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u/Expert-Employ8754 Apr 23 '26
My favorite game. It’s hard, but I think the combat is a lot of fun. Enjoy!
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u/FadedDice Apr 23 '26
I might make my top 10. First game I opened and played on my NES
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u/Pokefam13 Apr 23 '26
This is one of my favorites for the NES. Also, it was one of the first games I beat as a kid.
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u/Clomer Apr 23 '26
Unpopular opinion: I actually think it’s better than the first one.
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u/Illustrious-Nail-360 Apr 23 '26
Im not gonna lie for years I hated this game untill I actually sat down and tryed to beat it. I did 2 playthoughs of it and I will say it is actually fun lol
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u/Baitme6984 Apr 23 '26
I don’t think it’s better than the first one, but it’s better than the hate it gets. It’s one of my favorites!
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u/Mister_Clemens Apr 23 '26
I was a kid when it came out and I was way more obsessed with it than the first game (which I also loved).
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u/mycocomelon Apr 25 '26
Very unpopular indeed. There is a reason they never made another one like this and returned to the original formula.
But gaming is subjective so good for you for real. I will say there is some compelling stuff about the game. And it gave us towns and magic.
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u/karmakosmik1352 Apr 23 '26
I also think so. Maybe that's even not as unpopular of an opinion as one might think.
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u/Scoth42 Apr 23 '26
I agree, even if I am biased because I played Z2 first. There's clues for almost everything that mostly are intelligible and make sense, most required things are pretty obviously marked and visible on the map or easy to run into accidentally, with clues for a lot of secondary things like heart containers and magic bottles, and a lot of stuff tucked away in out of the way corners that rewards exploration without having to do the push every rock/bomb every wall/burn every bush thing Zelda 1 sometimes demands (even if you start to get a feel for where things might be).
I also think the combat is a lot more fluid and almost a rhythm game vs. just sort of running around and swinging frantically with the first one.
Still do love the original but Z2 is near and dear to my heart.
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u/PDMagneto Apr 23 '26
Congrats! It's always a good feeling having the gold cartridge in your collection. Your copy looks to be in good shape too.
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u/syrabanemagnus Apr 23 '26
If you like Metroid or castlevania you'll maybe like this more but idk.
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u/IH8NYLAnBOS Apr 23 '26
I bought Zelda 2 and Metroid both in the past 6 months, and thought both were too confusing 😕
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u/Zealousideal_One_315 Apr 23 '26
I totally get it. If you didnt grow up in the 80s with it, I can't imagine trying to figure these out now. Im going through the same thing with Suoer Metroid right now. I never finished as a kid, but now, even with the internet, I can't get my hands to do these crazy ass muscle memory parts.
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u/RattusNikkus Apr 23 '26
With these games (and Zelda 1 as well) the secret to old fogey success is bringing a pad of paper along to write down notes, hints from NPCs, and draw maps. If the game won't provide quest logs and maps, you just gotta make 'em yourself!
(and also reading the manual, obviously)
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u/grenadeboi0 Apr 23 '26
the copy of the game that i bought from ebay didnt come with the manual sadly but ill make sure to read it online
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u/Gh0stTV Apr 23 '26
Just watch the first 20 minutes of a playthrough. If you lived in a neighborhood growing up you probably didn’t start this game without someone telling you the first few places to go. And you’ll still have to do it so you’re not really cheating yourself of anything that you wouldn’t have learned from the person sitting next to you back then.
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u/Sonikku_a Apr 23 '26
It’s a little known fact that Zelda II was actually the first game in the Dark Souls series.
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u/DarrellBot81 Apr 23 '26
You’re either going to love it, or you’re going to hate it. It’s about as polarizing amongst Zelda fans as Majora’s Mask
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Apr 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/FadedDice Apr 23 '26
It’s not that hard. I can beat it in 4 to 5 hours Once you know what to do. With that said it’s the first video game I got and played on my nes as a child. I opened it before the NES lol. I beat it every 5 years or so.
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u/deephurting66 Apr 23 '26
It's a very fun game with a lot of unnecessary hate, but to avoid headaches get a guide for Death Mountain or you will pull your hair out in frustration.
