Oracle of Ages begins with a cutscene showing our hero riding horseback towards Hyrule Castle, where he has been called upon by the Triforce to embark on a special journey to save a distant land. Press START once the title screen appears to be taken to the File Selection Menu. Choose any open New Game and name your character whatever you want him to be called. Our hero’s official name is, of course, Link, though in almost every case in the Zelda series, players are encouraged to name the hero whatever they wish. For this guide, however, we will refer to the protagonist by his official name.
After creating your file, a continuation of the title cutscene will play where Link is seen flying about the darkness, guided by the Essence of the Triforce who will ask that Link accept the quest he has been given. Press A or B here to bypass the text and have Link transported to a mysterious forested area.
~ Present ~
Link will awaken in a mysterious forested area, at which point control of him can be taken. Walk up two screens to meet Impa, who reveals her role as Hyrule’s Princess Zelda’s nurse. Impa is being attacked by Octoroks who will flee upon Link walking near. She will notice the mark of the Triforce upon the back of Link’s hand and reveal it to be both the reason the beasts fled as well as the mark of a Hyrulean Hero. Impa will then ask Link to help her find a woman named Nayru, then follow along. Continue up one and left one screen and notice the large boulder with a triangular shape upon it on the left. A short cutscene will play with Impa asking Link to move the stone. Push the stone from either side to clear the path, then head up two screens, following the distant sound of music.
Here, we find the source of the music to be a woman dressed in blue singing to an audience of animals and people alike. Speak with each of the listeners except for the red bear, where we learn that the woman dressed in blue is Nayru, the one Impa mentioned earlier. Speak with the red bear last and he will move aside so Link can get a closer seat to hear Nayru sing. Walk into his place for a cutscene to play, during which Link is introduced to Ralph, who calls himself a friend of Nayru’s and also recognizes Link’s Hyrulian hero status. Link also learns here that the reason for Link coming to Labrynna was Nayru hearing of imminent evil upon the land.
After some words from Nayru and Ralph, Impa will walk up and begin to laugh. Shortly after, a ghost-like entity will fly out of Impa’s body and emerge to be none other than the game’s antagonist, Veran, Sourceress of Darkness. Along with Nayru’s true role as the Oracle of Ages being revealed, Veran’s plot is also enacted during this cutscene, where she takes over Nayru’s body, giving her access to the Oracle’s power of time-travel. Veran then travels to the past via a time portal to disrupt Labrynna’s peace there, thus affecting the land’s present in the process. The cutscene ends with Ralph running off to save Nayru, a common theme throughout Link’s adventure, and Impa giving Link the Wooden Sword, entrusted to her by Zelda. Impa will head off to Nayru’s house and ask that Link go talk with the Maku Tree in Lynna City.
Head down three screens and slash one of the bushes on the left to clear the path. Continue left one screen to enter Lynna Village. Bypass the Shop for now and continue up one screen. Enter the Ring Shop here and speak with the shop owner, Vasu, who will give Link the L-1 Ring Box, as well as his first Magical Ring. Vasu will appraise this first ring for free, though later rings will cost 20 Rupees each to appraise. Once appraised, this first Magical Ring will become the Friendship Ring which gives Link no added abilities when worn, but is merely a sign of friendship between himself and Vasu. If Link ever acquires a Magical Ring that appraises into one he already has, Vasu will buy it from him for 30 Rupees.
Exit the shop and continue up one and left one screen. Enter the house here which belongs to Bipin and Blossom, a couple who have just recently added a newborn baby boy to their family. Speak with the wife, Blossom, who will ask what Link think’s she should name her child. Whatever name Link suggests will be the one she chooses. Link will also have to come back and check on the baby at times when Blossom will require his help.
Leave Bipin and Blossom’s house and head back right one screen, then enter the cave at the top-left. This brings Link into Maku Road. Walk up four screens through the cave to find the exit. Link will resurface in the Maku Tree’s area where a cutscene will play. The Maku Tree will recognize Link as the Hero destined to save the land and tell him that he must put a stop to Veran’s attempts to flood the land of Labrynna with sorrow. After telling Link he will need an important item to do so, the Maku Tree will begin to show distress and change colors before claiming something must be happening to her in the past and disappearing. Walk right one screen for a short cutscene with Ralph to play, then enter the time portal to travel to the past.
