Overall it was a very unique game, and introduced many new key features to The Legend of Zelda. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was the first, and the only, game in The Legend of Zelda series to feature a side-scrolling view. It was the first to have Link have a set number of lives, and you also HAD to fight enemies becuase, due to the side-scrolling, it was easier to defeat them then to jump over them. It was also the first to introduce magic to the Zelda series, and it also included special spells which you acquired throughout the game.

The final first was the use of experience points, like Pokemon type points. When Link defeated enemies, he would gain experience points. When you reached a certain amount of experience points, he would be able to move up one level in a certain area: Magic, Attack, and Life. This, in turn, makes the game easier over time, but it also makes certain areas impossible to beat if not up to a certain level.

While intoducing many new things to the series, it also presented the idea to create more of an action game then a stratigic game. The game revealed many new enemies, and its fights are the hardest of any of the games. But, from my perspective, the thing that makes the game harder than most is the use of the side-scrolling view. Your choice.

This game was also remade twice. It came out in the form of a Game Boy Advance game, in the NES Classics series, and it also appeared with four other Zelda games in a special Collector's Edition disc, for the GameCube. You recieved this disk free with a paid subscription to Nintendo Power. However, they now longer offer this deal, but it is fairly easy to find them.