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{{Infobox Game
|name= ''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link''
|image= [[File:TAoL English Logo.png|250px]][[File:TAoL NA NES Box Artwork.png|250px]]
|developer= [[Nintendo EAD|Nintendo R&D4]]
|publisher= [[Nintendo]]
|designer= Tadashi Sugiyama (director), Yasuhisa Yamamura<ref>{{Cite Web|url=https://www.glitterberri.com/links-awakening/staff-list-interview/ |site=GlitterBerri.com |retrieved=September 29, 2019 |title=「ゼルダの伝説 夢をみる島」開発スタッフ名鑑 (from ''Nintendo Official Guide Book – The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening'' pp. 120–124) |published=July 1993/May 4, 2011}}</ref> (director), [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] (producer), Akito Nakatsuka (sound composer)
|released=
'''Famicom Disk System'''
{{Release
|JP= January 14, 1987<ref name="E 7">{{Cite Book|quote= |book= E |publisher= |page= 7}}</ref>}}

'''Nintendo Entertainment System'''
{{Release
|US= December 1, 1988<ref name="E 7"/>
|UK= September 26, 1988<ref>{{Cite Web|retrieved=September 27, 2017|url=http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/nes/00006760-zelda-ii-the-adventure-of-link.htm |title=Zelda II: The Adventure of Link sur Nes |site=jeuxvideo.com}}</ref>}}
'''Game Boy Advance'''
{{Release
|US= October 25, 2004
|JP= August 10, 2004
|UK= January 7, 2005<ref>{{Cite Web|retrieved=June 10, 2014|url=http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Game-Boy-Advance/Zelda-II-The-Adventure-of-Link-267673.html |title=Zelda II: The Adventure of Link |site=Nintendo Europe}}</ref>|AU=2005}}
'''Wii Virtual Console'''
{{Release
|US= June 4, 2007
|UK= February 9, 2007<ref name=EU-VC>{{Cite Web|retrieved=June 10, 2014|url=http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/NES/Zelda-II-The-Adventure-of-Link-823290.html |title=Zelda II: The Adventure of Link |site=Nintendo Europe}}</ref>
|JP= January 23, 2007|AU=February 9, 2007}}
<div>'''Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console'''</div><div>'''{{Small|(Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors)}}'''</div>
{{Release
|JP=August 31, 2011
|US= August 31, 2011
|UK=September 1, 2011
|AU=September 1, 2011}}
'''Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console'''
{{Release
|JP=June 6, 2012
|US= November 22, 2012<ref>{{Cite Web|retrieved=June 10, 2014|url=http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/s9F89w_gvdQw9AHfp5S2yAU901BhQQne |title=Zelda II - The Adventure of Link |site=Nintendo of America}}</ref>
|UK=September 13, 2012<ref name=EU-VC/>
|AU=September 13, 2012
|KR=May 4, 2016<ref name="Korean VC">{{Cite Web|retrieved=May 6, 2016|url=http://www.nintendo.co.kr/3DS/eshop/eshop_virtualconsole.php |title=Virtual Console |site=Nintendo Korea}}</ref>}}
'''Wii U Virtual Console'''
{{Release
|JP=September 11, 2013<ref>{{Cite Web|url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wiiu/software/vc/fbcj/index.html|title=<nowiki>Wii U｜リンクの冒険｜Nintendo</nowiki>|site=Nintendo}}</ref>
|US= September 12, 2013<ref>{{Cite Web|url=http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=40507|title=NINTENDO DOWNLOAD HIGHLIGHTS NEW DIGITAL CONTENT FOR NINTENDO SYSTEMS - SEPT. 12, 2013|site=Nintendo Pressroom}}</ref>
|UK=September 26, 2013<ref name=EU-VC/>
|AU=September 26, 2013}}
'''Nintendo Switch Online'''
{{Release
|US=  January 16, 2019<ref name = "SwitchNA">{{Cite Web|author= Nintendo|published= 8 January 2019|retrieved= 21 March 2019|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJb8KSG1q74|title= Nintendo Entertainment System - January Game Updates - Nintendo Switch Online|site= Youtube.com|type=Video}}</ref>
|JP= January 16, 2019<ref name = "SwitchJP">{{Cite Web|author= Nintendo|published= 8 January 2019|retrieved= 21 March 2019|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKw2EEpKmsc|title= ファミリーコンピュータ Nintendo Switch Online 追加タイトル <nowiki>[2019年1月]</nowiki>|site= Youtube.com|type=Video}}</ref>
|UK=  January 16, 2019<ref name="SwitchEU">{{Cite Twitter|quote= New #NES games have been added to #NintendoSwitchOnline – Nintendo Entertainment System! Wipe out hordes of radioactive mutants in Blaster Master, and seek out the Triforce of Courage in #Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.|url= https://twitter.com/NintendoUK/status/1085487394214854656|archive= https://web.archive.org/web/20200914072903/https://twitter.com/NintendoUK/status/1085487394214854656}}</ref>
|AU= January 16, 2019<ref name="SwitchAU">{{Cite Twitter|quote= New #NES games have been added to #NintendoSwitchOnline – Nintendo Entertainment System!<br/><br/>Wipe out hordes of radioactive mutants in Blaster Master, and seek out the Triforce of Courage in #Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.|url= https://twitter.com/NintendoAUNZ/status/1085688196166500352|archive= https://web.archive.org/web/20200808135456/https://twitter.com/NintendoAUNZ/status/1085688196166500352}}</ref>
|KR=April 23, 2019 |TW=April 23, 2019}}
'''Nintendo Switch Online (SP)'''
{{Release
|US=March 12, 2019<ref>{{Cite Web|author=Ryan Craddock |published=March 12, 2019 |retrieved= August 8, 2020|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/03/nintendo_adds_new_nes_games_and_sp_versions_to_switch_online_earlier_than_planned |title=Nintendo Adds New NES Games And SP Versions To Switch Online Earlier Than Planned |site=Nintendo Life}}</ref>
|JP=March 13, 2019
|UK=March 12, 2019
|AU=March 13, 2019
|KR=April 23, 2019
|TW=April 23, 2019}}

