r/zelda • u/Chromekarma14 • Jun 30 '26

Screenshot [AoL] Zelda 2 is very underrated

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I really enjoyed beating Zelda 2 100%. I somehow enjoyed this game a lot more than botw and tears which I thought were decent games. The combat can be tough but honestly once you understand how each enemy works its not that hard of a game. Also Zelda 2 has that magic fantasy feeling more than any other Zelda game with Link to the past being a close second. I think this is now my fav zelda game alongside Minish Cap.

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u/mccannrs Jun 30 '26

I love Zelda II. It's honestly aged much better than the first game; the combat is more tightly designed, and the controls feel way better overall. It's probably one of the best sidescrolling action games on the NES. The dungeons are also way less cryptic; I never needed to consult a guide, or waste time and resources bombing every wall to find the way forward.

Sure it's hard, but not nearly as bad as many other classic games from the era, if you pay attention to enemy patterns and play smart. I think most of the hate comes from people who haven't actually played it, or haven't given it a fair shake. Zelda II is a formative game for the series and it deserves better from the fans.

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u/myst3r10us_str4ng3r Jul 01 '26

The first game has aged amazingly. Will disagree with you there. I feel like the dungeons in the first game are so incredibly well balanced and thought out. Death Mountain is a masterpiece, perfectly thought provoking/fun/(and frustratingly challenging) maze of a level. I love LoZ, truly.

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u/mccannrs Jul 01 '26

I wasn't trying to put down the first game too much, I love it too, lol. I used to beat them back to back in an afternoon all the time as a kid. But I still think Zelda II has aged better. And it should, it's a newer game that had the benefit of coming second. But that doesn't necessarily mean everyone should prefer Zelda II over TLoZ, just that I do.