The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages & Seasons Review - Do They Hold Up?

[@Toxic3610]

Not only do they hold up I believe they are worthy of the same treatment that links awakening got

[@ianphillips103]

They absolutely deserve that treatment.

[@thecunninlynguist]

i would love it as 1 giant game. Imaginr how epic that would be.

[@aaronbrown545]

Be interested if they did a new 2d zelda. I don't think they can top TOTK on current hardware, so why not do a new/remake 2d instead to send off Zelda on Switch.

[@AbaddonEXE]

A Remake with a Din and Nayru Amiibo would be epic, maybe a different art style than LA Remake, maybe something similar to TotK or better looking aiming for a comic style or Plastic-ish like fortnite models (By these I mean how characters design and texture looks like Kratos, Leon, Marcus etc.)

[@ianphillips103]

@aaronbrown545 As a fan of both styles, I've been wanting a new 2D Style Zelda game. My first Zelda was Oracle of Ages, and my favorite game of all time is Ocarina, and I always felt that the 2D games in general exemplify the Zelda experience slightly better since for me Zelda is about the merging of puzzles and combat in both the overworld and dungeons which the 3D games generally only seemed to focus on dungeons, or in the case of BOTW and TOTK the overworld.

[@GameAW1]

I feel it should be noted that the story being so lacking in Seasons was a conscious choice. Ages was meant to feel more like the (at the time) modern 3D Zeldas with a focus on world-building and narrative drive while Seasons was meant to feel like the classic NES style of Zelda with its simpler "Evil guy kidnapped the girl" plot and more action-oriented playstyle. This is also due to the fact that before they were even made to be what they are (or hell before they were even planned to be separate but connected games) they were originally supposed to be remakes of the original Zelda games, so part of that DNA is in Seasons (similar overworld, reused bosses, etc.) while part of the cancelled third Oracle game's DNA (Which was going to be about colors) is in Ages.

[@nathonso_edits]

It also makes more sense that they were originally based on parts of the triforce, seasons being power so being more action oriented makes sense, ages being wisdom at first makes sense that it's more puzzle heavy

[@SamtheBravesFan]

Makes sense to me. I noticed the Zelda 1 elements in Seasons right away back when I played it first and later learned it was supposed to be a remake.

[@maxxking9490]

I agree! I also loved the aesthetic of Oracle of Seasons. It wasn't a mind-treat like Ages, but an enticing visual experience.

[@kingofthegrill]

I got the SP as my first Gameboy and I played the SP version of Ages a ton, so when I later got the large cartridge version of Seasons, it felt like additional gameplay with a loose story that played heavily into Ages. It was cool.

[@metallosaurusrex5118]

I love seeing a community giving love to these games, I don't understand why these are too underrated, you should play it those who haven't had the chance to!

[@andrei4617]

I feel like the main reason they are underrated is because of the hardware it came out on. The gb color was really short lived, if it came out on the gba i bet u they would be the best handheld zeldas next to a link between worlds

[@OrtadragoonX]

Oracles of Ages is my fourth favorite Zelda game of all time. Only ALTTP, BOTW, and TOTK rank higher in my book. I wish I still had my GBC cart.

[@Drforrester31]

As someone else mentioned, I think these flew under the radar because they came out pretty late in the GBC's life. The Game Boy Advance came out basically a month after the Oracles games in both Japan and North America, so there just wasn't enough time for them to be soaked up by the fandom before the call of the hot new console took all the attention

[@voltron77]

Because they were made by Capcom. Another game they made which is absolutely amazing is Minish cap.

[@Love_N_Let_Live]

I've beaten and played basically all the Zeldas, but these. I'm about to play them finally. I can't wait to enjoy them. Stoked.

[@zacherydyer8365]

Ages is actually my first Zelda game. I played ocarina and Majora's mask after. Personally I think Ages, Seasons, Awakening and the Minish cap are top tier Zelda games. Plus Ages and Seasons are the most overlooked because so many people who haven't played them before always assume that they are the same game with a couple of differences (like the Pokemon games) when they are actually individual adventures that have bonus content if you link them together.

[@-siranzalot-]

I've been playing Seasons since yesterday and love the Nostalgia feels. The oracle games were the first zelda games I got without any recommedation from outside. For me they were what cemented me into the Zelda fandom as a kid.

[@DeityLink69]

How do you get a sword? Cus i do not have anything at the beginning.

