So I decided to play (and complete) Zelda II...
...and I honestly don't think people give this game its fair share. I feel like its a game that over time has gained a reputation as being awful when most people probably have never played it. Or I think that most people hold the first game in such high regard that this game was too much of a departure from what they knew. Either way, I really don't think its reputation is justified.
To be thonest, I really liked this game. I think it has something do with my love for the classic Castlevania titles. I prefer side-scrolling platforming style over the top-down style of the first game. The light RPG elements never really felt all that tedious and I never really had to grind to the point of bordem or annoyance. I also really didn't think this game was all that hard either. Yeah, it some frustrating parts, but the Mega Man and Castlevania games are much harder in my opinion.
I has good music, tight controls, and I really think its cool to see if the enemies from the first game in a different perspective.
So yeah, this game is definitely worth a 2nd look.
And I know it may be blasphemous to say but I prefer this over the original.
To be thonest, I really liked this game. I think it has something do with my love for the classic Castlevania titles. I prefer side-scrolling platforming style over the top-down style of the first game. The light RPG elements never really felt all that tedious and I never really had to grind to the point of bordem or annoyance. I also really didn't think this game was all that hard either. Yeah, it some frustrating parts, but the Mega Man and Castlevania games are much harder in my opinion.
I has good music, tight controls, and I really think its cool to see if the enemies from the first game in a different perspective.
So yeah, this game is definitely worth a 2nd look.
And I know it may be blasphemous to say but I prefer this over the original.
Comments
And I know it may be blasphemous to say but I prefer this over the original.
Psst, I agree with you....
If you want to play something similar now, play Battle of Olympus. It is made with the same engine, and this is a very underrated side scrolling adventure game in the NES library.
Originally posted by: Clyde The Jackal
Originally posted by: zombi
And I know it may be blasphemous to say but I prefer this over the original.
Psst, I agree with you....
Ditto ^^^
The original is great, but I really enjoyed the second one more for many of the same reasons you described Zombi.
I never understood why some bash this game really. Okay, it is very different from the original Zelda, point taken. But the game is still awesome on its own, and has nothing to be ashamed as a Zelda game even if the series went back to the original top view for good (and 3d from Ocarina of Time).
If you want to play something similar now, play Battle of Olympus. It is made with the same engine, and this is a very underrated side scrolling adventure game in the NES library.
I think it gets trashed because;
A) Casual fans, who make up a large portion of the Zelda fan base, think its too hard
C) The spells, leveling, item use, etc, is a lot different than the rest of the Zelda games
It's not a bad game at all, if it wasn't a Zelda game, I think more people would like it.
Originally posted by: empire
Originally posted by: guillavoie
I never understood why some bash this game really. Okay, it is very different from the original Zelda, point taken. But the game is still awesome on its own, and has nothing to be ashamed as a Zelda game even if the series went back to the original top view for good (and 3d from Ocarina of Time).
If you want to play something similar now, play Battle of Olympus. It is made with the same engine, and this is a very underrated side scrolling adventure game in the NES library.
I think it gets trashed because;
A) Casual fans, who make up a large portion of the Zelda fan base, think its too hard
C) The spells, leveling, item use, etc, is a lot different than the rest of the Zelda games
It's not a bad game at all, if it wasn't a Zelda game, I think more people would like it.
Indeed, I get all reasons you mentionned, but I still don't understand how this draw to the conclusion that it is a bad to terrible game. In fact, I probably understand why they bash the game, but I think it is such a stupid reasoning that I'm left scratching my head.
It's not a bad game at all, if it wasn't a Zelda game, I think more people would like it.
Think you hit the nail on the head with that.
Originally posted by: rockyyaknow
Originally posted by: empire
Originally posted by: guillavoie
It's not a bad game at all, if it wasn't a Zelda game, I think more people would like it.
Think you hit the nail on the head with that.
True, but the players that fall into that reasoning are fooling themselves IMO.
It's not a bad game at all, if it wasn't a Zelda game, I think more people would like it.
Think you hit the nail on the head with that.
True, but the players that fall into that reasoning are fooling themselves IMO.
One of those "sad but true" situations for sure.
I have finished:
- The Legend Of Zelda
- The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
- The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
- The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Dragon Warrior
- Dragin Warrior II
- Dragon Warrior III
All of these games are similar but not nearly as annoying. After 2 weeks of trying I didn't even want to play it any more.
Originally posted by: bootload
I played it for 2 weeks but found myself dying in the caves a lot and would have to walk all the way from the town back to the cave I was in but it took forever because I kept running into those stupid monsters on the map and having to walk to the end of the screen before I could get back to the map again. It's incredibly annoying. Then I get back into the cave and have no idea where to go.
I have finished:
- The Legend Of Zelda
- The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
- The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
- The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Dragon Warrior
- Dragin Warrior II
- Dragon Warrior III
All of these games are similar but not nearly as annoying. After 2 weeks of trying I didn't even want to play it any more.
You see, you have personal and valid reasons to not like it, that is okay in my book.
P.S. I don't get the mention of DW I-III in your post, but kudos for beating these cool RPG!
I played it for 2 weeks but found myself dying in the caves a lot and would have to walk all the way from the town back to the cave I was in but it took forever because I kept running into those stupid monsters on the map and having to walk to the end of the screen before I could get back to the map again. It's incredibly annoying. Then I get back into the cave and have no idea where to go.
I have finished:
- The Legend Of Zelda
- The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
- The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
- The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Dragon Warrior
- Dragin Warrior II
- Dragon Warrior III
All of these games are similar but not nearly as annoying. After 2 weeks of trying I didn't even want to play it any more.
