Which Legend of Zelda: Oracle Game Should You Play First?

[@Dyundu]

For folks who don’t know, the Oracle games were the first Zelda games done by Hidemaro Fujibayashi, who directed Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

[@carnage0685]

kind of weird because the Oracle games actually have a fairly solid story, right?

[@RyouShi98]

​@@carnage0685he also directed Skyward Sword (and I believe Minish Cap) so not really

[@Gabo2oo]

@@carnage0685 Yeah but BotW/TotK having somewhat of a minimalist story feels like a deliberate choice so I wouldn't count it as an indicator of his (or the staff's) true capabilities.

[@carnage0685]

@@Gabo2oo BotW's story wasn't even that good, but somehow it was better than TotK. It didn't have anything that felt downright amazing but it fleshed out the Champions, had some cool moments with Link defending Zelda from the Yiga Clan as well as the army of Guardians, as well as Zelda confronting the Calamity all on her own. TotK had some good stuff too- Both of the scenes that involved Ganondorf killing Sonia and upgrading himself with her stone were great, as well as the chilling opening cutscene, but then you have dumb shit like the Ancient Sages telling you nearly the exact same story 4 different times (5 if you count Mineru although she told you something different too), the obvious and unbearably long drawn out reveal of the new Zelda being a puppet of Ganondorf, and the ending undoing a lot of the meaning behind Zelda's sacrifice, not to mention getting rid of Mineru for little to no reason. If they fixed the things wrong with it it could have very well been a noticeable step up from BotW, but with all the flaws it had it just stands below it for me.

[@Gabo2oo]

@@carnage0685 I haven't finished TotK so I'll have to read your full comment later, but I WILL say I'm hating how inconsistent the worldbuilding is about which BotW events happened and which didn't, more than anything. (Worst part so far is Hudson and Rhondson greeting Link while the other Tarrey Town neighbors treat him like an outsider). Koei Tecmo couldn't commit to make a real prequel to BotW and now the Zelda team is proving they can't commit to a sequel either.

[@vincentm.7462]

Season’s intro cutscene takes place during the daytime. Ages intro cutscene takes place during sunset. I have since childhood assumed that means seasons first ages second. And Verin is a way better boss fight IMO

[@OmnicidalClown1992]

My overall favorite of the Oracle games is Oracle of Seasons. Ages was a fine game, but I had a lot more memories of Seasons, and like you said, it's easier to play than Ages.

[@sakuparkkonen2959]

Jesus loves you so much he died for you! So turn to him before its too late!

[@tiporosso]

@@sakuparkkonen2959 That's a fictional character.

[@Dyundu]

@@tiporossoActually, historical records do indicate Jesus as a real human who lived during the Roman occupation of the Judaea region of the Middle East. How far you go outside of those records in terms of religious belief is up to you though. The “person” you’re replying to, however, is a bot, and so is actually fictional, so that’s also something to consider in the future.

[@tiporosso]

@@Dyundu The only thing that there is consensus about is that "there might have been some guy called Jesus". Jesus Christ is to Jesus what Santa Claus is to Saint Nick, Jesus without the unproven miracles is essentially a normal person and that bot is using as a way of threatening others "before it's too late".

[@SolomonAlly]

For the Bread pirate he is so much more fun than your face Nauru

[@MrQ12elve]

Love that you give people the choice to pick the short or detailed answer, everyone can appreciate that

[@VJ-Vice]

Imo it depends on what you're good at as a player. Personally, I love the dungeon and puzzle solving aspects of Zelda (Water temple is one of my favorite dungeons), so starting off with Ages was fantastic for me. It also helps that I kinda suck at 2D zelda combat, so carrying over some of the stronger gear into Seasons was nice for me.

[@NayruYT]

Certainly! I've just experienced that even people who like puzzles in Zelda tend to be caught offguard by how staggeringly confusing some of the Ages dungeons can be, so I think Seasons makes a good warmup But yeah if you are a puzzle fiend, no reason you can't start with Ages!

[@VJ-Vice]

Absolutely! I can definitely see why you’d recommend Seasons first for a casual audience that may have never played a 2D Zelda before

[@LinkEX]

Same here, I'd also consider Ages to Seasons the easier path. It's combat/dungeon-focused and therefore that extra heart container will make things easier.

[@TheLomdr]

@@NayruYT The only thing that counts against both games is that they have an early game wall that's not linked to the 'zelda playstyle' for the most, with the 'kindest take of Simon' I've ever seen in a video game (always 3 inputs, so no long chains to bank into your short term memory) in Seasons and the passing mini game in Ages. Though, I'd say that the passing mini game 'between dungeons 2 and 3' in Ages is much more rough than the Simon game in Seasons as it's easier to mess up and you're forced to pay 10 rupees per go (Granted, that's also been mitigated by the rewind system and load state system, but you can also save and continue on original hardware as well, but that has a longer 'get back into the game time'), whereas it's free to do the progression blocking minigame for free in Seasons

[@newbornkilik]

Finally, can't wait to revisit both of these!

[@NayruYT]

What are you playing first?

[@newbornkilik]

Probably going to go with seasons, like you recommended. Interestingly enough when I was a kid I actually started with ages because that's the only one that I had. Now we just need the third game in the collection starring Farore

[@rockk9753]

They're a lot of fun and they're not that complicated, the bosses in ages are really fun too

[@FlackNCoke]

Ages also has a more complex story and world, as well as a way more challenging final boss, so it really does work well as the second game, and this is coming from someone who played Ages way before even getting Seasons.

