss at gameover, is a risk reward mechanic. You are betting on your ability, either to wait for a higher cost level up, or if should grind a bit to make use of it. Zelda 2 is the Dark Souls of Zelda games. You don't really have to grind to be honest though, assuming you aren't dying too much, and even a few game overs, you'll likely be at or near Level 8 /8 /8 by the you get to the Great Palace.

[@HallyVee]

Fighting the good, explaining basic game design to modern kids. Such vast confusing feels overwhelming...

[@zackschilling4376]

I dont remember anyone ever saying Zelda 2 was a bad game when it was released and for several years after. Maybe someone would say they preferred the 1st one over part 2. Only in the internet age did I hear/see people saying its a bad game. There were many cases of a sequel being pretty different from the original back in the late 80s. These games had not written their formulas in stone yet. Zelda 2 is awesome. I guess you might be able to say its a bad "Zelda" game but its in no way a bad game. At very worst you could say its a lil unbalanced as in the difficulty curve isnt perfect. Id love to see a new game in that style. Im always trying to find games made in that style. I know of stuff like Fauxanadu, Battle for Olympus and Super Adventure Island 2 for SNES, which is very close to the Zelda 2 formula, even in regards to the minimalistic over world map graphics. I know there are many more I just cant remember them - OH, Rambo (NES) I think uses the Zelda 2 engine, or some form of it. Its no that great thou, but its no Action 52. If you made it this far, any suggestions for games like this would be appreciated.

[@jakewallace6183]

When I was a kid playing NES with all of my friends (circa 1990-92) everyone I knew hated this game. A few friends owned it and the rest of us avoided buying it. I think this video hits the nail on the head that it just doesn't have the fun or polish or a lot of the other Nintendo published games of the era, made even worse by the fact that it was a sequel. Zelda I was very difficult and sometimes confusing as to what you had to do, but we always felt like we could keep going, with this game we didn't even want to.

[@joshcopeland]

I loved Battle of Olympus back in the day!

[@JSenator06]

Exactly, it was just in that time of the 3rd generation or so of NES games when Nintendo (at least for North America) liked to experiment with their 2nd installment of popular series, just like SMB2 USA was much different than SMB 1 and also Donkey Kong Jr playing differently than DK1.

[@bezoticallyyours83]

👏👏👏

[@dragnergrifeene]

There was a recent game that follows Zelda II's mechanics, called "Gunmetal Arcadia Zero." I didn't play very far into it, because it's on the computer, and I just didn't have a good feel for the controls, using the keyboard, but it seemed alright. Maybe give it a look, if you're still looking for such games?

[@lamasu]

this is one of my favorite ones, i never understood the hate. i like how different it is...

[@allp84]

You can skip placing the crystal in the statue. Save them for the final level ups :)

[@redkson]

I played this when I was about 13. I enjoyed it. It made me think and grind to beat the game because a lot of the game was not obvious.

[@lennynero635]

Not sure if you read this, but I just wanted to tell you that your channel is just amazing. I am very confident that most retro gaming aficionados appreciate what you are doing. Keep up the good work and let's hope more people will discover this channel.

[@implantgames]

Thanks for the kind words Lenny!

[@lennynero635]

@@implantgames You are welcome. Now, I will resume watching your analysis of A Legend of Zelda^^

[@cheshirecat6519]

Zelda II is a masterpiece. Mic drops, leaves the room.

[@ChillDragon]

This reminds me of the times I would always complain about the "unfairness" of a game that was too difficult for me. My mom would always say "You wanted to play it so badly, so suck it up and play it." Maybe that's why now I love challenging games...

[@implantgames]

Fairness and challenge are not the same thing. There are games far more difficult than Zelda II but considerably more fair.

[@ChillDragon]

@@implantgames meh, I was a kid, so I always figured they were the same.

[@bezoticallyyours83]

@@implantgames Bull. Zelda 2 is pretty damn fair

[@implantgames]

You present a very interesting perspective and I appreciate your detailed points backing up your claim. Very informative, thanks!

[@CrustyRetro]

Sounds like you have a great mom, lol. Taught you to be tough and own up to challenges.

