Shigeru Miyamoto felt Zelda 2 “was sort of a failure”, and Nintendo actually considered A Link to the Past as the “real” Zelda sequel
Legendary Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto has previously revealed that he considered Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link “sort of a failure,” despite the game being his own creative idea. Released in 1987 as a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda, the game achieved commercial success but failed to capture the critical acclaim of its predecessor and historically performs poorly in fan rankings and retrospectives.
The divergence stems largely from Zelda 2’s radical departure from the original’s established formula. While the first game featured top-down exploration and puzzle-solving in a fantasy world, Zelda 2 introduced side-scrolling platformer elements and a more linear progression structure, fundamentally changing the player experience. This substantial shift in gameplay proved polarizing among audiences.
In a striking acknowledgment of the game’s reception, Nintendo has positioned A Link to the Past, released in 1991 for the Super Famicom, as the “real” sequel to the original Legend of Zelda. Rather than building on Zelda 2’s innovations, A Link to the Past returned to the top-down perspective and exploration-focused design of the first game, effectively serving as a course correction for the franchise.
Miyamoto’s candid reflection provides insight into Nintendo’s design philosophy and willingness to pivot when a game underperforms internally. Despite its departure from favor, Zelda 2 maintains a cult following and is recognized as an ambitious, if divisive, entry in gaming history.