[@DjDeadpig]

Guess a new generation of fans are gonna start thirsting for Veran.

[@NayruYT]

Absolutely

[@DjDeadpig]

@@NayruYT will she beat Purah though lol

[@TheRedBaron1917]

As an og fan of the oracle games I can confirm Veran is uwu mommy

[@TheRedBaron1917]

​@@DjDeadpigIs it wrong I was still thirsting even when she became a spider?

[@DjDeadpig]

@@TheRedBaron1917 I mean people simp for muffet from UT.

[@NipplesTheEnchilada2323]

Subrosian's and Tokay's need to come back in a future Zelda game. Hell, Moosh and Ricky's species need to come back as well.

[@seanritzenthaler9208]

I'm in the middle of my first linked playthrough of these games and I started with Ages, and I quite enjoyed it. I think if you struggle with the combat in 2D Zeldas like I sometimes do, being able to start Seasons with an extra heart (and another bonus heart you get fairly early on) is a huge help. I'm 6 dungeons in on Seasons, but so far I've enjoyed Ages story better as well, which gave me that strong early investment to continue seeing the games through to their shared ending.

[@conza1989]

How refreshing it is to have a short answer in the first 2 minutes of the video, thank you for that.

[@Maymaysmaymays]

I grew up on Ages, and it’s my personal favorite 2D Zelda game. I guess I’m so used to it now that I never considered how difficult it might be for first time players. I loved the puzzles in that game and the fact that you get such a large map to travel around in and underwater areas to explore. It’s very much a game that punches above its weight!

[@Jordan3DS]

Poor Minish Cap and Link to the Past :3

[@rockk9753]

​@@Jordan3DSI love ages and seasons but yeah link to the past is much better

[@sloth1992]

They have a great story too!!! Just awesome seeing these again.

[@julianmerbach1455]

I'm abit conflicted with this since I really would have loved those games to get a remake

[@danielmorrison8263]

I actually prefer to do Ages first. I agree with most of your points (Ages being a bit harder), but I find fighting Ganon much easier with the cape.

[@BuskingAndChess]

I just want to support the creator by arguing with you in the comments and telling you: nuh-uh

[@NeedsMoDakka]

Fym nuh uh

[@sparklight0964]

@@BuskingAndChessI’m starting with ages first lol idc

[@CaptBurgerson]

Lol on my first play through last year I did Ages first and then Seasons, because I had heard that the story elements that carried forward were more neatly wrapped up in that order. That said, I definitely noticed the disparity in challenge between games that you point out here. The end result wasn't me being turned off form the games necessarily, but what it did cause was for me to greatly prefer Ages over Seasons. Then again, I am already someone who loves challenging puzzles in Zelda dungeons, and in general am a bit of a video game masochist, so maybe that played a part in it lmaooo

[@NayruYT]

No that makes total sense, the stark contrast in gameplay philosophy between the two means it is very easy to have a favourite!

[@GameCatSC1]

Ages makes it feel like the stakes are higher than they were in seasons. Onyx feels like the meat head general you have to get past in order to fight the crafty Veran. It especially adds a whole new level of story when you get to the end of a linked game.

[@lostinzelda]

I played through these on the 3DS and I did it Seasons -> Ages. Glad I did that route since I found I prefer Ages.

[@NayruYT]

It is a great game!

[@DrsJacksonn]

As a dude who was born in the 90s and had to spend quite a few years longing for a gameboy, few things look as beautiful to me as the bit of gameplay footage at 0:39 showcasing all the stuff you can do in this game.

[@Penrose517]

It's amazing how different these two games feel despite being on identical engines and graphic styles. Seasons has a lighter adventuring tone and is definately way easier, but I prefer Ages for the feel of its more darker and foreboding world.. which is nicely reflected in Veran who I think is the better villain compared to Ornox. Also love the main town in Ages, it's way more nostalgic for some reason. And ha it's nice to see Jabu Jabu's Belly mentioned, the amount of running all over the dungeon trying to deduce what the one thing you didn't do correctly, or wondering what the one vital thing or place you missed was is a crazy experience. So satisfying to figure out though.

[@rockowlgamer631]

Ever considered doing a count down of how tough the puzzles are in dungeons for 2D and 3D?

[@NayruYT]

A great idea!

[@rockowlgamer631]

​@@NayruYTCause I always wondered how difficult these puzzles were to an adult compared to what a kid would "assume" is hard. Like the Eagle Tower in Awakening is definitely on the harder side and like you said Lord Jabu as well

[@Mr_JavierUSA]

Thanks for the advice I’m a big Zelda fan I am to relive my childhood game I’ve been playing none stop since yesterday drop.

[@soimarriedsarah]

I had Ages on Gameboy and played it a million times before I played Seasons on my switch and I was shocked at how easy Seasons was, I only had to look up what weapons to kill the final boss and I had to Google how to get through the secret woods, but besides that, beat the game without any clues. It only took me like 4 days to beat it.

