Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is an action role-playing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America and Europe in 1988. The game is a direct sequel to the original The Legend of Zelda, and features a side-scrolling perspective, as well as role-playing elements such as experience points and magic spells. The game follows Link as he travels through Hyrule to awaken Princess Zelda from a sleeping spell. The game was praised for its graphics, sound, and gameplay mechanics, and is considered one of the best games in the Zelda series.