I will be discussing the events of the Linked Game in this review since this was my linked game in my playthrough.

Both Oracle games I think are massively overlooked and underrated. They both offer different experiences from each other and highlight different elements of the Zelda series. Oracle of Ages is apparently the one focused on puzzles.

Oracle of Ages starts exactly the same was as Oracle of Seasons but now Link is transported to another kingdom and a different villain captures another Oracle. I was worried that I was about to go through the exact same game again but thankfully that’s where the similarities end between the two.

Also I forgot to note in my previous review that the art direction in both of these games is fantastic. I really love all of the character designs in these games.

I enjoyed Oracle of Ages more than Oracle of Seasons because it really felt like there was a lot more going on. There was focus on more characters like Queen Ambi and Ralph who are the only ones to have actual arcs across these two games. The story isn’t super special but I’m glad it does SOMETHING.

The dungeons in this game are all great. Capcom knows their way around creating good dungeons huh? Also once again this game has really great items unique from Oracle of Seasons. The Seed Shooter, Cane of Somaria and The Switch Hook are some of the best items in the series as well. With the Switch Hook being the highlight for me. The bosses are also all great! Vire’s boss fight being a Donkey Kong callback is genius!!!

Now on to the Linked Game content, uhh I expected a bit more but it’s cool I guess. Certain aspects carry over between games in cool ways. Princess Zelda also appears throughout your linked game only to get captured when you learn about Twinrovas super shocking super secret master plan which forces you to fight one more boss. I like that the linked content provides a better, more conclusive ending to the two games.

In some ways, Oracle of Ages feels like a greatest hits games. You liked the time travel in Ocarina of Time? Here you go! You liked the two worlds mechanic from A Link to the Past? Here you go! Zoras! Gorons! Jabu-Jabu!!! And you know what? I’ll eat it all up.

Both Oracle games are very close in quality and I can see the argument for preferring either over the other. However, Oracle of Ages is the definitely the one that resonated with me more.

I won’t be discussing the events of the Linked Game in this review as I played this game first and Oracle of Ages was my linked game.

Both Oracle games I think are massively overlooked and underrated. They both offer different experiences from each other and highlight different elements of the Zelda series. Oracle of Seasons is apparently the one focused on combat.

There’s really not much for me to say about Oracle of Seasons, it’s good but not great. The game is very fun to play and the main mechanic of switching seasons is very creative and well utilized. Past Zelda games like A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time offered two versions of their maps, allowing you to constantly switch between them, Oracle of Seasons makes it four! The season switching is done very seamlessly and it’s genuinely very impressive.

Oracle of Seasons doesn’t really have anything going on with the story other than “save [DAMSEL] from [VILLAIN]” which is kind of disappointing coming after great stories like Link’s Awakening, Ocarina of Time, and Majora’s Mask. Like I thought we moved on from that kind of barebones storytelling. This was especially disappointing after going through Oracle of Ages because that game has a lot more going on than this one. To me, it feels like Oracle of Seasons just takes a step back in terms of story and calls it a day.

That’s pretty much the only thing I took issue with to be honest, this is a really good Zelda game that will give you a fun world to explore, fantastic dungeons and unique items. Holodrum isn’t as interesting as previous settings but it does the job. Sunken City and Subrosia are definitely highlights from this game’s overworld for me. Also you get animal companions this time which add really fun transportation methods!!!

The dungeons are fantastic. They’re all very cleverly designed and feature some cool fresh items like the Roc’s Cape and the Magnetic Glove! The latter being a highlight of the game as it’s used very creatively once obtained from the Unicorn’s Cave (which is the best dungeon in the game by the way). I also thought it was cool that the bosses are reimagined versions of the bosses from Zelda I. The final boss of Oracle of Seasons is also fantastic!!! One of the most thrilling 2D boss fights!

I don’t know like did these really need to be two separate games? They could’ve taken the best parts of both and we would have had a much better game. It just feels like this game is targeted towards fans of the NES Zelda games while Oracle of Ages is targeted towards fans of A Link to the Past and Link’s Awakening. Overall good experience but could’ve been better in terms of story and characters.

How do you possibly follow up the biggest adventure you’ve made thus far? Most companies would resort to trying to make something bigger; bigger map, more dungeons, elevating the formula. Not Nintendo though. They took a totally different approach and ended up making the weirdest, most creative sequel to the most critically acclaimed game of all time. When I say weird I don’t mean in a wacky way like Link’s Awakening, Majora’s Mask is more weird in a bizarre, freaky, and eerie way.

