Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

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a game by Nintendo
Genre: Adventure/RPG
Platforms: GBA, NESNES
Editor Rating: 7.3/10, based on 3 reviews, 4 reviews are shown
User Rating: 8.3/10 - 6 votes
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See also: Retro Games, Zelda Games, 3Ds Zelda Games

THE FINAL JOURNEY

Here we are, finally ready for the concluding battles of this huge game. But even though we've got only two more palaces (three, if you count the Grand Palace) to cover, there's still a lot to be done before Link is victorious in his quest.

The last two palaces are gigantic and will present you with many new creatures and challenges, so it has never been more important that your character be as strong as possible. In fact, until your Magic abilities are as high as they can get, you won't be able to get much past the entrance of the Sixth Palace. This is because the Sixth Palace requires that you have the Magic Key. And to get the Magic Key, you must first have found all the Magic Containers.

But let's take a look at the Fifth Palace, first.

The Fifth Palace

The Fifth Palace is located on a tiny island in far-east Hyrule. To get there, you need the Magic Boots (they'll let you walk on water). With the Boots, walk east from Nabooru Town, across the ocean, onto the island and into the palace.

The Fifth Palace contains many of the same types of rooms that you've seen in previous palaces, but now there is a greater number of creatures. You'll have to make your way across some tricky areas, while battling for your life. For this reason, it's imperative that you know how to defeat each type of enemy. However, from this point on, your best bet is to avoid a battle whenever possible. The number of experience points you get for killing a creature is not worth the risk of injuring Link. For the rest of Link's adventure the key word is "run".

As usual, you should swing your sword at every statue you find. Some of them will contain valuable Red Magic Bottles. Some of them, of course, will instead contain Ironknuckles, so always be prepared for a battle.

As was the case in the earlier palaces, there are rooms where you can find an unlimited supply of easy-to-kill monsters. This gives you a chance to get enough Blue Magic Bottles (and occasionally a red one) to refill your magical abilities.

In the lowest level of the Fifth Palace, you'll find the Magic Flute. This mysterious instrument will allow you to get past the River Demon south of Nabooru Town. In the territories of Hyrule beyond the River Demon, you'll find both the Sixth Palace and the Grand Palace.

Of special note in the Fifth Palace is the fake wall located in one of the lower-level rooms. With a running and jumping start, Link can walk right through this wall. In fact, he must walk through it in order to get the Magic Flute, as well as to visit many of the palace's other rooms.

The Hidden Town of New Kasuto

If you've already visited Old Kasuto Town (located just west of Three Eye Rock), you know that all the people who lived there have fled. What you may not know is that they have built a new town, hidden deep within a forest.

Here's how to find it: there's a cave to the north of Three Eye Rock. If you battle your way through it, you'll find yourself on the outskirts of a small forest on the far-eastern shore of Hyrule. The town of New Kasuto is hidden in this forest, but to find it you must use your axe (by pressing the "A" button) to chop down the trees. This is a tough and frustrating job. Sometimes your axe will clear an area and other times it won't. To make matters worse, you'll be attacked constantly by the creatures that dwell in the forest. Be persistent, though; sooner or later you'll come across New Kasuto.

Before you search for New Kasuto, you must be sure you have found all the Magic Containers. If you've found them all, your Magic Meter will be eight segments long. If you've missed any of them, some important people in New Kasuto won't be cooperative. To get all the Magic Containers, be sure you have explored every square inch of Hyrule and checked out every cave. Once you've completed that task, you'll probably find that you're still missing one container.

That last container is well hidden. Remember the tunnel south of Death Mountain, the one that contained the Hammer? Next to that tunnel is a large boulder. If you strike that boulder with the Hammer, you'll discover yet another tunnel, wherein you will find a Magic Container.

Once you have found all your Magic Containers, go to New Kasuto, where you'll get your Spell. Then go all the way to the east of the town and cast the Spell. You'll, call forth a hidden building inside of which you' the Magic Key.

As a side note, I should mention that there's also one Heart Container that's difficult to locate. If you find that your Life Meter is only seven segments long, and you've searched everywhere, you've probably missed the Heart Container in the ocean. Take the same route you took to get to the Fifth Palace, walking on the water with your Magic Boots. Check every possible direction you can walk. There's a side path that'll lead you to the final Hear Container.

The sixth palace

How many of you have tried in vain to locate the Sixth Palace? I see a lot of hands raised. Yep, the Sixth Palace is well hidden. It is, in fact, invisible. To make it visible, stand in the center of Three Eye Rock, facing south and play the Magic Flute.

