Zelda 2 - The adventure of Link on Nes (mini) and GBA (nes classic): The bestiary (Palace monsters)

Tinsuit (Rat-Head)

The Tinsuit is the basic palace enemy. It respawns indefinitely in certain corners, fears sword beams, is worth no experience and dies in one hit. If it touches Link, you will lose experience.

Stalfos

A skeleton warrior who manages to wield the sword but is clumsy with the shield.

This skeleton is quite simple to defeat because it only strikes high and defends high as well, so you just need to strike low after possibly parrying a blow. The stalfos also knows the downward thrust. If it tries to get you with it, try to pass underneath.

Skull ball

This magical skeleton head ball goes straight and bounces at a right angle on walls, floors, ceilings, or edges of the fixed screen (if you make the edge of the screen move when it is about to touch it, the skull ball will cross the edge and won't bother you anymore if you don't turn around). This ball is very resistant, but once you hit it once, it stays blocked long enough so you can finish it off by tapping the button (but at attack level 1, it will take a long time). Once you learn the downward thrust, you can kill it with that by executing it without momentum, it's much less tiring ;), just hold down and wait (you may need to jump again if Link crosses the ball). It fears sword beams and makes Link lose magic if it touches him.

Mace thrower

This cyclops is not very fast but can still bother you. It throws maces in an arc and the hardest part is entering the semi-circle it forms with them. The best is to wait for it to jump because at that moment, there will be a slightly larger space between 2 maces and you can pass. Once under these shots, approach slowly and strike.

Ironknuckle

An iron warrior chosen by the king. Powerful, he can use the sword and shield. He can take various aspects.

The Ironknuckle is the protector of palace items. It protects many other rooms and it is the enemy you will encounter the most, it is often the enemy that stays in the memory of Zelda 2 players. The 3 types of Ironknuckle fight the same way, you must parry their sword blow high or low and counter-attack where the shield is not. The Ironknuckle parries many attacks but you will end up getting it. Attacking downwards can work. Beware of the blue one which throws swords instead of just striking with them. In addition, it attacks much faster than the other 2.

Rope

This little snake has the same operating mode as the Octorock. It generally stays in the same place and jumps while launching a ball that usually arrives right into Link's shield. Some Ropes advance towards Link while keeping this mode of operation. In addition, it fears sword beams. Only the red ones in the great palace can really bother you because they shoot fireballs that you cannot stop without having cast "reflect".

Dragonhead

These dragon (or unicorn) heads move in a "wave". They are quite resistant but like the skull balls, once hit, they are immobilized long enough so you can hit them until they die, they fear sword beams and the downward thrust made without momentum allows you to bounce on them and thus kill them very quickly. If it touches Link, you will lose experience.

Dripper

The dripper is classified among statues, it cannot be killed. From its mouth fall drops that can hurt you. From time to time, a blue drop comes out and a bot appears when it explodes.

Gargoyle

Gargoyles are statues representing wolf or dragon heads. These shoot small balls that can be stopped with the shield but since these balls do not go horizontally, it is not necessarily obvious to be in front.

Doomknocker

This monster in blue armor moves slowly, throws maces, and jumps from time to time. The maces can be stopped by casting "reflect" in which case doomknockers are easy to beat, just walk towards it and hit it. Otherwise, you will have to find the right rhythm to jump over its maces and hit it quickly enough.

Wolfhead

These wolf heads have a simple systematic movement, they advance, descend, advance, ascend, advance, descend, ... and shoot small balls into Link's shield or legs. In a room without obstacles, this enemy poses no problem (especially since it also fears sword beams). You will often encounter it in a room full of blocks in which you will have to dig. Wolf-heads often arrive in large numbers and shoot lots of balls. You will need to be well positioned to counter them all by turning around and ducking quickly. If it touches Link, you will lose experience.

Armored Stalfos

The Armored Stalfos is, as the name suggests, a stalfos. To defeat it, duck and strike the legs, its shield never goes down and it always strikes high so no worries either in stopping its attacks.

Myu

A sort of worm covered with thorns. They are small so deliver downward blows.

The myu is a very small creature with thorns that moves little and slowly, does not hurt very much and is not very resistant. However, Link cannot kill myus wandering on the ground because they are so small that even by ducking and hitting, Link passes above the myu. You will therefore have to wait until you have learned the downward thrust to kill these critters.