|ratings= {{List|
 {{Game Rating|ESRB|E}},
 {{Game Rating|PEGI|3|release=GBA}},
 {{Game Rating|PEGI|7|release=Virtual Console}},
 {{Game Rating|CERO|All}},
 {{Game Rating|ACB|G}},
 {{Game Rating|USK|0}},
}}
|platform= [[Famicom Disk System]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], [[Nintendo GameCube]], [[Game Boy Advance]], [[Wii|Wii (Virtual Console)]], [[Nintendo 3DS|Nintendo 3DS (Virtual Console)]], [[Wii U|Wii U (Virtual Console)]], [[Nintendo Switch|Nintendo Switch Online]]
|canon= Canon<ref>{{Cite Book|quote= |book= E|publisher= |page= 10}}</ref>
|predecessor= {{TLoZ}}
|successor= {{ALttP}}
|strategy= {{StrategyWiki}}
|zu= {{ZU Guide|https://zeldauniverse.net/guides/the-adventure-of-link/|{{TAoL|-}}}}
}}
''{{Term/Store|Zelda II: The Adventure of Link||Series, TAoL}}'' is the second main installment of {{TLoZ|Series}} and the direct sequel to {{TLoZ}}.{{Note|This game was referred to as '''The Legend of Zelda II''' in {{Guide|SS|Prima}}.<ref>{{Cite Guide|quote= |game= SS|publisher= Prima|page= 7}}</ref> However, as this contradicts the name of the game, it is not considered [[Guidelines:Canon|Canon]].}} It was originally released on the [[Famicom Disk System]] in Japan and eventually on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] in North America and Europe. While retaining many of the features of its predecessor, {{TAoL|-}} altered certain elements of gameplay, most notably affecting movement and combat. Traveling across a world map would lead to enemy encounters which took place on a side-scrolling field of play rather than the top down perspective for which the series became known.

{{OTOC}}

==Story==
[[File:TAoL Princess Zelda I Artwork.png|thumb|left|Link and Impa observing Princess Zelda I]]
A few years after the defeat of [[Ganon]] and the rescue of [[Princess Zelda]], [[Link]], now at the age of sixteen,<ref>[http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_lb/vc_lb_02.html Nintendo Virtual Console: Adventure of Link]</ref> is disturbed by the appearance of a mark on the back of his hand. Upon seeing this mark, [[Impa]], the nurse of Princess Zelda, tells him the story of how, ages ago, the [[King of Hyrule|King of Hyrule]] had hidden a third part of the [[Triforce]], the Triforce of Courage, in the [[Great Palace]] to safeguard it from evil.

Upon the death of the king, his son had searched for the missing Triforce, but its location had been imparted only to the king's daughter, [[Sleeping Zelda|Princess Zelda]]. Angered upon learning this, the [[Prince of Hyrule|Prince]] tried to use the power of a [[Magician]] to force the truth from his sister. After she refused, the wizard cast a spell upon her to put her into a deep sleep, which caused the wizard to die soon after. Only by uniting the Triforce of Courage with its counterparts, Link would be able to awake the sleeping Princess Zelda. Upon hearing this tale, Link receives from Impa [[Crystal|six crystals]] that serve as keys to open the seal on the Great Palace.

[[File:TAoL Ending.png|thumb|right|Link waking up Princess Zelda]]
As Link learns all of this, the minions of Ganon begin to attack once again. Believing that they could revive their master by pouring the blood of Link over his ashes, they begin to spread across the land, seeking for him. Eventually, Link is able to gain the Triforce of Courage. Uniting the three Triforces, Link returns to the Northern Palace to wake the slumbering Zelda.

