So last review we went over the sister game of this game. Or brother game, whatever you prefer. I gave the Oracle Of Ages game a very high score. But is this game worthy of the same praise? It was released on the same day, but that could make it flawed and feel very rushed. Well, for that you will need to stick around at the end of the review to get your answer. One thing I already can tell you, the game is pretty neat. But now I will dive into this game. The game that you need to play after Oracle of Ages, or before. It’s not that I’m trying to write this intro as long as the image for making it visually more interesting to read. Okay, I might be just doing that. So, enough rambling about the intro here and let’s dive into this game and check if it’s actually good or not. Maybe I lied earlier in the introduction, who knows?
Dancing on a tree stump
In this game’s story you aren’t left alone. The introduction of the game is the same as the Oracle Of Ages game, you start by riding your trusty horse Epona. (Dirty minds aren’t my problem.) So, now the first people you meet actually claim that Din saved you. Which is strange, since they let you rot two screens away in the bushes.
In the other game you talk to animals which doesn’t get explained, but who cares, it’s an adventure game. In this game, the problems pop up way sooner as Din is kidnapped. To be fair, this game has a great story. It might be your standard “rescue the kidnapped damsel in distress” but it has a twist in this game.
What’s pretty neat in this game is that you can change the seasons once you have the season staff. A concept I liked over the Ages game.
The story is now about a sleepy tree that aids you on your quest. Lucky for us, the tree doesn’t want to marry us. As you don’t receive the blade right away, it’s obvious that this game has fewer puzzles and more action. Yes, the Oracle games have split the Zelda formula in half. This is the more action game. As the other Oracle game, this game has also a 2nd dimension. It’s smaller, but it does the trick. I even dare to say that this game’s world is bigger than the ages game.
Overdoing Link’s clothing
In the other dimension, the characters look like they are fans of Link. They all wear a green tunic, but in overdrive.
And this brings us to a disappointing point of the game, the bosses and some characters are and feel borrowed from previous games. As it’s an awesome nod to the older games, it makes the game feel a tad bit creative. There is certainly missed potential with remaking the bosses of the older games.
Yet, to be fair, the animation is great in this game. I really enjoyed the animation in this game, and it really pulled me in this game. Also, the graphics are extremely well done. How fast you can move through the seasons is better compared against the longer time travel animation of the Ages game.
The worlds look colorful, and white in the winter, and lively. The game has multiple chase quests that can get frustrating because of the limitations of the Game Boy.
It still is impressive how the code linking works. If you named the child in the Ages game, the child will be here in the Seasons game. Like in the Ages game, there is also a trade quest, with the same pay-off. Play it to check it out.
Hair pulling
The game is difficult. No doubt about that. You won’t go through this game in one sitting. The controls are pretty tight and if you die, it’s your fault. Even the jumping is less annoying the in the Ages game.
The items are actually creative. It still has the same gameplay as all the other Zelda portable games but like I said in my previous reviews, it’s extremely well implemented. But back on the subject of the items. You have great items, some Ages game, that you get to aid you in your quest. This game might be more difficult than Ages in terms of action, but the puzzles in this game can be pretty hair pulling sometimes.
The biggest hair pulling moment is where you need to fight Onox. The final boss is extremely difficult because you need to use your spin attack, which is difficult to pull off since he uses Din as a shield. With Veran in Ages I had less trouble. The challenge is still pretty fair and after some practice you get the pattern down, and you’ll be able to defeat him.
The last thing but not least, are the music and the sound effects. Like in Oracle of Ages, the sound effects are pretty standard. But the music is still pretty amazing. I extremely enjoy the music and really sets the mood. It’s really upbeat, and the melodies sometimes kept stuck in my head for days on end.
Oh, before I forgot. In the Ages game you were able to select the track you wanted easily. Not here, if you want the right season, it’s using the staff on a tree stump and hoping it goes to the right season. Little annoying though.
Conclusion
The good:
+ Challenges everywhere.
+ Nice animation.
+ Extremely well done music.
+ Great story.
+ Unique items.
The bad:
– Sound effects are pretty mediocre.
– The seasons should be better selectable.
– The chase missions.
– Missed opportunity with the final bosses.
Conclusion:
Do I truly need to repeat myself? This game is extremely well done but is a bit weaker than the Ages game. The game world is pretty big, so this game will least you quite a while. I seriously enjoyed this game and I replay it often. I missed the moments where I was able to explore the game for the very first time since then the game is the most fun.
Score: 97/100
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