Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

If you read my review of Oracle of Ages you already know how I feel about these two games. They are, in short, the best games ever made for the Game Boy Color (yes, that includes the excellent Pokémon series). In fact, they are a couple of the most complete, enthralling games currently on any system. That said, Oracle of Seasons is much like its Ages counterpart. The story is fairly similar, but don't me wrong --it is an entirely different quest with completely new challenges, items and characters.

Features

Quest that lasts dozens of hours
Battery back-up
Interacts with Oracle of Ages
Only for Game Boy Color

Just as everyone's favorite Hyrulean hero Link shows up in the land of Holodrum, so do the forces of evil. Onox, the General of Darkness, arrives and kidnaps Din, the Oracle of Seasons (and quite a good dancer, to boot). Using the Oracle's power over the change of the seasons, Onox hopes to throw Holodrum into chaos by jumbling the order of seasons. His evil hope is that by doing this, everything will rot and fall to darkness. He imprisons Din within a crystal and places her atop the Temple of Seasons. According to his plan, Holodrum begins to fall to ruin. It's up to Link to save the land!

While this story won't win any awards for originality, it is simple but elegant. The quest unfolds with whimsy and wit, and more than a little suspense. The "gimmick" to Seasons lies within the Rod of Seasons, a magical sceptre that is capable of altering the environment. All you need to use it is a magic stump. Like the Harp in Oracle of Ages, the Rod of Seasons adds a new dimension to gameplay. The map and its contents are altered slightly each time the season changes, allowing Link access to new areas, new items and more adventure. I shudder to think what would happen if they ever combined these games, putting both the Rod and the Harp in play at the same time. It would be madness! Insanity!

Like Ages, Oracle of Seasons also boasts a couple of brand new items, which can be obtained while battling through the eight Dungeons hidden around Holodrum. The coolest of these is the Magnetic Glove. When worn, Link can attract and repel metal. Some of the best puzzles in the game revolve around mastery of this ingenious device. Another item that isn't available in Ages is the classic boomerang, which allows Link a long-range attack (and an ally in tripping hard-to-reach switches). As the quest progresses, you'll get a steerable version of the boomerang, which is quite helpful in some of the later Boss fights. All of the Mystical Seeds are here as well. They give Link the ability to shoot fire (Ember), attract beasts (Scent), solve clues (Mystery), go faster or freeze enemies (Pegasus) and warp around the map (Gale). Equip them in the Slingshot to make these magic nuts projectiles to shoot at foes. The Mystical Seeds add an extra little boost to the quest, making the adventure even more fun to unravel.

If I were to pick which of the two games is more difficult, I would say Ages. If you were to buy one of the two, that is the one I would suggest. But if you buy them both (and this is highly recommended), play Seasons first. It is a bit better as an introductory game. The one element that is perhaps more difficult about Oracle of Seasons is the final Boss fight. In general, the Dungeons are a bit easier to solve and the Bosses a smidge easier to fell. But I have to say, Onox is superior to Veran in many ways. I won't give away details of either battle, but be warned -- This guy can wear out your thumb.

Of course, Seasons is able to link with Ages, as described in the other review. This provides for a good deal of extra gameplay (including cameos by favorite Zelda characters who have not yet appeared in either game), making the two games an even better buy. Of the two, Seasons is also the more vibrant graphics-wise. The various seasons play out in full Technicolor and even Link seems to shine a little brighter against the panoply of hues. Seasons also contains the wonderful world of Subrosia, one of my favorite realms in any Zelda game. Sound is pretty much a draw, as the games use similar themes throughout.

Verdict

Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are two reasons that I'd rather play games than watch movies, for the most part. Theses two are incredibly involving, to the point where I might (if I weren't a gaming journalist) end up wasting a lot of "valuable" time playing them again and again. That they are portable is the coolest thing ever. Never will a long plane trip be without Link again.