29 replies to this topic

[SteveT]

I case anyone needs to be told, the Oracle games are both on the 3DS virtual console now.  They're on sale for a few weeks at $4.99 each.

 

I'm pretty excited.  I never played Ages, so I'm getting a new Zelda game.

[Sir Deimos]

I have the old carts but may grab the digis. Easier to manage.

[SteveT]

I'm greatly enjoying Ages.  Just made it to the Fourth dungeon.  The Past/Present mechanic works nicely, and adds interesting layers to the puzzles that are obviously reminiscent of the Light World/Dark World of LttP.  Ages has a slight advantage in that the two periods have more interaction.  It also avoids one of my main complaints about the more recent Zelda games that I feel like I'm on autopilot the whole time.  I'm definitely putting more effort into the game than I usually do, so that's a huge plus.

Edited by SteveT, 03 June 2013 - 09:56 AM.

[Sir Turtlelot]

I recently beat both of the Oracles, so I probably won't be replaying them anytime soon, but I'll probably download them when I do, since I previously borrowed them from Ikiosho. I enjoyed both of them, but I still think I like their predecessor, LA, better. I'm actually doing a play through of it and ALttP at the moment.

[Masamune]

You know, I spent a long time not liking the Oracles games for reasons of... well, I think I thought they were pretty dull. But I'm really enjoying playing through them again. Enough time has passed that they feel fairly fresh to me now. 

[SteveT]

I played Seasons when it was new, and never even beat it.  I don't know if it's passage of time or Ages is just a better game, but I'm having a lot more fun this time around as well.  At the time, I was annoyed by all the Ocarina of Time references because OoT was so over-saturated back then.  I felt like the Oracle games were just trying to leech off its popularity with excessive references.  The other possibility is technology levels.  The GBA was way overdue back in 2001, so the games felt very behind technologically.  Nowadays, I'm going in with the expectation of playing an old game, so being low tech isn't any sort of hindrance.

 

That said, they're still super linear.  But considering I've played way worse linear Zelda games since 2001, I have less of a problem with it.

[Masamune]

Yeah, I'm finding myself disappointed by how confined I'm feeling in the games. Somehow I expected it to be more open? But I think you're right. Ages is the stronger game in not just design and gimmick, but even just in plot. Even just the addition of Ralph gives Ages a bit more cohesion that you don't get in Seasons. But then, I haven't got back to Seasons yet, so I could be way off. 

[SteveT]

Seasons will end up being my linked game, since I played about half of it when it was new (and it's where my baggage about the Oracles came from in the first place).  Linked game looks like it should be a good time.  It would have been nice if they used the 3DS to circumvent the need for passwords, though, but that's not how VC tends to go.

 

The linearity is definitely annoying.  Looking back, these were probably where Zelda gave up almost all illusion of non-linearity.  Sequence breaks still existed in Ocarina of Time.  Majora's Mask had none, but the side quests were a larger portion of the game than the main quest and were very open.  The Oracles, though...completely on rails.

[Showsni]

I did Ages -> Seasons when I first played them too. Maybe it's time I got them on my 3DS for a replay...

How linear was Link's Awakening? If the Oracles games borrow heavily from anywhere, then it's there. Maybe they just decided to go with the same format for familiarity's sake.

Ages is supposed to be more puzzle based whereas Seasons is more combat based, if I remember aright. Which could explain why some people prefer one over the other.

Seems like a 3DS rerelease would be the perfect oppurtunity to add back in the fabled third game in the series, right?

[SteveT]

How linear was Link's Awakening?

 

Pretty darn linear.  The structure followed:  go to new area > find key > open dungeon with a few extra scripted events here and there.  

[Veteran]

I've just downloaded these despite still having the carts. I remember going Seasons > linked Ages so I'll go the other way this time, which is what everyone seems to agree on.

I think I found the Magnet Gloves boss the worst in Seasons, and the Goron dancing infuriating in Ages. Also, Veran > Onox.

[SteveT]

Turns out, I just passed the Goron dancing.  It was fairly annoying.  There was one dance in particular where I swear the Goron is coded wrong.

[Chukchi Husky]

I never played the Oracle games before, so I took the opportunity to buy both of them at a lower price. Is there any particular order I should play the two games in? When reading on how the games linked, when I finish one game and use the code on the second, would I have to go back to the first game with the code from the second?

[Veteran]

The password you get at the end of game 1 pretty much turns game 2 into super game 2.

 

The passwords you earn in super game 2 unlock items in game 1 which (I think) give passwords to unlock those same items in super game 2.

 

 

 

I might not be the best source of information on this!

[SteveT]

Just beat Ages.  I started Seasons with a sword and an extra heart, so...hooray?

[Masamune]

Smog is the most ridiculously frustrating boss until you realize you can move the blocks around during it. And even then he's still a pain in the ass. 

[SteveT]

He was not pleasant.  You still have to decide where to put the blocks.

 

I generally liked the Ages bosses.  There were a lot of good puzzle bosses that were more complex than "spam the item you just got."  The prize for beating him is that the next dungeon is probably the best one in the game.

[TheAvengerLever]

Never have beaten these games, but I had fun playing through them all the times I've started a game. I really never get passed the first dungeons in either of the games. When I download these I'll definitely be doing Ages -- Seasons, because I've always wanted to do Seasons first in the past (maybe because it is a very loose remake of LoZ NES)

[Wolf O'Donnell]

I prefer doing Ages then Seasons myself. It just seems like more story unveils itself if you do it that way round.

[SteveT]

Strangely enough, I still don't like Seasons very much.  I really wish I could explain why.  I do kind of feel like the overworld is more of a hassle somehow, because the path-finding "puzzles" are so simplistic.

[Veteran]

The Advanced Shop being closed off is annoying. You'd think they'd have added a quick code to recognise the 3DS as a GBA.

[Masamune]

Oh, I was wondering about that. How lame for them not to think of that. 

[Veteran]

I'd forgotten about Veran's forms in the final battle. It goes: bodyswapper to hyper fairie to... tortoise? XD

[SteveT]

Beat Seasons tonight.  Ages was better, but I'm glad I finally got around to playing/beating both of these.  I never really gave them a fair shot 10 years ago.

[Masamune]

Well after getting sidetracked by other stuff, I finally went back and finished both the games. I have to concur with what has been said. Ages>Secrets makes for a much better story. That said, I ended up liking Seasons a lot more. It may have a weaker story, but I feel like the game is just set up better, has a more interesting world to explore, and feels a little more cohesive. Plus the Goron Dance wasn't required to progress in the game. That's a big plus.

 

Other than that, I have to say I have warmed up to the idea of these games being in between A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening. It makes for a cohesive saga for this particular Link.

[SteveT]

I can't tell if I should envy this Link for his awesome adventures, or pity him for his chronic homelessness.  Dude's career has spanned four different alternate dimensions.

[Chaltab]

Four different alternate dimensions? Now do you figure that? He was in The Dark World and the Windfish's Dream, but otherwise everything else took place on the prime material plane, to borrow a D&Dism.

[Veteran]

I've always thought of Holodrum and Labrynna as being in the same world as each other, but not with Hyrule. Although thinking about it I don't know why.

[Sir Turtlelot]

I've always thought of Holodrum and Labrynna as being in the same world as each other, but not with Hyrule. Although thinking about it I don't know why.

 

Probably because almost anytime something doesn't take place in Hyrule, it's almost always another world. 

[Masamune]

He traveled the fourth dimension: time.

 

Har har.