[@cool4aturtle]

first time i played these two i bout each for 8 bucks on the 3ds. i played oracles of seasons first and it quickly became one of my favorites if not my absolute favorite Zelda game. after i best that i played ages and liked it a lot too. but you’re definitely right about Ages dungeons. i remember almost on the brink of tears and spending 3 whole hours trying to do it. but it was all worth it, i just finished seasons on the switch today time to relive the pain of ages dungeons 10 years later 😅

[@altairicgaming7108]

I never knew the differences in difficulty or focus of the 2 games, I think I played them both at the same time progressing slowly through each, boy I sure wish I had this video before my first play throughs but I’ll definitely play them in your suggested order this go round.

[@NayruYT]

Playing them at the same time can be fun, but then you miss out on all the awesome linked game content, unless you replay them both at the same time again!

[@altairicgaming7108]

@@NayruYT yes, sadly I never got to experience the true ending by linking the games. I did play them on 3DS and am not sure if it worked that way. However, I did recently got both games physically, so I’m planning on replaying them on my gameboy SP

[@Trazynn]

That would be great advice how _not_ to play these games. Don't play them at the same time. One by one in whichever order, but never simultaneously. Would be cool though if the game was that advanced where the player could update either game with a code from the other game at certain checkpoints.

[@id-f8679]

​@@altairicgaming7108 I think you should be able to link them on 3ds since the game just uses passwords instead of a link cable.

[@KokiriTheory]

This is the video I needed 🙌 so hype to play these for the first time

[@NayruYT]

I really hope you enjoy them!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks for linking a document about the rings!

[@NayruYT]

I gotchu

[@MartKart8]

I had to use a guide for Jabu-Jabu's because I got lost, that was the first time in the game, just to make it though, and I've been playing Zelda games for decades. I liked the Mario type reference they had in the game, like Donkey Kong.

[@NayruYT]

Yeah Jabu-Jabu is kind of insane

[@nelsonreyesn]

I love this kind of videos, so much love :), congrats

[@jonbradley4044]

Jabu jabu in Ages is legit the only dungeon in Zelda history that forced me to use a walk-through. Absolutely brutal.

[@rockk9753]

It's easy, ages and seasons are easy, it's hard if you overthink it which is easy to do, I got stuck in symmetry city because I'm playing it right now and I was like how the hell did I do it as a kid, then after 2 days I did it and I facepalmed by how easy it actually was then I applied that principle to the whole game and it was easy after that lol

[@rockk9753]

What's hard is deciphering the item quest, I had to use a walkthrough for that as a kid I never completed it in ages either, but the dungeons I didn't need a walkthrough, the main quest, or the heart containers

[@jonbradley4044]

@@rockk9753 well I'm so glad it was easy for you, i played this game when i was like 9. Lol

[@rockk9753]

@jonbradley4044 I was 10 when I first played it lol

[@jonbradley4044]

@@rockk9753 congratulations on your gaming excellence. A statue is being built in your honour. Details will be provided in the coming days. Stand by.

[@mysryuza]

How funny I just started playing Seasons near around the time you posted I had to use a guide just to be able to play the game as fast as possible, but appreciate the work that was done (thank goodness for save states 😭)

[@FernieAriel]

These games aged like fine wine and still play awesome. I agree, start with Seasons and do Ages second, even if you’re a seasoned player who’s already completed these games back in the day and it’s been a while.

[@LucMarGui]

Thank you very much for this explanation and video.

[@ccburdett]

I generally play Ages first. By doing so, you get a conclusion to Ambi's and the Pirate Capt's story. However, no extra side story by playing Seasons first.

[@luloy4428]

Finally found someone who knows this. Storywise Ages to Seasons make more sense.

[@insertobligatoryreferenceh489]

I think the side story of playing Seasons then Ages is supposed to be where the Subrosian dance comes from. Though personally I’d agree that resolving the couple’s love story is more interesting. (Funnily enough I was actually able to piece together who Queen Ambi’s lover was when playing Seasons first.)

[@tplink]

By playing Ages first, Onox mentions how you defeated Veran. But Veran doesn’t acknowledge Onox’s defeat.

[@rockk9753]

Yeah but the game flows more smoothly if you play seasons first

[@Rinkara]

been wanting to play these for a while now! i did end up going with Ages first though. it's going good so far

[@nanamitoamata2406]

I got Ages as a christmas present when i was 6 or 7 years old. It took me Years to get to Jabu Jabu and was completely lost and we didn't have stable internet at the time so i couldn't look up a guide or similar. And then i lost the card and never finished it. so now i am just happy to be able to play it again and finally beat both games.

[@NayruYT]

I wish you best of luck conquering Jabu Jabu this go around!

[@WCircuit7224]

​@@NayruYTthat dungeon was ridiculously difficult.

[@yqafree]

I never really analyzed it by dungeon difficulty, good advice, next time I replay both back to back I'll go this order

[@harukaze7388]

Ages first and then Seasons entirely because it makes one particular scene in Seasons extremely good. Also Ages is a smaller game that the plot much more heavily guides you through, so I felt it's the better introduction and first impression.

[@carloscenteno1783]

Thanks man! Been a Zelda fan for my whole life, but for the first time I decided to play all of the games in order of release this 2024. So, finishing Majora's MAsk, I'll be hoping on into Oracle of Seasons first, as recommended.

[@jankjason]

I think it makes sense to do Ages first and have the final battle in Seasons, Seasons can feel much shorter than ages so no reason not to extend it this way.

[@maverickhuntermeta4954]

My thoughts exactly.