==Gameplay==
{{TAoL|-}} was the sequel to the highly acclaimed {{TLoZ}}, and the second [[The Legend of Zelda (Series)|''Zelda'' game]] released. Like its predecessor, {{TAoL|-}} features dungeons that must be located in the overworld. Inside them, Link can find a boss and an item that will prove useful. However, the game features many and very significant gameplay changes from the previous installment.

Combat is restricted to the Sword and Shield. The main projectile weapon is the [[Sword Beam]], which can only be used when Link has full health. The game also lacks recovery [[Heart]]s, meaning that Link can only recover his health by leveling up, using the Life Magic, finding Fairies or [[Heart Container]]s, or by talking to some women in towns.

===Screen Interface===
The game features a more prominent use of a side-scrolling perspective, which is used when Link is exploring a town, cavern, secret open field, bridge, or dungeon. The top-view perspective is only used when moving through the overworld. In addition, when an enemy group (represented in the overworld map as black-colored creatures) manages to make contact with Link, the perspective changes to a side-scrolling one, where Link must either defeat the enemies or flee.

===Magic Usage===
When Link is on a side-scrolling perspective, he is able to use [[Magic of The Adventure of Link|Magic]]. Each Magic can be used either for attack, defense, or solving puzzles. Each ability consumes a certain amount of Magic Points on Link's [[Magic Meter]], and while their effects are of unlimited time, they automatically cancel after Link reaches a new room. Certain enemies drop [[Magic Jar]]s that contain Magic Power which replenishes the Magic stock. There are eight Magic Spells in total:

*'''Shield''': Enemies inflict half of the damage.
*'''Jump''': Makes Link jump twice as high.
*'''Life''': Makes Link recover three life points.
*'''Fairy''': Turns Link into a [[Fairy]], used to reach high places and pass through locked doors.
*'''Fire''': Makes Link able to shoot fireballs from his Sword (two at a time).
*'''Reflect''': Allows Link's Shield to counter stronger projectiles.
*'''Spell''': Turns enemies into [[Bot]]s.
*'''Thunder''': Eliminates every enemy in the screen.

===Experience===
[[File:TAoL Gooma Fight.png|thumb|200px|Link fighting Gooma]]
As Link defeats enemies, he gains [[Experience]] points. When a certain number of points is reached, Link can increase the level of his health, attack, or Magic up to level 8. The maximum Experience amount that can be reached is 8,000. After leveling all three attributes to their maximum, every time Link accumulates 9,000 points, he receives an extra life. Link can also increase his Experience points by collecting [[Treasure Bag]]s.

===Lives===
Link starts with three lives, and when he is defeated, he loses one, afterwards resuming his quest from the same place where he was defeated. Link can increase his life stock by collecting [[Link Doll]]s, generally hidden in secret areas or dungeons. When Link loses all his lives, the game is over and the next time he resumes his quest, he will restart from the Northern Palace. However, Link retains everything he has collected.

===Item Usage===
Link can also collect different items, however, not all of them can be used directly by pressing a button. The [[Hammer]] and the [[Flute]] are used in the overworld by pressing certain buttons, to which said items are assigned permanently. They can be used to open new ways to new areas, whereas the [[Boots]] and the [[Raft]] are used for crossing otherwise unreachable areas without the need of a button press. Other items have permanent effects for the side-scrolling perspective. The [[Candle]] illuminates darkened caves, the [[Handy Glove]] allows Link to break blocks inside dungeons, the [[Magical Key]] can open any locked door, and the [[Cross]] allows Link to see invisible enemies.

===Second Quest===
The game also offers a [[Second Quest]] after completing it. However, the game is the same, only that the Experience stats, Sword techniques, and Magics learned are retained from the previous playthrough.

==Game Information==
===Development===
Development of {{TAoL|-}} started with [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]'s idea of creating a side-scrolling action game which used up and down movements for attacks and defense.<ref>{{Cite Person|quote= Development started with Mr. Miyamoto saying he wanted to make a side-scrolling action game that made use of up and down movements for attacks and defense. It's rooted in actions like jump strikes, downward strikes, and high and low shield defense moves. Types of moves that weren't possible in the first game.|name= Tadashi Sugiyama|url= https://nintendoeverything.com/zelda-ii-the-adventure-of-link-director-on-how-development-started-title-difficulty-and-more/|title= Zelda II – The Adventure of Link director on how development started, title, difficulty, and more}}</ref> This idea was developed as a new sword and shield action game that did not follow the system seen in the first ''The Legend of Zelda''.<ref>{{Cite Person|quote= Rather than being a continuation of the series, it started as a new sword and shield type of action game. We were experimenting while producing the game so we didn't really have the first game's systems in mind while developing it.|name= Tadashi Sugiyama|url= https://nintendoeverything.com/zelda-ii-the-adventure-of-link-director-on-how-development-started-title-difficulty-and-more/|title= Zelda II – The Adventure of Link director on how development started, title, difficulty, and more}}</ref> At the end of development, the game was considered a type of spin-off until it was decided on a story where Link would be 16 years old, attaching the ''Zelda'' title to it.<ref>{{Cite Person|quote= As for it being unique within the series, we were searching for new ways to play so you could say it's like a spin-off. At the end of development we decided on a story and that Link would be 16 years old then attached [The Legend of Zelda 2] and released it as the second game in the series.|name= Tadashi Sugiyama|url= https://nintendoeverything.com/zelda-ii-the-adventure-of-link-director-on-how-development-started-title-difficulty-and-more/|title= Zelda II – The Adventure of Link director on how development started, title, difficulty, and more}}</ref>

The leveling up system was added so players could battle enemies multiple times, while encounters on the overworld added a luck factor to the narrow map.<ref>{{Cite Person|quote= There were various restrictions at that time so we put in the level up system as a way to have players battling enemies time and time again. As for the symbol encounters, the field map was narrow so the system added a luck factor to it.|name= Tadashi Sugiyama|url= https://nintendoeverything.com/zelda-ii-the-adventure-of-link-director-on-how-development-started-title-difficulty-and-more/|title= Zelda II – The Adventure of Link director on how development started, title, difficulty, and more}}</ref> The high difficulty of the game was implemented to extend playing sessions due to the lack of content in games at the time.<ref>{{Cite Person|quote= The foundation of action games at the time was to feel difficult for everyone. Games didn't have a ton of content at that time so in order to have them played for as long as possible we felt like we couldn't make them easily clearable.|name= Tadashi Sugiyama|url= https://nintendoeverything.com/zelda-ii-the-adventure-of-link-director-on-how-development-started-title-difficulty-and-more/|title= Zelda II – The Adventure of Link director on how development started, title, difficulty, and more}}</ref>

===Regional Differences===
====Gameplay====
*Leveling up is very different between versions.
**In the Japanese version, all stats of a given level cost the same amount, meaning the player is more likely to choose to increase different stats to fit their play style. The international version changes the starting cost of Life to be cheapest and Attack to be most expensive, so that the player is more likely to level each of the three in order of cost, making Link's stat progression more linear.
**Saving in the FDS version causes all stats to reduce to the lowest level of the three; for example, having Life at 3 and Attack and Magic at 4 would mean saving would reduce all three stats to 3. The NES version saves the value of all three separately.
**The overall cost of leveling up gets much higher in the NES version, with the final upgrade costing 8000 Exp and extra lives costing 9000 Exp afterwards. The Japanese version has the final tier of upgrades all cost 3000 with extra lives costing 4000.
*Overworld encounters are more likely to have [[Bit]] in the Japanese version than in European or North American versions.
*In the Japanese version of {{TAoL|-}}, {{Plural|TAoL|Blue Octorok|link}} can be found inside {{Term|TAoL|Midoro Palace|link}}. In international versions, they were replaced with blue {{Plural|TAoL|Aneru|link}}.
*The NES version uses faster elevators in palaces and sometimes adds or removes enemies.
*The location of the {{Term|TAoL|King's Tomb|link}} differs significantly between the Japanese and international versions of {{TAoL|-}}. In the Japanese version, the {{Term|TAoL|King's Tomb}} features a dark sky and enemies such as Bots and a {{Term|TAoL|Goriya|link}}. This area was revamped in international versions to feature a light sky and the enemies have been replaced by an elderly woman who explains the surrounding area. The location present in the original Japanese version was relocated southwest in international versions of the game.
<gallery class="center">
File:TAoL King's Tomb FDS.png|The {{Term|TAoL|King's Tomb}} in the Japanese version
File:TAoL King's Tomb.png|The {{Term|TAoL|King's Tomb}} in international versions
</gallery>
*Important items in the Japanese version of {{TAoL|-}} need to be stabbed in order to collect. This is most visible in the "Child" item, which is tied up with rope in the Japanese version. This makes it appear as if Link is cutting the child free of the rope. In international versions, Link will simply pick up the item and hold it high.
*The international version of the game increases the damage of certain enemies, as well as making some enemy attacks reduce Link's experience points when taking damage. Conversely, several enemies also give more experience in the international version compared to the Japanese version; for example, {{Plural|TAoL|Bubble|link}} give 50 in the international release compared to the Japanese version's mere 10.
*The boss {{Term|TAoL|Gooma|link}} was added in the international version to replace a second, harder fight against [[Jermafenser]]. Jermafenser's now sole battle is also made to match the harder encounter.
*Two gameplay glitches were introduced in the NES version that were not present in the FDS version:
**The Fairy Warp Glitch, which allows Link to warp back to a previous area if he turns into a fairy near the top of the screen. This causes the pit falling animation to play before placing him elsewhere in the game.
**The fights against [[Dark Link]] now has an exploit where he can easily be beaten by crouching in the corners of the room and stabbing. This makes the FDS version much harder to beat.
**Iron Knuckles use Sword Beams in the FDS version, with the same visual and audio effects as with Link. In the NES version, they instead throw knives that act the same as other projectiles.