Moa

There are many kinds of Moa (I'll spare you the details of psychoanalysis on this subject), orange, red, blue, purple, and invisible. In the palaces, you will encounter orange Moas which unlike others drop fire that burns for a moment upon hitting the ground. The Moa arrives from one side of the screen, passes over Link and turns around to leave from where it arrived.

Wizzrobe

This ghost only fears its own attacks, you must use the "reflect" magic and duck not too far from where it appears to bounce its magic back with your shield.

Mage (sorcerer)

Mages (or magos) populate the fifth palace. These sorcerers appear, cast a flame on the ground and disappear. It is very hard to get a mage by giving him a sword blow in the face because they disappear quite quickly after making the fire speak. The downward thrust is a safe way to beat them when the ceiling has sufficient height. Otherwise, it's better to move on.

Firebird

The firebird is one of the special defenders of the great palace. It hops forward or backward while shooting flames in the air forward. One could compare it to the Mace thrower if all its flames stopped on the ground, but some of its attacks rush at Link after hitting the ground. Once under the semi-circle formed by the firebird and its attacks, it is best to hit it very quickly while moving forward to avoid being caught by its attacks.

DreadHawk

Another exclusive from the "great palace". This enemy is in my opinion the hardest of all non-final villains. Basically, it's a blue ironknuckle that is faster and jumps. Generally, moving on is a good solution, otherwise, it fights like an ironknuckle. Certain elements of the scenery can still help defeat it from time to time. By being one notch higher than its maximum jump height (the height of its feet), Link will be in an ideal place to send this doom falcon back to hell. Just don't step out of your "hideout", duck and strike repeatedly (2).

Giant Skull Ball

This great palace enemy is slower but bigger than a skull ball. Better not try to kill it because it can split into multiple Skull Balls. If you want to kill it, the downward thrust without momentum is surely the best way.

Giant Bot

The last enemy exclusive to the great palace explodes into lots of very, very resistant small bots when hit. As it appears by surprise above you, you will be forced to do the upward thrust to avoid being touched. Then, it's better to be able to shoot your swords to defeat the bots (you can also flee like I often do in this palace (no, perfectdams is not cowardly, he is wise)).

Horsehead

This horse-headed boss fears blows to the head, gain momentum, jump, strike, and leave, its heavy mace does not allow it to hit you fast enough.

Helmethead

As for Horse-head, you will have to strike its helmeted head, this enemy has multiple heads, when you make one fall, another grows back and the other flies up and shoots at you.

Blue Ironknuckle on horseback

You will cross paths with this boss again as a mid-Palace boss, it is not very hard to defeat. At first, it charges at you with its horse. Stay in the middle of the room and jump while attacking downwards as it passes. After hitting it a few times, the horse flees and you remain face to face with the ironknuckle. Also favor the downward thrust to bring it down because by fighting normally, this boss will quickly find itself further than the edge of the screen where you cannot touch it.

Carock

Carock is actually a giant wizzrobe. More resistant and faster but just as easy to defeat. Duck near one of the edges, duck while looking at the middle of the room and use the "reflect" magic. If this red ghost appears on you, reposition yourself and wait for it to die, struck down by its own attacks.

Gooma

This force of nature is not the easiest to defeat. This big lump has a sort of flail that it uses horizontally, thus giving it more than convenient reach. It is better to use jump and jump over its attack to land right after and deal a blow to its stomach. Then, move away and repeat the operation.

Barba

This enemy remains dangerous until its death because it can push you into the lava at any time. Before it arrives, strike very quickly above one of the holes in case it comes out there. If it doesn't come out there, approach the edge that is in its direction so that if its shot hits you, you won't recoil all the way to the lava. If you are below it, jump and strike (you must hit it in the head). Also try to get it when it comes back down.

Thunderbird

Surely the hardest enemy in the game, to begin with, use thunder to make it change from red to blue and be able to touch it. Then, use jump and try to hit it in the head (no upward or downward attack, that doesn't work). Try to avoid its shots, it is better to try to keep a central position to be higher up and be able to escape more easily.

Dark Link (Link shadow)

Link's shadow is easy to beat, you wedge yourself in a corner, duck and strike when it arrives. Sometimes it jumps on you and hits you, reposition yourself and start again, you should get it without problem.