[@-siranzalot-]

@@DeityLink69 get it at the beach

[@Zeeboklown]

I love playing the old Zelda games on my phone. The minish cap is a good one on the phone too

[@bryantg8749]

Nostalgia feels is that I would go road tripping a lot with my parents. If we stopped at a gas station, I needed more batteries to power up the gameboy because I would be stuck on endless hours trying to figure these games out. (and I already felt like I could solve things pretty good replaying ocarina of time on my n64 because I spent so much time that I finished the dungeons out of order and did the forest temple last)

[@-siranzalot-]

@@bryantg8749 The Forest Temple last? How would that even work? The Bow is necessary for some puzzles in at least the water temple and iirc the spirit and shadow temples

[@psychedoutmike5957]

It warms my heart that the younger generation get to experience these gems like I once did as an 8 year old in 2001-2002

[@thecunninlynguist]

damn i'm 10 years older than you. I'm old

[@sparkypack]

"Han Solo, your video games are getting old. There is no one in galaxy left for you to swindle!"

[@MachFiveFalcon]

If younger generations can enjoy pixel graphics like Undertale, hopefully they'll love these classics.

[@guardiantank6608]

I was born in 2002 but was also poor so all I had until I was 15 was a ps2 and gameboy advanced so I played the hell out of oracle of ages and pokemon emerald

[@MachFiveFalcon]

@@guardiantank6608 Glad to hear you got to experience some great games in spite of your situation!

[@Trazynn]

These are the best Game Boy Colour games ever made. You'll be amazed at what Capcom managed to squeeze into that cartridge.

[@deputyswine]

Agreed! The changing of seasons/time changes everything and add so much too!

[@growingoaks]

“Best gameboy color games ever made” so i suppose you never heard of pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal eh? That’s tragic 😞 😢

[@canontheory]

@@growingoaksthey are both on the same level

[@mncrump]

I'm over here taking a menacing sip of my tea every time Zion goes after Seasons for having a dull story. Regardless, it is always a genuine pleasure to hear the Nintendo Life crew discuss anything at all - but most especially Zelda.

[@voltron77]

Seasons’s story is really good too I don’t understand why he says it’s dull.

[@MySnugglePuppy]

@@voltron77 All it does is go “Hey girl got kidnapped go meet really forgettable characters without any build-up to the ending”

[@issamismail2688]

Just a humble opinion but Seasons does smthg which no other Zelda game has done since: it allows you to experience the same overworld map in 5 vey different ways (the 4 seasons + Subrosia). AMAZING game with a lot of emphasis on the exploration theme, and a gorgeous season-inspired color palette and environmental puzzle aspect. Personally, I highly recommend it. Also, the final boss fight (especially Phase 3) is dope!

[@rockmanx8011]

Subrosia is not the same overworld map at all...

[@Anakunus]

What Rockman X said. Subrosia's overworld map is not the same as the other overworld maps.

[@officialmrjoe3471]

An absolute blast playing these games. My sister had seasons, and I had ages. I'm glad to see it's on NSO. Now I'll have to deal with the Goron dances once again, I was terrible at that lol

[@Manutendo]

Damn yes the goron dance ist sooo insane hard but on switch you can actually "cheat" it with the rewind function so i could finially beat the platinum dancefor the first time for the special ring when the update was there i immediately play ages and now im playing seasons once again man such awesome games

[@thecunninlynguist]

LOL. same. I only beat Ages on emulator cause of that damn game. my real physical copy of Ages is stuck at that section

[@thecunninlynguist]

@@Manutendo you could also do it w/ save states after every round / reloading

[@danielblake1537]

​@@ManutendoI'm sooo used to that rewind function on the nintendo online membership for the older NES, SNES games I could never even get close to beating but now I'm able to with that function! I just hate it when I play the 1st Castlevania Collection it doesnt have this option only some weird save states so it makes playing Castlevania, Simon's Quest & Castlevania III Dracula's Curse hard to play through.

[@dannybz7421]

I liked seasons better when I was younger. I’m playing through them again so maybe my opinion will change but I always prefer combat over puzzle solving

[@GreyWolfLeaderTW]

One of the great amusing things about Oracle of Seasons and Ages is that originally Shigeru Miyamoto wanted to do *three* separate GBC Zelda Oracle games. It was taking the collaborative Nintendo-Capcom team making them however too long to do that, so he settled on it being only two games long. The great irony of that is that many people casual aware of/into video games at the time mistook Zelda Oracle of Seasons and Ages having only two entries as Nintendo cashing in on the overwhelming success of Pokemon, despite Oracle of Seasons and Ages effectively being two related games and not two separate versions of the same game.

[@DanHoger]

Yeah, they literally explained this in the video...