[@ltrain4479]

Zelda II is my favorite Zelda game. When I was a kid I gave up but in the past 10 years I started playing it again and it has become my favorite. The internet was a big part of that. Helping me when I got stuck and also watching speed runners and seeing their techniques for dealing with enemies.

[@dengamleidiot]

I completed it when I was like 8, so chill

[@dethwizard]

Same here. It's actually incredible to think how good we were at these incredibly hard games at such a young age.

[@vampiretrunks]

I appreciate the balanced review. You really nailed it! That being said, I will never stop loving Zelda 2. It was my first experience with the franchise and one of the getting first games I ever played. It has a special place in my heart container.

[@implantgames]

Thanks and I am glad you enjoyed the video :) Also, love the "heart container" reference haha!

[@therealseanw.stewart2071]

It *is* misunderstood, yes. I enjoy Zelda 2 quite a bit, even if it does fall short and _most definitely_ hasn't aged well at all. The Adventure of Link is for a very niche audience, that is to say, and my tastes in RPG-style gameplay at the time were rather catering to the game's many stumblings. It really isn't that difficult in my opinion, and while Zelda 1 certainly wasn't perfect either, this game does follow suit on many of the first game's flaws as well, i.e. cryptic, sometimes even misleading, hints on where the player should travel next. I do enjoy the game's design for trying to be "different", and I have taken a liking to some of the game's bosses, just in terms of design...I always thought Thunderbird in particular looked pretty cool! ...And then, of course, there's Shadow Link. But the overall package is lacking in execution, and the concept has certainly been done better in the following generations, with action RPG elements finding their way into pretty much every other genre of video game at this point. Perhaps I should point out that the Zelda series are considered Role Playing Games for perhaps the vaguest definition of the term possible...but it was this game that took a Dungeons and Dragons style Leveling Up system that is more commonly associated with traditional combat RPGs, unlike most other Zeldas. In particular, the process of grinding and gaining EXP from defeated enemies to spend on upgrades reminds me of E.V.O. Search for Eden for SNES, a much better-executed evolution of this gameplay style. Still, I find Zelda 2 is a fun game. A guilty pleasure, if I may so dare add. Flawed and outdated as it may be, there is some charm and fun to be had here even still, if you are very forgiving of certain pitfalls like I am as a retro gamer. The only thing that SEVERELY drives me up the wall even today is the ending, of all things! ...Call it a subjective complaint all you want, but longtime fans of the franchise may find Link X Zelda shipping is usually merely played with, rather than straight-up canon these days.

[@Radien]

I hate to seem pedantic, but almost every Zelda title is considered to be an action/adventure game. The genre title may seem a little nonsensical or vague unless you take a look at its history. It is partially named after the game titled “Adventure” for the Atari 2600, which was a primitive fantasy game where you solved basic puzzles in a labyrinth. “Adventure” inspired a genre that was named after it. Games franchises in the adventure genre include Zork, Space Quest, Maniac Mansion, Monkey Island, and virtually every Telltale game. Most adventure games were played by entering commands, either via text or point-and-click. The “action/adventure” offshoot came into being when games started requiring physical skill and reflexes, usually by adding combat and enemies. I know that's a whole lot of trivia, and no one should be expected to know all that history just to describe a genre. I'd be perfectly happy if the genre were updated with a more intuitive name. But... not “RPGs.” RPGs are already their own genre, and a broad one at that. The more other genres we lump into “RPGs,” the more meaningless the term becomes. :/ In order for a game to be an RPG, it has to have character stats that grow with practice. That would mean Zelda 2 is a light action RPG. Breath of the Wild has some vaguely RPGish elements, but it isn't actually a real RPG. All the other core titles in the Legend of Zelda series are action/adventure... or whatever new name we might come up with for the genre. :)

[@Chaklun96]

@@Radien I think the most important things in RPGs is the "role playing" part. So for me stats growing are not the defining characteristic of the genre, rather the more broad "following/incarning a character while seeing him evolve (in a broad sense)". I consider Shenmue to be an RPG.

[@meatPi11]

I found your channel about a year ago, a review for Psycho Fox, and your videos continue to be well thought out, and pleasing to watch. Keep 'em coming, they are a real boon to video reviews!

