Zelda Oracle of Ages and Seasons finally arrive on Nintendo Switch Online

27 July 2023 , 11:24

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Link's Game Boy Colour adventures have finally arrived on Nintendo Switch Online (Image: Nintendo)

Nintendo has announced the latest titles to join Nintendo Switch Online, with two The Legend of Zelda titles joining the Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy app

We're rapidly approaching the point where we'll be able to play every The Legend of Zelda game on the Nintendo Switch – with only a handful missing (like the endlessly rumoured ports of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess). Nintendo has just crossed two more off the list by surprise dropping the Game Boy Colour duology – The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, and Oracle of Seasons – onto the Game Boy Nintendo Switch Online app today.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons were the first mainline entries in the series not to be developed internally at Nintendo, instead being helmed by Capcom subsidiary Flagship (who would later go on the develop the also fantastic The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap for the Game Boy Advance, which is also on Nintendo Switch Online).

These titles released in the post-Pokemon world where everyone was trying to get in on the dual-release strategy on Game Boy (Mega Man, Crash Bandicoot etc), but instead of taking the Pokemon route of being two versions of the same game, Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Zelda: Oracle of Seasons are actually two separate adventures that are intended to be played back to back.

Zelda: Oracle of Ages' main mechanic is time travelling, whereas Zelda: Oracle of Seasons gives Link the ability to command the seasons (so for example, you can change the season to winter to create snowy platforms to take you past obstacles). Once you complete one game you're given a code to link your save to the other adventure, which unlocks the true ending of the titles.

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Link it up

I don't know if this is a controversial take but Nintendo Switch Online is actually a really good subscription service in my eyes. Sure you don't get the free game libraries of PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass, but for a fraction of the price you're getting some of the best games ever made delivered almost monthly. Not to mention the included DLC for games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

While we sadly may never be getting a GameCube Nintendo Switch Online, if Pikmin 1+2 and Metroid Prime Remastered are any indication, we still have so many classics still to arrive on Nintendo's subscription. The fact that we're years in and Donkey Kong 64 still hasn't shown up is a crime.

Scott McCrae