I have a fair amount of nostalgia for the Zelda Oracle games; I'll just admit that right away. But even so, Ages is a well-crafted adventure. Perfect to play in bitesize chunks while taking your GBC wherever you go. The story is simple but effective & gameplay keeps you engaged with all its puzzles. Throw in some nice chiptunes to boot & you've got a nice handheld Zelda classic.
I think I liked it better than Seasons for the bigger emphasis on puzzles, even though I have to admit that the harsher nature of Seasons makes its ending hit a little stronger. Even if this one feels a lot more story oriented.
I'm very surprised, considering how bad of a gamesense I have, that I was able to get through this one very easily. Controlling only two variances of the world and one having a direct consequence on the other and the presents giving you clues to how to navigate it, made it very easy and fun to traverse, as opposed to the the seasons gimmick, which made it all the more confusing for me. This game also stepped up the dungeons game a big deal and I think that's why I'll ultimately put this one on top.
As far as how I feel about both those games within the franchise, I really like how despite their similarities, both feel like polar opposites of one another, sorta like OoT and MM. As the seasons of the world are thrown in chaos, going through OoS doesn't make you fix it, it only gives you the power to change the seasons, so as it goes on, you become the one that is throwing chaos in the world of Holodron. And as you start to feel triumph over rapidly rampaging through all the dungeons and enemies, the reveal from the old man that all your fight is just a distraction from Twinrova resurrecting Ganon is truly impactful. In Ages, understanding both the present and the past allows you to help the people of Labrynna and it feels like the true story of the game smaller storylines like the Zoras, the Gorons. Whereas saving Din is the whole Seasons plot, in Ages, Nayru is saved at the halfwaypoint, the stakes are lower and Veran is a much more silly rather than intimidating villain. So the Twinrova reveal feels a lot less impactful as it feels like you've already saved the world.
(I forgot to input the password so I didnt get the linked game ending smh)
But yeah, overall didn't think I'd enjoy these games so much, definitely underrated and yeah Ages > Seasons, but really not by as large a margin as I would've expected.
I'm very surprised, considering how bad of a gamesense I have, that I was able to get through this one very easily. Controlling only two variances of the world and one having a direct consequence on the other and the presents giving you clues to how to navigate it, made it very easy and fun to traverse, as opposed to the the seasons gimmick, which made it all the more confusing for me. This game also stepped up the dungeons game a big deal and I think that's why I'll ultimately put this one on top.
As far as how I feel about both those games within the franchise, I really like how despite their similarities, both feel like polar opposites of one another, sorta like OoT and MM. As the seasons of the world are thrown in chaos, going through OoS doesn't make you fix it, it only gives you the power to change the seasons, so as it goes on, you become the one that is throwing chaos in the world of Holodron. And as you start to feel triumph over rapidly rampaging through all the dungeons and enemies, the reveal from the old man that all your fight is just a distraction from Twinrova resurrecting Ganon is truly impactful. In Ages, understanding both the present and the past allows you to help the people of Labrynna and it feels like the true story of the game smaller storylines like the Zoras, the Gorons. Whereas saving Din is the whole Seasons plot, in Ages, Nayru is saved at the halfwaypoint, the stakes are lower and Veran is a much more silly rather than intimidating villain. So the Twinrova reveal feels a lot less impactful as it feels like you've already saved the world.
(I forgot to input the password so I didnt get the linked game ending smh)
But yeah, overall didn't think I'd enjoy these games so much, definitely underrated and yeah Ages > Seasons, but really not by as large a margin as I would've expected.
You like Ocarina of Time don’t you Ages?
To me, no other 2d zelda (and many 3d games as well) can beat the dungeons present in this game. Jabu Jabu's belly in particular gave me a very difficult, yet engaging time. I just wish the music was a little less grating.
okay maybe i am just an idiot but damn this games puzzles are hard as hell. this game is awesome play it if you love zelda games
This was fun
Honestly it'd have been a 4.5, but the Goron minigames are so freaking annoying.
It’s the same game for the most part so most of what I said regarding Seasons applies here except a few things. I mentioned liking Ages more the other day when speaking about how I felt about Seasons and after completing it the feeling is roughly still the same. While the issue of dungeons meshing together and lacking memorable theming is still prevalent, Ages’ selection was more striking with the emphasis on a puzzle box design rather than Seasons’ simpler approach with attention on enemy encounters and open feel with the various items and weapons gained in the journey; this isn’t to say the dungeon items in Ages didn’t have combat potential but the selection is very geared towards solving challenges, a decent amount that stumped me and were pretty satisfying when not recycling basic color matching puzzles. While not all of them are winners, at least half of them left a pretty good impression with some sprawling challenges across rooms and cool room-specific ones all distinctive to the levels; Mermaid’s Cave and the Ancient Tomb being my favorites with how meaty and complex at times they were structurally in unlocking everything within even with the systemic issue of lackluster bosses and dungeon identity.