[@QuestWithAaron]

Dude I absolutely adore the oracle games, too! I think they're truly underrated. I would love to enjoy some content from you on them sometime ^^

[@kenthuang436]

I like to alternate between the two games whenever I play them. The only consistent thing I will do in the games is name the baby It for humorous dialogue from Blossom. My favorite lines are “I hope It grows up to be big and strong!” and “It looks sick….”

[@NayruYT]

A fun idea as well!

[@ulawan5]

I typically don't like combat, so I bought Ages on the 3DS a while ago, but then realized that puzzles weren't really for me either. Unfortunately 2D zelda isn't suuuuper my jam, but I'm too stubborn and invested in the lore to NOT at least make attempts every once in a while. Definitely noted to mess around with Seasons on the switch first! I'd always wanted to see if I could get a reproduction GBC cartridge and see if it worked cross-platform for passwords though 🤔

[@NayruYT]

I can feel that, 2D and 3D Zelda are fairly different beasts

[@HandheldGamer1991]

In my mind i always think that the difficulty in dungeons should be more like ages since its a temple/dungeon etc. That was sealed for a reason so why would it be just empty rooms with no riddles trying to keep the person who got inside from getting the treasure? And the more i think about it the more sense it would make that its this messy labyrinth Of rooms/enemies trying to keep me from succeeding in my quest. Unlike games like totk that have temples holding huge powerfull stones that any and i mean any noob that knows how to climb could just reach! Just look at the fire temple for example in totk it might be the worst 3d zelda dungeon i have ever seen and the water temple might be even worse.

[@ThePastAnalysis]

I'm stoked they're finally on the Switch! I cannot wait to play these again. I generally agree with your game order when talking about dungeon difficulty. However, I think it's a different difficulty curve for bosses and minibosses. In my opinion, Seasons has a much steeper curve in this regard. Unfortunately though, this rising difficulty in bosses doesn't continue if a player ends with Seasons. They'll go from harder and harder bosses only to fight a Twinrova and Ganon that are too easy. The Seasons gear is all based around combat and it makes a huge difference against those combined game bosses. So, if I want a harder dungeon experience and a harder Twinrova and Ganon fight, I'll end on Ages. If I want a rising difficulty in bosses and minibosses (minus Twinrova and Ganon), I'll end on Seasons. Personally, I have a huge bias towards Seasons! It's my favorite 2D Zelda and 4th favorite Zelda game overall. I just love the combat focus so much! It also has a world that's easy to navigate, vibrant visuals, a cool central game mechanic, and the amazing subworld of Subrosia. I don't like Ages as much, but each time I play it, I like it a bit more. It's a very solid 2D experience. I just don't dig the puzzle focus as much.

[@Mort_Goldsheckle]

I only owned Ages. My buddy owned both but I never got around to playing seasons despite this. But the reason I still have such an appreciation for ages is because my buddy was a legend at these games and he beat a large portion of the game for me. So I got to explore a lot of things I normally wouldn't have.

[@mattb6522]

Great video! I think I started with Ages my first playthrough as a kid and then went to Seasons (only due to Seasons not being readily available). I wish I had this information at the time. Yeah, I never was strong with puzzle-solving, so Ages was quite tough to get through my first time. Many of the dungeons are very tricky (much harder to solve than anything in Seasons or Link's Awakening). Seasons was actually a breath of fresh air afterwards. Years later I replayed Seasons to Ages and the progression felt more natural (though, Ages still was challenging) This is fantastic advice for all Zelda fans! I just hope the release of these games on NSO doesn't eliminate the possibility of remakes of the Oracle games (similar to Link's Awakening).

[@DJmisterpeluca]

I beat Link's Awakening remake about a month ago, then beat the DX version, and almost immediately after they announced both games for the emulator, I was so happy because one year before I beat Minish cap and I'm also a big fan of A link to the past; so that meant that I could play more 2D zelda games. I will start with Seasons and then beat Ages last, I'm so excited to play them. THanks for the video.

[@Miguel92398]

Just finished Oracle of Ages and yeah. I can see the difficulty of these puzzles. Jabu-Jabu is killing me. It took me 2 days to complete it (with breaks since I was on a trip). Let's hope that Seasons won't ruin my playthrough. I'm enjoying it, while I had a rough time with the 2nd dungeon.

[@joelmavity1467]

Seasons was the first one I was able to get so every time start over with a brand new play play through I continue that tradition despite Ages being my favorite of the two. This play through I’m working on I will FINALLY get all the rings for the first time.

[@Epsilonsama]

I actually had Oracle of Seasons as a kid along with LADX but never had Ages so I'm more experienced with Seasons than Ages and yeah Ages is really brutal compared to Seasons but it does have a better story I feel. Seasons is very barebones in the plot department with its world feeling more very rural while Ages felt more Urban with a Kingdoms and everything.

[@chrisjohnson9542]

I had LADX and Seasons too! I did eventually play Ages as I borrowed it from my cousin. I really liked the rings in this game. There were lots of secrets and postgame stuff.

[@Icarus-pv8wx]

Just started my play through for the first time and I started with Ages. I’m enjoying it so far!

[@pinkdiscomosh2766]

As a long time Zelda fan even from the NES days, my parents didn’t quite see the point of getting me a game boy system when I already had the main consoles. It wasn’t until GBA that they finally caved and got me a one. At that point, I virtually missed out on a lot of great Zelda games on game boy that were not easy to get in my area. I’ve been putting off playing ages and seasons but am looking forward to diving in this time around. Thanks for the tip. Cheers!

