The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Summary

Genre: Adventure
Number of players: 1

Review

The Zelda series of games is without a doubt one of Nintendo's best franchises. Along with Mario, the Zelda games carry an implied guarantee of a quality gaming experience appealling to just about every gamer. But does Oracle of Seasons, one of a pair of new Gameboy Colour Zelda titles, live up to these high expectations, or is it a real let-down?


Gameplay: Oracle of Seasons puts you in the shoes of Link, a young hero who has been mysteriously transported to the world of Holodrum by the Triforce. Upon arriving in Holodrum, Link is befriended by the eponymous Oracle of Seasons, disguised as a dancer named Din. Din is kidnapped by a strange figure named Onox, who throws the seasons into disarray. It's up to you, as Link, to sort out this chaos.

To rescue Din and restore order to the muddled seasons of Holodrum, Link's task is to find, gain access to, and complete eight dungeons and recover the eight 'Essences of Nature'. Besides solving all the puzzles in the dungeons, there are a lot of tasks and travels to make both in the overworld of Holodrum as well as the subterranean world of Subrosia, into which the Temple of Seasons has fallen. Link gets access to a huge variety of tools, ranging from the trusty sword and shield to more exotic items like the Magnetic Gloves and the Magic Boomerang. Each weapon is top fun to use, and there is a lot of variety in the tasks you're asked to perform.

The land of Holodrum is very large, but the gameplay is more or less straightforward in that it's usually clear where you need to go next. Some deviation from the required path to the next dungeon is possible, and often extra items can be acquired by making a detour and completing a few extra tasks. But however you choose to approach the game, be it going straight for the next goal or wandering around more, the game is great fun. Combat with enemies is enjoyable although fairly simple if you just slash away with your sword constantly, while progressing in each dungeon is fun as well. As noted, the sheer variety of weapons and tools keeps the game from ever getting repetitive, and the chance to upgrade some of the weapons as you progress is also a satisfying task.

Besides the various items, there are a number of other novel features in the game. The first is the inclusion of magical rings. These rings can be found in many places, and there are a great many to collect. You can carry several with you at a time, and when worn the rings give varied effects, such as lessening the damage you receive from enemies, turning you into another form, or stopping you sinking into quicksand. Finding a new type of ring is always satisfying. But while the rings are definitely a nice idea, I can't help feeling that it could have been executed a little bit better. The rings don't really make much of an effect on gameplay, and because of the warning given by the jeweller at the start of the game that the rings' power would end after they'd been worn for a certain amount of time, I found myself using them very rarely. Plus a great many rings didn't actually seem to do anything at all, and the description of most of these rings was limited to how it was acquired (the description of the Slayer's Ring, for example, read only "1000 enemies slain"), and not how it helped you once worn. The rings would have been a much better addition if they didn't expire (or at least if it were possible to acquire more than one of each kind of ring instead of the jeweller purchasing duplicate rings for a small price after appraising them), and if there were clearer explanations of exactly what they did. Nonetheless, a nice inclusion in any event.

Another nice idea is 'Gasha Seeds'. These seeds can be found in a number of places, and once planted in a patch of soil, they eventually grow into trees that give you a powerup, such as a ring, potion or money, depending on your achievements prior to the tree maturing. Finding the seeds and areas of soil is an enjoyable subquest, and collecting a valuable ring or potion from a tree is most satisfying. Overall, this is a very neat idea.

One other feature is the three animal friends who appear in the game - a flying bear, a boxing kangaroo and a swimming Dodongo. You get a chance to ride each of these creatures during the game, one of whom becoming a permanent buddy who can be called with a special flute whenever you have need of his services. This is yet another fine addition to the game.

Overall, the nicely-paced and addictive gameplay is superb, and amongst the best seen on the Gameboy. Excellent!


Challenge: As mentioned, there are eight dungeons to complete, as well as numerous tasks in the overworld which must be completed as well. The dungeons are packed with challenging puzzles to tax the brain, and some of the later ones are quite tricky to complete. The game will take quite a while to complete, while there are very few places where you are likely to get 'stuck', due to the great design of the game and the intuitive gameplay. And another huge bonus to the lastability is that once you finish the game, you are able to continue the quest by transferring your data to Oracle of Ages either via a link cable or by using a password given at the conclusion of Oracle of Seasons. By doing this, a number of things you did while playing Seasons will carry over to Ages, as well as extra sections becoming available. This too is an excellent idea, making full completion of Seasons encouraged. Still better is the fact that even replaying the game is top fun, even once you know how to solve all the puzzles, due to the deeply satisfying gameplay.


Graphics: The game's graphics are great. Everything is in full and rich colour, and there's enough detail on the characters and backgrounds alike for it to be really easy to see what's going on at all times. A lot of work has gone into the backgrounds, and there's lots of variety. Link gains the power to change the seasons as you progress into the game, and the same landscape changes dramatically for each season, looking exactly as you'd expect in each season. A nice bonus for players using a Gameboy Advance is that the game looks great in the GBA widescreen mode, unlike most other Gameboy titles, which usually have to be played on the smallscreen GBA mode.


Sounds: All of the game's musical tunes are great, from the classic Zelda overworld theme to the various tunes in the dungeons. The music is pleasant and never becomes tiresome. The various accompanying sound effects are all of good quality to boot, and the sounds are, overall, excellent.


Summing up: One of the finest games for the Gameboy Colour, and a worthy addition to the Zelda series. A superb title to own, particularly when paired up with Oracle of Ages, but a full, complete and excellent game in its own right.


Gamesmark: 95%


Reviewer: Maverik



Tangycheese's opinion: One of Nintendo's old favourites, Zelda has appeared on every Nintendo console there is, and hasn't yet disappointed. This one is no different. Along with Oracle of Ages, it's a Gameboy game worthy of your money. Buy both this one and Ages and you won't regret it!