The Legend of Zeldafranchise includes some of the most iconic video games of all time. Throughout those titles, players have witnessed Link embark on adventures in time, on the open sea, and even between the second and third dimensions. EachZeldagame is unique, but only a select few were developed by Capcom instead of Nintendo, and of these,The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of AgesandThe Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasonsstand out. Now is the perfect time for these titles to get a remake.
For those who never had a chance to play these games,Oracle of AgesandOracle of Seasonswere released for the Game Boy Color in early 2001. Utilizing an art style similar toA Link to the PastandLink’s Awakening, these titles are often overlooked byZeldagames released for home consoles. The 2019 remake ofLink’s Awakeningproved that the Switch is versatile enough to capture thecharm of handheldZeldagames, however, and theOracleduology would be the perfect remake to hold fans over untilBreath of the Wild 2.
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The Legend of Zelda: Oracle Duology’s Development Background
The development of these games began with a pitch from Yoshiki Okamoto, who in recent years found great success developingMonster Strikefor mobile devices. Okamoto, then head of Capcom subsidiary Flagship, approachedShigeru Miyamotowith the intent of remaking the originalLegend of Zelda. In response to this pitch, Nintendo asked the studio to make a total of six games, but this eventually turned into making three interconnected games. With Miyamoto’s guidance, Flagship decided to cut the third title to focus on the duology as it is known today.
The result was twoGame Boy Colortitles with gameplay similar toLink’s Awakening.Seasonsfocuses primarily on combat and player dexterity whileAgesfocuses on puzzle-solving. Players with access to both games could link the two using Nintendo’s game link cable and unlock a new ending. While tempting to think of these games as identical, the twoOracle of AgesandOracle of Seasonsboth present unique experiences; the items, world maps, and dungeon layouts are all mutually exclusive, and many of the characters in these games only appear in one version.
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What Makes Oracle of Seasons and Ages So Unique
AgesandSeasonsdifferentiate themselves not only from each other but from the series as a whole. In this way, the influence of Okamoto’s studio can be felt. Much likeLink’s Awakeningbefore them,SeasonsandAgestake place outside of Hyrule, and many characters who appear in the games are absent from other entries in the series. Some characters fromOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Maskare present, but the art style’s reinterpretation gives them a fresh look. The games also feature a mechanic unseen in otherZeldatitles: players are able to collect and wear various rings to modify their abilities. Rings are tradeable betweenOracle of AgesandOracle of Seasons, and some are only attainable by linking two Game Boy Colors.
TheOracleduology’s placement in Nintendo’s official timeline is relatively straightforward. Taking place betweenA Link to the PastandLink’s Awakening–the titles whose gameplay is closest toAgesandSeasons–these entries are rooted squarely in what has been referred to as the “Dark Timeline.” That is to say,Oracle of AgesandOracle of Seasonstake place after the timeline split that occurs if Link is defeated by Ganondorf inOcarina of Time.In this regard, they are predecessors to the originalLegend of Zeldaand its sequel,Link’s Adventure. Of course, the official timeline is somewhat of a retcon. Series producer Eiji Aonuma has even said that Nintendo deliberately leftBreath of the Wildout of the timeline to make it more fun for players to speculate.
The Perfect Time for Another Zelda Remake
Zelda’spast may be perfectly clear in the official timeline, butZelda’simmediate future is anyone’s guess. Fans haven’t been able to play an original title sinceBreath of the Wildreleased in 2017. TheHyrule Warriorsseries, entertaining in its own right, features gameplay totally different from the mainlineZeldagames. WithBreath of the Wild 2delayed to sometime next year, now would be the perfect time for a remake ofOracle of AgesandOracle of Ages—especially because 2022 could mean December at this point. TheOracleduology did receive a rerelease on the Nintendo 3DS’s Virtual Console in 2013, but there are many aspects that make it a good candidate for remaking.
The games' menu system probably has the most room for improvement. Limited by the Gameboy Color’s two-button input,AgesandSeasonsrequires players to open the pause menu to switch between items. Players are forced to open the menu frequently since the game requires them to use a variety of different items when solving puzzles or fighting enemies.Link’s Awakeningsuffered from similar design shortcomings, and Grezzo was able to remedy it in their Switch remake. TheOraclegames could take those improvements one step further, though, by incorporating analog movement like that seen inA Link Between Worlds.
The Likelihood of an Oracle of Ages/Oracle of Seasons Remake
A remake seems even more appropriate given that many other entries in the series have been updated in some form or another. FromLink’s Awakeningon the Switch toOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Maskon the 3DS, it seems like theOracleduology is one of the fewZeldatitles stuck on old hardware. The Switch’s internals, as lacking as they are, doesn’t seem like it would struggle to handle such a remake;Skyward Sword’sHD rerelease launches this month and is the first WiiZeldagame to rerelease on the Switch. As it is, though, there are no signs that Nintendo is considering remaking theOraclegames.
What’s more, the fact that these games were developed by Capcom could complicate things.Oracle of AgesandOracle of Seasonswere rereleased on the 3DS seemingly without issue, but a remake could be another story. Whether or not Nintendo is willing to spare the resources to make such a remake happen is also iffy. Development cycles were muddled bylast year’s Covid-19 pandemic, and Nintendo is likely focusing on meeting next year’s release date forBreath of the Wild 2.
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