Legend of Zelda, The - Oracle of Ages (USA / Australia)
Game Boy Color
🇬🇧
Reviewed in 2001
91
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✪ Reviewed on January 26, 2023
85
A masterful GBC adventure where Link hops between the past and present of Labrynna to free the sage Nayru. Dungeons built around time travel, inspired puzzles and a link with Oracle of Seasons unlocking the true ending. Top tier portable Zelda.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player7+
Description
Link explores the land of Labrynna and travels through time to rescue the sage Nayru captured by the sorceress Veran in this GBC Zelda entry. Published by Nintendo, released in Europe in October 2001. Time travel between past and present to solve temporal puzzles, ingenious dungeons, link with Oracle of Seasons to unlock the secret ending. Multilingual version.
Legend of Zelda, The - Oracle of Ages review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
A profusion of detail and dazzling colours: every screen of Labrynna looks like a vignette chiselled with love. The back-and-forth between past and present transforms the scenery before your eyes, playing on hues and the passing of time. This graphic richness, dense and polished, marks the peak of handheld pixel art.
Through the time travels of Labrynna, the music alternates luminous present-day themes and veiled echoes of the past with rare finesse. The melodies, lively and memorable, underline the puzzles and exploration without ever tiring. This sonic richness, polished even on the handheld's chip, elevates the adventure.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Travelling between past and present turns every screen into a brain-teaser: altering one era to unlock the other demands constant thought and observation. The emphasis on puzzles makes for an adventure more cerebral than frantic, with remarkably tight logic. The crystal-clear handling hasn't budged, and the whole still ranks among the peaks of portable Zelda.
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Traveling between past and present to reshape the world and unlock the next passage turns each puzzle into a small, gleeful click. Items to track down, secrets linked from one era to the other and devious dungeons constantly hand you a new knot to untie. More cerebral than its twin, this entry rewards curiosity and keeps an intact power to engross.
The time-travel half of the duology developed by Flagship under Capcom supervision, shipped just weeks before the GBA launch. Its collector appeal hinges on the password system that wires the cartridge to Oracle of Seasons and only unlocks the full ending when both games are owned, encouraging paired purchases. The European October 2001 pressings, later and printed in tighter numbers than the US copies, are the most sought-after target for PAL enthusiasts.
Memorable bosses
Leaning more toward puzzles, this entry's guardians often demand you exploit time travel to expose their weak spot, from the wraith Smog to the sorceress Veran. Each encounter is solved as much by wit as by sword, carrying the dungeon's riddles right into the fight. This cunning logic, backed by memorable themes, gives the battles a cerebral flavor rare on a handheld.
A cult cover
Dominated by deep blues, the cover places Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, and the Harp of Ages at the heart of a mystical composition. Link stands against the echoes of past and future, while swirling motifs evoke the time travel woven through the adventure. This cold, enigmatic key sets apart the puzzle-leaning half of the Oracle duo.
Is Legend of Zelda, The - Oracle of Ages still worth playing in 2026?
More puzzle leaning than its twin Oracle of Seasons, this adventure makes Link's hops between past and present Labrynna pay off with remarkable rigor. Each dungeon owns a clear idea pushed all the way to its conclusion, and the difficulty curve climbs without frustration. The password link with Oracle of Seasons remains one of the finest crossover mechanics Nintendo ever built and unlocks a genuinely expanded ending. For anyone who loves dense, cerebral portable Zelda, a high point of the Game Boy Color library.