====Graphics and Audio====
*Link's side-view sprite has a visible mouth added in the NES version.
*Zelda's Chamber was changed between versions. The FDS version has the pillars and curtains stop after the steps leading to her altar, while the international version has them continue the whole way across the ceiling.
*Due to additional RAM added by the FDS, the Japanese version does not have slowdown on the overworld that is present in other versions.
*Overworld encounters have vastly different sprites. The Japanese version has a ghost-like sprite for all three types (white for normal, blue for strong, and red for fairy), while the international version uses unique sprites for each (a [[Bot]] for normal, {{Term|TAoL|Moblin|link}} for strong, and {{Term|TAoL|Fairy|link}} for fairy).
*The churches found in towns have a unique sprite for their steeple cross in international versions, while the Japanese version reuses the gravestone cross.
*Water and lava are animated on the overworld in the FDS version, due to its ability to modify VRAM on-the-fly as an added feature. The NES, lacking this ability, uses static sprites instead.
*The Raft has Link always face south in the Japanese version. The international version has Link face the direction of travel and changes the proportions of the raft to compensate, but is inconsistent in construction as a result.
*The Kasuto secret building has different tiles between versions.
*Extra NPC sprites were added to the NES version, and NPC animations better match their movement speeds.
*Internationally, River Guards and Swordsmen are given different sprites to make them look less like generic NPCs. Magicians are also given animated sprites.
*A graphical glitch was introduced during porting to the NES. This causes animated projectile to flash Link's color palette ever 6 frames. While this makes them briefly visible in dark areas, it also makes them appear to reorient to their starting position regardless of if they have been rotated or mirrored on previous frames.
*The {{Term|TAoL|River Devil|link}}'s sprite resembles an ''{{Wp|Oni}}'' in the Japanese version of {{TAoL|-}}. However, in international versions, its sprite was changed to resemble a black hexapod. As ''Oni'' were not culturally relevant to foreign consumers at the time of release, this was possibly done to avoid any connection to {{Wp|Satan}}.
<gallery class="center">
File:TAoL FDS River Devil Sprite.png|The {{Term|TAoL|River Devil}} in the Japanese version
File:TAoL River Devil Sprite.png|The {{Term|TAoL|River Devil}} in international versions
</gallery>
*The {{Term|TAoL|Trophy|link}} has a different sprite in the Japanese version compared to international versions. In the original Japanese build, the {{Term|TAoL|Trophy}} has its wings outstretched and its hands held open whereas in international versions, the {{Term|TAoL|Trophy}} has folded wings and has its hands clasped together in prayer.
<gallery class="center">
File:TAoL FDS Trophy Sprite.png|The {{Term|TAoL|Trophy}} in the Japanese version
File:TAoL Trophy Sprite.png|The {{Term|TAoL|Trophy}} in international versions
</gallery>
*Link holds items above his head with one hand in the Japanese version (the other hand on his hip), while the NES version has him holding up with both hands.
*The international version adds different brick sprites for palaces to make them more visually distinct.
*{{Term|TAoL|Carock|link}} has only a single, symmetrical sprite used when fighting him in the Japanese version. In the international version, he has a sprite that appears to be turned slightly toward the side to face Link.
*The boss of {{Term|TAoL|Three-Eye Rock Palace|link}} has an appearance more reminiscent of artwork of Eastern dragons and is named {{Term|TAoL|Volvagia|link}}in the Japanese version. The international release makes his head more sinister and adds extra animation frames, and changes his name to {{Term|TAoL|Barba|link}}
*The {{Term|TAoL|Great Palace|link}} {{Term|TAoL|barrier|link}} and entryway ground are colored differently between versions.
*The end credits use different colors between versions. The NES version's curtain also doesn't use the correct bottom sprite, causing it to simply look like it was cut off at the bottom.
*In the FDS version, some bosses use a bestial roar similar to the one used in {{TLoZ}}. This was completely removed in international versions.
*The {{Term|TAoL|Game Over|link}} screens are completely different between versions. The FDS version is a black screen with the same roar used in boss fights playing over it. In the NES version, Ganon is shown in silhouette laughing.
*The {{Term|TAoL|Reflect|link}} spell is erroneously spelled as "Reflex" in the FDS version. This was corrected in localization.
*Overworld battles begin with a harsh musical sting in the Japanese version. It was changed to a whooshing sound internationally.
*The Overworld encounter music is much different between versions: the FDS version is much shorter and more sinister sounding, while the NES version is longer and more "adventurous". This change makes the music in non-combat encounters like fairies and item locations contrast less contextually.