~ Past ~
A citizen will be shown to notice Ralph and Link entering the past, obviously freaking the guy out, then running back home. We can now resume control of Link, so head down the ladder and down one and left one screen to enter Lynna Village. In the past, the entrance to Maku Road is blocked by piles of dirt which must be removed first before Link can enter, so continue down one and left three screens, then continue down three and right one more screen, entering the Black Tower area. Speak with the contruction worker here who will reveal through a cutscene that the Black Tower was originally being contructed by Queen Ambi to guide her lost love safely back to land, but since the arrival of Nayru, who is actually being controlled by Veran, time itself had ceased and construction of the Tower had went on without rest. Head up two screens into the Black Tower.
From the entrance, head right one screen and walk all the way around the right side then up another screen. Continue left one screen and head down in the middle of this screen and speak with the construction worker holding what appears to be plans. He will give Link a Shovel which can be used to clear piles of dirt, as well as dig holes in the earth to search for rupees or other items. Dig the dirt to the right and leave the Black Tower by going down two screens.
After exiting the Black Tower, head down one screen and dig the piles of dirt on the right to access and obtain Piece of Heart #1. When Link obtains four of these pieces, a full Heart Container will be added to his stock. Now, head left one and up three screens back into Lynna Village. Continue right three and up one last screen to reach the entrance to Maku Road. Clear the dirt and enter the cave, though this time it will not be so simple to navigate.
Inside Maku Road, head up one screen and push the red block “up” to unlock the doorway above. Head through it up another screen and push the out-of-place red block either “right” or “left” to clear a path. Avoid or defeat the three Keese in this room and continue right one screen. Three Gels will hop about this room and attempt to latch onto Link, slowing him down but not doing any damage in the process. Simply defeat the enemies, unlocking both doorways in this room, and head up one screen.
Push the red block “up” and into the pit, then walk along the path on the right until Link reaches two more red blocks. Push the left block “up” and the right one “right” to clear the way, then continue along the path and step on the switch at the end. A chest will appear on the yellow tile in the center of the room. Navigate back along the path and then along the one on the left to reach the chest. Open it to obtain a Small Key, then exit this room down one screen and continue left another screen.
Head left one screen through the locked door in this room. There are two identical arrangements of red blocks at the top of this room with the left one containing a switch amongst the blocks. Of this leftmost set of blocks, push the second one in the first vertical row on the right “left”, push the one that was above it “up”, then the one that was to the left of the previous one “left”. Link should be able to now step onto the switch, unlocking the door at the top of the room. Head up one screen through the unlocked doorway.
This room contains two Blue Stalfos which are among the easiest of their kind to defeat. After doing so, head towards the top-left corner where a Piece of Heart is being guarded by four red blocks. Push the leftmost block in the horizontal row below the heart piece “up”, then push the one to the right of it “left”. Walk up and grab Piece of Heart #2, then push the lone block in this room in any direction to unlock the two doorways and head right one screen.
Climb the steps and head up the staircase in this room to emerge in the Maku Tree’s area, where Link finds two Moblins attempting to attack the young Maku Tree. Walk up towards the Moblins to have them come after Link, at which point he must defeat both. The Maku Tree will be so overjoyed about her hero that she will not only open the gate blocking her area for him, but also go as far as to say she will be his bride in the future! Exit the Maku Tree’s area and enter the active portal outside to return to the present.
~ Present ~
Head back up one screen into the Maku Tree’s area and speak to her. She will remember Link having saved her in the past, though her recollection of their marriage plans is a bit off, and also offer him some encouragement in stopping Veran’s evil plans. With the flow of time disrupted, the Maku Tree’s memory and power has faded and requires Link gathering the eight Essences of Time to restore both. Finally, she will inform Link that the first Essence can be found to the east in Yoll Graveyard and give him the Seed Satchel, already stocked with 20 Ember Seeds. Throughout Link’s journey, this useful tool will be used to stock a variety of seed types, all of which have some sort of special ability.
