3.5/5 ★ – TNGLiam's review of The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages.

Platform: 3DS (via Virtual Console) Time Played: 14 hours Status: Beaten (Linked Game) I’ve always wondered how big the differences would be between the two Oracle games, and after starting out with Oracle of Seasons, I’m glad I decided to play the definitive game second. Oracle of Ages not only leans more towards the exploration and puzzle aspect, but also has a lot more story going on, and even more story if you play it as the Linked Game. And just because of those two things I loved this game a lot more than the previous. The increased amount of cutscenes and plot was just very welcome after playing two fairly barebones Zelda games in terms of plot. Of course the gameplay is the same as Oracle of Seasons, but the dungeons, in my opinion, are a LOT better than those in Seasons, and the boss fights weren’t nearly as difficult, which was highly appreciated. I will also add that I really liked the time manipulation system in this game, definitely a lot more than the seasons mechanic in Seasons. I really like how you’re able to get better and better versions, first from opening time portals in certain areas throughout the map, to only being able to jump to the future, to being able to go back and forth whenever you want. The item differences between this and Seasons are also great, and allow the puzzles to vary between the two games. Also the changes with the Linked Game are so great; I love how whatever game you chose to link becomes a direct sequel to whatever you played before. I love how characters you met before show up again and recognize Link, and how Zelda only shows up in a Linked Game in order to tie into the plot with Twinrova and Ganon. It just really helps the two games become one big cohesive experience. To conclude, while Oracle of Seasons wasn’t the best standalone experience, Oracle of Ages is not only a great improvement over its other, but it is also the definitive game of the two to link together for the combined experience. This was definitely the best game of the three Zelda games for Game Boy Color, and I’m very glad to have played and experienced this unique duology.