Oracle of Ages (The Legend of Zelda - Oracle of Ages (GBA))

Member Name: Lauren06

Product:	The Legend of Zelda - Oracle of Ages (GBA)
Date:	05/09/07 (74 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great graphics, can be linked to seasons, great storyline

Disadvantages: None

This game was released in conjunction with another Zelda Oracle game - Oracle of Seasons and both were released in Europe on October 2001. The two games are linked but can be played in any order, and although they're similar to each other they both have different stoylines. The main distinguishing features of the games are the characters involved and the colour of the packaging- Oracle of Ages has Nayru as one of the main characters, which is also the name of a Zelda goddess and is blue while Oracle of Seasons has Din another name of a goddess and is red.

In this Ages game you meet Nayru who is possesed and kidnapped by the villian Veran, and since Nayru controls the ages Veran can maipulate time as she wishes. This leads to Link - the Zelda hero - being able to travel through time from the present to the past. Completing challenges in the past affects the present when you return, and you also get to see the land of Labrynna - the setting of this game - in two different times zones allowing you to meet all sorts of different characters and explore areas to see what they were like in the past etc. The time travel aspect of this game is what I think makes it most interesting and complex since it's like having two seperate worlds to explore. It's a gameboy color game which means it does seem a little outdated now but that's no reason to be put off this game. It uses 2D graphics similar to those in Link to the Past - the Gameboy re-release of the third ever Zelda game. I did used to be a bit put off these 2D titles after playing only the N64 and Gamecube Zeldas but it doesn't lower the enjoyment of the game at all. Although Gameboy color is hardly even seen now, this game did fully make use of its capabilities - the graphics are clear and bright, and the characters appear as defined as they can be on a Gameboy color game. There are also some lovely scenes that appear all over the screen at certain times to illustrate what's happening. The sound is great too, with quality music and sound effects.

There's enough to do on this game to keep you going, and it's the kind of game you'll want to play through again and again. Since it uses the more basic controls of the gameboy it's easy enough for anyone to play regardless of your gaming ability. What's more is that when you get both Oracle games they can link together and interact so that there is more to do - there's even an extra dungeon once you complete both. Although I don't own the Seasons game yet, playing this one has just made me want to get it too so I can expand on it. You use passwords or a Gameboy link cable to do this.

Overall, this game is an excellent addition to the Zelda series along with it's counterpart Oracle of Seasons. I'd recommend it to Zelda fans but also to anyone new to gaming since I think it's the kind of game anyone can get used to using quickly.

Summary: well worth getting whether or not you're a Zelda fan