The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (Game Boy Color) Review

The tale begins with the Triforce calling out to Link and as he approaches it he is transported to another world known as Holodrum. After he arrives there he is found unconscious by a dancer named Din, who is kidnapped by Onox, General of Darkness. He referred to her as the Oracle of Seasons and promptly after she was captured, the seasons start changing rapidly, heavily affecting the lives of its inhabitants of the world. Link then meets the Maku Tree in Horon Village, the capital of Holodrum, and receives the task of gathering the eight Essences of Nature. Not far into his quest, Link acquires the Rod of Seasons, which is the central item of this game and helps him travel through the land with its ability to manipulate the seasons.

The gameplay is very similar to Link's Awakening in terms of controls. Link is moved with the D-pad and both the A and B button can be used to equip one weapon or item at a time. Much like other games in the series, the goal is to explore the world and discover various dungeons to complete. However, on top of Holodrum, there is a subterranean world called Subrosia that is linked to the overworld by several portals. This area is full of rocks and magma and has its own new race, the Subrosians. They are very secretive and always wear full-body robes to keep their identity hidden from others. Fitting for their hot habitat, they enjoy hobbies like dancing and perhaps less common ones like taking magma baths. Their isolation from the world of Holodrum is also apparent by the fact that they use ore chunks as their currency, as opposed to the classic Rupees.

The most unique aspect of Oracle of Seasons is without a doubt its flagship item, the Rod of Seasons. This rod allows Link to manipulate the seasons and use them to his advantage. For example, a lake that he can't swim through is completely frozen during winter and opens up new paths. The Rod of Seasons can be used on tree stumps that are all over Holodrum but it doesn't come with its full abilities of controlling every season right away, as it has to be powered up three times throughout the game to regain its former strength. While a lot of content is in the dungeons of the game, plenty of time is also spent on the overworld and trying to discover where the next dungeon is and finding out how to access it with the help of the Rod of Seasons or other obtainable items. Surprisingly, the developers have actually found a way to make clever use of the newly added colours of the system, as the seasons are very distinct in their colour palette and easily recognisable that way. However, a small icon indicating which season it is will also appear each time an area is entered that has a different one than the region the player came from.

Link also teams up with three animal partners along the way but only one of them can be a permanent companion, based on the flute that is obtained. The first one is called Ricky, a boxing kangaroo that carries Link in his pouch, can use his fists to kill enemies, scale large walls and jump over small pits. Then there's Dimitri, a friendly red Dodongo that can bite and eat enemies as well as swim up waterfalls and through tough currents without being pulled along. Last, but not least, is Moosh, a large blue bear with wings. While Ricky can only jump over one hole at a time, Moosh can hover for a short period of time to get past long strings of pits in the ground and attack enemies with a ground pound. Depending on which partner is chosen in the end, the terrain of some areas in Labrynna will actually change to adjust to the specific abilities of the chosen animal.

It's not immediately noticeable, but Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages focus on one particular element that defines the gameplay of the Zelda series. Seasons has a lot more action, such as combat and generally tests the player's skill a lot more. Ages, on the other hand, is very puzzle-based and challenges the mind with some extremely tricky puzzles. That's not to say that they are completely lacking in the opposite area, though. The selection of items available also varies slightly, with some being exclusive to one game. For example, Oracle of Seasons has a Magnetic Glove that pulls Link toward or pushes him away from magnetic objects. Oracle of Ages contains an item called the Switch Hook. Unlike the classic Hookshot, Link will switch places with whatever it grabs when he fires it. In true Zelda fashion, both are used in some very clever ways to solve puzzles or even defeat enemies. Decisions like these makes both entries feel distinct while still sharing a lot of other elements.

Another very refreshing and addictive feature that's only found in the Oracle series is the inclusion of rings. These useful items can be obtained in a ton of different ways and can be equipped to gain special abilities. The effects can be incredibly varied, from simple attack or defence boosts to transformations that are purely for cosmetic purposes or even modifications to Link's basic abilities and items. For example, with the right ring, a bomb will not explode while it's still being held. There are even ones with negative effects to make the game more challenging for particularly brave adventurers. A total of 64 rings can be collected throughout both games but they can't be used right away. A found ring is unusable until it's appraised by a jeweller called Vasu. Once that is done, it will be added to the collection at his shop. To actually use a ring, it has to be put in Link's ring box and equipped from there. The ring box only holds one at first but can be upgraded via side-quests to be able to carry more without having to go back to Vasu's shop each time to switch them out. This system is very well made and gives an almost RPG-like twist to the games, yet another element that makes the Oracle series stand out from many other entries in the Zelda franchise.

The addition of connectivity between the two games was very ambitious for its time and the system they were released on, even surpassing what the Pokémon series offered at the time. At the end of either game, a secret password will be shown that can be used on the opposite title to start a 'Linked Game', which changes part of the main plot and grants access to the true ending and story while also creating many small events that would otherwise not happen. On top of all that, an optional dungeon becomes accessible in both games. While they share the same name, both are very different and very difficult to complete. There are many other cool and useful secrets to be discovered in the Oracle series, so this is just scratching the surface of what this connectivity system offers. It should also be mentioned that they were released at the end of the Game Boy Color's lifespan and actually have some extra content for the successor, such as a secret shop that can only be accessed when played on a Game Boy Advance.