Inti Creates President Elaborates On 'That' Zelda II Remake Comment

I still haven't got round to playing The Adventure of Link... is that bad of me? Can I still retain my profile pic, or do I now have to hand that in with my bow & arrow and Hylian crest?

Umm, duh? Wasn’t it obvious when he first said it?

@sikthvash
As long as you know where "I AM ERROR" comes from, you're good to go.

Maybe with some tweaking... like when SMB2 was ported to the GBA... would be interesting to see how the 2D/over-world sections were remodelled? I remembering borrowing this when I was about 8yo and finding it incredibly and frustratingly difficult! Tried recently on NSO and felt the same!

@sikthvash I bought both NES Zelda on 3DS and haven't even finished the first one. I might play them one day... might

Adventures of Link was the first game I ever pre-ordered. From the JC Penny catalog. Man, that seems like a lifetime ago before the Internet. haha. But I remember being somewhat disappointed with this sequel after loving every second of the first Zelda game. I completed it, but I never went back to it like I did with Zelda 1, and the many of the other sequels. It wasn't until I replayed it on the Wii eshop and 3DS eshop that I really grew to love this game, and appreciate it for what it was. I think it still gets a bad wrap. I would love to see this game remade much in the way Metroid 2 was remade.

@EarthboundBenjy Yeyeee! Phew, still a fan then, haha!

@sikthvash Not really. I mean, I had to use save states to beat it because it's so brutally difficult and I still count it as having beaten the game. I struggled more with it than any other Zelda game and I've beaten all of them. Next time I'm just going to play on original hardware and use Game Genie to give myself unlimited lives because seriously that game is HARD!

@Rhaoulos Played the first one back on my NES and revisted a couple of times since, but the second one always eluded my interest.

It's really a game that's ripe for a do-over in a more traditional Zelda style. I remember as a kid having a feeling of disappointment when my dad played the game and it was radically different than the first . And that didn't change later when I actually played it myself. But I also acknowledge it has its fan

@able_to_think ooo, I didn't realise it was a difficult entry! Maybe time to boot it up before Link's (Re)Awakening arrives!

They should let Lizardcube have a crack at it.

I've always loved Zelda II, it was just so different at the time and a great commercial for buying a Game Genie. Would love to see it remade

There's somewhat of an elephant in the room-- Will we get any sort of remake of Zelda I and/or II? I'd be down for it.

@sikthvash Zelda II is a must-play. It's really punishing at times, but save states take care of that problem. If you have NSO, make sure to play it sometime.

@MeloMan It's the game in the series most deserving of a remake. Ahead of its time in so many ways.

Zelda 2 is one of the worst Zelda games as far as game design goes. It relies on some of the worst types of challenges that have since been left behind (totally random, often "cheap", enemy placement and attacks. cryptic, poorly translated clues, obtuse puzzles that cause hours of retreading, limited "lives" with consumables to gain lives whose use/loss was saved between attempts, etc.)

However, I really enjoy much of what was attempted. Using a side view led to fun downward strike bounce attacks (predating Duck Tales and, of course, Shovel Knight) and potentially great combat, boss, and Temple changes. Much of that potential was hurt by those faults I mentioned earlier, though!

How they ever let the over world graphics ship... it MUST have been a memory issue that such a small set of horrible tiles was used.

The overall style of progression was a bit linear but did force you to wander around and cover the map. If it wasn't for the uneven difficulty and, again, other foibles, the game progression has a nice feel.

The spell system had potential but needs a different way to balance use that would allow more flexibility in using the spells. So many little parts of the systems are broken, but fixable!

In short, a carefully constructed remake could be really, really great!

@MeloMan Zelda I wouldn't benefit much from a remake, in my opinion. It's kinda perfect the way it is. Making the graphics more polished would partly expose some of the strange control limitations which are important to the gameplay. I'm not opposed to it, and I'd probably play it if it was identical in gameplay, but here's the other thing:

There are so many lesser-played Zelda games (GBA, DS) that could do better with a remake. Minish Cap, for instance, would be pretty great with a 2.5D remake.