====Narrative====
*The English intro crawl text in the Japanese version has some unusual transliteration, as well as incorrect grammar. For example, {{Term|TAoL|Ganon|link}} is spelled as "Gannon" like the first game and {{Term|TAoL|Triforce|link}} is spelled as "Try-Force". The NES version somewhat condenses the text in addition to correcting its spelling and grammar.
*The Japanese version has a ''{{Wp|Dragon Quest}}'' reference in Saria Town, with one grave reading "Here lies Loto" (whose name was changed to Erdrick in America). This was removed entirely for the NES version. A similar reference was utilized in ''Final Fantasy'' at Elfland, only it was retained in the English localization in that case.
*The names of two characters, {{Term|TAoL|Error|link}} and {{Term|TAoL|Bagu|link}}, form plays on the technical terms for "{{Wp|error}}" and "{{Wp|Bug (engineering)|bug}}" respectively. Though {{Term|TAoL|Error}}'s name, {{Romanize|エラー|Erā}}, was localized properly, {{Term|TAoL|Bagu}}'s name was instead mistakenly transliterated from {{Romanize|バグ|Bagu}} and the intended meaning was lost.

===Graphics and Audio===
The overworld map has a similar visual style to that of the first ''Zelda'' game, but more polished and incorporating new elements that reflect the variety of the ecosystems; there is also a clear distinction between the enemy-free paths and the rest of the ground territory (grass, trees, sand, etc.). The side-scrolling visuals are more reminiscent of the platform
games for the NES, especially ''Super Mario Bros.''. Also, each dungeon has a different texture and architecture, not like in the original game.

Unlike most other games in the series, none of the music in this game was composed by famed composer [[Koji Kondo]] with the exception of the overworld theme, which was partly based on his original overworld theme. Perhaps for this reason, almost none of the music in this game was brought back in other games. The Temple music, however, has been remixed several times, and can be heard in {{SSBM}}, {{SSBB}} and notably returned to the Zelda series as the "Streetpass Battle Theme" of {{ALBW}}. An alternate slower version of the temple music also serves as the Victory theme. The only other Zelda game to include music from {{TAoL|-}} is {{TMC}}. Since both games contain scenes of Zelda awakening, the music was reused from ''Adventure of Link''. The miniboss music in {{TMC}} is also a remix of a song from {{TAoL|-}}: the Famicom version of the battle theme. The composer of this game is {{Wp|Akito Nakatsuka}}, who also composed the music for ''Ice Climbers''.

As for sound effects, there are also many differences in the Japanese version. A few examples include different music for the title screen and for when Link encounters an enemy. In the Famicom version, the bosses also roar, and the sound effects are harsher sounding than in the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] version.

===Setting===
[[File:TAoL Overworld.png|thumb|165px|Overworld of Hyrule]]
Hyrule in {{TAoL|-}} consists of two continents and two islands. It features eight towns, which names were later used to name the [[Sage]]s in {{OoT}}. Four Towns are located in [[Western Hyrule]] and four are found in [[Eastern Hyrule]].

Like [[The Legend of Zelda|the first game's]] incarnation of Hyrule, the world of ''Adventure of Link'' is not landlocked, meaning that Link will have to travel overseas to move from one side of Hyrule to the other. [[Level-9|Death Mountain]], which was in the north in the first game, is now in the southwest. While it was a simple mountain region in the first game, it is now a complex rocky labyrinth.

===Timeline Placement===
Both this game and [[The Legend of Zelda|the first]] are linked in continuity, since the first game revolves around retrieving two of the major fragments of the [[Triforce]], and [[Ganon]] is fought in order to rescue [[Princess Zelda]]; the second game revolves around finding the third major fragment in order to revive an incarnation of Zelda that was sleeping for a very long time, and to impede the revival of Ganon.

In the [[Zelda Timeline|timeline]] revealed in {{HH}}, {{TAoL|-}} takes place in the "Downfall" branch after {{OoT}}. It is the latest entry in the timeline that has its roots in {{OoT|-}}, and starts with {{ALttP}}. After Ganon is defeated again in {{ALttP|-}}, {{OoS}} and {{OoA}}, and {{ALBW}}, Hyrule then entered The Golden Era, in which the wise [[Royal Family of Hyrule|Hyrule monarchs]] used the [[Triforce]] to govern the land. After the last king's death and the attempt of the [[Prince of Hyrule]] to assemble the complete Triforce, Hyrule was lead into the Era of Decline. The Prince of Darkness Ganon was revived, leading to the events of ''The Legend of Zelda'', but ultimately defeated by Link. The events of {{TAoL|-}} take place a few years later, but refer back to the Princess Zelda that was put under a sleeping spell at the beginning of the Era of Decline.

