Support NeoGAF

[pollo]

Best Zelda Soundtrack........check

Zelda that's actually challenging.......check

First(and only) version to actually take Zelda in a different direction......check


Zelda II is the best Zelda game hands down. And with it being re-released as a Classic NES game for SP, I can re-live its awesomeness anytime, anywhere, anyplace.
Zelda II ftw.

 

[Kseutron]

First(and only) version to actually take Zelda in a different direction......check

can't agree with that man...

 

[human5892]

I agree, Majora's Mask wins.

 

[SantaC]

Best Zelda Soundtrack........check

no. It has a great soundtrack but OoT is better.

Zelda that's actually challenging.......check

The last palace is a pain, however the game is very short.

First(and only) version to actually take Zelda in a different direction......check

I liked the 2D sidescrolling elements mixed with the overworld. The simple lvl up system was good also. That said, several other zeldas has gone in a different direction.

Zelda II is the best Zelda game hands down. And with it being re-released as a Classic NES game for SP, I can re-live its awesomeness anytime, anywhere, anyplace.
Zelda II ftw.

It's a great zelda, but not the best ever.

 

[pollo]

The OoT soundtrack is laughable compared to what Zelda II accomplishes with midi, makes OoT a godamn shame. The Zelda II startup screen completely destroys any hope OoT had in having a good soundtrack.

It being short adds to the fact its about the only Zelda with any replay value. Beaten 3 times in 4 days! And still going!

 

[Tritroid]

I think in terms of what it achieved, the awe-inspiring scope of it for its time, and the way it revolutionized 3D gaming, Ocarina of Time is the best Zelda ever for me.

Zelda II is still definitely the most difficult Zelda of all time though.

 

[pollo]

I think in terms of what it achieved, the awe-inspiring scope of it for its time, and the way it revolutionized 3D gaming, Ocarina of Time is the best Zelda ever for me.

Zelda II is still definitely the most difficult Zelda of all time though.

Zelda II is the only moderately difficult Zelda.

 

[Ranger X]

A Link To The Past or Ocarina Of Time for the win.

 

[SantaC]

The OoT soundtrack is laughable compared to what Zelda II accomplishes with midi, makes OoT a godamn shame. The Zelda II startup screen completely destroys any hope OoT had in having a good soundtrack.

OoT forest temple music > Zelda II's soundtrack.

 

[Tritroid]

Zelda II is the only moderately difficult Zelda.

Well some of the GB Zeldas had difficult points in the dungeons as far as puzzles go. Zelda II's difficultly stemmed from actually staying alive though.

 

[robo_robo]

I'm waiting for my hori pad to replay this on gamecube. I love this game.

 

[truffleshuffle83]

Zelda 2 was terrible, whats wrong with you

 

[SantaC]

Zelda II is the only moderately difficult Zelda.

I can agree with that, however some puzzles in later zeldas (etc OoA and OoT) are quite difficult. In terms of raw challenge Zelda II wins, but that doesn't make it a better game.

 

[pollo]

I can agree with that, however some puzzles in later zeldas (etc OoA and OoT) are quite difficult. In terms of raw challenge Zelda II wins, but that doesn't make it a better game.

the puzzles are laughable. If youre thinking in your head "water temple" Ill laff at you sir.

 

[SantaC]

the puzzles are laughable. If youre thinking in your head "water temple" Ill laff at you sir.

Not just that. Several OoT(and MM) puzzles were quite clever at the time, and that goron music puzzle in OoA was nuts. Now what's harder, solve a puzzle or mash the button a few times?

 

[Archie]

Why is Zelda II the best Zelda Ever?

It's underrated but it's not the best Zelda ever.

 

[pollo]

Not just that. Several OoT(and MM) puzzles were quite clever at the time, and that goron music puzzle in OoA was nuts. Now what's harder, solve a puzzle or mash the button a few times?

the latter.
Zelda puzzles stopped getting hard after LttP, when I was about 9.
Zelda II still challenges me to this day.

 

[AniHawk]

No.

No. No.

 

[Prine]

never played it


best Zelda for me is OoT

 

[shuri]

It's the only Zelda that went against the cookie cutter receipe.

 

[SantaC]

the latter.
Zelda puzzles stopped getting hard after LttP, when I was about 9.
Zelda II still challenges me to this day.