[@CCKaraoke]

Completely worthy of the HD-2D upgrade.

[@seanford5114]

I played Seasons first as a kid and it made Ages feel very boring in comparison. Its crazy to find out all these years later people enjoyed that one more.

[@Historicutuber]

I never played much of seasons I beat ages tho

[@darrentg6]

Same. Seasons has better gameplay and it's not even close.

[@mattjayce2339]

Seasons is the better game by far - and there's a reason for it. Originally Ages wasn't even supposed to exist, it was just Seasons. Ages was only created because of the "dual versions" craze of the early 2000s.

[@contenital]

Seasons is focused on combat and Ages is focused on puzzles! I personally loved Ages more vs Seasons!

[@CalvinBremer1]

Idk, Seasons has no narrative to push you along, which always bothered me. Ages constantly reminds you of the threat of Ambi’s tower being finished, people losing their loved ones because Veran is messing with the past, villages being wiped out… there’s no reason Seasons couldn’t have ATTEMPTED some story. Also Veran is 1000x cooler of a villain than Darknut 3.0.

[@tenkenroo]

These games have some of the most inspired dungeon design and the way you can exchange items between games via passwords is cool

[@xcalicojack]

I never completed Ages back then. I had Seasons and my friend bought Ages, which we then traded once we completed them. Linking the 2nd adventure sounded really exciting, but alas, I never finished it. Maybe I was just burnt out on Zelda since I had just completed Seasons. I guess 20+ years later would be a perfect time to try and complete it lol.

[@Trazynn]

Ages is just much harder. You can easily get stuck on a puzzle or have no idea where to go next. Whereas with Seasons you're more likely to get stuck on a boss that you can keep trying again and again until the memorized everything.

[@superdave3093]

I think both these games are excellent. I’ve beaten both twice. First Seasons then Ages, and then Ages and then Seasons. Just started Seasons on NSO last night and it still holds up great! The combat really does shine like Zion mentioned! And yeah Ages puzzles are great! I think I like both for different reasons, Seasons for Subrosia, combat and side quests, and Ages for puzzles, story, Zoras and characters. 😁 They’re both so stinking good! And look at it this way gang you don’t have to buy them separately, they’re both available together! Great move Nintendo! And happy adventuring Zelda folks!! 😎💪

[@DanHoger]

What order would you recommend playing them?

[@superdave3093]

@@DanHoger If you want a greater emphasis on combat, go with Seasons first. If puzzles is more your jam then go with Ages. 😁 You’ll discover that there’s lots of “secrets” that carry over from game to game and need it to get the True ending so I’d recommend using notes in your phone for the codes or an old school notebook! Hope this helps! Enjoy your 2 game banger of an Adventure. 😁☺️

[@DanHoger]

@@superdave3093 Thanks! Maybe I'll try Ages first for the puzzles.

[@linkjag]

I've always been a big fan of ages and thought seasons was good but nothing special. Overall, I'm glad that new fans will be able to play them now and hopefully we'll get more big Ages fans. I feel like we're often treated like we're crazy compared to the seasons fans

[@Ninten70]

Tbh I love Seasons cause it’s got all the Bosses from the OG NES Zelda game. Seasons was originally supposed to be Remake of Zelda 1 but it was scrapped. Ages on the other hand give me some OoT vibes cause you travel through time except it’s between the past and present.

[@thecunninlynguist]

Of course they do! They're my fave zeldas after LttP. It would benefit from the LA remake treatment, if only for more buttons and QoL improvements. Here's hoping They're next to be remade. Maybe they'll make the forsaken Goron dance easier...my physical copy of ages remains stuck at that part cause I can't do it without save stating or rewinding

[@grimreaper5864]

Is it?

[@CalvinBremer1]

Honestly Veran is such a great design and interesting villain, she deserves a comeback.

[@kingheri1]

Zelda oracle series are my first zelda games and i love it. I still remember how i save some money to buy my first GBC. GBA release was the key because GBC become obselete and cheaper so i can buy it with my saving money. What a memories. But I have to skip this version because i don't have NSO, but i still can play it on my 3ds.

[@Avenger_X91]

Unpopular opinion, but Oracle of Ages is the best Zelda game ever; my personal favorite! I'm super happy they are releasing these again on the Switch, but I'm hoping that in the future, they do a remake sort of like Link's Awakening got.

[@imnotbroken118]

I can't tell you how much I loved, or how many hours I put into the Subrosian dance game. Greatest mini game of all time. Oh and team Ricky! I would be so happy if I ever got a boxing kangaroo to ride around in, in a Zelda game again.

