The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

Game mechanics and menus are similar to those found in Link's Awakening, also for the Game Boy. As in almost every Zelda game, you have to traverse eight dungeons and find eight key items. The harp of time is vital to your quest--it's required to manipulate events and stop Veran's rewriting of history.

Although this game is extremely enjoyable on its own, you'll want to use it in conjunction with its sister title: Oracle of Seasons. After you complete one game, you'll be given a password that lets you begin with all your items, statistics, and progress intact in the other. Certain characters will appear only by playing both games. By using a link cable, players can trade items. Game Boy Advance users will find a store that's exclusive to them.

While this is an excellent game, it might be too complicated for younger gamers or those looking for mindless fun. --Raymond M. Padilla

Pros:

• Dozens of crafty puzzles
• Great as a standalone; outstanding in conjunction with its sister game
• Nice bonuses for Game Boy Advance owners

• Lots of reused sound effects from previous Zelda games
• Longtime gamers might find the story and level design contrived
• Be prepared for many puzzle-induced headaches

Using the Harp of Ages, Link must travel through time and space to save Nayru, the eponymous prophet in Oracle of Ages, who's been kidnapped by the evil sorceress Veran. By learning new melodies to play on the harp, players will travel to the past and affect changes in the present to solve the game's varied puzzles.

In Oracle of Seasons, players help Link embark on a quest to recover the Essences of Nature. To do so, he must first find the Rod of Seasons, a magical item that lets Link transform the landscape into the season of his choice, helping him overcome obstacles and solve puzzles. Ricky the kangaroo, Moosh the winged bear, and Dimitri the dodongo accompany Link on this adventure.

(Review copyright Amazon.co.uk)