And it worked! After many (often frustrating) hours of playing Zelda II: The Adventures of Link I’m finally nearing the end of the game. As I write this I’m camped out at the Grand Palace with much of the dungeon already explored.

At the beginning of the year I tackled the original Zelda game and much like that experience, playing through Zelda II has been growing into an obsession. I attempted to play through the first game with no maps and guides and very little advice from friends. This game, however, has proven to be much more frustrating, random, and difficult. I made it through the first 3/4 of the game with nothing but my wits, which unfortunately were not up to the challenge of finding certain items or secret passageways later on.

My D&D buddies helped me through my first challenging section and Jason Poland, of Robbie and Bobby fame, has been kind enough to encourage me through the rest. I eventually had to turn to some maps and guides. I’m trying my best to only use the maps when absolutely stuck. Early in the game I’d spend two or even three play sessions wandering around looking for the next clue but it’s hard to rationalize doing that now that I’ve already turned to guides. Still, though, it’s a far more enjoyable experience when there’s real adventuring happening, and I’m confident I can finally get through the game, even if it means more hours of frustration.

UPDATE: Late this evening I finally beat Zelda II!