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Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (XSX) game cover art
Platform: NES
Tags: Adventure
Developer: Nintendo

Publisher
Region
Released
NA
12/??/1988
EU
09/26/1988

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES) screenshotZelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES) screenshotZelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES) screenshot


Staff Reviews

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link review

Reviewed July 15, 2006

Jason Venter says: "The reason Zelda II is special isn’t just the dungeons and their guardians, though, or the way it mixes two unique perspectives. What makes it so outstanding is how those elements contribute to the most tangible world the NES ever saw. It’s evident even in the way people talk about the game to this day."
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Zelda II: The Adventure of Link review

Reviewed October 21, 2005

Rob Hamilton says: "While there are only a total of seven main dungeons to explore, there are a number of smaller caves to occupy your time, including the mammoth Death Mountain — a maze-like assortment of caves covering nearly a third of the first continent. Much like many of the second-continent palaces, this region is designed to test a player’s endurance and skill, as the combination of tough foes, instant-death lava and a seemingly-limitless number of caverns to navigate ensures that only a proficient player will make it through without losing a life or two."
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Reader Reviews

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link review

Reviewed August 19, 2023

JoeTheDestroyer says: "At least it's better than Simon's Quest..."
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Zelda II: The Adventure of Link review

Reviewed November 13, 2004

mariner says: "It's a sad fact that many people tend to dismiss this masterpiece simply due to the fact that it doesn't play like the rest of the Zelda games. It's the outcast of the family, tolerated perhaps, but often described as "a good game, but...." Quite frankly, that's not fair. Ignore the way the Zelda series has become, ignore all the celebrated history of Zelda that came on the SNES and onward. Imagine the feeling of having a new Zelda game, one that is admittedly quite different in gameplay but..."
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Zelda II: The Adventure of Link review

Reviewed August 16, 2002

ratking says: "The Adventure of Link is not at all like the original. They combined a 3D world with 2D areas. The fighting is more similiar to Castlevania then it is to the original Zelda. Really I do not understand why the original NES always changed the sequels so drastically from an already succesful formula. This is my least favorite Zelda game, for it could've been much better and I did not like how the game worked out, and the strange story. "
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Zelda II: The Adventure of Link review

Review date unknown

sgreenwell says: "It's an enjoyable game, and everyone should at least try it to see if it's their fancy, but most people will be more disappointed than pleased."
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Zelda II: The Adventure of Link review

Reviewed May 03, 2009

Suskie says: "One could almost say that the serious gaming world can be cleanly divided into two groups: those who love Zelda games and would be devastated if Nintendo were to make any large-scale renovations, and those who gave up on the series a long time ago because it refused to evolve. I fit pretty firmly into the former category; Zelda is my favorite video game franchise, and while the formula has been repeated endlessly, it’s a formula that almost always works and hasn’t gotten old. Then ..."
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Zelda II: The Adventure of Link review

Reviewed May 26, 2008

whelkman says: "To say that The Legend of Zelda revolutionized gaming is like saying The Beatles revolutionized music; it's an understatement no matter how you slice it. Zelda stunned the world with its complex yet digestible game play and its hours upon hours of nonstop fun, and it introduced the world to a new type of game and a new type of blockbuster. After Zelda, video gaming was never the same. 

 "
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