Oracle Of Seasons/Ages OoSeasons & OoAges ???'s

[Kody7]

Alright I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to these particular titles, so I was hoping to get some clarity about the differences in these two games. One of the biggest questions is if the story and world the exact same in both? Is the difference just the absence of puzzles in ages? Or are they two different worlds with different stories but one being more puzzle based than the other? If that's the Case then I'd rather just buy seasons. Any help here is apriciated. Thanks

 

[A Link In Time]

I think you've got it slightly mixed up. OoS focuses more on action whereas OoA focuses more on puzzles. The dungeons and bosses of each game are very distinct and the true ending awaits when the password from beating one game is entered into the other. OoS utilizes a rod that changes seasons as its main item and OoA uses a harp that allows you to travel in time. From a uniqueness, standpoint OoS is slightly better than OoA.

 

[Fred Flintstone]

I know nothing of OoA but I found many puzzles in OoS. I need to get/find a copy of OoA *sigh*

 

[MikauIncarnate]

I think both have plenty of action and puzzles. Personally, I like Ages better, but maybe that's just because I used less walkthrough there (only to figure out how to start the trading sequence and bosses.) For me it seems like Ages is just more expansive of an overworlds. I didn't really like the way Seasons was set up with subrosia and only being able to get there by portals. But Ages had portals too. So IDK why I like it better.

 

[Blazestarre]

Both games are required if you want the real ending. However, I have only played OoA and still had a fun experience.

From what I understand, the games focus on the two most important aspects of Zelda. OoS focuses more on action and OoA is more puzzle-oriented. OoS, I believe, has a larger overworld and you control the seasons to progress through the game. It also, apparently, has a lot of the same bosses as the original Zelda. OoA, on the other hand, is based on time-travel. You travel to the past to change the future, which ultimately opens up more of the map. Again, it's heavily puzzle-based and bosses seem to be based on that more than action.

When it comes to story, both games revolve around saving each games' respective Oracle. According to what I've read, OoA has a slightly more complex story, but like I said before, you need both games to see the true ending. OoS seems to be more popular than OoA, but both are excellent games that are worth getting.

 

[Ganondork]

Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages are far from the same in many regards. Both obviously take gameplay features from Link's Awakening, but that's about it. Oracle of Seasons is more action-oriented though. If you're looking for harder boss fights and enemies, I suggest Oracle of Seasons. My Oracle of Seasons death count is particularly high; nearly up there with my Legend of Zelda. I do believe my first total death count was 107, about double that of my first run through of A Link to the Past.

But Oracle of Ages is very reliant on puzzles. Some of the puzzles are actually very difficult and unique to this game. There have been that I've never seen in another Zelda game, and took me a very long time to figure out how to get past them. I finished Oracle of Ages relatively quickly last year, but only because I had a guide right next to me the entire time. If you don't plan on using a guide and you want a bit of a brain challenge, I greatly suggest Oracle of Ages.

Now, as stories go, they are interconnected. The only way to experience the entire story is to complete one, transfer a code into the other and then finish that one. You get to fight Twinrova, Ganon, and meet Princess Zelda in the "linked" game. It's not possible to experience everything the game has to offer if you just play the two separately; there are subtle differences in the linked game.

The lands are also very different. Holodrum is more land-oriented I think you could say. There's very little travel by water; most swimming is just a small lake or other body of water, not an ocean like in Labrynna. Holodrum also houses the underground land of Subrosia. This land is impossible to access in Oracle of Ages. Oracle of Ages has an entire ocean-like body of water that consists of multiple islands and an underwater Zora village.

Overall I think both are great in their own ways, personally I enjoy Oracle of Seasons far more, but I recommend you buy both because I got hours of fun with the two.

 

[Kody7]

Well thanks everyone for the input. I decided I should just buy both. I bought both oracles and original links awakening for 40 bucks. Hope that was a good deal. Now I just need minish cap.

 

[Seth]

Good job on getting both, the Oracles are the most underrated games in the Zelda series IMO. They are truly amazing, masterpieces for the GB. You'll love them!