The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons are now available for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, via the Game Boy app. We can independently confirm the games are now available to download and play, as an update.
Both games were made by Flagship, an independent game studio that was funded by and made games for three big Japanese game companies, namely, Nintendo, Capcom, and Sega.
As the story goes, Flagship founder Yoshiki Okamoto approached Shigeru Miyamoto about remaking the original The Legend of Zelda for the Game Boy Color, and then making sequels if it was successful.
After Nintendo gave their OK to this project, Flagship made a huge mistake. They decided to skip the remake and make an entirely new The Legend of Zelda game. Then, instead of working on the gameplay first, they tried to make a scenario and make the game around it.
After they failed to scale the project properly, Okamoto approached Miyamoto for help. Zelda’s creator proposed they make three games based on the three pieces of the Triforce. Flagship would then be able to move forward, but later cancelled one of those games, to make the Oracle games we know today.
The Oracle of Ages is Nayru, the Oracle of Seasons is Din. Both Oracles are damseled in their respective games, as part of a scheme to resurrect Ganondorf.
Both Oracle games released on all regions on the same date in 2001. Interestingly enough, both turned out to be commercial and critical successes, with IGN reviewer Chris Carle referring to them as the best games ever made for the Game Boy Color.
As the storylines of the two games are interconnected, they also have a feature unique to The Legend of Zelda franchise. You can connect the games themselves to each other. In fact, doing so was necessary so that you can unlock the true ending.
But before you get too excited, this connection was more primitive than you may think. Basically, both games gave you passwords that you had to enter in the other game to change the events in each game, and lead you to the true ending.
On the upside, you just need to look up those passwords online and you can move forward on each game just as easily as you could have 20 years ago. On the Nintendo Switch Game Boy app, you can literally switch between each game and see where the story goes at your discretion.
It does make one wonder why The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening got a remake but these two were passed over. Maybe Nintendo could consider giving them each updated remakes as well. You can watch the official Nintendo Switch Online trailer below:
