Miyamoto Calls Zelda II a “Sort of a Failure” in Recent Interview

Key Takeaway

1. Shigeru Miyamoto considers *Zelda II: The Adventure of Link* “sort of a failure” and views *A Link to the Past* as the true sequel to the original *Zelda*.
2. Miyamoto acknowledges that *Zelda II* was developed by a different team and remained largely unchanged during development, contrasting with his typical iterative process.
3. Despite its commercial success, *Zelda II* is often ranked lower in fan polls and considered less representative of the main series compared to other Zelda titles.

Shigeru Miyamoto’s Perspective on Zelda series Evolution

Miyamoto’s opinions on his own work are often a mix of pride and critique, which is rare among famous creators. His thoughts about Zelda II saying it was “sort of a failure” shows he’s not shy about being honest, even about his early projects which gained a lot of attention. The developer sees A Link to the Past as the true sequel to the original Zelda that came out in 1986, highlighting how he views the series’ evolution more critically. But some fans might look at Zelda II differently, seeing it as innovative as well as challenging.

Details of the Original Game and Development Insight

Back in 2003, Miyamoto openly discussed how Zelda II came to be. He shared that it was originally his idea, but another team actually developed the game. Unlike his usual process, where ideas keep evolving during development, Zelda II stayed pretty much the same from start to finish, which Miyamoto described as “a failure.” His honesty about the development process highlights how different it was compared to the main entries, which usually improve as they go along.

Impact and Reception of Zelda II

Zelda II, released in 1987 for the NES, tried to do something different after the massive success of the first game. It kept the overhead exploring style but added side-scrolling battles, RPG elements like experience points, leveling up, and magic spells. These changes divided the players – some loved the fresh approach, but others disliked the increased difficulty and different controls. Despite being a commercial success selling millions of copies, it’s often ranked low on fan polls compared to other Zelda games, possibly because of its challenging gameplay and stark departure from the original.

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