===Speedrun Records===
{{Main|Speedrun Records}}
<!-- NOTICE: To update completion records, please edit the Speedrun Records article (https://zelda.fandom.com/wiki/Speedrun_Records). This table will automatically be updated with the records on that page. -->
{{#section:Speedrun Records|TAoL}}

==Listings==
===[[Characters in The Adventure of Link|Characters]]===
===[[Bosses in The Adventure of Link|Bosses]]===
===[[Enemies in The Adventure of Link|Enemies]]===
===[[Locations in The Adventure of Link|Locations]]===
===[[Dungeons in The Adventure of Link|Dungeons]]===
===[[Items in The Adventure of Link|Items]]===
===[[Magic of The Adventure of Link|Magic]]===
===[[The Adventure of Link Translations|Translations]]===
===[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link/Credits|Credits]]===
===[[Glitches in The Adventure of Link|Glitches]]===

==Reception==
===Sales===
{{TAoL|-}} was commercially successful, selling 4.38 million copies worldwide and being the fifth best-selling [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] game of all time;<ref>[http://www.rpgamer.com/news/japan/rp033104.html RPGamer - Japandemonium: Xenogears vs. Tetris]</ref> however, it sold less than its predecessor, which sold 6.51 million copies.

===Reviews===
In terms of critical reception, IGN reviewer Lucas M. Thomas gave the Virtual Console version a score of 8.5/10, encouraging players to give it a try and forget about the common belief that it is a "bad game";<ref>http://wii.ign.com/articles/793/793966p1.html Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Wii Review at IGN]</ref> he praised the sound, the gameplay, the length and the presentation, but admitted that the graphics "did not age very well". Kristian Reed from Eurogamer, when reviewing the Game Boy Advance version, justified the game being underrated, saying that the game was "an ill-fated experiment", and that it aged "badly".<ref>[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_nesclassics_zelda2_gba Classic NES Series - Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Review (GBA)]</ref> When reviewing {{ST}}, Game Observer editor Jacob Crites cited {{TAoL|-}} as one of the black sheep in the series, along with {{MM}}, {{TWW}} and {{ST|-}} itself.<ref>[http://www.gameobserver.com/review/inside/all-platforms/legend-of-zelda-spirit-tracks-the--zelda-at-its-finest-385/ The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks - Zelda at its Finest]</ref>

The original version earned a score of 36/40 from Famitsu, and was placed 110th on Nintendo Power's Top 200 best Nintendo games of all time (however, in the December 2009 Issue, they changed their mind and placed it last in their list of best ''The Legend of Zelda'' games).

===Fan Reception===
Years after its release, {{TAoL|-}} has received positive feedback from fans of the franchise. It currently holds an average reader score of 9.4 at IGN,<ref>[http://cheats.ign.com/objects/005/005991.html IGN: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]</ref> as well as a current average user score of 8.0 in GameSpot.<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/nes/adventure/zelda2theadventureoflink/players.html?tag=scoresummary%3Buser-score Zelda II: The Adventure of Link User Reviews for NES - GameSpot]</ref>

==Ports and Remakes==
In 2003, Nintendo released a bundle for the GameCube which included {{CE}}, a disc which featured, amongst other games, {{TAoL|-}}. A port for the [[Game Boy Advance]] for the "Classic NES Series" was also released.

{{TAoL|-}} has also been released for download on the [[Wii]]'s {{nw|Virtual Console}}. The game became available on August 31, 2011 as one of the games eligible for free download over the Virtual Console as part of the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program, a service available to players who bought a 3DS before its price dropped on August 11, 2011.<ref>[http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/3ds/en_na/3dsambassador.jsp Official Nintendo Website - Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program]</ref> It was officially released in the US on November 22, 2013. The game has also been released for download on the [[Wii U]] Virtual Console on September 12, 2013.

The [[NES Classic Edition]] included {{TAoL|-}} as one of the 30 games available.