[@jarrettbellboy]

Same. I didn’t progress in the game much but I had hella fun digging up every nugget of subrosia and dancing.

[@agahnim0196]

I think they're the best 2D Zelda. Playing them on the big screen for the first time is awesome.

[@Drforrester31]

Seasons was the first of the two that I played, many years after they were released. I actually found Ages a bit tedious after Seasons, especially without the knowledge one had more emphasis on action and the other on puzzles. I also liked Din more than Nayru, if only because Link struggling to dance with her is very cute

[@invisibleBDK]

They were my favorites as a kid. Very fond memories.

[@Nigel222]

Hope they keep adding all the older Zelda games to Switch in some form so younger people can play them. Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and Link Between Worlds need to be added for sure.

[@WKP1996]

Then there is only Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks left to have all Zelda games (not including CD-I) on the Switch 😄 Five games left.

[@Nigel222]

@@WKP1996 Four Swords Adventures too!

[@peterroy406]

I am excited to play these Missed them as a kid😅

[@25meip]

Oracle of Ages is one of my all time favorite games from the GB. Story and gameplay are top notch

[@LesBergamotes]

I only played OoS but it is a land I've thought about often. As someone who got stuck on a puzzle in Link's Awakening, Seasons was a bit easier and no less of for it. There was a jumping sequence with Moosh though that was so difficult to pull off that I almost rage quit. Still, I'm excited to play them again.

[@spookymoblin8888]

Dinitri is the best animal companion hands down. No other companion is as cool or as helpful as he is with swimming.

[@aurorasteeltv]

Love these games, I believe they’re underrated because of the graphics but overall gameplay and storyline is unmatched to this day

[@25meip]

They make Links Awakening feel like a weird experimental game, but it gets all the love and attention...

[@elisehermann6094]

I had a blast playing these two titles (first time). Working through almost all the retro titles and really hope the next Zelda game is a far offshoot of BOTW/TOTk as I’m pretty sick of the open world and found playing these games after 100% TOTk was so refreshing.

[@ithydoodles]

I bought ages and Lufia the legend returns on purpose on my 2dsxl a few years ago. I enjoyed them. (I also have my original seasons copy i found for $10 at a local pawn shop in late 2001 or early 2002.)

[@zachtwilightwindwaker596]

There's something odd about how the pixels are displayed here. I don't recall seeing lines between the pixels. I didn't play this on the Switch. 6:05 This isn't the Lost Woods, it's Yoll Graveyard.

[@Applemangh]

They're great, but I really hope they get a remake of some kind that adds more item slot buttons for modern controllers and lets you play through both games on a single save file (instead of swapping out cartridges to travel between linked games to deliver passwords, you could just have a way to travel to the world of your first game after you start your second).

[@NintenVania]

Agree so much with this. The swapping out of the menu has been annoying

[@MegaManNeo]

Never played any of those games. Glad that Nintendo brought these to NSO, I went with Ages first.

[@stellar1463]

This is what i always say when they asked me what zelda game would i love to see have a remake. Oracles. Ages was my 1st zelda game and it what hold me up to zelda games till now. As a kid, i often got annoyed with the puzzles but definitely come back the next few hours or next day. When walkthrough wasn't a thing back then, when i finished a puzzle or a dungeon it made me feel smart lol.

[@DrsJacksonn]

I got me a GBA and just started playing this game from one of them counterfeit cardridges. It really gets me wanting to stay up late playing and getting back at it first thing in the morning, like when I was a kid. Takes a special game to put you in that mood as a grown person.

[@KonSquared]

OoS/OoA has been my favorite Zelda game since I played it at launch, and I bought the Link's Awakening remake in hopes of us eventually getting not only a remake of both but them also being able to full realize that third game we had with the linked playthrough.

[@Wooperplus]

While I did play Ocarina of Time as kid on my brother's N64, I never really sat down to play through it as naturally, my brother wanted to play on his N64. Ages would be the first Zelda game I would own about a year after its release and it's always held a special place as one of my favorites. I never got around to play Seasons and actually, I never beat the game as I would routinely get stuck and even the Versus Books guide I would get confused regarding the big trade fetch quest which I missed out until I got to a certain point. I think I left off at Zora's Domain. I'll probably finish it on the 3DS as years ago I did start playing again and got to the point I got when on my GBC copy. Really happy to see this game available on Switch online though.

