Two of the Best Zelda Games Just Got Added to the Switch

Every month or so, Nintendo adds some new retro games to its Nintendo Switch Online service. Sometimes it’s a couple Super Nintendo games, sometimes it’s a Nintendo 64 game, and sometimes it’s even a Sega Genesis game. This month, it’s a couple of Game Boy games — and they’re some of the best Zelda games ever.

Nintendo shadow dropped two Zelda games onto the Nintendo Switch Online - Game Boy app earlier today: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. These two games were developed in tandem by Flagship, a subsidiary of Capcom, and released in 2001.

Capcom would later go on to develop The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap for the Game Boy Advance, another incredible game. Many of the fantastic features in The Minish Cap had their seeds planted in the Oracle games, and some of those features would eventually become series staples.

That’s not too surprising though, given who directed the Oracle games: Hidemaro Fujibayashi. Fujibayashi eventually moved from Capcom over to Nintendo to continue work on Zelda games, directing Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom. Fujibayashi’s impact on the series can’t be overstated, and it all starts with the Oracle games.

So what are they? Well, despite what some people think about the Oracle games, they’re not exactly two versions of the same game like Pokemon duos are. Instead, they’re kind of like two sides of the same coin, two separate stories that act as sequels to each other.

Oracle of Ages has you interacting with the goddess Nayru, who holds the power over time. Its main gimmick is switching between to different time periods, one in the present and one in the past. Events that take place in the past end up influencing events in the future, kind of like Ocarina of Time, and there’s a nice level of environmental puzzle solving involved.

Oracle of Seasons, on the other hand, has you working with the goddess Din, whose powers let her control the seasons and weather on a whim. The world changes depending on the season, with Winter freezing over rivers and lakes, and Spring growing vines that can be climbed up. It’s a little slower in its storytelling, but it’s a nice change of pace after Oracle of Ages (just in case you’re wondering what order is best to play them in).

What’s cool about the Oracle games is that, upon completing one, you get given a special password that can be used in the other. This changes a few things, including some dialogue, gives access to more weapon upgrades, and makes the second one into a sequel to the first. It’s a very clever system, and it’s never really been revisited, making the Oracle games some of the most unique and interesting games in the series.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons are available to play now for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.