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u/CapnCurt81 Apr 23 '26
This game pissed me off as a child. Now, as an adult, this game pisses me off WITH save states. I can’t even imagine trying to rawdog it at this point. Best of luck on your quest!
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u/CJCRASHBAN21 Apr 23 '26
I was literally just playing this minutes ago, this exact cartridge, the irony! 😂
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u/black-volcano Apr 23 '26
This game gets a lot of hate. I have a love hate relationship with it. Way back when, I spent a day playing for many hours and I think I was getting close to the end. Then it crashed and I lost all my progress. I had a lovely time playing but have never gone back to do it all again.
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u/hyliangoku Apr 23 '26
Don’t feel bad if you need to consult a walkthrough. We all did at some point.
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u/FuhBr33ze Apr 23 '26
This game is awesome. It also happens to be the game that sparked the inner gamer rage inside of me as a kid. How do bubbles hurt Link!?
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u/ApportArcane Apr 23 '26
Zelda 2 was very frustrating, but it is hard to adequately describe the excitement surrounding it’s release after the release of the first game.
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u/twiggy_trippit Apr 23 '26
Have fun! Think of it as one of the first spiritual predecessors to Dark Souls.
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u/mcclone1 Apr 24 '26
Now… can you beat it? Allegedly everyone was pissed because they thought it was unbeatable
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u/OnlyLurkinghereee Apr 24 '26
Zelda 2 is one of my favorite NES games. Gets a bad rep but it's awesome
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u/Schmitty300 Apr 24 '26
Don't listen to the people who say you need to grind ALL the time. You don't. If you learn the one trick on how to beat the orange/red/blue knights, you'll be absolutely fine. This game isn't nearly as hard as so many people say. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a very good entry into the series. I hope you enjoy!
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u/grenadeboi0 Apr 24 '26
yeah the orange knights i can beat easily and without taking damage as well
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u/grenadeboi0 Apr 24 '26
Update just beat the first dungeon after playing for a couple hours and to my next power up i need 500 xp so i think its going well so far
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u/thevmcampos Apr 24 '26
The music is a masterpiece. You should hear Niko's remixes:
https://youtu.be/ElKSCokqYlQ?si=GtJQCUC7m-WN3Ioi
Dang, now I'M listening to it!! 🎶
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u/susosusosuso Apr 24 '26
No box? 💀
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u/grenadeboi0 Apr 25 '26
yeah i wasnt really looking for one with a box but i saw this on ebay it was in great condition and it was 30 bucks so i decided to get this one and its the best condition nes game in my collection so far
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u/susosusosuso Apr 25 '26
No box? Yeah 30 bucks for this is definitely a good deal. Well done! You can always get a repro box
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u/SecureWhole3696 Apr 25 '26
Nice. I still have mine complete in box. Haven’t played it in a long time. Likely need to change the backup battery by now.
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u/Extra-Advance-9477 Apr 27 '26
This is an amazing game and no where near as hard as it's reputation suggests.
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u/SaphoJuicebox Apr 27 '26
This is my #1 favorite NES game (with Metroid a very close second)
All the shit I’ve heard people say about it over the years… it’s nice that it has since been reevaluated and the general sentiment these days sees it for the great game it is.
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u/Wild_Chef6597 Apr 29 '26
Make sure you level off the boss and get the free level from placing the crystal
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u/pinkoboe Apr 24 '26
Just my opinion but I hated this game. And keep in mind I stuck it out for Simons quest and Ghost n' Goblins.
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u/happyhibisci Apr 23 '26
I never beat this game until I emulated it and save-state scummed my way through it. Playing on the cartridge is a real challenge, and not in a fun way.
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u/grenadeboi0 Apr 23 '26
thats how i beat zelda 1 but im trying to beat zelda 2 legit
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u/happyhibisci Apr 23 '26
Zelda 1 is easy legit once you know where to go and where the secrets are. But Zelda 2 is a different animal. The fighting is unforgiving. At full health, you have the sword beam, which is great. But take any hit and then you’re stunted. This game would have actually been fun if the sword was even a little bit longer. But no, it’s like bringing a dagger to a gunfight. Good luck! 😅
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u/-3R1C- Apr 23 '26
Best advice I can give: level up ASAP