[@implantgames]

Thanks man!

[@thecardboardstacker]

Thanks for your awesome, and I really enjoyed it. I like to suggest if you can cover Startropics and Startropics II: Zoda's Revenge. I find it interesting how those two NES era series have some parallel connotations when comparing their first game and sequels.

[@LukesGamerRoom]

the xp system is actually one of my favorite parts, and the punishment for dying is heightened. One thing I like to do to counter this is to avoid leveling up magic and health and leveling up attack power first. As you can skip out from upgrading categories and save the xp for the ones you want. Getting 5 sword dmg early is clutch

[@alan4851]

What an amazing video on Zelda II, this game certainly needs more attention

[@keaton5101]

wow i never noticed it but zelda 2 was the first zelda game to have magic jars

[@JSenator06]

Yes, I wish the newer Legend of Zeldas brough back Magic Containers, and a sort of magic system, not just "stamina".

[@jackson5116]

@@JSenator06 geez this stamina crap sucks!

[@k2montgomery419]

Wonderful video and a wonderful game. Am I the only one who finds the reward for patient grinding satisfying? Am I the only one who didn’t find Death Mountain that challenging (after adequate grinding)? I usually hate hard games, since I’m usually terrible at them. This one felt fair to me. I wish you could grind like this to improve in other games like Mega Man games for instance.

[@HallyVee]

Easier is not improved.

[@hdofu]

“Return and retrieve a trinket” That’s what you call kids?

[@MPCB-oj3hh]

Excellent game. Really like how it introduced some great series staples.

[@warhammernerd52Daxx-Lorenzo898]

It's such a shame no-one ever talks about this game despite it featuring towns and Dark Link for the first time. This would be great inspiration for a sequel to Breath Of The Wild

[@retropalooza]

Every 6 kills is a 7/8 chance of item drop its not random....but in layman term it means when the nes feels like it youll get one

[@dragnergrifeene]

Back in the late 80s/early 90s, this was the only Zelda game we owned. I didn't play the original Zelda until years later (though I always wanted to). In the words of my eldest brother, "we didn't know better," lol. There was a period, after playing LttP and other, newer games, that I didn't like this game as much as I once had, and as a little kid playing it, I seem to remember getting stuck on the third palace rather than Death Mountain, surprisingly (though I also remember that being really hard)--but I remember watching my older siblings beating it. I went back to it a couple times after that due to the nostalgia factor, but never actually beat it until like 2009. That playthru, the game really clicked for me. It is quite possibly my favorite Zelda game. As someone who took 20 or so years to finally beat it (from my initial play sessions), I fully appreciate that it is rather frustrating in parts. However, the things I like about it--largely the positive aspects outlined in this very video--far outweigh the negatives, for me. Also, I just don't mind some of the items criticized in this video, either. I hated having to start back at the room with the sleeping princess every time I died, sure, but I just chalked that up to punishment for failure, I suppose, and didn't see it as a flaw. I didn't like getting knocked back into pits of death, and cussed up a storm when that happened in my 2009 playthru, but again, I just chalked that up as punishment for failure. It didn't really even occur to me that jumping and stabbing to defeat the darknuts was a bad feature in the game play, though I suppose I have to concede that it doesn't make sense, and that the designers probably didn't intend for that, as pointed out in this video. In general though, running into the more difficult enemies in this game instilled a certain level of fear, or respect, for those enemies. Like those weird bird knights in the final palace. I often chose to run from those in my earlier playthrus. Which kinda confused me when the dude who made this video treated it as a flaw in the game , when he used the downward attack to avoid fighting enemies. Like, do you always fight every enemy in every game that you play, and expect the game to force you to fight them? I don't, lol. I suppose what it comes down to is different people have different tastes, heh. Well put-together video, in any case. Even if I ultimately don't agree.

[@the1ucidone]

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, is without a doubt. My favorite Zelda game to this day, with Majora's Mask as a close second.

[@thegodfather69926]

Just saying, you're fighting the Dairas all wrong. You don't jump attack at them like Ironkuckles, you crouch stab. Try it out next time you play and death mountain and it will be MUCH easier. This is my favorite game on NES but I do agree with you about most of the flaws especially the combat system

[@bezoticallyyours83]

That might work with the orange ones. Not the axe throwers, though you can go back and grind for easy exp once you get Reflect.

