Zelda II is pretty flawed by today's standards and in some ways compares negatively even to the prequel. The world map and many areas are unnecessarily large and empty, and you're forced into frequent (close to) random encounters while exploring. The combat system, as it is meant to be played is ambitious but frustrating with a steep difficulty curve, and thanks to what is likely a hit detection flaw you can use the same odd jump attack strategy against almost any enemy, alternatively skipping them with your 'down thrust' move instead when they're not worth fighting (this last point would be less of an issue if not for the fact that the game focuses on action rather than puzzles).
The bosses are simple except for the second to last encounter (again, thanks to what is likely a bug you can easily cheese the last boss and it is recommended since it's cheaply designed). The townspeople are of two types: either somewhat retarded, often due to a bad translation, or talking as if they