The Adventure of Link: The badass, side-scrolling black sheep of the Legend of Zelda family.

Title: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Original Release: Jan. 14, 1987
Game #: 2
Chronologically: #6, Young Link timeline

A year after the fantastically popular (though I will never understand why) The Legend of Zelda was released in North America, the rabid fanboy audience of the late 1980s was presented with a new swashbuckling adventure for the NES. Simply titled Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (the only Zelda game not to include The Legend of Zelda in its title), the second game in the series was a complete departure from its predecessor.

An entirely different team than the rest of the Zelda games worked on The Adventure of Link, and it remains so different from any other title in the series that it's barely considered a "true" Zelda game by some fans. It's the only side-scrolling Zelda game ever made, it involves an incredibly difficult "dueling" combat system, Link can jump freely over obstacles at any time and it has several RPG elements including level-ups, HP and MP bars rather than the typical "heart container" system, semi-random battles and an overworld map.

The storyline of this game is interesting. Although Link is the same Link as in the first game, Princess Zelda is not the same one which he previously rescued. This is the only game to ever shed real light on the actual legend of Zelda, and it explains why there is a Zelda in every game. Taken from Wikipedia:

"Six years after the events of The Legend of Zelda, the now sixteen year old Link notices a strange mark on the back of his left hand, exactly like the crest of Hyrule. He seeks out Impa, who responds by taking Link to the North Castle, where a door has been magically sealed for generations. Impa places the back of Link's left hand on the door, and it opens, revealing a sleeping maiden. Impa tells Link that the maiden is Zelda, the princess of Hyrule from long ago, and the origin of the "Legend of Zelda."

Zelda's brother had tried to force her into telling their recently deceased father's secrets concerning the last of three sacred golden triangle treasures of his kingdom, known collectively as the Triforce. Princess Zelda refused to reveal its location, and the prince's wizard friend, in anger, tried to strike her down with a spell. Zelda fell under a powerful sleeping spell, but it also resulted in the wizard's own death. The prince, unable to reverse the spell, had his sister placed in the castle tower, in the hope that she would one day be awakened. He decreed that princesses born to the royal family from that point on would be named Zelda, in remembrance of this tragedy.

Impa says that the mark on Link's hand means that he is the hero chosen to awaken Zelda. She gives Link a chest containing six crystals and ancient writings that only a great future king of Hyrule can read. Link can read it and it indicates that each crystal needs to be placed in a different palace in Hyrule. This will open the way to the Great Palace, which contains the Triforce of Courage. This, combined with the other two parts, has the power to awaken the enchanted Zelda. Taking the crystals, Link sets out to restore them to their palaces. Meanwhile, the followers of Ganon are seeking to kill Link; sprinkling his blood on Ganon’s ashes would bring Ganon back to life."

Neat-o! Now you can bust out that knowledge at parties and people will buy you drinks, guaranteed. So basically, this game follows Link as he tries to revive the original Princess Zelda from her magically-induced slumber.

There's your basic introduction to the game! It looks much better than the first one already.

...Or is it?

Well, at least this Zelda is asleep, so she can't make you go through horrendously difficult levels for no reason.

...Or can she?

Stay tuned, gentle readers! Same geek-time, same geek-channel!