[@thegodfather69926]

@@bezoticallyyours83 true only the orange ones work with that pattern, and I did the same thing after I got reflect as well

[@antshield]

With your reviews, you always bring something new to a reviewed to death game. Nice one.

[@NostalgicPixel]

This is a game that I keep meaning to get back to. I remember it being very frustrating as a kid. These days less so just with a little help and time. This was such an interesting time for sequels in games.

[@rGGdom]

People don't be blinded by your love of this game, he's absolutely right. I love this game, it was the first zelda I loved and it was my introduction to the franchise, but I gotta admit, I lov it because I was a kid when I took it as a challenge to finish it up, if I had played it for the first time as an adult I wouldn't have liked it.

[@Simoss13]

A few things I realised about the game i never noticed before: 1. It seems to be somewhat a metroidvania, maybe the first of its kind? 2. People say BOTW was the first game that Link can jump. They are wrong... 3. I feel alot of Shovel Knights inspiration is taken from this game, more than what is taken credit for Despite its downfalls this may be ahead of its time

[@RetroView]

Link can jump even in one gameboy game. And shovel knight took its inspiration from Duck tales.

[@TheScienceguy77]

Link can jump in Oracle of Seasons and Link's Awakening.

[@FamilyTeamGaming]

Well! I hate to be that guy, but, as a fan of the channel, I think it's healthy to point out that Miyamoto is pronounced (roughly) like Mee-yah-moh-*toh* rather than My-a-mow-toh. The "I" syllables in Japanese (I, KI, SI/SHI, CHI, NI, MI, RI) are all pronounced with what in English would be most comparable to an "ee" sound like the word "tee".

[@therealseanw.stewart2071]

I was gonna correct him on that too, but I didn't want to sound rude. Ha ha

[@captainyasopp154]

Urusai bakaaaaa

[@RiC_David]

I don't want to be that guy any more than the next guy, unless the next guy is this guy

[@bparker4457]

Adventure of Link is one of my favorites! The gameplay is good, but the level of charm is what makes this game really stand out.

[@Inturl618]

My favorite childhood game. It all started from here...

[@Cugelclever]

In my experience, this one is mostly loved by those who rented it back in the day, were stuck with it for a weekend and ended up struggling through it. I learned to love it this way. It's mostly nostalgia for sure, but it holds some unexplainable charm. I love the channel btw and hope you keep making these awesome mini-docs.

[@om3g4888]

Hot Pro Tip... get the items from the palaces save the bosses for later. You last few levels take thousands of exp. Finish the castles when you're ready for your last 6 levels. Good places to stop and level. The swamps near Palace 2. An easy octoroc encounter gives 50 exp. The desert near the Maze Island bridge. The Leevers give enough exp to level you after only a handful of encounters. Plus fighting the bosses like that makes them really easy. Go into Death Mountain with all your levels at 4 preferably 5 if you don't mind grinding the octorocs a little longer.

[@poketendotv8650]

My favorite NES game it never gets old.

[@BigBoss1292]

I honestly loved this game, I love how the overworld map showed the overworld from the first game as a tiny area on the bottom left corner of the screen…just made you think how expansive and grand this world would be if it had been fully rendered like the first game.

[@powpuck5031]

ALL item upgrades are mandatory; you are simple barred from the Final Palace if you do not have all heart and magic containers. And leveling up isn't much of a grind if you're judicious enough in what you level up and when. When prompted to raise a stat you can opt out and save the exp for the next available stat; focusing on attack and magic in lieu of health is advisable as it's not as vital. Moreover, venturing into a palace only to obtain its item and saving the boss and resultant exp later on when the difficulty spike is steeper is also wise. Also, for non-boss exp boosts, the bubble enemies (the flashing skull that bounces around at 90 degrees) are the best source; they take loads of hits but are easily stun-locked and give copious amounts of exp. As for best walk cycle on the NES, that's Treasure Master. I'll brook no argument otherwise.

[@jackson5116]

Not true, I went in with 7 magic squares. If you put all 6 stones in the palaces, it unlocks the final.

