BATTLE SYSTEM INTERACTION ORIGINALITY STORY MUSIC & SOUND VISUALS CHALLENGE Easy COMPLETION TIME 10-20 Hours OVERALL 3.0/5.0 Rating definitions

   For many owners of the Nintendo 64, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, which some consider one of the greatest games ever, and its sequel, Majora's Mask, served as oases in the desert wasteland that was the system's RPG selection. Though both 3-D titles marked a significant evolution in the series, it was not the end for 2-D installments of the franchise, as Nintendo, with a little help from Capcom, produced a pair of linked Zeldas for the Gameboy Color in 2001, among them being The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, which proves to be one of the series' more average titles, despite its strong points.

Yeah, singing should be left to the experts.

   Combat, though, still has as much shine as it did in Link's Awakening. Battles are largely the same as they were in that title: the player assigns tools to the A and B buttons, among the most basic being Link's sword and shield. Link, thankfully, still has his handy charge-and-swirl attack, and his shield, when held out, can null most damage. There are some different tools this time around, such as a seed shooter, which Link can use--you guessed it--to shoot various kinds of seeds. He can also use seeds without the shooter for effects such as increased movement speed. Another difference from Link's Awakening is that the player can find various rings across the world to be appraised at a special shop and which Link can equip, one at a time, for effects such as protection from electric damage. As with before, though, combat in cramped quarters can be a bit tedious, although bosses still require the same degree of strategy as they do in the other Zeldas, and overall, combat works out nicely.

   Interaction, though, certainly could've used a bit of improvement. While the menus are easy to navigate, and you can save your game anywhere, it might've been nice to be able to view either time period's map instead of having to be in one period just to view its map, though they conveniently show which areas you haven't visited. Many of the minigames required to advance the game, moreover, are downright irritating, and it can be easy to lose yourself in a few of the dungeons (not to mention either time period), although most puzzles aren't too bad. Overall, interaction is passable.

   Oracle of Ages, more or less, is a rehash of concepts from the other Zeldas, what with things such as two worlds to explore (and time travel certainly won't win points for originality), the two-tool battle system returning from Link's Awakening, albeit with a few different tools, and so forth.

   The story, as usual, takes a backseat to the gameplay, with only meager dialogues once in a while and no more depth than the other games in the series, although there are some apparent links to Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask (with the Goron and Zora races making appearances, no less), yet once again, as I've said before, the lack of any official Zelda timeline hurts the series.

People like *her*!

   The music and sound, though, are pretty nice for a Gameboy Color game, with the latter, as in Link's Awakening, being quite diverse and fitting, albeit with some minor exceptions. The soundtrack's nice, as well, despite a few rehashed tunes from Link's Awakening, and in the end, the game's aural quality is one of its high points.

   While judging the visual quality of Gameboy Color games can undoubtedly be tedious, the graphics nonetheless have their own charm. They're largely the same as they were in Link's Awakening, with diverse, sometimes odd, hues, that still fit the game's mood, and sprites that could've used a bit more detail. Environments, though, contain decent design, and some anime shows up occasionally. In the end, the graphics are more than acceptable for a Gameboy Color title.

   Finally, Oracle of Ages is moderately easy, and can take anywhere from ten to twenty hours to complete.

   In the end, Oracle of Ages is an enjoyable, albeit occasionally frustrating, addition to Nintendo's revered franchise. It's not the best Zelda of all, but it's certainly not the worst, either, and might just be worth a look if you happen to stumble upon it in a used games bin, on eBay, or anywhere else.