[@TheZombiesAreComing]

Of course they hold up, They alongside Link's Awakening were classics. I hope this is a sign Nintendo plans to give them the same treatment as Link's Awakening. Though the games are two halves of a whole so will it be released as two separate games or one game with both games in it?

[@BobbyHo2022]

it looks beautiful on handheld mode on switch in all it's glory! I used to play on an unlit gbc back in the day!

[@nahumgardner]

I think my favorite part of these is how decisions you make lock you out of content. Specifically the pets. I can't think of any core Zelda game that does that.

[@Okeana_Aster]

I've loved these games for years. As a kid, I wasn't a great video game player (in games that had EXP, I skipped as many enemies as I could for example), but this series had me look up how to do some side quests and actually complete them, which was a first for me back then. I'm actually wondering. The third game, which I'll call Oracle of Secrets, wasn't completed, but what if its remnants are still in the two games ? First there's obviously Farore, the actual Oracle of Secrets, which you can meet in both games. And then there's Subrosia, which is also in both games, and could have been the land we visit in the third game.

[@Zerolink30]

Biggest reason i want the Oracle games to get that Link's Awakening Remake treatment, i want that original Oracle Trilogy. Bet they still have the story and everything else for the "Courage" game in the vault somewhere.

[@NintenVania]

That would be so good

[@michaelsong5555]

You didn't consider one of the important factors for OoS -- the items. OoS has better items than OoA. The Roc's Cape, the Magic Boomerang, the Magnetic Glove, etc. They are simply much more fun to use than Power Gauntlet, Somaria Cane, and Switch Hook, so much so that Roc's Cape and Magic Boomerang comes back in the later titles. I will concede that the Seed Shooter in OoA is better than the Seed Slingshot in OoS though.

[@Lavate_las_Manos]

Great video I was just stopping by to see what this game was about because it dropped on the switch. But your video really drew me in in just 14 short minutes you’ve convinced me to clear both games thank you.

[@Joe_334]

Always had me chuckle that the threatening snakes had these funny little smirks on their faces, lmao!

[@luciantendogaming]

4:07 Maple: Yeeeaaahhh boooyyy imma fuckkkk you up and take all your items Me Back in the day: 🥺 Me in 2023 been able to rewind the game: 😙🖕

[@sparkypack]

I rewinded yesterday when she got a ring before I got the chance to.

[@prestonestes1388]

Oracle of Seasons was my first LoZ game, and I absolutely loved it. When my mom got me Oracle of Ages and the guide I was beyond thrilled. I have been a huge LoZ fan ever sense. I have probably played and beaten the Oracle games more times than on any other game I own. I would love for them to get a remake/remaster for a newer system. (I just hope they fix the Goron Dance part if they do; that is the only thing I disliked about either game).

[@PauLtus_B]

I'm happy I can play both of these games now. As these games have passwords unlocking special modes, I am curious what a good order to play these games is. Play both of them twice?

[@oraclelink]

Yep, exactly! Once you complete the two games in whichever order you choose, there's actually a special link code the game gives you after beating the special final boss (which it calls a Return link code), which you should then put into the same game to play them in the opposite order. The bonus of this is it allows you to carry your ring collection forward through all four iterations of the games so you can complete it in full, since there are certain rings that are only available when playing each game as the second in the pair. So basically you end up playing it like Ages > Seasons > Seasons > Ages, or the other way around. It's also fun to see how each of the games changes when it's played as the second in the pair.

[@PauLtus_B]

@@oraclelink Thank you for the recommendation! It does seem a bit daunting to play each game twice though.

[@oraclelink]

@@PauLtus_B they're both very replayable games imo, but it would make sense to take a break after playing them each once, then pick them up again a few months later to play them again in the reverse order. I'd just make sure to input that return code to have your new game ready to go

[@rhovenom04]

I like the big text box, super easy to read when characters interact. there are some outdated stuff lile you have to press start to chang equipment and you can only bring one ring.

[@simonsenoner3541]

I'd say dimitri is the best animal, as he allows you to swim in deep waters, moosh on the other side has a more original design and looks funny

[@deathballad]

***PATIENTLY WAITS FOR THE REMAKE VERSIONS ALONG WITH THE ORACLE OF SECRETS***

[@SWITCHNSTEAM]

These games need a remake desperately. They are SO good, always was my favorites. Back in the day when i was a kid, i would play both these games religiously, i was that kid who would ignore reality and just walk around with my head in my gameboy color and i ADORE those memories. I LOVE these games!!!!!!! PLEASE REMAKE IT NINTENDO OMFG

[@fultonyt8989]

Wow. Gasha seeds that grow treasure baring trees in the future is such a cool concept

[@MrTmb64]

Of course they hold up ! Really really good games ! Played them a lot as a kid, and played them again every now and again (last was a year ago) Play these games !!! They're awesome !!

