Zelda 2...20 years late to the party

[Frank]

So, I've never played Zelda 2 until today (I downloaded this amazing emulator pack where the guy built in a UI that has box art, a small description, etc, for every game for the NES) and well, holy fucking shit it's hard. Frustratingly so. I'm all the way to the very south of what I think is death mountain and I'm down to my last life and I run into two of these red bulldog dudes who throw unblockable maces (in a hallway you can't fucking jump in) and bam, back to Zelda's Temple. Trudging aaaaaaaaaaaaaall the way back and down 900+ experience (that is some fucking death penalty).

Jesus Christ. They were not fucking around with this game.

 

[Jake]

I think that's the only Zelda I never finished. Close, but just couldn't keep it up.

 

[Bonhomme Richard]

I loved that game, but you haven't played it until you've played it on the cartridge. That thing was probably the most freeze prone of all the old NES games. Imagine everything you've just gone through, beat shadow Link and right as you deliver the death blow, the thing freezes. And, of course, with no saving you get to start all over again.

Beating that game holds more personal prestige for me than any other game.

Shame I'm now a bitter, bitter man because of it.

 

[Bowielee]

I finished the game when I was a kid, and I have to say it's one of the more punishing games ever made for the NES.

 

[CynicismKills]

It's hard as hell. I'd put it at NES Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2 difficulty.

However, have you played Cobra Triangle?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_Triangle

Early Rare game. Goddamn, it was hard.

 

[Cog]

I finished Zelda 2. It wasn't that hard. Also finished Ninja Gaiden 1,2,3 and of course, Battletoads (Except the Clinger Winger, my brother finished that level for me).

 

[Frank]

I finished Zelda 2. It wasn't that hard. Also finished Ninja Gaiden 1,2,3 and of course, Battletoads (Except the Clinger Winger, my brother finished that level for me).

This post sir, started out pseudo credible but quickly fell into the range of outright bullshit.

There is no fucking way you beat Ninja Gaiden 3 for NES. No one has ever beaten Ninja Gaiden 3 for NES without cheating. Sure, the Japanese version, where you had infinite continues was possible, but not the limited continue, harder than hell fuck NES version.

I could beat Castlevania 1 and 3 when I was a kid, that's my only real insane difficulty game claim.

 

[Cog]

You are right. It was the SNES version.

 

[phil]

I never played any of these classic games. I played the mario games, and donky kong but besides that none of the really classic and hard games.

I've been thinking about getting an emulator but know nothing about them. I really want another crack at the TMNT game where I just had no idea where to fucking go in the turtle van.

 

[Hailey Knight]

TMNT always got me at the underwater part where you have to deactivate the bombs. I just couldn't do it.

 

[Frank]

Those axe throwing red bulldog assholes can suck my ass. WHY ARE THEY ALWAYS IN TUNNELS WHERE YOU CAN'T JUMP? Holy Christ.

Uuuuugh, the hammer was in frigging sight...

 

[ThatNickGuy]

Aside from Link to the Past, I've never beaten a Zelda game (barely played the N64 ones). And it's because they're damn hard. Ditto for Ninja Gaiden. And Battletoads. And as much as I loved it, could never beat Nightshade.

As far as TMNT goes, the underwater levels were tough but I could eventually get through them. It was in a sewer area with this very tiny jump. I could NEVER get it.

 

[Occasional Poster]

However, have you played Cobra Triangle?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_Triangle

Early Rare game. Goddamn, it was hard.

Woah, that takes me back. I remember that defusing the mines and defending the swimming men was really frustrating.

 

[phil]

I'm watching a guy do a play through of TMNT on youtube...it's like finding the path to enlightenment. The answers were there the whole time, I was just blind to them.

 

[figmentPez]

For those who haven't heard of it: Until We Win. Jason Pullara (aka LordKaT) plays notoriously difficult video games until he wins. The rules he plays by don't seem consistent, but generally it's no emulator tricks (save states, slowdown, etc.), only a turbo controller to help him out. He doesn't use cheat codes, I don't think, but sometimes he uses warp zones and other hidden stuff. I think the videos are a lot of fun to watch, since I was never good enough to beat the really hard games back in the day.

