The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (GBC) Review (no fat)

by Flagship Platform: Gameboy Genre: Arcade	ESRB Rating: Everyone Release: 2001-05-14	The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (GBC) Features: Travel back in time and meet old friends and foes More puzzles to solve Team up with one of three animals Unlock passwords to be used in Oracle of Seasons
	Egamer's Rating: 9 / 10. Reviewed on: 2006-03-05

Game Description

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages tells the story of the disaster that suddenly occurs in Labrynna when Veran, a sorceress, decides to possess Nayru, the Oracle of Ages. Through the Oracle’s incredible powers, Veran can travel through time and trigger events that will eventually evolve into insurmountable chaos. With her plans seemingly infallible, the witch was close to dominating the whole world. Had it not been for Link who, alerted by the sacred Triforce, proudly barges in with his sword ready to slay his foes.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages Gameplay

Oracle of Ages first strikes out as a typical Zelda game with very little changes. Your quest involves exploring a huge world, which this time takes the form of Labrynna, navigating eight gripping dungeons until you beat the bosses, and finding the eight keys that will allow you to finally confront the vile Veran. Using the Harp of Ages, you can thus travel back in time where your main objective is to oppose Veran’s diabolical plans.

As you travel back and forth in time, the maps you explore also change, and this gives the game a unique setting. This time travel ability will enable you to see a lot of familiar faces such as the Leevers and the Moblins who seek revenge on you. Additional characters also exist solely to harm you, and these are as motivated as your past encounters. Along the way, you can collect Harp tunes by tapping into the powers of the Harp of Ages. Successfully doing so grants you the ability to travel in time at will. By relying on your newfound skills, you can then access previously invisible areas.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages is different from other Zelda titles in the way it lays much emphasis on puzzles. There is an insanely high amount of tough puzzles to solve, and more time is spent figuring how to overcome an obstacle than furiously battling against fiends. Unfortunately, there’s also a drawback to this exhaustive use of challenging puzzles, as younger gamers may be put off by their high difficulty. In addition, those who seek a mindless action game will be disappointed…but then again, there are lots of beat ‘em up games available for those who care.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages Items

Zelda games are renowned for the importance laid on items, and Oracle of Ages is no exception. You’ll find several items, including a handful exclusive to this game, along the way, and it is your duty to grab them, especially considering how the tenacious bosses in the game will gladly put a brutal end to your dreams of restoring peace. Each item is actually put to use, and it’s up to you to figure out when to use them. Link can moreover now use Magical Seeds, which grant him a handful of powers, such as the peculiar ability to attract beast when he’s not busy warping from one location to another. Saving these boosts for dire situations is always a wise idea.

As in Oracle of Seasons, you can also attempt to collect all the rings found in the game. Obtaining the entire collection can be regarded as a side-quest, as some of these are extremely hard to uncover. You’ll thus find yourself planting seeds in specific locations. Once the trees grow, you can then return to them to claim your well-deserved rings. You will also meet three animals that will be happy to use their unique abilities to help you. You can only team up with one of them though, and your choice actually has an impact on what secret items or maps you can unlock.

While Oracle of Ages is a stand-alone game, it can nevertheless be used in conjunction with The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. Indeed, beating the game grants you a password, which you can then use in Oracle of Seasons to play through it with all the items you gathered during your adventure. You can also unlock more bosses by using the password obtained in Oracle of Seasons to play through this title again. Additionally, you can just link your game with a copy of Oracle of Seasons to perform some neat item swapping.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages Visuals

Oracle of Ages is definitely one of the biggest visual accomplishments on the system. The color palette is superb, and the meticulous attention to detail is amazing. This is even more obvious in the backgrounds that sport nice touches. The characters too are well designed, and the game benefits from an eternally smooth animation.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages Sound

The audio mainly comprises of sound effects that come from previous Zelda installments. This can be annoying at times, but their good quality thankfully makes up for this shameless rehash. The music similarly suffers from being a mere reuse of the infamous Zelda themes, but their melancholic yet enticing nature adds a classic touch to this release.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages Overall

Similar to its peer, Oracle of Seasons, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages is one of the finest games available on the Game Boy Color. While this installment focuses more on puzzles, the Zelda spirit is nevertheless beautifully preserved, and this makes for a memorable experience. A must have for Action Adventure fans.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages Cost

The game currently retails for $14.99US at the time of writing.