You see, you have personal and valid reasons to not like it, that is okay in my book.
P.S. I don't get the mention of DW I-III in your post, but kudos for beating these cool RPG!
I found those also stop you on the map to make you deal with an immediate situation but they have a point, you battle for gold and experience. With Zelda II, they stop you on the map but it's pointless, all you're really trying to do is get back to the map. It's a waste of time. That's why I mentioned those.
I also like the second game more than the first. The combat system in II is super deep and full of strategy unlike the original game. That is probably the main reason why I like II more than I. The combat is much more satisfying and the game ends up having more replay value as well.
Yep, that was another reason that I forgot to mention. The combat itself is a lot more varied (and fun) because of the strategy involved.
I never understood why some bash this game really.
My guess would be that the learning curve is too steep for some people and they aren't willing to learn to play the game.
On a side note,Simon's Quest gets the same treatment with just about the same circumstances and I love that game too.
I played it for 2 weeks but found myself dying in the caves a lot and would have to walk all the way from the town back to the cave I was in but it took forever because I kept running into those stupid monsters on the map and having to walk to the end of the screen before I could get back to the map again. It's incredibly annoying. Then I get back into the cave and have no idea where to go.
I have finished:
- The Legend Of Zelda
- The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
- The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
- The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Dragon Warrior
- Dragin Warrior II
- Dragon Warrior III
All of these games are similar but not nearly as annoying. After 2 weeks of trying I didn't even want to play it any more.
You see, you have personal and valid reasons to not like it, that is okay in my book.
P.S. I don't get the mention of DW I-III in your post, but kudos for beating these cool RPG!
I found those also stop you on the map to make you deal with an immediate situation but they have a point, you battle for gold and experience. With Zelda II, they stop you on the map but it's pointless, all you're really trying to do is get back to the map. It's a waste of time. That's why I mentioned those.
No, it's just like any other RPG in the fact that those encounters are experience building.
They aren't as efficient at building experience as traditional RPG encounters, though, given the larger static EXP rewards that exist in Zelda 2 that are there to find.
I think part of the "issue" with a newcomer perspective to Zelda 2, is that if you treat it like a traditional RPG, you probably don't expect to die nearly as much as you will and that might be frustrating.
But anybody picking up the game for the first time needs to know that they will die A LOT until they learn the game and where to go to get stronger, faster.
That is going to involve exploration and figuring out the safest places to get early powerups.
And that exploration is going to involve missteps into areas you can't survive that kill you quickly. It's the nature of the game.
Unlike the original Legend of Zelda, you don't have a nice screen-by-screen reference for difficulty, where you can't turn back quickly and run to safety.
You could be on a path for awhile and suddenly find yourself massively outclassed by the local monsters.
Unlike the 3D Zelda games, you don't have the fairly linear hand-holding of regional progression, or more hit points than you know what to do with.
It's definitely the hardest Zelda game, by far. But having the patience to learn the game is worth it.
This game was a hit and really popular when it came out. Not sure exactly what happened with all these people hating on it.
All the casual grrrrl gamers in later years latched on to Zelda, but found Zelda II too challenging, and so hated it.
I played it for 2 weeks but found myself dying in the caves a lot and would have to walk all the way from the town back to the cave I was in but it took forever because I kept running into those stupid monsters on the map and having to walk to the end of the screen before I could get back to the map again. It's incredibly annoying. Then I get back into the cave and have no idea where to go.
I have finished:
- The Legend Of Zelda
- The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
- The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
- The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Dragon Warrior
- Dragin Warrior II
- Dragon Warrior III
All of these games are similar but not nearly as annoying. After 2 weeks of trying I didn't even want to play it any more.
You see, you have personal and valid reasons to not like it, that is okay in my book.
P.S. I don't get the mention of DW I-III in your post, but kudos for beating these cool RPG!
I found those also stop you on the map to make you deal with an immediate situation but they have a point, you battle for gold and experience. With Zelda II, they stop you on the map but it's pointless, all you're really trying to do is get back to the map. It's a waste of time. That's why I mentioned those.
No, it's just like any other RPG in the fact that those encounters are experience building.
They aren't as efficient at building experience as traditional RPG encounters, though, given the larger static EXP rewards that exist in Zelda 2 that are there to find.
I think part of the "issue" with a newcomer perspective to Zelda 2, is that if you treat it like a traditional RPG, you probably don't expect to die nearly as much as you will and that might be frustrating.
But anybody picking up the game for the first time needs to know that they will die A LOT until they learn the game and where to go to get stronger, faster.
That is going to involve exploration and figuring out the safest places to get early powerups.
And that exploration is going to involve missteps into areas you can't survive that kill you quickly. It's the nature of the game.
Unlike the original Legend of Zelda, you don't have a nice screen-by-screen reference for difficulty, where you can't turn back quickly and run to safety.
You could be on a path for awhile and suddenly find yourself massively outclassed by the local monsters.
Unlike the 3D Zelda games, you don't have the fairly linear hand-holding of regional progression, or more hit points than you know what to do with.
It's definitely the hardest Zelda game, by far. But having the patience to learn the game is worth it.
This is spot on, arch_8ngel.
I feel a lot of the misunderstanding with this particular title is the RPG element. People are/were expecting a traditional top-down style like the original Zelda. What they got instead was something totally different. If you've never played an RPG, or have no clue in general, you're going to just naturally avoid enemies and not build up much EXP. Then, you'll hit dead ends sooner. This is where most will claim "the game sucks", "is too hard", etc. I know that's what I did from like, 1997-2012ish with that game.