[@kathy5057]

Still have the GB/GBC catridge with both Seasons and Ages. Doubt it works now though. But I have both in my 3ds along with Pokemon Yellow, Gold (wish I'd gotten Silver too lol) and Crystal so I can still play to my hearts' content. I did play Seasons first because changing the environment really interested me. Then I did Ages.

[@Jim55324]

I think people rate these games highly due to childhood nostalgia. The oracle games don’t have the same level of amazing music or witty character dialog that Links Awakening and other Zelda games have. I played them around 3-4 years ago on a modded gameboy color and wasn’t very impressed. They felt lackluster to me. I did however enjoy Minish Cap a lot more when I played it after beating the Oracle games. That’s just my opinion anyway.

[@TheZombiesAreComing]

"amazing music or witty character dialog that Links Awakening and other Zelda games have." Santa Links says hi

[@supernocommentarygameplayhd]

I dunno I first played them just a couple years back and love them both to pieces. Ages and Seasons might not be visually mind blowing for GBC, but, lets face it, most Zelda games either look visually unimpressive for their respective consoles (link to the past, Zelda 1 and 2, wind waker, botw), or straight up awful (Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword). The Oracle duology certainly don't stack up against Shantae or the Wario Land games visually, but they look appealing and vibrant, which is ultimately good enough. As far as music goes, in my opinion, the Oracle games at worst are as good as prior 2D Zeldas. At best, they curb stomp much of the rest of the series OSTs. Nayru's song alone is good enough to justify praise for the Ages ost, not even counting the rest of it being really high quality. Season's soundtrack isn't quite as strong admittedly but still manages some great tracks. Story wise, I'd actually rank these games near the top of the series in terms of writing, characters, settings, and general plot. To be fair, that isn't saying a lot considering that many Zelda games have either lackluster or derivative stories that feel played out and lame, but Oracle of Ages and Seasons still handily surpass all but the very best Zelda stories like Majora's Mask and Link's Awakening. The Oracle games are definitely not flashy, mindblowing, or perfectly designed, but they are still amazing Zelda titles that deserve far more recognition than they've been given.

[@dagossYT]

While I enjoyed both of these games, I felt like I ran into "where the heck am I supposed to go now?" More with these two than any other Zelda game.

[@jarrettbellboy]

For sure. I had to follow a guide more than any other zelda game

[@TheGift137]

Wow this sounds really interesting. No wonder Zack from SwitchForce is always talking fondly about this game. If these games got the remade treatment that Link's Awakening got....it be pretty freakin sweet

[@MySnugglePuppy]

Ages is my personal favorite, because story and puzzle solving has always been my favorite in Zelda games, which is why I love Majora’s Mask so much. I played seasons first, and it was a slog swapping between 4 different seasons over and over again without any motivation. Ages had a story that pushed you forward and the 2 time periods weren’t nearly as bad as Seasons. Ages made me feel like “Oh, I can’t access this in the present, maybe I can in the past!” while Seasons made me rage at the prospect of changing time to spring, realizing I needed summer, changing to that, and then realizing I didn’t even have the thing I needed so I had to try all over again. Both are good, and both have flaws, and I think Seasons has more intrusive flaws than Ages.

[@Naminski1a]

I have The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons for Game Boy Color on New Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.

[@dasallmaechtigeJ]

If you haven’t played either, start with Seasons. It is much more original due to its season mechanic, Ages on the other hand is a pretty generic Zelda.

[@orandor6249]

I loved seasons on my gameboy colour!

[@MousaThe14]

They were my first Legend of Zelda I played and I replayed them a bunch of times games so of course they held up.

[@adamcampbell2787]

Having just finished my playthrough of both games, I'm obligated to share my opinion that Seasons is the better of the two. It's just more fun. Ages spends too much time looping through areas that are sealed off with arbitrary one-way paths and repetitive dungeon puzzles that are unsatisfying to work through (IE: all of Jabu Jabu's Belly) One thing I will add, though: equipping the Red Ring from Seasons and upgrading to the Master Sword makes the later bosses in Ages trivial and a little anticlimactic.

[@kacheek9101]

I'm very much enjoying my time with them currently. Never had a Game Boy, so I was so excited to see them go to the subscription service

[@Torinna_]

These two are some of the most underrated Zelda games in the series along with Minish Cap. They almost never get the recognition they deserve

[@coryfreake9070]

Same thing with Four Swords Adventures and Adventure of Link.

