Reviews

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

By Corey

The Legend of Zelda makes one last stop to the GBC with Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. Though they were both released at the same time, Ages is definitely a different game than the other. Capcom is responsible for both titles though, so is this just a last ditch attempt to make money off of the GBC or are these really top notch titles? You and I both know the answer to that.

Graphics: 8

Though the graphics are great with this game, Ages just didn't impress me here as much as Seasons did. It seemed to me that there was a lot less detail put into things and that there wasn't as much color. Link is pretty much all green and the least detailed character of all. Even with that, the visuals are a step up from Link's Awakening DX and better than other games you see on the market.

Gameplay: 9.5

Like I said in the other review, I'm not going to detail everything about what you do in this game because most Zelda games play pretty much the same way. I will tell you why you should or shouldn't buy Ages over Seasons.

Ages has more to do with puzzles than action. In fact, the puzzles leading up to and in the 2nd dungeon were harder than most puzzles in Seasons. Even a couple of the boss battles are really just puzzles you have to solve. Because of this, Ages is slightly harder because you may find yourself getting stuck a few times along the way. You will, however, rarely find yourself in danger of dying because of less and easier enemies.

The main item that sets this game apart from other Zelda titles, and especially Seasons, is the Harp of Ages. When you find the Harp, you'll be able to travel from the present to the past or from the past to the present. What you do in the past will effect the present, which adds to that puzzle aspect a bit. My favorite item though is the Switch Hook. It's kind of like the regular Hook Shot except for the fact you change places with the enemy or object you use it against.

Sound: 8

Sound in Ages and Seasons is basically the same. I think they re-used sound effects and songs from Link's Awakening, but I'm not completely sure on that. Music is good, especially the overworld theme, but it does get a little old as you get farther into the game.

Lasting Value: 9

The game takes a little while to beat, so that is a plus. Using the password system will add replay to the game since you'll have a few mini-side quests to do and an extra dungeon (sort of) if you play this game second. You can also try to find all 64 magic rings, but you'll need Seasons to do that too. Most of the re-play comes from having both games and you can't finish the complete story unless you do have both.

Bottom Line

Ages is an excellent game and all Action/Adventure fans should pick it up unless you absolutely can't stand the series. I like Seasons slightly better because it had more Action, but both are great and both should be played. If you can only buy one of the two, pick Ages if you'd rather do more thinking than fighting.

Final Score: 9.5 out of 10