At the entrance to the Sixth Palace, there's a red statue. If you strike the statue with your sword, you'll find that it sometimes contains a red Ironknuckle, and sometimes contains a Red Magic Bottle - it's purely random. Still, this statue offers valuable help in your exploration of the desert surrounding Three Eye Rock.

Here's what to do: call up the Sixth Palace by playing the flute. Enter the palace and hit the red statue with your sword. If an Ironknuckle pops out, run out of the palace entrance. You'll find yourself back at Three Eye Rock. Before any creatures can attack, get yourself back into position and play the flute again.

Keep doing this until you get a Red Magic Bottle. This trick will allow you to keep your magical abilities at their highest level while you explore the desert. Whenever you get low on Magic, just go back to Three Eye Rock and get another Red Magic Bottle.

In the Sixth Palace, you won't find any keys. All the gates will open with the Magic Key you got in New Kasuto. You will, however, find the Cross here. The Cross will allow you to see the invisible creatures that attack in the graveyards, in Old Kasuto, and in the caverns leading to the Grand Palace. Without the Cross, you won't last long in these areas.

The Grand Palace

In the Grand Palace you'll meet up with the Final Guardian. To get there, you must battle your way through the graveyard south of the River Demon, and then make your way through the hot-mud swamps. In these swamps, you'll wander through many caverns and be attacked by dangerous creatures while balanced precariously over lava pits. Use your Spell to transform the Moas into a less dangerous form the instant you enter one of these caverns. If you don't do this, they will almost certainly bump you into a lava pit.

By the way, east of the entrance to the hot-mud swamps there's sometimes a Red Magic Bottle. Obtaining this bottle will give you a much better chance of making it to the Grand Palace. It's a tough trek.

You must make your way west through the hot-mud swamps, toward the trails and caves located in the mountains. When you make it through the two caves, you'll find yourself standing in front of the Grand Palace. You'll be on your last legs by the time you get there, but that's okay. Once you make it to the Grand Palace, when you lose your last life, you'll be able to continue from the entrance to the palace. Unfortunately, you can't save your position at the Grand Palace. If you turn off your machine, you'll have to fight your way through the hot-mud swamps yet again.

The Grand Palace is huge, but you don't need to visit all the rooms. There are no keys and no gates. Your only task is to find the most direct route to the Final Guardian. I should also mention that the Grand Palace is almost impossible to map because the rooms don't fit together in a logical way.

You should try to find your own way through the Grand Palace without our help; that's half the fun. But if you give up, here are directions that'll get you to the Final Guardian, and with any luck, you'll get there with almost all your strength:

From the palace entrance, take the elevator down.

Go left as far as you can.

Take the elevator down.

Go right as far as you can.

Take the elevator down.

Go right as far as you can.

Take the elevator down one level. You'll find yourself in an elevator shaft with no visible exit (except to continue down).

The wall on your left has a secret entrance. Keep moving the elevator down little by little until you find it. Then walk through the wall to the secret room. The statue in this room may have a Red Magic Bottle. Strike the statue with your sword. You'll need to use your High Jump.

Take the elevator all the way down.

Go right as far as you can.

Take the elevator down.

Go right as far as you can.

Take the elevator down.

Go right as far as you can.

Take the elevator down.

You'll be in another elevator shaft with a fake wall. You may find another Red Magic Bottle in the statue in the secret room.

Take the elevator all the way down.

Go to the right. You'll find a Fairy that'll restore your life.

Go all the way to the left and you'll find a 1 Up.

Go back to the elevator and take it down.

Go left until you find a row of blocks on the floor.

Use your Downward Thrust to cut through the eleventh block from the right You'll fall through a secret passage.

Go right.

You'll end up crossing a dissolving bridge. About halfway across the bridge, there'll be a narrow passage below. You must position yourself so that when the bridge segment you're standing on dissolves, you'll fall down the passage.

Go to the left and chop the bottom two blocks out of each of the T s. You may find a Red Magic Bottle. Or you may find yourself running from a nasty critter.

Go all the way to the right where you'll confront the Final Guardian.

Conclusion

You should now have most of the information you need to defeat Ganon and bring Link to the end of his quest. It's been a long and hard trek, but one thing is for sure - Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is one of the best games you can get for your NES. Good luck and may Ganon rue the day that you set out to defeat him.

Download Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

GBA

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
NES

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • P-200, 32 MB RAM

Game Reviews

A Player's Guide

Never having played the original Zelda (okay, sue me), I can't tell you how Zelda II: The Adventure of Link stacks up to its predecessor. What I can tell you is that once I started in on Zelda II, Mario and Luigi themselves couldn't have dragged me away from my Nintendo Entertainment System. Zelda II isn't a game, it's an experience - with enough interesting locales, adventure and action to keep even the most jaded gamer glued to his control pad.