Majora’s Mask shines through its theming. It is for sure the most thematically mature game in the franchise. They go weird places in this game that you wouldn’t expect from Nintendo. The main premise is quite simple: you’re stuck in a 3-day time loop where you have to save the world from a world-ending crashing moon. I mean what makes that so special? Hyrule has always been under threat throughout the series. Well Hyrule is not Termina. It might look similar due to all the models being ripped from Ocarina of Time’s engine, but Termina carries itself differently than Hyrule does.

I talked about how Ocarina of Time is a very welcoming game that makes sure you’re fully equipped for the journey before embarking on it. Majora’s Mask is nothing like that. You start the game with your items and horse being stolen from you, falling through a hole, being cursed into becoming a Deku Scrub, and being terrorized by a dog in your first few minutes of the game. You look up at the sky and WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? The moon has a creepy face and is slowly hurling towards you. You then realize how the NPCs are aware of their impending doom and are dealing with it in their own different ways.

Everywhere you look in Majora’s Mask gives you an overwhelming sense of stress, dread and despair. From the UI constantly showing you a countdown to the end of the world to the brooding atmosphere accompanied by the unnerving music. The atmosphere is the main thing that sets this game apart from the rest of the series for me. Majora’s Mask is a moody, dark, and occasionally introspective game. Death is around every corner in Termina and it forces all the characters to reflect on what life means for them.

The main quest is simple but doesn’t shy away from its own emotional punches. Every region you go to has a major issue happening and has you discover a member of that tribe who didn’t die in peace. With your ocarina in hand, you play them one of the most powerful melodies in the series: The Song of Healing. As you help these inhabitants swiftly move on to the other side, they leave a mask behind with all of their sorrows. Which brings me to the main gimmick of the game: Masks. Termina definitely has a thing for masks, everybody has a mask for some reason. Some masks, like the ones acquired through the main story, transform you into the person who left that mask behind for you. Allowing you to play as a Goron, Zora and Deku Scrub for the only time in the series. Each with their own unique play styles and mechanics. Not all of the masks transform you however, some have unique quirks like making your run faster or invisible to enemies and some are purely cosmetic.

While there are only four dungeons, they are all great. All four of them are some of the best dungeons in the series to be honest and have such creative gimmicks and ideas. I’ll never forget the feeling of figuring out I had to flip the entire dungeon in Stone Tower to solve some of its puzzles. They did a fantastic job designing all of these. Especially with translating the difficulty progression that would normally span across 7-10 dungeons into 4. The first dungeon is pretty simple and good at easing you into the game but they get real tricky right after.

What I love so much about Majora’s Mask is that everything in its design is intentional and is there to drive the themes of the game home. While the map is significantly smaller than its predecessor, the compact world of Termina is a lot more deliberate in its design. Every corner of that map fulfills a specific, thought-out purpose in your journey. NPCs are sprinkled all throughout the map and my oh my are these some of the best NPCs I’ve encountered in any game. Each one of them either helps you, or gives you a meaningful side quest and they all feel like real people who have things to do and worry about. The happy-go-lucky postman that’s constantly running around town? Follow him around and you’ll see him cry in his bed after his shift due to the impending world’s end. Every part of the map and every NPC in the game is vital to Majora’s Mask’s revolutionary way of storytelling.

The side quests are one of the many integral ways Majora’s Mask approaches storytelling. Everyone in Termina is going to die and they know they’re going to die. With so much character given to the NPCs, you can’t help but feel bad for everyone. Death is looming around the corner for all of these people and they’re all in despair. Most of the side quests carry the general subtext of “I need to do this one thing so I can die in peace” and my god do they all carry such emotional narrative weight. From simple things like a farmer wanting to see his chicks grow up to be roosters to the shy inn keeper wanting to get married to her missing fiancé. All the side quests perfectly tug at your heartstrings as they give the people of Termina lives with hopes, dreams, and regrets. These side quests are home to my favorite moments of Majora’s Mask and are the main reason Termina is the most immersive setting in the series by far.

