One of Nintendo's Greatest '80s Games Is Still the Perfect Weekend Obsession
Overview & Key Takeaways
For a weekend retro gaming session, one of the best games from the 1980s isn't what some players originally expected at all.
When people talk about Zelda, they rarely mention Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link. It’s the black sheep of the franchise, often regarded as only slightly better than the disastrous Philips CD-i entries. It also happens to be the perfect weekend obsession in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 5 release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Switch 2, as long as you’re willing to give it a chance to charm you.
When Nintendo first launched Zelda 2 on Dec. 1, 1988, retailers found themselves apologizing to eager consumers for running out of copies to sell. By the following year, demand had finally settled enough that my mother took my birthday money to town and came back with the game. Thrilled, I let my sister play first as I pored over the instruction manual, savoring every detail. I quickly realized it didn’t look much like its predecessor at all. Change isn’t always bad, but my early exposure made me conclude that in this case, it was.
Image: Nintendo
Over the years, I’ve come to love Zelda 2, enough that I now consider it one of the best games ever made, even though it was highly unpredictable. I’ve played through it numerous times, usually over the course of a few days or a lazy weekend, which is why I know it’s the ideal old game to turn to when you’re looking for a stroll down memory lane that won’t end in just a couple of hours.
When Link first appears at the start of the game, he’s standing in the North Palace, at the base of some stairs with a ceremonial pedestal where Princess Zelda slumbers. That’s about as far as you can get from her more active role in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, but it’s not her fault; a cruel sorcerer cast a spell on her. To awaken the snoozing royalty, Link must reunite the three pieces of the Triforce, which means venturing to the Great Palace for an unlikely showdown that will prove his worth. At the same time, he must avoid the minions of Ganon, who believe they can revive their mighty leader by sprinkling Link’s blood over his remains.
To enter the Great Palace, Link must vanquish guardians lurking in six palace ruins, which are scattered around a version of Hyrule that is much larger than the open world explored in The Legend of Zelda. This adventure is a great deal more linear, though it still encourages players to explore. Most of the ruins are hidden away in dangerous regions that require new abilities or gear to reach them.
If you play the game over the course of a weekend, there are some obvious places where you might put your journey on hold and return the next day. After clearing the second palace and finding the hammer in the network of caves near Death Mountain, that’s a good time to pause and reflect. After clearing the fourth through fifth palaces, that’s another natural stopping point. Then, you can spend your third day traveling south from the river demon in search of the last standard palace, before making a run at the Great Palace itself.
Image: Nintendo
Zelda 2 features several cryptic puzzles along the way. For instance, players often don’t know where to find Bagu, a recluse who will give them an important letter. Likewise, they may not know how to reach the island where the third palace awaits. There’s also a hidden town, closer to the end of the adventure, which they can only find with a thorough search. Characters offer clues to point Link in the right direction, but back in the day, a lot of us just asked our friends or called game counselors. Now, there is the internet.
Besides hiding a host of secrets, Zelda 2 introduces RPG elements to the franchise for the first time. Link meets reclusive hermits in each village to learn powerful spells. Additionally, enemies grant experience points when defeated, which allow Hyrule’s hero to upgrade his attack power, magical reserves, and life meter. There also are semi-random encounters on the overworld map. As Link roams, he bumps into enemies that trigger brief battles with mobs, a setup that encourages grinding when a journey to the local palace is too risky.
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If you decide to surrender a weekend to Zelda 2, you’re investing that time wisely. Give yourself a chance to enjoy the adventure, and try to work out its secrets on your own before consulting online solutions for every last puzzle. Go in knowing the game is not a clone of the first title, but a unique experience all its own that has intriguing ties to lore involving the sages that an old localization connected to Ocarina of Time.
On the one hand, a weekend is a terrible thing to waste. On the other, you’re not wasting it if you’re playing Zelda 2.
