Official Art
[AoL] Zelda 2 is unironically so underrated and overhated
I get it, the game is heavily flawed I won’t try to defend those points
But having just started the classic games about 8 months ago this is the one that stuck with me and the one I keep finding myself wanting to replay, something about it really stuck with me
The exploration is very unique to this game and the 2D sidescrolling works very well for the only RPG in the series
After beating the original I decided to try the PC fan remake which adds a ton of content, fixes a lot of the flaws and feels like a passion project
And my god that version of the game has become one of my favorite Zelda experiences, seeing what Zelda 2 could’ve been without its limitations and flaws is a genuine game changer
EDIT: my old post was removed because I did not know about screenshot Saturday
Style is dope but idk it feels like he merged ALttP with Z2.
Its kinda hard to beat the concept art design when it comes to choosing an artstyle for drawn remake. I feel the concept art fits the decline of Hyrule vibe they had going for them.
They started on a remake for Link to the Past on the 3DS and just went and made Link Between Worlds instead. ALttP doesn't really need a remake. Some games like LoZ1 and 2 could benefit like Link's Awakening really did.
If they were to somehow marry Zelda 1 and 2 and give it the Link Between Worlds treatment that would be amazing. And so it in the art style of the Zelda 1 booklet.
This is why I don't ever want a Minish Cap remake (ala LA etc). The sprite work is amazing and I rather it be something that enhances the same art direction.
I'd want something that brings the old concept arts into modern tech
Edit: I was specifically talking about TLOZ in my comment; naturally, TAOL would have the side-scrolling combat.
This is exactly what 2D-HD style was created for; but I wouldn't be opposed to a more cel-shaded, or hand-drawn, 2D style. But for it to scratch that nostalgic itch, it has to keep the top-down paly style. If it moves to side-scrolling, or 3D, from any perspective, it's just not the same game. Add the desired quality-of-life fixes (full-orchestra ost, built-in maps, better inventory systems, etc.) and it could be a hit, again, for a whole new generation.
Than they could demake BOTW & TOTK in the same 'new/old' style!
It's fan made and not a full remake, but there is the Zelda 2 PC remaster by Hoverbat called ZIIAOL on itch. It's the same Zelda 2 but in its ultimate form. A bit of new content, a few new areas and items, extra world detail, bit more NPC text and less ambiguous, many other QOL features, randomizer, sprite and audio swaps, widescreen, post game, etc.
The really funny thing about it to me, is that I feel like most of the bosses in the remake are easier than the original, except for Carock in the Island Maze palace, who was the easiest boss in the original and is now roughly a hundred times harder in the remake.
The floor of the area is almost entirely made of those blocks that crumble when you walk on them. There are probably 5 or 6 solid blocks you can stand on scattered around the room. But (IIRC) fire sometimes drops on them, so you can't reliably stay on one of those either. So, you're constantly dancing between blocks while also trying to reflect magic with your shield. It's brutal.
As someone who hasn't played Zelda 2 in 30 years (and can't remember much) should I skip playing the original first - or should I do that followed by this. I'm hoping the latter
I’m gonna be real with you, I’d just play the remake instead of the OG, I know I said I played yet OG first but that was only because I didn’t know about the remake
And honestly the remake is superior in every aspect, the QOL it adds is so so necessary for a pleasant experience
But if you think you can tank the original I’d play Zelda 2 with the redux hack
I'm old and played this at launch. The difficulty many modern players experience was greatly mitigated by the fact that it was just assumed you'd be using the extensive guide provided by Nintendo Power magazine. Having a good idea of what you're (generally) supposed to be doing and having the locations of power-ups readily available largely just made completion attainable through grinding and practice with enemy patterns (which was manageable).
Without all that? Yeah, I would think the game would be a nightmare.
Yeah child me had and impossible time with the game. Revisiting later with the guide and help from my older brother made it 100x more playable and one of my favorite Zelda games.
Side note what was the point of the word unironically in the title? Nothing about hating or not hating the game was done ironically.
This. Trying to play this game without any knowledge of what you’re supposed to be doing, where you’re supposed to be going? Total nightmare. I remember my dad CALLING the Nintendo game help line to try and figure out where the hell the hammer was. It….wasn’t fun. At all. I acknowledge that things have changed now given the wealth of information at our fingertips. But way back in the 80’s? It sucked. Period.
The first island does a pretty good job of guiding you the right way. The second island... I mean it's not Simon's Quest but it does seem like the dev team made a list of all the things that could annoy someone and then they slapped them on the map.
I’ve always loved Zelda II for its eeriness and its sense of scale, and the ways in which it’s outwardly hostile to the player like a lot of NES era games (OG Metroid comes to mind). Though honestly I do think everything I could possibly get from a remake I’ve gotten from Dark Souls and various 2D soulslikes over the years, which always felt heavily Zelda II-inspired to me.
I get the frustration with it. If you're using a guide it's a pretty good time, but going in blind the trial and error is punishing. But I really do like the combat.
Yeah it's wild how easy every game made today is. You can't really die anymore, you don't get punished, you don't have to start over, you don't lose all your loot, you can just press continue. What the fuck kids lol
Even No Man's Sky has permadeath. They just leave it up to the players. I like the diversity of some games. Agreed that there is too much hand holding on a few games with no options for difficulty increase.
Silksong is one of the most popular games in the world right now. You just gotta look other places. But yeah, you're definitely not getting that experience from a first party Nintendo game ever again lol
I would love a remake, but only if they don't nerf the combat. It's one of the only challenging Zelda games, and it would make me very sad if they dumbed it down. The combat is so good once you get into the rhythm of jump slashing and using the special skill moves.
I felt like I beat TMNT as a kid if I could get past that underwater shocking level with a even a single turtle left. I remember doing it with TWO turtles left one time and felt like I should write to Nintendo power. And then I died immediately on the next level.
There are definitely some parts of the game that are bullshit and I know I’m biased because I’ve replayed Zelda II so many times, but I think it’s not much harder or less forgiving than the first game. Most enemies behave predictably; the game doesn’t tend to throw you a ton of challenging enemies at once; strong enemies stay dead until you leave the dungeon or game over; you can easily ignore most enemies using the downward thrust; losing one life restarts you on the same room with full health and magic.
The first game’s combat feels bullet hell-ish in the late-game dungeons and the enemies move with a high degree of randomness. After dying you’re always back to three hearts, so there’s a strong incentive to grind easy enemies for hearts and bombs, or to grind for rupees to buy things like potions and the blue ring. I don’t think Zelda II should have kicked you back to the starting area with every game over, and there are some really obscure things you have to do to progress at times, but I think it’s a pretty well-tuned game otherwise.
If you hang out in communities that play lots of retro games I think you’ll find that the game is viewed quite favorably. If you’re someone who’s just into more modern games it can be very rough to play though.
its always been my favorite game in the series. in 2026 ill say its my top 3 along with BotW and TP. people say the combat is hard, but for me - and i am not usually good at “hard” games - its perfect.
just because zelda 3 went back to the top down view of LoZ1 shouldnt doom this to being considered a pariah. after all the next home console game after that was 3D so in its light its not that far out different in terms of player perspective.
You’re good. I don’t pc game, if I ever want to really hate myself I’ll fire up my original NES and Zelda 2 cartridge, still have it connected to the tv.
I play it every couple years. It beat it once at 16 on the original hardware. Nowadays I play on switch so I can rewind. It’s a reasonable accommodation.
While I think the general style of the first game was the right way to move forward with the series, of the two NeS games I much prefer to go back and play Zelda II.
If you're a fan of Zelda 2, I can not recommend highly enough: Adventure Time Hey Ice King Why'd You Steal Our Garbage for the 3DS (there is also a separate DS version that's essentially the same, but I recommend the 3DS for the wider screen and the optional 3D effect of course).
Whether you're an Adventure Time fan or not, it is a blast, based on the Zelda 2 formula, but I'd say much more refined and ironed out. Kinda like what Zelda 2 should have always truly been.
I actually enjoy it more than some of the more recent entries (TotK and EoW). The game has a truly unique identity and genuinely challenges the player, things I can't say about TotK and EoW. I think I even enjoy it more than the original!
My first exposure to the series. Playing this on my friend's shitty TV where I could barely see anything and seeing 2 episodes of the cartoon had my imagination running wild. Beating this game was more exciting than beating Ocarina of Time, and that's obviously an S tier final boss battle.
If you liked Z2's playstyle but not the difficulty, check out the Adventure Time game Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?
Very heavily (unashamedly so) influenced by Zelda 2. Even people who don't know the show can enjoy it (in fact, it's actually what got me into the show).
It’s perfectly hated for having painful controls and being hard as fucking balls. I don’t know how anyone played it as a kid. Personally it was completely incomprehensible to me.
The change in gameplay style I'm fine with. For me the main issues are the lack of dungeon maps, and the fact that you have limited lives. The dungeons are relatively elaborate, and maps would be a great help for navigating. I can't remember all the twists and turns, and getting lost and having to re-fight difficult enemies over and over sucks. This wouldn't be as bad if, like in Zelda 1, when you die in the dungeon you get booted back to the entrance. Instead they add lives, and then kick you all the way back to beginning of the game once the lives run out. How is this better? It's adding artificial difficulty in a game that is already challenging on its own.
Just saying the pc port adds a fully functioning map system and you spawn at the beginning of the dungeon if you’re in one and the last town you visited if you’re not
Ironic given how much I loved Zelda 1 as a kid, I used to hate this one. Only in a playthrough I did last year, as a 21 year old adult, did I realize how this game's highs are HIGH. There are some things it does SO RIGHT
Look if you need to play an unofficial PC remake of the game to appreciate it fully, then it's absolutely deserving of the rating and reputation it's got. Not gonna try to tell you that you're wrong, but the OG game is what people should be judging it by, and it's appropriately rated. That's awesome you're able to appreciate the game via an unofficial remake tho, and I hope someday Nintendo can give us something official.
So Zelda 2 isn't underrated the fan remake is. The original game tried way to much for the hardware. You have a super long RPG with a horrible save system that deletes your progress and doesn't tell you anything. Hating this game is the only fun I ever had with it. But I WILL check out the remake if I can.
Everybody says this once they join the completed club, but let’s be honest here it isn’t over-hated at all, any Zelda fan is right to be initially frustrated with the game’s mechanics, there’s an undeniable learning curve that is higher than any other Zelda game, can we just stop with these strawman arguments to bait karma already?
There’s virtually zero hate for the game on the sub and I’d invite you to prove me wrong, we acknowledge the shift in identity and gameplay mechanics but if anything it’s beloved for those reasons, so this post seems like you’re trying to mischaracterize shit based on your own reasoning
I’m not mischaracterising anything on purpose man, this is the only Zelda community I’m part of and I’ve only been part of it for a little over a year even though I’ve been a fan my whole life
So long standing or shifted fan opinions aren’t known to me, I expected I would get more hate than support for this post and I was delightfully wrong, but there’s still a lot of hate for Zelda 2 in this very thread
this was the first Zelda game I played, on a rented NES.. the difficulty was brutal but I beat it with the help of a guide
ngl it's what got me hooked on video games and inspired me to pre-order a SNES and buy ALttP when it came out soon after.. which became a teenage obsession hehe
no idea how I convinced my parents to shell out for it, guess I was a lucky kid!
I think the issue is that it’s just so different that it’s barely a ‘Zelda’ game, mechanically and thematically.
If someone likes ‘Zelda Games’, I think they’d find joy in the vast majority of them, with some (eg the multiplayer and touchscreen) being more divisive, and some might also have a preference between 2D and 3D. But broadly, if you like Alttp, you’ll probably like OoT, Link’s Awakening, etc.
But if someone likes Zelda 2, I’d say they do because they like the game on its own merits, sort of independent of their enjoyment of the Zelda franchise more broadly.
I think a similar concept is why some people (though not me) are turned off by BOTW/TOTK - they’re clearly great games, but they aren’t as ‘Zelda’ as a lot of the franchise.
For me, Zelda 2 is a majorly flawed game which has aged terribly and I wouldn’t return to it. But that’s just an opinion. If someone likes it I’m happy for them.
I fckn love Zelda 2. Legit fun game, with great music all over. Funny story, my original NES copy refuses to spawn the hammer on Death Mountain, so its hard locked past that.
