Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES)
The second Legend of Zelda game has always been a little bit of an oddball. While it does maintain the overhead view in its overworld, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link trades it in for a sidescrolling format that has seen controversy over the years. It feels like a detour from the first game before it gets to Link to the Past, which would go on to perfect much of what the original set out to do. It’s a shame the series hasn’t really revisited these ideas, but it went on to innovate in plenty of other ways as the years went on. It does mean that Zelda II feels like a hypothetical of what the series could have been. Had it not pivoted back into the original direction, would we talk about Zelda alongside sidescrolling greats like Castlevania and Metroid? It’s fun to think about, but we’ll only be able to imagine it.
Read more: 11 ‘Bad’ Games We’ll Die Defending