[@james441]

@@coryfreake9070you tried it with adventure of link

[@nelson-haha89]

I'm having a whole lot of fun with Ages right now. Will definitely finish both at some point.

[@darkisatari]

It disappoints me that so many claim these games are the same as LADX, because they improved on the fidelity of graphical detail significantly - the colors are more vibrant and more minute details are observable on the ground and elsewhere. I remember playing one at Toys R Us before buying it and thinking “wow it looks much better than Link’s Awakening!” Play them back to back and see what you think.

[@michaeljahanian9765]

Now that the oracle games are on nso, it's time to port wind waker and twilight princess to the switch. Those are now the only mainline games not available on the switch. (I don't count the DS games)

[@CreighExbridge]

The games are great. These versions not having access to the GBA exclusive content though makes them a pass for me and not being able too 100% would pain me

[@Chris-rf6xj]

Hope to see more of these videos. This is a great one.

[@seanritzenthaler9208]

I'm having fun playing Oracle of Ages, but something the review doesn't mention is for some users, the NSO rom's pallete completely bugs out to the point of being unplayable sometimes.

[@veghesther3204]

They do but Ages is way harder so hard that doing the Goran Dance mini game required in Ages to even enter dungeon 5 is IMPOSSIBLE without Save/Quick Saving in between DANCING rounds and in the original games from 2001 that's impossible only the ports via the E shop allow that.

[@Ben-jitsu23]

Bro thank God for the saves that’s the only way I beat A Link to the Past. older games are much harder

[@DanHoger]

So you recommend playing Ages before Seasons? Someone else recommend playing Seasons before Ages. So now I don't know what to do.

[@FelixS.]

Seasons definitely. It is the easier one.

[@JohnnyD1986]

I find Moosh more charming, but I go for Dimitri, as I found him more useful

[@cburton1588]

I named the baby Ganon too! Hilarious

[@jbuggyps2]

Wow missed talking about the hero cave and the final two bosses which are pretty key to the game

[@lowking7235]

I got seasons for Christmas I think 00 or 99 it was. I was able to rent ages from blockbuster once they started renting gbc games and completed both

[@shadowdeku6926]

These are my favorite 2D entries in the series and are in my top 5 overall.

[@GamersGoingBigGGB]

Probably my favorite top down zeldas 3rd would be a link between worlds for me

[@Tommy-gm7uo]

Played Seasons on a 50-in-1 game device I got from a HK market back in the day. I thought it was amazing! Also had hack version of Super Mario Land with Pikachu in and Vietnamese Crystal too lol Oracle of Ages was broken on this rom for some reason so I never played it.

[@Joe_334]

I feel like the Yiga are what we were to Maple the Witch when we sabotage her flight multiple times, just for that piece of heart.

[@NathanCundiff]

Really enjoying Seasons right now along side Tears of The Kingdom. The story is excellent, and I love the gameplay

[@paulnewhouse5126]

If you like puzzles more (like myself) start with ages. The dungeons in these games will scratch that itch that tears of the kingdom severely lacked.

[@darrentg6]

I give these games the opposite scores, as Seasons has superior gameplay and I always thought it was better because of that.

[@MisterTroglodyte]

Yeah I agree I’d rate ages lower - Seasons was always my favorite of the two.

[@rhouy22-md7rg]

lol play seasons first and it wouldve the better game. time travel is an overued mechanics back then adn chamging seasons is a unique mechanic

[@xanderx9988]

What a funny coincidence I too decided to name the baby Ganon lol

[@ak2112]

Played them when they were new. Found them to be OK. Couldn't finish Ages. Will give it another try now on the Switch.

[@zeed4267]

I just love the huge map and different items, these games are goated, most zelda games are master pieces

[@Ryuujin1078]

I hope Nintendo plans on doing remakes of these games, much like how they did for links awakening and to include the third game, which never got released

[@WCircuit7224]

Fun fact: you can find a random animal companion it the woods and the carpenter sequence is totally different.

[@Alpdriver]

both games should get 10/10. wonderful, I played them after release and at that time they were very progressive! Also, they should be played together to get the full story - they complement each other. Does anyone

[@bonnierabbit1413]

I miss these games but I only played the Game Boy Advance version once of where extra doors and more items are open to you Nintendo should download the update for that it will probably be on the Gameboy Advance side however these are really good classics and yes these all the sequels to a link to the past and the prequesl to Link's Awakening❤

[@Songorita]

I absolutely love these games. I played the original ones. They are my favorite.

