Does Zelda II really deserve it's hate?

So, lately I've really been interested in The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. For whatever reason, one day something about it suddenly seemed to appeal to me. After playing it for a good while, I have to say, I really don't understand the hate for it. I mean, sure, it's completely different the other Zelda games which I'm sure is the most common criticism. However, think about this for a minute. At the time of Zelda II's release, there was only one other Zelda games released, which had a classic top down perspective. Nintendo and the fans really didn't know where the series was headed, and they wanted to try something new. It honestly wasn't a crazy move, and I applaud their bravery in changing the formula for the sequel of such a critically acclaimed NES game.


Now that I'm done yacking on about the main style of the game, it's time to actually talk about what makes Zelda II a game, instead of comparing it to the first Zelda. As previously mentioned, this Zelda game is very different. In Zelda II, you take control of Link as usual, but in a sidescroller style of gameplay. That it is, most of the time. When you are on the world map however, you take control of Link in a top down view, and encounter monsters that bring you to another screen to battle them. I've got to say, I really didn't find this style bad in any way. I actually do enjoy being able to see the enemies before you encounter them, rather than having absolute random encounters, like in traditional RPG's, most notably in the Final Fantasy.


Speaking of RPG's, this game is one of them. It has many RPG elements, including the previously mentioned overworld with monster encounters, there are towns where you interact with NPC's to gain knowledge and various other skills, and even a leveling system. The leveling system while annoying others, was actually one of my favorite aspects of Zelda II. The feeling of leveling up feels so rewarding, and also feels extremely satisfying to have you skills increase, giving you many more possibilities in battle. Man does it feel good.

So now that I've basically explained it. I leave you with this. Zelda II is fantastic in my eyes. One of the biggest things that appealed to me is that it seems to be much higher in quality than most NES games. It's hard to explain, but it's simple, and doesn't really lead you to being confused with the game (with a few exceptions). So now I ask for your opinion. Do you believe that Zelda II really deserves it's hate? I'd like to hear what you think.