Regarding time traveling versus seasonal control, my opinion on the former has grown with the harp of ages being a much better and interesting experience with the latter half of the game introducing a free transition between the past and present without needing to be at a specific tile unlike the rod of seasons still requiring it even after getting all of the seasons. It’s more fluid and less obvious like seeing a random stump on the screen nudging the use of mechanic which Ages eases off of later on. I can see complaints of this leading to time traveling puzzles being too obscure but given the kitchen sink approach that is already prevalent throughout both games’ designs, it didn’t feel like too much of a hassle and finding out these secrets were very thrilling rather than frustrating in most circumstances.
Even more surprising is how involved combat still is even with puzzles taking the spotlight. Several boss battles still relied on pretty simple solutions of sword striking weak points or bomb/seed throwing if the dungeon items aren’t relevant to damaging them. Enemies still litter the screen within the dungeons and a part of me wished there were less of these encounters as it does interrupt some of the flow in solving the puzzles and led to a lot of frustration. The Black tower and the final boss fight felt geared more towards Seasons’ combat gauntlet and survival design rather than Ages’ more puzzle-centric design and it would have been more interesting if Ages dug its nails deeper into own focus more, despite still enjoying what it did here coming out of the game.
Ages also weirdly feels more padded in getting to the dungeons with the aforementioned Mermaid’s Cave requiring a particularly heinous one. Seasons required only one dancing mini game in order to get an item and progress the story, while Ages throws four (six counting an earlier ones in a separate chapters) Goron-related mini games in a row to complete in order to receive specific key items for a needlessly long fetch quest to unlock the dungeon. These four mini games, especially the Goron Dance and Big Bang Game, were particularly headache-induing without save states and felt overkill in adding more length and ‘difficulty’ to the game. The path to the dungeons is a tradition in the series but they felt especially long and tedious in Ages, even unlocking Jabu Jabu’s Belly given the insane swimming control of the mermaid suit “upgrade”. People talk about Mario Party’s joystick rubbing with mini-games and yet I never hear about Ages’ mermaid suit, even in the fandom, requiring thumb spamming the D-pad to move an ounce in the water versus holding down a single direction before getting it and the suit can’t be removed with much of the rest of the game necessitating swimming.
While adventuring can still be done here, the world of Labrynna is immensely more clunky and less expansive by design compared to Holodrum. Holodrum’s roaming and adventuring isn’t as prominent with navigation being more railroaded and more of a chore, though this could be a side effect of burnout from playing them back to back rather than experiencing Ages as my first like Seasons. There are still pretty distinctive areas to Labrynna like the Yoll Graveyard, Zora Village, the Forest of Time, and Crescent Island with the version exclusive Tokay species; time traveling offers some nice differences in layout and puzzles even with the smaller scale and detail of the larger world. Additionally, underwater traversal is a unique component to Ages and it is way more fleshed out than the handful of times it popped up in Seasons; even with the complaint of how obtrusive it is to move, the mermaid suit opens up so much of the aquatic terrain, done very well in the trek to the Zora Village and the lead up to Jabu Jabu but it feels like more could have been done with having more of these opportunities and thus giving Labrynna more spice in a pretty whatever overworld where the dungeons were more the star of the show.
At the very least, Ages has much more going on narratively. It follows the same structure of Seasons but with Nayru needing rescuing but more screen time is given to plot development and some original characters. Veran, the main antagonist, is more memorable than Onox with the usage of time in causing harm and gaining control, though she ends up being as milquetoast as Onox with them both being a set up for Link’s final encounter with Twinova and Ganon as the linked game ending. Ralph, off and on hothead and protector of Nayru, has some funny encounters with Link along with a nice twist in the end but nothing to write home about. Overall there is a more of a story compared to Seasons but I’m grasping at straws for what is still pretty by-the-numbers, even worse with the secret final bosses of the linked game being a weak puzzle leading to two lengthy fights with Twinova and then Ganon to cap it off. It felt very out of place with Ages’ focus but this critique could still be applied to Seasons if I experienced it there rather than here.
Anyways, yeah yeah remake, pull it from the dusty tomb of the game boy color, Nintendo is never gonna make another 2D Zelda game again because they’re in their 3D 'open air' era, please don’t make the Goron mini games all mandatory for story progression if this does get remade or I will scream.