[@rambow70]

This makes sense! One of these games (I guess it was seasons) I was able to progress through while the other (ages) I couldn’t figure out for the life of me when I was a kid

[@weatherman1504]

Honestly, whatever one you want to play through three times for a 500% run of the Oracle games. If you want the full experience, you're gonna end up playing Normal OoA/OoS > Linked OoS/OoA > Hero OoS/OoA > Linked OoA/OoS, plus potentially a final Hero run of whatever you picked first.

[@fernando98322]

I agree with this order for newcomers, this is my experience: I first tried Ages in emulator a decade or so ago. It was HARD, and that is not an understatement. But not cheap hard like NES games, hard because of puzzles, overworld progression, unique items to the game, etc. I actually couldn't complete a certain Dungeon and stopped playing! After some years, I finally tried Seasons and then Ages when they were released for the 3DS and I actually beat them! Very satisfying but the difficulty was still no joke

[@taboussh]

Great video! I got Ages when it came out and got stuck on the puzzles in dungeon 2. So I got Seasons, finished it, and went back to Ages. That time I made it through. On my replay I want to start with Ages

[@daanbrekelmans3177]

I played these games when i was 14 in 2004. One of the best childhood memories i have.

[@WKP1996]

On a journey this summer to beat every Zelda on the Switch. Nearing the end of SS. I've only skipped Zelda 2. Also played WW on Gamecube and TP on Wii. These games in at a perfect time. After them I only have BoTW and ToTK left (will do all dungeons on a existing file where I have the Master Sword already in BoTW and do DLC Part 2 before fighting Calamety Ganon).

[@NayruYT]

Hey, wishing you an easy journey through the rest of your playthrough!

[@LuigiXHero]

Missing out on Zelda 2

[@WKP1996]

@@LuigiXHero Tried it, but got lost after the first dungeon. Didn't like the fighting style.

[@johnsesia9050]

When i binged on the series for most of 2018, I played Seasons linked into Ages first, then Ages linked into Seasons. Given that they were developed by Capcom, it's really not all that surprising that they work on the same principle as Resident Evil 2, down to things that happen when you play them one way that don't the other way. It's for this reason that I've previously pitched hacks of the games that replace Link as the protagonist in Seasons with Leon S. Kennedy and in Ages with Claire Redfield.

[@JoshSweetvale]

I did this: Ages, then Seasons.

[@iamsheel]

The thing I did as I played them both at the same time. At first I played them both and just wandered around but then I choose a game and explore the intended area and go to finish the dungeon then switch to the other game and do the same. I keep going back and forth until I finished them relatively at the same time and it was a wonderful experience. I haven't played them connected yet but I would do the same.

[@Rambling-Thomas]

I played Ages first as a child, and it is my favorite, but on new playthroughs, I do start with Seasons for the reasons you've said. I also think there is one square of the map on Ages you can't get to if you play it first, and it is only available if you play Seasons first. It is one of the Sea area squares. That is the other reason I play Seasons first, because while it wasn't an important area on the map, having one square left unexplored really bothered me as a child.

[@EscheroOfficial]

I finally had a reason to sit down and play these games with them being on Nintendo Switch Online, after putting them off for so long. As someone who loves 100%’ing games (and has a personal goal of 100%’ing every Zelda game), these games *terrified* me. I didn’t know much about them, but I knew that they had this strange “password” system that worried me-I wasn’t sure how accessible this system would be, if certain features would be outright inaccessible due to an inability to use a Link Cable, if certain Secrets would straight up be unavailable after a certain point in the story if I messed up or missed them, etc. Suffice to say, I took the plunge anyway and I am *so* glad I did. These games have quickly become my two favorite 2D Zeldas and are literally up there with Majora’s Mask and Tears of the Kingdom as my favorite Zeldas period. They’re just *oozing* with personality and care and I found the Secrets mechanic incredibly addicting and made the replay value better than almost any other singleplayer game I’ve played. I started with Ages, as I often see these games paired as “Ages & Seasons” (rather than “Seasons & Ages”), and assumed that was the order that was generally suggested. Clearly that was wrong 😅 but I honestly loved it either way, and it doesn’t quite matter because I’m doing the full four playthroughs (2 normal (Ages -> Seasons), 2 Hero mode (Seasons -> Ages)). I’m someone who is addicted to the harder puzzles in Zelda games (water temples are usually my favorites in any given Zelda game) and Ages has some of the best puzzles I’ve ever seen. I was legitimately stumped at multiple points, which almost never happens nowadays. And, moving into Seasons, the sudden drop in difficulty was welcome but not out-of-nowhere, as it was nice to chill and focus more on the world and the story, especially since I was now in a Linked Game and focusing on collecting rings and whatnot. Honestly the hardest part so far has been A: grinding for some of those random ring drops from Gasha Trees (the Green Ring in particular took me forever, just jumping between both games and grinding out enemies at the Tier 3-5 spots) but it was all worth it when I could take these overpowered rings into my Hero Mode playthroughs and just tear through everything. It really felt like my efforts had been validated by how much easier Seasons’ endgame was (Onox and Twinrova kicked my ass even in Normal mode) and being able to jump right into Ages with so much at my disposal was amazing (I loved using the Expert’s Ring on Crescent Island to completely cheese the sword puzzle, and meeting Rosa to give me my shovel early was a super cool touch!). Unfortunately, I realized towards the end of my first Seasons playthrough that I would not be able to get the GBA Rings as the NSO ROMs are the GBC versions, but it’s alright, as I’m still getting everything I feasibly *can* get. The only thing standing in my way at this point is that damn 10,000 Rupee Ring. Seasons gave me hella Rupees the first playthrough so I’ve kept the Gold Luck Ring on basically all the time, do you know if Rupee totals are carried over between games? Anyway, I just wanted to share my experiences with 100%ing these games blind, it’s been honestly really fun with the ways they interact with one another and just how solid both games are on their own. Also, I’ve fallen in love with the Tarm Ruins. The music is one of the best Zelda tracks period for me now, and the area itself is so interesting and uses Seasons’ mechanics to their absolute fullest. Love it!

