As hardcore as a Zelda game can be
Fortunately this time around the result was much better. We ended up getting two brilliant Zelda games that showcase why the series has such a high status among the gaming community and that prove Zelda games are epic adventures, it doesn't matter whether you are playing them on your big TV screen while sitting on your living room or on a handheld system whose screen would look way too small to fit such a big game.
Oracle of Ages is one of those two games. The tale starts when Link is summoned by the Triforce that is currently kept on a temple of Hyrule, when Link arrives at his destination he approaches the Triforce and is suddenly transported to a forest located in Labrynna, a land that has some of the most incredible scenarios that have already been shown on a Zelda game. Once he gets to this land he finds Impa, Princess Zelda's assistant, and she asks for the hero's aid in order to find Nayru who is the Oracle of Ages.
After some exploring Nayru is found and Impa suddenly transforms into Veran, an evil sorceress that possesses Nayru's body. By doing that Veran gains control over time and goes to the past. Link must stop her plans by traveling through time and visiting places in the past and present in order to save the land from destruction. The storyline may not be as bright as the plots found on other Zelda games but this fact doesn't really harm the game to a serious degree.
Time travelling had already been used previously on some Zelda games but despite that the game presents some very interesting environmental puzzles. While trying to reach one of the game's eight dungeons you will have to explore both the past and present in order to have a good idea of what is the problem that needs to be solved. Usually by doing something in the past you will be able to change the destiny of some characters, or even alter the landscape, which will allow you to solve very nice puzzles. Due to that the player will have to do some serious investigation before reaching a dungeon and this is mainly what makes the game work so nicely. The main plot may not be so strong but within your adventure you will come across Zoras, Gorons and other creatures that have been affected by Veran's wrath.
The eight dungeons are overflowing with creativity and have some of the most impressive riddles in Zelda history. Their overall design will remind old-school players of A Link to the Past but it feels like the true inspiration of the game was the original Zelda. Perhaps that is the impression one gets due to some of the tunes that are used during gameplay or because of the side-scrolling sections that add a few platforming elements to the game. Each dungeon is lengthy and very challenging, as usual you will come across a main item in each one of them which will probably be used in most of the puzzles and on boss battles that are really amazing.
The land of Labrynna has a vast array of locations such as mountains, forests, oceans, small villages, volcanoes and caves, exploring them carefully will probably lead you to many side quests and cool mini-games that are quite fun and offer great prizes to those who are willing to master them. The graphics are incredible when compared to other Gameboy Color titles and the colors used to give life to Labrynna are really good. Some of the sound effects are also good but unfortunately some of the songs that sound like simple beeps used in the game could have had its production improved.
The game has tons of replay value as it can be connected to Oracle of Seasons using a password system, once you finish one of the games you will receive a password that when entered on the other game will allow you to play it as a sequel to the one from which you got the code. By doing that you will have many surprises along the way as the storyline will change and some characters that are found in the two games will remember you and your name.
Overall Oracle of Ages is as good as a handheld Zelda game can be. The time travelling concept had already been used twice in the series but nevertheless producers managed to create very creative sections, the best parts of the game, using it. Ages is a challenging and long game that will demand many hours of gameplay besides heavy exploration and puzzle solving. Hardcore fans that miss the days one could actually get killed inside a dungeon will feel as if their dreams have finally come true.
Actual Score: 9.6