Regarding time traveling versus seasonal control, my opinion on the former has grown with the harp of ages being a much better and interesting experience with the latter half of the game introducing a free transition between the past and present without needing to be at a specific tile unlike the rod of seasons still requiring it even after getting all of the seasons. It’s more fluid and less obvious like seeing a random stump on the screen nudging the use of mechanic which Ages eases off of later on. I can see complaints of this leading to time traveling puzzles being too obscure but given the kitchen sink approach that is already prevalent throughout both games’ designs, it didn’t feel like too much of a hassle and finding out these secrets were very thrilling rather than frustrating in most circumstances.
Even more surprising is how involved combat still is even with puzzles taking the spotlight. Several boss battles still relied on pretty simple solutions of sword striking weak points or bomb/seed throwing if the dungeon items aren’t relevant to damaging them. Enemies still litter the screen within the dungeons and a part of me wished there were less of these encounters as it does interrupt some of the flow in solving the puzzles and led to a lot of frustration. The Black tower and the final boss fight felt geared more towards Seasons’ combat gauntlet and survival design rather than Ages’ more puzzle-centric design and it would have been more interesting if Ages dug its nails deeper into own focus more, despite still enjoying what it did here coming out of the game.
Ages also weirdly feels more padded in getting to the dungeons with the aforementioned Mermaid’s Cave requiring a particularly heinous one. Seasons required only one dancing mini game in order to get an item and progress the story, while Ages throws four (six counting an earlier ones in a separate chapters) Goron-related mini games in a row to complete in order to receive specific key items for a needlessly long fetch quest to unlock the dungeon. These four mini games, especially the Goron Dance and Big Bang Game, were particularly headache-induing without save states and felt overkill in adding more length and ‘difficulty’ to the game. The path to the dungeons is a tradition in the series but they felt especially long and tedious in Ages, even unlocking Jabu Jabu’s Belly given the insane swimming control of the mermaid suit “upgrade”. People talk about Mario Party’s joystick rubbing with mini-games and yet I never hear about Ages’ mermaid suit, even in the fandom, requiring thumb spamming the D-pad to move an ounce in the water versus holding down a single direction before getting it and the suit can’t be removed with much of the rest of the game necessitating swimming.
While adventuring can still be done here, the world of Labrynna is immensely more clunky and less expansive by design compared to Holodrum. Holodrum’s roaming and adventuring isn’t as prominent with navigation being more railroaded and more of a chore, though this could be a side effect of burnout from playing them back to back rather than experiencing Ages as my first like Seasons. There are still pretty distinctive areas to Labrynna like the Yoll Graveyard, Zora Village, the Forest of Time, and Crescent Island with the version exclusive Tokay species; time traveling offers some nice differences in layout and puzzles even with the smaller scale and detail of the larger world. Additionally, underwater traversal is a unique component to Ages and it is way more fleshed out than the handful of times it popped up in Seasons; even with the complaint of how obtrusive it is to move, the mermaid suit opens up so much of the aquatic terrain, done very well in the trek to the Zora Village and the lead up to Jabu Jabu but it feels like more could have been done with having more of these opportunities and thus giving Labrynna more spice in a pretty whatever overworld where the dungeons were more the star of the show.
At the very least, Ages has much more going on narratively. It follows the same structure of Seasons but with Nayru needing rescuing but more screen time is given to plot development and some original characters. Veran, the main antagonist, is more memorable than Onox with the usage of time in causing harm and gaining control, though she ends up being as milquetoast as Onox with them both being a set up for Link’s final encounter with Twinova and Ganon as the linked game ending. Ralph, off and on hothead and protector of Nayru, has some funny encounters with Link along with a nice twist in the end but nothing to write home about. Overall there is a more of a story compared to Seasons but I’m grasping at straws for what is still pretty by-the-numbers, even worse with the secret final bosses of the linked game being a weak puzzle leading to two lengthy fights with Twinova and then Ganon to cap it off. It felt very out of place with Ages’ focus but this critique could still be applied to Seasons if I experienced it there rather than here.
My personal favorite of the Oracle games, this game has some really clever puzzles, and is pretty fantastic for a Gameboy Color game. That being said, I find the Oracle games to be generally one of the more underwhelming ones in the series, personally.
