Early this morning, The Legend of Zelda series producer, Eiji Aonuma, put out some exciting news for western gamers on the Wii U Miiverse. It seems that Nintendo will be releasing the Zelda classics, The Oracle of Seasons and The Oracle of Ages on the 3DS eShop before summer.
Released in 2001, the Oracle games offered a unique experience to the Zelda franchise. The pair of games offered separate, but connected storylines which could be played in either order. After finishing one game, players were given a password which they could enter into the other to continue their story, and unlock the true ending after completing the second game. The games also offered mechanics and items exclusive to each adventure. In Seasons, Link acquires the Rod of Seasons, which would allow him to freely cycle through the four seasons, allowing him to solve puzzles and reach previously blocked off areas. In Ages, Link uses the Harp of Ages to travel between two distinct time periods.
Additionally, certain items will undergo transformations in each game, such as the classic Roc’s Feather, which can be upgraded to Roc’s Cape in Seasons to allow access to even more areas.
Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages have been available in Japan since February 27, so it’s nice that western fans will be able to enjoy the games again, or maybe for the first time, in the next few months.