Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

The second made game of the Legend of Zelda video game series.

Story
(The following comes straight from the The Legend of Zelda: Adventure of Link Instruction Manual.) At the end of a fierce fight, Link overthrew Ganon, took back the Triforce and rescued Princess Zelda. However, is it all really finished? Many seasons have passed since then. Hyrule was on the road to ruin. The power that the vile heart of Ganon has left behind was causing chaos and disorder in Hyrule. What's more, even after the fall of Ganon, some of his underlings remained waiting for Ganon's return. The Key to Ganon's return was the blood of Link - the valiant lad who overthrew the King of Evil. Ganon would be revived by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on the ashes of Ganon. Meanwhile, Link remained in the little kingdom of Hyrule and lent his hand to its restoration. But circumstances did not look very good. One day, a strange mark, exactly like the crest of the kingdom, appeared on the back of Link's hand as he approached his 16th birthday. The worried Link, went to Impa, Princess Zelda's nursemaid who was shocked and frightened when she saw the birthmark. When she regained her composure, she took Link to the North Castle.

There was a door in North Castle called "the door that does not open." Only the decendants of the Impa family who served the king knew how to open the door. Impa took Link's left hand and pressed the back of it against the door. There was a sound of a locking falling open, the door slowly creaked open and there on an alter in the middle of the room lay a beautiful woman. "Here lies Princess Zelda." Impa began to speak calmly. "Link, the time has come when I must tell you the legend of Zelda handed down in Hyrule. It is said that a long ago, when Hyrule was one country, a great ruler maintained the peace in Hyrule using the Triforce. However, the king too was a child of man and he died. Then, the prince of the kingdom should have become king and inherited everything, but he could inherit the Triforce only in part. The Prince searched everywhere for the missing parts, but could not find them. Then, a magician close to the king brought him some unexpected news. Before he died, the king had said something about the Triforce to only the younger sister of the prince, Princess Zelda. The prince immediately questioned the princess, but she wouldn't tell him anything. After the prince, the magician threatened to put the princess into an eternal sleep if she did not talk, but still, she said nothing."



"In his anger, the magician tried to cast a magic spell on the princess. The surprised prince tried to stop him, but the magician fought off the prince and went on chanting the spell. Then, when the spell was finally cast, Princess Zelda fell on that spot and entered a sleep from which she might never awake. At the same time, the magician also fell down and breathed his last." "In his grief, the prince placed the princess in this room. He hoped that someday she would come back to life. So that this tragedy would never be forgotten, he ordered that every female child born intothe royal household shall be given the name Zelda."

From the stand next to the alter where Princess Zelda lay in a deep sleep, Impa took six crystals and a scroll with the same crest and handed them to Link. "For generations, my family has been handed down these things which have been set aside for a time when a great king will come. They are written in an ancient script that no-one can read now. But you who have the crest may be able to read it. It is said that the key to uniting the Triforce is hidden there. Now it is time for you to read it." Link glanced at the scroll half in doubt, but what do you know? Although he had never seen the letters before, he found that he could read them as if they were talking to him.

This was written on the scroll.

"You who'll control the Triforce of the future. I shall hand down to you the secrets of the Triforce. There are three kinds of Triforce - Power, Wisdom, and Courage. When these three are brought together, the Triforce will show its maximum power. Of the three, I left Power and Wisdom in the kingdom. But the Triforce Courage I have hidden for a reason." "Not everybody can use the Triforce. It requires a strong character with no evil thoughts. But an inborn special quality is also necessary. Unfortunatly, I have not found such a person during my lifetime." "Therefore, I have decided to cast a spell on all of Hyrule. A crest will appear on a young man with the character who has been brought up correctly, has gained many kinds of experiences and reached a certain age. But, what will happen if someone else uses the Triforce before then? If it's misused, it will produce many evils." "The Triforce of Courage is hidden in the Great Palace in the Valley of Death on the largest island in Hyrule. However, to enter there you must first fight the guardians and undo the "binding force." When you have defeated the guardians, which I made to prevent enemies from invading the six palaces in Hyrule, set a crystal in the forehead of the statue you find. When you have set crystals in all of the statues in the six palaces, the "binding force" places on the Valley of Death will be removed and you will be able to enter the great palace. There, you must fight the last guardian. And you can obtain the Triforce only by defeating the guardian." "There's nothing to fear. You are the one to get the Triforce. You are the beacon of hope for Hyrule." Impa implored Link, who raised his head slowly after reading the scroll. "The magic spell cast upon Princess Zelda will sure to be broken if the Triforce is used." "Please, Link. Unite the Triforce and save the princess. And bring back peace to Hyrule." Link nodded silently in approval, and left the room after taking a long glance at the altar.

Then, with a magical sword in his left hand and a shield in his right, he set off alone on his long travels. At that time, Ganon's underlings were calling up new allies from the Underworld, and were beginning to work devilishly toward the revival of Ganon.

Innovations
Though Zelda II is seen by many fans as the misfit of the Zelda games, it has developed a loyal fanbase, and many elements of the game have remained in the series. For instance, all Zelda games now prominently feature NPCs, who almost always play a pivotal role in Link's quests. The use of metered magic and spells has also carried over into modern Zelda games. The Adventure of Link version of Stalfos, which make use of defense techniques, seem to be the basis of later incarnations of the enemy (as opposed to the earlier Legend of Zelda version, which simply walked blindly around dungeons, making no attempts to defend themselves or evade attack). One enemy, Barba, seems to have been the inspiration for Volvagia in Ocarina of Time. Shadow Link also appears in Ocarina of Time as well as Four Swords Adventures. The idea of a hammer used to destroy path obstructions was first introduced in Adventure of Link, and was seen in later Zelda games such as Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time (in the form of the Megaton Hammer) and  The Wind Waker (in the form of the [[Skull Hammer).

Towns
Zelda II was the first in the series to feature towns. Here Link can refill his life and magic meters, and talk to the locals for advice. (In some towns, however, locals can be enemies in disguise.)In addition, each town offers Link a chance to gain a magic spell or a sword technique, provided he completes a small favor.


 * Rauru
 * Ruto
 * Saria
 * Mido
 * Nabooru
 * Darunia
 * Kasuto
 * New Kasuto

Spells

 * Fairy Spell
 * Fire Spell
 * Jump Spell
 * Life Spell
 * Reflect Spell
 * Shield Spell
 * Spell Spell
 * Thunder Spell

Items

 * Candle - Allows Link to see in dark caverns
 * Hammer - Destroys roadblocks and chops down trees
 * Gloves - Enables Link to break certain stones with his sword
 * Raft - Used to sail between the Western and Eastern sections of the Overworld
 * Boots - Allows Link to walk over certain bodies of water in the Overworld
 * Flute - Used to destroy a monster, and to reveal a previously hidden area in the Overworld
 * Cross - Allows Link to see certain invisible enemies
 * Magical Key - Can unlock any door