Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, released as The Legend of Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (THE LEGEND OF ZELDA 2 リンクの冒険?) in Japan, is an action role-playing video game with platforming elements. The second installment in The Legend of Zelda series, it was developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was originally released in Japan on the Family Computer Disk System less than a year after the release of the original The Legend of Zelda. Nintendo released Zelda II in Japan on January 14, 1987, seven months before the United States saw the release of the first Zelda title. Nintendo released Zelda II in North America in 1988, almost two years after its initial release in Japan, converting the game from its initial Disk System format to the NES cartridge.

The Adventure of Link is a direct sequel to the original The Legend of Zelda, again involving the protagonist, Link, on a quest to save Princess Zelda, who has fallen under a sleeping spell. The Adventure of Link's emphasis on side-scrolling and role-playing-style elements, however, was a significant departure from its predecessor. The game was highly successful at the time and introduced elements that would become commonplace in future Zelda games, although the role-playing elements such as experience points were never used again. It was followed in 1992 by The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for the Super NES. The game is also looked upon as one of the most difficult games in the Zelda series.