like Ages, it follows the classic 2D zelda formula faithfully and successfully. it has some good puzzles, but some solutions are pretty esoteric. i got stuck for like an hour at one section, because there was a statue i needed to push - i had already pushed it once, but i didn't push it from the correct direction. there was no indication that one direction would be more important than the other. there were multiple examples like that, and i wound up just having to Google the solution.

still, anyone who wants more Zelda will enjoy trying out this title.

Dungeons were generally well-designed and the switching between the overworld and subrosia was interesting. I do think subrosia was pretty underused but it didn't impact the game's quality very much. The game also would have benefited from giving you more of a connection with Din but I guess they generally don't give you any more with zelda either and Din was cute at least. The rings and gasha seeds were a neat concept but the effects were negligible and it ended up being a very forgettable system.

Most people rank the two Oracles game pretty much the same. Not me.
This game was annoying for me. Everything about Subrosia fills me with ennui, and some of the puzzles were just annoying. The game is more puzzle based than Ages, but a lot of the puzzles just get annoying. I didn't enjoy the dungeons all that much either. The music and graphics are still good, but everything else is just way worse than in Ages if you ask me. I also recall getting stuck multiple times because I couldn't find the obscure new entrance to Subrosia or whatever.

I think the game is probably okay, and I just had a bad experience with it, so I'm being generous with my rating, but I didn't like playing this game.

I already thought Link's Awakening was a masterpiece but having finally beaten this and Ages I can safely say they far surpass it. How they managed to cram such a deep interconnected set of games together is amazing. Defintely one of the most unique Zelda games I've ever played.

The season mechanic was used well and it led to some interesting exploration and puzzle solving. Holodrum and Onox were also very neat and I personnally prefer them over Ages's Veran and Labrynna. Also I loved the magnet and magic boomerang. Din is also the better oracle in my opinion. Also the challenge was well paced and the dungeons were top notch. Highly recommend playing this.

Pros: Seasons is one half of the Oracles duo for GBC, and this is a big unique Zelda adventure. Top-down, classic puzzles, dungeons, actions, tons of unique new weapons/items, magic ring collection, and so much more, hell, there's even Animal Buddies in this, Moosh the flying bear, Ricky the Kangaroo, and Dmitri the Dodongo (no Epona, which always felt strange to me, but hey, I love me some rideable animals). I loved the season changing mechanic, it encouraged you to think about the overworld in new ways, and intuitive too! As we all have an inherent knowledge of what seasons in real life are like, and what they do to our environment, so using that we can address puzzles and exploration more naturally, and I love it. It's a great take on the traditional alternate world gimmick that Zelda games tend to have, but in a way, I kinda love it more than dark world/time travel, because there's more than just two alternate worlds, there's four! Walk along ice or a snow bank in winter, climb vines grown in spring, a pond drying out in summer to reveal a new passage, dead vegetation to clear a path in fall, etc etc. The adventure is great too, the dungeons are full of action, including several classic bosses (it's good to see you again, Aquamentus). Towns and characters full of personality and color, it's all in all, a really good time. And upon beating both Seasons and Ages, you get a special extra final boss that's definitely worth doing!

Cons: There's some Game Boy limitations felt, just like with Link's Awakening. Smaller screen, and only two action buttons for all of your weapon usage.

What it means to me: Seasons was the first 2D Zelda I ever owned, and completed (I did dabble in NES Zelda beforehand, but didn't come close to finishing it). And so there's a bit of a sentimental value to these 2D games, more than the rest, and I'd love to see them remade one day, I feel they deserve it, just as Link's Awakening did... Which, I like these two Oracle games way more than anyhow!!

I finally replayed Oracle of Seasons, which is something I’ve been meaning to do for a while. It’s definitely better than I remember.

For starters, I love this game’s atmosphere. It’s very lighthearted and colorful, while also feeling like an open adventure that harkens back to the original game (even if it’s still linear, the game does a great job making the player feel like they’re in control the whole time). The music is mostly wonderful, the contrasting realms of Holodrum and Subrosia are both extremely memorable, and the season-switching mechanic, while not as well-implemented as the time travel in Oracle of Ages, is still an ingenious take on the whole “Light World vs. Dark World” gimmick by now allowing the player to transform the map in FOUR different ways to solve puzzles. It’s pretty damn awesome.

The dungeons are good, but not great.

1) Gnarled Root Dungeon: I can’t remember anything about it other than thinking “wow this is easy” while playing it. I do like how the entrance is in the same spot as the first dungeon from the original game, though.
2. Snake’s Remains: Even less memorable. Lots of snakes.
3. Poison Moth’s Lair: This is where the dungeons start to pick up. Poison Moth’s Lair makes great use of verticality by introducing— of all things— trampolines, which allow you to bounce from one floor to another through pits. It’s put to good use here, but it gets elaborated on in later dungeons.
4. Dancing Dragon Dungeon: This dungeon is awesome. It’s mostly linear, yet it’s extremely fast-paced, packed with enemies to fight, and has a kick-ass music track to back it all up.
5. Unicorn’s Cave: Also not very memorable, but it introduces the magnetic gloves (the best item in the game) and makes good use of mine carts.
6. Ancient Ruins: Building upon the trampolines while boasting an impressive Indiana Jones-style set piece, the Ancient Ruins is a pretty good payoff, considering how much it had been foreshadowed throughout the game.
7. Explorer’s Crypt: The return of the Poe Sisters is cool and all, but I found myself weirdly annoyed during the Explorer’s Crypt, though I’m not entirely sure why since it’s not a bad dungeon by any means. Gleeok is the boss, and it’s as cool as you’d expect.
8. Sword & Shield Maze: This is the only dungeon in the game that I could clearly remember from my original playthrough, and for good reason. The Sword & Shield Maze is an excellent dungeon that utilizes all of Link’s abilities and contains some of the hardest puzzles across both games. Much like Turtle Rock from Link’s Awakening, it teases you with rooms and chests that are in your sight, yet just out of reach, forcing you to think vertically in order to reach them. The final, massive puzzle is a fun one that involves throwing ice crystals into magma to create a path across a large room, but it’s not as simple as it sounds. Also, there’s a sliding block puzzle, and I love those.

So yeah, the main problem I have with the dungeons is one that applies to the game as a whole: it’s just not memorable. From the complete lack of a story, to the reused assets, to the numerous callbacks to the original game and Ocarina of Time, to even reusing the overworld theme, Oracle of Seasons just doesn’t stand out that much amongst the crowd. Hell, even Subrosia, an undeniably unique map, pales in comparison to the series’ other alternate worlds like the Dark World, the Twilight Realm, or the recent Depths.

That’s not to say there’s nothing to remember, however. One area that continues to resonate with me is Tarm Ruins, a beautiful and mysterious forest that takes full advantage of the Rod of Seasons. The music is sublime, the visual aesthetic is unique (even as you change the seasons), and when you play the linked game, you can find the fucking MASTER SWORD sleeping deep within its woods. Tarm Ruins is one of the most magical locations in the entire series, and easily stands out as the game’s biggest highlight.

So yeah, Oracle of Seasons isn’t very memorable, but it’s fun, fast-paced, and is bound to keep Zelda fans playing to the very end.