Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

ZELDA II: THE ADVENTURE OF LINK

The Legend of Zelda proved a massive success, allowing for a sequel to be released in the following year entitled Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The game would prove to be an oddball of sorts, with lengthy 2D platforming sections breaking up the normal top-down action, and a massive difficulty spike that would turn off many players. The game saw the same Link, bothered by a strange Triforce pattern appearing on the back of his hand, leading him to go to Impa for help. Impa would then tell him of a different Princess Zelda from the first game, who had been asleep for a hundred years and need to be awakened by the Triforce of Courage.

Link is once again our playable character, coming complete with a sword that he can shoot beams with and a shield. He can also pick up items such as a candle to see in the dark, a hammer, a power glove that gives him super strength, a raft that lets him cross over water, boots that let him cross small gaps, a whistle to transport to other dungeons, and a cross that lets you see invisible enemies. He also has eight magical abilities taught to him by the Old Men found around the place, including: a shield spell that raises his defense, the ability to jump higher than before, a healing spell, the ability to turn into a fairy and reach high or distant places, the ability to shoot fireballs, the ability to reflect projectiles, one to open up a specific building, and thunder that exposes a boss's weak spot. He can also stab up or down with his sword.

As for our supporting characters, Zelda appears once again only at the end of the game when you wake her up from her sleep. Impa once again only appears in the game's manual and not in the actual game (unless she's one of the old women found in various towns, but there's nothing even close to confirmation there). The game introduced towns where NPCs hung around and helped you with hints and so on (including what might be a prostitute inviting you into her house and "refreshing" you), but the most notable for our purposes here would be the Old Men types, which act much like the Old Men in the first game, teaching you each of the major spells Link can use (meaning they can use them too).

Ganon does not appear in this game, though it is implied that his forces are acting against you to try and resurrect him, with your final boss instead being your own shadow, the first appearance of Dark Link in a Zelda game. He basically does everything you can do, making you fight literally yourself as your final challenge. The other seven bosses of the game include: Horsehead, a mace-swinging knight with a horse's head; Jermafenser, a knight whose head can be knocked off which then flies around and shoots lasers at you; Rebonack, a jousting knight on horseback; Carock, a wizard that teleports around and casts spells; Gooma, a massive troll swinging a mace; Barba, a long-necked fire-breathing dragon; and the Thunderbird, which flies around and shoots fire.

As for our enemies, we have a few returning characters, such as: Leevers, Tektites, Octoroks, Moblins, Goriyas (now armed with clubs on top of their boomerangs), Zoras, Bubbles, and Stalfos, all mostly as they appeared before. Then we have a few that are basically returning characters, just with different names, including: Aches and Achemans, literally just Keese and Vires; Bits and Bots, which are Gels and Zols; Anerus, which are basically just Ropes; Iron Knuckles, which seem to be the same thing as Darknuts, just different games use different names; and Magos and Wizards, both of whom seem to be basically Wizzrobes. From there, we have: Mobies, basically birds; Boons, basically wasps; Deelers, basically spiders; Arurodas, basically scorpions; Girubokku, floating eyeballs; Lowders and Megmats, larva things of which the latter can jump; Bago-Bagos, flying monster heads; Geldarms, worms sticking up from sand; Dairas, axe-wielding dinosaur warriors; Gerus, the predecessors of the Lizalfos, seen wielding tridents, maces, shields, and throwing fire from behind cover; Moas, invisible flying eyeballs that drop fire; Maus, floating cat heads that breath fire; Ras, dragon head statues; Wosus, rat warriors that hop and stab with daggers; Gumas, ogres that throw maces; Parutamus, similar to the Stalfos; and Fokkas and Fokkerus, bird warriors related to the Thunderbird, spitting fireballs, jumping, and wielding maces and shields.

As for our locations, the map of Hyrule has a bit more detail to it, with way more place names. Specifically, Zelda's castle now actually appears on the map as North Castle, and seven towns surround the area, named Rauru, Ruto, Saria, Mido, Nabooru, Darunia, and Kasuto respectively (the origin of Ocarina's sages' names plus one major NPC), and the dungeons now take the form of palaces in specific regions, including one in a desert called Parapa, one in a swamp called Midoro, one on an island in the ocean, one inside a massive maze, one simply in the middle of the sea, one in between three large rocks, and the final one dubbed the Great Palace.

Other items include trophies, heart containers, magic containers, dolls, and the Water of Life.

And that's about it! Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Link: sword slash, sword beams, shield, bombs, arrows, candles, boomerangs, life potions, magical rod, book of magic, flute, rings, power bracelet, hammer, power glove, raft, boots, cross, shield spell, jump spell, healing spell, fairy spell, fireball spell, reflect spell, opening spell, thunder spell, stab up, stab down.

Princess Zelda: Triforce.

Impa

Old Men/Old Women: swords, life potions, shield spell, jump spell, healing spell, fairy spell, fireball spell, reflect spell, opening spell, thunder spell

Great Fairies: heal

Ganon: teleport, shoot fireballs, turn invisible, statue fire.

Dark Link: sword slash, sword beams, shield, hammer, power glove, raft, boots, cross, shield spell, jump spell, healing spell, fairy spell, fireball spell, reflect spell, opening spell, thunder spell, stab up, stab down.

Moblins: throw spears

Octoroks: shoot rocks

Zoras: swim, spit fireballs

Tektites: jump around

Armos: shields, tridents

Lynels: swords, shoot beams

Vire/Acheman: turn into Keese

Moldorms: slither

Stalfos: swords

Goriyas: boomerangs, clubs

Darknuts/Iron Knuckles: swords, shields, heavy armor, throw swords

Wizzrobes/Magos: spells, teleport, fire

Gibdos

Aquamentus: fireballs

Dodongo: breathes fire

Gleeok: breathe fire

Gohma: energy balls

Dairas: axe

Gerus: tridents, maces, shields, fire from behind cover

Wosus: hop, daggers

Fokka/Fokkeru/Thunderbird: fly, fireballs, jump, mace, shield

Bosses:

Aquamentus

Dodongo

Manhandla

Gleeok

Digdogger

Gohma

Ganon

Horsehead

Jermafenser

Rebonack

Carock

Gooma

Barba

Thunderbird

Locations:

Overworld-based stage

Dungeon room-based stage

Death Mountain

North Castle

Rauru

Ruto

Saria

Mido

Nabooru

Darunia

Kasuto

Parapa Palace

Midoro Palace

Island Palace

Great Maze Palace

Palace on the Sea

Three-Eye Rock Palace

Great Palace

Items:

Bombs

Bow and Arrows

Candles

Boomerangs

Life potions

Magical rod

Book of magic

Flute

Rings

Power bracelet

Hearts

Heart containers

Triforce pieces

Rupees

Clock

Raft

Step ladder

Hammer

Power glove

Boots

Cross

Magic Container

Trophy

Thanks for reading! Next up, let's cover A Link to the Past!