On top of that, Zelda II is one of the most challenging games I've come up against. For most people, it would be difficult - if not impossible -to solve the game without a little guidance and a few clues. That's why I, your humble VG&CE Master Gamer, chose to write this series of articles, even though it has proven to be one of the most difficult projects of my career.

How difficult has this project been? Let's put it this way: the photographic maps supplied here, along with the ones you'll be seeing in the next two issues, required so many screen snapshots that I bought stock in Kodak. I knew that, due to increased sales of their color film, the stock was bound to go through the ceiling.

But you're not interested in listening to me whine about how tough this article was to put together. You're here because you want to know how to get the best out of this sensational game. So let's get to it (if you are, for some strange reason, interested in hearing me whine, give me your address, and I'll send you a tape.)

Read This First!

Nothing will do, of course, but that we should begin one of these in-depth strategy guides with the usual warnings. And so, without further ado...

Warning: in order to provide a helpful and comprehensive player's guide, this article covers Zelda II: The Adventure of Link in great detail. Because they are not likely to remember many of the hints presented here, people who are using this article as a review to help them decide whether to buy this game, may look over the information here with little risk.

However, if you are currently playing Zelda II, we advise you not to read this entire guide right away. Prematurely reading too much of this article could adversely affect your gaming experience, because you may read secrets that would be more fun to discover for yourself during actual game play.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

The Beginning Link

The first hour or so you play Zelda II should be dedicated to increasing your new character's strength. This is important if you're to have any chance of beating the nasty creatures that'll be found lurking the hallways of Parapa Palace where you must place the first of six crystals in the stone statue. One way to increase your strength is to fight the beasts roaming the forests, plains and deserts of Hyrule. Another way is to discover the hidden treasure bags. If you're lucky, a defeated monster may drop a treasure bag, but this doesn't happen too often.

No matter how you get your experience points (and fighting is the only sure way, since there are just a few hidden treasure bags to find), you need to collect the number of experience points shown next to the word NEXT in the upper right of your screen. Once you reach that number, you'll be able to raise the level of your Attack, Magic or Life. This is absolutely necessary for survival.

But before you leap into battle, travel to the town of Rauru (don't ask me how to pronounce it; every time I try, I sound like a dog with a toothache) and get the magic shield. With it you can cut by half the amount of damage done to you in battle.

Next run up to the southern edge of Tantari Desert, where you'll find a small clump of tress. Hidden there is a treasure bag that'll allow you immediately to raise your Life level by giving you a quick 50 experience points.

Now armed with your magic shield, you're ready to explore the countryside and fight the local meanies. As you fight, you'll begin to accumulate more experience points. But keep in mind that some of the creatures are worth more points than others, and if you want to gain experience levels as fast as possible, you should learn to defeat easily the higher value enemies and then search them out.

Don't forget that both towns, Rauru and Ruto, have places where you can be healed. If you keep your battles close to town, you run little risk of losing a life. When your life meter starts getting low, just go into town and get healed. Then it's back to battle. Once you get used to this system, you'll be able to increase your levels without losing a single life.

During your early explorations of northern Hyrule, do not enter any of the caves. Because you don't yet have the candle, the caves will be dark, and you won't be able to see the creatures that will attack. If you should ignore this advice, you will find your game quickly over.

Your First Destination

Once you've done some exploration, it'll become obvious to you that you're not going to be able to get anywhere without the candle. All the pathways leading from northern Hyrule pass through dark caves that are loaded with meanies that have no difficulty seeing you, even though you can't see them.

The candle can be found in the depths of Parapa Palace, located on the outer fringes of Parapa Desert. Luckily, even though the cave leading to Parapa Desert (in the upper-right comer of Hyrule) is dark, it contains only one enemy. It's easy to get through the cave and into Parapa Desert.

Here's a hint that'll help you get to the cave without first being attacked in the forest: as you know, monsters won't fight you when you're standing on a pathway. You can take advantage of this cowardice. Quickly step off the path into the forest and then back onto the path. The monsters will appear as soon as you step off the path. But by the time they get to you (if you're quick; you need to practice), you'll be out of harm's way. When the monsters go away, run through the woods to the cave. You should have plenty of time to get there. This technique will help you get to Parapa Palace with as few hits as possible, and it will also be handy in later parts of the game, where it's critical that Link stay in good shape.

