The of Legend Zelda Oracle Ages/Seasons

Release dates: Jap, Feb 27th 2001,US, March, 2001, UK, May 10th, 2001

System: Gameboy colour

This is the newest Zelda title for the Game Boy Color was be released in two separate chapters on two seprate carts.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons takes place in the troubled land of Holodrum. After magically transporting to this new world, Link witness a power-hungry general named Onox summon a mighty storm and kidnap the Oracle of Seasons -- a beautiful dancer named Din. Onox uses Din's power to hurl the forces of nature into chaos, so it's up to Link to once again restore peace to the land.

In oracle ages Link's adventure has just begun , he uses the power of the Triforce to travel to a new land known as Labrynna. Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows, is planning to alter Labrynna's past so that she may rule over the present. Through trickery and deceit, Veran harnesses the power of Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, and travels 400 years into the past. Immediately, Labrynna's present changes dramatically, reflecting Veran's evil actions. Before the Sorceress of Shadows can complete her dark mission, Link must use the Harp of Ages to travel through time and recover the eight Essences of time.

The two games link together to provide new challenges after one has been finished. When you have finished playing the first game you will receive a special password that can be entered into the other game, which transfers your character's name over to the second game, gives you four heart containers instead of the usual three, as well as a sword and shield, when you would normally start out with nothing. Link will only be able to fight the true boss of the Oracle Series when the password is entered into the second game.

The Rod of the Four Seasons

The Rod of Seasons is a new item to the Zelda series. It has an important role in Zelda: Oracle of Ages as Link must find it and then use it to change the seasons in the game. Many puzzles in the game are based on Link's use of the Rod of Seasons. For example, In some areas, it may be impossible for link to get to a certain spot because it is surrounded by water. Link can use the Rod of Seasons to change the season to winter, freezing the lake and creating an ice bridge. Many puzzles in the game are based on using the Rod of Seasons.

Traveling Through Time

During his quest in Labrynna, Link will be forced to travel through time quite often. Unlike previous Zelda games, The Ocarina is not the item this time around that he uses to travel in time. Instead, Link find's an item called the Harp of Time early in his quest. When he plays the Harp of Time, a magical whirlwind appears, which allows Link to travel through time when he steps into it. This ability allows Link to reach areas he may not normally be able to get to. For example, there may be a large stone in Link's way in the past, but when he travels to the future, the stone will be gone, allowing him to walk past the place where it was, and travel back to the past. A good portion of the game's puzzles are based on this concept.

Characters

Zelda: Oracle of Seasons brought back characters from older Zelda games, it featured some entirely new characters as well. One of these characters is a kangaroo named Ricky who allowed Link to climb into his pouch. While Link is in his pouch, you can control Ricky, giving you the ability to jump and punch through obstacles that Link would not normally be able to get past. Another new character is a witch named Maple who crashed into Link randomly and cause different things to happen. Nintendo did not reveal much details at the time of release to Maple's exact role but we now know that she assists the witch in the shop and seems to have a gruge against you in the game. Zoras and Gorons are also in the game, a new group of speices were also added to the game, the Uura Tribe. The Uura live inside a volcano and work as blacksmiths. They have no use for money, so Link must find things to trade them.

In addition to the new characters, some old characters make a return, but in different roles. In previous Zelda games, Dodongos have always been Link's enemies. In Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, however, Link meets Dmitri, a friendly Dodongo who helps Link swim in areas where the water is too deep. Like always, several enemies from older Zelda games will be making returns, such as Octoroks and Like-likes. Several other characters from the old Zelda games make a come back such as Impa, Tingle, the Zoras, Gorons, and a few others. Some characters are in the game right away, while others will only appear when the password from Oracle of Ages has been entered.

The Land of Labrynna

Labrynna is a large place. While there, Link must find dungeons and items, while passing through a large variety of terrains, such as the Fairys' Woods, the Nuun Plateau, Crescent Strait, and the Sea of Storms. In addition to the various terrains, Link will encounter many characters along his journey. We already know about Naryu and Veran, but there are a few other characters, from older Zelda games, such as the Zora King and Tingle. There will surely be other returning characters as well, some who appear the first time through the game, and others who will only appear after a password has been entered.

Items

Zelda: Oracle of Seasons as always has all of the major items we are all used to. Bombs, swords, shields, shovels, slingshots and boomerangs all return to the game. In addition to these items, Link will make use of several different types of seeds, all of which serve a different purpose. Some allow Link to set things on fire, such as torches or enemies, while others will perform special functions, such as giving Link superior speed or teleporting him to another location.

Essences of Time

At the end of each dungeon, Link will receive an item called an Essence of Time. There are eight of them to be found in the game. Each Essence of Time gives the Maku Tree more strength to grow, which in turn restores the power to the land that Veran stole from it. Once all eight Essences of Time have been recovered, Link will be ready to fight Veran.

Link's Helpers

Staying true to the ideas from the newer Zelda games, Link has some friendly animals who help him out in this game as well. In the past, he rode a horse named Epona who helped him travel across the land faster and jump long gaps, but now he has all new friends to help him out. The first of his helpers is Moosh, a blue polar bear with wings who can jump into the air, and shake the ground when he lands, inflicting damage on all of the enemies in the area. Moosh can also help link cross wide gaps by flying for short distances. He doesn't like deep water though, so you'll have to get off him before crossing a deep river or lake. This is where Dimitri, another of Link's new friends can help. Dimitri is a friendly Dodongo who helps Link swim through deep rivers and lakes. He can swim against strong currents, through waterfalls, or even through the deepest water in the land. Dimitri is also quite hungry, so he will eat most of Link's enemies when he encounters them. The last animal friend that Link will encounter in his travels is Ricky, a boxing kangaroo who lets Link ride in her pouch. Her punches pack quite a wallop, creating a tornado that clears paths through the tall grass, and easily taking out most enemies. Ricky can also carry Link over holes and to the top of small cliffs.

Mystical Seeds

During his travels, Link can find five types of seeds that grant him specific powers. Ember seeds can light torches or engulf most enemies in a ball of flame. Gale seeds allow Link to warp to any location where a Mystical Tree grows. Pegasus seeds act much like the Pegasus boots in "A Link to the Past," granting Link the ability to run very fast for a short period of time. Scent seeds attract certain enemies to Link, allowing him to defeat them quickly. The final type of seed is the Mysters Seed. These seeds are very unpredictable. they remain a mystery... you have no idea what they do until you actually use one.

Rings

Link can find many rings, 64 to be exact during his journey through Holodrum (in Oracle of Seasons) and Labrynna. I am not sure if there are 64 in each game, or if that is just a total when both games are combined. Each ring grants Link a unique power when he wears it. Some increase attack or defensive powers, while others allow Link to restore his health or disguise himself as an enemy, such as an Octorok or Moblin. Before wearing any of the rings, Link must take it to a jeweler to activate its power. Link can find ring boxes that allow him to carry one, three, or five rings at the same time.

Password System

Just like in Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, there is a password system in Zelda: Oracle of Ages as well. The most well known password is the one that you enter when completing one of the games, which allows Link to start the other game with four heart containers (instead of three) and his sword, and it causes characters in the second game to talk about events which took place in the first game. There are also a few other passwords that can be entered to get special items, such as rings that are unavailable without the password.

Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and ages lives up to the very high standards set by the previous Zelda games. They both have a great storyline, combined with great graphics and sound, excellent gameplay, and the familiar Zelda characters we all know and love. These two games can to be considered one of the best Game Boy games for many years to come!