What do you think makes Zelda II unique?

I know AoL will always have the history of being overly difficult or a side scroller, but what was the real unique aspect for me was the whole RPG element. I know there's those who say all Zelda games are RPGs, but I disagree and label them as Action/Adventure genre, NOT RPG. An RPG can't be an RPG to me unless there's either a turn based battle system or random encounters. AoL has random encounters on the overworld map. Sure they are avoidable, but not always.

Originally Posted by Maser

I know AoL will always have the history of being overly difficult or a side scroller, but what was the real unique aspect for me was the whole RPG element. I know there's those who say all Zelda games are RPGs, but I disagree and label them as Action/Adventure genre, NOT RPG. An RPG can't be an RPG to me unless there's either a turn based battle system or random encounters. AoL has random encounters on the overworld map. Sure they are avoidable, but not always.

I would agree with you. Very few Zelda aspects are RPG-like (with the exception of AoL). Zelda II is very RPG-like. However none of the other titles fit into the classic RPG mold. Action/Adventure or probably strategy genre are a much better fit.

they don't really fit into strategy, either. It's just more or less an action/adventure game with some hard to solve puzzles and cool dungeons and the like. Well...maybe the 2D ones could be called strategy for some of the stuff you can do that involves positioning and the like.

I like the RPG elements, and I liked that they tried a side-scroller. It was a very fun game, just hard.

Two words... Pogo Sword! man I love that feature! jump on your enemies head point your sword down and bounce on them to death.
The level up feature was also really cool! Its also the only game where Link can turn into a fairy and go into the lady in reds house to be healed.

Originally Posted by RavenWolf

Two words... Pogo Sword! man I love that feature! jump on your enemies head point your sword down and bounce on them to death.
The level up feature was also really cool! Its also the only game where Link can turn into a fairy and go into the lady in reds house to be healed.

I forgot about that!! Hahaha. My personal favorite was fuzzy skull (forgot their names) grinding. Also, the boss of the second palace was made a joke by the pogo sword technique.

Haha, thanks for reminding me of that comical feature. Never got old doing that.

What this game got right was the inclusion of multiple towns which gave the game a sense of communal feeling... With the exception of Zelda 1(due to story reasons) other zelda's lack having more than one or two towns..

the whole game is kinda unique actually because of the sidescrolling and rpg feeling to it

What this game got right was the inclusion of multiple towns which gave the game a sense of communal feeling... With the exception of Zelda 1(due to story reasons) other zelda's lack having more than one or two towns..

Definitely. It makes the world feel real. Like there isn't just 3 towns with random people doing nothing in particular, or their sole purpose isn't to have a game where Link wins a bigger quiver. The multiple towns were cool. I know the people didn't say much but give credit to the designers for having a world that felt like it wasn't only for Link.

the whole game is kinda unique actually because of the sidescrolling and rpg feeling to it

Zelda is probably my favorite non-RPG. But with Zelda II's RPG feel it was like the ultimate crossover for me. Gaining levels and leveling skills is so much fun.

Ah, the Skill System. It was so challenging. If you put to many points in one, you would be to weak. If you rounded off the points, you would be took on by specialist. If didn't upgrade period....you where doomed.

It was an rpg. It had spells Fire Fairy Lightning WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE!!! I had a hard time figuring out which spell I should use. It was different. Another thing was IT WAS SO FREAKING HARD!!!
Stupid Death Mountain. I wish you regained health in fairy form.

One thing: The difficulty

Although most good NES games had insane difficulty.

I think ZII is unique mainly because of its RPG-like style. You actuallly have experience points in that game, which never appeared in any of the other games.

Yes, the game was much harder too. I have gone as far as to call it the toughest video game I have ever played. I died 18 times in just the first dungeon. I think that says that I suck at Zelda that it is way too hard.

There's the side-scrolling too. I really liked that. It was unique and such...but also much more fun.

Aside from the 2D side-scrolling? I find it one of the most difficult Zelda games, and the most difficult 2D Zelda game.

I feel that it is the most difficult, even after beating it multiple times, it is still the most difficult. 2D or 3D included.

I thought that the whole side-scrolling playing and leveling up were very unique. However, at times, those systems really hacked me off and caused me to stop playing it for a while. Now, I don't play it anymore because I tried to get the hammer so many times, and I kept failing.

Even though I have not completed it, I thought the leveling up system was certainly an interesting (even though it was temporary) addition.

AoL is a clone of the other side-scrolling hack-and-slash-type games popular of the era.

It isn't different--if anything, it's more alike to the other games of its day than any Zelda title so far.

Side scrolling, RPG elements, fantastic difficulty (IMO), it's nothing like the Zelda that the newcomers know. AoL is what every future 3D Zelda should aspire to be.

The music.



The intensity.
The first and only of its kind in Zelda (Side Scroller)

I am no where near finishing though.

The spell spell. Who would have a spell spell in this modern era of gaming?