Ages shines with its puzzles, having some of the most interesting in the series. Like Seasons, the main mechanic (being time travel) is well thought out and is used in some interesting ways to solve puzzles in the world and dungeons. It was also cool to see to see Zelda do something different under Capcom by having these 2 games combine into 1 to reveal a true path for the story. Despite this I can’t really see myself coming back to this and seasons very often as I find myself not that interested in them as some of the others, but they are still quality titles that brought something new to the Zelda series and are definitely worth at least a play-though to any Zelda fan
I’m in a state of mind lately where I can’t seem to find any joy in anything I used to do, except not in like an emotionally distressed way so much as this. With that in mind, I’m going to say that both of these are pretty much just Link’s Awakening, again, twice, with a better color palette, and with that comes all the fun and thrills of okay top-down combat, impenetrable gameplay which necessitates keeping your eyes glued to a guide, and hours of looking for other shit and heart containers you don’t really need just because it’s there. Shelving it because it’s probably fine after all and it’s just me
Oracle of Ages is an intriguing game for the 2D series. Of the GBC duology, this is the one that has a greater focus on setting temples and puzzles with a higher degree of complexity, and also in making things a bit cryptic to be difficult to figure out, however, that's what makes it a memorable journey.
The main innovation of this title, is that unlike games that have in their title phrases like "A Link to the Past" or "Ocarina of Time", here there is a real time travel to the past involved, because in this game we will travel the lands of Labrynna through the present, but also from hundreds of years in the past. Traveling between both eras becomes something primordial and very entertaining that is very reminiscent of the parallel dimensions of the previously mentioned Super Nintendo game, and personally I have always liked that kind of games in which you have to travel in time to get things that do not exist in the other and vice versa, even some temples make use of this dynamic, and although at the beginning you start with certain restrictions to travel between eras, as you advance in the game you can travel in time with greater freedom.
The game is set in the kingdom of Labrynna, where the Oracle of Ages, Nayru, is located. However a sorceress named Veran ends up possessing her and traveling back in time to wreak havoc on the timeline and conquer the world, the usual. So this time we have to go through 8 temples traveling between two different times in order to obtain the 8 essences of time to rescue our friend Nayru.
Oracle of Seasons has probably one of the most intricate overworld map and temple designs, because figuring out what you have to do or where you have to go is not something you can deduce at first glance. In the beginning the game takes you by the hand, and certainly, it is a somewhat linear game. As you advance in your quest, things will get more and more complicated, so you'll have to have a lot of wit and a good memory to know what you need to do at certain points in the story. And as for the temples... these have a brilliant design, as the puzzles are quite "demanding" to say the least, as these feel like real logic challenges in which you will have to have a lot of patience if you don't want to lose your mind in the process, making this, more than an adventure game feel like one of puzzles because of the great emphasis given to this section, as even the bosses have their logic and many times you will have to think outside the box to solve the puzzles. This is especially noteworthy considering it's a 2D game for the Game Boy Color. The level design is on par with 3D games in terms of complexity. Take for example the water temple in this game, this one is equally or even more difficult than the water temple in Ocarina of Time.
As for the items you can get in the temples, these are not as new as in other games, since they are improved versions or with a little "twist" of items that we have already seen before. But one that I really liked is the replacement for the bow/sling shot, which is a seed shooter whose projectiles have the ability to bounce 2 times off the walls and is used to solve pretty good puzzles. The hook on this occasion works in a pretty cool way, as it swaps your position with the position of the grabbed object.
A section where this game takes inspiration from the N64 installments is in the mini-games, as there are many and each one is quite entertaining, although a bit difficult too. The most difficult one is when you get to the Goron region, it consists of a small memorization game that reminded me of my time when I played Brain Age, only here it's much more difficult because you have to follow a rhythm. I almost lost my mind trying to complete the highest level. I don't recommend doing it.
Conclusion
Oracle of Ages is fascinating without a doubt, although this ends up being like a double-edged sword, as it can result in some pretty frustrating moments being totally honest. But in the end, I'm left with the satisfaction I got from solving those puzzles and those "Eureka!" moments. I recommend playing this game without a guide, as it is something that is really worthwhile, even if there are many moments where you don't have even the tiniest idea of what you have to do.
Secret 2: -----------------aurith/list/--1/
← The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons - Review
The main innovation of this title, is that unlike games that have in their title phrases like "A Link to the Past" or "Ocarina of Time", here there is a real time travel to the past involved, because in this game we will travel the lands of Labrynna through the present, but also from hundreds of years in the past. Traveling between both eras becomes something primordial and very entertaining that is very reminiscent of the parallel dimensions of the previously mentioned Super Nintendo game, and personally I have always liked that kind of games in which you have to travel in time to get things that do not exist in the other and vice versa, even some temples make use of this dynamic, and although at the beginning you start with certain restrictions to travel between eras, as you advance in the game you can travel in time with greater freedom.
