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The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Seasons - The Former DMiller - 12th February 2003
The Legend of Zelda : Oracle of Ages and Seasons Review
By Derek Miller
Just because I am including these two excellent games as one review doesn't mean they are so similar that it would be a waste to get both. Far from it. I highly recommend getting both of these extraordinary games. Not only do they provide two unique challenges but they also innovatively interact with each other. Get both of these games, it will be well worth the price.
Graphics
The graphics look good in these games, but won't blow you away, obviously since they are GBC games. The games look similar to The Legend of Zelda : Link's Awakening for GBC but include still-shot cut-scenes at important moments that give the characters a little more life. The graphics are good but they aren't what your focus will be on when playing these games.
7.5
Sound
Of course you'll find the original Zelda theme but there are also dozens of new themes. Each dungeon has it's own unique theme and they are all pretty catchy. The sound effects are nothing special but we are about to get to the part of the games that will really be your focus.
8.0
Gameplay
If you've played The Legend of Zelda : Link's Awakening then you will realize that the gameplay in the Oracle games is similar. It's not so similar that you'll feel like you are playing a rehashed game, though. There are many new items in both games that will hopefully be found in the Gamecube Zelda game simply because some of them are so cool. The new magnetic gloves replace the hookshot in Oracle of Seasons. Don't worry hookshot fans, the hookshot is still in Oracle of Ages. I considered myself a hookshot fan until I first used those gloves. They are beyond cool. Roc's feather makes a return but Oracle of Seasons also includes Roc's Cape, which lets you float for a bit after jumping. The games also contain two unique features: Oracle of Seasons allows you to change the seasons to complete your quest. Each season changes certain things in the environment. In Spring, flowers bloom which will lift you to higher points. In Summer, some lakes may dry up and climable vines grow on cliffs. In Fall, some pits may be covered by leaves and mushrooms can be picked. In Winter, water freezes over and snow covers the ground. In Oracle of Ages you can travel back and forth through time. Don't think this is a rehash of Link to the Past. In this you start out only being able to warp in certain places but eventually you can warp from anywhere. The games are also much harder then Link's Awakening. Some areas are going to have you stumped for quite a while. The bosses are also different from what you might have seen before. There are a few that are similar to bosses from other Zelda games but there are also many interesting new ones. Now for the really cool part : how the games interact. Once you beat one of the games there are many things you can do. For one, you can start the other game with four hearts instead of three, your sword, and the Hero's Cave is also different. You will also fight a second boss at the end of the second game although I won't say who. You can also take your rings, which are another cool addition in these Zelda games, from game-to-game. A really cool thing is passwords that you will be given by characters in the second game. You then tell these password to someone in the completed game to earn something cool. You can get a ring, the ability to carry more items, or even a completely new item. This really increases the replayability of these games. I'll always have something to play while on the road.
10.0
Replayability
As said above the connection between the games greatly improves the replayability. Instead of searching for those last heart pieces, you can search for passwords which seems much more fulfilling. In my opinion these are the most replayable Zelda games yet.
9.0
Buy/Rent
Buy them...both of them...now! You'll probably spend $50-$60 for the games new which isn't bad for two games, especially Zelda games. You will not regret your purchase for one second.
Total (not an average) : 9.5