Upon defeating Veran for the first time in Oracle of Ages, you will receive the “Holodrum Secret,” a password that you can use upon starting up Oracle of Seasons and playing what’s called a linked game. Likewise, upon defeating Onox for the first time in Oracle of Seasons, you’ll receive the “Labrynna Secret” to use for Oracle of Ages, starting a linked game there. There are a great many differences in a linked game of Ages.

Differences:

• You begin the game with the same sword you had in Ages, and Impa gives you the Wooden Shield.
• You begin with four hearts instead of the usual three.
• Your name remains the same, as well as the name you gave to Bipin and Blossom’s son. Moreover, he continues to grow up in a linked game, depending on the choices you made for him in the previous game.
• Twinrova makes appearances in several new cutscenes.
• Maple travels on a flying saucer, making her faster.
• Many characters now carry secrets accessible via passwords (see more on that below).
• Rosa (and other Subrosians) make several cameo appearances from Oracle of Seasons.
• The location of the Zora guard who will grant you access to the Sea of Storms changes in a linked game. Now he will be found in the present, as will the Skull Pirates’ ship.
• On the other side of Maku Road in the present will be an extra cave opening. This takes you into a profoundly difficult bonus dungeon, the Hero’s Cave. The reward at the end of this grueling level is the Armor Ring L-3.
• After clearing Moonlit Grotto, Princess Zelda comes from Hyrule but gets herself in trouble. Enter the Black Tower at any time and Vire will challenge you to rescue her. You must get through several floors of ladders and flames, a la Donkey Kong, before you can reach Zelda. Once you do, however, she’s safe–for now.
• Toward the end of a linked game, Zelda once again leaves Impa’s sight and gets herself in trouble. Now she gets captured by Twinrova. Upon defeating Veran, Din and Nayru combine their powers to aid Link, and the Maku Tree opens the way to the Room of Rites, where Twinrova is holding Zelda. Go there for the true final battle of the Oracle games, against Twinrova and then Ganon.
• Upon defeating Ganon, you’ll receive the “Hero’s Secret.” Use it to start a new file on either Seasons or Ages. It will be exactly a totally clean, new file except that Link begins with four hearts instead of three, and the “Ring Secret” will transfer every single Magic Ring from the first two game sessions.

The password system in the Oracle games is a bit complicated. If you beat Seasons first, then you’ll receive the “Labrynna Secret,” a password that shows up at the end of the credits for this game. Start up a new file on Ages with that password to begin a linked game there. Now some of the characters you find in Ages will give you secrets (i.e. passwords) related to characters whom you met in Seasons. Write these down! Return to Seasons and speak to the characters in question, giving them the password to activate the secret. Some characters will give you the item outright, but others will require you to complete some sort of challenge or mini-game in order to obtain it. Once you have the item, the character will then give you another secret/password to take with you back to Labrynna. At this point, return to Ages and give this password now to Farore in the Hall of Secrets inside the Maku Tree in order to make the item materialize in Ages as well. Like I said, it’s a complicated system–but immensely useful! Below is a list of secrets that you can obtain in a linked game of Oracle of Ages (i.e. playing Seasons first, Ages second).

Play through Oracle of Seasons and defeat Onox in Onox’s Castle. Wait through the ending credits, and this password will appear on the screen; write it down. Next when you insert your Oracle of Ages game pak, use that password to start a new file. In this way, you will begin a linked game!

Play through either Oracle of Ages or Seasons first, then play through the other as a linked game. After defeating both Veran and Onox, the way will be opened to the Room of Rites. Therein defeat both Twinrova and Ganon to see the true ending to the Oracle series. Wait through the ending credits, and this password will appear on the screen; write it down. Next insert whichever game you didn’t play as the first one, and use this password to start a new file. In this way, you will begin a new sequence and can collect some things that you couldn’t previously in the first sequence! (For example, if you played Ages to Seasons, now with the Hero’s Secret play Seasons to Ages in order to collect things that you can only in a linked game of Ages, which you would’ve missed previously.)