 

[Frank]

Good. Lord. So, here I am in the 4th palace. Feeling pretty good. Been going at a good clip. Pretty sure I'm near the end. Bam, the Zelda equivalent of a Castlevania medusa head area. Floating heads swerving up and down ready to one hit you into the death pit. Now, medusa head areas are all well and good....when a game over doesn't take you 20 minutes back across the entire gameworld. Hell. Hell guys. Give a guy a break.

I'm loving it though. Probably why I love the Mega Man games. This frustration is good for the soul.

 

[Deschain]

I suppose I'm relatively new to the gaming world, but I preferred games that was somewhat easy to beat but had fantastic storylines and detail (i.e. F3 which was never terribly difficult, but awfully interesting). I do like the feeling of accomplishing that comes after doing something really hard or requiring a lot of skill.

 

[Bowielee]

The original NES had some mercilously punishing games, but I kind of liked that. Granted, at the time, difficulty was the only thing really keeping you going back to games as storylines were practically non existant at the time.

I do remember it being a huge point of pride and actually something to brag about on the playground when finishing some of the most difficult games. Now that I'm an adult, the frustration is more frustrating than it is fun.

 

[GasBandit]

Hah, I went back and replayed Zelda 2 a month or two ago just for fun... I didn't have all these problems you're having with "always in a tunnel where you can't jump" though I have to say I hate the bobbing heads too. As for the throwers, make sure you're using the shield spell. Health is too precious to screw with.

 

[Jake]

These days I appreciate the difficulty level of Twilight Princess, since I just don't have it in me to grind through painfully hard games.

 

[Chazwozel]

TMNT always got me at the underwater part where you have to deactivate the bombs. I just couldn't do it.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU I hated that part.

 

[Frank]

Hah, I went back and replayed Zelda 2 a month or two ago just for fun... I didn't have all these problems you're having with "always in a tunnel where you can't jump" though I have to say I hate the bobbing heads too. As for the throwers, make sure you're using the shield spell. Health is too precious to screw with.

Just beat the island palace you need the water boots to walk to. I'm getting there.

 

[GasBandit]

Hah, I went back and replayed Zelda 2 a month or two ago just for fun... I didn't have all these problems you're having with "always in a tunnel where you can't jump" though I have to say I hate the bobbing heads too. As for the throwers, make sure you're using the shield spell. Health is too precious to screw with.

Just beat the island palace you need the water boots to walk to. I'm getting there.[/QUOTE]

Make sure you get the heart container in the western part of the maze that leads to the palace where you get the boots.

 

[Cog]

How do you remember all that details? I only remember that you need to use the thunder spell on the second to last boss.

 

[Frank]

I think I pretty much have everything.

So, I make it to the final castle. 1 life remaining. Expecting to yell with frustration (my favorite kind of yelling) when I died and have to start back at Zelda's craphole. But low and behold, I die and here I am at the entrance of the big castle. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! is about the sound I made.

Jumping assault bird knights of pain are the worst!

That's it?!!

That horrifying Aztec gigamonster and Link's shadow are fucking pussies compared to even the lead up to the castle.

Well, that wasn't so bad. I had to consult a faq once to find the hidden village (I had no idea you were supposed to press a to clear away entire swaths of forest, so that's where that Link trope started).

 

[GasBandit]

How do you remember all that details? I only remember that you need to use the thunder spell on the second to last boss.

Because I replayed it start to finish about a month ago.

 

[Frank]

Well, I don't know why Zelda 2 has gotten such a bad wrap over the years as the "bad" Zelda game. It was awesome fun in a frustrating old school way.

 

[figmentPez]

Well, I don't know why Zelda 2 has gotten such a bad wrap over the years as the "bad" Zelda game. It was awesome fun in a frustrating old school way.

I think it's not highly regarded because it was so different from the first game, and many people who did like the play style of the first didn't like the gameplay in the second.

 

[CynicismKills]

I figured it was because at the time it was a big change in gameplay, and looking back over the whole series they've never really tried side-scrolling again save for those awful, awful CD-i games.

THE PEACE ALL WARRIORS STRIVE FORRRRR!

 

[figmentPez]

There were quite a few side scrolling segments in Four Swords Adventures, but most of the game was still an overhead view.

 

[Soliloquy]

You know, now that I think about it, there were a few side-scrolling-ish segments in the original, too. Maybe they just wanted to explore that direction?