From what I've played of Zelda II, it has a combat system that is well designed and ahead of its time, a great soundtrack, but the overworld and level design could be better. Moments are fun, like fighting enemies with shields, but a lot of the game is a slog.

To be fair, a lot of 80s Nintendo games are a slog. Spending 40 minutes killing bats to refill energy tanks in Metroid 1 every time I die is a great argument for save states.

Man I hated Zelda II, still haven't got past the second temple, it is just that hard and nothing like any of the other Zeldas

@Dodger Yeah, I love the original Metroid, but starting with only the original 99 hits from a password was incredibly cruel and punishing. I don't hesitate to use save states in that game anymore. Besides the initial tricky difficulty before upgrades and a bit of wonkiness in the last couple "Levels", Zelda 1 is much, much more balanced and timeless. Super Metroid is the classic Metroid in the end.

If you haven't played Zero Mission, though, that is a remake of the original NES Metroid and is really great... I'd like to see that remade for a larger screen as its only issue is that Samus is pretty large on the screen and you can't see as much at once. Crazy secrets in that one, too.

@Bunkerneath I don't blame you. Even with save states, I've given up near the end. I think I only finished it through the week it released and I don't know how I did that. Much more concentrated time with games back when I was a teen, I guess! It does become a chore. It has influenced future Zelda games quite a bit, though.

I feel like a champ beating Zelda II and many other games proper back in 1989 at 9. Battle of Olympus was even better (IMO) the following year and consumed my Xmas break along with Crystalis, Strider (Genesis), and Ghouls n' Ghost (Genesis) .

@Bunkerneath @aaronsullivan it's definitely one of the hardest games I've ever beaten( not to be confused with the hardest game I've played). The first time i beat it, it was on the nes classic but I never used save states. The 2nd time was in my 2ds and i in fact, used save states as it does help. Use a guide, use a walkthrough. Consult with YouTube videos. Because it can be done, and it is a decent game, but nowhere near the game zelda 1 was imo.. I thought cuphead was harder, personally.

@TurboTEF The first mention I have seen of "Battle of Olympus" makes me so happy. Me and my brother loved that game, I would love to play it again someday!

I've always loved Zelda 2 and it definitely gets a bad rap, though I think it's not as bad as it used to be at least since there are definitely people out there that enjoyed it.

@sikthvash I grew up with Zelda 2, and Nostalgia is probably the only reason I like it. If I try to look at it objectively, it was probably not a great game even when it came out. I don't think you are missing much by not playing it. You can still be a true Zelda fan and not like the adventure of link.

@Dodger I love the original Metroid and I believe it was revolutionary for its time. That said... it really doesn't hold up well. 8 year old me didn't mind ceaseless farming and getting lost, but playing it now is rough. Besides, Zero Mission is such a fantastic reimagining of the orignal NES game that there is almost no reason to revisit the original.

It would be so awesome if Nintendo did a similar reimagining of the Adventure of Link.

inb4 Nintendo catches us all off-guard, and the Breath of the Wild sequel neatly mimics the design of Zelda II, complete with top-down overworld map and sidescrolling action segments.

I absolutely loved Zelda 2 when I first got it on NES. My brother & I would play that game every day until we finally beat it. The final boss was always relatively tough, but the rest of the game became quite easy after playing it all the way through over & over again. I remember getting frustrated often with the final temple, but eventually we both had its layout memorized. Even when I replayed the game on Wii VC (after it had been years since I had last played, & I no longer had the final temple maze memorized), the final temple was fairly simple to navigate.

I still really enjoy that game & would love to see a remake happen.

@TurboTEF Battle of Olympus was one of my favorites! Still waiting for it on the NOS
I too finished Zelda II as a kid, and I liked, not as much as the first, but it was fun to me.
Back in the day, I was compelled to finish every game that I had or borrowed, no matter how difficult or bad. The only games I tryed and fail to finish where Battle Toads and TMNT 1....

Somebody needs to remake Zelda 2. Its the game of the series that deserves and need it the most...

I'm a big fan of Zelda 2, but like others have said, it has so many problems. A remake would be amazing if they evened out the difficulty without watering it down completely. If you like a challenge though, it's a very satisfying game to complete. I don't have the patience for it any more, sadly, but beating it as a youngster was the highlight of my gaming career.

