#Zelda 2

[darkcloud-kcalifornia]

Honestly Zelda 2 checks off more than a few of the boxes. As you progress the game you find items or learn abilities that either increase your combat options or expand some of the areas you can explore in, sometimes both at once (down/upstab combining with the glove to break bricks you couldn't before, Jump spell letting reach areas and targets). Some of these abilities allow you to access hidden items you couldn't have before, or offer shortcuts to previous areas. I mean sure, it was pretty basic, and it being non-linear is mostly in the technical sense as you can decide to not fight a boss after grabbing the item in the temple but as you have to kill them eventually why wouldn't you besides contrarianism, but it's all there.

While the Metroid (1986) and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (1987) are usually cited as the founding texts of the metroidvania genre, not without reason, there were actually part of a much larger wave of 2D side-scrolling platformers featuring nonlinear, inventory-gated open worlds that were all released in the same three or four year span.

Some are fairly well known, like Blaster Master (1988) and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987). Others are more obscure these days, like Faxanadu (1987) or The Maze of Galious (1987). There doesn't seem to be any one game that started it – it was an idea whose time had come, and suddenly it was everywhere at all at once.

Of course, given that the genre was just beginning to take shape, there are also a lot of weird edge cases that might or might not be first-generation metroidvanias, depending on how you define your terms. Ultimately, checklists of tropes are perhaps a less relevant metric than which games participated in the creative dialogue that produced what would eventually be labelled the metroidvania.

Which finally brings me to the question I actually want to throw out:

Is DuckTales (1989) a first-generation metroidvania?

[beyemar]

Something thats always bugged me in the zelda series is that out of all the games, the adventure of link only really has this logo, as well as the pixellated in-game logo.

This is somewhat the case in the original zelda too, but with that, there was also an alternate logo with details you'd expect in a modern Zelda.

So, I drew my own fanmade logo for TaoL, inspired by that logo!

[wickedcriminal]

Just go to the corner and spam the attack button. Easy peasy pizza cheesy 🧀

Bonus:

[larrytheflute9]

The Adventure of Link

[yasmeensh]

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - The Blood Curse

This comic had been in the back-burner for over a year, and I have finally got to working on it during the past month. It just so happens to be on theme for Halloween, too. So it is a fitting time to share it.

Please enjoy and share your thoughts! Zelda 2 lore is my passion <3

PS. This is part of a larger script I have written in an attempt to dramatize the full zelda 2 plot. This was a scene I often daydreamed about since it was a crucial moment in Link's character development. This is the point in his adventure where he loses his love for adventure and discovery. He can no longer take indulgent risks. Any danger befalling him can result in the destruction of Hyrule. Link's internal struggles and the concept of him being the saviour of Hyrule on one hand, and the destroyer of Hyrule on the other, leads to the conception of Dark Link.

Perhaps one day I'll delve into that topic and make a short comic about it. One day.

[narsh-poptarts]

my dark link thoughts coalesced into wonderful headcanons and crazy amounts of forced perspectives and dutch angles

also sorry HW i would have included your dark link(s) but i do not have passion for your game <3 maybe next time

Some thoughts below

I have thoughts about dark link that boil down to basically two things: 1. it's always the same dark link, and 2. dark link has a very difficult time changing.

No matter how many times dark link is brought into existence, he is formed from the shadow of link usually to test link's will. that shadow can be duplicated (as seen in HW) but generally speaking it's the same guy, sharing the thought space, you know how it is. In terms of sentience/thinking for himself, I don't think there's all that much of it. He is a dark reflection/shadow of link, so shares his abilities and thought patterns (for combat) with added aggression and. evil. i guess.

As said by navi, "conquer yourself", and all that. He's a challenge to the inner will power.

That being said!!! he can have a little bit of individuality, as a treat. Just in the form of being mean and sadistic <3 he's got thoughts, he's not just a combat doll (tho in times of low power, or a greater power having the reins, he reverts to that), so he can be frustrated, vindicated, happy, etc etc. though when your thoughts are mainly "evilevilevilevilevil" your idea of these emotions are a bit skewed.

When he's summoned for each different link, i hc that it's all the same magic, so the same dark link every time. he "remembers" in an abstract sense of his role in the same way a link or zelda "remembers" their own reincarnation. tho his is less of a reincarnation and more being used over and over again. a persistence.

The iteration that's summoned reflects the current link at the time, the part of link that needs testing/defeating, so it's not an existence that he himself can change to match the present. he's locked to that first copy/shadow only. So if he were to have a second encounter with an older link, he'd look like the first time they fought, unless he was specifically re-summoned. i hc he's got limited magic, so this is not something he can do himself.

in a links-meet scenario, his form would be limited to those specific forms of the links, and it would always be the points in time in which he first encountered them, unless there's other magic either he or someone else has access to to allow him to change forms to match.

now you might be saying at this point "wouldn't he be a weaker match if he was put up against an older link?" yeah probably lol. but also!!! i like the idea that with the limited magic he has, he's able to change juuuust enough to stay relatively evenly matched. being able to play to different strengths and all that. but the base stuff is still the same, so he is decently easy enough to read if link remembers the kind of stuff he was pulling back when he originally fought dark link.

dark link also knows about all this so while limited to the particular skillset, is able to adapt slightly.

but yeah been thinking a lot about a links-meet au where dark link is there choosing a different link to be every time he appears to the party.

though there are a couple links that he never impersonates in their games!!! so can't change into those guys unless he gets a new round of copycat magic.