The way Majora’s Mask carries and presents itself is unlike any other game I’ve ever played. It can get really playful and witty and shift to some really depressing territory. The game never feels like too much though despite its heavy subject matter. There’s always a sense of hope you carry with you from helping Termina and its inhabitants. That’s what makes the main quest and the side quests so rewarding. You, the player, are directly responsible for making the game less stressful and less gloomy by helping as many people as you can. That is what I mean when I say every part of Majora’s Mask feels like it was created with intent. Everything just organically works into pushing the narrative and theme of the game without trying hard.

I really wasn’t planning on writing such a long review for Majora’s Mask but it’s really hard to talk about this game briefly. I always found Ocarina of Time to be the vastly superior game but playing these two back to back offered me great insight. Despite my emotional connection to Ocarina of Time, I feel like Majora’s Mask builds on its foundation in elevates on it in every way that matters to me. Bigger isn’t always better for me, I much prefer the approach the team took here into delivering such a heartfelt, meaningful, bold, and powerful game. Is it my absolute favorite Zelda game? It just might be. Majora’s Mask now sits at the top of my marathon ranking so far when pre-marathon it sat at fifth place under Ocarina of Time. I’m excited to see if favorites of mine like The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess manage to resonate with me more than Majora’s Mask did.

Ocarina of Time is a very special game to me. It’s the first Zelda game I ever played and the first single-player video game I ever owned. There’s not much to say about Ocarina of Time that hasn’t already been said in ways that would be more articulate than anything I could ever attempt. So I want to mostly talk about why Ocarina of Time is special to me personally and discuss my personal relationship with it.

I talked about Link’s Awakening’s Mabe Village giving me a “welcome home” feeling in my review of that game, the entirety of Ocarina of Time feels like that to me. I played through Ocarina of Time probably 7 times now while being at completely different places in my life and each time I find myself resonating with different parts of it. As a kid wanting to be a grown up, my favorite parts were when you’re playing as Adult Link and it felt like the entire world is dependent on you. Just like Link, it made me feel like I was still kid me but in an adult body and I was so heroic in it. I couldn’t wait to grow up and not be limited by my childish body, I couldn’t wait to be an adult that was a hero and not like other adults.

I remember finding the Adult world dungeons to be very difficult, I remember exactly what puzzles I had to look up the solutions to back then. I found myself growing into realizing how to solve those same puzzles in subsequent playthroughs. Ocarina of Time is filled with things like that for me, I have a memory attached to every corner of the map. I remember being 11 and hanging out at Lon Lon Ranch getting to know Malon. I remember being 15 when I managed to go through the Water Temple without a guide. I am now 23 and I still get freaked out jumping into the well of Kakariko Village.

Ocarina of Time wasn’t just a game I played multiple times throughout my life, it feels like my life revolved around Ocarina of Time. Saria, to me, is that childhood friend that I got distant with due to the circumstances of life. The same way she is for Link. I look back on that character and I just get a somber feeling wishing I spent more time with her while I had the chance, the same way I feel about good childhood friends of mine that I grew distant from. Kokiri Forest is the hometown I’ve moved out of and moved on from without looking back but still find myself nostalgic over how it held my hand and walked me through how to navigate the world. It was the perfect training ground for my journey not just in Ocarina of Time but with gaming in general.

Outside of what it means to me, let’s talk a bit more about Ocarina of Time. The game upped the ante for the series in every way. It had a huge world for the time which can be quite overwhelming, especially in a 3D space. Thankfully, the game is very linear and makes sure to hold your hand in every step of the way. Some people view this as a bad thing in retrospect but I really really don’t. Ocarina of Time is the first Zelda game that has an actual story happening throughout the entire game and that is thanks to its linearity. Constructing a good narrative requires sequencing, which you can’t do without linearity as we see in the new open-air Zelda games. I understand both sides have their crowds but I definitely belong in this one.

The transition of the series to 3D was done fantastically. At its core, Ocarina of Time takes the formula introduced in A Link to the Past and focuses on how to make that formula work in a 3D space. I’m especially impressed by how they made dungeons work in 3D. I won’t get into too much detail but this game truly is a technical feat especially for that time. To other franchises, the transition to 3D was very shaky and would take a couple of entries to be done right. How impressive is it that Ocarina of Time gets it right in its first attempt??

Ocarina of Time holds a great sentimental value in my heart. I always find myself coming back to it and I can never get sick of it. I’ve just finished it and I already can’t wait to go back and replay it again. This is one of the best games ever made and one of the most influential games ever made period. It was always my favorite game of all time and my favorite game in the Zelda series by a landslide.

