The lands of Labrynna and Holodrum cry out for a saviour.
The forces of evil are gaining power.
The Triforce summons you.

As Link, take up your sword once more to determine the fate of two worlds, in the Game Boy Colour classics. Wield the powers of the Oracles to traverse time and control the seasons. And link your quests to reveal the hidden truth in an epic meta-adventure that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Primary Discussion Begins on page 3!
Heroes of Power
(Complete Oracle of Seasons)
nate38
TriforceBun
DrFinkelstein
Shadowlink
ludist210
NinSage
Zero

Heroes of Wisdom
(Complete Oracle of Ages)
Rebonack
Shadowlink
nate38
TheOldManFromZelda
NinSage
Super_Conzo
DrFinkelstein


Heroes of Courage
(Complete the linked ending to both games)
Shadowlink
nate38
NinSage
DrFinkelstein

Dumb question, but will the digital copies know to be linked to each other? I'm assuming yes, otherwise why would they offer them this way, amirite?

@TheOldManFromZelda

Honestly, I don't know. (I'll find out when they go up in a few hours).

I'm guessing possibly not. That'd require extra work on Nintendo's part, and they can be lazy with this stuff. Probably just the usual rom dump, and you'll have to use the manual passwords like the old days.

On the plus side, they're usually pretty short. 5 characters for the little things, and I think 15 characters or so for the New Linked Game one. Not like the 28 PAGE monstrosity I spent a full hour transcribing for Golden Sun 2. Ugh.

@Shadowlink

Fixed!

So how exactly does the linked ending work? Do I beat one, then beat the other, the use a password to link the two together?

@ludist210

From memory, you beat one game and it gives you a password. When you start up the second game you have the option of putting the password in, which starts a linked version of that game- Sort of a New Game+ . As you play through the second title, you'll encounter some extra stuff that you wouldn't have seen in a 'clean' file. (Which means, if you were so inclined, you can actually play 'clean' Ages, followed by 'linked' Seasons...and then replay in the reverse order to experience the 'clean' Seasons followed by the 'linked' Ages- four separate game experiences, not two! ).

When you beat the second game, the linked ending becomes accessible.

Ok i'm gonna start with Ages. GERONIMO!!!

@Shadowlink

Okay, easy enough. I was worried I would have to start one, then quickly link to another, then link back to the first, etc.

@ludist210

There will be a bit of linking back and forth in the second game, but that's all optional stuff. You'll see what I mean when you get to it. The main link itself, is pretty straightforward.


UPDATE: Just checked the digital manual that comes with the game and checked the linking section. It specifically states that the Game Link function is NOT compatible with this version of the game. Pretty much what I suspected unfortunately. Manual passwords it is. No biggie.

Here's a question. Can I use a password from the old cartridge for Ages on the download version for Seasons? Vice versa? If its just a rom dump as hypothesized I would assume the answer is yes.

@Shadowlink

Ah okay, so it will at least let me know when to use the links and I don't have to guess. I'm okay with that.

Guess I'll use the notes app to write down my passwords...

@legendofalex

I don't see why not.

@legendofalex Definitely. While I never beat it this way, I once used a password from Seasons that I found online to play Ages.

I guess the game likely won't include the GBA shop either. I forget if there was anything worthwhile in there, but I know they may have had a couple of different rings.

@PogueSquadron - Yeah, the GBA shop's only truly unique items were two rings (one for Ages and one for Seasons) that were just trophy rings. They didn't actually do anything. It additionally sold one random ring and a Gasha seed, I believe. Nothing that can't be found elsewhere in the games.

Got my copy(ies)! I'll be playing through Ages first, then Seasons, then linking them together to see how it all ends.

Picked up my games! I really enjoy these titles--they're my favorite Flagship Zeldas, but I still prefer LA. I also like Seasons more than Ages, to be honest.

Regarding the playthrough order, keep in mind that there's a completely inaccessible square of the map in Ages that can ONLY be explored ("revealed") by playing Seasons first, then Ages.

@V_s

You know, that sort of bothers me that it's impossible to truly get 100% on the digital versions then.

...Unless someone can confirm if the GBA shops DO work...?

@TriforceBun

Good stuff. I was planning to go with seasons first.

@TriforceBun

Thanks for the heads up. Guess I'll start trekking through Seasons first then.

@TriforceBun

Bah, I already started with Ages. Oh well.

@TriforceBun - I never knew that about the inaccessible space in Ages. I played Ages first on my first playthrough because everything pointed towards the proper order being Seasons -> Ages, and I wanted to see what happened when you didn't play them in that order.

On my second playthrough, I never finished Seasons to do the Ages linked game. I may try to get back to that eventually.

Regarding the 100% thing, yeah, it's a bit of a bummer, but I always give myself slack for things like that. For example, I've only once linked Metroid Fusion up to Metroid Prime to get the "Fusion Suit" in Prime... I don't do it every time I replay Prime, even when playing for 100%. For some little aesthetic thing, especially one that requires unnecessary hardware, skipping it rarely bothers me too much.

@V_s

I actually do remember the space in Ages! Well I remember a space somewhere. Thought the map design just panned out that way. I didn't realise (or remember) that you could actually access it by going Seasons > Ages.

Was there anything good there T-Bun?

The space itself didn't hold anything particularly special. I think it was a Ring, but not like a rare one-of-a-kind Ring or anything; it was definitely something you could get elsewhere, at any rate.

Anyone tried entering the GBA shop yet?