I'm happy with the Link's Awakening remake... but it's a classic. It didn't need updating. I had the same reaction to the Bowser's Inside Story remake. I generally prefer the idea of remaking games that were good, but had sufficient flaws that a remake could fix. Zelda II fits that category perfectly.

I'm a huge fan of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. I play through it and beat it about once a year. I know the game has a lot of haters because of how different it is, but for me it's my second favorite Zelda game behind Breath of the Wild.

I would buy a 2.5d remake day 1, even at $60.00.

Zelda 2 has its problems and I think save states make the game better. I did revisit the game a couple of times over the last few years and I ended up really liking it quite a bit. It didn't have as many design flaws as I thought. For comparison, I revisited Castlevania 2 around the same time and still didn't like that one. I'd say Zelda 2 is worth another look for those who have played it before, or worth playing for those who never tried it. Not everyone will end up liking it, but I think a lot of people would be pleasantly surprised as well, despite some issues.

Getting Link's level up very early in the game and casting the shield spell a ton help out a lot in the game.

Zelda II was certainly clunky, but I loved it anyway. I think a modern remake that fixes the game's many problems would be nice, but since Nintendo themselves consider it a black sheep, it's not likely to happen.

I'd trust these guys with a Mother series game.

@ViewtifulJotun same, I loved Zelda 2 as a kid and played the heck out of Battle of Olympus though I never beat it like I beat Zelda 2. I’ve been hoping for BoO to come to the NES app.

Always wanted Zelda II to be remade, it really needs to be
Also still no remake for Zelda 1 ? Not even with SNES graphics, that's still surprising

@Zequio

Indeed, I can honestly say I never owned or beat Battletoads on the NES but I did borrow it a few times. TMNT was fun but a mess and I never felt any rushing need to finish it up.

I did love the first TMNT game on the Gameboy though along with the GB version of Battletoads too.

@Simonmoskovits Yeah, the remake of it sucked. SMB2 is a classic that didn't need a modern makeover. A port is all it needed. I hold the same thoughts about the NES Zeldas. They're fine as they are and at most just needed a modern save system. And they have one.

@sikthvash Its a tough Zelda, but its certainly not one of the hardest games ever made. Its difficulty is challenging but fair, with only a few cheap difficulty spikes in like 3 areas of the game. I'm terrible at hard games and I beat this several times as a child with no Nintendo Power, no friends to consult. My mother beat this game. Beat it several times on the GBA as an adult and I'm close to beating it again on the NES Classic. The leveling is quite fair and gives you some options and litters bonus exp bags around the overworld and dungeons. A lot of the complaints are from modern gamers who don't understand that a lot of the things they whine about were the norm for many of the NES' titles.

@Tempestryke I grew up playing games on the C64; generally speaking, games were a lot tougher in my youth. There's a great deal of hand holding and QoL improvements that makes things easier to retry in this day and age. I also think my skills as a gamer have diminished somewhat, but I'm a little more domesticated these days ^_^
Cool, will def be giving a try in the near future!

@delt75 I would pre order games that would never arrive or never get made. Even ports that never arrived like the Gameboy version of Royal rumble pre-ordered from toys r us.

@tendonerd Oh man, that sucks!

@UmbreonsPapa I want to see it remade in it's original style. It's the only actual Zelda RPG. And it was great! The problem is the design far exceeded the technology it was made for. It couldn't really handle what it needed to handle, and the impossible to win brokenness of it broke what little was left. Taking the game with modern conveniences, tech, scale and graphics, but keeping it's original general design in tact would work really really wel (making the exploration and combat real-time, of course.)

@tendonerd That sucks!

@NEStalgia Um what was so broken about it? And if it was so impossible to win, then how come plenty of people beat it?

@Tempestryke absolutely, a modern system and maybe updated graphics and sound... the ‘rewind’ feature got me thru SMB2 and Lost Levels... Zelda II needs a little more!

@Simonmoskovits Which SMB2 are you talking about? The Japanese version or the US?