However at the time of writing this review, I already finished Majora’s Mask as part of my marathon and in a shocking turn of events, I ended up ranking Majora’s Mask higher than Ocarina of Time. Was everything I know a lie? Is Ocarina of Time not my favorite Zelda game anymore? I don’t know. I never played Ocarina of Time so close to other Zelda games so maybe this marathon is going to provide much needed insight for me. This is exciting for me now because I’m curious what game ends up making it at the top after this marathon is over, but I am shocked how a game this special to me got dethroned by the entry right after. However, whether it ends up at number 1 or not, there’s no taking away the impact this game has had on my life and the gaming sphere as a whole.

Link’s Awakening was always an odd one for me. I had played the GameBoy Color version and the Switch version once before, it didn’t really resonate with me both times. Granted I knew about the big twist of the game and have known about Marin before playing the game both times so I never really had a blind experience with Link’s Awakening. Well, here I am now after my third playthrough and I can finally say that it clicked for me.

Link’s Awakening, and most of the Zelda series for that matter, shines when you approach it with no expectations. I approached my first playthrough with the expectations formed from everything I heard about the game. I expected more of a character arc for Marin, more thematic exploration on the truth behind Koholint island. What I got was.. very simple to say the least. It wasn’t at the level of Majora’s Mask when it came to theming. By the time I got to play Link’s Awakening, I had already played most of the series and felt like I’ve seen narratives that were much stronger and worlds that are a lot bolder than Koholint. So I really couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of “that’s it?” In both of my first playthroughs.

My third and latest playthrough is a part of my series marathon and I approached it already deciding where I stand on the game and was expecting my playthrough to solidify my stance on Link’s Awakening being just fine. I started playing the game kind of mindlessly just to check the box and move on but I was quickly won over from its first few hours. Link’s Awakening oozes charm in every aspect of it; the art style, the music, Koholint and its inhabitants, and even the enemies and bosses.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Switch remake’s art style at first as that’s not really what I imagined a modern Link’s Awakening looking like. However, I’ve greatly warmed up to it and I think it accentuates the wackiness and dream-like quality of Koholint island. I also think it provides a wonderful contrast to the games brooding theme. I was really vibing with the art direction this time and then BAM, first gobsmack was hearing the Mabe Village theme. I don’t even have that strong of a connection to Link’s Awakening but that theme felt like a warm hug welcoming me back home. I continued playing while being pleasantly surprised that Link’s Awakening has finally evoked an emotion in me.

I found myself being swooned over the charm of Link’s Awakening especially with its soundtrack. I already talked about Mabe Village but there are other tunes all throughout Link’s Awakening that swept me away and made me feel just happy to be in Koholint. Ballad of the Wind Fish, Animal Village, and Tal Tal Heights are among other highlights for me. The music alongside the art style made me really want to be in Koholint, it was just so so comforting, probably the most comforting setting in the whole series.

The biggest gobsmack for me was when I got to the Face Shrine and discovered the truth about the island. I had played through the game twice and am already familiar with the twist but this time it felt like the revelation hit me like a truck. Hearing the Face Shrine theme right after solidified my newfound love of the game. It finally worked for me. I realized at that moment that my expectations got the best of me both previous times and didn’t allow me to fully sink into the world of Link’s Awakening as I constantly compared it to other Zelda games and was constantly waiting for a big a-ha moment. Little did I know that that big a-ha moment would finally come many years later if I just put my guard down and let myself enjoy things.

The moving strings of The Face Shrine theme play in the background as I pondered over how I could have ever felt this game was “just fine”. I was reflecting on my thoughts on the game while maneuvering through the dungeon. As I fight the boss of the Face Shrine, something new happened, the boss was begging me not to go through with my mission as the music suddenly becomes intense. This happens with every boss moving forward, it’s a subtle addition to the dungeon gameplay loop but it made me realize just what I was missing. I realized I don’t need to be always waiting for a big in-your-face moment to solidify if I like something or not, that wait just makes me miss out on the beauty of subtlety and I think Link’s Awakening shines on that subtlety in its storytelling.

So yeah, this is probably the biggest shift I had in this marathon so far. I honestly learned a very valuable lesson that I’ll take with me to the next entries which is to just enjoy what I’m playing for what it is and not wait for it to win me. I need to take that stick out of my butt and enjoy things again. It took me 10 years but I can finally say that Link’s Awakening is a truly special game. It now means a lot to me and is now one of my favorites in the series.