Exit the Maku Tree’s area down one screen back into Lynna City. Equip the Ember Seeds and use one on the shrub to the right, burning it down and clearing a path. Head along this path right one screen to reach a chest containing 30 Rupees! Now, head left one and down two screens to the Lynna City Shop and enter. Link can now afford the Wooden Shield, so purchase it and exit the shop. Head down one screen briefly to swipe the Ember Seeds from the tree, then go up one and right one screen into the Forest of Time.
Continue up one, right one, and down one screen. Burn down the shrub on the right and head right one screen into Yoll Graveyard. Burn the next shrub to actually get inside the graveyard area, then head right one, down one, and left one screen. Link will come to an area where three kids can be heard talking about a grave underneath a tree where a ghost apparently lives. Continue down one screen along the bridge, then right two screens. Burn the bottom of the two shrubs here and descend the staircase hidden beneath.
Inside this cave, light both torches on each side of the room using Ember Seeds to have the Graveyard Key fall onto the skull-head tiles in the center. Pick it up and exit this cave, then head back left two screens, up one along the bridge again, then right one screen to the area with the ghost. Continue up two screens from here to reach a locked gate. Push against the center of the gate to open it using the Graveyard Key, then head right one and down three screens. Enter the building here which is actually the first dungeon of Link’s quest, the Spirit’s Grave.
Link enters the dungeon at room G3 on the grid map. Start by heading right one screen to G4, where the doorway behind Link will close until all three Red Zols in this room are defeated. Defeat the enemies, then head over to the red blocks on the right side of the room. Push the bottom one “left” or “right” and head through the path up one screen to F4.
Push the puzzle block straight ahead “up” and onto the tile in the center of the four torches. The top of the puzzle block will be blue-side-up, lighting the torches the same color and opening a doorway to the right and top of the room, but don’t enter either yet. Instead, head up the steps at the bottom of this room and on down one screen to a ledge with a chest. Open the chest to obtain the Dungeon Map, which shows every room in the dungeon when pressing “Select”. Jump off this ledge and push the lowest red block on the right as before, then continue up one screen, pushing the puzzle block in the next room again as well to unlock the doors. Continue right one and up one screen to room E5.
Defeat the Ghini in this room to unlock the doors to the south and west, as well as cause a Small Key to fall onto the red tile on the left. Pick up the Small Key and head left one screen through the newly unlocked doorway to room E4. In this block-filled room, walk over and push the center block to the “left”, then head down one screen to F4. Immediately head back up one screen to E4 again and push the center block “up”, now allowing access to the chest on the left. Open it to recieve the Compass! This item upgrades the Dungeon Map to also show the locations of chests, plays a tune when walking into a room containing a Small Key, and also reveals the room which serves as the dungeon boss’ lair.
To the left of the chest, use an Ember Seed on the vines growing up the wall to uncover a passage. Head through it left one screen to room E3. Defeat the two Ropes in this room and step on the switch on the leftmost alter, revealing a chest on the rightmost altar. Open this chest to obtain a Magical Ring! This ring will appraise as the L-1 Power Ring, which increases both Link’s sword damage and the damage enemies do to him by 1. Now, head right one screen back to E4 and push the center block to the “right”, then head up one screen to D4.
Push the lowest red block on the right “down”, then head along the path behind it to reach a chest containing a Small Key. Push the out-of-place red block on the left to the “left”, then continue left one screen. Of the two horizontal red blocks in this room, push the left one “down” and the right one “left” to clear a path, then follow it clockwise and continue right one screen to the upper portion of room D4.
Head up through the opened path above the vases one screen to reach room C4 where the door will close behind Link when entered. Ignore the red blocks to the left and right; The five uppermost blocks are the ones which need moved to pass. Start by pushing the center block “up”, then the one that was to the left of it “left” and the one that was above the previous one “up”. On the other side, push the lower block “right” and the one that was above it “up”. This will clear a path to the door Link came in, as well as to both sides of this room. Head over to the left side of the room, walk up the steps, and step on the switch here. A chest will appear in the center of the room on the other side of the pit. Now, walk to the right side of the room, climb the steps there, and step on that switch. A green platform will appear above the pit, moving side-to-side. Use this green platform to access the chest which holds a Small Key. Exit this room now down one screen back to D4.