[@HandheldGamer1991]

As a kid playing ages as my first zelda game made each dungeon feel like a adventure that i will never forget! Going from pokemon,goof troop puzzles to this was an experience i will never forget. I also got only like 2/3 games a year so i did play them to death and it made me appreciate them Unlike kids nowadays who play games for 5 mins and then give up and donwload the next crap mobile game.

[@thetophatguyandroid5959]

I started with ages and had a great time, I used a guide like 5 times for two dungeon puzzles and some bosses cause these games don't really know how to communicate with the player. Now I am playing seasons and my god I have searched half the internet for everything, it sucks. Ages was pretty straight forward and linear if you were doing something wrong maybe you just had to travel back in time or something. Seasons on the other hand has you going around in circles for HOURS trying to find secrets and stuff in all four different seasons. After the 3rd dungeon it's hard to even understand where the other dungeons are on the map. All the time you would spend on dungeons having fun in ages you spend in seasons trying to figure out what you have to do next, where the next dungeon is, what you did wrong... Even the trading sequence in seasons is useless, in ages you have a reason why you are doing the trading sequence and it feels rewarding to get the trading sequence prize but in seasons nope you can just learn the code and everything is ok... I haven't finished seasons yet, it's a very alive game, more happy and whimsical than ages, but my god the "exploration" is boring and most times painful you will probably spend a lot of time watching walkthroughs that don't really help anyways since every linked game has different codes and stuff....

[@StuartSimon]

I played Ages-Seasons and then Seasons-Ages. Strangely enough, I had little trouble with Jabu-Jabu’s Belly; I was able to see how floating sections worked and eventually realized I needed to fall down a specific hole to progress.

[@manuelvillalobosacuna6302]

I always liked the Ages first and then Seasons.

[@LiterallyWhoLmao]

Good Video, I like the Seasons and Ages path too with the continued fight unlock.

[@joelvz8639]

Appreciate this video trying to look into which one to start with as i recently finished Link's Awakening DX for the gameboy on switch. Already finished Minish cap as well so excited to play more

[@IrishBrotato]

Got ages back in 2003 and i grew up playing it, ive played ir so much i have the entire game memorized every item ever cave every chest every dugeon every puzzle etc. Ages is tied with majoras mask as my 2nd fav game of all time, ages is a masterpiece Edit: ages version of jabu Jabus belly and mermaids cave are 2 of the greatest dungeons in all of Zelda masterfully designed

[@DeltaNova47]

A weird thing while its worse in a gameplay sense, a lot of the small storylines make more sense in the reverse order like Queen Ambi renuinting Cap'n, a zora in holodrum that traveled to labrynna, a goron finding the history people and Onox metions Veran but Veran never metions Onox in the linked games. And I know Seasons starts first in the manga but the mangas aren't canon even by Aonuma's own admission. Edit: I originally meant Seasons to Ages was better in a gameplay sense and the opposite in reverse and story being slightly better as well to point out the diffrences on what order you play in my unedited comment and edited it to reflect that sorry for any confusion I might have caused. Edit 2: I agree with playing Seasons first then Ages for the same reasons just wanted to point out this for those who want to know the both games are connected Edit 3: apparently I accidentally mixed up it was where and when zelda and impa was when you first meet them in those games and conflating it with how link arrives in both countries and deleted that statement to reflect that, it's been a while since a I properly played the orcale games since I lost the cartridges and had to go from memory and walk-throughs statements from people who played the oracle games

[@NayruYT]

Yeah you are absolutely correct that the story flows better between the two, and I probably should have mentioned that. But to me the brutal difficulty differential offsets what is ultimately some pretty minor story threads.

[@DeltaNova47]

@@NayruYT I agree with you just wanted point it out just case especially since I recommend for alot of people after you play Seasons -> Ages first for the gameplay and getting taste how fun these two games can be then after that for those who want to dive deep in the story and lore like with all other Zelda games I reccomend playing with Ages -> Seasons at least once on a subsequent playthrough to get a general gist of what's going and how they are connected but that's my personal opinion

[@id-f8679]

Wait what? I am pretty sure that in both games he teleports to the respective country. He uses a boat in the end of a linked game.