My oh my what a fantastic game. The true beginning of the series for me. A Link to the Past takes the best parts from Zelda I and II and lays the groundwork for the rest of the series, and it does a fantastic job doing it. The game aged its 32 years ever so gracefully as i would still consider it a masterpiece today.

This type of world design is my absolute favorite and there’s a reason why it’s been used as a blueprint for every Zelda game until Breath of the Wild. You get a big open map like the original Zelda but it’s structured in a way that makes it so you don’t go to areas you’re prepared for until the game takes you there. I know this sounds like basic-level game design but since the series seems to be moving away from this type of world design, I have a lot more appreciation for it. The entire world IS at your disposal but you can’t really navigate comfortably through it until you’ve earned it through the story. It just makes progression a lot more rewarding without limiting the exploration aspect.

Playing through A Link to the Past after most modern Zeldas would have you forget that this is the game that did almost everything first. Dungeons are now properly themed, with tighter puzzles focusing on a specific item. The added linearity elevates how the game tells its story. The environment is designed meticulously in a way that hides its secrets but does offer hints to the player through context cues. You can always tell what your next step is, you won’t be just wandering aimlessly until you accidentally trigger something. All of these aspects have become synonymous with the identity of the series until Breath of the Wild but A Link to the Past does it first and does so beautifully.

Is A Link to the Past the best 2D Zelda game? Not by a long shot. Most of the Zelda pantheon elevated on what came from this game and executed it better. However, A Link to the Past definitely deserves its flowers for laying such solid groundwork to the series that still hasn’t grown stale to this day. This game is THE blueprint for modern Zelda and there’s a good reason why.

I associate The Adventure of Link with the growing pains of the Zelda series. In some ways it feels like a natural evolution of the original NES game while taking quite a few risks to differentiate it from the previous game.

I really appreciate the dedication they had in wanting to switch up the formula. The 2D perspective makes combat really fun, it’s the first time where taking on different enemies requires different strategies thanks to the inclusion of blocking and ducking. I also like that the world isn’t as barren as the original and is much more populated. The towns and NPCs definitely add some much needed life to this game. I also like that the game actually has some guidance throughout, I never really had to look up a guide while playing it and that’s already an improvement from the original.

Despite all this, this game just doesn’t work for me and it’s not because of its age. I just found the RPG-ness of it to be quite frustrating because it doesn’t go all the way with being an RPG but borrows elements that are ill-fitted for an adventure game. Battles should’ve taken place in the overworld. There’s absolutely no need to have an encounter system for this game. I also really don’t like how the dungeons are more of platforming sections than they are puzzles.

There’s just a lot that didn’t work for me honestly. I don’t think it’s a terrible game, it’s probably the only Zelda game that I just never see myself willingly replaying. This is very much a one and done for me. I’m happy I can just walk away from The Adventure of Link with a firm opinion on it and never have to look back.

I liked it a lot, the game is fun to play, and it's very nice to see where the series started. The game is unplayable without a guide, though; it's shocking to me how unguided the game is. It tells you nothing- about everything. Youre just thrown into the world with no objective, which is an interesting way of designing the game.

The game is HARD! It's ruthless and unforgiving. I'm very thankful l played on the Nintendo Switch, which gave me the ability to rewind whenever made a mistake, got hit, wasted a bomb, etc. I had to rewind constantly as the enemies get unpredictable by the time you reach the fifth dungeon, Lynels, Darknuts, and Wizzrobes were the most challenging enemies for me to beat.

The overworld is filled with secrets, and it baffles me how hidden they all are; youre expected to burn down every tree, bomb every wall, push every statue, and just mess with the world in every way. I can see where the comparison Breath of the Wild has to this game comes from.

It's so interesting to see what carried over to other games and what didn't: most enemies return throughout the series, but I noticed some of the bosses are never referenced in the series.

For a series that I think shines through its character, the only characters in this game are Link, Zelda, Ganon, and Old Men and Women. This is so surprising because I remembered Impa being a part of the game's events, then I realized that she's only in the manual and is the reason Link goes through this journey. I wonder if they planned for Impa to become a significant character in the series.

Overall, it was great and much more fun than I remember; I played this game so many times before and dropped it because I'd get lost, so l'm glad I went with a guide this time.