{{TAoL|-}} was added to the [[Nintendo Switch Online]] Service on January 16, 2019. A special save file was also added to the service which started the player with all {{Term|TAoL|Experience|link}} maxed out at level 8.<ref>{{Cite|Start this version of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link with your Attack, Magic, and Life all maxed out at level eight!|N/A|[[Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online]]}}</ref> This version was named "Zelda II - The Adventure of Link: Link, warrior without equal."<ref>{{Cite|Zelda II - The Adventure of Link™<br/>Link, warrior without equal.|N/A|[[Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online]]}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Despite featuring many radical changes from the previous ''Zelda'' title, the game also offered canonical elements to be part of the series' standards. It contributed largely to the overall storyline and gameplay of the series. For instance:
*The ability of [[Ganon]] to be revived/return after defeat/death.
*The introduction of the [[Triforce of Courage]].
*The first appearance of a [[Link's Shadow|dark doppelganger]] of Link that needs to be fought, which would later be reflected with [[Dark Link]] and [[Shadow Link]] in later games. On a similar note, the concept of an enemy being formed largely from Link's own darker self as a final battle would ultimately be reused to an extent with the [[Shadow Nightmare]] from {{LA}} and its various remakes.
*A [[magic]] system, even though it was never used so excessively after this game.
*The introduction of several new enemies and one boss (aside from Dark Link) that return in later games, such as the [[Iron Knuckle]].
*The ability to learn new moves (though still limited to only two). More generally, the existence of distinct sword techniques at all, as opposed to the single forward strike of {{TLoZ}}.
*The Sages in {{OoT|-}} are named after the towns in this game (in-game chronology, however, indicates the opposite: The towns were named after the Sages).
*The need to do tasks outside the main mission Quest like having to save a trophy or finding medicine for a sick child.
*This is the first game where Link [[Transformation|shapeshifts]] (into a Fairy) as well the first game where the process is voluntary and beneficial.
*Contrary to popular belief, this is not the only ''Zelda'' game to feature side-scrolling gameplay. It is used briefly in the first game when taking secret passages. It is also used in the Game Boy games {{LA}}, {{OoS|-}} and {{OoA|-}}, and in {{FSA}} when taking underground paths, as well as certain boss fights.
*[[Boss]]es have their own battle theme. They lacked it entirely in the first game.
*This is the first game where villages and towns appear.
*This is the first appearance of an adult Link in the series. Link is officially sixteen in this game.
*All of the dungeons in this game are known by the word for temple in Japanese, and this naming convention is reused in English as well as Japanese and most other languages in some other entries in the series, like {{OoT|-}}. The English localization of this game changed it to palace due to Nintendo of America's then-current policy concerning religious references in games.
*Certain recurring types of item, such as the hammer and boots.
*The suggestion of romantic interest between Link and Zelda, as implied by the ending.
*Enemy characters disguise themselves as NPCs to ambush {{Term|TAoL|Link}}, which would later be reflected with the {{Plural|BotW|Yiga Footsoldier|link}} in {{BotW}}, and to a lesser extent {{Term|ALttP|Blind the Thief|link}} and the {{Term|PH|Cubus Sisters|link}} in {{ALttP}} and {{PH}}, respectively.

==Trivia==
[[File:TAoL Introduction Story.png|140px|thumb|right|The Japanese intro with typos]]
*Although the Japanese title for {{TAoL|-}} uses the English name of {{TLoZ|-}}, and the game's backstory explicitly defines {{TLoZ|-}} as a plot concept, the English language game is the only one in the main series not to include {{TLoZ|-}} in its title.
*{{TAoL|-}} marks one of the few times where Link speaks in a main game, by saying "I found a mirror under the table" while in [[Saria Town]] and "Looks like I can get in the fireplace" in [[Kasuto]].
*The Japanese version of the game uses the infamous "Gannon" spelling in the intro, as well as other typos such as "Tryforce." This intro was largely re-written in the international release.
*Acording to series creator [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], {{TAoL|-}} is the only {{TLoZ|-}} game he considers a failure,<ref>{{Cite Person|quote= Compared to Legend of Zelda, Zelda II went exactly what we expected... All games I make usually gets better in the development process, since good ideas keep coming, but Zelda II was sort of a failure...|name= Shigeru Miyamoto|url= https://www.nintendoforums.com/articles/40/super-play-magazine-interviews-shigeru-miyamoto-about-zelda|title= SUPER PLAY MAGAZINE INTERVIEWS SHIGERU MIYAMOTO ABOUT THE LEGEND OF ZELDA}}</ref> this due to the limitations of the hardware.<ref>{{Cite Person|quote= I think specifically in the case of Zelda II we had a challenge just in terms of what the hardware was capable of doing, [...] So one thing, of course, is, from a hardware perspective, if we had been able to have the switch between the scenes speed up, if that had been faster, we could have done more with how we used the sidescrolling vs. the overhead [view] and kind of the interchange between the two. But, because of the limitations on how quickly those scenes changed, we weren't able to. The other thing, is it would have been nice to have had bigger enemies in the game, but the Famicom/NES hardware wasn't capable of doing that. Certainly, with hardware nowadays you can do that and we have done that, but of course nowadays creating bigger enemies takes a lot of effort.|name= Shigeru Miyamoto|url= https://kotaku.com/shigeru-miyamotos-bad-game-514017583|title= Shigeru Miyamoto's 'Bad' Game}}</ref>
*Ganon's laugh on the game over screen in the international version is also used in the NES game ''{{Wp|Punch-Out!! (NES)|Punch-Out!!}}'' as {{Wp|Soda Popinski}}'s laugh.
*Link's side-view sprite does not have a visible mouth in the Japanese version. The Japanese version's sprite is used in all versions of ''Nintendo Badge Arcade''.

==Nomenclature==
{{Nomenclature}}

==Gallery==
{{Gallery|Gallery:The Adventure of Link}}

==External Links==
*[https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Game-Boy-Advance/Zelda-II-The-Adventure-of-Link-267673.html Nintendo UK Game Boy Advance site]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/software/zelda2/index.html Official Japanese site (''Game & Watch'' version)]

{{Notes}}
{{Ref}}
{{Games}}
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[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:2D Games]]

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