Zelda II on NES: side-view action-RPG, very different from the original. Link levels to acquire, legendary difficulty. Divisive but fascinating. One of the most ambitious games on the console.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player7+
Description
Action-adventure featuring Link exploring Hyrule in side-scrolling view to restore the Triforce of Courage. Published by Nintendo, released in the USA in 1988. Link in side-scrolling palace view and top-down Hyrule map view, magic to acquire and Thunderbird boss. A challenging innovative second Zelda on NES.
Zelda II - The Adventure of Link review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Pleasant"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Blending overhead exploration with side-view dungeons, this second Zelda forces you to learn spells, earn experience and clear ferociously tough palaces. Its high difficulty and atypical progression system lengthen the adventure considerably, where every cleared palace feels earned. That singular demand, long divisive, now grants it cult status among connoisseurs.
Technical info
💾0,08 MB📅01/12/1988
Published by Nintendo
Zelda II - The Adventure of Link (NES) price, value & rarity
The American NTSC NES edition of the atypical Zelda sequel on a gold cartridge, the first true action-RPG Zelda to land on the console's flagship market. The NTSC gold cart is one of the most recognisable in the US catalogue, and CIB with an un-warped cardboard box and map concentrates value. Desirability rests on this offbeat entry's place in the series and on the gold cart's prestige rather than on any US print scarcity.
Memorable bosses
A bold turn toward side-scrolling action, Link's adventure keeps a guardian deep in each palace, demanding precise swordplay with high and low guards. From Horsehead to the giant fire-spitting Barba, the difficulty climbs to the Thunderbird and a duel against his own shadow. Facing that silent double, which anticipates every move, remains a high point of 8-bit tension.
Is Zelda II - The Adventure of Link still worth playing in 2026?
Zelda II - The Adventure of Link on NES is a side-view action RPG radically different from the first Zelda. Link gains experience and learns spells, traverses a top-down overworld map and enters demanding side-scrolling dungeons. The difficulty is legendary, the attack system demands precise mastery, and the writing introduces elements that will shape the lineage. Divisive but fascinating, one of the console's most ambitious games.
