The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons & Ages for the GBC

Upon the new era for handheld video games, Nintendo started thinking of new ways to advance the techology of gaming. From the success of Pokemon Red and Blue, for the GameBoy, and their trading through link cables, Nintendo, with the help from Capcom, they created a Legend of Zelda set of games with that trade feature included. Seasons and Ages, a set of games that makes it impossible to get a 100% completion without using both games and trading between them, was the first and only set of Zelda games (Meaning that the two games are two halves of one whole game). Seasons & Ages were both released in 2001 for only the GameBoy Color, at the exact same day. If Nintendo didn't release them at the same time, the trade feature would not have any use (Just like the Pokemon games).

FUN: Let's face it... Zelda games are always fun and entertaining. When it comes to Seasons & Ages, two different stories, both with different bosses, characters, maps, dungeons, and overall completely different games, are not fully complete and satisfying unless you play both and trade between them. Both games feel like they are complete games, until you beat the game once. There you find out that you can connect the two games via passwords you get when you beat each game the first time around. FUN - 1.5.

REPLAY: For once, there are games from the Zelda Series that actually have some replay value. Seasons & Ages have a New Game + feature that only works if you or a friend had already beaten one of the two games. When you beat Seasons or Ages for the first time, you are given a password that you have to give to someone who has beaten the other game. For example, if I just defeated Seasons and recieved the password, I would need to give the password to someone who just defeated Ages and visa versa. When you type the password from the partner game into yours, you will earn you the New Game + feature. That feature will give you new items and a special dungeon. The game may be the same exact game you just beat, but certain items (Like your sword, shield, bomb bag, seed bag, etc.) that you could only level up to level 2, now can be upgraded up to level 3. A level 3 shield equals the Mirror Shield in Ocarina of Time or maybe Link's Awakening. The shield will reflex certain attacks. The Special Dungeons are the most difficult dungeon in the two games. If memory serves me correctly, at the end of those dungeons will give you something really powerful. REPLAY - 1.

STORY: Like I said before, the two games have completely different stories. In Seasons, Link meets Din, the Goddess of Power, having fun dancing and feasting. Suddenly, Onix, General of Darkness, blows Din away using a tornado, causing the Seasons to go crazy, thus sinking the Temple of Seasons underground to some sort of lava world with creatures that look like the Jawas that collected the robots in their big tank-like sandroller on the planet Tatooine in Star Wars: A New Hope. It's up to Link to get the Rod of Seasons, all the powers of the four Seasons, and the eight Essences of Seasons, in order to save Din from Onix. In Ages, Link meets Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, playing her harp and singing songs to people and animals. Suddenly, Veran, Sorceress of Shadows, captures Nayru inside the shadows of darkness, causing the Flow of Time to go crazy, thus making random Time Portals. It's up to Link to find the Harp of Ages, get all three Songs of Time, and Essences of Time, in order to save Nayru from Veran. STORY - 2.

DIFFERNCE/ORIGINAL: Everything in Seasons & Ages are very similar to Link's Awakening. The main difference with these two games is the fact that the two games are connected. To be exact, they are two half of one whole. Like I said before, you need both games to get 100% completion. Along with the New Game + using the two games' passwords, you can trade Rings anytime to the other game. To new items are the Rings, many types of Seeds, Rod of Seasons, and the Harp of Ages. DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL - 2.

DIFFICULTY: Two Words... Very Balanced. DIFFICULTY - 2.

TOTAL - 8.5.

There you have it, The Legend of Zelda: Seasons & Ages, my first rating of two games. Thanks again and keep reading my posts. Nintendo Rater.

Beyond Good & Evil

Beyond Good & Evil was released for the PC, Gamecube, Playstation 2, and XBOX in the year 2003. Playstation 3 and XBOX 360 re-released the game as a HD version years later. Beyond Good & Evil was made by our good friends from Unisoft and Michel Ancel, the creator of the game Rayman.

FUN: Beyond Good & Evil is entertaining from beginning to end. Even though most of the game involves sneaking from room to room with a few one-hit kill lasers, there are ways to get through each area without much sneaking. Each area has a small place where you can hide when you are caught by the guard's line of vision or just trying to get a stealth attack. Driving the hovercraft is a blast and so is listening to the dialog. All voiced. FUN - 2

REPLAY: Similar to the Zelda Series and many others... no reply value. REPLAY - 0.

STORY: Jade, a green lipstick wearer, is a journalist in a city called, Hyllis. Lately, aliens called DomZ have been attacking the city like crazy with no signs of letting up. The Alpha Sections should be doing something, but it seems people are going missing when the Alpha Sections arrive to help. After an attack on the lighthouse where Jade lives and takes care of the orphans, Jade gets a mission as a test to become a reporter for the IRIS Network. With her camera in hand and her pig friend name Pey'j (Uncle Pey'j to her), Jade tries to figure out the truth behind the DomZ and the Alpha Sections. STORY - 2.

DIFFENCE/ORIGINAL: Beyond Good & Evil is one of the few unique games that not many players know about. The fact that most of the game is sneaking around and taking pictures of proof. Unlike the basic stealth games (Like Metal Gear Solid and the Forsaken Fortress in Wind Waker), you don't have to really sneak. I figured out a loophole and killed a guard or more, ran and hid, and repeated the process. Once all the guards are dead and gone, nothing can alert the systems to bring more guards (If they were that smart. The guards go back to their posts even after they just saw their partner get killed by you) and to activate the one-hit kill lasers. Another original idea was the fact that you get paid to take pictures of each type of species and each time you finish a roll of film, you get a pearl which is needed for the Black Market that sells you hovercraft parts. DIFFENCE/ORIGINAL - 2.

DIFFICULTY: This game is not all that difficult. There are parts in the game where you are bombarded by a ton of enemies in a small space. There are also parts in the game where you have to think of a strategy instead of going head on into the area. But, like I said before, even the most novice sneakers (Which I am) can get through this game with little to no problems. DIFFICULTY - 2.

TOTAL - 8.

There you go. Great score for a game that was not well known during its time. Unisoft still is mentioning that Beyond Good & Evil 2 is still a working progress, but will be released. Signs are pointing towards the game being a Playstation 3 and XBOX 360 game. However, some people still think that is just a rumor. Until next time... thanks for reading my blog! Nintendo Rater.