Just before the game starts, Link is in Hyrule Castle. He is being summoned by the Triforce. When he finally reaches it, there is a bright flash of light and Link disappears. He wakes up in a strange place he has never been before. He is in a forest, and can hear someone calling for help. Link follows the voice and finds a woman being attacked by monsters. He chases them away and goes to talk to the woman. The woman is Impa, nurse to Princess Zelda. She tells Link that she's looking for a girl named Nayru. With Link's help, they find her. She is singing a song and is surrounded by a group of animals admiring her voice. Just as Link begins listening to her song, a shadow flies out of Impa. Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows, has possessed Impa. The shadow flies into Nayru and there is a bright flash of light. Then Nayru vanishes. Veran has now possessed Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, and distorted the flow of time in Labrynna. She plans to travel into the past to gather people's sorrows so she can create and age of darkness and only Link can stop her.

Oracle of Ages is one of the last Zelda games released for the Game Boy Color, but it can be played on the Game Boy Advance. (In fact, if you play it on the Game Boy Advance you can unlock certain secrets you wouldn't be able to obtain otherwise.) Its most unique feature is that it can share certain data with Oracle of Seasons. This can be done either through the use of a game link cable and two Game Boys, or through the ugly and confusing password system.
This game looks very much like the classic Zelda games - a 2D overhead view where the screen scrolls automatically when you touch the edge of the screen - and it works very well. This is also the second game in the series to explore time travel; but unlike Ocarina of Time, when you time travel in this game the map changes drastically. Certain landmasses will be moved over slightly in different time periods, Seed Trees will appear in different locations, and certain places can't be reached when in different time periods. Often times these factors become important when trying to reach certain places; finding many of the dungeons (and other places) requires travelling through time.
Old fans of the series will be glad to see such classics as the Cane of Somaria, hookshot, and Roc's Feather make appearances. New items that make appearances in this game include the Seed Satchel, the Switch Hook, and the Harp of Ages. This game also features new mini-games and a new side-quest - collecting the rings. However, to be able to collect all 64 rings you'll have to play both Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. New Zelda fans who were introduced to the series through the 3D games may not be as impressed with this game, but fans who love the older games are almost guaranteed to enjoy this game. If you're going to buy it, make sure to buy Oracle of Seasons as well to get the full experience.