[@7milesdavis]

They hold up so well I stopped playing totk to play them. After seeing the exact same imprisoning war cut scene ten times and running around the same map I needed a break.

[@supernocommentarygameplayhd]

Fighting words in this fan base but I'm in the exact same spot as you right now lol. After the annoying story and lame dungeons of totk it is hard not to appreciate how tightly designed and well written the Oracle games are. If the Zelda fanboys do find your comment I wish you luck

[@7milesdavis]

@@supernocommentarygameplayhd Thanks haha I’m aware. I’m an old school Zelda fan definitely. I’ve played all the games multiple times. I enjoyed botw a lot but I had some issues with it. I was definitely hoping totk would fix some of those, it did to some extent but there are a lot more issues now I think. I went in open minded too, I’m not just wanting ocarina of time again. The new format Botw started has potential, I just don’t think it was realized. I see two groups mostly, old school fans like me who have played all the games and understand what a good dungeon is, and new fans who have only played botw and totk. My main disappointment is how similar totk is to botw. I really feel like I’ve played the game already. It does not feel like a sequel to me.

[@amandaslough125]

The only reason I haven't started a new playthrough on the Oracle games yet is because I'm still playing through Minish Cap. I'm trying to keep progressing in TotK, but the entire time I play, I keep wanting to go through the tight design of the old handhelds. Or I want to play other games I know, like for the traditional style either the classic Okami or the recent indie Blue Fire. Or Genshin Impact if I'm desiring a similar open world, albeit one with more fleshed out world, story, and real music playing in each corner.

[@7milesdavis]

@@amandaslough125 I know what you mean. I just finished Minish Cap a few weeks ago, awesome game. Super cool dungeons. I think the “dungeons” in totk would have benefited from a little linearity. I’m having a hard time staying motivated to keep progressing because there is so little direction. And again, like botw I don’t really feel the presence of a looming threat in the world. It’s all distant events unfolding in the past.

[@supernocommentarygameplayhd]

​@@7milesdavis I would have to agree with everything you said. There certainly are improvements in TOTK over BOTW but usually they are only half steps towards fixing smaller nitpicks towards the latter. I like how you can choose a sword, shield, or bow to drop if you find a new one in a chest, but you can't do that if it is just lying on the ground, so manually dropping things is still a regular, not to mention annoying, occurrence. I like how the quick select menu shows many more items at a time, and has a few extra features, but those improvements do nothing to reduce the annoyance of scrolling across your enormous materials list over and over while you struggle to find the one item you need to fuse or drop for a build. Even if these fixes to nitpicky issues from BOTW had no caveats, however, I still think that TOTK does little to address the biggest problems with BOTW. That being that the actual gameplay of the open world Zelda's is just not that great in my opinion. BOTW managed to kind of dodge that issue by having some of the most enjoyable exploration of any game I've ever played. It was one of the few games to really evoke a sense of nature and "place" in the open world genre, from the detailed physics and lighting to the decaying and ancient feel of a long destroyed Hyrule. TOTK, since it reuses the exact same world, engine, and constantly aging graphics of BOTW, needed to expand and improve the gameplay of that engine. Unfortunately, it doesn't succeed in bringing new innovations to the open world Zelda formula, nor does it bring old Zelda elements back in a successful way. It's funny that you bring up "good dungeon" design, because I actually feel a bit differently about this. I wouldn't say that the dungeons of the open world duo are bad exactly, because I don't think they even qualify as zelda dungeons at all. Compared to the Stone Tower Temple, the OOT Fire Temple, or even maybe the Great Deku Tree, the dungeons in the open world games just have no substance or interesting theming. Running around in circles hitting gongs in TOTK has nothing on the amount of spatial awareness and critical thinking required to accomplish anything in the Stone Tower Temple. The shrines also really don't fill the void the dungeons left, as they are extremely short and linear, to the point that loading in and out of the shrine and watching the cutscenes takes about as long as playing the shrine. Any who sorry for this gigantic wall of text lol, I apparently just have some Zelda thoughts to share. I really hope that the Oracle games get remakes, because I fear that they will be no less overshadowed on Switch Online than they already were in the Zelda series as a whole. The Oracle games really don't need the remake treatment, since the originals are timeless classics in my mind, but getting brand new versions with HD resolutions and 3D graphics and maybe some new content could bring these games to a new audience who may finally give these Game Boy Color masterpieces the love they have somehow never quite seen. (Also the Imprisoning War cutscenes are really annoying and it shall forever be a mystery how no one brought that up in QA).