Current Events > Would anyone want to see a 2D Zelda done in Zelda 2 style?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I know Zelda 2 is mostly mixed nowadays, but a more polished version of this style has potential.
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Yeah sure, could be fun.
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Yeah, I really want a new game in that style, but with modern game design. People always talk about a remake, but I'd much prefer a new game in that style
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I'd love that
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DarkChozoGhost posted...

Yeah, I really want a new game in that style, but with modern game design. People always talk about a remake, but I'd much prefer a new game in that style

There's actually an Adventure Time game for the 3DS in this style.
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A topic I made a few months ago is archived on the Zelda 2 board.

https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/563487-zelda-ii-the-adventure-of-link/75506257

The Legend of Zelda was an amazing game for its time, and despite its flaws, it still holds up as a fun experience today. A Link to the Past was the third game in the series, and it greatly expanded upon the style of gameplay introduced in the original. Link moves in a similar manner in the same top down view. But he swings his sword instead of stabbing. The tiles are replaced with larger, scrolling areas to explore. There are a lot more and better items, more elaborate bosses, and greatly expanded dungeons.

Zelda II had taken a different direction. There's a top down world map, but the bulk of the game is side scrolling. There are random battles, an experience system to upgrade stats, frequent use of magic spells, a dedicated jump button, and a focus on combat. Rather than expand upon LoZ's gameplay, it struck out and created its own style. But although ALttP and subsequent games continued to evolve in the style of the original, most of what AoL brought was abandoned. A few segments of Four Swords Adventures are the only places in the series where we see the side scrolling return in any meaningful way. We've seen a little bit return like villages and sword techniques, but those are really staples of the genre rather than just something AoL brought to the series.

One day, I hope to see a game that does for AoL what ALttP did for LoZ. Zelda II is a somewhat polarizing game, with a lot of people disliking the difficulty and clunky mechanics due to age. With better technology and another 30 years of design improvements, the style could be used again to create something amazing. Smoother controls, refined mechanics, and better enemies and AI would make combat better. Items like the Cane of Somaria could be brought into the game, creating a block (like the ones you destroy with the Handy Glove) to gain extra height, and later in the game you could obtain a magic book that lets you create several more at a time to gain extra height or block enemy movement. The bow could be worked into combat as well.

The world map can be taken further as well. There was a hammer that could destroy boulders for shortcuts or to cut down trees. That could be taken further, whether it's used to uncover caves or solve overworld puzzles. Contact with enemies should still initiate battles, but Link could have the opportunity to interact with them to some degree on the overworld. He could strike enemies with a weapon so that when the battle starts, enemies start at reduced health. If he blocks an attack with his shield, the battle can start with the shield spell active. There could be several songs for the flute. One could slow down enemy movements for a limited time, one could make stronger enemies appear more frequently, ect.

There could be more areas like Death Mountain where the player moves between top down and side scrolling segments through mazes and puzzles. Items like the Lens of Truth or the Hookshot could return, and have functions both in the overworld and the battle areas.

And of course, core gameplay mechanics can be drastically improved. The player wouldn't have to start at the same place every time they get a game over. More spells and sword techniques, more NPCs to give main and side quests, and a more evolved experience system are a given. Perhaps levels could be exchanged to prepare for different scenarios, much like at the Horned Statue in Breath of the Wild. There is so much potential. It makes me sad that Miyamoto and Nintendo are ashamed of AoL and see it as a black sheep. I'm glad they moved forward as they did with ALttP, but enough time has passed that they can experiment and realize the potential of that style.

Yeah I've given it some thought.
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DarkChozoGhost posted...

A topic I made a few months ago is archived on the Zelda 2 board.

https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/563487-zelda-ii-the-adventure-of-link/75506257

The Legend of Zelda was an amazing game for its time, and despite its flaws, it still holds up as a fun experience today. A Link to the Past was the third game in the series, and it greatly expanded upon the style of gameplay introduced in the original. Link moves in a similar manner in the same top down view. But he swings his sword instead of stabbing. The tiles are replaced with larger, scrolling areas to explore. There are a lot more and better items, more elaborate bosses, and greatly expanded dungeons.

Zelda II had taken a different direction. There's a top down world map, but the bulk of the game is side scrolling. There are random battles, an experience system to upgrade stats, frequent use of magic spells, a dedicated jump button, and a focus on combat. Rather than expand upon LoZ's gameplay, it struck out and created its own style. But although ALttP and subsequent games continued to evolve in the style of the original, most of what AoL brought was abandoned. A few segments of Four Swords Adventures are the only places in the series where we see the side scrolling return in any meaningful way. We've seen a little bit return like villages and sword techniques, but those are really staples of the genre rather than just something AoL brought to the series.

One day, I hope to see a game that does for AoL what ALttP did for LoZ. Zelda II is a somewhat polarizing game, with a lot of people disliking the difficulty and clunky mechanics due to age. With better technology and another 30 years of design improvements, the style could be used again to create something amazing. Smoother controls, refined mechanics, and better enemies and AI would make combat better. Items like the Cane of Somaria could be brought into the game, creating a block (like the ones you destroy with the Handy Glove) to gain extra height, and later in the game you could obtain a magic book that lets you create several more at a time to gain extra height or block enemy movement. The bow could be worked into combat as well.

The world map can be taken further as well. There was a hammer that could destroy boulders for shortcuts or to cut down trees. That could be taken further, whether it's used to uncover caves or solve overworld puzzles. Contact with enemies should still initiate battles, but Link could have the opportunity to interact with them to some degree on the overworld. He could strike enemies with a weapon so that when the battle starts, enemies start at reduced health. If he blocks an attack with his shield, the battle can start with the shield spell active. There could be several songs for the flute. One could slow down enemy movements for a limited time, one could make stronger enemies appear more frequently, ect.

There could be more areas like Death Mountain where the player moves between top down and side scrolling segments through mazes and puzzles. Items like the Lens of Truth or the Hookshot could return, and have functions both in the overworld and the battle areas.

And of course, core gameplay mechanics can be drastically improved. The player wouldn't have to start at the same place every time they get a game over. More spells and sword techniques, more NPCs to give main and side quests, and a more evolved experience system are a given. Perhaps levels could be exchanged to prepare for different scenarios, much like at the Horned Statue in Breath of the Wild. There is so much potential. It makes me sad that Miyamoto and Nintendo are ashamed of AoL and see it as a black sheep. I'm glad they moved forward as they did with ALttP, but enough time has passed that they can experiment and realize the potential of that style.

Yeah I've given it some thought.

I can tell.
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