Anyways goodbye guy standing there with standard camera angle, i have dutch angles and forced perspective

[acquired-stardust]

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Nintendo Entertainment System 1988

[la-sera]

Link from Zelda 2 or Adventure of Link, or Hyrule LU

I can't sleep

it's very hot here

my body is all sweaty

bored

so I turned on my PC

watching horror games while scribbling

.....oh ended up drawing something

thanks to this heat.

.......

still can't sleep though

[clowns0up-felix]

Hero of Hyrule design ^^ (still a wip tbh)

Trying to get the last few links that I’m still missing designed so I can finally have a finished collection

I’ve been spoiled with some beautiful art from my beloved mutuals today so I need to lie down but I’d love it soo much if anybody were to tell me about their headcanons and character traits for this guy bc I have not played his games 💔

Also gonna work in fs link so I would love stuff for him too if anybody wants to,,,, I’ll be answering stuff in like 9h maybe lol

[misellapuella]

Happy 38th birthday to the Legend of Zelda!

Here's a master study I did in 2022 with the original Zelda uwu

[good-advice-ganondorf]

This is the Zelda 2 lore for anyone who doesn't know

[vaathnaos]

Hi !

Here’s the full image!

Since you guys seemed to like the last one, imma show you another lil' teaser for the "project" (collab with @marte-14)

This is Hyrule (from Zelda 1+2) in Shifting sands' art style!! I really liked his portrail in LU but i think he could look closer to the original

[larrytheflute9]

The Tragedy of Zelda

[yasmeensh]

It is now time to share my piece for Legend of Link Zine! This is part of a series of other OG Link pieces that tell a story (1. artwork by @zolanort, 2.fic by @zartophski, 3. is my piece :D). Thanks to all who purchased a copy of the zine!

Here is the zine's tumblr page: @2023legendoflinkzine Please check out the amazing work that had been put into it! And very special thanks to @seekingseven for organizing this wonderful zine!

I'm immensely grateful and thankful to all my zine-mates who helped me out in the critique channel! Wouldn't have gotten it to where it is now without them 😘 THANKS!!!!! Now below are close-ups and WIP shots:

It's my usual process of drawing with pencil on paper, then scanning and colouring it digitally. After the second image, it was layering colours and smoothing out everything. I wanted to retain the pencil texture, so I did not go too overboard.

[weepingtalecowboy]

Hyrule is banned for justified reasons

Fanfic prompt: Any advice Hyrule offers is considered a war crime

And the real reason why he isn’t allowed into towns is the fact that he has shared them on multiple occasions with overly curious children

Like he knows about the monster version of the birds and the bees and only monster but not the hylian version

And Wild and wind where curious

So now the oldest links have to try and fix the fact that both of them are considering monster courtship the only right way

The saddest and most painful part for the chain is the fact that Tetra apparently had appreciated wind gifting her the heads of her enemies

So now he is absolutely committed to the strategy

Wild was stopped before he could do the same with Flora

And Hyrule has created a monster like no other

Wind is now an irredeemable menace who has done shit

And the worst part is the fact that tetra actually is now dating him because she liked the murder,destruction and arson.

[ordon-shield]

Link’s Houses Graded By How Liveable They Are

The Legend of Zelda/The Adventure of Link: 0/10, he doesn’t have one. Probably sleeps in caves.

A Link to the Past/Oracle games/Link’s Awakening: 6/10, surprisingly good! He’s got a bed, a place to cook food, tables and chairs, and even a set of shelves! He looses points because there’s no space for his uncle to live and it’s only one room.

Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask: 5/10, similar to the previous Link. He has a bed, a table with stools. While lacking any method of cooking, that’s probably for the best seeing as everything is made of wood. He also has a sink with a mirror. He looses a point due to the random hay and pitchforks though.

Four Swords: 0/10, he has no house.

The Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass: 4/10, while you might expect it to be higher, there are a number of flaws with his house. First is the fact that he must share it with his grandmother and little sister, and second is the lack of mattresses on their two beds. They also use their space poorly, as out of three areas in the house only one is being actively used — Grandma should have let Link use that loft as his bedroom. It’s not all bad though— they have a cooking fire and kitchen area.

Four Swords Adventures: 0/10, also has no house.

The Minish Cap: 7/10, the only truly multi-room house on this list! The bedroom has a bed for both Link and his grandfather, along with a table and stools. The main room downstairs is the kitchen, with a place to cook and shelves for plates and bowls. There’s also an entire forge connected to the building.

Twilight Princess: 10/10, the best house on this list in my opinion. Like in Ocarina of Time, there is a pitchfork inside, but this time it makes sense with Link’s background, and comes with some horse riding equipment for Epona. His cooking area is also set up to avoid any fires. He even has a sink for his dirty dishes, along with a table and chairs, and a few bookshelves. He also has a basement that he uses to store a bit of cash and some old furniture. The one flaw of this house is the lack of a bed, but this can be excused as Ordon is based in part on traditional Japanese culture, so he may just use a futon.

Spirit Tracks: 7/10, like an improved version of the ALttP house, with a bed for both Link and Niko, along with a cooking area, and plenty of room.

Skyward Sword: 8/10, rather than living in a house, this Link lives in the Knight’s Academy. He shares a divided room with another student. The only Link to have easy access to a bathroom, which counts for a lot.

A Link Between Worlds/Triforce Heroes: 5/10, very similar to his house in ALttP, containing a bed, table with stools, shelves, and a cooking area. While the lack of an uncle with no bed might have brought this house up to a higher standard, there’s one thing preventing that — the presence of a certain merchant who pushes all the furniture aside to set up his own shop.

Breath of the Wild: 7/10, a decent house brought down by the lack of a kitchen and the fact you have to buy it and the furniture inside at exorbitant prices from an annoying builder who sits around in your front garden once he’s done.