Oracle of Seasons

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages are two action-adventure games developed by Flagship and published by Nintendo and the seventh and eighth installments in The Legend of Zelda video game series. They were released on February 27, 2001 in Japan, May 14, 2001 in North America, and October 5, 2001 in Europe for the Nintendo Game Boy Color. Special features, such as additional items, are available when played on a Nintendo Game Boy Advance.

After experimenting with porting the original The Legend of Zelda to the Game Boy Color, Yoshiki Okamoto's Flagship team began developing three interconnected Zelda games that could be played in any order. The complexity of this system led the team to cancel one game; the remaining two were adapted into Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. The two games, released simultaneously, interact via a Game Link Cable and a password system.

In Seasons, the Triforce transports Link to the land of Holodrum, where he witnesses the kidnapping of Din, the Oracle of Seasons, by Onox. In Ages, the Triforce transports Link to Labrynna, where Nayru is kidnapped by Veran. The main plot is revealed once the player completes both games. The player controls Link from an overhead perspective, using basic controls copied from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening for the Game Boy. Link is armed with a sword and shield as well as a variety of secondary weapons and items for battling enemies and solving puzzles. The central items of the games are the Rod of Seasons, which manipulates the seasons of Holodrum, and the Harp of Ages, which allows Link to travel through time in Labrynna. Link gathers the eight Essences of Nature and the eight Essences of Time, hidden in dungeons and guarded by bosses, to obtain the power to penetrate Onox's castle and Veran's tower.

Since the Legend of Zelda was released for the original NES in 1987, the Zelda series has earned a reputation for delivering innovative action-packed gameplay mixed with engrossing storylines and unforgettable characters. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages for Game Boy Color, build on this excellent reputation and add even more mind-bending gameplay elements to the mix.

Each game presents a unique adventure for Link to conquer, but to get the most out of either game you'll want to play them both. It doesn't matter which Pak you play first. When you complete one of the games, you will earn a password which you can enter into the second game. When your new adventure begins, your character will have the same name you gave him in the first game. He will also begin the game with more items than in the first quest, and you'll be treated to cool cameos from some of the characters you encountered in the first adventure. At the end of your second adventure, you'll face an additional boss battle which would not occur if you had not already completed the first game.

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.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons doesn't stray too far from classic Zelda challenges and gameplay. Link must travel around a vast overworld collecting clues and items, and explore challenging dungeons filled with fierce monsters and maddening puzzles. Oracle of Seasons presents some new challenges as well. Using the Rod of Seasons, Link has the ability to change the seasons whenever he pleases. The landscape changes depending on the season, which provides the premise for many perplexing puzzles. If a river blocks your path in the summer, for example, you can summon the winter months and freeze the waterway to ensure a safe passage.

Also, Link meets some powerful friends in Holodrum who help him in a variety of ways. A winged polar bear named Moosh can help Link attack enemies with a powerful ground-pounding blow, or Link can ride a friendly Dodongo named Dmitri across deep bodies of water. When Link rides in the pouch of a boxing kangaroo named Ricky, he can K.O. his enemies with a few quick jabs.

Link's escapade offers gamers great gameplay, an engrossing storyline and detailed graphics. Whether you're a long-time fan of The Legend of Zelda or a newcomer to the series, you're sure to spend many rewarding hours helping Link restore order to Holodrum.