The game is set in the kingdom of Labrynna, where the Oracle of Ages, Nayru, is located. However a sorceress named Veran ends up possessing her and traveling back in time to wreak havoc on the timeline and conquer the world, the usual. So this time we have to go through 8 temples traveling between two different times in order to obtain the 8 essences of time to rescue our friend Nayru.
Oracle of Seasons has probably one of the most intricate overworld map and temple designs, because figuring out what you have to do or where you have to go is not something you can deduce at first glance. In the beginning the game takes you by the hand, and certainly, it is a somewhat linear game. As you advance in your quest, things will get more and more complicated, so you'll have to have a lot of wit and a good memory to know what you need to do at certain points in the story. And as for the temples... these have a brilliant design, as the puzzles are quite "demanding" to say the least, as these feel like real logic challenges in which you will have to have a lot of patience if you don't want to lose your mind in the process, making this, more than an adventure game feel like one of puzzles because of the great emphasis given to this section, as even the bosses have their logic and many times you will have to think outside the box to solve the puzzles. This is especially noteworthy considering it's a 2D game for the Game Boy Color. The level design is on par with 3D games in terms of complexity. Take for example the water temple in this game, this one is equally or even more difficult than the water temple in Ocarina of Time.
As for the items you can get in the temples, these are not as new as in other games, since they are improved versions or with a little "twist" of items that we have already seen before. But one that I really liked is the replacement for the bow/sling shot, which is a seed shooter whose projectiles have the ability to bounce 2 times off the walls and is used to solve pretty good puzzles. The hook on this occasion works in a pretty cool way, as it swaps your position with the position of the grabbed object.
A section where this game takes inspiration from the N64 installments is in the mini-games, as there are many and each one is quite entertaining, although a bit difficult too. The most difficult one is when you get to the Goron region, it consists of a small memorization game that reminded me of my time when I played Brain Age, only here it's much more difficult because you have to follow a rhythm. I almost lost my mind trying to complete the highest level. I don't recommend doing it.
Conclusion
Oracle of Ages is fascinating without a doubt, although this ends up being like a double-edged sword, as it can result in some pretty frustrating moments being totally honest. But in the end, I'm left with the satisfaction I got from solving those puzzles and those "Eureka!" moments. I recommend playing this game without a guide, as it is something that is really worthwhile, even if there are many moments where you don't have even the tiniest idea of what you have to do.
Secret 2: -----------------aurith/list/--1/
← The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons - Review
Nintendo Switch
I found this one to be the better of the two. The overworld especially was a lot better at using the main item for puzzles in interesting ways from saving a town in the past to using the shifting of land to reach new areas. I also enjoyed a lot of the puzzles in dungeons there where some repeating puzzle ideas that where fun to solve as they got harder. While the bosses where easier then in seasons I found most of them more fun to fight. I played ages as a linked save from seasons and i really like the added content and getting to go back to seasons for the codes for new items was cool to see. I would love to see a remake of these games like the link's awakening one on switch as these two game's biggest issue is only having two buttons for items meaning a lot to menus to swap between things. I think a remake like that might become my favorite 2D zelda as these two are already close to the top.
Going back and forth in time is just such a cool mechanic. It's wonky at times but it's fun
Just as I said in my Seasons review: "So good. I know the limitations of the GBC can bother a lot while playing (only 2 items at the same time) but the game still shines through!
Classic 2D zelda movement, combat and everything else, which is one of my favorite types of games."
The big difference with Seasons is that this game has no handholding and just throws possibilities at you. The puzzles/dungeons are really interesting (probably some of my favorites from the series), the interaction you are able to have with the characters/npcs and the world are always clever (after you are first able to get through them, as I had to pick up a guide a few times to know how to progress), the combat is snappy and responsive!
So many praises! I absolutely loved this game, the only thing holding it back from greatness is that switching items really bothered me. Nevertheless, one of my favorite Zelda games!
Classic 2D zelda movement, combat and everything else, which is one of my favorite types of games."
The big difference with Seasons is that this game has no handholding and just throws possibilities at you. The puzzles/dungeons are really interesting (probably some of my favorites from the series), the interaction you are able to have with the characters/npcs and the world are always clever (after you are first able to get through them, as I had to pick up a guide a few times to know how to progress), the combat is snappy and responsive!
So many praises! I absolutely loved this game, the only thing holding it back from greatness is that switching items really bothered me. Nevertheless, one of my favorite Zelda games!