General Information
Fighting
Before getting downstab, my fighting technique against
shieldless, large enemies is to crouch & stab immediately
followed by a jump & stab. This is a different style from
what is seen in Boco's and Palatinum's movies. At the first
large enemy that I fought, I tried 5 or 6 different
fighting techniques, and this one gave the lowest frame
count.
With downstab, enemies (usually Iron Knuckles) can be hit
in open spaces 1 or 2 times without slowing down. In areas
with low ceilings, Link can downstab every other frame
theoretically, but often it is necessary to wait another
frame so that Link doesn't fall off the enemy. Against
bosses, downstabbing is more difficult because they move
differently and there is no ceiling.
Fairies
Fairies can only go through locked doors if Link has 0
keys. Otherwise they will use the key.
Whether going up or down, fairies can get off an elevator
quicker than Link's normal form.
6-Count
Every 6th large and 6th small enemy will drop either a
magic jar or P-Bag. The 6 count has to be accurately planned
out (I have done this.)
Randomness
Link's timing is the source of much randomness in the game.
The blocks that fall in some palaces are determined by the
timing of Link's entry to the room. The Stalfos' jumping
and sword swinging is effected by timing. Dripping devices
are determined by Link's timing right before the device
enters the screen. (I had to manipulate one to drip an
enemy on the first drop.)
On the overworld, only some enemy formations are effected
by Link's timing. There are others that will appear in the
same formation at a determined time even if Link does not
move. This is why all timeattack attempts have had problems
manipulating the second fixed battle square on the way to
the Great Palace.
However, what an enemy drops (in the 6-Count) is based on
what position they are at when the fatal blow is delivered.
Improvement to Boco's Movie
This movie is better than Boco's because a) it uses a
restart sequence b) it uses better routes c) it is played
more precisely.
I estimate that the improvement for each category is:
~100 seconds improved by using a restart sequence
~95 seconds improved by better routes
~130 seconds improved solely by more precise play
~100 seconds improved by using a restart sequence
~95 seconds improved by better routes
~130 seconds improved solely by more precise play
(Simplified) progression of improvement:
Last Death Mountain cave entry: 30.45 sec
Water of Life cave entry: 71.72 sec
1st Palace exit: 109.87 sec
2nd Palace exit: 158.76 sec
3rd Palace exit: 163.93 sec
4th Palace exit: 260.60 sec
5th Palace exit: 277.87 sec
6th Palace exit: 305.02 sec
Great Palace entry: 311.10 sec
Thunderbird entry: 320.45 sec
End: 324.78 sec
Water of Life cave entry: 71.72 sec
1st Palace exit: 109.87 sec
2nd Palace exit: 158.76 sec
3rd Palace exit: 163.93 sec
4th Palace exit: 260.60 sec
5th Palace exit: 277.87 sec
6th Palace exit: 305.02 sec
Great Palace entry: 311.10 sec
Thunderbird entry: 320.45 sec
End: 324.78 sec
Important Japan-to-USA Changes
Name
The Japanese game for FDS is called The Legend of Zelda
2 - Link no Bouken. The American game is called Zelda II:
The Adventure of Link.
Leveling Up
In Link no Bouken, when you reach the next point level, you
can choose any of the 3 categories. This allows the
possibility to get Attack to level 8 quickly. However, when
you lose all of your lives or use the game restart
sequence, all of your levels even out to whatever your
lowest level is. For example, if your levels are 7-1-1 when
picking up Magic Container 6 and you use the game restart
sequence, your levels will become 1-1-1. This is why in
Death Mountain I must level to 3-3-3 despite that improving
Life is otherwise unnecessary in the timeattack. The
benefits of using the game restart sequence easily outweigh
the time lost for the 3 levels that are wasted (2 levels
for balancing in Death Mountain and 1 lost after level 1.
Each level up takes approximately 3.07 seconds.)
In The Adventure of Link, levels aren't lost if they are
unbalanced upon restarting, but they require more points to
attain. Also, there is the option of declining the level up
in order to use the points for something else. In Link no
Bouken, you cannot cancel the level up.
Item Pickup
Fairies cannot pick up items. (Different from USA
version.) Link must stab an item to pick it up; he does not
grab it like in the US version.
Elevators
Elevators move significantly slower in the Japanese
version than in the US version.
Palace Layouts
Palace 4 has a dripping device in the room before Carock.
The small magic jar that I get here from the bot must be
acquired earlier in the US version, because the dripping
device is absent from this room in the US version.
Bosses
In Palace 5 there is a boss fight with Horsehead at the
fake wall. In the US version, a blue Iron Knuckle guards
this spot.
Also in Palace 5, the end boss is a more difficult version
of Helmethead. In the US version, Gooma is here.
In Palace 6, the dragon looks less intimidating and moves
differently than that in the US version. The Japanese
dragon rises up into the curtains and then retreats
(if you let him. :P) The US dragon doesn't rise as high and
will pause. Also there is a thin platform on the left side
of the room in the Japanese version that is absent in the
US version.
Loading
The 'WAIT' screen appears when Link enters palaces, towns,
or new areas. There were somewhere around 36 instances of
the 'WAIT' screen; each time it takes about 4 seconds.
Minor Things
Palaces 1-6 are only white or green. In the US version they
use different wall sprites and are much more colorful.
Overworld enemies are different looking. Stronger enemies
are blue, weaker enemies are gold, and fairies are red.
There are a few other minor graphical differences, like the
animated water.
Some enemies' experience points are different.
Some sounds are different even when emulated correctly.
Route Information
Overworld / Fixed Battle Squares
Any indirect movement or stopping in the overworld is
necessary to avoid random battles and/or to make them occur
on the fixed battle squares.
Palace 1
Getting the 2 keys in palace 1 may look dorky, but it's
about 30 seconds faster than getting them in palace 2.
Despite that someone tells Link to 'use keys in palaces
they are found in,' keys work in other palaces.
Palace 4
It is always a mistake to leave the palace after getting
the boots. Here I not only didn't leave the palace, but I
didn't need to go up to the statue in order to get the red
magic jar refill.
Great Palace
The ceiling-walking route is about 12 seconds faster
than the traditional route. The only issue with it is that
Link must have level 8 magic to use fairy, jump, and
thunder without refilling.
Programming Errors & Oddities
Elevators
Moving downward in elevators doesn't act the same way as
moving upward.
When moving downward, Link refuses to walk left or right.
I attack the wall to bounce Link where I want him to be.
Link can get off of the elevator once his shield is
underneath the ceiling.
When moving upward, Link is able to walk left or right.
When getting off the elevator, his feet do not have to be
at floor level; he can enter slightly under the floor.
Downstab
In the correct position, when Link stops a downstab attack
it will do another attack on an enemy. An example of this
is in the first room of palace 5. This tactic is used on
the bosses as well.
Slowdown
The game does have occasional problems with slowdown that
need to be minimized.
Collision Detection
Although there are many little programming errors in this
game, the collision detection is mostly very well done.
There are only two major exceptions to this:
- Underneath the small floating skulls, Link can be damaged when he isn't visually touching the skull.
- Dark Link still makes very little sense to me.
-Arc
Post on the forum if you have questions.
The river devil eats those who are weak.