In Seasons, speak to the Red Snake at Vasu Jewelers in Horon Village and get the password from him. Then speak to the same Red Snake at Vasu Jewelers in Lynna City in the present, and give him the password. All of your rings from Seasons will then be transferred to Ages! Even better, this works in reverse too, bringing all your rings from Ages into Seasons as well!

There is only a single Zora to be found in all the land of Holodrum, and he’s in the Hero’s Cave just outside Horon Village; he’ll be reachable after you’ve cleared Poison Moth’s Lair. Get the password from him and pass it on to King Zora in the present, and the fish king will sharpen your sword into the mighty Master Sword! Note that if you only have the Wooden Sword at this point, it’ll be upgraded to a Noble Sword, but the Master Sword can still be found later at the end of the trade sequence.

Go to the normally uninhabited house on the southern coast of Holodrum on the way to the Graveyard (accessible after the Piratian ship anchors on the coast). Inside there will now be a ghost who gives you the password. Next, speak to the librarian at Eyeglass Isle Library in the past who previously gave you the Fair Powder, using the Book of Seals again to reach him. To keep you quiet, he gives you the Mirror Shield (or Iron Shield if previously all you had was the Wooden Shield).

After clearing Poison Moth’s Lair, find Guru Guru in the Eastern Suburbs, and he’ll give you a password. Next you need to find Troy in Labrynna, but unfortunately he’s not in his house in Lynna City as he usually is–he’s gone off on an expedition to Rolling Ridge, so there we must go as well. You’ll find him at Target Carts, and as you’ll probably guess, he won’t give you your prize until you successfully hit all 12 targets in the game. Keep trying until you get all 12, and Troy will reward you with Bombchus.

East of Snake’s Remains is a normally empty cave. After clearing the second dungeon, a Great Fairy will be inside who has a secret to pass on to someone who thinks himself a fairy. This can only be…Tingle! Find Tingle in Labrynna (present) at South Shore and pop his balloon as usual and tell him the secret. He’ll reward you with a seed upgrade! Note that the other seed upgrade in this game likewise comes from Tingle as well.

After clearing Snake’s Remains, go to Holly’s house to meet her new friend. The new girl gives you a password that you must now take with you to Symmetry City’s ancient past, namely to the twin girls who are the authors of the book that Holly’s friend loves so much. Visit them at the central house where the Tuni Nut is. In gratitude, they will upgrade your Ring Box.

A woman appears at the Horon Village fountain very early in the game, right after you’ve spoken with the Maku Tree for the first time. She’ll give you a password. Go to Fairies’ Woods in the present and find the blue fairy in particular and tell her/him the password, and that fairy will make you very happy indeed–with a new Heart Container!

Once you cure Biggoron by giving him the Lava Soup, a red Goron will now appear nearby, a descendant of the Goron Elder from ancient Rolling Ridge who wishes to learn more about his ancestor’s diary. Go now to this same Goron Elder in Labrynna’s past at the Goron Shooting Gallery, and he’ll give you the Biggoron’s Sword. Or at least he will after you prove yourself by scoring 300 points in the target practice game with it. It’s much harder to wield in a mini-game like this than your other swords have been because it’s so big, heavy, and (therefore) slow. But keep practicing until you get it, and then Biggoron’s Sword will be all yours.

After you’ve vanquished the Great Moblin at his fortress and sent him packing to Sunken City, visit him at his lackluster new home. Now return to what’s left of his fortress to find a friendly Moblin waiting on you to give you a secret about the Tokays of Crescent Island. Armed with that password, go to present-day Crescent Island to the Wild Tokay Museum and give the Tokay there the password. Now he will resurrect the Wild Tokay challenge, wherein you must toss meat to all the Tokays who pass you, both on the right and the left. If you’re successful, then the Tokay in charge you will grant you a Bomb Bag upgrade.

Once you’ve obtained the power of autumn, go to Lava Lake to find a gold-clad Subrosian there. Get the password from him and pass it along to Mayor Plen in Lynna City, who will be very thankful and give you the Spin Ring in return.