[@Casanuda]

Technically false. You need the full hearts to get the Thunder Spell, which is required to kill Thunderbird, and full magic to get the Spell spell, required for the cross. So you do need both at maximum but the game doesn't block you from entering the Great Palace.

[@zero0karaoke]

Had this game since '88 when I was 10. The story of my life is a story of replaying it and I just now learned that reflect blocks axes and maces.

[@poketendotv8650]

My favorite game of all time, the harder the challenge on the NES the better. Great channel

[@BigMacOpossum]

This is a game that feels so satisfying to complete, the music is better in this game than the original too. I wish there was a better map system and a little more guidance as this game is pretty impossible without a guide, but like the original Zelda, using a guide doesn't hamper the enjoyment too much. This game could really use a remaster/remake (Ocarina of Time was originally going to be a Zelda 2 remake, go look it up!)

[@alonzotanner1226]

I remember when I was a kid in Harlem our place wasn't big so my dad picked up a copy of this game for my brother one day and our only TV was in the living room. Late on a friday night, I stayed up playing this game from like 11pm to 2am and I was so caught up in it. I was doing really well the first playthrough ever until my character died. The image and the laugh of Ganon when it said "GAME OVER, THE RETURN OF GANON" with the black image and dark yellow background scared me so bad, I dropped the controller, ran to my room, shut the door behind me, blocked it, and went under the covers trembling until I fell asleep. Mind you our TV was all the way on the other side of the entire place by the front door so for me it was a far run. Then later that morning, my dad got mad at me for leaving the nintendo and TV on all night haha. My brother still brings this up. He bought me a used copy of this game for my 30th birthday too lol. Memories....

[@topramen5344]

I disagree about the battle system, just because it’s hard doesn’t mean you have to abuse it by jumping, sword fights with those shield guys are some of the most intense fights I’ve played in video games, especially the final boss fight too

[@DarioDAversa]

Best Zelda 2 review I've ever seen.

[@MarMaxGaming]

Implant Games is on the rise! It’s really cool to see how hard you’ve worked on SO many videos... you have hundreds! I only have 18 lol. Videos take so long and it’s hard to find the time when at work over 50 hours a week 😔

[@implantgames]

Haha, the first 200-300 videos really aren't very good haha :) And yeah, it is very difficult to make videos and work a full time job. Thankfully I have a very patient wife!

[@MarMaxGaming]

implantgames I feel you there! My wife has been PRETTY supportive lol she gets a little lonely but I think a better rhythm is bound to come with time. After it’s all said and done, not counting play time, it takes like an hour a minute and that’s just a lot of time.. anyway, I find you and your channel inspiring. Hoping to get up toward 20k like you and I’m sure yours will keep rising up with these well made videos. Thanks again

[@JohnGaltAustria]

KZbin recommended me this video. And I'm glad it did.

[@thinkimpulsive]

I finished this game for the first time early last year and really got into it and loved it from beginning to end

[@Kevin-wx7wu]

Hey man. Are you done with tloz? I would love a review from you on the minish cap

[@BrianGates06]

Your Zelda videos have earned you a new subscriber. Great content!

[@CesarCordova]

This was my first Zelda back in 1990. Still my favorite of all.

[@Sk8erPhatCat13]

I own all Zelda Games and The Legend Of Zelda II Adventures Of Link was my favourite for a long time. I beat it when I was Seven years old. It’s nostalgic and not hard at all, it’s still fun for me to this day.

[@TheEgg185]

22:39 Good advice for life in general.

[@implantgames]

LMAO!

[@jeffreydavis7861]

I've always liked this game it brings back memories

[@NearEDGE]

I strongly disagree with you on this one too. Not only do I think that Zelda II is a great and heavily underappreciated game, but I honestly believe it may have inspired a lot of the gameplay mechanics in Dark Souls. At the same time though, had I not played Dark Souls before the last time I gave Zelda II a shot, I don't think I would have been able to get into it the way that I did.

[@TheJadeFist]

Ya, Dark Souls reminded me alot of Zelda 2, it's basically what a 3d Zelda 2 would look like. Even down to the risk of dying and loosing your exp, or risking holding on to it for a more expensive level up.