[@DeltaNova47]

@@id-f8679 My bad apparently it was where and when zelda and impa was when you first meet them in those games I got mixed up with when trying to gather info ( like translations and Japanese interviews) for these games and it has been a while since a I properly played the orcale games I lost the cartridges and had to go from memory and walk-throughs statements from people who played the oracle games

[@id-f8679]

@@DeltaNova47 You can use an emulator to play them

[@PhineasKSliderVT]

"Oracle of Ages" is my second favorite game in the entire series (only recently being dethroned by "Twilight Princess" (Not that I didn't play it a while back, I just never realized it's true magnificence.), and Nayru herself is the primary reason I developed an interest in the series in the first place. Despite those things, however, I gotta agree. The uninitiated should probably start with Seasons. I remember quite a few confusing moments from Ages that newer players may struggle with (specifically a certain wall in a certain late-game dungeon, and I suddenly recall how long it took me to figure out how to get to the final dungeon.). I don't have many memories of that type when it comes to Seasons.

[@shadowkyber2510]

I struggled a bit with seasons because where Iive the seasons are all pretty similar, so in the game I'd forget what season does what

[@arrongeorgie]

Bless U ♥️

[@Crybaby-Media]

I only had ages as a kid. Because I found it at a garage sale . I remember it being difficult , but I didn’t know it was considered so difficult . but that’s why I loved it so much. And beating Veran felt like such an accomplishment. Edit: these are my favourite 2d Zelda games too . I LOVE games with cool mounts . So Moosh alone makes these games awesome

[@Elshiem]

Thanks for the info. I played this game in emulator when I was young but never finished any. If you play the games in real cartridged how you link your gameplay beetwen games? Do you need 2 gameboys and the link cable?

[@NayruYT]

You can use a link cable to make getting exclusive items easier, but when you beat one game you are given a password to enter into the next one

[@Elshiem]

@@NayruYT Thanks! With this info i'm gonna play the games again after 15 years. I hope to complete them this time haha

[@id-f8679]

​@@NayruYTIsnt the link cable only used for ring transfer?

[@Ulfos100]

When I was a kid, I actually beat Ages first and then Seasons but with the help of a walktrough on the hardest dungeons. I personally loved that in a linked Seasons gets the plot involving a certain queen resolved. But for this time around, I will be doing Seasons and then Ages as to do the other story I never played.

[@RookMeAmadeus]

One specific ring you can get in a linked or unlinked playthrough of Seasons needs to be mentioned. The Red Ring. It doubles your sword's damage, and you can get it right after finishing Level 6 of Seasons. It gives you an option for making the rest of Seasons easier, and would turn the combat for most of a linked playthrough of Ages into a joke.

[@larryaustin5225]

Hey Nayru, great vid. I played Oracle of seasons first and I liked it a lot. It was my second Zelda game, the first being Link's awakening. I won't play ages because I saw it in a LP and the dungeons are definitely harder. One more question: What is the soundtrack called at 3:51?

[@turbo-trex6163]

I always played Ages first, but that's largely because I didn't buy Seasons until a few months after I got Ages.

[@watercrystals9744]

imo ages makes more sense to start with because of the color ring you get ages gives you the blue ring and it's easy to find it, and taking halved damage is always useful in seasons if you play seasons first, you may very well miss the red ring entirely because the golden creature sidequest is very cryptic without a using a guide, and the red ring is considerably less useful in ages because most of the boss fights don't even involve using the sword similarly, l3 sword is more useful for seasons than it is in ages animal buddies are another good point, as dimitri is the best one for getting access to various collectables, and someone blind playing both games will likely have an easier time finding the flute for dimitri in ages compared to getting it in seasons, as people are far more likely to visit the shop than they are to randomly return to play subrosia dancing ages version of the hero's cave is also a lot harder imo

[@NewDawnFadesX]

I have these on my 3DS. I started with Ages first. I’ve yet to complete it. I forgot what to do. It’s been a long time. I need to finish it and get the code at the end and continue on to Seasons.

[@unown-alt]

I'm actually glad I wasn't the only one who got obliterated and stumped by jabu jabus belly in ages lol. That got difficult really fast. Anyway, I played both games last year and they're phenomenal games. This is also the order I went through. Good video!

[@themrgameboy12]

I first played the Oracle games on my 3DS back in the beginning of last year, I did Seasons first since that's what it was recommended online to start with, and one of these days I'll start a new playthrough with Ages first and Seasons last, also I got a Hero's Secret password I need to use in Ages, which would be pretty cool to see everything on the big screen

[@Kiwi_As]

I have the original Zelda Seasons and Zelda Ages carts and am constantly asked how much i want for them.I love them because i love them.

[@magetsalive5162]

Ages has a specific mechanic that can ruin the whole experience for you (coughcoughswimmingcough,) so I absolutely agree. Seasons, linked Ages, Hero Password Ages, then linked Seasons. Gets you both versions of Hero's Cave, and the rewards from both and delays that mechanic a bit. Plus, playing Linked Ages and Baseline Ages back-to-back minimizes the chance you forget any of the puzzles, so you can blow right on through the replay of the game with it all fresh in your mind.

[@sollmoll]

So when I was a child like 7 years old or so. Oracle of Ages was my first Zelda game. I barely made it past the second dungeon when I was like 9 then got stuck not knowing where to go after it. I was like 16 when I finally beat the game. Nowadays I can play the game pretty much forwards and backwards mostly due to playing it so much randomized. But I never really got into seasons so im playing it through for the first time now on the switch, and I have to say I don`'t think I could agree more. I kinda wish now I would have had seasons back in the day.