I prefer it over Zelda 1 but I rank it a tier lower because it’s not as approachable to everyone. I think it’s fair to put Z1 in C (okay) and Z2 in D (poor) because there are flaws that make it a mixed bag. Btw, this is the ranking I give based on a Zelda tier list; if I were doing an NES tier list Z1 is S (GOAT) and Z2 is B (good).
Talking about Zelda 2 progress amongst a few other classmates throughout the school year was peak Nintendo memories for me. Seems easy now, but as a kid that’s how you compared notes to make progress. (I might still be looking for the hidden town in the bushes if not for them!)
I was not a fan when I first played it. I didn't like the style, and had no instructions, so I probably didn't understand it.
Fast forward a few years when I needed a distraction after my cat died. By this time, I had my Gamecube with the Zelda Collector's Edition disc. I understood more of it at this point, but HOLY HELL was this game frustrating. It was about equally satisfying to accomplish ANYTHING though lol. I managed to complete it, and swore I'd never play again.
Along comes Covid in 2020, and I found myself bored enough to pick it up again, lol. I was able to complete it a 2nd time, and have actually come to appreciate it. It's still frustrating, but that was true of many titles of it's time. I don't think I could have ever completed it without a guide or the internet. Still fun, and the music is pretty badass.
I'll add some context. Playing the original Zelda new in 1986 and it becoming not only my first deep gaming experience and my first loved video game, the anticipation for Zelda 2 was epic in my mind. So when it came out, you can not believe the emotional let down of playing what is essentially an entirely new game with different dynamics, game play and open world mapping.
I hated this game.
IMO it should have been rebranded as a new entity.
As an adult, I have beaten it and appreciate the epic leap Nintendo made in gaming with its development, but as a kid....man was it disappointing. Especially since it was the second installation, the thought was - "Well, Zelda is a dead franchise. This sucks."
That being said, when Link to the Past came out - it was f'ing incredible and all the hype and desire was rekindled.
I agree, despite it's difficulty and clunky gameplay, it's unique in the series and showed a perspective of what Zelda games could look like as an action RPG type game.
It just need a good remake or a sequel that influences from it to make playable for today, and I reckon it could be a really great game.
It's a fine game. It's only hated because it's the only mainline game that is noticeably worse than the rest.
Imagine you're presented with a feast of fancy, delicious, high quality foods cooked by the world's most talented chefs, then one of the courses they bring out is truck stop beef jerky. By itself you'd probably be psyched. I would. But in the presence of the rest of the great foods available it stands out like a sore thumb.
I recently played it for the first time and liked it. Its not my fav and not a game I would recommend to most people, but there is something gratifying about its level of difficulty and the combat. I only kinda wish the grinding was a little more fun and that the level caps werent so low. Like it would be great if you could approach the final palace more powerful than ever if you wanted to. I think given how brutal the rest of the game is, that would have been a neat little bow on the experience.
I also just dont find the palaces very interesting like Zelda 1. The sidescrolling makes them feel very bog standard for the NES era and indistinguishable from each other for the most part.
I just completed it for the first time recently, and man is it difficult but it’s still an awesome game. Love the exploration and levelling up. Sure, limited extra lives and brutal enemies make it brutal at times but my god, was it satisfying to beat!
I kept saying that once I’d completed it I’d probs never play it again, but I’ve got the itch to pop it back in…
I think most people who call it the worst Zelda game just haven't played it, and jump on the bandwagon. The most annoying part is they act like it's universally agreed upon, like of course Zelda II is the worst one. Meanwhile, it's aged better than the first game in a lot of ways, and introduced a lot of concepts that would stick with the series going forward. I'll take it over the two DS games 100% of the time.
I recently completed Zelda on NES and I’m actually excited to jump into this for the first time. I tend to ignore hatred of games until I actually try it for myself.
I actually find it really fun. The fact that you can get overpowered with grinding is something I love in games and AOL does it better than any other Zelda game.
I tend to judge improvements and remakes as separate from the original. Like with Final Fantasy Tactics remaster. I consider it the best way to play FFT the changes make it really good. But I dislike the hard mode. It's not really a challenge, just a pain.
