ZELDA II: THE ADVENTURE OF LINK — NES — 1987

The legendary adventure continues. Return to Hyrule, awaken Princess Zelda and guide Link through a dangerous journey filled with magic, monsters and ancient secrets.

Zelda II The Adventure of Link NES 1987

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

NES — 1987

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link continues Link's legendary journey with a completely different adventure from the original game. Explore an expansive version of Hyrule, discover towns and palaces, battle enemies in side-scrolling combat and develop Link's abilities through experience.

Link must awaken the sleeping Princess Zelda and recover the Triforce of Courage while confronting dangerous enemies and the followers of the fallen Ganon.

Platform
Nintendo Entertainment System
Year
1987
Genre
Action-Adventure / RPG
Players
1 Player
Developer
Nintendo
Publisher
Nintendo

The Story

After the events of the original adventure, Link discovers that Princess Zelda has fallen under a mysterious sleeping spell.

According to the legend, the Triforce of Courage lies hidden within the Great Palace. Before Link can reach it, he must travel across Hyrule and place crystals in six ancient palaces.

Link faces monsters, magical enemies and the followers of Ganon while searching for a way to awaken Princess Zelda and complete his quest for the Triforce of Courage.

Gameplay

Zelda II Hyrule Overworld

Explore Hyrule

Travel across an overworld filled with forests, mountains, caves, towns, palaces and dangerous encounters.

Zelda II Side Scrolling Combat

Master Combat

Battle enemies in side-scrolling action using Link's sword, shield, jumping attacks and carefully timed movements.

Zelda II Link

Grow Stronger

Gain experience from defeating enemies and improve Link's Attack, Magic and Life abilities throughout the adventure.

The World of Hyrule

Weapons & Abilities

⚔️ Sword

Link's primary weapon. Master normal strikes, jumping attacks and powerful sword techniques.

🛡️ Shield

Protect Link from enemy attacks and learn to defend against dangerous projectiles.

✨ Magic

Use magical spells to gain advantages during exploration and difficult battles.

❤️ Life

Improve Link's Life level to increase his ability to survive dangerous encounters.

⚔️ Attack

Increase Link's Attack level to make his sword strikes more powerful.

⭐ Experience

Defeat enemies and collect experience points to develop Link's abilities.

The Seven Palaces

PALACE 1
Parapa Palace
PALACE 2
Midoro Palace
PALACE 3
Island Palace
PALACE 4
Maze Palace
PALACE 5
Palace on the Sea
PALACE 6
Three-Eye Rock Palace
PALACE 7
Great Palace

The Six Crystals

Each of the first six palaces contains a crystal that Link must place on the palace's statue after defeating its guardian.

Restoring the crystals is essential to opening the path toward the final challenge and bringing Link closer to the Triforce of Courage.

Once the six palaces have been conquered, Link must travel to the final palace and face the greatest challenges of his adventure.

A Different Kind of Zelda Adventure

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link took the series in a bold new direction by combining exploration with side-scrolling combat and RPG-inspired progression.

Towns, experience levels, magic spells, sword techniques and challenging platforming created an adventure that felt very different from the original NES game.

Although its design was unique, Zelda II became an important part of The Legend of Zelda's history and introduced ideas that would influence the series and future games.

1987
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link arrives on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
NEW DIRECTION
Side-scrolling combat, experience levels, magic and towns create a different Zelda experience.
LEGACY
Zelda II remains one of the most distinctive entries in the history of the franchise.

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My Zelda II NES collection

A Classic Adventure

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ZELDA II: THE ADVENTURE OF LINK

NES • 1987

A fan-made celebration of one of Nintendo's most unique classic adventures.

© 2026 Jay's Games DR - Jonathan Santos