[@chris_puckett]

Taking your advice and starting with seasons first. I am about to play through these games for the first time! I never played them as a child. I was too sucked in with pokemon. My first Zelda game was Minish Cap. I am uploading these playthroughs on my channel 😁🗡️🛡️

[@Silver-qv2ow]

I didn't realize it when I first played these games as a sick teen in bed, but Ages and Seasons really do offer very different experiences even though they use most of the same mechanics. Ignoring the difficulty and varying focus on puzzles, the stories are presented drastically different. Seasons feels a lot more lighthearted and free. While the NPCs offer some concern about the danger of the chaotic weather, there is less personal struggle and character development. Aside from the traveling minstrel Sokra offering some advice, there is little story in Seasons. You're mostly left to travel the beautiful land of Holodrum in its natural beauty of the four seasons. This is displayed phenomenally in Tarm Ruins, but you can also feel a little bored throughout when there's very little interaction with anybody. The saving grace for this game is Subrosia. Combined with the large overworld that is almost fully explorable in all 4 seasons, Subrosia adds a lot of extra content with neat twists and humorous characters. Ages on the other hand focuses on the smaller country of Labrynna that is completely explorable in the present and the past when it was a kingdom. Unlike in Seasons where Din is pretty much just a damsel in distress and she and the villain Onox don't even show up until the end of the game, in Ages Din's counterpart Nayru and the villainous Veran are front and center throughout the story and are supported by Queen Ambi and Ralph. They are much more engaging and dynamic characters that are all important to the plot. Combined with the mourning and progressive depression displayed by the townspeople as they're forced to work on an ever-growing tower, Ages will catch your interest more. But that's not to say Seasons is a lesser game. Ages can also feel small, but it packs a lot in a little area. They balance each other out well. But here's the problem: while I agree with most that Seasons is the better game to play first, I also feel that packing the extra plot and game mechanics of a linked (2nd) game into Ages can feel a little messy and unnecessary. Seasons, being much less story-focused, can actually use the added content that gets included if you play it second. So for the best story, I would actually suggest Ages first and then Seasons. But there are little plot points that only exist if you play in a certain order that are worth discovering by trying both. So play Seasons first, then Ages. But when you want to replay, absolutely gives Ages first a try. The story will feel better.

[@amateurzeldaeologist]

I literally just started OoA (because it was presented first in the online catalog) and the opening scene made me feel like I missed something lol. Which led me to search the proper play order for both titles. I'm happy I did and found this explanation. This was an excellent breakdown of gameplay without spoilers. This will be my first playthrough of these two games. While I've played through all LoZ console games, my experience with the handheld titles is limited to MC and PH as ports and the LA remake (though I've started a campaign for the LA Switch port). However, the original LoZ is my series mainstay, so I'm really excited to play these top-down 2D titles! And it sounds like I won't be disappointed!

[@0FIT0]

I played Oracle of Ages first my first time and I loved it. I prefer it over Oracle of Seasons. These games are really underrated.

[@johnsantos507]

I played Oracle of Ages first time too years ago in Gameboy Color. Ah the good old days.

[@starbutter2730]

I still gotta get to these after I finish Paper Mario haha. This was a great vid and Im glad I stumbled across your channel❤❤

[@willyliang8101]

Just when I thought the depths in tears of the kingdom is new concept, then I see subrosian world :). It is amazing that they kept improving stuff after all these years.

[@cody2819]

I remember hating going through Seasons for the first time, but when I went to Ages I just simply couldn't put it down. So I'll give Seasons another chance someday. Though using the codes. They're really useful.

[@Archdornan9001]

Never could beat ages as a kid. Will definitely be revisiting it. Seasons was fun though

[@abstraction6212]

I started with seasons emulated on my phone and I honestly had a very difficult time with the action and I never finished it. I'd have a tumor playing ages next.... so nah.

[@B-M-W1989]

Ages was my first Zelda game ever- the one that hooked me!

[@pedrohenriquemonteirodacos3224]

I played Season first and then Ages. Ages has so many obnoxius minigames and puzzles like Gorons Dance Hall and the Librarian invisible floor that you needs to do twice, is not the dungeons and it puzzles (that i found the colored dice and the colored statues pretty neat puzzles) but thouse 2 minigames/puzzles that demotivated me alot so much that i resorted to Save States. Seasons is also my favorite of both due it seasons gimmick, the Roc Cape, the Magnet Glove, Subrosia and the Subrosians as well the better Rosa(Not that i hates Waifu Tree). Not that Ages don't haves it value despite all thouse issuses, like for example explorable underwater sections and the time travel mechanic realy expands the amount of places to explores a felling that i could not have whit the season changing gimmick nor Subrosia offers that much exploration expansion.

[@evellium8037]

I've played but never finished both. Excited to jump back in. I think I'll go for Seasons first.

[@Hailstorm273]

The first time I did this I went Ages to Seasons. Then I went Seasons to Ages with the Hero's Game. I have all of the rings now from the Hero's Game, so now I don't really think it matters which one I do first. But I would probably use the Ring Secret in another Hero's Game to do Ages first the next time. I'll likely go back and forth.

[@colebuschle]

I remember getting these when I was like 7 or 8 years old and thinking ages was the best game ever made at the time. Got to play it on a 5 hour flight.

[@elr3652]

I really hope this means that they will be making remakes for these two!

[@xervantezxvi5022]

Yea they should remake this if they can remake Zelda Link’s awakening they remake this too

[@PhineasKSliderVT]

Ultimately, that'd be up to Capcom. Likely the same reason you don't see the Oracles outside of these games and Minish Cap.