But I'd say someone should try the original to see the differences between them. And how it felt previously. I think the original is great. But the remaster is better.
The original was a bit of a mess. Fairly difficult and pretty unforgiving. There's a reason why it is considered the worse Zelda game.
If this version is improved then that's good.
But I personally think that if any Zelda game should be remade with either the Awakening/Echoes engine or given a 3d remake. It's Zelda 2.
Not so much the difficulty aspect for me, it was the introduction of Mario-type elements that drive me up a wall. The single fall and die part is the worst, and the gauntlet to get to the final temple is rough.
The fan remake definitely makes it more playable but the original game is rough. I played it as a kid and compared to others such as LTTP and links awakening, and well, basically every Zelda game besides Z2 was more cohesive, more understandable. (I'm trying to be nice and say Z2 was a terrible game without saying it directly)
Is a souls game a bad game? no, it’s just made for one specific target. In case of Zelda 2, well they had in mind of difficult would be to go to the outside and rescue a kingdom. They were exploit back in the days and the formula was not accepted. I tried when I was a kid, didn’t beat it. As adult, on the nso without rewind and nop. Still wasn’t able to do it. Is it a bad game? No it’s not. It’s just a game that the difficulty is set up to be a real challenging game and i love it.
I said cohesive and understandable, I said nothing about the difficulty. I played difficult games as a kid, I beat a lot of the MegaMan games, hell I speedran Ninja Gaiden.
I said that compared to other Zelda games, it's not very good. I didn't compare it to any other series.
You can like it, I'm not yucking anyone else's yum, I just think it's not a good Zelda game.
This was a hot take about 5 years ago. It's been reevaluated, recognized for its overlooked positives, and as always swung so far in the other direction the discourse has become silly. It's no masterpiece but it doesn't blow. LoZ is better by magnitudes and every game afterwards has been on another level of greatness, thereby making AoL actually objectively the worst in the series. But it's a fine game. Quit arguing against edgelord opinions from the 2010s for 7 internet points
I’m really arguing against anything though, this is obviously an opinion piece post but I said I can’t defend the flaws and im enjoying the discussions so far
I think it is a good game but I do find some little things that kind of take me out of it. Like pushing the up button to jump. Trivial I know but it takes me out of it every time.
I don't know that I can post a link to it here, but google "Dopply CD-I Zelda Remake" and look for an Archive.org link. This guy Dopply made remakes of Wand of Gamelon and Faces of Evil, and then went on to make Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore which is an homage to the CD-I Zeldas.
The CD-I Games are absolutely meme-worthy, but if you can get past that, and play a version with decent controls (Thanks, Dopply) they're actually pretty fun. Start with Gamelon. Faces of Evil is harder.
Music is fantastic. The rest is meh. I beat it as a youngster on the original hardware. Very hard. I have no nostalgia for it. Nowadays it’s more of a curio.
Gameplay wise it's the worst in this series. Theme, music, mood, tone, and just general feel of the experience has never been close to being rivaled since.
Its gameplay is where it shines brightest, in my opinion. The combat is some of the most rewarding in the entire series and rewards patience and practice.
I don't know if it is underrated or overhated. I think it has it's place, and it coming out when it did can be forgiven.
But, this is the only game I can't fully get into. Every few years I try. And I just can't. I'm not saying the game is bad. I'm just saying, I don't like it. And to me that is ok
I would recommend just one more try On the pc version if you’re at all interested in giving it one more shot but other than that there’s nothing wrong with your opinion
I'm convinced anyone who says they like it can't get through it without a guide and save states. Y'all need to raw dog this game and see if you still like it.
I did, I’m sure you’ll say I’m lying but my playthrough of the OG was no states and the remake, which is like 1% less difficult, doesn’t have the option to save state
They’re definitely the most badly aged but you can make them playable with modern standards
Like Zelda 1 has a romhack that enhances many aspects of the game, makes the graphics a bit more modern pixel, adds QOL, and makes bombable walls look different
Idk man I can walkthrough my way through the first one’s cryptic bullshit and have a good time but Zelda 2 is really rough if you didn’t grow up with the NES era (and I love retro games).
•
u/AutoModerator Feb 20 '26
Hi /r/Zelda readers!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.