Zelda II: The Adventure of Link – NES Classic Edition

The only direct sequel to the original Legend of Zelda, this classic RPG returns once more with the NES Classic Edition.

The second installment of this epic saga was originally released in 1987, just one year after the first game released. Though it wouldn’t see a U.S. release for another year or so, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link continued Link’s adventures in Hyrule, as he attempted to save Princess Zelda. Though it emphasized side-scrolling and role-playing elements more than the top-down world of the first game, it is still one of the highest critically successful titles of the generation, and it is no wonder Nintendo included it with the NES Classic Edition. In this article we’ll show you several tips and hints to help you survive this classic role-playing game.

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How to Make Battles Easier

When exploring the world of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, enemies will spawn when you step onto specific points in the world. If you wait in front of that sport for the monster to walk onto it, you can then step into the monster and fight them in a different environment/battle area. This makes the battle easier to fight, allowing you to take our your foes without as many issues.

How to Easily Fight the Final Guardian

The final boss in Zelda II can be extremely challenging. When fighting the Final Guardian, though, you can make the fight much easier by moving to the left side of the screen and pressing the B button repeatedly. You’ll still take some damage during the sequence, but overall you should be able to land far more strikes this way than you could be simply attacking from the center of the room.

How to Get Easy Experience

Start up a new game of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and play through it until you reach the first Guardian in the first Temple. After you defeat the Guardian, place the jewel in the statue and wait for the points to start counting up. When they do, quickly press Start to pause the game, and press Up + the A Button and save the game. Now reload the save and you should gain even more experience points from the encounter, allowing you plenty of additional experience points to work with.

Where to Find Sword Skills

To find the Upward Strike Sword Skill you must travel to the village of Darunia (located on the northwestern side of the eastern island), and then use the jump spell to leap onto the rooftop of the house that has the chimney. Now press Down to enter the building, and head to the right to find stairs down to the cellar. The NPC who teaches you this skill can be found in the cellar.

If you want to find the Downward Strike Sword Skill, head to Mido, the town on the eastern side of the mainland area. Look near the dock for a raft that you can use. Then cast the jump spell to reach the open door on the second floor of the church. Enter the church and head to the right to find the NPC who teaches you this extremely useful Sword Skill.

If you use these tips effectively you should have a much easier time completing Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. While it is quite a different experience than the first game of the series, this classic role-playing game offers a unique look at the world of Hyrule that has earned its spot among the classics included in the NES Mini. Return to our NES Classic Edition guide or take a look at all the secrets within The Legend of Zelda to learn more about Hyrule and the series’ protagonist, Link.


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