Link's Awakening remains my favourite Zelda game, but playing the original NES games a few years ago on my 3DS made me appreciate how great they are. Here are my thoughts on Zelda II from another thread:
I'm not ashamed to admit that I've avoided seriously investing time into this game in the past due to its infamously high level of difficulty and oft-cited reputation as the "black sheep" of the Zelda series.
Apparently, even Shigeru Miyamoto thinks that more could have been done to improve the finished product.
This was simply a misstep by Nintendo, I thought. In years gone by, I would start a new game, become frustrated by the relentless enemy encounters and chalk it up to antiquated game design. While there is definitely an element of truth to that charge, there lies within The Adventure of Link an incredibly solid game with deeply satisfying combat mechanics.
I must say that replaying this game on the 3DS specifically is a revelation, due in part to the "pick up and play" nature of the system, which psychologically encourages short bursts of gameplay. More profoundly, Nintendo's decision to incorporate save state functionality into its 3DS NES classics series completely transforms the experience of playing The Adventure of Link today and alleviates a lot of the stress of making good progress within the huge game world. It remains up to the individual gamer to decide to what extent they will utilise the save system, of course, and I recommend using it only when absolutely necessary to preserve the essence of the original game.
Purists who cut their teeth on the game in the '80s may balk at this play style and say it is tantamount to cheating, but with the frustrations and penalties associated with frequent death partially out of the picture (such as not having to traverse the whole world again to start where you left off), modern audiences are free to savour the exquisite blend of satisfying platforming and pixel-perfect swordplay instead. Save states don't diminish the feelings of excitement and dread upon facing an enemy in combat in any appreciable way; nor the enjoyment found in timing your attacks and mastering the use of your shield to deflect blows and projectiles. Indeed, this game elaborates on the alternating offence/defence strategy pioneered in the first Zelda entry and truly makes the shield feel like an essential part of your arsenal- something sorely missing in subsequent titles.
Dungeons are no less labyrinthine than those of its predecessor, except this time they are viewed from the side, bringing to mind the cavernous world of 1986's Metroid as you ride elevators in search for well-guarded keys. Towns populated by NPCs also appear in an embryonic form in this game, and while they do not hold much of interest in terms of exploration, it is still fun to find the sword skill and magic spell hidden in each one.
Yes, magic plays an integral part in The Adventure of Link, and the feeling of becoming empowered by your abilities is one only rivaled by the first game. Deciding which spell to use and when to use it forms a key part of the aforementioned offensive/defensive strategy. This is all governed by a simple but effective levelling system, whereby the player must prioritise which attributes to improve and allocate experience points accordingly. These light RPG elements are very welcome and enhance rather than detract from the Zelda formula in this context.
In short, I implore the people who have casually dismissed The Adventure of Link to play it on the 3DS with save states, as they may find themselves as enthralled as I was by this underrated gem. To this day, it remains a unique synthesis of gaming styles and genres that defies conventional categorisation, and it deserves to be reassessed.