[@megasoniczxx]

Well, Miyazaki did say that dark souls' combat was heavily inspired by legend of zelda once so it wouldn't surprise me if this game was one of the zelda games he looked to for inspiration.

[@akianggwen4559]

Ztgg 6

[@TheScienceguy77]

Zelda II and Dark Souls are very similar in that they're not actually difficult, you just have to be autistic enough to do the same thing over and over to learn a pattern, over and over.

[@gameattomix708]

Very, Very, Very nice assessment and review of the game! I look forward to watching your channel grow! :D

[@Eener1000]

Zelda 2 is my favorite of the series. It has this dark and mysterious atmosphere and Link and his adventure feels grown up. The sword fighting with all the different moves and the blocking was parts frustrating and parts very cool and was quite advanced even for todays standards. Most of the people saying this was a black sheep are just parotting something they heard somewhere once because back in its day it was very popular. The game is only hard if you rush things, you actually have a lot of controll over Link and survival depends on knowing when to run or when to wait and when to block. It's not perfect, but I'll take this over "Hey, listen!" any day.

[@dvdbytes4348]

I just came from a CGQ+ live stream of Zelda II and now this. Guess KZbin thinks i need more Zelda II.

[@bartsimpson83]

I think people might be able to appreciate this game more on the Nintendo Switch. The built in save state functionality makes failure much less frustrating. Zelda 2 was already my favorite 2D entry in the series and now I enjoy it even more.

[@petermaasz]

Yeah, a new IMPLANTgames review. Most things I've read or heard about Zelda II were bad so I do appreciate this more differentiated and sophisticated review. Will I ever play Zelda II? No, but I'm not a big Zelda fan anyway. The only Zelda game I've ever completed was A Link to the past, which I really liked. I hope it's the next game on your list. By the way, Happy New Year!

[@implantgames]

Thanks Peter! A link to the Past is next :)

[@petermaasz]

Yeah! I'm looking forward to watching it.

[@kirk001]

OMG i've been randomly getting a tune stuck in my head for decades, not knowing where I heard it.... I just realized it's from Zelda--the victory tune.

[@serielmcleod1900]

All the copies of Zelda 2 I had had dismal cartridge batteries... the games would wipe at random intervals. Getting half way to almost all the way to the end, only to turn the system on and have the file wiped was soooooooooooo frustrating. That said, it was my first Zelda and my first fantasy rpg style game and my first window into anime art via the instruction manual images... and it changed my life forever. So I’ll always love it

[@666ska]

Zelda 2 is a Masterpiece! When it came Out everyone i know loved it, it was another time, and back when we was kids it was awesome, hard but fun and we played it for years!

[@alanfinck5595]

I found this randomly and it is a good video. I love this game myself and that is mostly because I found a way a to avoid the grinding. The crystals give you a free level up that is true, but you DO NOT HAVE to put them in the statues when you complete the dungeon. You can jump over the center of the statue and just leave the temples. Since you didn't put the crystal in the statue, the temples do not lock up into a rock. This of course means you have to revisit every temple to put the crystal in, but that would be a breeze for most players because your level should be high enough to breeze through most enemies. The only time I grind is purposely going through death mountain a second time even after I get the hammer to get that juicy EXP. Just do the math with your levels. when you have 6 level ups left before your stats are all at 8, then start putting crystals in. You could argue that such exploits make the game look unfinished or unpolished, but at the same time, exploits was how a lot of people beat these NES games back in the day.

[@will345davis]

Truth be told, this is my favorite Zelda game. It’s not perfect by any means, but I find it fun. I think people that really hate on its departure of the formula forget that at the time there wasn’t really a formula then. It was so early, both in the franchise and in video games as a whole, that they were trying new things to see where to take it.

[@tmowbray77]

I loved this game. Loved the first one too, but Adventure of Link was my favorite NES Zelda game. Played so much, I’m sure I could run through it in a few hours even today. Definitely under-rated, so many folks quickly dismissed it at the time because it was too different from the first

[@BigTuk]

Many people miss one interesting thing about Zelda 2. The fairy spell has a second use. As a fair you can bypass doors You can squeeze through keyholes and thereby avoid some key-hunting.