Once you're in Parapa Desert, don't head directly for the palace. Instead, take the path you'll find in the southeast corner of the desert. At the end of that path (you'll have to cross a nasty bridge first), you'll find a hidden grove wherein is hidden a heart container that'll lengthen your life line by one square. Obtaining this before entering Parapa Palace, will increase your chances of success in the palace.

Parapa Palace at Last

Now you're ready to test your new skills against the mysteries of Parapa Palace. In that gloomy and dangerous place you must accomplish two tasks: find the candle and place the first crystal in the stone statue. Of course, for the beginning player, that's much easier said than done. You're first going to have to learn how to fight the various monsters you'll run into there. But don't despair. If you have trouble with a particular creature, consult the creature list accompanying this article to get hints on the most effective way to combat your opponent.

And don't forget that you've got a magic shield. Learn to use it effectively, and your three lives will last a long time. Also remember to save your game each time you run out of lives. That way if someone happens to accidentally pull the plug on you, you won't lose everything you've worked so hard for. And make sure to hold in the Reset key, as described in the manual, when turning off the game. Failure to do so could cause your saved game data to become corrupted.

To the beginning Link, Parapa Palace may seem large, but it is quite small when compared with the other palaces in Zelda II. This is a huge game, and you'll definitely need maps in order to help you plan your moves and to help you find your way through the long and confusing corridors. We've supplied maps to save you from drawing them yourself, but it'd be best not look at them until you really need to. It's much more enjoyable to explore the palaces and discover their secrets on your own.

Using Magic

In order to play Zelda II well, you need to use your magic in the most effective manner possible. Rule one is to never waste even the smallest amount of magic. For example, as you fight the servants of Ganon, you will often be rewarded with magic jars that will restore part or all of your magic. The red ones fill you up completely. It's a natural reaction to snatch up a magic jar the instant it appears, especially when in the heat of battle - but don't! Finish your battle and then take a minute to think about the best way to use the jar. If your magic is low, then just grabbing the jar is okay (unless it's a red one), because it's unlikely that it will contain more magic than you actually need.

If you find yourself with a red magic jar, you should immediately cast every spell you can, even if you don't think you'll need them. Because the red magic jar will fill your magic completely, no matter how low it is, any spells you cast before grabbing it will be freebies. Why take a chance on not activating your magic shield when it'll cost you nothing to be safe? Sooner or later, this technique will pay off - I promise.

The same strategy applies when your magic is almost full and you find a blue magic jar. It's wasteful to grab more magic power than you can hold. Cast a spell first - then pick up the jar.

As you gain more magical abilities, it's important to know which spells work best in which situations. Sometimes you'll need a couple of different spells, but will have enough power to cast only one. In those cases, it's good to know which spell will give you the greatest advantage. If you pay close attention to the effects of the magic, selecting the right spell will become second nature.

When Not to Place the Crystal

As you know, the last thing you must do to complete a palace is place the crystal in the stone statue. But don't be too quick to do this. Why? When you place the crystal into the statue, you get richly rewarded. For one thing, your Life and Magic lines are completely restored. But more importantly, you're given whatever points you need to reach the next level of your Attack, Magic or Life.

Let's say that after defeating the statue's guardian, you've got 40 experience points, and you need 500 to reach the next level. Why replace the crystal and get a measly 100 points? It's much better (assuming you have enough lives left to do it) to leave the castle by the way you came in and get those 100 points by way of battle. Once you've attained that next level, you can go back into the palace and then place the crystal. Sure, you'll have to refight some of Ganon's minions there, but once the guardian is gone, he's gone forever (assuming you save your game, of course). If the last level you attained was at 500 points, then the next one will require 700 points. They keep going up and up and up... Even if, by the time you get back to the statue, you've racked up another 400 points, you're still much better off. Instead of gaining only 100 points, you can now get a quick 300! And remember that the further into the game you get, the more replacing the jewel is worth. Using the technique described above, you can gain thousands and thousands of experience points that you'd otherwise have to fight for.

The Maps

This month we present maps of the first two palaces, as well as maps for the towns of Ruto, Rauru (somebody hear a dog?) and Saria. Some of the caves are mapped, as well, but only the ones that contain objects of unusual value. It would take too many magazine pages to map them all.

Next time, well provide you with maps for some of the other palaces, towns and caves - so stay tuned!

This is an action-adventure and role-playing game that was published and developed by Nintendo for the NES. This is also the second installment in The Legend of Zelda series of games. Originally, it was released in 1987, in Japan.