Dunno about it. The fairy cheating, and the level up system makes it easy sometimes. The only challenging part is actually the last palace, and the thunderbird.

 

[pollo]

It's the only Zelda that went against the cookie cutter receipe.

QFT

 

[ToxicAdam]

This is such a ridiculous topic.



First Zelda to have horrible graphics. check.

First Zelda to rip off Dragon Warriors overworld and Metroid-style play. And do BOTH poorly. Check.


Repetitive "townspeople" that act more like sign posts, instead of people. check.


Experience points system that makes you level grind to get past some dungeons. check.



Btw, it took 1 month for me to beat the original Zelda. It took a week to beat Zelda 2, once you realized you could just level up in a previous dungeon to make the next one a piece of cake.


----


Pollo, how old were you when the Zelda 2 was released? When did you actually play it? Just curious.

 

[sammy]

First(and only) version to actually take Zelda in a different direction......check.

I donno 'bout that, each and every zelda has gone in different bold *directions ---- That's part of the reason we're always so pumped to get a new one.... Nintendo just puts the old inventory-selection screen in there to fool us all into thinking it's the same old mechanics.

* 4-Swords FTW! It's like 24hours long, so it counts dammit!

 

[SantaC]

Experience points system that makes you level grind to get past some dungeons. check.

Btw, it took 1 month for me to beat the original Zelda. It took a week to beat Zelda 2, once you realized you could just level up in a previous dungeon to make the next one a piece of cake.

Yup, as any other RPG you could just grind for a few hours. It didn't take long to gain the highest level either.

 

[jarrod]

Zelda II was the biggest dissapointment of my gaming life. Decent enough game in it's own right, but an awful follow up the visionary The Legend of Zelda. Thanks goodness Nintendo got thing back on the right course (somewhat) with A Link to the Past.

Ys III, Alundra 2 and Dark Savior come close to this tragedy, they're all certainly worse games than Zelda II, but they weren't nearly as dissapointing.

 

[pollo]

This is such a ridiculous topic.



First Zelda to have horrible graphics. check.

First Zelda to rip off Dragon Warriors overworld and Metroid-style play. And do BOTH poorly. Check.


Repetitive "townspeople" that act more like sign posts, instead of people. check.


Experience points system that makes you level grind to get past some dungeons. check.



Btw, it took 1 month for me to beat the original Zelda. It took a week to beat Zelda 2, once you realized you could just level up in a previous dungeon to make the next one a piece of cake.


----


Pollo, how old were you when the Zelda 2 was released? When did you actually play it? Just curious.

8, back in 94 I think? before my parents got me an SNES in 95.

The original zelda design system sucked. The only reason it took you a month was because you were given no direction. Zelda II, albeit the towns people give you 5 word sentences, make you follow a direction.

The graphics were significantly better than Zelda I, but then again this point is moot to me since I could care less about NES graphics.

No matter how hard you 'level grind' the same could be said as stacking up on blue potions in all zeldas. At least you had to work in order to make the game easier. Not hit some random tree to procure more rupees.

 

[hahahax]

First Zelda to rip off Dragon Warriors overworld and Metroid-style play. And do BOTH poorly. Check.

Nintendo invented the RPG formula with Zelda II: the Adventure of Link.
Enix stole the idea of an RPG overworld from Nintendo.

 

[SantaC]

while I do think Zelda II is a good game, Battle of Olympus(with ZII engine) shits all over it.

 

[Blackace]

First Zelda master quest is the best Zelda ever.. was there ever any doubt?

 

[jarrod]

Nintendo invented the RPG formula with Zelda II: the Adventure of Link.
Enix stole the idea of an RPG overworld from Nintendo.

Er... no.

 

[ToxicAdam]

Most people who love Zelda 2 are younger kids who didn't play LOZ or Zelda 2 in the mid to late 80's, or it was thier first Zelda they played.


Most that grew up in that era and played that game was disappointed. There was a reason why the franchise never went back to that style of play. It was a LARGE error. That is proof enough to negate this claim. Nintendo realized its mistake.


It definitely gets points for trying something new and is an above average game if you take off the "Zelda" tag. But really it was just an amalgamation of other game ideas (Dragon Warrior overworld, Metroid-styled dungeons, Rambo had a similar exp point system.) If Zelda exceeded those games with its borrowed ideas, then it would have been a huge success. But it didn't.


------


I understand why some poeple like it. If all you played was LttP, Seasons, Ages, original LOZ ... Zelda 2 would be a HUGE breath of fresh air. Almost like finding a hidden gem. But trust me, when it was released it was not seen this way.

 

[Papi]

Down thrust is the best move ever.

 

[MoxManiac]

Battle of Olympus > Zelda II

 

[teh_pwn]

I never beat Zelda 2. I was like 10 when I last played it. I kept dying in the lava before what appeared to be the last dungeon.

 

[hahahax]

The Zelda CDI games used the same perspective, and so did Link's awakening at times.

 

[Mallrat83]

Battle of Olympus > Zelda II

I'm almost inclined to agree Mox. I just love both games so much, it's hard to say which is better.

 

[jarrod]

Most that grew up in that era and played that game was disappointed. There was a reason why the franchise never went back to that style of play. It was a LARGE error. That is proof enough to negate this claim. Nintendo realized its mistake.

It's true, but interestingly enough Zelda II is still the best selling Zelda ever in Japan.

Link's Adventure (FDS) 1.800.000
The Hyrule Fantasy (FDS) 1.520.000
Ocarina of Time (N64) 1.460.000
Triforce of the Gods (SFC) 1.160.000
Fruit of the Mysterious Tree (GBC) 1.030.000

 

[ToxicAdam]

It's true, but interestingly enough Zelda II is still the best selling Zelda ever in Japan.

Link's Adventure (FDS) 1.800.000
The Hyrule Fantasy (FDS) 1.520.000
Ocarina of Time (N64) 1.460.000
Triforce of the Gods (SFC) 1.160.000
Fruit of the Mysterious Tree (GBC) 1.030.000

It's one of those examples where sales do not reflect reality.


I don't have access to such data, but maybe a good example would be Prince of Persia 2. Alot of those sales were not based on the strength of the game, but rather the strength of the original.

 

[jett]

Zelda II is great. Haters can go suck it.

p.s. OoT's soundtrack is pretty terrible. The only tracks that are worth a damn are the themes borrowed from ALTTP.

 

[SantaC]

Battle of Olympus > Zelda II

yup as I said a couple of posts up.

 

[Xellotah]

Zelda II title music is the best and the village music wasn't to bad either.

Battle of olympus was tacky... I got stuck on the last part until I realized that those gaps in the trees were actually doors.

 

[Tyrone Slothrop]

for some reason zelda 2 seemed to be the first 'dark' zelda game for me

 

[AniHawk]

Zelda II is great. Haters can go suck it.

p.s. OoT's soundtrack is pretty terrible. The only tracks that are worth a damn are the themes borrowed from ALTTP.

Uh, no. The only thing missing from OoT was (obviously) the Zelda theme. The music was fantastic.

 

[Mallrat83]

for some reason zelda 2 seemed to be the first 'dark' zelda game for me

Funnily enough, Zelda 2 seemed to be the first "second" zelda game to me. Fuckin' weird.

 

[Sanjuro]

The OoT soundtrack is laughable compared to what Zelda II accomplishes with midi, makes OoT a godamn shame.

:lol :lol

I love Zelda 2, but laughable?! OoT rightfully earned its place as one of the best games of all time and having an excellent soundtrack is one of those reasons it is there.

 

[pollo]

no he's about right ani.

OoT's soundtrack was a rehash of LttP. LttP was good in its own right, but Zelda II completely destroys it.

and everyone do yourselves a favor and find a song by Boom Bip called "Roads Must Roll" he samples the Zelda 2 title theme and only then can you guys truly see how good Zelda II's soundtrack was

 

[SantaC]

Zelda II completely destroys it.

And then you woke up.

 

[Tritroid]

no he's about right ani.

OoT's soundtrack was a rehash of LttP. LttP was good in its own right, but Zelda II completely destroys it.

and everyone do yourselves a favor and find a song by Boom Bip called "Roads Must Roll" he samples the Zelda 2 title theme and only then can you guys truly see how good Zelda II's soundtrack was

uh, what?

The majority of OOT's soundtrack was completely original, they weren't remixes from LTTP. That's exactly why you don't see the traditional Zelda theme in the game because Kondo was quoted as wanting to try new theme variations in an interview many years ago.

 

[Xellotah]

The OOT soundtrack(s) were good as well. The ocarina tracks were excellent, especially Sara song.