This topic is to discuss my first test run in preparing The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages & Seasons for an upcoming side Let's Play series. I'll update it periodically as I make significant progress.

I played the two once before, but it has been a long time since then, so I'm just trying to refresh my memory. At this time, I have made no decision on the order in which I will play the two games, though I am currently playing Oracle of Ages first.

As of this entry, I just finished Jabu-Jabu's Belly (7th dungeon) today.

Sorry for the temporary problem in the forum here. I accidentally only allowed "guests" to post here, instead of "members". I have since corrected it.

Ah, finished Jabu Jabu, eh? The eighth dungeon's right around the corner. I personally always LOVED the music on the path right before the dungeon. I just found it so adventurous, like the game was saying "Okay, you've gotten this far. Now we get even more epic."

Incidentally, how do you plan on handling linked game content? I would assume you would play through the second game as the linked game, but will you be showing the extra cutscenes and content from the other game as well?

I'm not sure how I would handle it. My current thought is that I would pick one, play that, then continue it into the next game. However, then I couldn't show them the other way around.

Maybe when I do more test runs, I'll create save states to show off the password stuff in the first game (whichever one that is) in some bonus episodes. I love bonus episodes.

I have the strategy guide to this game, so I can probably get you ring lists and such if you want.

Man, I loved those games. And again I must ask this question: Do you have any plans on what to do with regards to the animal buddies?

I suggest Dimitri in Seasons merely because of no Mermaid Suit :P

I think if you're using a linked game, you're stuck with whichever buddy you chose in the first game for the second game as well.

Ah, right...

I still liked Dimitri regardless, instant killing any enemy was really useful - golden monsters, likelikes, stuff in the water, etc

Actually, I could see the animal buddy for the first time being a poll on the forums... If I remember, you get a chance to try all of them before you have to pick, and as a side LP there would be time between episodes...

I would love to see an episode (or two) where you show off all three buddies, and then you could say "Well, viewers? Who do YOU think I should go with? Let me know on my forums!"

This is true in Ages, but not in Seasons, so that'd be another reason to do Ages first, if that mattered.

However, you don't really need the animal partner that much after the fourth dungeon, so it doesn't make that much of a difference.

I always pick Ricky for my animal friend, because he is very powerful, and can jump to places that you can't get to early otherwise and end up waiting half the game for.

So do i man, hes one of my favorites and i think one of the best ones(opinion)

I made it to the Ancient Tomb today. I would have made more progress, but I was really overdoing it with the Gasha Seeds. I probably won't put in so much effort during the actual LP.

I agree with you FinalInsanity, the music at the Sea of No Return is quite epic.

You hear it in Seasons too, after fixing the ship.

I rather enjoyed the Oracle games as for suggestions... I don't really have any. :P

I'm off to finish Oracle of Ages now. Wish me luck!

Finished Oracle of Ages today. Wow, that was an amazing game! I wonder why I hadn't played it in so many years. Probably too busy playing MTG at the time.

I briefly started Oracle of Seasons, just to enter my password. I love how they handled the two games linking together, and how they slightly altered the dialogue to reflect the changes. Just like a direct sequel!

IIRC, Bipin and Blossom also carry over from the first game. I really like how they added those little touches to the game. Excellent work!

have you chosen wich one your going to do 1st? i would have guess ages since you test ran that one 1st

I agree completely. Especially love how by linking them, you can fight the true final boss :3

That was my favorite feature, I only got it to work once, then the GBC's wireless feature messed up :P

You don't need a wireless feature, most people do it completely by passwords

Would you be showing off your passwords in the LP, HC? As in, would you have them available so your fans could use them for themselves if they wanted? For someone who only has one of the games, it could be a way for them to play along and see the linked stuff without having to find the other game.

Yes. My current plan would be to play one game, get the passwords and show them onscreen, then use them in the other game. I have yet to decide which one I want to play first.

I know one of the benefits to picking Seasons first is that you get a Donkey Kong inspired event in Ages.

To me anyway, Seasons was the more difficult of the two... I always played Ages first just so I could get that extra Heart Container in Seasons (IIRC, you get 4 at the beginning of a linked game) just to give myself a bit of an edge. I honestly have never played the two in reverse order- perhaps when the LP comes along I will :)

Are you going to get all of the Rings. It seems like some rings. I could never get to appear? And theyre randomly generated...

Yes, they do. I like that as well.

Anyway, I hope you're better at the game than I am, I've died like 7 or 8 times in my LP. At least you don't get penalized for dying.

Are you gonna show off anything special?

Speaking of rings... HC, there is a glitch/cheat regarding the ring sharing password. If you change a single letter/number/symbol (preferrably one at the end) to another letter/number/symbol, the game often still accepts it and gives you a/some free rings. You can repeat this for a lot of free/rare rings. It's a cheap trick, but maybe you could show it off?

I made it through the Gnarled Root dungeon today and down to Subrosia. Gee... how many Star Wars references can I make there?

Give me an example. You mean like Jawas or calling it a "wretched hive of scum and villainy" or something like that?

The Subrosians totally looked like the Jawas. Let's throw in some more Spaceballs references while I'm at it. Have I referenced that movie too much? ...Nah, couldn't be.

On a side note, is there anything the Emperor says in ROTJ that isn't quotable? He doesn't seem to have ANY mundane lines.

Well maybe, "Go out to the command ship and await my orders." That's all I can think of.

The real question is how many Zelda 1 referances did you see?

Yeah, maybe it's just me, but Seasons seems to have more Zelda 1 references than Ages.

Like in the Snake's Remains (Dungeon #2) that I got through today. This is a perfect example of how to make new games.

If you're going to continue with the same series, then don't re-invent the wheel. Take the same tried-and-true formula, mix it up a little bit, refine it, make some new puzzles, add some new items, and go with it.

Like the bosses in the dungeon. They took the Facade boss from Awakening and put a new twist on it to make it slightly more challenging. The same with the Dodongo boss. Nothing too fancy.

Of course, I expect it to get more complex and challenging as it goes along.

and obviously the first dungeon counts too. They took Aquamentus from the first game, then gave it some extra skills. There is an old man with nearly-useless info for everyone who played a Zelda game before, and there are some boomerang-wielding Goriah (i think that's what they're called?). They don't drop the boomerang though, but i think it still counts seeing as they can be quite challegning for a first-timer who doesn't expect their fast ranged attacks. Ididn't expect them T_T

If I remember correctly, just about every single one of the dungeon bosses in Seasons is a revamp of a boss from Zelda 1.

Wasn't the Aquamentus also in the... eastmost peninsula?

I decided to give Seasons more time today and made it through the Poison Moth's Lair (#3). By the way, the boss was Mothula from Link to the Past.

I love the password system between the two games. I missed the Fairy's Secret earlier and didn't get my first ones until now. I especially love how the two games interact with each other. It's like a myriad of cameos.

I've become strongly motivated to crank this one out. What I would like to do is finish Seasons, then take a little break to do some actual research on the two games, while upgrading FF9 to top priority. This would also help me put in more time on DW4. I'll just play Disgaea while I'm compressing videos or have a lot of free time then.

I presume for your second test runs you'll do Seasons first and THEN link to Ages, right?

Yeah. I'll create my own notes for a Seasons>Ages run, then another for another Ages>Seasons run.

What I would like to do is to create enough save states of each, so that I can show off all the secrets from both, without having to do two full Let's Plays like that. In the end, I'll only actually do one full run for the LP.