In Zelda II: The Adventure of Link over again the main character is Link and he is on a quest to rescue a new Princess Zelda. She has fallen under a sleeping magic spell. This Zelda version emphasizes on side-scrolling and role-playing game elements. It has a top-down view, when traveling the land. Also a side-scrolling perspectives, used when fighting, in a town or town) It also includes an experience points system and more interaction with non-player characters. Though, there was a significant difference from The Legend of Zelda, its predecessor. And it also has given it a status as the “black sheep” of the series. Although it is the least popular game of the series (popularity, and also sales) it was highly successful and represented many elements that would be common in future Zelda games. The Adventure of Link provides a battery backup, this allows saving a game without the need for passwords.

WARNING: In order to provide a helpful and comprehensive player's guide, this article covers Zelda II: The Adventure of Link in great detail.

Because they are not likely to remember many of the hints presented here, people who are using this article as a review to help them decide whether to buy this game, may look over the information here with little risk.

However, if you are currently playing Zelda II, we advise you not to read this entire guide right away. Prematurely reading too much of this article could adversely affect your gaming experience, because you may read secrets that would be more fun to discover for yourself during actual game play.

Moving On

Last month we took an in-depth look at a few towns and caves in Hyrule, as well as the first two palaces. If you've managed to play through those areas, you've picked up some skills that'll help you in the more difficult challenges forthcoming. Like most adventure/arcade games, the further you advance in Zelda II, the tougher it gets. So it's important to build up your character's strength as much as possible. To tackle the next two palaces, it'd be a good idea to have Attack, Magic and Life levels of at least five each. If your character is too weak, you will never be able to get past the obstacles you'll meet in the intermediate levels of the game. Remember that you must search every square inch of Hyrule in order to find the many heart and magic containers you need to lengthen your Life and Magic lines. Every time you find one of these containers, the appropriate line becomes longer. By the end of the game, your Life and Magic lines both should be a full eight segments long.

One good way to build up your experience points is to visit the Death Mountain maze, found south of Saria Town. There are many creatures in those caves, and that gives you a chance to gain experience points quickly. It's important, though, that you not get too far away from Saria, so that you can retreat when your life and magic get too low. As long as you can make it back to the town, you'll be able to restore your strength and magic. Once you've restored them, return to Death Mountain. You'll find that all the creatures you destroyed will be back, allowing you to build up even more experience points.

Move through the Death Mountain maze in a clockwise direction, without taking any of the elevators up. By traveling in that direction, you will meet the monsters that will give you the most experience points. Also, it's the best route for getting to the secret tunnel just south of the Death Mountain maze. You'll find the hammer in that tunnel.

A Word About Monsters

The monsters you'll face in the higher levels of Zelda II are extremely dangerous. To defeat them, learn their weak points and fight like a master. In most cases, unless you're trying to build up experience points, your best bet is to flee rather than fight. In the long run, you'll take much less damage by avoiding a fight. Of course, retreat isn't always possible.

Island Palace

Once you've built up your strength as high as is reasonably possible, it's off to Island Palace. To get to Island Palace, first go to the King's Tomb, which is found in a graveyard in southeastern Hyrule. Once in King's Tomb walk directly south, and you'll fall into a secret tunnel. When you leave the tunnel (you'll need your fairy magic), you'll be on the island.

Island Palace contains several new and difficult challenges. The monsters are more fierce than those of Parapa and Midoro Palace, and your pathway will be blocked by many types of obstacles, including not only the usual locked gates, but also lava pits and falling ceilings. The most important item you'll find in Island Palace--except for the statue in which you must place the jewel-- is the raft. The raft makes it possible for you to cross over to Hyrule's far eastern island, where more adventure awaits.

When making your way through the palace, use your sword to strike every statue you see. Some of them contain red magic bottles, which will completely restore your magic energy. It's critical that you find these bottles; without them, you may not last long.

Another way to build up your magic is to find a room with an unlimited supply of monsters (the blue bots work well) and keep battling them until you get enough blue magic bottles to refill your magic power.

Maze Island Palace

To get to this palace, you have to traverse the treacherous Maze Island, which is loaded with hidden traps and tunnels. One of these hidden tunnels holds the kidnapped child that you must return to Darunia Town in order to receive your Reflect magic.

Maze Island Palace contains all the usual obstacles--locked gates, lava pits, falling ceilings, disintegrating bridges--but adds another delightful trap: bottomless rooms which will drop you deep into the palace's lower section. You can move Link right or left as he falls, so that you can control, to some extent, where he lands. It's in the Maze Island Palace where you'll find the winged boots, which will allow you to walk on water. These are necessary in order to get to the second island palace.

Snapshots and Media

NES/Famicom/Dendy Screenshots

GBA Screenshots