Head left one screen and take the pathway Link comes to leading up one screen to room C3. Walk across the moving green platform via the path under the square of four red blocks and ride it “up”, then walk onto the path above the four red blocks and push the lone block to the “right”. Follow this path and step on the switch at the end, making a chest appear between the two vases Link passes just seconds before. Open this chest to recieve a Gasha Seed! Soft patches of soil can be found throughout Labrynna in which these seeds need to be planted. After walking a certain distance and based on the number of enemies defeated, a tree will grow bearing a Gasha Nut. Depending on how many enemies Link has defeated since he planted the seed will determine what is inside, the most rare being a Magical Ring, Potion, and even one of the many Pieces of Heart.
Continue along the path, as Link cannot get passed the chest and vases now, all the way onto the ledge at the top of the room. Hop off the ledge safely onto the moving green platform and head left one screen to room C2. Slash the bushes out of Link’s way and head through the locked door at the bottom of this room to D2, the location of the dungeon’s mini-boss.
* Mini-Boss: Giant Ghini *
Giant Ghini will surround itself with three smaller ghosts that will attempt to attach themselves to Link. Much like Mini Zols, these smaller ghosts will slow Link down, as well as give Giant Ghini an open shot at him. Simply slash these smaller ghosts once to defeat them and continuously slash away at Giant Ghini until it is defeated.
Head left one screen to room D1, then down one screen through the locked door here to E1. Link will come to a horizontal row of three red blocks, the right and left of which need to be pushed “down” and the center one “right” or “left” to clear the path. Continue down one screen once doing so to F1. Defeat the four Blue Stalfos here and head up one screen along the path on the right side of the room to the right side of E1. Defeat the two Blue Stalfos and light the torches at the top of this room using Ember Seeds. Head down the stairwell that appears to a single-room dungeon area below, where the Power Bracelet can be obtained! Using this item, Link can lift various objects such as vases and toss them aside or at enemies, as well as find items such as rupees or hearts beneath the vases.
Leave the dungeon area back to E1 once the Power Bracelet is obtained and head down one screen to F1. Lift the vases on the left and toss them aside, then head up the steps and open the chest Link can now access to obtain a Magical Ring! This ring appraises as the Discovery Ring. When worn, a chime will let Link know if a possibly hidden soil patch is within the current screen.
Head down one screen to G1 from here and walk down the steps, then push the lone vase on the right over and onto the switch, unlocking the doorway on the right. Head through this opened doorway right one screen to room G2, containing many vases, as well as three Blue Stalfos roaming about, and a chest surrounded by vases. Lift the vases blocking the chest at the top of this room and open it to finally obtain the Boss Key! Head right one screen to G3, the entrance of the dungeon, and take the warp portal to room D2 where Link faced Giant Ghini earlier.
Head up one screen to C2 and clear the bushes, then continue towards the upper-left side of this room. Clear the bushes here and head up one screen through the path to B2. Try to keep moving in this room as a Wallmaster will often fall from the ceiling and attempt to take Link back to the start of the dungeon. No matter how many times Link defeats this foe, another will respawn in its place, so its best to just head directly to the right and through the locked boss room door to B3.
** Dungeon Boss: Pumpkinhead **
Pumpkinhead will walk slowly about the room, often attempting to jump on Link though avoiding this attack is painfully easy. His other attack involves spitting three orbs towards Link in a spraying pattern. Simply slash at Pumpkinhead’s body until it disappears, leaving only his head, and lift it using the Power Bracelet. A small ghost hiding inside is revealed beneath the head and, apparently, is the true form of this boss altogether. The key is to toss the head far away from the small ghost, then slash the ghost as it tries to get back to the head. If the ghost is successful, Pumpkinhead’s body will return and the process will have to be repeated, though the boss can be defeated in one go if the ghost is hit enough times before returning to the head. Once Pumpkinhead has been defeated, grab the Heart Container that appears in the center of the room, then head up one screen. Walk up the steps here onto the altar to obtain the first Essence of Time, the Eternal Spirit!
Upon recieving the first Essence of Time, the Maku Tree will have a brief message for Link, informing him that the next essence can be heard echoing from the Western Woods…
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