After clearing Poison Moth’s Lair, return to the Floodgate Keeper’s house to find the mother of Mamamu Yan, who gives you a password to pass on to her daughter. Now go to Mamamu Yan in Lynna City in the present, but her dog has gone missing. It’s your task to go throughout the town looking for it and to return it to her. Search all over the city, and even on the outskirts of town (it’ll show up on a screen randomly, so just keep at it). Once you find it, pick it up and bring it back to her. In return, she’ll give you the Snowshoe Ring.

After defeating both Onox and Veran, Din and Nayru combine their powers and open the way to the Room of Rites, where Twinrova is holding Zelda captive to perform their dark rites. Once you’re transported here, in all likelihood you’ll still be in bad shape from the climactic battle before (whether Onox or Veran), so it’d be a good idea to leave immediately by the portal and stock up as well as power up (including visiting Vasu to get the best rings you can for the final battles). Once you’re finally ready, return to the Maku Tree and to the portal. From the entrance of the Room of Rites, proceed north once. Now you’ll be in a room full of eye statues. Once the eyes stop, they will all look in three different directions. Whichever direction is the one they’re not facing (either north, south, east, west) is the direction you must go to proceed. Do this enough times, and you’ll come upon one last empty room. Go north to find Twinrova, and not a moment too soon.

This battle takes place in two main phases, and the witches transport you to the basement beneath the altar to duel. Just as in Ocarina of Time, the Sorceress of Ice (Kotake, clad in blue) is vulnerable to fire, and the Sorceress of Fire (Koume, clad in red) is vulnerable to ice. So when they shoot their fire and ice attacks at you, beat them back with your sword, aiming for the sister of the different color (also, you can block these attacks with a Mirror Shield). After delivering several successful hits, the two sisters will merge into a single form, Twinrova.

For this second phase, now the arena, along with the boss, will alternate between fire and ice. When Twinrova is in her fire form, the room will become filled with lava pits, and Twinrova will unleash fireballs at you that, if they miss you and hit the wall, will split into three on the ricochet. She will also send Fire Keese to swoop down on you. Since it’s easy to get knocked into the lava, especially on bounce-backs, equip the Steadfast Ring to minimize this effect–and slash away at her with your sword! When she turns into her ice form, the floor will be frozen over and slippery–equip the Snowshoe Ring to negate this handicap. Now Twinrova emits ice crystals that slide around the room damaging you, which can be destroyed with your sword–as well as ice energy that freezes you, which can also be swiped away with the sword. Get in close and keep hacking away at Twinrova. After enough sword slashes (in either form), she’ll be stunned–shoot a Scent Seed at her to damage her. If you run out of Scent Seeds, you’ll have to use an Ember Seed if the room is frozen or a Mystery Seed if the room is fiery. After enough shots from seeds, Twinrova will perish–but not before sacrificing herself to revive the Evil King.

Here it is, the final battle of both games! Ganon is revived as a mindless beast bent on destruction, and it is your task to put him down for good. He has many attacks that you must dodge–it is highly recommended that you have Roc’s Feather (or better yet, Roc’s Cape if you have it) equipped for the entirety of this battle. His most frequent and basic attack is to skewer you with his Trident of Power. Sometimes he’ll slam his fist into the ground, stunning you, enabling him to pelt you with a large orb of energy–jump before his fist hits, then dodge the orb. He’ll also shoot a slower energy attack straight down, followed by two others toward the sides. At other times he’ll use his Trident to shoot out twelve small orbs of energy at you. His most interesting attack is when he changes the room into a dark blue color that reverses the controls on your Game Boy Color’s control pad in an attempt to throw you off. As for your attacks, if all you have is the Noble Sword, the only way to damage Ganon is with spin attacks, which will be tricky to pull off given the frequency with which Ganon warps around the room. With the Master Sword, however, you can simply hack away at the dark beast. With many Master Sword slashes or spin attacks with a lesser sword, Ganon will fall at last, and you’ll be treated to an extra ending.